Love, In English by Karina Halle (Love, In English #1)

Original title: Love, In English

Year published: 2014

Published by: Metal Blonde Books

Number of pages: 439

First sentence: “My name is Vera Miles.”

Plot: To a restless dreamer like Vera Miles, it sounded like the experience of a lifetime. Instead of spending her summer interning for her astronomy major, she would fly to Spain where she’d spend a few weeks teaching conversational English to businessmen and women, all while enjoying free room and board at an isolated resort. But while Vera expected to get a tan, meet new people and stuff herself with wine and paella, she never expected to fall in love.

Mateo Casalles is unlike anyone Vera has ever known, let alone anyone she’s usually attracted to. While Vera is a pierced and tatted free spirit with a love for music and freedom, Mateo is a successful businessman from Madrid, all sharp suits and cocky Latino charm. Yet, as the weeks go on, the two grow increasingly close and their relationship changes from purely platonic to something…more.

Something that makes Vera feel alive for the first time.

Something that can never, ever be.

Or so she thinks.

(From Goodreads)

My thoughts: I could not put this down! I started reading it this morning and seven hours later I was done. And when I was I felt empty. You know a book has been really good if you feel empty when it’s over. God, where to begin?

I loved the book, and I mean the entire book, there wasn’t a thing I didn’t like about it. It was funny, sad, angering, passionate, sexy, romantic. It was all the things you’d want a book to be, at least what I want a book to be. I loved Vera’s story, getting to know her past, her fears and her dreams. I loved the characters, Vera is an amazing young woman and I loved that she had tats and piercings, she was real, someone you could relate to. Not that I have that many tattoos and piercings myself but still. I loved the friendships she made with the other characters and her relationship with her brother Josh. And oh my god, Mateo (maybe I should be saying “dios mio” instead?). Holy mother of god! No you know what “DIOS MIO” is the only thing that’s going to work here. I absolutely loved Mateo, his charm, his temper, his looks, his personality, his accent. I actually never thought I’d like a Spanish accent, but guess what? I do! I need a Mateo of my own. Where the hell can I buy one? (Okay that sounded much better in my head, I swear). I want a relationship like the one Vera and Mateo has, passionate, hot damn! And even though cheating hits home with me I can’t help loving this, because I truly felt like they belonged together. It was almost too much at times. Like, can two people really love each other that much? Apparently they can.

This book was one hell of a rollercoaster ride. A heart-breaking, gut wrenching kind. I seriously felt like I was going to die at times. The air wouldn’t properly fill my lungs and I wanted scream at Vera and Mateo and tell them to stop being so stupid! “You love each other! Be with each other!”. God, it was nerve wrecking. But I loved it nonetheless. Plus I got to put my poor school Spanish to the test.

I will definitely be reading a lot more of Karina Halle’s work. Starting with the sequel to this one, “Love, In Spanish”. I knew I’d love her books before I even started reading, sometimes you just do. It was the same with Christina Lee. And I swear if these women don’t stop writing about these super sexy men soon I’m going to implode.

 “You burn so brightly. I would like to burn with you”

Goodreads rating: 5/5

Do I recommend it? Si, claro! This book was bloody amazing!