Sarah's Review of A PLACE IN THE SUN by R.S. Grey

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. 

A Place in the Sun is the latest standalone by R.S. Grey. It has interconnected characters from Settling the Score but they have no dialogue in this story. 

Georgie is escaping London aristocratic life to find peace with herself in Italy. She's got her sights set on Italy and its Riviera Coast in hopes that she'll find love and lots of gelato. 

"She was an agonizing sort of beautiful, the kind that reached out and demanded everyone take notice. When she smiled, the world smiled with her, and more than once, I found myself wishing I was the man she deserved to be with, the one she had come to Italy to find."

A chance encounter has Gianluca meeting Georgie on her first day in the coastal town of Vernazza. He's looking for the opposite of love, and wants only friendship from Georgie. 

Georgie has a great time breaking Gianluca's rough exterior and they find themselves in an easy friendship before their relationship develops into more. 

"Vernazza didn’t feel like home. Gianluca felt like home. Our relationship, the ease and beauty of it was the comfort I craved."

The angst is strong in this one. Strong! R.S. Grey's signature comedy shines in Georgie's dialogue. She's an easy character to love. It's fun getting into her quirky head while trying to break down Gianluca's walls. 

As much as I enjoyed the banter in A Place in the Sun, there was just something I didn't love. I'm still trying to place it. Maybe because there was such a long build up to their "aha" moment, I got kind of bored? Grey's writing is stellar as always, but I felt that something was just missing from the story. All in all, I'd definitely recommend A Place in the Sun. You can tell the author had passion for writing the beautiful scenes in which the story was set. 

I am a lover of books, chocolate, reality TV, black labs, and cold weather. Seriously, if I had it my way I would be curled up on the couch with all of those things... everyday. 


I live in Texas where I spend my free time writing and reading. My favorite authors are Mindy Kaling & Jonathan Safran Foer. I'm a comedy geek and love all things "funny". Women like Tina Fey, Amy Poehler, and Mindy Kaling are definitely the biggest inspirations for my writing, though I think my work tends to skew a bit smuttier than theirs.