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ambeesbookishpages's review against another edition
4.0
The full review + more can be found at The Book Bratz
A Walk in the Sun was a really cutesy romance novel, that was perfect for a rainy day or beach day. (Or in my case work out days on the treadmill.) A Walk in the Sun is jammed packed with romance, loss, the desire to make things better, and so much more.
I really liked Rose's character. Currently she has the weight of the world on her shoulders. Her mother died, her father is in a deep depression and she has a farm to run. She is utterly alone in it all. Except for a few friends and her aunt Marty. With the hired help for the summer Rose should be able to have to summer off and to herself, until she meets Bhodi and their sudden connection. Though Rose's life was almost falling apart, she handled it well. She knew where her duties lied and didn't stray from them. Even with Bhodi around to help, she continued everyday like it was any normal day. Bhodi has been hopping from job after job since the time he was fourteen, leaving behind his alcoholic father. Little does he know that the sassy girl that he met on at the store, would be the girl whose family farm he would be working on all summer. A Walk in the Sun is told in dual point of view, which I enjoyed because both characters had their own stories besides the one that was being told.
The romance was cute and I enjoyed it. It wasn't too slow, but it wasn't insta love. There was a perfect balance. I found it really romantic how they both have the same dreams and one wants the other in on it. It was a little heart melting, with a bittersweet ending that I think all romance readers will enjoy.
All in all I really liked A Walk in the Sun, and will read more from Zink in the future. As I said, this book is perfect for a rainy day or if you are looking for a light read.
A Walk in the Sun was a really cutesy romance novel, that was perfect for a rainy day or beach day. (Or in my case work out days on the treadmill.) A Walk in the Sun is jammed packed with romance, loss, the desire to make things better, and so much more.
I really liked Rose's character. Currently she has the weight of the world on her shoulders. Her mother died, her father is in a deep depression and she has a farm to run. She is utterly alone in it all. Except for a few friends and her aunt Marty. With the hired help for the summer Rose should be able to have to summer off and to herself, until she meets Bhodi and their sudden connection. Though Rose's life was almost falling apart, she handled it well. She knew where her duties lied and didn't stray from them. Even with Bhodi around to help, she continued everyday like it was any normal day. Bhodi has been hopping from job after job since the time he was fourteen, leaving behind his alcoholic father. Little does he know that the sassy girl that he met on at the store, would be the girl whose family farm he would be working on all summer. A Walk in the Sun is told in dual point of view, which I enjoyed because both characters had their own stories besides the one that was being told.
The romance was cute and I enjoyed it. It wasn't too slow, but it wasn't insta love. There was a perfect balance. I found it really romantic how they both have the same dreams and one wants the other in on it. It was a little heart melting, with a bittersweet ending that I think all romance readers will enjoy.
All in all I really liked A Walk in the Sun, and will read more from Zink in the future. As I said, this book is perfect for a rainy day or if you are looking for a light read.
1madchild's review against another edition
2.0
start was quite good.
really dragged and was a bit cliche.
didnt feel like enough developemnt between their relationship.
really dragged and was a bit cliche.
didnt feel like enough developemnt between their relationship.
caseroo7's review against another edition
3.0
Find this review and more at Ramblings From This Chick
I have been in a bit of a rut lately when it comes to reading, so I was really hoping that A Walk in the Sun by Michelle Zink would be the one to turn that around. It has such a gorgeous cover and the blurb really drew me in and made me want to read it. While I was drawn in right away, I ended up with mixed feelings on the story overall and this wasn't quite what I had been hoping for.
After a tragedy strikes her family, Rose must rearrange her future and put her dreams on hold. Bodhi left home when he was young and has been working farm jobs ever since which allows him to travel. Bodhi was already looking forward to his next gig when he met Rose and it changed everything. Despite the attraction between them, they both know that with the end of summer approaching and Bodhi planning to leave in September will they be over before they really begin?
I really liked both Rose and Bodhi. I thought that they were strong characters and they each had a lot that they were dealing with. With Rose having just lost her mom and being forced to help around the farm thought that was the last thing she wanted to do, you couldn't help but admire her. These two had a lot of chemistry and the connection between them was easy to see. Their relationship was more of a slow burn though, and there were times that it felt like things were taking a bit too long.
The biggest issues I had though was the fact that this story while it had good moments, was also really cliched at times. There wasn't much that was new or different, the conflict was so typical and too easily resolved. It just felt like the same old story told too many times for me to really have much interest in what was happening. Because of that my interest waned and I found myself bored several times here. I had hoped that there would be something to stand out here since I did like the characters, but unfortunately for me this story was just okay. I think that a lot of readers will probably really enjoy this story, and it is worth giving a chance if it sounds like something you would like. This very well could just be a combination of the funk I am in and the sheer amount of books I read for why it was just okay for me personally and it could end up being one that others really love.
**ARC Provided by Publisher**
I have been in a bit of a rut lately when it comes to reading, so I was really hoping that A Walk in the Sun by Michelle Zink would be the one to turn that around. It has such a gorgeous cover and the blurb really drew me in and made me want to read it. While I was drawn in right away, I ended up with mixed feelings on the story overall and this wasn't quite what I had been hoping for.
After a tragedy strikes her family, Rose must rearrange her future and put her dreams on hold. Bodhi left home when he was young and has been working farm jobs ever since which allows him to travel. Bodhi was already looking forward to his next gig when he met Rose and it changed everything. Despite the attraction between them, they both know that with the end of summer approaching and Bodhi planning to leave in September will they be over before they really begin?
I really liked both Rose and Bodhi. I thought that they were strong characters and they each had a lot that they were dealing with. With Rose having just lost her mom and being forced to help around the farm thought that was the last thing she wanted to do, you couldn't help but admire her. These two had a lot of chemistry and the connection between them was easy to see. Their relationship was more of a slow burn though, and there were times that it felt like things were taking a bit too long.
The biggest issues I had though was the fact that this story while it had good moments, was also really cliched at times. There wasn't much that was new or different, the conflict was so typical and too easily resolved. It just felt like the same old story told too many times for me to really have much interest in what was happening. Because of that my interest waned and I found myself bored several times here. I had hoped that there would be something to stand out here since I did like the characters, but unfortunately for me this story was just okay. I think that a lot of readers will probably really enjoy this story, and it is worth giving a chance if it sounds like something you would like. This very well could just be a combination of the funk I am in and the sheer amount of books I read for why it was just okay for me personally and it could end up being one that others really love.
**ARC Provided by Publisher**
sugarmoonraccoon's review against another edition
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
lissajean7's review against another edition
4.0
This ended up being so much better than I imagined. Grief can be so difficult to portray, but this was poignant and beautiful. Plus, Bodhi's slow smile made me smile every time. I really liked watching them fall in love. I love the actual end end, but the part before the end was a little confusing as to what the problem was. Not that it didn't make sense, but I just wanted a little more...something, progression of her reasoning, maybe? But I really liked it. It was...relaxing.
lindaunconventionalbookworms's review against another edition
4.0
This review was originally posted on (un)Conventional Bookviews
A Walk in the Sun made me feel the feels! Rose was a strong, young woman, one who didn't realize her strength until the end of the story
One of the main themes of A Walk in the Sun is how grief can change us! Our outlook on life, our plans, our wants even, up to a point, our needs. After Rose's mother passed away, her father became a shell of his former self, and the only person left to take care of the ranch, the animals and the house - on top of finishing high school - was Rose. She worked herself hard, and while she was tired more often than not, she also felt some kind of satisfaction because she was able to do it all. But at what cost? Before her mother's passing, Rose's dreams for the future always included traveling far. Both in the US and abroad, to live her life to the fullest and experience things she wouldn't be able to do in her small hometown. Afterwards, though, the only thing that mattered was to keep the ranch going, all the while hoping her father would shake himself out of his depression and start taking an interest in the living once more.
I have nothing but admiration for Rose and her strength - I don't think all teenagers would mature and feel so involved in the future of the ranch that had been her family's for generations. When her aunt managed to get paid help for the ranch for the summer, Rose never imagined that she would go through a second transformation in less than a year! Tender family relations, friendship and new love kept me hoping that things would work out for Rose while she was dealing with her grief as well as being so busy. It seems that one of the ways she managed to keep the grief at arm's length was to work hard, then crash into bed in order to start all over again the next day.
Bodhi changed all of that, though. With him, he brought a sense of more, of hope, of a different future than the one she had foreseen in the past months. With his air of mystery and detachment, Bodhi also brought with him a lot of knowledge, both about the animals and the ranch land, and he was very mature for his age. Having had to battle his own demons by living on his own since he was fourteen, he managed to still keep his focus outwards and towards the future.
With a dash of mystery, and more heartache both when it came to family matters and friends, A Walk in the Sun still managed to be pretty light-hearted most of the time. Living with grief, and then learning to live without a person she loved made Rose a lot stronger than she thought she was, and when she was able to open her heart, she learned that she still had different opportunities ahead.
Written in third person point of view, mostly from Rose's perspective and in past tense, both the story itself and the characters - including the secondary characters - was well done, and I enjoyed getting to know them all.
People had been telling Rose that she looked like her mother since she was old enough to walk. Same red hair, same green eyes, both of them a little on the tall side. She hadn't liked it when she was younger. She'd wanted to look like herself then. Like Rose, Not Kate Darrow's daughter.
She laughed. "Hardly. It's just... Well, everything's going to change." It wasn't really the truth. Everything had already changed. But high school was one of those places where she could still see her mother, waiting to drive Rose home after school freshman year, walking the halls during Open House, cheering Rose on the one season she'd played volleyball.
Lexie laughed. "Feed that line to someone who doesn't know better. I've seen your stash of travel brochures. Lie to me if you want. I love you. I can take it." She hesitated, then opened the door. "Just don't lie to yourself."
A Walk in the Sun made me feel the feels! Rose was a strong, young woman, one who didn't realize her strength until the end of the story
One of the main themes of A Walk in the Sun is how grief can change us! Our outlook on life, our plans, our wants even, up to a point, our needs. After Rose's mother passed away, her father became a shell of his former self, and the only person left to take care of the ranch, the animals and the house - on top of finishing high school - was Rose. She worked herself hard, and while she was tired more often than not, she also felt some kind of satisfaction because she was able to do it all. But at what cost? Before her mother's passing, Rose's dreams for the future always included traveling far. Both in the US and abroad, to live her life to the fullest and experience things she wouldn't be able to do in her small hometown. Afterwards, though, the only thing that mattered was to keep the ranch going, all the while hoping her father would shake himself out of his depression and start taking an interest in the living once more.
I have nothing but admiration for Rose and her strength - I don't think all teenagers would mature and feel so involved in the future of the ranch that had been her family's for generations. When her aunt managed to get paid help for the ranch for the summer, Rose never imagined that she would go through a second transformation in less than a year! Tender family relations, friendship and new love kept me hoping that things would work out for Rose while she was dealing with her grief as well as being so busy. It seems that one of the ways she managed to keep the grief at arm's length was to work hard, then crash into bed in order to start all over again the next day.
Bodhi changed all of that, though. With him, he brought a sense of more, of hope, of a different future than the one she had foreseen in the past months. With his air of mystery and detachment, Bodhi also brought with him a lot of knowledge, both about the animals and the ranch land, and he was very mature for his age. Having had to battle his own demons by living on his own since he was fourteen, he managed to still keep his focus outwards and towards the future.
With a dash of mystery, and more heartache both when it came to family matters and friends, A Walk in the Sun still managed to be pretty light-hearted most of the time. Living with grief, and then learning to live without a person she loved made Rose a lot stronger than she thought she was, and when she was able to open her heart, she learned that she still had different opportunities ahead.
Written in third person point of view, mostly from Rose's perspective and in past tense, both the story itself and the characters - including the secondary characters - was well done, and I enjoyed getting to know them all.
People had been telling Rose that she looked like her mother since she was old enough to walk. Same red hair, same green eyes, both of them a little on the tall side. She hadn't liked it when she was younger. She'd wanted to look like herself then. Like Rose, Not Kate Darrow's daughter.
She laughed. "Hardly. It's just... Well, everything's going to change." It wasn't really the truth. Everything had already changed. But high school was one of those places where she could still see her mother, waiting to drive Rose home after school freshman year, walking the halls during Open House, cheering Rose on the one season she'd played volleyball.
Lexie laughed. "Feed that line to someone who doesn't know better. I've seen your stash of travel brochures. Lie to me if you want. I love you. I can take it." She hesitated, then opened the door. "Just don't lie to yourself."
islandgeekgirl's review against another edition
3.0
Rose Darrow always planned to get off her family's farm when she graduated but a tragedy puts her dreams on hold as she's suddenly managing the farm. Bodhi Lowell has been moving from town to town, job to job, ever since he left home as a kid and even before he starts his summer job on the Darrow farm, he's thinking about what's next. Until Rose and Bodhi meet, sparks fly, and they both find themselves questioning what they thought they wanted - and what summer's end will mean.
This was a cute, quick read that had a lot of heartbreak to it that kept it from being what I would call a light read. I enjoyed the alternating POVs and getting to know each character and how they affected the two main characters. The character dynamics and the growth were a big highlight of the book.
I liked both main character equally, which was another plus for the book. There wasn't a time in Rose's POV that I was wishing I was in Bodhi's, or vice versa. I thought they were both interesting people whose growth arcs as they worked to overcome the circumstances they'd been dealt. Rose has lost her mother recently and was doing her best to keep the farm running while her father struggled with his grief, which didn't leave Rose time for her own feelings. Bodhi was trying to leave behind his deadbeat father and avoided putting down any kind of roots anywhere. They clashed straight away but slowly started to come to respect each other and open up to each other.
The book was set mostly during the summer but the romance between Rose and Bodhi never felt like a summer fling to me. Maybe it was because they both were so independent and focused on their jobs, both so serious. The romance was slow and I liked the development from co-workers to friends to romance. It was done in a realistic way.
The setting of the small town was great. I loved the sense of community everyone had, taking care of each other, knowing everyone's business. The farm was a really good home base for the plot and I really appreciated all the mentions of the farm's routines, how it ran, how hard the work was, how the workers were a family.
It didn't take long to read and I got really absorbed into the story. It was a really good option for a less light summer-y read.
*I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
This was a cute, quick read that had a lot of heartbreak to it that kept it from being what I would call a light read. I enjoyed the alternating POVs and getting to know each character and how they affected the two main characters. The character dynamics and the growth were a big highlight of the book.
I liked both main character equally, which was another plus for the book. There wasn't a time in Rose's POV that I was wishing I was in Bodhi's, or vice versa. I thought they were both interesting people whose growth arcs as they worked to overcome the circumstances they'd been dealt. Rose has lost her mother recently and was doing her best to keep the farm running while her father struggled with his grief, which didn't leave Rose time for her own feelings. Bodhi was trying to leave behind his deadbeat father and avoided putting down any kind of roots anywhere. They clashed straight away but slowly started to come to respect each other and open up to each other.
The book was set mostly during the summer but the romance between Rose and Bodhi never felt like a summer fling to me. Maybe it was because they both were so independent and focused on their jobs, both so serious. The romance was slow and I liked the development from co-workers to friends to romance. It was done in a realistic way.
The setting of the small town was great. I loved the sense of community everyone had, taking care of each other, knowing everyone's business. The farm was a really good home base for the plot and I really appreciated all the mentions of the farm's routines, how it ran, how hard the work was, how the workers were a family.
It didn't take long to read and I got really absorbed into the story. It was a really good option for a less light summer-y read.
*I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
asquared92's review against another edition
5.0
This book was a page turner from the beginning. Once I got started, it was very hard to put it down. I enjoyed the setting and the well described scenery of the Darrow Farm immensely. I could feel the love and community of Rose’s small town leap off the page. The characters were extremely well written and relatable . The love story told had just enough heartache and joy to be believable. The hot summer nights Bodhi and Rose spent together were perfect. I loved the Fourth of July festival they attended together. In that moment, I could see their feelings for each other growing and the future changing.
Throughout the novel, Rose was holding life on the farm together. When Bodhi came into her life he showed her that she didn’t necessarily need to hold everything together. She didn’t need to be her father’s keeper. She didn’t have to give up her life for the farm. She didn’t have to settle. Bodhi only ever accepted the love he thought he deserved when really he deserved so much more. Rose was there to show Bodhi that he did deserve it all. That he could be the man he wanted to be, at least with her. The love they had for each other was so honest and real. It also had some heartbreak mixed in which made me want to yell at them both for being stupid.
They showed each other how to love. How to speak honestly and opening between each other. They learned what it meant to love someone for who they were and how they made you feel. In the end, they ultimately learned that love can set you free. Which is a message I wish more people believed in and wished for in their lives.
Throughout the novel, Rose was holding life on the farm together. When Bodhi came into her life he showed her that she didn’t necessarily need to hold everything together. She didn’t need to be her father’s keeper. She didn’t have to give up her life for the farm. She didn’t have to settle. Bodhi only ever accepted the love he thought he deserved when really he deserved so much more. Rose was there to show Bodhi that he did deserve it all. That he could be the man he wanted to be, at least with her. The love they had for each other was so honest and real. It also had some heartbreak mixed in which made me want to yell at them both for being stupid.
They showed each other how to love. How to speak honestly and opening between each other. They learned what it meant to love someone for who they were and how they made you feel. In the end, they ultimately learned that love can set you free. Which is a message I wish more people believed in and wished for in their lives.