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3.57 AVERAGE
3.57 AVERAGE
Trigger Warnings
This book contains:
• References to and small descriptions of cheating
• Descriptions of going to jail and why
• Vivid description of a serious car accident and saving the occupants lives.
Characters
Anna is a chef who’s made a great career for herself, until her partner who’s also the head chef and son of the owners of the restaurant she works are cheats on her and she’s forced to quit. She’s determined, passionate and highly resilient despite what life throws her way.
Jake is an ex-con firefighter who’s struggling to find work and respect thanks to the influence of the man who’s responsible for getting him arrested. He’s loyal to a fault and protects his family and loved ones regardless of the personal consequences he needs to suffer.
Storyline
Anna has just left her cheating ex and she’s looking for a new job when she comes across an add for a caretaker for a castle on Lake Como. Only catch is that they’re looking for a couple and won’t negotiate on taking on just her. Meanwhile, Jake is struggling to find work since getting out of jail, thoroughly depressed and worried he’ll need to move back in with his mum if he can’t find something soon.
Cue, Anna decides to ask Jake to pretend to be her boyfriend so they can both get away to Lake Como for a year to try and turn their lives around after the same man has ruined them both.
Overall Thoughts
I found this one really interesting. While there were times where I felt it was a bit “meh”, overall, I really enjoyed it!
Thinking back, the “meh” times were the important background establishing slower moments that while critical to the story overall, in the moment just felt boring to me. But I think that had more to do with pace and style of the books I’d read immediately prior to this one more than anything lacking in Kathryn’s writing.
Even though you KNOW something is going to happen to try and derail their relationship, I still found myself heartbroken, frustrated and pissed off on their behalf for everything that kept getting in the way of them having a real go at a real relationship.
And of course, the ending was exactly what I was hoping it’d be! What more could you ask for from a contemporary romance with the fake fiancé trope?
This book contains:
• References to and small descriptions of cheating
• Descriptions of going to jail and why
• Vivid description of a serious car accident and saving the occupants lives.
Characters
Anna is a chef who’s made a great career for herself, until her partner who’s also the head chef and son of the owners of the restaurant she works are cheats on her and she’s forced to quit. She’s determined, passionate and highly resilient despite what life throws her way.
Jake is an ex-con firefighter who’s struggling to find work and respect thanks to the influence of the man who’s responsible for getting him arrested. He’s loyal to a fault and protects his family and loved ones regardless of the personal consequences he needs to suffer.
Storyline
Anna has just left her cheating ex and she’s looking for a new job when she comes across an add for a caretaker for a castle on Lake Como. Only catch is that they’re looking for a couple and won’t negotiate on taking on just her. Meanwhile, Jake is struggling to find work since getting out of jail, thoroughly depressed and worried he’ll need to move back in with his mum if he can’t find something soon.
Cue, Anna decides to ask Jake to pretend to be her boyfriend so they can both get away to Lake Como for a year to try and turn their lives around after the same man has ruined them both.
Overall Thoughts
I found this one really interesting. While there were times where I felt it was a bit “meh”, overall, I really enjoyed it!
Thinking back, the “meh” times were the important background establishing slower moments that while critical to the story overall, in the moment just felt boring to me. But I think that had more to do with pace and style of the books I’d read immediately prior to this one more than anything lacking in Kathryn’s writing.
Even though you KNOW something is going to happen to try and derail their relationship, I still found myself heartbroken, frustrated and pissed off on their behalf for everything that kept getting in the way of them having a real go at a real relationship.
And of course, the ending was exactly what I was hoping it’d be! What more could you ask for from a contemporary romance with the fake fiancé trope?
Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins UK and One More Chapter for providing me with an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
make sure to check out my blog!
rating: 4 stars
An enemies to lovers and fake dating romance set in a beautiful castle in Lake Como in Italy, can it get any better than that?
After getting cheated on by her boyfriend and losing her job at his restaurant all in one day Anna Roberts is stuck living with her dad, an ex-policeman, until one google search leads her straight to her dream job. The catch is she has to pretend to be in a relationship with her annoying neighbour Jake Tucker while menaging a castle in Lake Como.
The Italian Job was a fun and enjoyable read and I finished reading it in a couple of days. I would also say that it's really fast paced and that the plot wasn't too complicated or anything like that. The worldbuilding was very minimalistic which is great since I don't usually like to see a lot of it in a romance book.
The characters were all really interesting and well thought out. The relationship development between Anna and Jake was my favorite part. Their banter was everything and I love how they slowly started falling for eachother.
What I didn't like about this is the constant use of the miscommunication trope. I swear it always ruins the whole experience for me and I wish that it wasn't the case with this book but sadly it was. So much time could have been saved and we could have gotten more of the wholesome content that was piled up in the last chapter instead. If it wasn't for this it would've been an easy 5 star read!
Merged review:
Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins UK and One More Chapter for providing me with an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
make sure to check out my blog!
rating: 4 stars
An enemies to lovers and fake dating romance set in a beautiful castle in Lake Como in Italy, can it get any better than that?
After getting cheated on by her boyfriend and losing her job at his restaurant all in one day Anna Roberts is stuck living with her dad, an ex-policeman, until one google search leads her straight to her dream job. The catch is she has to pretend to be in a relationship with her annoying neighbour Jake Tucker while menaging a castle in Lake Como.
The Italian Job was a fun and enjoyable read and I finished reading it in a couple of days. I would also say that it's really fast paced and that the plot wasn't too complicated or anything like that. The worldbuilding was very minimalistic which is great since I don't usually like to see a lot of it in a romance book.
The characters were all really interesting and well thought out. The relationship development between Anna and Jake was my favorite part. Their banter was everything and I love how they slowly started falling for eachother.
What I didn't like about this is the constant use of the miscommunication trope. I swear it always ruins the whole experience for me and I wish that it wasn't the case with this book but sadly it was. So much time could have been saved and we could have gotten more of the wholesome content that was piled up in the last chapter instead. If it wasn't for this it would've been an easy 5 star read!
make sure to check out my blog!
rating: 4 stars
An enemies to lovers and fake dating romance set in a beautiful castle in Lake Como in Italy, can it get any better than that?
After getting cheated on by her boyfriend and losing her job at his restaurant all in one day Anna Roberts is stuck living with her dad, an ex-policeman, until one google search leads her straight to her dream job. The catch is she has to pretend to be in a relationship with her annoying neighbour Jake Tucker while menaging a castle in Lake Como.
The Italian Job was a fun and enjoyable read and I finished reading it in a couple of days. I would also say that it's really fast paced and that the plot wasn't too complicated or anything like that. The worldbuilding was very minimalistic which is great since I don't usually like to see a lot of it in a romance book.
The characters were all really interesting and well thought out. The relationship development between Anna and Jake was my favorite part. Their banter was everything and I love how they slowly started falling for eachother.
What I didn't like about this is the constant use of the miscommunication trope. I swear it always ruins the whole experience for me and I wish that it wasn't the case with this book but sadly it was. So much time could have been saved and we could have gotten more of the wholesome content that was piled up in the last chapter instead. If it wasn't for this it would've been an easy 5 star read!
Merged review:
Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins UK and One More Chapter for providing me with an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
make sure to check out my blog!
rating: 4 stars
An enemies to lovers and fake dating romance set in a beautiful castle in Lake Como in Italy, can it get any better than that?
After getting cheated on by her boyfriend and losing her job at his restaurant all in one day Anna Roberts is stuck living with her dad, an ex-policeman, until one google search leads her straight to her dream job. The catch is she has to pretend to be in a relationship with her annoying neighbour Jake Tucker while menaging a castle in Lake Como.
The Italian Job was a fun and enjoyable read and I finished reading it in a couple of days. I would also say that it's really fast paced and that the plot wasn't too complicated or anything like that. The worldbuilding was very minimalistic which is great since I don't usually like to see a lot of it in a romance book.
The characters were all really interesting and well thought out. The relationship development between Anna and Jake was my favorite part. Their banter was everything and I love how they slowly started falling for eachother.
What I didn't like about this is the constant use of the miscommunication trope. I swear it always ruins the whole experience for me and I wish that it wasn't the case with this book but sadly it was. So much time could have been saved and we could have gotten more of the wholesome content that was piled up in the last chapter instead. If it wasn't for this it would've been an easy 5 star read!
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
The Italian Job was a cute story about two unlikely neighbors who go to Italy and work together. I loved the dynamic between the two main characters and the side stories were cute and interesting too. While some of the story was a little redundant, in the end, I enjoyed this book and found it to be a quick read.
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the advanced copy.
Merged review:
The Italian Job was a cute story about two unlikely neighbors who go to Italy and work together. I loved the dynamic between the two main characters and the side stories were cute and interesting too. While some of the story was a little redundant, in the end, I enjoyed this book and found it to be a quick read.
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the advanced copy.
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the advanced copy.
Merged review:
The Italian Job was a cute story about two unlikely neighbors who go to Italy and work together. I loved the dynamic between the two main characters and the side stories were cute and interesting too. While some of the story was a little redundant, in the end, I enjoyed this book and found it to be a quick read.
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the advanced copy.
If you were to sit down with this book, a bottle and a shot glass and decide to down one every time you read ‘groin’, ‘breasts’, ‘cocky’ or ‘sex’ you’d be drunk sooner than you think!
I loved ‘Mr. Right Across The Street’ and eagerly chose this one, thinking it was the same writing style. It wasn’t. The cover, the premise, and the setting held my attention and propelled me forward in the story. Unfortunately, while they had many redeeming points, the characters did not hold my attention and I could not make connections with them. Bad boy, Jake Tucker, only sees the girl next door, Anna Roberts, as a breasty organizer with a curvy butt who makes lists. All he thinks about is sex. Anna is wishy-washy. It annoyed me that in such a beautiful part of the world, she was wanting to make lists and get straight to work rather than investigate and start afresh - her whole reason for travelling halfway around the world!
I could see that Freeman was subtly trying to make readers aware that her characters were driven by the most basic needs - the need to feel loved and accepted by others. Where her other book was sweet, feel good and infused with a few giggles, I felt this one was bordering on crass and lewd. It had none of the humour I was expecting. It had so much potential. I hope this book finds the right reader.
I was gifted this book by Kathryn Freeman, HarperCollins UK, One More Chapter, and NetGalley and was under no obligation to provide a review.
I loved ‘Mr. Right Across The Street’ and eagerly chose this one, thinking it was the same writing style. It wasn’t. The cover, the premise, and the setting held my attention and propelled me forward in the story. Unfortunately, while they had many redeeming points, the characters did not hold my attention and I could not make connections with them. Bad boy, Jake Tucker, only sees the girl next door, Anna Roberts, as a breasty organizer with a curvy butt who makes lists. All he thinks about is sex. Anna is wishy-washy. It annoyed me that in such a beautiful part of the world, she was wanting to make lists and get straight to work rather than investigate and start afresh - her whole reason for travelling halfway around the world!
I could see that Freeman was subtly trying to make readers aware that her characters were driven by the most basic needs - the need to feel loved and accepted by others. Where her other book was sweet, feel good and infused with a few giggles, I felt this one was bordering on crass and lewd. It had none of the humour I was expecting. It had so much potential. I hope this book finds the right reader.
I was gifted this book by Kathryn Freeman, HarperCollins UK, One More Chapter, and NetGalley and was under no obligation to provide a review.
Rating: 3
Publication Day: 5/6/22
This book had so much potential to be five stars. While I did enjoy it I definitely didn’t love it. It started out really strong, I immediately liked both main characters but that didn’t last. The writing style felt different and I liked how we got both sides of the characters without it necessarily being 2 different POVs. I liked how strong and determined Anna was. She wanted the job in Italy and would even work and live with her enemy Jake in order to get it. Jake was your typical bad boy character. He was sexy beyond belief, charming, and misunderstood by everyone. I wish his character had more depth and wasn’t written to be such a cliche.
My main problem with this book was the miscommunication and the constant bickering. As you all know I love enemies to lovers but I don’t like toxic relationships. It could just be me but I found this one to be a little toxic. How they interacted together in the beginning didn’t make me swoon or make me happy, instead it reminded me of an unhealthy relationship. It got to the point where I didn’t really want them to end up together. They didn’t know how to communicate with one another and were just constantly angry and mean towards each other. Also, so much time was spent on describing Anna’s body and not in a good way. It definitely added to why I couldn’t connect more with Jake.
Honestly, I was expecting a cute romcom and sadly didn’t get that. Even though I didn’t enjoy it, I definitely think others might. This is one that you have to try for yourself.
Thank you so much @harpercollins for the #gifted copy on #netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Publication Day: 5/6/22
This book had so much potential to be five stars. While I did enjoy it I definitely didn’t love it. It started out really strong, I immediately liked both main characters but that didn’t last. The writing style felt different and I liked how we got both sides of the characters without it necessarily being 2 different POVs. I liked how strong and determined Anna was. She wanted the job in Italy and would even work and live with her enemy Jake in order to get it. Jake was your typical bad boy character. He was sexy beyond belief, charming, and misunderstood by everyone. I wish his character had more depth and wasn’t written to be such a cliche.
My main problem with this book was the miscommunication and the constant bickering. As you all know I love enemies to lovers but I don’t like toxic relationships. It could just be me but I found this one to be a little toxic. How they interacted together in the beginning didn’t make me swoon or make me happy, instead it reminded me of an unhealthy relationship. It got to the point where I didn’t really want them to end up together. They didn’t know how to communicate with one another and were just constantly angry and mean towards each other. Also, so much time was spent on describing Anna’s body and not in a good way. It definitely added to why I couldn’t connect more with Jake.
Honestly, I was expecting a cute romcom and sadly didn’t get that. Even though I didn’t enjoy it, I definitely think others might. This is one that you have to try for yourself.
Thank you so much @harpercollins for the #gifted copy on #netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Found this for free on Apple Books and was so pleasantly surprised!! Liked the story and the side characters. Well written and the description of locations was great.
this one snuck up on me. sweet, heartfelt, fake dating/enemies to lovers done right. an surprising and welcome break from all the standard issue smut, also - not quite closed door, but a gentle glossing over of the nitty-gritty that I didn’t mind a bit. normal people with normal skills and moods and reactions, just trying to figure out their own feelings while guessing at someone else’s; honestly some of the best representation of actual miscommunication, real life style, not to create conflict or plot because there isn’t one otherwise. silly and predictable and a good time, but really charming on a deeper level than that as well.