Ciao For Now

I thoroughly enjoyed Kate Bromley's previous books Talk Bookish To Me and Here For The Drama. Her latest book, Ciao For Now has a gorgeous Italian setting, but I didn't enjoy it nearly as much as I had expected. 

The story and its characters didn't come together for me. The main characters Violet and Matt were lackluster, the banter was sparse and the chemistry between Violet and Matt was like lukewarm espresso. The story relies on the enemies to lovers trope and it was a hard sell for me. Violet and Matt have one interaction and a misunderstanding (I'm so done with the miscommunication trope) that turn them into enemies and readers are expected to believe the whiplash-inducing switch to lovers? Nope. I just didn't buy it.

I liked the idea of Violet's journey to find her own strength and voice, but the way her age difference (she of the 'elderly' late 20's compared to her fellow contestants in their early 20's) was portrayed felt more like Violet was Sophia Petrillo competing against Zendaya and Gigi Hadid in a fashion battle. I actually liked the secondary characters more than the main couple. Not a great sign.

I'm disappointed that this was a miss for me. I wanted more romance, a less rushed ending and a lot more of the funny banter and amazing dialogue that I've come to associate with Kate Bromley. 

The strength of this book lies in the beautiful descriptions of the Italian setting that easily brought me back to my own trip to Italy with its food, landscape and culture. While this wasn't a hit with me, I eagerly look forward to whatever books Bromley comes up with next. This would be a good pick for readers who love a gorgeous setting, are into fashion and are eager to plan their own vacation in Italy. 

Disclaimer: My sincere thanks to Graydon House for this complimentary digital ARC which was provided in exchange for my honest review.

My Rating: 2.5 stars

Author: Kate Bromley

Genre: RomCom

Type and Source: eBook from publisher via NetGalley

Publisher: Graydon House (Harlequin Trade)

First Published: June 6, 2023

Book Description from GoodReads: When an American interning at a fashion house in Rome butts heads with her professor's surly son, sparks fly!

With her thirties rapidly approaching and a mountain of student debt looming over her, Violet Luciano’s dream of finishing design school and working in fashion has cost her everything. So when she lands an internship at an up-and-coming fashion brand in Rome, she brings her A game to Italy. With nothing left to lose, Violet plans to win the competition among the interns for the ultimate prize—a job at a New York label.

But when a coffee run goes wrong and Violet accidentally destroys a stranger’s laptop, all of the apology Americanos in the world won’t help her. Because it turns out that the man from the café is Matteo, her professor’s eternally grumpy son, who thinks she’s a clumsy American…and  maybe  a stalker. Their animosity (and undeniable chemistry) grows as together they’re forced to face a summer of chic parties, adventures through Rome and sharing a home…with the person they can’t stand the most.   

The more time she spends with him, the more distracted she finds herself. With her chance to win the competition slipping out of her grasp, Violet has to decide whether to say ciao to Matteo—or ciao to her dreams.