REVIEW: A Wedding in Italy by Tilly Tennant

Title: A Wedding in Italy (From Italy With Love #2)
Author: Tilly Tennant
Publisher: Bookouture
Publication Date: April 2017
Genre: Chick-Lit / Contemporary Romance
Buy the Book: Amazon | BN | Audible

Description: Sun, spaghetti and sparkling prosecco. When it comes to finding love, there’s no place like Rome...

Kate is living the dream with her gorgeous boyfriend Alessandro in his native city, but the reality is sometimes a little less romantic than she’d hoped. Every day in her new home is a fight against leaking pipes, her cantankerous landlord and her less-than-perfect grasp of the Italian lingo.

All around her there is talk of weddings, but when a secret from her past is thrust out into the open, Kate must fight to prove to Alessandro’s Mamma – and the rest of his formidable family – that she truly is Italian marriage material.

With the women in Alessandro’s life on a mission to break them apart, the cracks begin to show and Kate starts to question if Alessandro really is the man of her dreams. Can love and the city of romance conquer all, or is that just a fairy-tale?

Let Rome steal your heart this summer in this gorgeously romantic escapist read. Perfect for fans of Jo Thomas and Abby Clements.

My Thoughts: This book picks up practically on the heels of the first book in the series so I recommend reading Rome Is Where the Heart Is first. Kate has officially made Rome her home but it isn’t all it is cracked up to be. Navigating the language barrier is not easy and it surprised me that Kate wasn’t doing something more proactive to learn Italian, like taking classes. Fortunately, many Italians speak English with varying degrees of proficiency so Kate is able to manage although it is clunky. I really liked the author peppering Italian phrases throughout the book so that while reading on my Kindle, I could look up the translations of phrases.

The author illustrates very well the struggle Kate is experiencing trying to find her place in Rome, needing to find a job to make ends meet but still having a dream of starting her own dress making business. Her landlord’s wife is her first customer but Kate is a little bit of a pushover in that she doesn’t charge the market rate for the dresses. Her landlord expects a discount but doesn’t discount her rent. Allesandro and his family are quite vocal to Kate about this and often want to speak out on Kate’s behalf but she doesn’t want them to. This theme is present throughout most of the book and it did seem to get quite repetitive. Kate is persistent about making it on her own without having to rely on anyone but sometimes help from the right source can be a blessing and it takes quite a while before Kate realizes this. I had a lot of empathy for Kate and was able to relate to her situation of trying to find her place in a new country, fitting in and making it her home.

Getting to know Alessandro’s family better in this book was enjoyable and Kate’s insecurity around them was understandable. The author’s creation of the minor characters in the story added more depth to the story as they really impact Kate in many ways, especially as some of them take more time warming up to Kate’s presence and whether they accepted her as a good match for Alessandro. The author has quite a few surprises up her sleeve that I didn’t expect but really enjoyed. The story moves at a smooth pace I really enjoyed tagging along with Kate through the streets of Rome.

My Final Verdict: Overall, I found this story delightful and it has only inspired me even more to add Rome to my bucket list of travel destinations. I highly recommend this book to readers who enjoy stories where the girl gets her happily ever after in exotic locations.

Thank you to the publisher, Bookouture, who provided an advance reader copy of this book via NetGalley.

REVIEW: New York, Actually by Sarah Morgan

Title: New York, Actually (From Manhattan with Love #4)
Author: Sarah Morgan
Narrator: Jennifer Woodward
Publisher: Harlequin | HQN
Publication Date: May 2017
Genre: Chick Lit / Contemporary Romance
Buy the Book: Amazon | BN | Audible

Description: One man. One woman. Two dogs.

Meet Molly—New York’s most famous advice columnist, she considers herself an expert at relationships…as long as they’re other people’s. Still bruised from her last breakup, Molly is in no rush to find happily-ever-after—the only love of her life is her dalmatian, Valentine.

Meet Daniel—A cynical divorce lawyer, he’s hardwired to think relationships are a bad idea. If you don’t get involved, no one can get hurt. Until he finds himself borrowing a dog to meet the gorgeous woman he sees running in Central Park every morning…

Molly and Daniel both think they know everything about relationships. But as they try—and fail—to resist their undeniable chemistry, they’ll soon discover they just might have a lot left to learn…

My Thoughts: Initially, I had some reservations about reading this book because it’s the fourth book in a series and I am usually a stickler for reading a series in order. This book is definitely the exception as the author does a brilliant job making this story a stand-alone. Characters from earlier in the series do make an appearance in this story but it did not detract or in any way take my focus off of Molly and Daniel. Honestly, I don’t think even a meteorite crashing into my living room would have distracted me.

I loved this story. It checks off so many of the things I look for in the romance genre without getting too sappy or bordering on too explicit. First of all, dogs. Especially dogs that feature prominently in the story are going to interest me. The dogs in this story are Molly’s dalmatian, Valentine, who is named for his heart shaped nose and Brutus, the German Shepherd that Daniel wrangles as a prop to grab Molly’s interest. I loved that these two dogs are actively part of the story, and not in the background.

I also loved that Daniel and Molly really appear to be so broken that love and relationships just don’t work out for them the way they do for others. And with good reason, given their respective backgrounds. The underlying message that love finds you most often when you aren’t looking for it was wonderful and it was awesome to watch it happening with these two.

I thought the story was realistic and the premise was cute, though it could appear a little creepy that a man would “borrow” a dog so he could meet a girl he sees jogging in the park. I did not feel an “ick” factor. Instead, I felt Daniel deserved points for his ingenuity in arranging this meet cute. I’m also super grateful that the author did not drag out the whole “keeping secrets and being dishonest” trope because that would have annoyed me as both Molly and Daniel played their cards very close to their chests. The great thing is that when dishonesty was discovered on both their parts, discussions were had like adults and the reader was saved from too much of the giant misunderstanding and drama chaos.

This book is my first experience reading Sarah Morgan’s work and I am excited to find more of her work. She creates characters that are very easy to like and relate to and that give the reader a sense of camaraderie with. This entire series is set in and around Manhattan which gives me more of an interest in visiting. The descriptive detail of Molly and Daniel’s world feels very picturesque and vibrant. I now want a Dalmatian that I can walk in Central Park.

I paired my reading of this book with the audiobook format which was quite enjoyable. The narrator, Jennifer Woodward does a wonderful job of bringing these characters to life and flawlessly switches between Molly’s English accent and everyone else’s American accent. The emotion she put into her narrative performance brought tears to my eyes and had me laughing out loud several times.

My Final Verdict: I highly recommend this book because…did I mention dogs? Fans of dogs must absolutely stop what they are doing right now and read this book. I also highly recommend fans of the romance genre, be it romantic comedy, contemporary romance or chick-lit read this book because a happily ever after is always a good thing.

Thank you to the publisher, Harlequin | HQN, who provided an advance reader copy of this book via NetGalley.

REVIEW: Baby Teeth by Celia Silvani

Title: Baby Teeth
Author: Celia Silvani
Publisher: Orion
Publication Date: November 2024
Genre: Thriller / Suspense / Women’s Fiction
Buy the Book: Amazon | BN | Audible

Description: They said a mother knows best and I believed them. Was I wrong?

It is supposed to be a dream. James and I have been trying for years. But now it is starting to feel like a nightmare.

Doctors don't ask questions, or care about how you're feeling. They just tell you what to do. They never listen.

Mam and James don't understand either. James thinks I'm being anxious and Mam says it'll pass. It always does. That's what she did when Dad died.

I've never felt more alone. Or scared.

Then I joined an online group for mothers. A sisterhood, really. They might be on a screen, but sometimes it feels like they know me better than James. They listen, they care. It's all I could have asked for.

Until the worst happens and I see them for who they are. But if I leave, what if they come for me next?

My Thoughts: I enjoyed this book and thought the subject matter was thought provoking but I didn’t love it. Additionally, there are triggers in this story involving infertility and pregnancy loss. I felt increasingly frustrated at the lengths Claire went trusting complete strangers that she only knows online instead of midwives and doctors. I agreed with the general consensus that doctors and the medical profession make you feel like a number, but to trust advice from people who have zero medical background puts not only the mother but the fetus at risk. When tragedy strikes one of one women in the group who loses her nearly full-term baby, I was deeply disturbed at how this group of faceless women treated her simply because they did not approve of her seeking medical attention.

I understood how Claire felt torn wanting to do the right thing and her fear of hospitals and mistrust of doctors stemming from losing her father but I wanted to yell at her through most of the book that she should be seeking advice from people she knows in real life as well as experts in the field. I had such a huge problem that she told strangers she was pregnant before she told her own husband. In large part due to her behavior, I had a difficult time relating to or empathizing with her.

The plot moved me into thinking something horrifying was going to happen to Claire at the hands of the online group and my imagination was running wild thinking that someone was going to try to murder her and steal her baby. I must be reading too many thrillers because I am looking for psychopaths around every corner.

This is my first time reading the work of Celia Silvani and thought she illustrates well the fears and anxieties of not just a woman having her first child but the vulnerability of those who have struggled to conceive as well as the devastating grief of a pregnancy test not bringing the most desperately hoped for result.

My Final Verdict: Overall, the story ended with a lot of unanswered questions for me and a bit of a letdown in the thriller and suspenseful side of things. I think fans of both thrillers and women’s fiction will enjoy the story if they can overlook their personal biases regarding the best approach to childbirth.

REVIEW: Mystery at Maplemead Castle by Kitty French

Title: Mystery at Maplemead Castle (Chapelwick Mysteries #2)
Author: Kitty French
Narrator: Cat Gould
Publisher: Bookouture
Publication Date: March 2017
Genre: Cozy Mystery
Buy the Book: Amazon | BN | Audible

Description: Welcome to Chapelwick, a leafy English town in the hills of Shropshire, where chocolate pecan cookies come with a helping of sabotage.

Maplemead Castle is crawling with ghosts, and the new owners need them gone. When Melody Bittersweet and the Girls' Ghostbusting Agency arrive on scene, they quickly identify the troublemakers swinging from the chandeliers...literally.

A century ago, stunning trapeze artist Britannia Lovell plunged to her death, and has done every night since. But did she really just fall, or was there something more to her demise?

Forced to work with Leo Dark, her scoundrel ex, and infuriating, irresistible reporter Fletcher Gunn, Melody's investigative powers are under strain (i.e., lost in a pink mist of lust and confusion). She needs her team on top form, but best friend Marina's cake pipeline goes AWOL, assistant Artie's distracted by a giant sausage roll, and the pug is scared witless by a lion.

Somewhere, hidden in the castle, is a heartbreaking secret, but what will it take to find it? And is there a chance it could set Britannia free, or is she doomed to repeat her last fateful act forever?

My Thoughts: Melody Bittersweet is back with her friends and one-eared Pug, Lestat to clear Maplemead Castle from a circus troupe of ghosts and their lion. Yes, there’s a ghost lion named Goliath who Lestat makes his displeasure about known. Melody’s ex, Leo Dark, and reporter Fletcher Gunn are also back which I thought added more interesting aspects to the story.

I enjoyed this book very much and couldn’t wait to find out the backstory of the ghostly circus performers and the author didn’t disappoint. This story had me laughing out loud, especially when Lestat squares off to a ghost lion and made my eyes tear up when I learned the tragic story of Britannia as well as learning more about Fletcher’s back story. He really grew on me in this installment and I am eager to see if he and Melody continue to connect. Surprisingly, I also felt less irritation and annoyance towards Leo this time around.

I liked Melody and found her easy to relate to and appreciate the care and concern she demonstrates for both the living and the deceased. I keep hoping that Marina and Artie will get together too but so far, they remain steadfast colleagues.

This story offers the perfect blend of fun, charm, mystery, intrigue and romance fans of cozy mysteries will expect. The characters are easy to connect with and relate to and the plot flows smoothly. If you prefer audiobook formats, the narration of this book was expertly performed by Cat Gould.

This book ends on the assumption that Melody and her crew will be starting another case but so far I have been unable to confirm there will be a third book in this series. I hope there will be because it would be a great disappointment to see this series stall with so many unanswered questions.

My Final Verdict: Overall, this story was fantastic and I highly recommend it to fans of cozy mysteries, romances, stories featuring dogs with or without both of their ears and ghosts.

Thank you to the publisher, Bookouture, who provided an advance reader copy of this book via NetGalley.