Upon the death of her mother, 26 year old Leia York is left bereft and grief-stricken. An old college professor extends her an invitation to join him in one of the most beautiful, yet most dangerous, places on earth – the Amazon rainforest.
She embarks on an impulsive journey, hoping to forget the sadness of her life in Chicago. Shortly after arriving in the village, Leia is among those chosen to go on a quest that is vital to the survival of the natives. The six week quest is fraught with danger, adventure, and unexpectedly: love. A love which is strictly forbidden.
Will Leia respect an indigenous law that prevents her from pursuing the only love she has ever known?
The Blue Amaryllis is a unique story that blends romance and adventure, while exploring the very real ecological issues threatening the Amazon rainforest and tribes within. It is a story of a proud people whose unique way of life faces extinction, and the passionate love that develops between one of their own and an outsider.
The Blue Amaryllis: A Love Story
Author Sonia De Leon
Paperback, 422 pages
Published July 14th 2014 by CreateSpace (first published July 14th 2013)
Genre: Romance, Adventure, Contemporary, Fiction
The Blue Amaryllis, a sacred plant, essential and deeply connected to the tribe’s health and soul.
Leia is looking for a change of pace from Chicago, and boy does she get it when she travels to the wild jungles of the Amazon to join her professor on an anthropological expedition. She is to assist him in cataloging healing plants that the natives use. This should keep her busy, and her mind quiet.
When she arrives, red faced, sweaty and muddy, she meets Tanun, the tribe’s medicine man, a bronzed heathen Adonis come to life! *Fans myself* He is the most gorgeous man she has ever lain her eyes on. With him being a medicine man, she could learn a lot from him.
Leia respects everyone in the tribe for their way of life and unassuming joy. She tries to fit in, participates in the rituals, but she isn’t quite ready to shed her clothing yet.
“Just another day of bathing with nude muscular hunters in the Amazon rainforest.”
Leia, and Tanun are selected, among others, to journey into the Peruvian Amazon, to bring back seeds from the blue amaryllis. This adventure ties them closer together, but there is one problem… Their love for each other is strictly forbidden by the Matis tribe.
It didn’t take me long to get wrapped up in the world of The Blue Amaryllis. For starters, the world building was INCREDIBLE, and the setting of an Amazon Rainforest for a romance was a wise pick. I learned a lot about the indigenous tribes, and their way of life. This story sheds a lot of light on a way of life that is no longer lived in many parts of the world.
Secondly, what I especially liked about this novel, was the “star crossed lovers” twist to their slow burning romance. Leia is a white woman from Chicago, and Tanun is a Matis, native to the wild jungles of the Amazon. Their worlds never should have crossed, and yet they did.
“Resisting him was like trying to prevent the sun from rising above the horizon…”
Ladies, if you are looking for a new “book boyfriend”, Tanun is your man! He is tall, strong, muscular, has long gorgeous hair, and he walks around naked all day, lol!
Yes, please!
Thank you Author Sonia De Leon for crafting such a wonderfully beautiful character! *Drools*
I’d be lying if I told you I DIDN’T live vicariously through Leia’s character. *Sigh* I was sad to leave the world of The Blue Amaryllis!
Book hangover, much?
Overall, I absolutely LOVED this novel, and I would recommend it to anyone who likes a little adventure to their romance!
I was provided with an e-copy of The Blue Amaryllis in exchange for a thoughtful, fair, and honest book review.
Don’t delay! Meet your new book boyfriend today! Purchase, here! 🙂
If you are interested in donating to a worthy cause, please visit:
http://www.survivalinternational.org
About The Author :
“Hello readers and friends! I am a mother to 3 girls, and live with my husband in the south suburbs of Chicago. My love of reading began around the age of 7 when my parents decided that my siblings and I were too obsessed with watching television. So they did what any normal, rational (where is my sarcasm font?) parent would do, and threw the TV out. When my siblings and I smuggled it back inside in the middle of the night, they reacted in a similar normal and rational manner, by throwing the TV out of the second story window.
And thus began my love of reading, an activity that still tightly binds my siblings and I down to this day. Worlds unraveled before my eyes as I solved mysteries with Nancy, explored a chocolate factory with Charlie, and discovered Narnia alongside a talking lion named Aslan. From the age of 7 on, you could almost always find me with a book in hand. In my teenage years, I discovered VC Andrews, LJ Smith, Diana Gabaldon, and Morgan Llywelyn. As a woman, my favorite authors are Laura Kinsale, Penelope Williamson, Colleen Hoover, Mia Sheridan, and (still) Diana Gabaldon. My favorite stories are the ones that make me forget, inspire me to live, and enrich my undying belief in happily ever after.”–Amazon Author Bio
A Well Read Woman 
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Hmmm, cant’ say I’m not tempted. I mean, incredible world-building + new book boyfriend? GIMME!!! Nice review 🙂
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LOL! Thank you 🙂
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