The Winds of Sonoma

Angelica knows she must return to the vision of helping the poor and needy that set her on the path toward becoming an attorney in the first place. But telling her parents that shes leaving big city life and a lucrative job with a prestigious law firm might just be her biggest obstacle yet. She hopes that spending time with them on their ranch will open the door to a discussion not easily carried on by phone. Antonio desperately needs a job that pays enough to send money back to his mother and siblings in Mexico. Entering the U.S. without papers creates more trouble and danger than hed imagined. His skill with horses lands him a job with apparently wealthy horse owners. Hes grateful, despite the cruel and overbearing ranch manager, the only one who speaks Spanish--until Angelica shows up. As Angelicas Spanish improves and as she teaches Antonio English, they gradually merge information and learn that their ranch manager has his fingers in more pies than anyone imagined--none of them humane or legal. Despite her parents objections, Angelica and Antonio grow closer and a love is born that embraces far more than themselves. I learned a great deal about the plight of Mexican laborers entering this country as I read Nikki Aranas book. Importantly, I found a writer, new to me, who tells a compassionate but heart wrenching story laced with combinations of historical and current events--the harsh, the sad, the ugly truth as well as the joyous possibilities of hope--all transforming my thinking and opening the door for new possibilities. Im looking forward to more of Ms. Aranas books.

The book was a slow read for me. To be honest if I knew that I might not have downloaded this book. The main characters are from two different worlds. Her family is mostly Poppy the man that pretty much raised her as her parents where not there for her. I actully wanted to slap her parents for the stupid things they said to her especially her mother. Maybe it was because they were from money that made them so irritating. For him, he is a Mexican who is poor that needs to help his family to keep them fed and housed. You keep trying to figure out how everything is going to end until the very end. I was disappointed in the ending but overall it was a decent book. If you are not spirtual in anyway then I would not suggest this book to you. The book is spirtual and uplifing.

Positives: 1. No kissing scenes that make you squirm or worry one of the characters is really a vampire. There were some kisses toward the end but all the author says is they kissed I prefer this because I think it is a more respectful way of handling kissing. 2. Makes a case that everyone, no matter what their immigration status, no matter what nationality they are, are humans and we as Christian should treat them as such. Negatives: 3. It making point 2, the author went overboard. Even I, who agree with many of her statements, felt like I was being slammed over the head with it. She had a story that would have effectively conveyed her message. She should have trusted her story to carry her message instead of repeating her message over and over again. 4. Because she was busy trying to make a point, the story got sidetracked several times.

Angelica Amante has it all--beauty, a great job, loving parents, and a healthy trust fund. Not to mention the fatherly support of an old family employee; Poppy. So when Angelica leaves her job with a prestigious law firm to return to her familys ranch, its no wonder things turn upside down. Now questioning her own beliefs about the plight of immigrants and the poor, she must look deep into her heart and trust God more than ever before. When Angelica meets Antonio (a Mexican worker on her fathers ranch)her feelings for him only complicate matters. How can two people from such different worlds ever come together? I loved the novel. Aranas treatment of immigration issues is certainly no dry evening news approach to discussing the subject. Antonio and Angelica come alive on the page. I found myself reading quickly, turning pages as fast as I could to find out what happened next. A satisfying romance that WILL make you cry, The Winds of Sonoma is a definite winner.

When attorney Angelica refuses to accept the assignment of her big New York City firm, she is fired. Not only fired, but blackballed in the entire area. Dejected and yet feeling so right about her decision, she moves back to her California home. Her wealthy parents are mortified that she would trade such an important job for the simplistic and ridiculous job of public defender for illegals and the poor. Antonio, an illiterate Mexican young man, comes to work at their horse ranch just as she arrives home, and she decides to make a difference in his life. This opening book lays the foundation for a very possible, though highly unlikely love story of the decade. Readers will hate the crooked ranch foreman, love Poppy, and wonder just what makes the Amantes tick. There is so much intrigue, so much feeling, so much love and hate in this story, I am recommending this series of 3 to all my Christian fiction reader friends.

A book that show you trust God and go with you heart to find happiness in life. Simple and good reading.

I download a lot of books to my Kindle Fire, but since I work full time I dont get to read as much as I would like to. Therefore I have not read this book as of yet, but am looking forward to doing so. I would not have purchased this book without reading the description of the book, so feel this will be a good one when I get around to reading it.

Angelica is a up and coming attorney working for a big firm in New York City. When she is fired and cannot find a new job due to her refusal to compromise her beliefs she heads home to California. While at home she faces the situation of illegal Mexican immigrants in the area. Her family ranch has hired a new immigrant worker, Antonio. Angelica decides to take him under her wing and try to help him out in every way she can. She also wants to try to get a job as a public defender because she wants give help to those who really are in need of it. As Angelica works with Antonio, she discovers that there may be more than just a charitable feeling shared between the two of them. The two have an uphill climb as they try to figure out their relationship. I liked this book. It was easy to read and one could relate to the timeliness of the story. Illegal immigration is a hot topic in our country. Many politicians are debating constantly about how the nation should treat the situation. There are lots of people who are prejudiced against Mexican immigrants such as the foreman of the ranch or the people in the church who thought they were helping but really werent. Angelica is a compassionate character who wants to help out Antonio. She also makes the difficult choice of choosing a harder life instead of one that would be easily handed to her. I admire people who can do that. I could also relate to Angelicas issue with not wanting to tell her parents what really happened to her in New York. Its hard to have to tell your parents that youve let them down after they think youve done so well. My parents were immigrants so the story is familiar about being alone and uncertain in a new country. They too were grateful for the people who took the time out to help them get settled in their new life. Im looking forward to picking up the next two books in the series.

Ill be honest; Ive never read a romance novel in my entire life. But I heard some good things about a new novel,The Winds of Sonoma, by author Nikki Arana, and thought Id check it out. And I have to say, I wasnt disappointed in the least. The detailed characterizations and the smooth writing style were quite impressive for a first novel. Angelica Amante, a privileged young lawyer on the rise, finds her match in Antonio Perez, a dirt-poor Mexican immigrant working at her parents ranch. Its a class-act story about class differences, and how true love can overcome any barrier - even prejudice. A spark of romance runs through a satisfying and very substantial story. Nikki Arana makes the unconventional possible, and the impossible, attainable. I truly look forward to reading the next novel by this talented new author.

This book is a page turner! I did not want to put it down. It is a tale of sacrificing your career for what is noble and finding the love that God has hand picked. It is truly heart warming and thought provoking. Angelica was an up and coming attorney. She worked for a prestigious law firm in New York. She realizes that her firm is taking advantage of the less fortunate. As they are about to offer her a promotion she is left with a life altering decision. Should she do what is right or further her career? Soon she meets Antonio who works on her parents ranch in California. Antonio is handsome, hardworking and self sacrificing. He is the oldest child in his family. He left their poverty stricken home in Mexico to provide for his family. When these two lives collide it is a magical story.