Author: Kerry Fisher
Publisher: Bookouture
Genre: Women's Fiction
Format: Kindle ARC
No. of Pages: 245
Date of Publication: July 28, 2023
My Rating: 5 Stars
DESCRIPTION:
As I stood on the terrace and gazed out over the most glorious view, he studied my face and said to me ‘Why do you look sad? No-one should be sad in Rome. We only have this one life, you know. Don’t waste it.’
Beth stands in the sunshine outside the magnificent wrought-iron gates of Villa Alba holding her suitcase. Only a few short months ago, she dropped her beloved only daughter off at college, holding back tears at the thought of an empty nest… clinging to the thought of the new chapter that she and her husband Joel could now begin together. But that same day, Joel dropped a bombshell. He thinks their marriage is stale, and wants a break; he says that Beth is no longer the same woman he fell in love with…
Searching for an escape, Beth spots an ad in a magazine for an apartment in Rome that is available for three months rental only to ‘an English woman of a certain age’. She reads on… Veronica, the 75-year-old owner, challenges her guests to rediscover themselves, find joy, and live life to the full – and there is no better place to do these things than in Rome, the most beautiful city in the world.
Ronnie sets Beth a list of tasks, forcing her to slow down and find beauty in every corner of the city: the sun on a stained glass window, a fragrant bunch of the freshest basil, a painting in a hidden courtyard. But her final task is the most challenging of all: to go out on a date with an unsuitable man.
But handsome and adventurous musician Rico, unsuitable in almost every way, may turn out to be just the right man to bring Beth back to life. With her break from Joel coming to an end, can Beth risk embracing the new life of exciting possibilities that Rome has opened up to her, even if it means losing everything?
Get swept away to the sunny streets of the most beautiful city in the world with this heartwarming novel about love and second chances. Perfect for fans of Faith Hogan, Elin Hilderbrand and Sheila O’Flanagan.
Beth stands in the sunshine outside the magnificent wrought-iron gates of Villa Alba holding her suitcase. Only a few short months ago, she dropped her beloved only daughter off at college, holding back tears at the thought of an empty nest… clinging to the thought of the new chapter that she and her husband Joel could now begin together. But that same day, Joel dropped a bombshell. He thinks their marriage is stale, and wants a break; he says that Beth is no longer the same woman he fell in love with…
Searching for an escape, Beth spots an ad in a magazine for an apartment in Rome that is available for three months rental only to ‘an English woman of a certain age’. She reads on… Veronica, the 75-year-old owner, challenges her guests to rediscover themselves, find joy, and live life to the full – and there is no better place to do these things than in Rome, the most beautiful city in the world.
Ronnie sets Beth a list of tasks, forcing her to slow down and find beauty in every corner of the city: the sun on a stained glass window, a fragrant bunch of the freshest basil, a painting in a hidden courtyard. But her final task is the most challenging of all: to go out on a date with an unsuitable man.
But handsome and adventurous musician Rico, unsuitable in almost every way, may turn out to be just the right man to bring Beth back to life. With her break from Joel coming to an end, can Beth risk embracing the new life of exciting possibilities that Rome has opened up to her, even if it means losing everything?
Get swept away to the sunny streets of the most beautiful city in the world with this heartwarming novel about love and second chances. Perfect for fans of Faith Hogan, Elin Hilderbrand and Sheila O’Flanagan.
MY THOUGHTS:
Beth’s empty-nest syndrome did not turn out as she planned. While happy that her daughter is now in college, Beth had thoughts of a new chapter in her life with her husband Joel. However, his view is entirely different from hers. In short, Beth heads to Rome - alone. After finding an ad for a three-month apartment rental, Beth is intrigued.
The apartment owner, septuagenarian Ronnie, does more than rent the apartment to Beth. She gives Beth tasks each day, and it doesn’t take Beth long to begin living life to the full. For years, Beth was the dutiful wife and responsible mother. She lost a bit of herself, and now has the opportunity to discover the woman inside.
When Ronnie challenges Beth to have dinner with a man, a man she’d never met, this brings new light to Beth’s life. His name is Rico and after spending time with him, Beth’s heart begins to feel much lighter.
What a lovely story. I enjoyed Beth, Ronnie and Ronnie’s friend Marina. These three women were wonderful characters. This book was a joy to read and I loved moving right on to book two, Secrets at the Rome Apartment.
Many thanks to Bookouture and to NetGalley for this ARC for review. This is my honest opinion.
Author: Kerry Fisher
Publisher: Bookouture
Genre: Women's Fiction
Format: Kindle ARC
No. of Pages: 245
Date of Publication: July 28, 2023
My Rating: 5 Stars
DESCRIPTION:
Everyone has something to hide. Back then, I was a young woman, without the imagination to know how it would all end, and how the terrible consequences of the choices I made would echo down the years…
75-year-old Ronnie has made it her mission to help women of a certain age rediscover themselves. The owner of a palazzo in Rome, she has left her troubled past behind and reinvented herself in the most beautiful city in the world. And now she helps other women to do the same. Renting out her spare apartment for three months at a time, Ronnie invites her guests to take on a series of challenges that will help them to embrace beauty and joy, to rediscover themselves and to live their lives to the full.
But Ronnie’s confident exterior hides heartbreak and closely-held secrets. Why did she leave England all those years ago and what was she running away from? How did a woman who helps others to fix their shattered lives become estranged from her very own daughter, Nadia, who has left Rome and moved to England to escape her?
As Ronnie welcomes her latest guest to the Rome apartment, Nadia appears unannounced on her doorstep – pregnant and alone. Ronnie is desperate for a chance to put things right and to be part of her precious grandchild’s life, but in order to fix her family, she will have to dig up secrets from her past that could risk destroying everything…
Get swept away to the sunny streets of the most beautiful city in the world with this heartwarming novel about love and second chances. Perfect for fans of Faith Hogan, Elin Hilderbrand and Sheila O’Flanagan.
BUY LINK:
MY THOUGHTS:
In the first book in this Italian Escape series, the story was focused on how 75-year-old Ronnie helped a woman named Beth to see life in a new light. In this story, this book also explores Ronnie’s past. We learn how Ronnie came to live in Rome. Also, Ronnie’s daughter Nadia is pregnant, and Ronnie longs for the chance to better her relationship with her daughter, and is very much looking forward to becoming a grandmother. Meanwhile her Rome apartment has a new guest.
This powerful story explores the lives of these women. In fact, although less than 300 pages, this story is well packed. Quite readable, as it was interesting to s learn more about Ronnie, how she navigated her relationship with her daughter, and what her connection to her newest guest was.
Then, factoring in the beautiful backdrop of the story and everything came together flawlessly. Kerry Fisher draws you in to her wonderful characters and it was great imagining myself in picturesque Rome with these wonderful people.
Many thanks to Bookouture and to NetGalley for this ARC for review. This is my honest opinion.
http://www.kerryfisherauthor.com/
https://www.facebook.com/kerryfisherauthor
https://www.instagram.com/kerryfisherwrites/
https://twitter.com/KerryFSwayne
No comments:
Post a Comment