Review: Meet Me in Italy

 

Charlotte Williams-Jackson is having a rough go of it. Her NBA husband decided he no longer wants to be married and asks her to leave their house. He offers no explanation. She goes back to her parents where she learns she is adopted. She has a half-sister. Their mother just died. Her sister is only 11 and needs a guardian. Lilly is currently in Italy.

Charlotte decides to rent a house on the Amalfi Coast. There she can hopefully get a handle on the book she's supposed to writing and hasn't started. She's worried that the success of her book is due to her husband's fame.

Her childhood best friends decide to accompany her. Sloane doesn't want to be a mother, but her husband is dying to kids. They're at a crossroads in their marriage. She's looking forward to time apart to figure out what she wants. Her twin brother Julian has a secret that he's not willing to share. It's life changing. The twins are happy to have Charlotte back in their lives. Lily isn't sure what to think of her sister. She hasn't had the easiest life. It's hard for her to trust, but her she's learning. Can they all relax in Italy and find themselves?

My Thoughts: I Loved this book. I loved how all the characters connected. And this book makes me want to travel to Italy and the Amalfi Coast. The house and the town seemed amazing. I felt really bad for Lilly. She had such a hard life and didn't know who to trust. I just wanted to give her a giant hug. I love how she thawed out. The NBA part was entertaining. I enjoyed the writing part of the story. This book was all about healing, love, friendship, and family.

Cover Thoughts: Gorgeous

Source: My library

Library Recommendation: A must have book for your fiction collection

Review: Oh My Affogato!

 

Soraya and her two best friends are traveling Europe together the summer before they leave for college. What her two friends don't know is that they are starting in the same city where her ex-boyfriend is also visiting. 

At first, she's stunned that the hotel is not a 5-star resort, but before long, she comes to appreciate their attention to detail and the beauty of the place - even if it is a little run down. The owner's son has suggestions on out of the way places to visit.

By day, Soraya hangs out with her friends, but by night, she meets up with Wes. Until - she and Wes come face to face with her friends. They get into a major fight that threatens to ruin everything. 

My Thoughts: I loved this book. I loved the setting and how it was Italy, but not one of the major cities. I love how the friends set up the trip. I didn't like the major conflict of the book because I felt bad for everyone involved. But it did make for a great story. I love how this takes place the summer before college. I loved the adventures the friends went on together - the out of the way ones. I would love to see Pompeii. This book made me want to travel to Italy.  And I wouldn't mind companion novels with the other two friends leading each book.

Cover Thoughts: Stunning 

Source: my Library

Library Recommendations: A great summer romance for your teen collection - highly recommended.

Tween Tuesday Review: Lost in Rome

Lucy and her sister can't wait to return to Rome during the summer. Lucy's excited to help out her grandmother is the family pizza joint. But when she arrives, she learns that business is down - way down. Lucy has some creative ideas that just might help bring business back to normal.

Unfortunately, some of the ideas go against her grandmother's wishes. She wants to play matchmaker to customers based on their favorite pizza toppings. When she first tries it, everything works out.

Soon a reporter comes by and wants to do a story. Lucy concocts a scheme to get her grandmother to leave the restaurant. When the article comes out, business picks up again. Could it be enough to save the business?

My Thoughts: I love Cindy Callaghan's Lost in books (Ireland, London, and Paris) and this book is no different. Super cute, super fun read. I loved the moments in the pizza shop, my mouth watered when reading about all the great pizza and sandwiches that were being made. I really liked Lucy's ideas on how to update and market the pizza joint. I loved learning about the matchmaking through pizza slices. I loved how she created stories and exaggerated history. I liked Lucy's sister Gianna and her fashion and DIY ideas. The secondary characters were fun. There's a small romance plot line.

Cover Thoughts: Fantastic
Source: My Library

Final Thoughts: A wicked fun read filled with family, friends, great food, and matchmaking.