Rating: 
Summary: Evans Is Never Disappointing
Review: Though not as good as some of Evan's books, this is lighter, but nonetheless thought provoking. Yes, his Italian is not quite accurate, but for an American hero, it is better than some might expect. Yes marriage is forever;however, even God acknowledges adultery as grounds for moving on with your life and Eliana's husband frequently changed lovers.Her husband's only redemption.....his love for his son finally made him realize his own shortcomings and allowed both his son and Eliana to "move on to happiness". Some reviewers have called it a "quick read" lacking in the emotional pull of some Evans' novel.......however, I read this book twice and find that if you read it fully....not quickly you will be surprised at the "meat" and emotional pull of this work. The beauty of Florence is touted thoroughly, but I would have liked to have had more incite of the harvest time and the people therewith. In short and in retrospect...I would choose this book again for a romantic and heartwrenching story of a young, lovely, lonely woman whose husband's straying has left her with a life centered only on her son and her religion....everyone needs validation that they are not only needed but loved for themselves. I recommend this book to anyone with tender heart....
Rating: 
Summary: i fell in love w/this story
Review: Wow. I absolutely loved this book! After reading it, I had a new goal in life...to go to Italy & paint. The story was so beautifully told, and told so well! Anyway,an artitst named Eliana is a mother to an asthmatic little boy named Alessio. Her husband(Maurizo) is never home. He's always out on business or w/someone else. One day, an American art buff named Ross Story moves in to the apartments that Eliana's husband owns in the Italian countryside. THe two are immediatly attracted to eachother, but allow some time to let them fall in love. The only complication is that now Maurizio is jealous. Can Eliana find a way for her & her son to escape her terrible marraige? Can they find a happy life with Ross? I admired the incredible depth of the characters in this story. They were wonderful and believeable. I liked how this wasn't an "everything is going according to plan" book, because since it wasn't, it was much more believeable and unpredictable. READ
Rating: 
Summary: dissapointed with review -- haven't read book
Review: Is there any way to get reviewers to NOT disclose the crucial "what happened" in their reviews? I was going to buy the book from you, called The Last Promise" and was reading reviews of it and unfortunately read the one I have pasted in below, which disclosed the crucial "what happened" and now I lost my desire to purchase and read the book. I DID NOT want to know that the heroine decides she cannot leave her husband for the man she really loves! I would have wanted to read the book NOT KNOWING how it turns out!! A Love Story I Want Forget, July 29, 2003
Reviewer: wildwoodldy (see more about me) from Village Mills, TX United States
My heart ached for Eliana when the realization came that Eliana could not leave her husband to be with the Ross, the man she truly loved. Mr. Evans used such good description of the emotion each character felt that it touched me deeply. I could feel the pain everyone was experiencing. The description of Italy was such that I felt as if I was actually there even though I have never been to Italy.
Rating:
Summary: It's a romantic story
Review: I would have given it a five ~~ but towards the end, the story seems to have been rushed ~~ and it wasn't satisfying as I had hoped! However, this is an incredibly romantic story of a married woman who falls in love with an American who has a dark secret. Eliana is married to the owner of a vineyard in Florence, Italy, and is the mother of an ashmatic son. Left behind at the vineyard while her husband Maurizo travels 350 days out of the year ~~ Eliana never realizes that she is lonely till Ross Story, a mysterious American, rents one of the apartments in the villa. Drawn to one another through a love of art ~~ they quickly realizes that they are soulmates. And this is their story. It is a quick read ~~ one to inspire sighs over the Tuscany landscape and art museum and the descriptions of food makes your mouth water. And the writing is artful ~~ leading you to the conclusion. If you're looking for a wonderful book to take to the beach this summer, this book is it. You can escape into the landscape and the romance ~~ and finish it in an afternoon. 3-16-03
Rating:
Summary: i fell in love w/this story
Review: Wow. I absolutely loved this book! After reading it, I had a new goal in life...to go to Italy & paint. The story was so beautifully told, and told so well! Anyway,an artitst named Eliana is a mother to an asthmatic little boy named Alessio. Her husband(Maurizo) is never home. He's always out on business or w/someone else. One day, an American art buff named Ross Story moves in to the apartments that Eliana's husband owns in the Italian countryside. THe two are immediatly attracted to eachother, but allow some time to let them fall in love. The only complication is that now Maurizio is jealous. Can Eliana find a way for her & her son to escape her terrible marraige? Can they find a happy life with Ross? I admired the incredible depth of the characters in this story. They were wonderful and believeable. I liked how this wasn't an "everything is going according to plan" book, because since it wasn't, it was much more believeable and unpredictable. READ
Rating:
Summary: dissapointed with review -- haven't read book
Review: Is there any way to get reviewers to NOT disclose the crucial "what happened" in their reviews? I was going to buy the book from you, called The Last Promise" and was reading reviews of it and unfortunately read the one I have pasted in below, which disclosed the crucial "what happened" and now I lost my desire to purchase and read the book. I DID NOT want to know that the heroine decides she cannot leave her husband for the man she really loves! I would have wanted to read the book NOT KNOWING how it turns out!! A Love Story I Want Forget, July 29, 2003
Reviewer: wildwoodldy (see more about me) from Village Mills, TX United States
My heart ached for Eliana when the realization came that Eliana could not leave her husband to be with the Ross, the man she truly loved. Mr. Evans used such good description of the emotion each character felt that it touched me deeply. I could feel the pain everyone was experiencing. The description of Italy was such that I felt as if I was actually there even though I have never been to Italy.
Rating:
Summary: Wow
Review: This was a beautiful story of hope, love, food and beauty. This was the only book that made me want to read in the kitchen while trying something out of my new italian cookbooks, don't forget the glass of wine. I couldn't wait to keep reading but never wanted to finish. Italy is a must now.
Rating:
Summary: An Artful, Italian, Entertaining Romance......
Review: I was looking for a quick read over the Christmas Holiday weekend and happened across this title by the author whose name I recognized from "The Christmas Box". I had read that title years ago, shortly after the death of my daughter and never even saw it as a romance, I saw it as a getting-over-grief-story, so I was intrigued to see how Evans "wrote romance." The opening of the book confused me briefly (annoyed me?) though once I got passed it I easily remembered the formula of romance novels and could fairly easily see where this one was going. Notably enjoyable in the journey was the discussion of art, Italy and Eliana's painting of Ross' portrait. I was very curious about "The Big Secret of Ross" but again, that just got on my nerves as a part of the formulaic aspect of the romance. It would not dissuade me from reading: in fact, there was gold here which makes me recommend the book to folks looking for some quality entertainment in this genre. One of the most interesting aspects of the book was following along on Ross' tours at the museum where he is an "under the table" tour guide. Question: Why didn't Eliana maintain her Italian name in the U.S? I most likely won't get an answer.... Though I simply HAD to ask it! Final note, if you haven't read "The Christmas Box" I highly recommend it. Especially excellent if you have experienced loss, which I think most of us have at one time or another.
Rating:
Summary: A beautiful love story
Review: After finishing this book, all I could say was "Wow..." Evans has successfully touched my heart with his novel. I just simply could not put the book down! I like how he puts the English meaning of the Italian phrases next to each other. That made reading very easy. This novel has opened my heart and made me realize all the things I take for granted in life. It made me realize how much love means to someone. I recommend this book to all of my friends.
Rating:
Summary: Unremarkable Love Story
Review: 3.5 Stars would be more accurate. I was reminded of Nicholas Sparks while reading it, but Evans fell short of the 4 star mark that I began to anticipate. Publishers Weekly did an excellent summary, but after reading the book, I don't feel that I know much more about what is probably a beautiful story. It just doesn't live up to its potential. His descriptions occasionally evoked beautiful images of Italy, but more often fell flat. It wasn't precisely a waste of time, but the hardcover was a waste of money.
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