A Place in the Sun is a standalone romantic comedy by R.S. Grey. This review will be spoiler-free.

When her mother’s incessant matchmaking hits an all-time high, Georgie Archibald does what any sensible woman would do: she flees the country.

Seeking refuge in the picturesque seaside village of Vernazza, Italy, Georgie’s only plan is to lie low, gorge herself on gelato, and let the wine and waves wash her troubles away… that is until she wakes up in a bed that belongs to the most romantic-looking man she’s ever seen. Gianluca.

After going out of his way to rescue her, the former London financier turned mysterious recluse makes it clear that despite acting as her white knight, he has no plans to co-star in her fairytale. But Georgie isn’t asking for his heart—she’s merely intrigued.
 
After all, Gianluca isn’t just gorgeous—tall and tan from days spent in the sun—his touch sets her world on fire. With him, Georgie experiences the most intoxicating passion she’s ever known, and it only takes a few steamy nights for her to realize that sometimes running away from trouble is the best way to find it. (Synopsis from Goodreads)

A sweet romance with a beautiful backdrop.

R.S. Grey is a talented author. She can create a whirlwind romance that grabs you and doesn’t let go until the final word is spoken. Unfortunately, this is not one of those. I really struggled with this book. I don’t know if it’s just because I have certain expectations from Grey or if it was something else, but I was disappointed by this book.

Georgie and Gianluca. This relationship felt more like an obsession than actual love. There was no chemistry or spark. I feel like Georgie never even got to know Gianluca. While Georgie was open and showed her true colors, Gianluca never really opened up. How can you love someone that you don’t even know?

I never fell for Gianluca. In my personal opinion, it is impossible to really enjoy a romance novel if you don’t fall for the love interest. Gianluca was rude, standoffish, and had a temper. The only thing he had going for him was that he was a hot Italian guy. I wanted more. I know he had issues and stuff he needed to work through, but I just didn’t get it.

Georgie on the other hand I loved. She had a spark about her. She had a fire within her soul. She knew exactly who she was and didn’t feel ashamed of showing her true colors. She was brave, determined, and understanding.

The first half of this book moved really slowly for me. I struggled to get into this story. It wasn’t until around the halfway mark that I really started to get invested in the story.

As for the setting of this novel, a new destination has been added to my never-ending list of places I want to visit. Vernazza sounds absolutely stunning. I would love to be able to visit this village one day. Georgie was able to take it in with fresh eyes and I could see everything that she could. There was just enough detail that I could see the golden glow from the sun without being bombarded with too much description.

While I loved the concept, the heroine, and the setting for this story, the love interest and the lack of chemistry between the two main characters were a disappointment.

I gave this book 3 out of 5 stars. There were enough positive aspects to this book that I just didn’t feel right giving it only two stars.

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