Dante's Girl (The Paradise Diaries #1)

3.7

4.3 (2)

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Author(s)

Courtney Cole

Genre(s)

Contemporary Romance

Age Range

14+

Release Date

June 27, 2012

ISBN13

9780615660691

ISBN10 or ASIN

I have spent every summer since I was ten years old with my father in London. Every summer, since I was ten years old, has been uneventful and boring.

Until this year.

And this year, after a freak volcanic eruption strands me far from home, I have learned these things:

1. I can make do with one outfit for three days before I buy new clothes. 2. If I hear the phrase, “You’re not in Kansas anymore, Toto,” even one more time, I might become a homicidal maniac. 3. I am horribly and embarrassingly allergic to jellyfish. 4. I am in love with Dante Giliberti, who just happens to be the beautiful, sophisticated son of the Prime Minister of a Mediterranean paradise. 5. See number four above. Because it brings with it a whole slew of problems and I’ve learned something from every one of them.

Let’s start with the fact that Dante’s world is five light-years away from mine. He goes to black-tie functions and knows the Prime Minister of England on a first name basis. I was born and raised on a farm in Kansas and wear cut-off jeans paired with cowboy boots. See the difference?

But hearts don’t care about differences. Hearts want what they want. And mine just wants to be Dante’s girl.

My heart just might be crazy.

I have spent every summer since I was ten years old with my father in London. Every summer, since I was ten years old, has been uneventful and boring.

Until this year.

And this year, after a freak volcanic eruption strands me far from home, I have learned these things:

But hearts don’t care about differences. Hearts want what they want. And mine just wants to be Dante’s girl.

My heart just might be crazy.

Editor reviews

2 reviews

Lightheared, Funny Romance

August 20, 2012

Overall rating

3.7

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If you're looking for a lighthearted, funny story with a swoon worthy romance that takes place in a breathtaking setting, then this is the book for you!

I thoroughly enjoyed this story and haven't laughed so much since reading "My Life Next Door." Reece is a small town girl from Kansas who literally bumps into the adventure of her life when she meets Dante Giliberti, the beautiful boy from the beautiful island. The only problem? Dante's the son of the Prime Minister which means he and Reece aren't even in the same atmosphere let alone the same "league".

While Reece's future involves finishing her senior year and then heading to college, Dante's future has been planned for him since the moment he was born, right down to who he will marry one day. But a freak accident that forces them to spend time together will test the boundaries of love, life and old-world traditions. Reece and Dante will learn just how important it is to live the life YOU want because you only get one. They'll also discover whether or not love really is all that matters when your lives are worlds apart.

This really was a FUN read! There's a "Cinderella" element but it's not over done. Reece is down to earth and funny. Her ability to laugh at herself is what makes her so likable and her internal conversations are HILARIOUS! I really liked Mia - she's straightforward and isn't afraid to be herself. Then there's Dante... *sighs* This "beautiful boy" not only has good looks but he has some beautiful manners and a great sense of humor too which is what made him so appealing for me. He certainly isn't perfect but he does his best to make the right choices concerning the people he cares about.

Jen Top 10 Reviewer 415 reviews

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User reviews

2 reviews

Overall rating

4.3

Writing Style

3.5(2)

Plot

5.0(2)

Characters

4.5(2)

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Dante's girl

December 18, 2012

Overall rating

4.3

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I usually don't read many contemporaries. After reading Dante's Girl, though, I am seriously reconsidering my opinion on contemporaries in general. This is a perfect, fun, light-hearted and sweet read. The romance was very sweet and just great!

Every summer Reece (yes, it's a boy's name, but she's a girl) goes to London to stay with her dad. It's a summer mostly comprised of awkward dinners and silences. This summer is different though. On the plane, she meets a gorgeous charming guy called Dante Giliberti. As if this wasn't a big enough bang, a volcano erupts and a plane next to them crashes. But this provides the perfect summer getaway, as she is swept away by Dante, who turns out to be the son of the Prime Minister of a remote island called Caberra near Greece. This is the perfect place for a romance to begin, but it's not as simple as that, obviously.

I really liked Reece. At first she seemed a bit whiney and scared, but she didn't let things stand in her way, and if she realised she was being a baby, she would straighten up.

Dante is the perfect guy. Considerate and gorgeous at the same time. Sure, it was a bit annoying when he kept brushing off Reece's questions with just "It's complicated." But other than that, he was just perfect.

The "bad" guy (I won't reveal any names here) needed more depth. We only met him briefly, and we discovered that he has a big problem with Reece, but we didn't really get enough information to understand the reason he hated Reece, and why he would kill his friend just so his father could become Prime MInister.

This was a great contemporary romance with not a dull moment, and enough bumps in the romance to make sure it wasn't too unbelievable.

Louisa Top 50 Reviewer 119 reviews

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Light-hearted and Sweet

October 19, 2012 (Updated: October 19, 2012)

Overall rating

4.3

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Dante’s Girl by Courtney Cole
ARC received from Lakehouse Press via Netgalley
AVAILABLE NOW
Reviewed by: Middle Sis Jenn
The Sisters Say: Deliriously delicious—I devoured it!

I have recently been on a contemporary kick, which is strange for me because there was a time I didn’t like contemporaries. Now? I can’t get enough of them, so when I saw Dante’s Girl on Netgalley, I jumped at the chance to read and review it. And what a great choice it was!

Dante’s Girl is the perfect summer read, or the perfect weekend read, or the perfect whenever read! It’s charming, fun, and captivating—and the sweet romance will leave you with a smile. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone looking for a quick and fun read that will leave you wanting more.

This book started out with a bang—quite literally, a plane crash followed by a volcanic eruption. Talk about putting a damper on travel plans. But, those disasters spurred the perfect getaway for Reece, who is swept away by the delectable Dante, son of the Prime Minister of the perfect little island off the coast of Greece. It’s the perfect setting for a whirlwind romance to sweep you off your feet. I never got bored with this book. There are so many books today that just go on and on and on with the details, and truthfully, I don’t care about the whether the grass was lime green or green-green. It’s grass! But Courtney Cole doesn’t make those mistakes. Her book is the perfect mix of up time and down time—romance and intrigue, humor and tears.

And what about the characters?

I really liked Reece. At times she was a bit whiney and got on my nerves, but I liked that she didn’t let things stand in her way. Once she realized what a baby she was being, she would stand up, brush herself off, and get back to her life. I also really liked that she was not all, “He loves me, He loves me not,” because, let’s face it, unless you’re Ariel, that game won’t work. She was down to earth and I enjoyed watching her in this new situation.

And Dante…swoon worthy! His life is “complicated” which sucks, but still, there is hope for him yet. He’s caught between what he wants and what his dad wants, and its heartening to see him struggle with his future. But more importantly, he’s sauve and sophisticated and oh so sexy! I could just see the corners of his mouth turning up and his eyes twinkling as he looked at Reece. And I liked that he wasn’t this innocent guy—there was a sexual tension to him that made him even more attractive.

The only part I had a problem with was the “bad guy.” I felt like his character didn’t have enough dimension to him and he needed to be explored more thoroughly.

Overall, this was a great contemporary romance. I never found myself rushing through a dull moment, and I was constantly smiling at the relationship dynamics in the book. The minor characters were fun, too!

Content Warning: There is a “fade to black” sex scene which is also mentioned later in the book. There is also teenage alcohol consumption because, well, it’s Europe.