This is the story of Baxter and his eight year old daughter Mia who live in America. The story is centred around their grief in losing Mia's mother. Baxter thinks the right way is to expel any memories of his wife Sofia and try to forget her.
Mia suffers from nightmares, is not doing well at school and Baxter is working so hard that he is not spending enough time with her. Then fate in the shape of a message from a DNA family finding site takes over and shakes everything up. Baxter and Mia fly to Spain to meet Sofia's birth mother and the healing begins.

What a lovely story. Finding a family was exactly what Mia needed and her and her dads mourning through grief was so heartbreaking.
I loved the descriptions of Spain and the olive growing process. The interactions between all the family were true to real life as we know no one is perfect and there is no such thing as a perfect family.

I sometimes found it a bit unbelievable the things Mia said as an eight year old. I've never heard any eight year old speaking like her. Baxter was always a bit up and down. First he was unhappy then he was okay then he was unhappy again. I would then become a bit confused as to where we were with him.
But I enjoyed the story and it had a lovely epilogue. Good read.

Baxter Shaw is a forty-something widower of eight year old daughter, Mia. His grief after the tragic loss of his wife, Sofia, three years earlier has led him down a spiral of defensiveness and despair. He’s given up any close relationships, given up his creative outlets, and sleepwalks through work. Life has become meaningless and drab. It is seriously affecting Mia. Her schoolwork and social connections are suffering. Baxter already resigned himself to sorrow, but now he’s also a failure as a parent. Still, it is better than what he had as a child, he tells himself.

Then an email from DNA site 23andMe chimes on Baxter’s computer. Years ago he and his late wife submitted their information. Sofia was looking for her birth mother. The email is from Ester Arroyo and she is trying to find the daughter she gave up for adoption in Spain. This is the last thing Baxter needs right now. All of his efforts to move forward feel thwarted. How is he supposed to heal if painful memories keep getting dragged to the surface? Best to leave his old life behind and accept the new reality, right?

The rest of the novel chronicles the pilgrimage of Baxter, Mia, and the Arroyo family. It is beautifully written–a story that illuminated bright yellow within my soul. Yes, yellow. I cannot remember the last time a book resonated on such a personal level.

Author Boo Walker uses imagery with such gifted skill that I could see, hear, smell, and taste everything he described. He breathes a rare sensitivity into the characters, plus subtle symbolism for the perceptive reader. And, as someone who suffered a sudden loss, has found relatives on DNA sites, and had the opportunity to meet a branch of my family tree in an enchanted foreign land (Guanajuato, Mexico,) I could relate a lot. But those are not prerequisites.

The author describes himself as a writer of “page turners for soul searchers.” Aren’t all of us searching? Even if you do not have similar experiences, the depth and vibrancy of this book will leave you with an afterglow long after reading the last page.

This is the first ARC to receive a rare 10 Stars on my book review blog. Very well-deserved! Boo Walker’s work will definitely get highlighted more often on this site. Thank you to NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for the advanced copy.

This brilliant family drama with single father Baxter and his young daughter Mia tells a sensitively written story about them dealing with grief and discovering the meaning of family, and for Baxter rediscovering himself.
We are taken on a journey to Spain which is beautifully descriptive and interesting as I learnt a thing or two about the art of producing olive oil!
I really enjoyed the role that music played in this book and all the emotions that in brings to the surface as wall as the memories it can evoke and it’s healing power.
I found this to be such an immersive novel that left me wanting to discover more From Boo Walker.

Thank you so much NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this novel.

There are many novels about recently widowed mothers moving through their journey of grief as they simultaneously are helping their child(ren) heal from the loss of their father. Boo Walker presents a moving and captivating story of Baxter Shaw as he has struggled for the past 3 years to move forward. Baxter made a promise to his wife to give their daughter Mia the <i>"best life."</i> It is a promise that seems to be getting harder to keep not easier for either him or Mia. An email from a website his wife used to try and find her birth mother would have been welcome if his wife was alive. But now? It could rip open the past and damage the little progress Mia has made.

The writing is tender and presents the struggles of the journey of grief that is ongoing. Told from Baxter's POV it is an intimate behind-the-scenes view into Baxter's thoughts and actions. The portrayal of Baxter is multi-fold as the reader glimpses his roles of business owner and employer, widower, single parent, friend. I especially loved the author’s understanding of the healing power of music that is beautifully illustrated throughout Baxter’s life.

Without restraint Boo Walker shares the complexities of life (i.e., betrayal, secrets) and the gifts of friendship and love in our lives. The characters are relatable as emotions (i.e., love, sadness, joy, guilt) evolve and are expressed in realistic dialogue. The father-daughter relationship of Baxter and 8-year old Mia shows sensitivity and love. It also highlights Mia’s spontaneity and that she is more attuned to her father than he at first realizes is possible for a young child.

At moments heart wrenching I will warmly remember the book as it is also heartwarming and inspirational. In the midst of sadness it is difficult to see beyond memories of the past. Life is a journey. Hearts heal. The time it takes is different for each individual. The love remains and reminds us of our inner passion of what we love to do becoming a bridge of hope to all we are yet to be.

My sincere thanks to Boo Walker, and Lake Union Publishing for my complimentary digital copy of this title, via NetGalley, in exchange for my honest review.

#ASpanishSunrise #NetGalley

I quite enjoyed reading this book. I found it very quick to get into and felt all the characters were really well described and pleasant. The storyline was enjoyable, not at all mushy which it could so easily have been and it kept a good pace. I would highly recommend this book, I’ve had a lovely couple of peaceful afternoons reading it! Thanks to Netgalley for an advanced copy x

A Spanish Sunrise tells the story of Baxter, a widower dealing with losing his wife because of a crazy mass shooter. He has to deal with helping his five year old daughter, Mia, grieve while also working full-time at a stressful job after quiting his successful music band.
Baxter and Mia have different ways of grieving. She wants to know more about her mother and talk through it whereas he wants close it all up and move on with his life. The clash of these grieving processes is an important aspect of this story.
Though clearly his method doesn't work because even after three years neither of them seem to have made much progress with their grief. It is at this time that they receive a message from 23andMe which results in them connecting with their family in Spain which they weren't even aware they had.

Baxter is a really good character, even with all his meltdowns he isn't annoying. You will just sympathize with him. Mia is 8 year old but a precocious girl, at times showing more wisdom than her father. Apart from grief both of them show a deep craving for family. It was great that all the characters introduced later have a soul too and weren't just fillers. There were a few really good twists too. It's really beautiful to see all these people coming together as a family and sharing love and care.
The best part of this book for me is Baxter coming to terms with himself. After being with him through the entire process his character development is very cathartic. In this story of grief there is more love and warmth than anything else.

An enjoyable story all about second chances… This book was such a pleasure to read, such a beautifully written, atmospheric book , everything about this book is just so perfect and beautiful, the writing, the characters, the world building and the story.

A Spanish Sunrise
A Novel
by Boo Walker

I Loved A Spanish Sunrise. Boo Walker paints you a picture and you see the story and beauty of Spain. Mia and Baxter lost their wife and mother to a killing. But, both gain a Spanish family for Mia. I smiled and felt the pain as well of Baxter trying to let go of his wife when he should hold her memories.
I have read his other books The Singing Trees, An Unfinished Story, and the Red Mountain Chronicles. Boo never disappoints. with his beauty and life lessons.

This book about a journey of a widowed father and his young daughter was an interesting read. They travel to Spain to learn about his wife's family when they learn she was adopted. His 8 year old daughter having problems adjusting to the loss of her mother and how she died, was quite emotional. Baxter, the widow and father of Mia, had feelings of guilt as well more than just normal. How his wife died and how he explained it to Mia was not an easy task. Going to Spain and connecting with the family's roots was what Baxter hoped would heal both himself and his daughter. My thanks to NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Beautifully written book about life after loss, the importance of family and enjoying what you do in life. This book left me with a warm and fuzzy feeling!

Baxter is a single dad to Mia, who lost her mum Sofia three years ago. This has been tough on Mia who has been suffering from nightmares ever since and Baxter quit his successful music career to work a sixty hour a week job to stay close to Mia. One day, Baxter logs into his e-mail to find a message from 23andMe and reconnects with Sofia's biological mother, who lives on an olive oil farm in Spain. How will the American tightly wound workaholic Baxter deal with his long lost Spanish family, that live a very different lifestyle from him?

Thank you for NetGalley for providing an advance reader copy of this book in exchange of an honest review.

This book was well written but also left some to be desired for me. I know that probably sounds weird but it’s true. There was just something missing for me and I’m not sure what.

I really loved this story and the characters, but I didn't particularly like the authors writing style. Great setting and great premise for the novel however.

I accidently ran across author Boo Walker while browsing Facebook. I am so glad I did! A Spanish Sunrise is an excellent story that keeps your interest throughout the whole story. It hits on family relationships, love, friendship and struggles dealing with the death of a loved one. Such a good story!

This was amazing ,sad and happy. Baxter just wanted to protect his daughter which you can understand but the twists in it and the more you read you did not want it to end. Mia, was an amazing character and Ester was. The descriptions of Spain were lovely. Made you want some olive oil. A must read. Absolutely loved it

Baxter has lost his wife. Mia has lost her mother. It’s been three years since she passed away. It has been three years of lives and pushing away the past and trying to forget everything about her. Baxter wont talk about her and Mia can’t, for fear of upsetting her dad. During this time, Baxter puts his all into work while Mia starts to act out. This is a 4 star read because it is a reminder that after the dark, comes light. It would be a five star read but I got very frustrated with Baxter insisting that in order to get over the death of someone you must get rid of pictures and never talk about them again, ever after being told otherwise by therapists and school counselors. This was probably mentioned in each of the chapters in the first half of the book. Other than that, it was lovely to see this story play out. Thank you to NetGalley and Lake Union publishing for the DRC in exchange for an honest review.

This book actually left me breathless. It was well written with a captivating storyline and characters that were well developed and completely enchanting all mixed with a beautiful setting.
The book is full of rich imagery and vivid descriptions, I couldn't put it down. A stunning read.

"There's that moment when you finish a really incredible book when you just have to take a second to take a deep breath and absorb all your feelings because it was so tremendously good, and you can't voice all the good it made you feel. You feel it in your soul.

Boo Walker has a way of creating beautifully complex characters! His ability to literally paint a scene that immediately takes you along for the ride. I could see the sunrise and I could most definitely taste the oils!

Many thanks to Net Galley for this advanced copy in exchange for an honest review

I read An Unfinished Story by Boo Walker last year and totally fell in love with thus author.

A Spanish Sunrise is a beautiful story and I totally fell in love with these characters inside the book.
Baxter and Mia's journey is incredible, touching, inspiring.
Boo Walker creates such vivid scenes. It felt like I was walking and living with them.
An amazing book and I absolutely enjoyed it.

Lake Union Publishing,
Thank you for this eARC.

A Spanish Sun tells the story of Baxter Shaw who is trying to adjust to a life without his beloved wife.

Baxter had dreams of making it famous with his band. But other priorities must come first like looking after his 8 years old daughter and trying to help her navigate a world without her mother in it. But has been really struggling, as Mia tries to come to terms with her loss she displays more and more behavioural problems and Baxter simply doesn't know what to do to make it better. But like what always happens in life your past always had a way of catching up to you and has a way of making you face up to things that you have been sweeping Under the rug.

With nothing else to do but to meet these troubles head on. Baxter and Mia's journey takes them across Spain to connect with where they came from and to find out what exactly their history is all about. Rekindling with family that they both never knew they had gives them both the opertunity to come to terms with what has happened to them, gives them new ways to navigate their new life and ignites strength and passion in them that they never knew they had or thought that they had lost, and gives them fighting spirit when the foundations of their new life are shaken and challenged.

This book is a real journey in all sense of the word. It shows you the power and strength of the human spirit and when you are at your lowest point that you can pick yourself up fight another day and learn to live in a world that you hoped you would never need to navigate.