I was lucky enough to get to review Evelyn Skye's book last year and I got an email about this one as well. i gotta say, I think I like this one more. The detail and storyline really draw you in and paint the most beautiful picture. I was hooked and couldn't put it down!

This love story! I cannot believe how heartwarming this story is. No spice no profanity 100% romance and falling in love. If you are looking for a romance to give you all the feelings this is it.

# One Year Ago in Spain
# 9/12/2024 ~ 9/13/2024
# 5.0 / 5.0

From the book synopsis alone, I felt like I was rereading "Dead Romantics" by Ashley Poston, a book I thoroughly enjoyed. And while I did enjoy this novel, it fell short to my expectations for a few reasons.

I'm not a huge fan of instalove (unless it's done VERY well), so the beginning of the book already set me off a little. It felt like things between the two characters progressed way too fast and the chemistry wasn't really given a chance to build.

While the pacing eventually picks up, it feels like we get into a groove, and before you know it, the book is just over! I was left wanting MORE, which normally isn't an issue if the story is wrapped up well, but it felt like this one was only 3/4 of the way done.

Overall, the book had potential, but it just didn't live up to what I was expecting. This won't stop me from picking up more Evelyn Skye books in the future, though!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a digital copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

Claire is a lawyer at a top Manhattan firm who falls in love with Matias, a Spanish artist. After a year together she begins to question if they can last long-term because they are so different. When Matias has a horrible accident that leaves him in a coma in Madrid, she rushes to his side. There she finds his soul and can talk to him. But she is the only one. And, to make things even more complicated, he doesn't remember her. In order to save him, Claire will have to make him fall in love with her.

His family doesn't understand why she is not spending more time at the hospital with him waiting for him to wake up and they do not believe her when she tries to explain. Now she must find a way to bring Matias back to her. Can they fall in love again?

This is such a unique and fun opposites-attract love story. Claire is so pragmatic, she has such a hard time trusting her feelings and Matias is impulsive and carefree. They compliment each other so well and while their first meet-cute was instant, I loved watching them fall in love a second time.

This was a cute, "amnesia," magical realism, romance story where the FMC has to convince the MMC to fall in love with her all over again. Unfortunately, it had the elements of a good book but the pacing, the multiple POVs and the rushed ending made it fall flat.

Claire is a major type A, super organized color code her date book attorney. Yet, she's thrown for a loop when she meets artist Matias. She's surprised to find herself enchanted by his whimsical nature. She questions if they really belong together. It takes a life threatening accident to show her the answer

On the surface, Claire and Matias are an unlikely pair. Matias is so unlike the go getters, hard wired attorneys she works with on a daily basis. He gives her a place to let down her guard and just be. Clare, though, doesn't recognize the peace that being with Matias offers her When they're not together, her practical self tends to intrude. Until facing the possibility of never seeing him again brings her to her senses. Without thought for schedules, or meetings, she drops it all to be with him.

Despite being opposite in almost everyway, they simply fit. That fact was made clear to Claire when she first ran into the spirit of Matias. Since he didn't remember her, she needed to reintroduce herself to him. In doing so, she was forced to look inside and learn who she really was. She accepted her feelings instead of trying to hide them. Spending time with this version of Matias had her seeing the beauty in the everyday. Clare realized what was really important to her.

I also loved Matias artist personality. I loved the description of his playful paintings. I wish I had the author's creativity in creating the ideas for the pictures she describes. More, I wish I had one of them for my home. His was never careless, but also didn't take things too seriously. His laid back attitude allowed him to adapt to events and to make the most of whatever came his way. Even as Clare tried to get him to remember, his spirit kept that even keel which only made Claire more determined to lead him back to her.

This is a beautiful second chance romance. It's a story of growth and discovery and finding the beauty in everyday activities. A story of learning what's really important. How opposites can compliment each other, and bring out the best. I loved every minute of it.

Claire is too invested in her career to take a trip to Spain to meet her boyfriend’s family… but when he ends up in a coma from a boating accident, she drops everything to be by his side. However when she starts seeing his spirit, but he has no recollection of her or their relationship, she has to figure out how to convince him to fall in love with her all over again - and along the way, figure out what’s really important in her life. Heart wrenching but also very sweet, I thoroughly enjoyed this book.

So sorry, I ended up DNFing this within the first chapter back in June. I have not thought about it since because I do not think it is something I want to pick back up and continue.

This was cute and moving. Definitely a good book for anyone who has ever worried that they are too much of the opposite of their partner.. 4 out of five stars.

I tried. I did. I made it to 50%, and I cannot go on. I am not enjoying the structure of this novel. I am finding it very tedious. I also have no connection to the characters and do not care if they make it, which is a huge problem for a romance novel.

This was a miss for me. I felt thrown into this sort of insta-lovey relationship with little-to-no time to get used to the characters before something tragic happens to the mmc. Claire as a character annoyed me, even through her character development arc.

3.75 stars! I enjoyed the characters. As someone who is in law school I found Claire very relatable. I just felt a bit disconnected from the story and found myself not caring much about what happened. That being said, I was happy with the ending.

I was really excited to pick this book up after I LOVED the author’s The Hundred Loves of Juliet. This book too has a heavy dose of magical realism and requires a lot of suspension of reality. It just didn’t hit me as strongly as The Hundred Loves. I liked the characters for the most part, although Claire was occasionally annoyingly naive. The second half of the book was often confusing and I found myself having to search for the lesson in all of this. Still a sweet love story.

Ok, I just adored this one! If you are a huge fan of magic and love Ashley Poston’s The Dead Romantvis, then this one is all you. And even more of a plus that it was set in Spain. I loved the dual timeline as well as the dual POVs from each of the main characters. This one made me laugh, love and shed a few tears.

Not for me, unfortunately. It had a lot of promise, but the pacing just felt off in this book. Scenes ended abruptly and the romance was lacking in this *romance* book — there was no build up, no swoony moments, nothing that really made me feel like the characters were in love.

Thank you NetGalley for a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Fast-paced, sweet romance between opposites is given a magical realism twist in ONE YEAR AGO IN SPAIN by author Evelyn Skye. Our female lead is a logical attorney raised on romance novels who falls quickly in love with a whimsical Spanish artist on a sabbatical in New York. Their romance moves quickly when the attorney fears a marriage proposal and backs out of a planned trip to meet the artist’s family in Spain. A terrible accident occurs and as she waits for her boyfriend to awaken from a coma, strange happenings occur. There are no huge surprises in the plot but the book is enjoyable from start to finish. I received my copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

"One Year Ago in Spain" by Evelyn Skye is a romantic tale that blends the magic of love with the harsh realities of life. The story centers around Claire Walker, a high-powered corporate lawyer, and Matías de León, a free-spirited Spanish artist. Their love story is tested when Matías falls into a coma after a tragic accident, and Claire must reconnect with his soul, which has lost all memories of her, to bring him back.

The premise is undeniably intriguing, with a unique blend of magical realism and a second-chance romance that keeps the pages turning. Skye’s writing is beautiful, particularly in her descriptions of Madrid and the art that plays such a central role in the characters' lives. The dual timeline, which alternates between Claire and Matías’s past in New York and her present efforts to revive him in Madrid, adds depth to their relationship and highlights the challenges of balancing love with personal ambitions.

However, the novel isn’t without its flaws. The characters, especially Claire, sometimes feel underdeveloped, making it hard to fully connect with their journey. The pacing can be uneven, with moments that drag, especially in the middle sections, before the story picks up again. Additionally, the magical realism elements, while charming, may not resonate with all readers and can come across as a bit too whimsical for the otherwise serious tone of the narrative.

Despite these issues, "One Year Ago in Spain" is a heartfelt and imaginative romance that will appeal to fans of stories about love overcoming the odds. While it doesn’t quite reach its full potential, it offers a satisfying read that blends romance, art, and a touch of the supernatural. A solid 3.5 stars for a novel that is both charming and thought-provoking, though not without its imperfections.

I really loved learning both of their stories from the very beginning I was sucked into the story with Skye’s beautifully magical writing. I think we still sticks out to me is how Matias would describe his and others art. Claire was a great fmc to cheer on throughout this beautiful adventure. I wasn’t a super big fan of the multiple plots not being further discovered or talked about. It could’ve been a little bit bit deeper. I also wasn’t a fan of the multiple point of views from side characters. I’ve never had that in the book. It threw me off a little bit. I did like some of them, but I really just wanted to get more information between Claire and Matias, If anything, I definitely would recommend this to anybody who loves Ashley Poston books Since the magical realism genre has been becoming more popular. 4 or 3.75 I will be picking this up in stores

This story had moments that were really good, I liked where it was going but felt the connection I was hoping for. I did not feel like the story was relatable. Well, I should say it felt more like a Halmark movie maybe, I think I was just hoping for more. The writing was great, it just felt rushed but at the same time some parts were too long.

This book is so much more than good. It is very touching amid a surreal plot of a woman connecting with the soul of her comatose boyfriend. Trying to bring him back to his body is actually a time of realization for her. Just a wonderful plot and novel.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of the book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.