What would you do when you are more or less forced in to doing something that is so not you? It's for a good cause that is very close to your heart though and that's the reason you stop arguing and you will go for it.

What would you do when, due to circumstances, you find yourself alone in a strange city a few thousand kilometers from your home base, but in a city that lives and breathes your favorite artist Gaudi? You most certainly make the best of it and when you meet the most perfect guide, you feel like you are in heaven.

The city has stolen your heart, but what if that perfect guide seems to be perfect in every possible way? What would you do? Would you ask the same question The Clash once did: Should I stay or should I go...?

The lovely love store with the ups and downs typical for a chicklit and at the same time a billboard for the Spanish city.

It really makes you long to pack your bags and book a plane ticket. For me there sometimes were a bit too many descriptions, but it certainly made me want to eat tapas and churros. :) 4 stars. 

Thank you,

A fun romantic read. Sheer escapism. Would definitely read more from this author. An easy, enjoyable read.

Lovely feel good summer read. What’s not to love sun sea and sadly ur reading about it instead of living it. Easy to read and flowed well. Perfect summer book

A cute, sweet, and preictable story. I enjoyed the Barcelona setting and the Bridget Jones vibe of this book.

Many thanks to Netgalley, the publisher, and the author for my ARC. All opinions are my own.

Tess is your least likely marathon running candidate. Until she promises her sister to help her train, and ends up entered in the Barcelona marathon herself.

Tess is a massive fan of Gaudi and has always wanted to visit Barcelona, so she agrees on the proviso she will be able to fit in some sightseeing.

What she doesn't expect is her heart to be stolen both by the city and a man.

For her first acquaintance in the city will be her most important and he acts as a tour guide over the next few pages.

I loved Roberto's knowledge of all the main tourist spots in the city by the sea, as well as some of those off the beaten track.

With a mix of culture, sport, running and food, this is the perfect way to view the city, without leaving your armchair!

From the first few pages I was captivated by the story. Delighted to see this new book by Lilac Mills and I am eager to see her next release already.

Thank you to Netgalley and Canelo for this copy which I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily.

A cute sweet story. I enjoyed the Barcelona setting and the Bridget Jones vibe of this book.

Many thanks to Netgalley, the publisher, and the author for my ARC. All opinions are my own.

Tess is railroaded into entering the Barcelona marathon by her sister Emma,who wants to do it in memory for her twin sister who had sadly died of Cancer.

Tess is not a fitness fanatic and definitely not a fan of Lycra. She is swayed by going to Barcelona for the culture rather than the marathon.

Tess meets the very handsome and enigmatic Roberto who offers to show her the sights. Is Roberto all he makes out to be and could this be love for both of them?

I’m not a fan of love stories as they can be predictable,but this was so beautifully written so atmospheric, that I felt like I was experiencing the sights, smells, delicious food and wine that Tess did. Definitely on my to visit list.

Thank you to Netgalley for my copy in exchange for a review.

Really great read. It takes you on a really great journey of different emotions. Thoroughly enjoyed it.

Oh how I loved Tess in this book! She really made the book for me. I enjoyed her journey and how the author brought to life Barcelona for the reader. It was a really nice read that I would have no problem recommending to other readers.
I voluntarily reviewed an advanced reader copy of this book provided by NetGalley.

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in return for an honest review.

In my opinion, this was a modern day fairy tale retelling. It was a sweet romance, that's really all it was. It was a typical boy meets girl and they fall in love story.

Tess's sister Emma convinces her to run a charity marathon with her in Barcelona. At the last minute, Emma is ill and cannot go. Tess travels on her own and her first day there, she meets the handsome and charming Roberto. Roberto serves as her tour guide for her trip and possibly more. As they become closer, something seems just a little off with him, like he is hiding something from her. Can Tess figure it out before its too late?

This is a just a feel good story, simple and easy that would be good to read between a series or just on a rainy day curled up with a blanket and your favorite beverage.

I enjoyed this book as I enjoy the author´s work but this book has such a huge amount of typos and errors so that I decided NOT to post a review on Amazon - I have to talk about these also what ruins the whole review. Sorry for that.

A delightful few hours in Barcelona.....

This was my second book by Lilac Mills and I went searching for more on finishing the Cherry Tree one, which I loved. I was very pleased to be able to access a pre-order copy of Love in the City by the Sea from Netgalley and snapped it up.

While Tess and Roberto's love story was a tad predictable, the setting and background information on Barcelona added depth and value to make the book a most enjoyable read. I would highly recommend it for those who like their happy endings with a bit of context and flavour. I will certainly be looking for more from this author.

Thanks to Netgalley for the opportunity to read pre-release in return for my review.

This is a beautiful story to read. It was lovely to picture wonderful Barcelona. The descriptions of the city made me want to go back. This is a lovely romantic story set in wonderful surroundings. A pleasure to read.

Thank you to Netgalley for my copy.

4.5 - …This is what the good memories are made of. Stars!

Love in the City by the Sea takes us to Barcelona, and in the telling of Tess and Roberto’s story, you pretty much get a guided tour of the place as well.

Barely a month ago she’d almost collapsed before she’d got to the end of the street… now she could manage five miles.

I really enjoyed this book, it’s a first for me in relation to the author, but I will definitely be checking out more from her in the future. It’s a pretty easy going story of a woman who is basically letting life run her, rather than her run her life, and in taking up running in order to complete the Barcelona Marathon in aid of her deceased sister she gets more than an improvement in her fitness levels as a result.

Maybe, just maybe she’d keep up the running when the marathon was over…

Tess has in general lived her life around making sure everyone in her family was okay, and because of that has never really taken anything for herself apart from her art, travelling to Spain on her own, and discovering the city with the aid of the sweet, seductive albeit a little elusive Roberto, opens up her mind (and heart) to all of the possibilities that are out there, and that she can take for herself, its only with a little clarity away from her family that she realizes that while they have all moved on with their lives, while she never really has.

So far no one had touched her heart with more than a fleeting stroke of a fingertip…

I loved Roberto, you can tell from the get-go that he isn’t the impoverished waiter Tess initially assumes him to be, but I could understand why he kept his cards close to his chest when the truth did finally come out. Ne’er a perfect gentleman you are likely to meet, and I loved that he went out of his way to ensure that Tess saw the best of Barcelona while she was there.

She was in a beautiful city, with the sun on her hair, and a gorgeous man-what more could she ask for..?

A really enjoyable, easy-going read, certainly worth thinking about as a holiday read, but if you are looking for a few hours of escapism to a really great city with a PG-13 romance playing out around its exploration then this is certainly a book to take a chance on.

Lovely easy read that made me want to visit Barcelona. Great romance story. Really enjoyed it. Thank you

My review has been posted to my blog & Goodreads.

Review has also been tweeted as usual.

Thank you! :c)

This is my first time reading a novel by this author and I can 100% say that it won't be my last. I've seen several tweets and cover reveals on Lilac Mills novels, so when I saw this pop up on Netgalley I thought I'd give it a go. The cover was interesting (although not the best cover ever), and the storyline sounded good so I was pleased when I finally started reading it that it was easy to get into.

The story follows main character Tess, who is asked by her sister Emma to run in a marathon - but not just any marathon - Barcelona marathon! Of course, at first, Tess is apprehensive but Emma is so eager to do this for their sister who sadly passed away when they were younger that she maddeningly agrees to do it. I would say that most of the beginning of the book is taken up with running - training, running routes and Tess complaining about running. This wasn't a let down however, as it was humorous and it was great to see how quickly Tess got better and even started enjoying it.

There are a few side stories that I wasn't sure how they fit in to be honest, but this just added to the story I felt. One side story that you don't get to see how it ends was about Tess's friend Faye, and I was quite sad that I didn't get to see how it worked out for her. However, all of the other characters I really liked and I did think that Roberto was quite the gentleman. I will say though, that I had no idea what he was up to! I just could not put the book down until I knew what he was hiding!

Overall, a fantastic read that I couldn't put down. I'm now on the search for more novels by Lilac Mills! Thank you to the publisher for a chance to read this novel, which I have reviewed honestly.

I loved this book, particularly the parts set in barcelona, which made me want to re-visit the city!
Tess is in barcelona to run the marathon, whilst there she meets Roberto. They spend a lot of time together and things seem serious between them, but he is hiding something so what will happen when she finds out the truth?