BLOG TOUR: The House by the Cypress Trees by Elena Mikalsen @WF_writerEM @suzyAPbooktours #bookreview #thehousebythecypresstrees #womensfiction

Some books provide a sensory experience that rushes you away and makes you forget where you are when you read it. In The House by the Cypress Trees by Elena Mikalsen, an American woman feeling lost and searching for answers meets a British man who has closed his heart off in a chance encounter in Italy. What unfolds is the story of two souls healing eachother through food, wine, beautiful countryside, family, and love.

About the Book

American school teacher Julia from Texas is feeling lost—there is an ache inside of her that she wants to heal. Julia came to Italy to find her birth mother. She was sent a painting of a house in Italy and she is certain that it must have been sent to her by the woman who created her. The woman who gave her up for adoption.

Daniel is an architect from England who specializes in nineteenth and early twentieth century architecture. He dreams of restoration work on buildings he loved. But out of school he was recruited by a big architecture firm and works mostly on modern buildings. When he botches a proposal in Rome, he finds himself distracted as he tries to regroup. He almost hits a woman with a small dog in her arms with his car, and everything changes…

After their first chance meeting, Julia and Daniel find themselves running into one another over and over. It feels as though fate is bringing them together. And soon Daniel offers to help her search for the house from the painting. But when their car breaks down in this hills of the Italian countryside, they end up staying in his family’s vineyard and farm.

In the magic of Tuscany, Julia thinks she is falling for Daniel. But Daniel is not cut out for relationships. He has a history of dismissing women who fall for him. There’s something different about Julia though. She makes him feel calm in a way that other women haven’t. What starts as a fling could turn into more, if they both open their hearts to it.

Reflection

I loved the healing power of Italy in this book. I felt the sense that if Julia and Daniel had met at any other time and place, life would have continued on and they wouldn’t work. But in Rome, they can’t seem to escape one another. From their first encounter, it seems fate has destined for them to meet.

Julia is at a time in her life where she feels more lost than ever. Her adoptive mother passed away, her father has moved away, and she is seeking the woman who granted her life. Daniel is also lost. A string of relationships that don’t fulfil him, a job that isn’t truly his passion, and a niece that is sick and needs him. These are two souls that need one another more than they know.

I loved the descriptive language of the food, wine, and countryside. The tangy tomatoes and thick warm crust of the pizza, the fresh basil, the tobacco and cherry taste of the chianti, the soothing scent of lavender fields—it felt like I was transported to the Italian countryside! I loved the way Mikalsen described the moments in this book. I felt my soul heal along with Daniel and Julia’s.

A perfect book vacation that warmed my heart. Thank you to Suzy for my spot on the tour! Opinions are my own.

About the Author

I am a Women’s Fiction author.

My novels are all about love. WRAPPED IN THE STARS is about love that lasts forever. Two lovers, Mark and Rebecca, got separated in the early 20th century, but their love remained behind, it didn’t die. Part of their love stayed in the ring that Mark gave to Rebecca. So, when this ring is found years later, another couple picks up the energy from their Mark and Rebecca’s love and falls in love themselves.

In THE HOUSE BY THE CYPRESS TREES I explore romantic love. That wild feeling of new love when you first fall for someone and you want to spend every moment with them and you will do anything for them.

In ALL THE SILENT VOICES that will come out sometime next winter, I explore the depth of love between a husband and wife and what challenges a good marriage can withstand. How far will a wife go for her husband and how far will a husband go for his wife?

Finally, in the novel I am working on right now, CITY OF GLASS, the focus is on sibling love. A sister sacrifices everything to save her brother.

I am somewhat obsessive about travel, but, when I am at home, in San Antonio, I can be found browsing through bookstores or antique shops with my husband and two children.

When not writing stories, I am a Pediatric Psychologist helping children with chronic medical illness. I blog on issues of mental health for teens and adults. I enjoy working with the media due to my expertise in managing anxiety, stress, and parenting issues. I provide consultation to authors on writing about mental health.

Website: www.elenamikalsen.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/elena.mikalsen
Twitter: https://twitter.com/WF_writerEM
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Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/17629655.Elena_Mikalsen