Dante's Girl (The Paradise Diaries) [Kindle Edition]

Courtney Cole (Author)

Book Description

I have spent every summer since I was ten years old with my father in London. Every summer, since I was ten years old, has been uneventful and boring.

Until this year.

And this year, after a freak volcanic eruption strands me far from home, I have learned these things:

1. I can make do with one outfit for three days before I buy new clothes.
2. If I hear the phrase, "You're not in Kansas anymore, Toto," even one more time, I might become a homicidal maniac.
3. I am horribly and embarrassingly allergic to jellyfish.
4. I am in love with Dante Giliberti, who just happens to be the beautiful, sophisticated son of the Prime Minister of a Mediterranean paradise.
5. See number four above. Because it brings with it a whole slew of problems and I've learned something from every one of them.

Let's start with the fact that Dante's world is five light-years away from mine. He goes to black-tie functions and knows the Prime Minister of Great Britain on a first name basis. I was born and raised on a farm in Kansas and wear cut-off jeans paired with cowboy boots. See the difference?

But hearts don't care about differences. Hearts want what they want. And mine just wants to be Dante's girl.

My heart just might be crazy. 

********

Dante's Girl is book one in The Paradise Diaries.  It is followed by book two, Mia's Heart.
 

Editorial Reviews

Review

Dante's Girl was dramatic, exciting, and heart-warming. Reece's crazy summer adventure was a joy to read about. Everything from the romance to the action was well-done. Courtney Cole continues to impress me with her writing and I can't wait to pick up her next novel.--For Those About To Read

All together this was a very enchanting novel. I liked how Courtney Cole incorporated recent events like the weird ash cloud into the plot. I also enjoyed her writing. It was pretty modern story telling and some of her phrases just made me laugh out loud. --Endlessly Bookish

Ms. Cole has captured first romance brilliantly in Dante's Girl.  She had me remembering those days with happy thoughts as I read along with Reece and Dante's story.  And she kept a smile on my face through the entire story (except for a few intense moments, but hey it's a romance, you have to have those).  Dante's Girl is just one of those great feel-good reads that you need to read!-- From the Pen of Crystal Fulcher

About the Author

Courtney Cole is a novelist who lives near Lake Michigan with her family (aka domestic zoo), her pet iPad and her favorite cashmere socks. 

Courtney is the author of The Paradise Diaries, The Bloodstone Saga, The Minaldi Legacy and the Moonstone Saga, as well as two stand-alone books, Guardian and Princess. 

To learn more about her, visit courtneycolewrites.com

Product Details

• File Size: 453 KB
• Print Length: 360 pages
• Publisher: Lakehouse Press (June 22, 2012)
• Sold by: Amazon Digital Services, Inc.
• Language: English
• ASIN: B008E409I2
• Text-to-Speech: Enabled
• X-Ray: Not Enabled
• Lending: Enabled
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #32,726 Paid in Kindle Store (See Top 100 Paid in Kindle Store)

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars One of the most delightful books I have read this summer July 23, 2012

By Always YA at Heart

Format:Kindle Edition

I absolutely adored this book. It has been one of the most fun and entertaining books I have read this summer. Reece is 17 years old, is flying to London to spend the summer with her father, and ends up running into the most beautiful boy she has ever seen, literally. His name is Dante Giliberti, and Reece dubs him as the equivalent of the Greek God Apollo. They end up on the same flight. Dante is in first class and Reece is in coach, then Dante ends up sitting beside her. Before they even take off there is an explosion, a fire, Dante's security guards are whisking him off the plane, and he tells Reece he is taking her with him. That is how Reece, a country girl from the heart of Kansas, ends up on the beautiful Greek Island of Caberra, with the son of the Prime Minister, who not only is gorgeous, but is also a billionaire. With nothing more than an overnight bag and one outfit Reece finds herself in a palace that seems more like a museum, with this Greek God of a guy, who also happens to be one of the nicest people she has ever met. One thing leads to another and Reece is invited to spend the whole summer on the Island as the guest of the Giliberti's and intern at their olive business. She and Dante both find that this is a summer that will change their lives forever. Reece finds out that the term "it's complicated," takes on a whole new meaning. The question is, can love overcome these complications?

I really loved Reece. She is absolutely hilarious. The things she says are funny, but the inner dialogue she has going on with herself will leave you holding your side in laughter. She is sweet, she is really pretty, even though she doesn't see it, and she is real. Dante is super hot, he's nice, and he's not caught up in the prestige of who he is.... His only fault is that he tries so hard to do everything that is "expected" of him in order to please his father. The chemistry between Dante and Reece is undeniable, and despite threats from the evil Elena, who thinks she has a claim on Dante, they can't stay away from each other. Dante is quite the gentleman and never pushes Reece in anyway, but must decide if he is going to be true to his heart, or true to what's expected of him. I loved the story line. Dante's Girl has the feel of a modern day young adult fairy tale with conspiracy, espionage, romance, with a whole lot of humor and love in the mix. This is a enchanting contemporary romance and the perfect summer read. Enjoy it? Yes, I most certainly did. Read more ›

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars A New Magical Side of Courtney Cole June 24, 2012

By M. Leighton, Author

Format:Kindle Edition

Okay, so I think Courtney Cole has an amazing way with words in anything she writes. With this one, we get to see so much of her incredible wit and insight into the carefree and fun side of her characters. There are so many good things to say about Dante's Girl, but I won't ruin it for you. It's magical! The charactes are dreamy, the plot is great, the dialogue is quick and the ending is happy. What else do you need to make a great book?

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Loved Dante's Girl! July 20, 2012

By Lindsey Greer-Smith

Format:Kindle Edition

I don't even know what to say... I loved it! It was a great book that I will definately read again, multiple times. I loved Reece's personality & voice. She was a great character and completey embodied the spirit of a small town farm girl! I'm one and I was great to see that spunk in a character... and perfectly. Dante... *swoons* is just... wow. I would LOVE to read several of the scenes in the book in his point of view. Like the beginning for one and well I don't wanna give anything away. I am excited to read the next book with Quinn and Mia and I hope *crosses fingers* maybe Gavin & Becca?! I just think they'd be cute together lol. I also hope there is another book about Dante & Reece! I love them!(From Goodreads review... [...]

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars The Autumn Review for Dante's Girl July 28, 2012

By The Autumn Review

Format:Kindle Edition

There are so many things I liked about this book. The primary reason I liked it...it was just easy to read. I loved the humor, romance, and the characters.

Pretty much from the first sentence, I liked Reece. She's funny, smart, confident, but also sensitive. Overall, just a likable character. Another reason I liked her was that she wasn't overly impressed or intimidated by Dante's family or his social status. She really fell for him as a person.

Dante is a total sweetheart. I loved how he tried to comfort Reece on the plane at the beginning of the book. Obviously he was attracted to her, but it shows that he has good moral character as well. I felt like he really worked hard at making Reece feel comfortable in his world. Dante fell for Reece pretty hard. I loved watching them fall in love.

The supporting characters were all strong. I really liked Mia. There are plans to continue the series with some of the supporting characters and I really look forward to seeing what happens with each one of them.

The overall story was very sweet. There are some more serious situations, but they fit the story's overall theme. I appreciated the fact that even though this is a YA novel, there is a lot of truth in what happens in a teenage romance. It made their relationship much more believable and not so fairytale-like.

I would definitely recommend this book. It's appropriate for the 15 and older age group. If you are a fan of The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants Series or a PG-13 version of The Princess Diaries, you would love this book. I'm really looking forward to seeing how the series develops from here.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Entertaining, sweet and really well written June 28, 2012

By Avid Reader

Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase

This is a very well written story about a 17 year old from Kansas that has her world turned upside down by a stunning and gorgeous Dante and his world. It's a wonderful love story with plenty of little mishaps on the way, including those embarrassing moments that we all have when we're teenagers.

I loved how this book was written. Reece is a very believable 17 year old girl, complete with very realistic inner dialogues.

This is one of those books that you'll probably want to re-read again.

More About the Author

Courtney Cole is a novelist who would rather write than eat chocolate. She holds a Bachelor's degree in Business, but no amount of working in the corporate world could quell her urge to write.

Courtney was born and raised in Kansas, home of incredibly friendly people and the most horrendous weather on the planet. Because summer days were so hot, she grew up reading stacks of books... and when she didn't like the ending, she wrote her own.

Courtney loves hot pink nail polish, Mitch Albom and thunderstorms (not necessarily in that order).

She currently lives near Chicago with her real life Prince Charming, two sons, one daughter and small domestic zoo. To learn more about her, visit www.courtneycolewrites.com