Rating: ★★★½ (3.5 stars)

Evelyn Skye uses her magical realism to take us on a journey through Madrid, where Matias and Claire find their way back to each other in her upcoming book, "One Year Ago in Madrid." Matias, a realist artist, moves to New York and soon meets Claire, an attorney who works long hours and late nights. Matias and Claire are complete opposites—Matias thrives in chaos, expressing his feelings through art and losing himself for hours in his work, while Claire thrives on order and control, keeping her emotions in check as she pursues a partnership at her firm in a male-dominated industry.

When Matias travels to Spain to visit his family (without Claire) and suffers an accident that leaves him in a coma, Claire drops everything to be by his side. She soon discovers that she can see Matias’s soul outside of his body and must convince it to return to bring him back to life.

This book is an adventure of self-discovery, growth, and understanding compromise in a relationship. Claire, a type A, guarded woman, learns to let down her walls and finds a balance where she and Matias can be happy together without the need to be in control all the time.

"One Year Ago in Madrid" was a fun, quick read and my introduction to Evelyn Skye. I was transported to Madrid along with her characters and found myself rooting for Matias and Claire throughout their journey.

Recommended if you like second-chance romance, multiple POVs, and opposites-attract.

I highlighted the shit out of this book.

Check this banger from the very first page “All around them, Manhattan heaved like an impatient dragon, its sidewalks shimmering like scales sweaty with humidity. Streetlamps blazed, and the horns of taxis wailed. Everything in the city was alive, feverish, irrepressible.”
Evelyn Skye you have a talent that makes the pages come to life and made me, the reader, fall in love with Claire and Matías.

I know this story will stay with me for a while because I connected to Claire on so many levels. I have to say BEFORE kids, I was very particular about order and the way things belong in the house. Now five kids in, I have to pick and choose my battles, but that’s for another post. Don’t fight me on the placement for the dishes in the dishwasher though! Anyways when Claire mentions the tea towel situation with Matías, or her particular placement for the keys and shoes I deeply felt that. I love that our partners can show us a new side of ourselves and challenge us to grow beyond what we find comfort in. I still get frustrated when my spouse forgets to make the bed? YES, but I am so grateful to share a bed with him and miss him so much when he’s out of town and not there besides me. Throughout the story we follow Claire’s growth as she learns more about herself while fighting for Matías.

I loved it from the start to the end. My only thing I would change would be an additional chapter for the ending, but I don’t know man, it was still a perfect read. Also this story will make you want to cook a meal or go to Applebee’s .

“Meals were not just nourishment-they were love letters to the sun and the earth that grew the vegetables, to the farmers who nurtured the fruit and the artisans who pressed the olive oil, and most of all, to the people to whom you served the food. If you put love and care into your cooking, it would show with every bite.”

I cannot wait to buy this book to share with my friends and other readers! Thank you NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

One Year Ago in Spain

You never know what you have sometimes until you almost lose it. Claire Walker a corporate lawyer in New York meets Matías de Leon an artist from Madrid, Spain at his art show at her friends husbands art gallery. Two complete opposites, but they click right away. Their love story moves fast and they fall for each other in less than a year. Tragedy strikes when Matís goes back to Spain to visit his family and Claire stays back in New York for work on a big work merger. While Matís is in Spain, he goes a on boys weekend this his childhood friends and they get in an accident leaving him in a coma. Claire hops on a plane as soon as she hears, to Spain to be by his side. On her first night there, lonely and not fluent in Spanish, she wishes that Matís was with her like she always does when she is in need or sad and he appears, well more like his soul. She is the only one that can see him. Can she get his soul back to his comatose self in the hospital to help him wake up?

I really liked this book, it makes you think about how the little things don’t really matter in the big scheme of life, but the people in your life is what matters most.

Thank you Net Galley and Random House Publishing Group for- Ballentine for this eARC for my honest review.

There's something special about Skye's writing that makes all her books magical for me. The descriptions are so visual and so whimsical in all the ways that make me feel like the book comes alive when I read it.

This beautiful story between Mattias and Claire is no exception. I loved every description of his paintings. I loved seeing Spain through Skye's eyes. I loved how all of my senses come alive when I read her stories. And how they stay with me. The peacock in the park, the delicious food, the angry sibling. I can visualize and imagine every one of them.

I love the premise of this story. How do you get your love who doesn't remember you to fall back in love with you so he can wake up from his coma? How do you make it so he can find his way back to you? These characters will all stay with you long, long after you finish the last page.

with gratitude to netgalley and Del Rey for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review

Claire and Matias fell quickly in love in New York City the perfect opposites attract story. When Matias goes home to Spain for a visit he wants to take Claire with him and propose but she's still not sure it will work between them. She's convinced he's going to change his mind and become bored with reliable and predictable Claire. While in Spain Matias gets into a bed accident and ends up in a coma, Claire flies there to be with him. While at her hotel one night she meets Matias's lost soul trying to get back to his body only he doesn't know about the accident and doesn't remember the last year with Claire or who she even is. Claire has to find a way for him to fall back in love with her and reunite him with his body while also realizing that she doesn't need to be anything else for him then she already is. I liked this book it's my second by this author and I really enjoy the magical realism elements. Rating this 3/3.5 stars and absolutely recommend. I want to thank NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine for the arc in exchange for an honest review.

I liked the idea of the book however I did not like the execution. It was very hard to get into and was too descriptive at times. The pacing felt off to me. The flashbacks seemed unnecessary considering they were already being remembered in the current timeline. I don't like how we are getting POVs from characters other than the couple since this is suppose to be a romance.

I was super excited to read this book since I saw people saying that it was perfect for fans of "The Dead Romantics" by Ashley Poston. I did saw the similarities but aside from that, I didn't really loved this one. It was for me to connect with the characters and the fact that there were others post of views aside from the main couple bored me. There were few things that I would've change to make this one more appealing.

One Year Ago in Spain is a heartfelt and imaginative romance that explores the power of love and memory. Claire Walker, a high-powered corporate lawyer from Manhattan, has always kept her life perfectly ordered. That is, until she meets Matías de León, a free-spirited Spanish artist. Their whirlwind romance challenges Claire's structured world, but a year later, she begins to question their future together due to their stark differences.
The story takes a dramatic turn when Matías is critically injured while visiting family in Madrid, leaving him in a coma. Claire rushes to his side, only to find she can see and communicate with his soul, which has no recollection of their past year together. Skye skillfully weaves a narrative where Claire must make Matías fall in love with her all over again to bring him back to life.
The author's evocative writing brings the vibrant streets of Madrid to life, providing a rich backdrop for this emotional journey. The novel's unique premise of wooing a lover's soul adds a mystical layer to the romance, making it a compelling read. Claire's determination and the depth of her love are beautifully portrayed, offering readers a moving and hopeful story.
However, the pacing sometimes slows, particularly during the middle sections where Claire's attempts to reconnect with Matías's soul can feel repetitive. Despite this, the emotional depth and the novel's satisfying conclusion more than compensate for these moments.
One Year Ago in Spain is a testament to the enduring power of love and the belief that true connections can overcome even the most extraordinary challenges. The author delivers a touching and original romance that earns a solid four stars.
Thank you to NetGalley, the author and the publisher for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

This book was okay and short. It was a cute light read but it was just everywhere. There were a lot of POV and everything just felt rushed. I wanted more. I would recommend this book if you need a quick read but nothing else.

Thank you NetGalley and Del Rey for the opportunity to read this e-arc. This is my honest opinion.

4.5/5
Absolutely sweet and had me teary eyed to giggling. If you like sweet romances with a slight supernatural flare this is for you. It has multiple characters, Claire the FMC is beautifully written and the MMC Matias is fun to read. The inner struggle from Claire is easy to relate too. I just wish there was a tad bit more to their relationship build up before hand along with her personal history to make the connection more. I 100% recommend this book. I could not put it down and finished in a few hours! So Good!

Thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing!
Claire and Matías are opposites, who fall in love despite all the odds. The central question becomes, will they be able to stay together in the face of extreme adversity, differences and all.
I just kept thinking that his family would have been a total dealbreaker for me. Claire was a lot more understanding than I would have been!

3.5

**Thank you NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for sending me a free ARC in exchange for an honest review**

One Year Ago In Spain is a story of a woman trying to save her boyfriend’s life by having his soul fall in love with her all over again. The premise of the book reminded me a little bit of the book If I Stay so this might be for you if you enjoy that type of storyline.

The story was definitely unique and I appreciated the different timelines of the relationship that were brought out through the book that gave us a better insight into the dynamic of the couple. I also enjoyed the use of the Spanish culture and language through the book.

However, It was difficult to feel invested with this couple at the beginning as it was very insta love so only brief flashbacks allowed us to see how and why they fell in love in the first place. By the time I started feeling invested in the story, it felt like it just ended abruptly. I would’ve loved just a little bit more of the life that Matias & Claire had after this story ends. Most of the romance feels like it’s happening off page as we really don’t get to see a lot of the actual dynamic of the couple.

I did enjoy seeing Matia’s POV but the other POVs that did not pertain to the main characters felt a little unnecessary but not necessarily bad as it was interesting to see other POVs it just felt randomly placed throughout the book.

I enjoyed reading it and the premise was definitely unique. The book kept me engaged while reading it but the ending fell short.

Omg I am IN LOVE with this book! Hooked from the beginning. I immediately loved Matías. I also loved that his perspectives started from the past and worked up to the accident.

I would have liked a little more happy time with them at the end after he woke, for more closure, but otherwise it was perfect!

>I haven’t read any books by this author before but I was really intrigued by the premise of this book. Matias being in a coma and Claire being able to communicate with his soul reminded me a bit of the premise of The Dead Romantics and it made me really want to read this book. Well I was really excited by the premise of this book something about it felt a little flat to me. I was really captivated by the initial romance between the main characters but as the story continued I just didn’t feel that spark that I felt in the beginning of the book. That’s not to say that there weren’t parts of this book that I didn’t enjoy. The writing was engaging, the relationship was enjoyable in the beginning, and overall it was a light quick read. I’m looking forward to hopefully trying more books by the author in the future.

Having read other books by this author I went into her newest one hopeful it would live up to her previous work. And it definitely did. Maybe even surpassed it.

Claire is a very organized, strait laced, successful lawyer that is trying her hardest to become partner in her law firm. During an event at a friends art gallery she meets Matias, an artist from Spain who whisks Claire off her foot and becomes her boyfriend. Almost a year after they meet Claire is feeling bothered and decides to not go to Spain with him as planned and to stay beyond to work on an important merger. After a few days Claire receives a call that Matias was gravely hurt and they didn’t know if he would survive. When she gets to Spain, among his big, overwhelming family, Claire sits by his bedside and also starts seeing his soul around Madrid. Claire then has to get Matias soul to fall
In love with her again before it’s too late.

I loved the story line, even if parts were a bit out there. I loved the growth of Claire as well as the relationship that she had with Matias. I also loved reading his point of view to see just how much he loved Claire and what made him fall in love with her.

Overall this was such a feel good love story that I ended up really enjoying. Thank you to Netgalley and to the publishers for allowing me to read this advanced copy.

4 out of 5 stars

*thank you to Netgalley and Random House for the e-ARC. The review below is my own opinions and thoughts*

Matias and Claire are as opposite as they come. She’s a lawyer and he’s an artist (a painter to be exact). I think the obvious differences between the two are the main reason the reader gets introduced to Claire the way they do. Claire doesn’t really let people get close however with Matias is impossible to not fall for him. One Year Ago in Spain blends the main theme of ‘Life is Short’ with Control. Claire has perfected everything from her career, to her household “rules”. However the one thing she can’t control is Matias. He is the adventurous and free flowing. Meanwhile, Claire is time tables, stick notes and color-coded tabs. I don’t want to go too much into the plot but just know it really keeps you wanting to know what happens next. The only thing I wanted more of was time with Claire and Matias conscious (slight spoiler: I loved that she was the one to see his soul and guide him back, I just wanted to see them interact more after this major life altering experience). I personally enjoy Evelyn Skye’s writing (especially The Hundred Loves of Juliet) and One Year Ago in Spain was no exception.

Evelyn Skye's 'One Year Ago in Spain' is a captivating tale of love, loss, and second chances. Set against the backdrop of Manhattan and Madrid, Skye introduces us to Claire Walker, a high-powered lawyer whose meticulously ordered life is turned upside down when she meets Matías de León, a free-spirited Spanish artist.

Their whirlwind romance catches them both by surprise, but a year later, Claire questions everything about their relationship. When tragedy strikes, and Matías is left gravely wounded in a Madrid hospital, Claire discovers that she is the only one who can communicate with his soul, disconnected from his body.

As Claire embarks on a journey to reignite Matías's memories and love for her, she must confront the possibility of lightning striking twice. Skye's prose is poignant and evocative, drawing readers into Claire and Matías's world with its richly drawn characters and emotional depth.

'One Year Ago in Spain' is a testament to the enduring power of love and the resilience of the human spirit. Skye masterfully weaves together themes of fate, destiny, and the bonds that tie us together, creating a story that lingers long after the final page is turned.

I feel like this was a great story but not executed well. I feel like it was so rushed and not really thought well imo. I would like to see a more thought out version of this story and maybe a bit longer would help make the story better.

In *One Year Ago in Spain* by Evelyn Skye, Claire Walker's meticulous life is upended when she meets Matías de León, a charming Spanish artist. Their whirlwind romance leads to a deep connection, but a year later, doubts creep in. When a tragedy leaves Matías in a coma, Claire discovers she can communicate with his soul. To save their love, she must convince his soul to return to his body by rekindling their romance.

While the premise is intriguing, the execution falls short in pacing and character development. The initial romance between Claire and Matías is captivating, but their relationship lacks depth. The plot twist of communicating with Matías's soul feels contrived and detracts from the story's emotional impact. Despite these shortcomings, Skye's writing is engaging, and the story is a light, enjoyable read.

Thank you @randomhouse and @netgalley for the eARC of One Year Ago in Spain by @evelyn_skye in exchange for an honest review!

📖📖 Book Review 📖📖 Even in her perfectly predictable life, Claire wants her love life to have sparks and is not afraid to not settle for anything less. And when she meets Spanish artist, Matías, her world ignites in a passion she has never experienced before. While their chemistry and love is inspiring, their dichotomous natures leads Claire to question the sustainability of their relationship. All of Claire’s doubts are cast aside when Matías is in a coma after a horrible accident, and she rushes to his side in Madrid. When she starts seeing visions of his soul while he is in his coma, she must rely on hope and the power of their great love to keep him alive and reignite their spark. One Year Ago in Spain examines some of life’s greatest gifts and inevitable hardships, reminding us of the need for love and connection with others to survive.

This book definitely had a soundtrack of Death Cab for Cutie playing nonstop in my head:

I want to live where soul meets body
And let the sun wrap its arms around me
And bathe my skin in water cool and cleansing
And feel, feel what it's like to be new

Review is posted on Goodreads and will be on Instagram ahead of the publication date!