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ladymoneypenny's review
3.0
I VOLUNTARILY REVIEWED A COPY FROM THE "RACHEL E. CARTER YA BOOK CLUB ON GOODREADS.
Thank you to the Author and Rachel E Carter for the opportunity to read and review this book.
I found this book quite addictive - I ended up reading it in one sitting (and missed out on a few hours of sleep to do so!)
This book follows Rory Hartnett, a 21 yr old young woman from Kansas. She travels to Rome for a 6 week study abroad course.
Rory suffers from severe anxiety, and we have a LOT of negative inner talk through out the book. I kind of expected her anxiety to improve over the course of the book, and in some ways it did, but not in a way that I found satisfactory.
Rory may be 21, but she is very immature and childish, and though you can relate with some of her anxiety, it all becomes a bit too much IMO.
The potential love interest, Ned, is a stoner who lives in the same house as Rory while in Rome. He comes across as a sweet guy, but honestly I couldn't really understand why he was written as a stoner? I also felt that we don't learn enough about Ned to truely understand him, and as a result, I found I didn't really like him that much, or ship the relationship.
This book is marketed as a light, fun read, but honestly it had some pretty heavy subject matter. I did enjoy it, but probably won't read any more by this author.
Thank you to the Author and Rachel E Carter for the opportunity to read and review this book.
I found this book quite addictive - I ended up reading it in one sitting (and missed out on a few hours of sleep to do so!)
This book follows Rory Hartnett, a 21 yr old young woman from Kansas. She travels to Rome for a 6 week study abroad course.
Rory suffers from severe anxiety, and we have a LOT of negative inner talk through out the book. I kind of expected her anxiety to improve over the course of the book, and in some ways it did, but not in a way that I found satisfactory.
Rory may be 21, but she is very immature and childish, and though you can relate with some of her anxiety, it all becomes a bit too much IMO.
The potential love interest, Ned, is a stoner who lives in the same house as Rory while in Rome. He comes across as a sweet guy, but honestly I couldn't really understand why he was written as a stoner? I also felt that we don't learn enough about Ned to truely understand him, and as a result, I found I didn't really like him that much, or ship the relationship.
Spoiler
I also did not like how Ned encourages Rory to smoke pot with him, and how even though she knows it lowers her inhibitions, she decides to smoke it anyway. Don't get me wrong, I'm no prude by any means, but yeah - this wasn't for meThis book is marketed as a light, fun read, but honestly it had some pretty heavy subject matter. I did enjoy it, but probably won't read any more by this author.
mcoppadge07's review
2.0
I received this book from the author in exchange for a spoiler free review.
This is going to be a rambling review, I'm having trouble getting all of my thoughts and feelings in order, so hopefully it makes sense.
Note: I was really excited to read this book because Rory has anxiety and so do I (more on that in a minute) and I couldn't wait to see how she handles her anxiety and how much she would grow from this experience. But I just ended up angry, frustrated, sad and disappointed.
If you have anxiety I would not read this book. I have severe anxiety. I was diagnosed when I was 14 I'm 27 now, I take medicine everyday and I've learned to control it or work with it as much as I can to prevent it. Rory's anxiety triggered my anxiety and for a book to do that is ridiculous. It probably just seems like it but I felt that she was having a constant anxiety attack. Which, for the record, doesn't necessarily mean visibly freaking out. Most of the time you can't even tell I'm having an anxiety attack or anxiety about something, the only people who can tell is my family. She said several times that she wasn't having an attack but when you're freaking out ALL THE TIME you are. Honestly I'm a bit disappointed in the author. Rory could've easily learned to control her anxiety if she had worked at it and also if she was taking her medication like she should've been. It would've been nice to see Rory grow but honestly there was very little to no growth. She's very obsessive, constantly worrying, she constantly had negative thoughts, and it just got to the point where I kept thinking this girl needs help.
This could've been a FANTASTIC book. This book could've shed light on anxiety and how it affects people. Which it did but not in a way that would make people truly understand. If anything I feel like people will get the wrong idea about anxiety thinking that everyone who has anxiety is like this and we're not. She also could've had Rory grow and learn to control her anxiety, shown that taking medication to help isn't a bad thing, helped people see that you can have anxiety and live a normal life with out freaking out 24/7. But it didn't and that's really sad. It also could've helped people who have anxiety feel like they're not alone. Shown them that you can get out and do things (which I have a problem with sometimes), travel and have a real life without panicking and worrying constantly. At first I could really relate to Rory and understand her but after one chapter that ended and I honestly couldn't stand her and couldn't understand why she let it rule her life and not get help. Like I said I'm really sad and disappointed with this book.
This is going to be a rambling review, I'm having trouble getting all of my thoughts and feelings in order, so hopefully it makes sense.
Note: I was really excited to read this book because Rory has anxiety and so do I (more on that in a minute) and I couldn't wait to see how she handles her anxiety and how much she would grow from this experience. But I just ended up angry, frustrated, sad and disappointed.
If you have anxiety I would not read this book. I have severe anxiety. I was diagnosed when I was 14 I'm 27 now, I take medicine everyday and I've learned to control it or work with it as much as I can to prevent it. Rory's anxiety triggered my anxiety and for a book to do that is ridiculous. It probably just seems like it but I felt that she was having a constant anxiety attack. Which, for the record, doesn't necessarily mean visibly freaking out. Most of the time you can't even tell I'm having an anxiety attack or anxiety about something, the only people who can tell is my family. She said several times that she wasn't having an attack but when you're freaking out ALL THE TIME you are. Honestly I'm a bit disappointed in the author. Rory could've easily learned to control her anxiety if she had worked at it and also if she was taking her medication like she should've been. It would've been nice to see Rory grow but honestly there was very little to no growth. She's very obsessive, constantly worrying, she constantly had negative thoughts, and it just got to the point where I kept thinking this girl needs help.
This could've been a FANTASTIC book. This book could've shed light on anxiety and how it affects people. Which it did but not in a way that would make people truly understand. If anything I feel like people will get the wrong idea about anxiety thinking that everyone who has anxiety is like this and we're not. She also could've had Rory grow and learn to control her anxiety, shown that taking medication to help isn't a bad thing, helped people see that you can have anxiety and live a normal life with out freaking out 24/7. But it didn't and that's really sad. It also could've helped people who have anxiety feel like they're not alone. Shown them that you can get out and do things (which I have a problem with sometimes), travel and have a real life without panicking and worrying constantly. At first I could really relate to Rory and understand her but after one chapter that ended and I honestly couldn't stand her and couldn't understand why she let it rule her life and not get help. Like I said I'm really sad and disappointed with this book.
yuna67876's review
4.0
Rating: 4.5/5 Stars
Format: Ebook *GIVEN TO ME BY THE RACHEL E CARTER BOOK CLUB*
Thoughts: I'm a sucker for new adult books, that mainly what I read now. This was a very great book to read, it went by fast, and I was invested in it. I can say that it nice to be in a different country for this book because it a different sort of view. The characters were a really nice addition because I loved everyone of them. Overall I enjoyed this book and I think I read the second book soon
Format: Ebook *GIVEN TO ME BY THE RACHEL E CARTER BOOK CLUB*
Thoughts: I'm a sucker for new adult books, that mainly what I read now. This was a very great book to read, it went by fast, and I was invested in it. I can say that it nice to be in a different country for this book because it a different sort of view. The characters were a really nice addition because I loved everyone of them. Overall I enjoyed this book and I think I read the second book soon
bookschief_managed's review
3.0
'I VOLUNTARILY REVIEWED A COPY FROM THE RACHEL E. CARTER YA BOOK CLUB ON GOODREADS.'
Probably more accurately a 2.5/5, but I'm going to round up because I did enjoy the book. Overall, it was a good book, there were just a few things that irked me, that kept me from actually loving the book.
Rory as a main character definitely wasn't one of the worst I've read about, though she certainly wasn't one of my favorites, either. I loved watching her grow as a character, and I feel like her inner monologue was definitely accurate to that of someone with anxiety. I just didn't like how willing she was to dump everything that represented her to fit in, however temporarily.
Her "best friend" back home was such a complete bitch. The fact that Rory kept referring to her as her best friend but she never once talked to her the six weeks of her being Rome? The fact that she seems to constantly be forcing Rory into situations she wouldn't have done on her own. Constantly making Rory drink to "calm her down", making her wear specific clothes, and just gahhh. Encouraging her when she started sleeping with Jack.
Then there's the whole Rome thing. This book takes place in ROME. And you'd hardly even know that was the case because it's hardly even a backdrop to this story. And I mean, she was there for SIX WEEKS! There's only mention of a couple fountains, basic Coliseum tour mention, pizza, one gelato stand visit, and crappy Chinese food.
And her whole broken heart story... reaaaally wasn't much of a broken heart story. It was just sorta a failed attempt at catching a guy's attention and it actually trying to be in a relationship with him for fear of not fitting in.
Okay. And their portrayal of the "stoner" boy. I'm sorry, but the whole fucking book every time they mentioned the "love interest" she HAD to mention something about his smoking habits or some comment derogatorily representing pot but then it would bounce back around in a good light randomly. The typical "stoner" demeanor shown in shows, books, and movies makes it fairly obvious when it's someone really doesn't know the effects...
Overall, throughout the book I did enjoy the storyline and Rory's progression, but it took so long for something to happen, I was bored throughout the first chunk of the book.
Probably more accurately a 2.5/5, but I'm going to round up because I did enjoy the book. Overall, it was a good book, there were just a few things that irked me, that kept me from actually loving the book.
Rory as a main character definitely wasn't one of the worst I've read about, though she certainly wasn't one of my favorites, either. I loved watching her grow as a character, and I feel like her inner monologue was definitely accurate to that of someone with anxiety. I just didn't like how willing she was to dump everything that represented her to fit in, however temporarily.
Her "best friend" back home was such a complete bitch. The fact that Rory kept referring to her as her best friend but she never once talked to her the six weeks of her being Rome? The fact that she seems to constantly be forcing Rory into situations she wouldn't have done on her own. Constantly making Rory drink to "calm her down", making her wear specific clothes, and just gahhh. Encouraging her when she started sleeping with Jack.
Then there's the whole Rome thing. This book takes place in ROME. And you'd hardly even know that was the case because it's hardly even a backdrop to this story. And I mean, she was there for SIX WEEKS! There's only mention of a couple fountains, basic Coliseum tour mention, pizza, one gelato stand visit, and crappy Chinese food.
And her whole broken heart story... reaaaally wasn't much of a broken heart story. It was just sorta a failed attempt at catching a guy's attention and it actually trying to be in a relationship with him for fear of not fitting in.
Okay. And their portrayal of the "stoner" boy. I'm sorry, but the whole fucking book every time they mentioned the "love interest" she HAD to mention something about his smoking habits or some comment derogatorily representing pot but then it would bounce back around in a good light randomly. The typical "stoner" demeanor shown in shows, books, and movies makes it fairly obvious when it's someone really doesn't know the effects...
Overall, throughout the book I did enjoy the storyline and Rory's progression, but it took so long for something to happen, I was bored throughout the first chunk of the book.
theravenclawreader's review
2.0
2 Italian Pizza Stars/5
Big thanks to Speak Now for sending me a free copy in exchange for a review through NetGalley.
This is the sugary sweet story of a girl named Rory that goes to Rome over the summer on a class trip. She struggles with anxiety and is terrified to venture out of her shell. While there she learns that she is sharing a host house with a cute dreadlock-covered boy named Ned, and through getting to know him she becomes less anxious and faces her fears.
Mild spoilers ahead
This book. Ah this book bothered me.
What I liked:
I really liked the writing. I think that the author definitely has control over grammar and laying down words in a tasteful manner. The writing style was definitely the high point of this novel for me, and it is probably the main reason that I was able to finish this book.
I also really liked most of the characters. Ned was cool most of the time, but I did not like what a big deal this book made out of weed. A totally normal scene would be playing out and then it seemed as if weed was forced unnaturally into the scene. But drugs aside, I really liked Ned and thought that he was super sweet, even though he was quiet most of the novel.
I loved Kristina. She was the bitchy character that you can’t help but love. She spoke her mind which was super refreshing and she helped bring Rory out of her shell.
What I didn’t like:
Rory. I said before I loved the characters. Well I loved all except for this one. The most important one. Go figure. My big problem with her was her anxiety. We heard about it almost every single page. She was constantly having an inner monologue that was warning her how scary and terrible the world is. But then she would think that she’s being silly for no reason. But then it would be back to worrying over the most minute things. I understand that the author was trying to portray anxiety correctly, and I actually think that she portrayed it extremely well. It just wasn’t fun to read about sadly because it was more annoying than anything.
Its not New Adult. When I saw this listed as New Adult, I got super excited. Every once in awhile I need a fun, flirty, dirty contemporary to contrast with all the other things I’m reading. I was expecting to find this going into this book. I was sorely mistaken. This book was mostly about Rory finding out who she is a person, not about finding love in Rome. Which is cool and I can totally see how you’d be into that, but it’s not what I was expecting so therefore my rating drops.
Another thing I’m not crazy about it how quickly the ending wraps up. I won’t go into details for fear of spoilers but I think a couple more chapters could have been adding at the end and also (If Rory’s story isn’t continuing with the other’s in this series) an epilogue to see where everyone ended up. I want to know more about Theresa and Quinn and Brody! There are too many areas where the plot drops off leaving readers wondering what the heck happened. I want answers!
Big thanks to Speak Now for sending me a free copy in exchange for a review through NetGalley.
This is the sugary sweet story of a girl named Rory that goes to Rome over the summer on a class trip. She struggles with anxiety and is terrified to venture out of her shell. While there she learns that she is sharing a host house with a cute dreadlock-covered boy named Ned, and through getting to know him she becomes less anxious and faces her fears.
Mild spoilers ahead
This book. Ah this book bothered me.
What I liked:
I really liked the writing. I think that the author definitely has control over grammar and laying down words in a tasteful manner. The writing style was definitely the high point of this novel for me, and it is probably the main reason that I was able to finish this book.
I also really liked most of the characters. Ned was cool most of the time, but I did not like what a big deal this book made out of weed. A totally normal scene would be playing out and then it seemed as if weed was forced unnaturally into the scene. But drugs aside, I really liked Ned and thought that he was super sweet, even though he was quiet most of the novel.
I loved Kristina. She was the bitchy character that you can’t help but love. She spoke her mind which was super refreshing and she helped bring Rory out of her shell.
What I didn’t like:
Rory. I said before I loved the characters. Well I loved all except for this one. The most important one. Go figure. My big problem with her was her anxiety. We heard about it almost every single page. She was constantly having an inner monologue that was warning her how scary and terrible the world is. But then she would think that she’s being silly for no reason. But then it would be back to worrying over the most minute things. I understand that the author was trying to portray anxiety correctly, and I actually think that she portrayed it extremely well. It just wasn’t fun to read about sadly because it was more annoying than anything.
Its not New Adult. When I saw this listed as New Adult, I got super excited. Every once in awhile I need a fun, flirty, dirty contemporary to contrast with all the other things I’m reading. I was expecting to find this going into this book. I was sorely mistaken. This book was mostly about Rory finding out who she is a person, not about finding love in Rome. Which is cool and I can totally see how you’d be into that, but it’s not what I was expecting so therefore my rating drops.
Another thing I’m not crazy about it how quickly the ending wraps up. I won’t go into details for fear of spoilers but I think a couple more chapters could have been adding at the end and also (If Rory’s story isn’t continuing with the other’s in this series) an epilogue to see where everyone ended up. I want to know more about Theresa and Quinn and Brody! There are too many areas where the plot drops off leaving readers wondering what the heck happened. I want answers!
valkyreads's review
3.0
[ Review originally posted on The Bookish Khaleesi ]
*Thank you to the publisher/Netgalley for for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review. This in no way influenced my opinion.*
I am in a big contemporary mood and was looking for a fluffy book to make me smile and fill me with the feels; however this just missed the mark. I didn’t get that much fluff and I got a whole lot of anxiety and frustration.
This book is set in the beautiful Rome when socially awkward, Rory decides to study abroad for one of her classes. Rory struggles with anxiety and deciding to go to Rome by herself is a very huge deal. I was proud of her for making this decision to begin with and was looking forward to seeing her character development throughout the novel. With Rory having anxiety and struggling with social interactions I thought I was going to relate to her quite well. At first, I did. I felt what she felt and sympathized for her. She was in a new country around new people, of course she was going to feel overwhelmed. However, her thoughts became very repetitive. Rory would agonize over the same thing and have very similar thoughts over and over. It began to frustrate me and then triggered my own anxiety! I wanted to like Rory, I really did. Her voice was just unappealing and she had very little development. In fact, in the end I didn’t feel very much growth for her beside finally standing up to her overbearing parents.
As for our love interest, Ned, I didn’t swoon, I didn’t care, I didn’t fall in love. In fact, I didn’t even really get to know him! Plus, he smoked weed and that’s just not something I can get behind. Sorry, Dude. Ned and Rory are thrown together by staying with the same house mother while in Rome and though they spend a lot of time together, I didn’t feel a connection between the two of them. When characters told Rory that it’s so obvious that she liked Ned, I thought “How?” Was I missing something?
There were some enjoyable scenes. I really liked Theresa, Rory and Ned’s house mother. She struggles with anxiety and her own demons so severely that she is afraid to leave her own house. I would have liked to see Rory and Ned helping her feel comfortable to walk out and leave the house because her backstory was so sad! Rory really should have spent some more time interacting with her. Also, I liked when Ned took Rory out showing her around the city. I thought that was really cute. Kristina started off as a rocky character, but once she basically told Rory to grow a pair I started to like her. Rory finally felt like she was apart of the group and she had friends. It was nice to see Rory have someone who she felt she could go to for advice that was outside of her family.
The writing was clear, easy to follow and get into, but it was missing something – an extra spark. The plot felt dull and ended too abruptly. Although I had a few problems with this it was enjoyable. I just wish I could have liked it a bit more.
Side note: I wish we saw more of Ned’s art. There was a scene where Rory overhears his classmates talking about him and when they notice her one says “I wonder if she’s seen it?” Seen what? What is he doing? IT WAS NEVER ADDRESSED AGAIN!
If you enjoy this reading material, I would give it a chance. Who knows you may end up loving it.
*Thank you to the publisher/Netgalley for for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review. This in no way influenced my opinion.*
I am in a big contemporary mood and was looking for a fluffy book to make me smile and fill me with the feels; however this just missed the mark. I didn’t get that much fluff and I got a whole lot of anxiety and frustration.
This book is set in the beautiful Rome when socially awkward, Rory decides to study abroad for one of her classes. Rory struggles with anxiety and deciding to go to Rome by herself is a very huge deal. I was proud of her for making this decision to begin with and was looking forward to seeing her character development throughout the novel. With Rory having anxiety and struggling with social interactions I thought I was going to relate to her quite well. At first, I did. I felt what she felt and sympathized for her. She was in a new country around new people, of course she was going to feel overwhelmed. However, her thoughts became very repetitive. Rory would agonize over the same thing and have very similar thoughts over and over. It began to frustrate me and then triggered my own anxiety! I wanted to like Rory, I really did. Her voice was just unappealing and she had very little development. In fact, in the end I didn’t feel very much growth for her beside finally standing up to her overbearing parents.
As for our love interest, Ned, I didn’t swoon, I didn’t care, I didn’t fall in love. In fact, I didn’t even really get to know him! Plus, he smoked weed and that’s just not something I can get behind. Sorry, Dude. Ned and Rory are thrown together by staying with the same house mother while in Rome and though they spend a lot of time together, I didn’t feel a connection between the two of them. When characters told Rory that it’s so obvious that she liked Ned, I thought “How?” Was I missing something?
There were some enjoyable scenes. I really liked Theresa, Rory and Ned’s house mother. She struggles with anxiety and her own demons so severely that she is afraid to leave her own house. I would have liked to see Rory and Ned helping her feel comfortable to walk out and leave the house because her backstory was so sad! Rory really should have spent some more time interacting with her. Also, I liked when Ned took Rory out showing her around the city. I thought that was really cute. Kristina started off as a rocky character, but once she basically told Rory to grow a pair I started to like her. Rory finally felt like she was apart of the group and she had friends. It was nice to see Rory have someone who she felt she could go to for advice that was outside of her family.
The writing was clear, easy to follow and get into, but it was missing something – an extra spark. The plot felt dull and ended too abruptly. Although I had a few problems with this it was enjoyable. I just wish I could have liked it a bit more.
Side note: I wish we saw more of Ned’s art. There was a scene where Rory overhears his classmates talking about him and when they notice her one says “I wonder if she’s seen it?” Seen what? What is he doing? IT WAS NEVER ADDRESSED AGAIN!
If you enjoy this reading material, I would give it a chance. Who knows you may end up loving it.
capa105's review
1.0
Read full review HERE
This was yet another book that I’ve had for ages, and that for some reason I kept putting it off… now I’m thinking that I would rather have skipped it. But alas, I read it. It was bad.
I will say that the whole book was a miss for me, and I couldn’t find any redeeming qualities on this book. But I’m gonna tell you guys what I hated the most, ok?
I’ll be honest, the main character on this book, Rory, suffers from severe anxiety, and while my understanding of the mental disease is limited, and I can see how debilitating it can be, the representation of anxiety in this book was poorly done in my opinion. When it’s well written, you can empathise and understand a disease, even if you never suffered from it. Here, the only thing I really wanted was to club Rory in the head and make her shut up, because her fears were way way too irrational. And it was written in a way that we were living inside her head, in the irrational land, for over 90% of the book.
With that said, I hated Rory. I wanted to feel for this girl, but I just couldn’t. She worried about everything, and while I understand that it might be a true representation, it was way too much. Are they thinking I’m ugly? Will the taxi driver have a bomb? How will I pay the groceries? I’m the 5th wheel… would they even notice if I was gone? It was exhausting to be in her mind. But the real kicker is that she reads like a 15 year old, while she was supposed to be 21. I couldn’t get my mind around that fact. She was so insecure, and she was willing to do whatever it took to please people who she hardly knew and she thought would never look at her as a friend. Still, one of them wanted to cut off her favorite skirt, and what did she say? “Sure“, while really thinking “NOOOO!!!“. I can’t… I just can’t… I mean, this girl runs and hides in her room each time Ned looks at her a little bit longer. What was that? She was so immature!!!!
The rest of the characters weren’t that much better either. I wanted to like Ned, the love interest, but I just couldn’t for some reason. I appreciated how he took his life, doing what he wanted and taking advantage of opportunities, but I think the book focused way too much on weed and how he was always smoking pot and so on, and it just made me like him less and less.
The group of friends mostly just annoyed me, because I felt like they should have tried to make Rory feel included, especially since they all saw how hard it was for her. They do try from a point on, even if she resists it, but I still felt like something was severely missing there.
The romance didn’t make any sense for me, there was no chemistry at all there. Much like Rory’s previous romance didn’t make sense to me either, but hey, what do I know…
While there is a slight character development towards the end, when Rory actually affirms herself for a couple of pages, it was still too little too late. This book could have been loads better if she actually grew, if she used the fact that she was alone in a foreign country to actually take life by its horns. She didn’t. She needed push after push after push, and she only slightly stands up for herself towards the very end, and very feebly at that.
This book definitly wasn’t for me, it was a pain to actually finish, and I’ll definitly stay away from the sequels.
This was yet another book that I’ve had for ages, and that for some reason I kept putting it off… now I’m thinking that I would rather have skipped it. But alas, I read it. It was bad.
I will say that the whole book was a miss for me, and I couldn’t find any redeeming qualities on this book. But I’m gonna tell you guys what I hated the most, ok?
I’ll be honest, the main character on this book, Rory, suffers from severe anxiety, and while my understanding of the mental disease is limited, and I can see how debilitating it can be, the representation of anxiety in this book was poorly done in my opinion. When it’s well written, you can empathise and understand a disease, even if you never suffered from it. Here, the only thing I really wanted was to club Rory in the head and make her shut up, because her fears were way way too irrational. And it was written in a way that we were living inside her head, in the irrational land, for over 90% of the book.
With that said, I hated Rory. I wanted to feel for this girl, but I just couldn’t. She worried about everything, and while I understand that it might be a true representation, it was way too much. Are they thinking I’m ugly? Will the taxi driver have a bomb? How will I pay the groceries? I’m the 5th wheel… would they even notice if I was gone? It was exhausting to be in her mind. But the real kicker is that she reads like a 15 year old, while she was supposed to be 21. I couldn’t get my mind around that fact. She was so insecure, and she was willing to do whatever it took to please people who she hardly knew and she thought would never look at her as a friend. Still, one of them wanted to cut off her favorite skirt, and what did she say? “Sure“, while really thinking “NOOOO!!!“. I can’t… I just can’t… I mean, this girl runs and hides in her room each time Ned looks at her a little bit longer. What was that? She was so immature!!!!
The rest of the characters weren’t that much better either. I wanted to like Ned, the love interest, but I just couldn’t for some reason. I appreciated how he took his life, doing what he wanted and taking advantage of opportunities, but I think the book focused way too much on weed and how he was always smoking pot and so on, and it just made me like him less and less.
The group of friends mostly just annoyed me, because I felt like they should have tried to make Rory feel included, especially since they all saw how hard it was for her. They do try from a point on, even if she resists it, but I still felt like something was severely missing there.
The romance didn’t make any sense for me, there was no chemistry at all there. Much like Rory’s previous romance didn’t make sense to me either, but hey, what do I know…
While there is a slight character development towards the end, when Rory actually affirms herself for a couple of pages, it was still too little too late. This book could have been loads better if she actually grew, if she used the fact that she was alone in a foreign country to actually take life by its horns. She didn’t. She needed push after push after push, and she only slightly stands up for herself towards the very end, and very feebly at that.
This book definitly wasn’t for me, it was a pain to actually finish, and I’ll definitly stay away from the sequels.
rattletheshelves's review
2.0
I VOLUNTARILY REVIEWED A COPY FROM THE "RACHEL E. CARTER YA BOOK CLUB" ON GOODREADS
"When In Rome...Find Yourself" is a story about a 21 year old Rory who, despite a life-long struggle with anxiety, decides to make a life-changing decision to apply for a study abroad program, leave her family and everything she's known and spend 6 weeks in Rome. And as Rome and Paris compete with each other to be the Europe's love capital, obviously there has to be a romance.
When I saw a chance to get a R&R copy of a book set in Rome when I was on my way to Rome , it seemed like fate. And a NA romance at that! Unfortunately, "Anna and the French Kiss" and "Daughter of Smoke and Bone" set my expectations as to American-books-set-in-Europe very, very high, and my previous experiences with American-books-set-in-Italy (*cough* Love and Gelato *cough*) have been disappointing at best. Unfortunately, that hasn't changed. I expected a steamy romance full of drama and spaghetti and pizza, narrow alleys after dark, fountains and life music. I didn't get that.
But, let's start with one thing that I really liked about this "When in Rome". The insight into mind of a person struggling with anxiety. It was very interesting and believable (as far as I know) and I especially liked that the author wasn't tempted to lessen Rory's anxiety as the plot progressed. No, Rory was still struggling but she was learning to live with her anxiety. Love didn't "cure" her. That was great and it’s upsetting that there aren’t that many books like that out there.
While the story was pretty well-constructed, there was a lot of telling-not-showing (particularly at the beginning). The writing grew better with progress, though.
Now, my main issue that highly affected the rating. If you use Rome as a background, milk it for what it's worth. It's not some random town in a random state, and simply mentioning that they went to Colosseum or Forum Romanum does nothing to convey the atmosphere. Instead, I cannot count how many times it was mentioned that Rome is dirty and smelling of urine. I expected this book to enhance my Roman experience but I was only frustrated. And that only grew because of the obvious lack of research. I cannot imagine any non-Italian willingly driving a car in Italy, much less in Rome. And the day trip to Milan from Rome? Please, I’ve been struggling for the past half a year to schedule a trip to Milan because it’s too far away and I don’t have enough time. And I don’t even live in Rome, I live halfway between Milan and Rome . The bus from Rome to Milan takes TEN HOURS ONE WAY. And no one, no one buys bus tickets on a bus station. I’m not sure if it’s even possible, most bus companies ask you to book online because we live in the 21st century. So the part when they eat breakfast, drive a car to the bus station (and leave it exactly where…?), buy tickets, take a bus and are in Milan in time for the second breakfast? Yeah, not exactly believable. But, hey, if I wasn’t reading it at a bus station in Rome myself, I might have fallen for it.
The second problem is that there is no spark between the main character and the love interest. All they ever seem to do is smoke together and they “relationship” develops so quickly and suddenly. I just didn’t buy it.
Finally, I had a problem with stereotypes/generalizations. Rory keeps referring to Ned as a “stoner” for most of the book, even though she knows that there is so much more to him than the fact that he likes weed. There was also a moment when Rory called someone (or herself? I honestly don’t remember) a “schizo.” I have hard time believing that someone suffering from mental health problems would use such word lightly. There were also gender-stereotyping (and totally untrue) statements like “Only a guy could be that spontaneous” or “Girls don’t walk alone.” The first one? In my personal experience, boys are usually more home-oriented and tend to travel in groups/with girlfriends. It’s the girls who go on study abroad (both a semester and do-your-degree overseas) or go on a spontaneous trip to Florence. But maybe it’s just Europeans. The second one I could have understood if it was an “I” (as in Rory) –with a character suffering from anxiety it would make perfect sense that she doesn’t leave home on her own. But otherwise, either America is really a whole different (more traditional and dangerous) world, or, more likely, it’s some 19th century sentiment.
Overall, I really liked the idea and as far as mental health issues books go, it was quite good. I believe that especially someone suffering from similar problems might really like it. But, personally, I’m afraid I would have enjoyed it way more if it was taking place in a random American town. And that’s just sad.
"When In Rome...Find Yourself" is a story about a 21 year old Rory who, despite a life-long struggle with anxiety, decides to make a life-changing decision to apply for a study abroad program, leave her family and everything she's known and spend 6 weeks in Rome. And as Rome and Paris compete with each other to be the Europe's love capital, obviously there has to be a romance.
When I saw a chance to get a R&R copy of a book set in Rome when I was on my way to Rome , it seemed like fate. And a NA romance at that! Unfortunately, "Anna and the French Kiss" and "Daughter of Smoke and Bone" set my expectations as to American-books-set-in-Europe very, very high, and my previous experiences with American-books-set-in-Italy (*cough* Love and Gelato *cough*) have been disappointing at best. Unfortunately, that hasn't changed. I expected a steamy romance full of drama and spaghetti and pizza, narrow alleys after dark, fountains and life music. I didn't get that.
But, let's start with one thing that I really liked about this "When in Rome". The insight into mind of a person struggling with anxiety. It was very interesting and believable (as far as I know) and I especially liked that the author wasn't tempted to lessen Rory's anxiety as the plot progressed. No, Rory was still struggling but she was learning to live with her anxiety. Love didn't "cure" her. That was great and it’s upsetting that there aren’t that many books like that out there.
While the story was pretty well-constructed, there was a lot of telling-not-showing (particularly at the beginning). The writing grew better with progress, though.
Now, my main issue that highly affected the rating. If you use Rome as a background, milk it for what it's worth. It's not some random town in a random state, and simply mentioning that they went to Colosseum or Forum Romanum does nothing to convey the atmosphere. Instead, I cannot count how many times it was mentioned that Rome is dirty and smelling of urine. I expected this book to enhance my Roman experience but I was only frustrated. And that only grew because of the obvious lack of research. I cannot imagine any non-Italian willingly driving a car in Italy, much less in Rome. And the day trip to Milan from Rome? Please, I’ve been struggling for the past half a year to schedule a trip to Milan because it’s too far away and I don’t have enough time. And I don’t even live in Rome, I live halfway between Milan and Rome . The bus from Rome to Milan takes TEN HOURS ONE WAY. And no one, no one buys bus tickets on a bus station. I’m not sure if it’s even possible, most bus companies ask you to book online because we live in the 21st century. So the part when they eat breakfast, drive a car to the bus station (and leave it exactly where…?), buy tickets, take a bus and are in Milan in time for the second breakfast? Yeah, not exactly believable. But, hey, if I wasn’t reading it at a bus station in Rome myself, I might have fallen for it.
The second problem is that there is no spark between the main character and the love interest. All they ever seem to do is smoke together and they “relationship” develops so quickly and suddenly. I just didn’t buy it.
Finally, I had a problem with stereotypes/generalizations. Rory keeps referring to Ned as a “stoner” for most of the book, even though she knows that there is so much more to him than the fact that he likes weed. There was also a moment when Rory called someone (or herself? I honestly don’t remember) a “schizo.” I have hard time believing that someone suffering from mental health problems would use such word lightly. There were also gender-stereotyping (and totally untrue) statements like “Only a guy could be that spontaneous” or “Girls don’t walk alone.” The first one? In my personal experience, boys are usually more home-oriented and tend to travel in groups/with girlfriends. It’s the girls who go on study abroad (both a semester and do-your-degree overseas) or go on a spontaneous trip to Florence. But maybe it’s just Europeans. The second one I could have understood if it was an “I” (as in Rory) –with a character suffering from anxiety it would make perfect sense that she doesn’t leave home on her own. But otherwise, either America is really a whole different (more traditional and dangerous) world, or, more likely, it’s some 19th century sentiment.
Overall, I really liked the idea and as far as mental health issues books go, it was quite good. I believe that especially someone suffering from similar problems might really like it. But, personally, I’m afraid I would have enjoyed it way more if it was taking place in a random American town. And that’s just sad.
mariekesbooks's review
3.0
*Thank you to the publisher/Netgalley for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review.*
This book was entertaining but not really special. I was in the mood for a light contemporary, and this was a contemporary, but not light.. I hoped that it would contain a lot of romance, but that was also a bit disappointing.
Rory is suffering from anxieties and she has decided to study in Rome. Throughout the book you’ll read a lot about her anxiety.
At first I disliked that she is questioning everything. On every page you read an inner monologue and in the middle I found it very annoying and overly dramatic. But in the end she changed and that made the whole story better. I loved the changes that Rory went through.
I do think that the storytelling was a bit slow sometimes. That’s because of all the thoughts that are written on paper. And that's also why it took me a while to read this book while it only has 165 pages.
I recommend this book to everyone who loves to read about travelling because I want to go to Rome now! But when you’re in the mood for a fluffy book about romance, I don’t recommend this book.
This book was entertaining but not really special. I was in the mood for a light contemporary, and this was a contemporary, but not light.. I hoped that it would contain a lot of romance, but that was also a bit disappointing.
Rory is suffering from anxieties and she has decided to study in Rome. Throughout the book you’ll read a lot about her anxiety.
At first I disliked that she is questioning everything. On every page you read an inner monologue and in the middle I found it very annoying and overly dramatic. But in the end she changed and that made the whole story better. I loved the changes that Rory went through.
I do think that the storytelling was a bit slow sometimes. That’s because of all the thoughts that are written on paper. And that's also why it took me a while to read this book while it only has 165 pages.
I recommend this book to everyone who loves to read about travelling because I want to go to Rome now! But when you’re in the mood for a fluffy book about romance, I don’t recommend this book.
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