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3.56 AVERAGE
3.56 AVERAGE
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
a fake dating couple that actually communicates??? WOAH! the main flaw with this book is the healthy communication was deserted in favour of a 15 page third act breakup that didn’t serve the story. I loved basically every other aspect (and wanna move to italy so bad it’s ridiculous).
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This was pretty cute! I enjoy a good enemies-to-lovers and this was full of tension and banter. I will say some of the miscommunication annoyed a bit and I was surprised (sad too?) that there wasn't ant actual sex scenes. There are lots of sexy moments though.
The Italian Job by Kathryn Freeman
I received an advance review copy for free thanks to Rachel's Random Resources and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Dream job. Dream house. Fake fiancé.
A year in a gorgeous Italian castle…
When Anna Roberts’ life implodes, an online search leads her to an ad for the ultimate dream job – management of a gorgeous castle on the shores of Lake Como, accommodation included. The only catch? Anna can’t do it alone…
…With the last man on earth she’d choose!
The castle owners will only accept a couple as caretakers, which means Anna needs a man on her arm at the interview. Enter her neighbour, Jake Tucker. Though Anna and Jake have never seen eye-to-eye, Jake’s had a rough few years and an escape to Italy sounds ideal. Yet, when they get the job and jet off, Anna and Jake face an unexpected challenge. Pretending to be a couple is difficult … but pretending the tension simmering between them doesn’t exist is quickly proving impossible!
This is the first book I have read by Kathryn and what an introduction! I read the first 30% of this book slowly and then binged the rest of it in one sitting - I was a little sad when it came to end. A charming romance filled with comedic moments. A fun example of how to do the enemy-to-lover trope.
Rating: 4/5
I received an advance review copy for free thanks to Rachel's Random Resources and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Dream job. Dream house. Fake fiancé.
A year in a gorgeous Italian castle…
When Anna Roberts’ life implodes, an online search leads her to an ad for the ultimate dream job – management of a gorgeous castle on the shores of Lake Como, accommodation included. The only catch? Anna can’t do it alone…
…With the last man on earth she’d choose!
The castle owners will only accept a couple as caretakers, which means Anna needs a man on her arm at the interview. Enter her neighbour, Jake Tucker. Though Anna and Jake have never seen eye-to-eye, Jake’s had a rough few years and an escape to Italy sounds ideal. Yet, when they get the job and jet off, Anna and Jake face an unexpected challenge. Pretending to be a couple is difficult … but pretending the tension simmering between them doesn’t exist is quickly proving impossible!
This is the first book I have read by Kathryn and what an introduction! I read the first 30% of this book slowly and then binged the rest of it in one sitting - I was a little sad when it came to end. A charming romance filled with comedic moments. A fun example of how to do the enemy-to-lover trope.
Rating: 4/5
emotional
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
After Anna’s relationship breaks down in a most humiliating manner, she loses her job and her home too. When a job opportunity to manage an Italian castle on Lake Como presents itself, there’s only one snag – the position is for a couple. She decides to ask her annoying neighbour Jake to pretend to be in a relationship with her. Jake also has good reasons to need this job and agrees, but these two really don’t get on – can they really pull it off? For Anna, it’s a dream job in a dream location but Jake is most definitely not her dream man!
Gradually Anna and Jake move from constantly irritating each other to tentative friends and yes, more than friends. It’s a romance novel, you wouldn’t expect anything less. But watching the ups and downs of that journey is what makes the book so enjoyable.
Jake was a really interesting character. A bit of a rogue in his younger days he had turned his life around becoming a firefighter. But an outburst of temper lost him pretty much everything that mattered to him. It was obvious that he was a good guy despite his sometimes sarcastic and grumpy demeanour.
This may have been a fake relationship but there was nothing fake about the attraction between Jake and Anna. Something neither of them particularly wanted to give into but oh that simmering sexual tension! As ever, Katherine Freeman knows how to create a hot hero and it was no wonder that Anna appreciated what she could see. Mind you, Jake wasn’t immune to Anna’s curves either. However, physical attraction isn’t everything and it was as these two came to know and understand each other that love began to blossom.
The Italian Job is a fabulous sexy romance that could well have you feeling a bit hot under the collar. Kathryn Freeman writes about physical attraction so well. This is a great book about two people finding out that enemies can turn into lovers when they get to know the real person and not the facade. With the fantastic setting of a beautiful castle by beautiful Lake Como, the heat of the sun and the heat of passion, The Italian Job makes for a great summer read
Gradually Anna and Jake move from constantly irritating each other to tentative friends and yes, more than friends. It’s a romance novel, you wouldn’t expect anything less. But watching the ups and downs of that journey is what makes the book so enjoyable.
Jake was a really interesting character. A bit of a rogue in his younger days he had turned his life around becoming a firefighter. But an outburst of temper lost him pretty much everything that mattered to him. It was obvious that he was a good guy despite his sometimes sarcastic and grumpy demeanour.
This may have been a fake relationship but there was nothing fake about the attraction between Jake and Anna. Something neither of them particularly wanted to give into but oh that simmering sexual tension! As ever, Katherine Freeman knows how to create a hot hero and it was no wonder that Anna appreciated what she could see. Mind you, Jake wasn’t immune to Anna’s curves either. However, physical attraction isn’t everything and it was as these two came to know and understand each other that love began to blossom.
The Italian Job is a fabulous sexy romance that could well have you feeling a bit hot under the collar. Kathryn Freeman writes about physical attraction so well. This is a great book about two people finding out that enemies can turn into lovers when they get to know the real person and not the facade. With the fantastic setting of a beautiful castle by beautiful Lake Como, the heat of the sun and the heat of passion, The Italian Job makes for a great summer read
This story desperately made me long for a trip to Italy. I mean, who wouldn’t want to stay in a castle by a lake? The budding love story between the two MCs co rains so many tropes: enemies to lovers, close proximity, opposites attract, and it’s a lovely slow burn, but it did take a bit to get into . While I loved the MCs, several of the side characters were just awful. Miles, Nigel, Phoebe, and Carina were just bad people and while I’m sure they were written to add some conflict to the story, I think they detracted more than they added.
I was given an ARC of this book by NetGalley and HarperCollins UK. All opinions are my own.
I was given an ARC of this book by NetGalley and HarperCollins UK. All opinions are my own.
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
N/A
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
N/A
Am Anfang konnte ich den Typen nicht leiden. Er hat sich so pupertär verhalten. Aber ziemlich schnell lernt man ihn besser kennen. Es waren nicht viele Spicy Szenen was ich gut fand allerdings wurde sehr oft darüber geredet und die Gedanken der Protagonisten drehte sich meiner Meinung nach auch viel zu oft darum wie es wohl wäre mit dem anderen ins Bett zu steigen. Ich fand den Part auch merkwürdig wo die beiden nicht wussten ob sie sich nur körperlich zu einander hingezogen fühlen oder mehr füreinander empfinden. Irgendwie kann ich das nicht nach empfinden. Abgesehen davon war die Romanze sehr süß, das Setting idyllisch die Protagonistin als auch die Nebencharaktere liebenswert. Alles in allem eine schöne Romcom für zwischen durch
Started out great, couldn’t wait for it to be over by the end. Je pense que c’est un me problem tho, j’ai l’impression qu’il se passait rien, mais je devrais changer mes attentes. Je pense que je suis juste tannée de lire des ptits livres cucu où l’histoire est toujours la même. Il se passe toujours les même affaires et c’est rendu prévisible, ce qui me rend bored. Might just need a break from this genre of books.