Promises at Indigo Bay by Ellyn Oaksmith is the second book in the contemporary romance Blue Hills series. While each book of this series does change the main characters and could be read as a standalone the characters in this second book actually were introduced to readers in the first book as secondary characters.

Stella and Paulo met when Paulo came to work in the vineyard owned by Stella’s best friend’s boyfriend. They have moved quickly even though Stella had spent most of her life thinking she was not cut out for love and are now living together. Stella is perfectly content with the way her life has turned out and is not looking for marriage however, the same can’t be said for Paulo who definitely wants to marry Stella.

I actually did start this series with the first book, Summer at Orchard House, and really enjoyed that contemporary romance. This second book however seemed to have a problem holding my attention and making me feel connected to these characters. The romance side seemed to be lacking with everything else going on focusing on the potential mother in law and a possible wedding. I just never felt as if I were getting to know the couple on a deeper level or feel invested in their relationship. Knowing that I enjoyed the first book made it frustrating that I couldn’t connect while others seemed to have enjoyed this one too.

I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.

This is a Romance/Women's Fiction. I have to say this book pulled me in so fast, and I really like this me. There was a few parts I did not like, and I did not think needed to be in the book. Overall it was a great well-written book. I loved the characters in this book. The romance was not a super cute romance instead it was one of a girl that never wants to get married or have a baby and a man that wants it all. I was kindly provided an e-copy of this book by the publisher (Bookouture) or author (Ellyn Oaksmith) via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review about how I feel about this book, and I want to send a big Thank you to them for that.

This is a great feel-good read. It's the second in a series of which I hadn't read the first but it worked fine as a stand-alone book and I didn't feel I had missed anything.
The characters are relevant, well developed and believable,
Stella has fallen madly in love with Paolo but when he drops the bombshell that his visa is about to expire she returns with him to Italy. Set between the USA and Italy, the scenery is beautifully described throughout, a real treat especially if you love Italy and its vineyards.
This is a fight for happiness. A perfect read for anyone who likes romance, wine, love or who has an interfering Mother-in-law!

This book is from Bookouture who I work for. I’ve downloaded it for checking purposes which is why there isn’t a full review here.

This is the first book that I have read by this author, and after finishing this book I plan to go back to the first instalment so that I understand everything clearly.

The storyline flows wonderfully. The leading characters are believable and relatable, and the author gives them their own individual personalities that really allow the reader to connect with them in some way. Laced with romance and love for those around them, this is a beautiful read.
This book is packed with emotion and pulls you in, giving you a real sense of the characters feelings.
A truly enjoyable read.

Promises At Indigo Bay is the 2nd book in the Blue Hills series and like the first book I enjoyed this one a lot!

This book is all about Stella, Carmen's bestie who the readers are introduced to in book one as a spirited and gutsy woman running her own hair saloon and Paolo the broody Italian wine maker whom Evan Hollister hires to run his vineyard. Not wanting to give too much away, Stella and Paolo's romance which begins in the first book reaches its culmination here. Both Stella and Paolo have a depth in their respective characters which shines through here.... there is more to both of them which was not made known in the first book- their backgrounds, secrets and insecurities- and this book is about both of them working towards their issues and insecurities to get their happy ending.

Overall, this was a lovely book and it was fun to be back in the charming and beautiful town of Chelan with an added bonus of a quick trip to Italy and its vineyards. We only get a very rare glimpse of Carmen and Evan in this book but I have my fingers crossed for the next book.

My thanks to NetGalley, the publisher Bookouture and the author Ellyn Oaksmith for the e-Arc of the book. I apologise for sharing my review so late.

The book was published on 26th October 2020.

Rating: 🌟🌟🌟🌟

Being Italian I found the description of the Italian family so realistic that I thought the author should have experienced what an Italian mother in law can mean.
It's a heartwarming and enjoyable story that made me smile, root for the characters and kept me hooked.
Good character development, a tightly knitted plot and a lovely setting.
It's the first book I read by this author and won't surely be the last.
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine

If you are into love stories - this book is for you. It is sweet, and cute though not without it's drama.

This book is about a fight for happiness - An American girl and an Italian boy. There is romance, wine, love, struggles and an interfering mother in law.

Perfect holiday read

A sweet romance between two people who were quite different in their outlook but were bound by love. This was my second book by author Ellyn Oaksmith where plans of wedding was interspersed with bubbles of reality and the demands of Cruella… 😂 No… the mother-in-law… Just kidding. Not.

Paolo and Stella loved each other, but they wanted different things. She was happy living together; he wanted marriage. When the mother-in-law dashed in from Italy with Nonna’s ring that things started happening.

The story spoke about the practicalities of two cultures, the depth of secrets, and a hidden past. It dealt with stresses of being in America and telephoning the plans of wedding in Italy. Stella and her best friend managed both. There were moments of hilarity when Stella tried to bond with the MIL.

Secrets hid Stella’s vulnerability and her reactions were more understandable. We all react differently to catastrophes. The prose was fast, and Paolo was sweet with buckets of patience. Stella tested mine too. Friends and relatives increased the sweetness factor though at moments, they were citric too.

A few niggles. I couldn’t connect with anyone, and the emotions were missing. An added depth with sensitive nuances would have made this delightful.

Overall, it was an interesting read which made my morning rush faster.

I read this for a blog tour.

I loved Summer at Orchard House and was excited to read the newest Chelan novel - and I wasn't disappointed.

Stella is the town's hairdresser and salon owner, she has a wonderful Italian boyfriend, a house she loves and a supportive best friend and bonus family.

She isn't close to her own parents and has a tragic history she keeps trying to forget. Then Paolo announces his visa is about to expire and they should get married.

This sends Stella into a tailspin - and Olivia suddenly isn't such a great best friend anymore. Now she's having to confront her past and deal with Paolo's overbearing Italian mother.

I had an Italian best friend growing up and I know all about the Italian mamas and their sons - my friend had two brothers. I knew Stella was in for a rough ride, nothing comes between Italian women and their precious sons.

But Stella finds a deep well of inner strength and somehow manages not to be completely crushed by all the things she's dealing with.

A really enjoyable read, and a delightful slice of escape as the rain pours down and the wind rattles the dodgy panes in my windows.

It’s my first book by the author but I feel like I need to go back and read the first in the series because there are many things i need to know and I have questions that need answers.

A story full of romantic elements, with two driven characters that will do anything and everything for the love ones.

It’s a story about life and how many times we forgive others, but not ourselves.

Overall, is an emotional ride that many readers of the genre will enjoy, where not everything is as simple as black or white or even blue as the sky.

I really enjoyed the first book in this series, so was excited to see a sequel. This one focuses on salon owner Stella, who has fallen for the Italian winemaker working next door to her best friend's winery. His visa is running out, so he proposes, but Stella has mixed feelings about it, given her own experiences with her family. Then, she has to deal with his controlling mother, who visits shortly after the proposal. While I liked the plot of this book, I thought the ending was a bit unrealistic. And, the book was more about the emotional side of a relationship, with fewer extraneous challenges (unlike the first book). It could have used a bit more about the winemaking and/or about Italy.

Stella Gallagher is madly in love with Paolo when he drops a bombshell: his visa is about to expire and he will be deported. He proposes and Stella is torn by the tragedy of her past. Can she overcome the past (and her future mother in law!) in order to create the future of love and happiness?
Stella never wanted to get married and have children but now the thought of losing Paolo makes her accept his proposal. His mother arrives from Italy with the family engagement ring and wants to take over the wedding plans, creating several comedic scenes. Stella agrees to have the wedding in Italy leading to lost passports, a forgotten wedding dress and a frantic trip across Europe.
She fears that her friendship with her best friend is struggling while Carmen deals with her father with dementia, her family business and her hopes for her own relationship. This leads to tension between the two women and adds an extra subplot to the book. I could see both perspectives and understand the frustrations and concerns that each woman is dealing with.
The tone of the book is warm and light hearted despite the tragedy that Stella has experienced. There is plenty of humour as she battles with her future mum in law Rosalia. There are serious moments where Carmen deals with classist and racist attitudes but this is handled sensitively to convey abhorrance.
Promises at Indigo Bay is the second book in the Blue Hills series by Ellyn Oaksmith and I have not read the first. It therefore works perfectly well as a standalone novel but I now want to catch up on the first to see how Carmen and Evan got together.

I really enjoyed Summer at Orchard House, the first book in the Blue Hills series, so I was excited to see this one. This time, we get Stella’s story.
From the beginning, I was engaged in her story. I liked that she was a small-town girl who had a hunky Italian boyfriend (Paolo). At first, I thought that it would be a typical “he’s a cad and she sees the person in town she’s meant for” type of story. But the author surprised me, and quite pleasantly so.
Instead of what I mentioned, what I got was a true romance between two seemingly disparate people who knew they fit together in spite of their differences. They weren’t so much “opposites attract” as much as they just complimented each other.
Unfortunately for Stella, however, Paolo’s mother has other ideas.
I’m not going to give anything away, but the battle of wills between Stella and Rosalia was very entertaining. Each woman had insights that the other didn’t, even though they both thought they had Paolo’s best interests at heart. Italian moms do that to the extreme, though, and Rosalia was no exception.
There was humor in all of the right places as well. I laughed out loud at several scenes. Izzy’s over-reaction to an accident during a haircut was particularly amusing, as was a mad dash to the airport.
We got some swoon-worthy scenes as well, particularly toward the end. I also liked that we got an update on Carmen and Evan. That was a fantastic touch.
For an easy, pleasant read with likeable characters and realistic events, you should check out this series. I look forward to more stories about Chelan and its citizens.

Wine? Romance? Another Ellyn Oaksmith book? Sign me up! I am all in
This is my second book by the author and I have to say that it's definitely not the last. I missed the sassy Stella and the wine master Paolo and ever since reading her first book, I wanted to know more about these two and how their story will develop

Their obvious attraction turns quickly into a chase and from here on, a whirlwind of romance takes over. It all gets deep and strong but what is a love story without secrets and drama?
Promises at Indigo Bay is not a story about the two ending up together or not but rather a fight for happiness, a struggle to forgive oneself and open up again. It is a heartbreaking story about risking everything for love, leaving the past behind and being able to look towards the future

What a great read and wonderful series. If you haven't read this book I suggest you do and the series also.

An entertaining and well written romance. Great plot, believable characters and a beautiful setting. I highly recommend it. I received an advance ebook from the publisher and Netgalley. This is my unbiased review.

I couldn’t wait to read about Carmen’s best friend Stella and the oh, so charming Paolo. Their story was just brimming with promise in book 1 which didn’t let me down. And of course I got to see how Carmen, Evan and the wonderful Alvarez family were fairing.

The very independent Stella and the very Italian Paolo are a match made in Heaven. Stella’s failure to confront her fears and Paolo’s confidence and passion work very well together. Paolo makes Stella feel safe from the turmoil of her tragic past and Stella is the strong woman he needs by his side to fulfill his duties to his family. After all, Paolo needs a strong woman to handle his mother, Rosalia. She’s a haughty, protective, manipulative Italian mother and she will not make it easy for Stella. But, don’t worry, there is a swoon worthy HEA with a pleasant surprise.

The supporting characters are an added bonus to the story. In fact, Carmen is having problems of her own trying to run her own winery and dealing with Evan’s racist parents while Evan pretends there is no elephant in the room. Well, let’s just say Evan redeems himself big time!

I forgot how much I missed the Alvarez family, especially Carmen’s endearing father, Juan. And let’s not forget Stella’s feisty co-worker Izzy who is full of good advice whether it’s wanted or not. My favorite character is the sweet, adoring, and entrancing Paolo. In Stella’s words, he’s “yum-on-a-stick”. 🙂

I have discovered that Ms. Oaksmith’s stories are rich in friendship, family, and especially love. Add the many LOL moments including Stella’s stubborn resistance, Paolo’s Italian to English translations, the mother-in-law from hell, and Carmen’s type A personality changes, and you get a truly superb feel-good love story.

Delightful characters, beautiful settings, wine, wine, wine, and a HEA. What more could you ask for? Give this book a try. I guarantee you will love it!

Thank you to Ms. Oaksmith for giving me the opportunity to read this book with no expectation of a positive review.

It was nice to travel back to Washington’s Wine country and meet the characters from the first book again and see how their stories progress. (This book can still be read as a standalone though).

This is a heartwarming story of love conquering fears and preconceived notions. Stella and Paolo make a lovely couple despite their cultural differences. Paolo makes Stella feel loved and cared for and safe for the first time in a long while. Stella loves him too deeply and he’s thrilled to have the strong and independent woman by his side. But change comes in the form of Paolo’s proposal and Stella’s world seems to have turned on its head. She does not want to lose Paolo. But making a commitment of this kind scares her. It brings up a lot of unresolved memories and also challenges her about her lack of relationship with her parents. However, she’s not going to give in to Paolo’s strong, manipulative, Italian mother! How she works her way through resolving this ‘problem’ makes for a great read.

Stella’s friend, Carmen and her lovely family, the Alvarezes, are always there for her. However, Carmen initially is standoffish about Stella’s forthcoming wedding, but comes around eventually and stands by Stella.

I love the great, loveable characters including Paola’s mother in the book!

The conversations are fantastic especially those between Stella and her mother-in-law to be and Paola’s incorrect English phrases really made me smile!

A lovely, easy to read and sweet romance.

An enchanting contemporary romance full of charm, warmth and emotion, Ellyn Oaksmith’s latest novel, Promises at Indigo Bay is sure to go down a treat with fans of Robyn Carr’s Virgin River.

Stella Gallagher is used to things go awry, but at long last Lady Luck has finally started smiling down on her. After giving up on romance and resigning herself to being single, she is swept off her feet by a handsome and mysterious Italian Paolo Gentillo who came to Chelan and turned her entire world upside down. Paolo is gorgeous, kind, intelligent and is as mad about Stella as she is about him. Has Stella finally found her Prince Charming? Is Paolo the One? Should Stella stop worrying and take a chance on love? Or should she proceed with caution?

When Paolo proposes, Stella cannot help but be cautious. Surely, it’s far too soon for them to take such an important step? Paolo might be the best thing that’s ever happened to her, but Stella cannot help but worry about the future – and about how Paolo will react when he discovers secrets from her past that Stella has never shared with anyone. What will Paolo do when he finds out the truth? Will Stella find the courage to tell Paolo what she has been hiding for so long? Or will her secrets end up costing her the love of a lifetime?

Scared to reveal the real her, Stella has never felt so frightened or so alone. The time has come for her to unshackle herself from old sins and past mistakes, but will confessing all to Paolo result in heartache and anguish? Will the future she has always dreamed about be shattered forever? Or will Paolo show her that he doesn’t care about the past and is only concerned about the future…with her?

It’s such a joy to lose yourself in Ellyn Oaksmith’s brilliantly written, wonderfully funny and feel-good new romance, Promises at Indigo Bay. A heart-warming tale about learning to trust, finding the courage to let go of the past and redemption and renewal, Promises at Indigo Bay will delight readers with an irresistible blend of laidback charm, intense emotion, rib-tickling humour and uplifting romance.

Smart, sassy and sensational, readers who enjoy small-town romances will love Promises at Indigo Bay.