Say goodbye to European Summer FOMO with this uplifting read!
This is the second book by Australian author Jenna Lo Bianco that I’ve had the pleasure of devouring and, it didn’t disappoint.
Based in Italy, as with her first book The Italian Marriage, it tells the story of Melbourne-born artist Stella who escapes to Rome after losing her dream job and leaving an abusive boyfriend.
A dual Italian-Australian citizen, she sets herself what initially seems to be the lofty goal of rebuilding her life and her spirit in the city that brings her the most joy.
Embraced by her bella Roma and a crew of supportive new friends, she embarks on the journey of believing in herself again. The road is peppered with challenges and many doubts, but enough sparks of hope that sees you cheering her on along the way.
With her one-way ticket back to Melbourne taunting her from where it's pinned behind her bedroom door, she learns, with the help of her beautiful friend Marco, to have faith in destino.
My beloved Nona Ricca always told me that "when it's written on your forehead it will happen." She reminded me of this (in her native Arabic, which made it sound much more romantic!) every time I felt something didn't go the way I wanted it to. Even though she's no longer with us physically, I think of her whispering this to me often and Marco's undying belief in fate in Love & Rome reminds me so much of my Nona's steadfastness in her own beliefs.
One of the many things I love about the way Jenna writes is the way she weaves the Italian language into her books. You feel as if you’re learning the lyrical language with each turn of the page.
Whilst I don’t speak Italian, I still understood the meaning behind each phrase without being overwhelmed or needing to use Google translate! It’s no wonder she’s known as “The Italian Teacher” and advocate for Italian language education in Australia!
I was so inspired, that I added Italian to the portfolio of languages I’m learning on Duo Lingo!
Image credit: Instagram @the.italian.teacher
This book should come with a warning though…don’t read it when hungry!
It was as if I could actually savour the flavours of the delectable traditional culinary delights woven through each chapter myself and, more than once, I yearned for fresh pasta or an icing-dusted pandoro.
Jenna takes you on a journey through la Città Eterna in such a descriptive way, that you feel you're traversing the cobblestone streets past the infamous icons steeped in such a rich history.
I’ve had the pleasure of visiting Rome once, many moons ago (a reference to la luna that you’ll understand when you read the book yourself!), and it felt that I'd been teleported back to the city a younger me fell so in love with.
Why should you read this book?
- You'd like to be enjoying a European summer right now like so many others on social media...but life got in the way! An escape of the literary kind is more your reality right now.
- You want to fall in love with the rag tag crew of characters that Jenna brings to life so beautifully.
- You need an uplifting read that has you believing that fate has a way of working things out.
- You want to support amazing Australian authors like Jenna Lo Bianco!
You can grab your copy in Kindle, audiobook or paperback formats here*.
*As an Amazon Associate I earn a small commission from qualifying purchases.
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