This is the first book that I have read by this author, and after finishing this book I plan to go back to the first instalment so that I understand everything clearly.

The storyline flows wonderfully. The leading characters are believable and relatable, and the author gives them their own individual personalities that really allow the reader to connect with them in some way. Laced with romance and love for those around them, this is a beautiful read. 
This book is packed with emotion and pulls you in, giving you a real sense of the characters feelings.
A truly enjoyable read.

Promises At Indigo Bay is the 2nd book in the Blue Hills series and like the first book I enjoyed this one a lot! 

This book is all about Stella, Carmen's bestie who the readers are introduced to in book one as a spirited and gutsy woman running her own hair saloon and Paolo the broody Italian wine maker whom Evan Hollister hires to run his vineyard. Not wanting to give too much away, Stella and Paolo's romance which begins in the first book reaches its culmination here. Both Stella and Paolo have a depth in their respective characters which shines through here.... there is more to both of them which was not made known in the first book- their backgrounds, secrets and insecurities- and this book is about both of them working towards their issues and insecurities to get their happy ending. 

Overall, this was a lovely book and it was fun to be back in the charming and beautiful town of Chelan with an added bonus of a quick trip to Italy and its vineyards. We only get a very rare glimpse of Carmen and Evan in this book but I have my fingers crossed for the next book. 

My thanks to NetGalley, the publisher Bookouture and the author Ellyn Oaksmith for the e-Arc of the book. I apologise for sharing my review so late. 

The book was published on 26th October 2020. 

Rating: 🌟🌟🌟🌟

Being Italian I found the description of the Italian family so realistic that I thought the author should have experienced what an Italian mother in law can mean.
It's a heartwarming and enjoyable story that made me smile, root for the characters and kept me hooked.
Good character development, a tightly knitted plot and a lovely setting.
It's the first book I read by this author and won't surely be the last.
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine

If you are into love stories - this book is for you. It is sweet, and cute though not without it's drama. 

This book is about a fight for happiness - An American girl and an Italian boy. There is romance, wine, love, struggles and an interfering mother in law.

Perfect holiday read

A sweet romance between two people who were quite different in their outlook but were bound by love. This was my second book by author Ellyn Oaksmith where plans of wedding was interspersed with bubbles of reality and the demands of Cruella… 😂 No… the mother-in-law… Just kidding. Not.

Paolo and Stella loved each other, but they wanted different things. She was happy living together; he wanted marriage. When the mother-in-law dashed in from Italy with Nonna’s ring that things started happening.

The story spoke about the practicalities of two cultures, the depth of secrets, and a hidden past. It dealt with stresses of being in America and telephoning the plans of wedding in Italy. Stella and her best friend managed both. There were moments of hilarity when Stella tried to bond with the MIL.

Secrets hid Stella’s vulnerability and her reactions were more understandable. We all react differently to catastrophes. The prose was fast, and Paolo was sweet with buckets of patience. Stella tested mine too. Friends and relatives increased the sweetness factor though at moments, they were citric too.

A few niggles. I couldn’t connect with anyone, and the emotions were missing. An added depth with sensitive nuances would have made this delightful.

Overall, it was an interesting read which made my morning rush faster.

I read this for a blog tour. 

I loved Summer at Orchard House and was excited to read the newest Chelan novel - and I wasn't disappointed.

Stella is the town's hairdresser and salon owner, she has a wonderful Italian boyfriend, a house she loves and a supportive best friend and bonus family.

She isn't close to her own parents and has a tragic history she keeps trying to forget. Then Paolo announces his visa is about to expire and they should get married.

This sends Stella into a tailspin - and Olivia suddenly isn't such a great best friend anymore. Now she's having to confront her past and deal with Paolo's overbearing Italian mother.

I had an Italian best friend growing up and I know all about the Italian mamas and their sons - my friend had two brothers. I knew Stella was in for a rough ride, nothing comes between Italian women and their precious sons.

But Stella finds a deep well of inner strength and somehow manages not to be completely crushed by all the things she's dealing with.

A really enjoyable read, and a delightful slice of escape as the rain pours down and the wind rattles the dodgy panes in my windows.

It’s my first book by the author but I feel like I need to go back and read the first in the series because there are many things i need to know and I have questions that need answers.

A story full of romantic elements, with two driven characters that will do anything and everything for the love ones. 

It’s a story about life and how many times we forgive others, but not ourselves.

Overall, is an emotional ride that many readers of the genre will enjoy, where not everything is as simple as black or white or even blue as the sky.

I really enjoyed the first book in this series, so was excited to see a sequel.  This one focuses on salon owner Stella, who has fallen for the Italian winemaker working next door to her best friend's winery.  His visa is running out, so he proposes, but Stella has mixed feelings about it, given her own experiences with her family.  Then, she has to deal with his controlling mother, who visits shortly after the proposal.  While I liked the plot of this book, I thought the ending was a bit unrealistic.  And, the book was more about the emotional side of a relationship, with fewer extraneous challenges (unlike the first book).  It could have used a bit more about the winemaking and/or about Italy.

Stella Gallagher is madly in love with Paolo when he drops a bombshell: his visa is about to expire and he will be deported. He proposes and Stella is torn by the tragedy of her past. Can she overcome the past (and her future mother in law!) in order to create the future of love and happiness?
Stella never wanted to get married and have children but now the thought of losing Paolo makes her accept his proposal. His mother arrives from Italy with the family engagement ring and wants to take over the wedding plans, creating several comedic scenes. Stella agrees to have the wedding in Italy leading to lost passports, a forgotten wedding dress and a frantic trip across Europe.
She fears that her friendship with her best friend is struggling while Carmen deals with her father with dementia, her family business and her hopes for her own relationship. This leads to tension between the two women and adds an extra subplot to the book. I could see both perspectives and understand the frustrations and concerns that each woman is dealing with.
The tone of the book is warm and light hearted despite the tragedy that Stella has experienced. There is plenty of humour as she battles with her future mum in law Rosalia. There are serious moments where Carmen deals with classist and racist attitudes but this is handled sensitively to convey abhorrance.
Promises at Indigo Bay is the second book in the Blue Hills series by Ellyn Oaksmith and I have not read the first. It therefore works perfectly well as a standalone novel but I now want to catch up on the first to see how Carmen and Evan got together.

I really enjoyed Summer at Orchard House, the first book in the Blue Hills series, so I was excited to see this one. This time, we get Stella’s story.
From the beginning, I was engaged in her story. I liked that she was a small-town girl who had a hunky Italian boyfriend (Paolo). At first, I thought that it would be a typical “he’s a cad and she sees the person in town she’s meant for” type of story. But the author surprised me, and quite pleasantly so. 
Instead of what I mentioned, what I got was a true romance between two seemingly disparate people who knew they fit together in spite of their differences. They weren’t so much “opposites attract” as much as they just complimented each other. 
Unfortunately for Stella, however, Paolo’s mother has other ideas. 
I’m not going to give anything away, but the battle of wills between Stella and Rosalia was very entertaining. Each woman had insights that the other didn’t, even though they both thought they had Paolo’s best interests at heart. Italian moms do that to the extreme, though, and Rosalia was no exception. 
There was humor in all of the right places as well. I laughed out loud at several scenes. Izzy’s over-reaction to an accident during a haircut was particularly amusing, as was a mad dash to the airport. 
We got some swoon-worthy scenes as well, particularly toward the end. I also liked that we got an update on Carmen and Evan. That was a fantastic touch. 
For an easy, pleasant read with likeable characters and realistic events, you should check out this series. I look forward to more stories about Chelan and its citizens.

Wine? Romance? Another Ellyn Oaksmith book? Sign me up! I am all in
This is my second book by the author and I have to say that it's definitely not the last. I missed the sassy Stella and the wine master Paolo and ever since reading her first book, I wanted to know more about these two and how their story will develop

Their obvious attraction turns quickly into a chase and from here on, a whirlwind of romance takes over. It all gets deep and strong but what is a love story without secrets and drama? 
Promises at Indigo Bay is not a story about the two ending up together or not but rather a fight for happiness, a struggle to forgive oneself and open up again. It is a heartbreaking story about risking everything for love, leaving the past behind and being able to look towards the future

What a great read and wonderful series. If you haven't read this book I suggest you do and the series also.

OK Ellyn Oaksmith you had me at the beautiful cover and the fact this is part of a series which I love. This is a great story that grabs you right away until you turn the last page. A beautiful setting, funny and quirky characters and a lovely romance. What more do you need for a  enjoyable afternoon of reading  besides maybe a bottle of wine..

An entertaining and well written romance.  Great plot, believable characters and a beautiful setting.  I highly recommend it.  I received an advance ebook from the publisher and Netgalley.  This is my unbiased review.

I couldn’t wait to read about Carmen’s best friend Stella and the oh, so charming Paolo.  Their story was just brimming with promise in book 1 which didn’t let me down. And of course I got to see how Carmen, Evan and the wonderful Alvarez family were fairing.

The very independent Stella and the very Italian Paolo are a match made in Heaven. Stella’s failure to confront her fears and Paolo’s confidence and passion work very well together.  Paolo makes Stella feel safe from the turmoil of her tragic past and Stella is the strong woman he needs by his side to fulfill his duties to his family. After all, Paolo needs a strong woman to handle his mother, Rosalia. She’s a haughty, protective, manipulative Italian mother and she will not make it easy for Stella.  But, don’t worry, there is a swoon worthy HEA with a pleasant surprise.

The supporting characters are an added bonus to the story. In fact, Carmen is having problems of her own trying to run her own winery and dealing with Evan’s racist parents while Evan pretends there is no elephant in the room.  Well, let’s just say Evan redeems himself big time! 

I forgot how much I missed the Alvarez family, especially Carmen’s endearing father, Juan. And let’s not forget Stella’s feisty co-worker Izzy who is full of good advice whether it’s wanted or not. My favorite character is the sweet, adoring, and entrancing Paolo. In Stella’s words, he’s “yum-on-a-stick”. 🙂

I have discovered that Ms. Oaksmith’s stories are rich in friendship, family, and especially love. Add the many LOL moments including Stella’s stubborn resistance, Paolo’s Italian to English translations, the mother-in-law from hell, and Carmen’s type A personality changes, and you get a truly superb feel-good love story.

Delightful characters, beautiful settings, wine, wine, wine, and a HEA. What more could you ask for?  Give this book a try. I guarantee you will love it!

Thank you to Ms. Oaksmith for giving me the opportunity to read this book with no expectation of a positive review.

It was nice to travel back to Washington’s Wine country and meet the characters from the first book again and see how their stories progress. (This book can still be read as a standalone though).

This is a heartwarming story of love conquering fears and preconceived notions. Stella and Paolo make a lovely couple despite their cultural differences. Paolo makes Stella feel loved and cared for and safe for the first time in a long while. Stella loves him too deeply and he’s thrilled to have the strong and independent woman by his side. But change comes in the form of Paolo’s proposal and Stella’s world seems to have turned on its head. She does not want to lose Paolo. But making a commitment of this kind scares her. It brings up a lot of unresolved memories and also challenges her about her lack of relationship with her parents. However, she’s not going to give in to Paolo’s strong, manipulative, Italian mother! How she works her way through resolving this ‘problem’ makes for a great read.

Stella’s friend, Carmen and her lovely family, the Alvarezes, are always there for her. However, Carmen initially is standoffish about Stella’s forthcoming wedding, but comes around eventually and stands by Stella.

I love the great, loveable characters including Paola’s mother in the book!

The conversations are fantastic especially those between Stella and her mother-in-law to be and Paola’s incorrect English phrases really made me smile!

A lovely, easy to read and sweet romance.

An enchanting contemporary romance full of charm, warmth and emotion, Ellyn Oaksmith’s latest novel, Promises at Indigo Bay is sure to go down a treat with fans of Robyn Carr’s Virgin River.

Stella Gallagher is used to things go awry, but at long last Lady Luck has finally started smiling down on her. After giving up on romance and resigning herself to being single, she is swept off her feet by a handsome and mysterious Italian Paolo Gentillo who came to Chelan and turned her entire world upside down. Paolo is gorgeous, kind, intelligent and is as mad about Stella as she is about him. Has Stella finally found her Prince Charming? Is Paolo the One? Should Stella stop worrying and take a chance on love? Or should she proceed with caution?

When Paolo proposes, Stella cannot help but be cautious. Surely, it’s far too soon for them to take such an important step? Paolo might be the best thing that’s ever happened to her, but Stella cannot help but worry about the future – and about how Paolo will react when he discovers secrets from her past that Stella has never shared with anyone. What will Paolo do when he finds out the truth? Will Stella find the courage to tell Paolo what she has been hiding for so long? Or will her secrets end up costing her the love of a lifetime?

Scared to reveal the real her, Stella has never felt so frightened or so alone. The time has come for her to unshackle herself from old sins and past mistakes, but will confessing all to Paolo result in heartache and anguish? Will the future she has always dreamed about be shattered forever? Or will Paolo show her that he doesn’t care about the past and is only concerned about the future…with her?

It’s such a joy to lose yourself in Ellyn Oaksmith’s brilliantly written, wonderfully funny and feel-good new romance, Promises at Indigo Bay. A heart-warming tale about learning to trust, finding the courage to let go of the past and redemption and renewal, Promises at Indigo Bay will delight readers with an irresistible blend of laidback charm, intense emotion, rib-tickling humour and uplifting romance.

Smart, sassy and sensational, readers who enjoy small-town romances will love Promises at Indigo Bay.

Romantic with a twist and some gorgeous scenery sets up Promises At Indigo Bay by Ellyn Oaksmith. I am delighted to be closing this blog tour with a review.
Thanks to Sarah Hardy and Bookouture for inviting me to the blog tour and for providing a book to review from.

Review
Izzy at 60 years old has grown to love Pavarotti and Paolo who released her in a way from a more hemmed in life and breathed new life into her and loves her just the way she is. He also bought a boat and seems quite the adventurer and romantic. All seems most idyllic when they are out in it, but the atmosphere changes after a while when something happens in the water that later turns stormy.

There’s also Carmen, Izzy’s best friend, who she confides in and it seems all is not straightforward and feels untoward with Paolo when he proposes with the thought of deportation after a work visa runs out, looms over him. There is some humour as well when she meets his mother, but all the way through I found myself wondering what sort of relationship this all could be and if there would be any sort of happy ending or if she would leave him. There is something sinister in the relationship and perhaps some secrets, but it builds and then seems to ease off every so often, which works to a certain extent and develops some of the atmosphere. Paolo seems to have a bit of a temper about him at times and the man you think he is, is perhaps not how it is at all. It does have its intriguing moments, I felt, could be a little stronger at times, it is still a good read and moves along at a pretty good pace and with some momentary humour with gorgeous scenery and a beautiful ending.

Promises At Indigo Bay by Ellyn Oaksmith is a gorgeous romance story that has all the ingredients needed to create a book that keeps you reading till the end. The cover alone had me wanting to read this, the richness of the colours hinted at a promise of a story that I had to read.
Stella Gallagher is, for once, hoping this is her time. She almost gave up on finding love, until Paolo Gentillo decided to move into her home town. He is everything she has ever needed in a man, including obsessed with her. Stella is over the moon.
Paolo feels the same and decides to propose, so, why isn't Stella as happy as she should be? She thinks it is a little too soon but pretends to be thrilled. There is also a little matter of that something she hasn't told him...how will he react when he discovers her secret? This is her issue and a big one!
Lauren knows she loves him and his mother is due to visit and stay for one week to meet her, all the way from Italy!
 Lauren has a lot to deal with, especially when his mother doesn't seem too keen on Lauren and Carmen is not around to help Lauren, she is weighed down with everything including her secret. To top it all off it seems Paolo and her are falling out much more than normal making Lauren feel very isolated and alone. Everything is falling apart for her, which way can she turn?
 A gorgeous story and the second book in the series. I really felt for Lauren, all the pressure she was carrying felt so heavy to me, never mind her! She has got everything she wanted but the proposal sends her spinning, I can't imagine having something so secretive that it could destroy everything I held dear, this sends me mad...never mind Stella. I enjoyed this and It helped me escape from the rain and wind of today! 
 Thanks to Bookouture and NetGalley for the copy of the book for my review today.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Thanks to @NetGalley and @Bookoture for the ARC.
I absolutely loved this book and wish it had of been lots longer. I was so into their love story. It was cute and fun and had a little angst to mix in. 
I will definitely be looking for more books by this author.