Emerald Coast by Anita Hughes

I did not finish this book, and will not be writing a review. The descriptions of the scenery in Sardinia were lovely and the food descriptions made me so hungry. There's just no real depth to this story and the main character is insufferable.

Thank you to Net Galley and St. Martin's Press for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.. I could not finish this book, as I found that the characters were so shallow and as with most of her other books, lovely vivid descriptions of scenery and clothing, but no real depth.

This is a story about a recently divorced couple who decide to each go on the vacation they planed together without telling the other! Interesting that the ex couple looks back on their years together. Some good times and some not so good. A nice enjoyable quick read.

Yet another charming Anita Hughes title, the one percent without apology, a forgetful heroine, a ten star setting, descriptive dining, silly sex scenes, and what is new and most appreciated is the segueway to different time frames. This back and forth time frame usually never works
for me but somehow with just a punctuation mark and a new sentence my brain can absorb the change in story time line instantly. Thanks to the publisher for yet another nibble...

Review will be posted on 11/13/17

Lily Bristol has it all. She has a beautiful daughter, an amazing career, good looks and boatloads of money. She is newly divorced, but she isn't going to let that bring her down. She is on a luxurious trip to Sardinia for not only pleasure, but also to supervise the grand opening of her latest store. While at her five star hotel, she tries to unwind in her suite, but comes to find that there are random items in her room already and not just any items; there's a men's shaving kit and other personal items. Lily comes to find that her ex-husband, Oliver, who helped planned this trip with her prior to their divorce, never canceled his reservation. And is there! In her room! Lily promptly requests a new room and of course all they have available is a connecting room. To make matters worse, Oliver has brought his new and much younger girlfriend on this trip. Before Lily throws in the towel as this being the worst trip in the history of the world, she asks her butler, turned friend, to help her find a decent guy on the island that she can date. Of course, Enzo, the butler, knows the perfect Italian gentleman! Maybe this trip won't be as horrible as she imagined? Anita Hughes's Emerald Coast is like a lazy day at the pool sipping your favorite drink without a care in the world. It's a great book to read when you want an escape.

I never really connect with Hughes's characters, but that's not why I read her novels. I read them when I want a gorgeous setting with great descriptions of five star hotels, fashion, delectable food, and of course tons of drama set against an exotic location. I really felt transported to the beautiful island of Sardinia, which was exactly what I wanted on such a dreary fall day. The people, the food, the fashion....definitely loved being lost in Lily's dazzling world.

With that said, the characters are sort of despicable in Emerald Coast. Although I could sympathize with Lily's situation, she also has made some horrific choices in the past. The flashbacks to her marriage with Oliver were both simultaneously sweet, but also full of red flags. Essentially, it was rich people behaving badly and while that is very entertaining, it gets old quickly. Plus, they are extremely shallow. Yes, each and every character, with the exception of Enzo, is straight up shallow.

But don't get me wrong, I still was entertained by Emerald Coast. I wanted something light, something glamorous, something with a Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous vibe, and this novel fit the bill. My only regret was that I didn't read it this past summer on vacation, because Emerald Coast would make for a fun beach reach as long as you don't mind your characters chock full of rich people problems.

Emerald Coast is a second-chance romance with a twist: what if both parties fight against the second chance? What if neither is sure they want it?

Lily and Oliver have been divorced for a week when they are forced to reunite on the emerald coast of Sardinia, a trip they booked months earlier. She's there to open up a new branch of her line of Lily Bristol stores, and he's there to review a restaurant. He's also there with a younger woman with whom he is quite captivated, at least when it comes to the sexy times.

Lily isn't so much put off by Oliver's relationship as she is by having to stay in the suite next door to his. She doesn't want to keep running into her ex-husband, so she asks her butler to help her find a distraction, namely a manly distraction. Enzo comes through, and for a while it looks as if Oliver and Lily will eschew this proffered second chance because neither is interested in it.

As Anita Hughes makes clear, though, these two should have never gotten divorced. Theirs is a case of a series of obfuscations and misunderstandings turning into a hot mess of recrimination. Anger and hurt linger on both sides, although perhaps a little less on Oliver's because of his new lady friend. Hughes keeps them apart for most of the book, bringing them together every so often to remind them that theirs is a connection that can't be forsaken. But she makes you wonder. Oliver and Lily perhaps made a mistake in getting divorced, but would they make a bigger mistake in getting back together?

I'll guarantee one thing that will happen as you read this book: you will want to book a flight to Sardinia. Hughes describes the setting and food in a way that makes you ache to visit this area. She uses the island locale as a metaphor of sorts for Oliver and Lily: their self-imposed isolation in fact only draws them closer to each other.

Hughes pulls you in from the first pages, making you care about Lily and Oliver as she traces back to the origins of their relationship. She also shows you its deterioration as well as the hope for resolution. I couldn't put the book down.

The romance at the heart of the story is one of what-was and what-if. The scenes between Oliver and his girlfriend crackle with sexual heat, and those between Lily and her Sardinian distraction offer the promise of something new. All the while, there is the undeniable connection between this former husband and wife. The question is what to do about it.

Sometimes a couple needs a change of scenery to rekindle the fires and that is certainly true for the newly divorced Lily and Oliver. When they end up in Sardinia they can see if they can find new love or maybe their love is what they've been missing out on.

This had some fun twists of romance to it, and definitely had a love story I wanted to support. I actually really enjoyed the setting in that I love hearing about rich people things and hating on what they do. The premise, also, was delicious--what a terrifically awful situation!

The characters could have come from any novel and I was never left wondering how the ending would ultimately play our, yet none the less, this was enjoyable. This isn't the most poignant, but was a lovely beach read.

The best part of the story was the description of the food!

Lily Bristol has just divorced her husband and decided to take a long anticipated trip to Sardinia. She is a successful hard working businesswoman and needs a break after her difficult divorce. When she arrives she finds her ex husband and his new girlfriend are booked in the same room! She changes rooms and is determined to enjoy her vacation even though she keeps crossing paths with her ex husband.
This book is humorous,, fun and a enjoyable read. I loved the witty repartee of the characters. and the beautiful setting.

I have read several of Anita Hughes' books and I have to say that Emerald Coast is my favorite! Set on the coast of a beautiful Italian island this book makes a perfect beach read. I so enjoyed reading about newly divorced Lily as she tries to decide if she is ready to move on or if perhaps there is still something about her ex-husband that she needs in her life. This was an enjoyable escape on lazy summer afternoons. I recommend it!

*Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a free advance digital copy in exchange for my honest review.

Thanks to this book, I am booking the next flight to the Emerald Coast! This book makes you wonder about the irony in how if things are meant to be and the paths that you cross play an important part in that destiny. I couldn't believe that in all the places to travel, Lily and her ex end up not only in the same city but the same resort! If that isn't a sign, then I don't know what is! Relationships become difficult when kids are involved because it makes you wonder if there was not a child involved, would you still be with that person? Bring your sunblock to the beach with this one because you won't want to stop reading!

Lily met Oliver when she was traveling from Naples to Florence. The couple, both in their 20s, were in Italy for different reasons. He was working as a waiter in restaurants in Italy and hoped to someday be a chef. She had been traveling on her own and was to return home to a new job San Francisco. He rented a car to drive her to Florence and on the trip, they fell in love. Soon they were married and Lily opened a small chain of Lily Bristol home stores in major cities in the US and Europe. Oliver became a restaurant critic and ended up at the NY Times. They had a young daughter and a perfect life. However after 10 years, the marriage unraveled and they divorced.

Six month after the divorce was granted, both Oliver and Lily ended up in adjacent suites at a posh hotel in Sardinia. He had brought along a gorgeous new girl friend, Angela, and was there to review the top new restaurant. Lily was opening a Lily Bristol shop and had come alone. So she decided to have the personal butler provided by the hotel to find her an acceptable escort.

This book is filled with descriptions of legendary restaurants, exotic meals and gorgeous scenery on the Sardinian coast. It is the perfect beach read. I did have a problem accepting the fact that a couple who was genuinely in love and who both loved their young child, would divorce so quickly for the reasons they did.

I think I got sucked in by the cover, unfortunately what's on the inside didn't live up to the outside. Trite, trivial, and completely unlikable characters. DNF.

Love the luxuriousness and glamour that this book exudes - like Hughes' others. Lily and Oliver were a cute couple, even divorced, so I enjoyed their banter and rapport. Unfortunately, Emerald Coast was a little too predictable even for me, and I wasn't a fan of the cliched reasons why Angela and Ricky were looking for a mate. I'll always love Anita Hughes for her rich descriptions, beautiful writing, and memorable scenery. I just wasn't cut out for the plot of this particular story.

I did not finish this read. Just a little too simple for my tastes.

Emerald Coast was about a newly divorced couple who ended up going to Emerald Coast and staying in adjoining rooms. Oliver and Lily found each other in Europe and fell in love quickly, but jealousy and lies caused them to not trust each other. The plot unravels as they try to enjoy their time in a beautiful beach in Sardinia and find love and happiness without each others' involvement. It also reflects back to Oliver and Lily's whirlwind romance and ten years of marriage, failures and all.

Anita Hughes writing makes the locations jump out off the page and draws you in instantly. This humorous, romantic story flows smoothly and makes me want to travel to see these magnificent places.

I received an advance review copy of this book from the Great Thought's Ninja Review Team. All opinions are my own.

Is this a second chance romance? You'll have to read it to find out what happens to Lily and Oliver after they inadvertently meet up at an Italian resort shortly after their marriage implodes. The Sardinian setting along with the story make this the perfect summer read! Hughes has a nice touch with the details that make you drift off into the world she's created. You'll like both Lily ad Oliver, as well as Enzo and Ricky. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. This is an easy and oh so diverting read. Try it!

I know when I start a novel by Anita that I am going to be transported to a world and a lifestyle that, realistically, I will never be able to experience. Her latest book takes us to a luxurious resort in Sardinia, on the Emerald Coast, a world full of beautiful landscapes and beautiful people.

Lily and Oliver are newly divorced but they find themselves at the same resort at the same time. As they work through the awkwardness of that and as they try to move on with their lives apart from each other, we, the readers, get to see how the rich and famous live. And it isn't always such a glamorous life.

Emerald Coast was an extremely enjoyable trip to a fabulous world, my little summer vacation, and I can't wait to see where Anita takes me next.

Sweet, uplifting, and romantic!

Emerald Coast, the latest novel by Hughes, takes us into the lives of the recently divorced Lily and Oliver and reminds us of the complicated ups and downs of marriage, the importance of appreciating what we have, accepting the things we can't change, and understanding that honesty and trust truly are the backbone of love and happiness.

The prose is exceptionally descriptive. The characters are successful, driven, and quirky. And the plot is a charming mix of life, friendship, family, introspection, jealousy, forgiveness, drama, courage, new love, old love, sex, and mouth-watering cuisine. 

Emerald Coast is the second novel I've read by Hughes and even though I would have liked to connect with the characters a little bit more when it comes to writing a lighthearted, easy read set in a tropical paradise and full of all the glitz and glamour of the rich and famous she nails it.

Thank you to NetGalley, especially St. Martin's Press, for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.