Oranges for Miranda

Miranda Porter is retired, and learned who she is without her career is daunting. Preferring to control as much of her life as possible, she takes a trip to Portugal. Her trip is meant to help her figure out a new direction in life and give her adult children room to grow the business without her. However, when so much of her life has involved her career who is Miranda without it? Renato Monteiro loves his life and work in Canada, but when he is called home to Portugal to make some decisions about an inheritance, he finds himself torn between the life he has and the one his female relatives believe he needs. A brief encounter between Miranda and Renato could give them both fresh perspectives, but is it too late to choose love?

A sweet contemporary romance, this book tackles a mixture of love found later in life, and major life changes after retirement. Unlike many novels in this genre where the main characters are either young or divorced, Miranda and Renato are both single in their 50s and facing a different set of challenges as a result. Miranda is past having children, and Renato must decide if having children trumps what he could have with Miranda. Their relationship is very neatly and steadily explored, as are the mental debates they go through in determining their own lives and futures.  Despite being a little slow at times, and having a predictable ending, “Oranges for Miranda” expertly presents love and life changes, wrapped up in exotic locales that will please lovers of this genre and bring them back for more.

Sarah Bradley