The House by the Cypress Trees by Elena Mikalsen @WF_writerEM ~ a Review

by Susan Roberts

The House by the Cypress Trees is a beautiful romance novel but it is so much more. It's not only the love story of two people but also an armchair tour of Italy. The author describes the various places in Italy so that you feel like you're there. She also writes a lot about the delicious Italian food and wine and it all makes you want to call your travel agent and book a trip. I have been lucky enough to have visited all of the locations that she mentions in this book and it was wonderful to be reminded of how beautiful Italy is and how much we enjoyed visiting it.

Amazon affiliate links are used on this site. A free book was provided for an honest review.

September 2019; The Wild Rose Press; 978-1509227396
audio, ebook, print (342 pages); women's fiction

Julia has traveled to Italy from her home in Texas. Her mom has died and she wanted to try to find her birth mother in Italy. The only clue she has is a painting of a house in a small town. While she is in Rome at the beginning of her trip and frustrated with her inability to communicate with the Italians, she takes a small dog away from a man who is abusing it. As she runs back to her hotel, she is almost hit by a car being driven by Daniel, a British architect who is in Rome to do a presentation about a new museum. After they run into each other again in the hotel, he offers her a ride to his family home near Florence. They become interested in each other but they both have a lot of baggage and seem unable to make a commitment. Through a series of missteps, they go their own way but will they find their way back to each other and find the happiness that they both deserve.

I loved the characters of Julia and Daniel. They were so well written that I felt like I was traveling with them through the beautiful Italian landscape. Their romance runs into all sorts of road-blocks - misunderstandings, family interference, inability to commit but you find yourself hoping for a happily ever after ending because these two people are destined to be together. I also loved visiting Italy with them and reading about the beautiful scenery, the wonderful food and wine, and the amazing people. This is a book that I will long remember.

Buy The House by the Cypress Trees at Amazon

Susan Roberts lives in North Carolina when she isn't traveling. She and her husband enjoy traveling, gardening and spending time with their family and friends. She reads almost anything (and the piles of books in her house prove that) but her favorite genres are Southern fiction, women's fiction, and thrillers. Susan is a top 1% Goodreads Reviewer. You can connect with Susan on Facebook, Goodreads, or Twitter. 

Get even more book news in your inbox, sign up today! Girl Who Reads is an Amazon advertising affiliate; a small commission is earned when purchases are made at Amazon using any Amazon links on this site. Thank you for supporting Girl Who Reads.