Book Review for The Shifting Sands Beneath Us by Giulia Lagomarsino

Title: The Shifting Sands Beneath Us

Author: Giulia Lagomarsino

Genre: Billionaire Beach Romance

Release Date: June 6, 2022

‘I never saw this coming! This story has all the twists and turns that you come to expect reading a Lagomarsino book! Rose and James have amazing chemistry!! I loved this story!’ ~★★★★★ Goodreads Review

He’s a grumpy, cold-hearted billionaire.

—A workaholic that demands perfection.

He’s ruthless, harsh, and unforgiving in all aspects of business.

But that’s not the man I fell for.

I'll never forget the smooth talker who shared my cab that day—so carefree and full of life.

Stuck in a loveless, arranged marriage, I was out of options.

Until he came along and flipped my world upside down.

But that was then, and this is now.

The man I knew is gone, and all that's left is a shell where his heart used to be, and lumps of coal in place of the warm eyes that used to watch my every move.

Instead of the romantic, sweet man I came to know, he now wears an impenetrable mask of indifference.

I'm just not sure I can fight for a man I no longer recognize.

This author has done it again and created another heartbreaking read for a couple who were destined to be soulmates but, life had other plans for them.

Rose and James had soulmates written all over them. Their chance meeting turned into something so much more but, their relationship was doomed from the start but, this couple took a chance to grab whatever little happiness they had with one another for as long as it lasted. They made a beautiful couple and my heart broke for them, their lives already mapped out for them and full of misery. Your heart bleed for this couple through the entire story, you wanted to cry and rage on their behalf, and honestly, we don't know how they were both going to move beyond the pain of losing one another.

The characters of this story were pretty awesome, Clarissa was a pretty fun character and Fletch a man of wisdom and advice and his on and off again tryst with Clarissa and their antics provided us with tons of laugh out loud moments.

The story took on a beautiful twist that we did not see coming, but, it was a delightful one. Do you believe in second chances? I have to say I was rooting for both Rose and James to make their way back to one another, as they both deserved to be happy. I had to admire them both for wanting to break the chains that weighted them down because of their families greed and their thirst for more money and power.

We loved being on this couple's journey, however heartbreaking it was, and it was my dearest hope that love would conquer all. We loved that the author took the chance and clearly wrote something that was not normally in her wheelhouse but, we are very glad she did as we loved James and Rose but, not Kimberly and Alexander but, all along we prayed that both would once again find themselves as just plain old Rose and James as they deserved the life they had envisioned all along.

A beautiful written story that we whole heartily loved.

P.S The author stated this was probably going to be her one and only beach read but, we think that Fletch and Clarissa really need a story. Perhaps these characters can make their way into an up-and-coming new series that would be fantastic!

“James,” my father barked, causing me to grit my teeth. I never once knew him to speak to me in a kind voice. Everything about him was abrasive and set me on edge.

Knowing I had to acknowledge him at some point, I turned and took off my wool coat, handing it to my father’s butler, Thomas. Composing myself, I followed the sound of his voice to his study where he already had a cigar lit as he looked through some documents.

“Yes?”

“John Wallace will be here soon. I need you to look after him for me.”

I gritted my teeth, knowing what was coming. “Sure.”

His eyes met mine in a hostile way that would have scared any board member, but I was used to him. “Not sure. Before Michael’s death, Wallace and I were on the verge of merging our companies. We would be the largest corporation on the east coast!” he said, slapping his hand down on his desk. 

“You can still have that.”

“You know the stipulations of merging our companies.”

I did, and my brother had readily agreed. It was a gentleman’s game, one in which the merging of companies was sealed with a marriage. It didn’t make sense. Those old fashioned values, the days where a handshake was as good as your word were long over. Any deal could be made now under the right conditions without having to sacrifice your happiness.

“I’m not marrying his daughter.”

“Kimberley is a very nice woman.”

I rolled my eyes at his description. The last time I had seen her, she was meek and boring. Not to mention, her looks left a lot to be desired. Her dirty blonde hair was always a frizzy mess, and the freckles sprinkled over her nose made me think of Orphan Annie. I wasn’t the type of man to judge a woman solely on looks, but I did think there had to be an element of attraction. But above all that, I wanted to like being in the company of my wife. An arranged marriage wasn’t at all a guarantee of happiness.

“She may be nice, but I will not be forced into marriage. I’m not Michael.”

He scoffed at that, his disappointment in me obvious. “I’m well aware that you are not your brother. You prove it to me every day you defy me.”

“And you thought the day of his funeral was the perfect time to bring this up? You can’t even let us mourn him before you shove me off on his fiancé?”

“Business never sleeps. If we don’t move on this now, he’ll make a deal with the Connelly Group. That family is ruthless. If he makes a deal with them, we’ll never expand the way we need to. Is that what you want, for our company to limp along?”

I found it funny that he thought the Connellys were ruthless, when he was planning my marriage on the day of my brother’s funeral. My father was one of the most hated businessmen in the city. People despised working with him because of how unforgiving he could be in a business deal. For that reason alone, I wanted nothing to do with the company. 

“I will not marry her,” I said forcefully, my fists clenching hard as I stared him down.

He stood from his desk, buttoning his suit jacket as he walked around to confront me. “It’s a requirement for you to take your place as CEO.”

I huffed out a laugh at that. “We both know I won’t be CEO. You will run the company until you’re dead.”

“But the board needs a fresh face, which is why I was voted out in place of your brother. But make no mistake, the company is run by me.”

“I’m aware of that.”

“Then you know you need my approval to take over.”

“I’m not looking for your approval. This isn’t the life I want. I will never run this company,” I said, turning for the door.

“Then they’ll vote in Jerry Wright.”

I'm a stay at home mom that loves to read. Some of my favorite titles are Pride and Prejudice, Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings, and Horatio Hornblower. I started writing when I was trying to come up with suggestions on ways I could help bring in some extra money. I came up with the idea that I could donate plasma because you could earn an extra $500/month. My husband responded with, "No. Find something else. Write a blog. Write a book." I didn't think I had anything to share on blog that a thousand other mothers hadn't already thought of. I decided to take his challenge seriously and sat down to write my first book, Jack. I was surprised at how much I enjoyed writing. From there, the stories continued to flow and I haven't been able to stop. I hope my readers enjoy my books as much as I enjoy writing them. Between reading, writing, and taking care of three small kids, my days are quite full.