Where I Want to Be

I've been waiting to write this review until I had some time to mull over exactly how I felt about Where I Want to Be. I won't deny that the setting of sunny Napa Valley, and Olivia's love of wine drew me to read this book. I was intrigued by the idea of uprooting yourself for something new. Of Olivia's quest to shake things up in her life. From the humdrum world of finance, to the lush vineyards of Napa Valley. What could be better?

In fact, this turned out to be the perfect setting for this book. I was charmed with descriptions of delicious wines, decadent food, and a pleasantly laid back atmosphere. It's clear that Courtney Roudenbush has a soft spot in her heart for this place. It comes alive through her writing. I could see, taste, touch and smell everything around me just as Olivia was. This was my favorite part of the book. It was just the escape I was looking for.

Sadly, I couldn't relate to Olivia. Although she did grow a bit during the story, she never felt like a real person to me. Olivia has a lot of issues, not the least of which is her inability to see how beautiful and confident she has every right to be. That wouldn't have been so bad, if it wasn't for the fact that it never ended. Her friends constantly needed to be her source of self-confidence, and it was tough for me to get behind. I didn't need Olivia to be perfectly self-sufficient, I just needed her to cut herself a break.

In terms of the story line, it was sweet enough. Following along as Olivia broke into the dating scene was okay. I wasn't a huge fan of the men, who were all predictably bad matches for her, but it was nice to see her trying. As I said, I just couldn't get behind Olivia as a character. I wanted more from her.

I now know that this is the first in a series, and that each of the remaining books will focus on one of Olivia's other friends. This excites me! I loved Courtney Roudenbush's writing, just not this character, so I'm hopeful that I'll find more to love in this series.