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BOOKWORM REVIEW: Ciao for Now by Kate Bromley

 

RATING: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
SPICE: 🔥🔥

An enemies-to-lovers with a fictional tour of Rome? Yes please.

This trip to Italy was not starting out as Violet Luciano expected. Her first day as a fashion intern at one of the emerging brands in Rome started with her spilling coffee on a gorgeous stranger's laptop. The grumpy man did not take well to her apologies, treats and all. It also turns out that the same curmudgeon was the son of her professor and her next-door neighbor.

Now the two must spend the entire summer together, despite Violet's efforts to avoid Matteo. The flirtatious banter and Matteo's company are just too irresistible, but they are also a massive distraction to her main goal: finish design school and win a job at a New York label.

If you love enemies-to-lovers romcom with Rome as the beautiful backdrop, this low-angst read is a great pick. I love the dynamic between Violet and Matteo, including the shifts from adversaries to friends to lovers. What had me engaged in this standalone read was Violet's character arc throughout the story. I always enjoy a good story about self-discovery, and Kate Bromley does that so well with Violet's story. It is organically balanced with the romance and comedy. 

I also love the intricate details that will have you feeling like you're going along in this journey with Violet and Matteo through the streets of Rome. I am not necessarily an expert in fashion -- my couture of choice tends to lean toward work-at-home chic -- but Bromley tackles it with such confidence that a novice like me is sold by the details she provides about that industry.

** I am voluntarily reviewing an advance copy of this book. Thank you to Kate Bromley, Harlequin Trade Publishing, and NetGalley for providing an ARC. **

ABOUT THE BOOK

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. 

MEET KATE BROMLEY

Kate is a writer of romantic comedies and contemporary romance. She lives on the east coast with her husband, sons, and her somewhat excessive collection of romance novels. (It's not hoarding if it's books, right?) She was a preschool teacher for almost seven years and is now focusing full-time on combining her two great passions — writing swoon-worthy love stories and making people laugh.

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