Release Reviews & Giveaway: Roman Crazy: Alice Clayton and Nina Bocci
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Expected September 13, 2016
Expected September 13, 2016
Avery Bardot steps off the plane in Rome, looking for a fresh start. She’s left behind a soon-to-be ex-husband in Boston and plans to spend the summer with her best friend Daisy—away from home and licking her wounds…and perhaps a gelato or two. But when Daisy, an American expat now living in Rome, throws her a welcome party on her first night, Avery’s thrown for a loop. She falls, quite literally, at the feet of a man she never thought she’d see again: Italian architect Marcello Bianchi.
Marcello is a man from her past—the man, the one who got away. And now her past is colliding with her present, a present where she should be mourning the loss of her marriage and the life she once had and—hey, that fettuccine is delicious.
And so is Marcello…
Avery slips easily into the good life that is summertime in Rome. She spends her days exploring a city that would make art historians swoon, and her nights swooning over a whirlwind what was old is new again romance. It’s heady, it’s fevered, it’s wanton, and it’s crazy. But could it really be her life? Or is it just a temporary reprieve before returning to the land of twinset cardigans and crustless sandwiches?
Avery slips easily into the good life that is summertime in Rome. She spends her days exploring a city that would make art historians swoon, and her nights swooning over a whirlwind what was old is new again romance. It’s heady, it’s fevered, it’s wanton, and it’s crazy. But could it really be her life? Or is it just a temporary reprieve before returning to the land of twinset cardigans and crustless sandwiches?
When
Avery Bardot heads to Rome, she thinks she is going to visit her
college friend and gather herself after catching her husband in the act
of cheating with his secretary. What she doesn’t count on is running
into the one she let go.
From the moment she sees Marcello Bianchi again, she realizes she may have made a mistake all those years ago. These two have a chemistry that sparks up as soon as they are together again, though the question remains will their chemistry overcome the anger. And is this the life she really wants for herself?
For catching her husband in the act, Avery is relatively calm and collected about her divorce. What she had a harder time handling was her mother-in-law’s opinions and the idea that she should accept an apology gift and continue with the status quo. I liked watching her find herself again after 9 years of turning herself into the wife her husband expected.
Romantic, protective, suave, and caring, Marcello was everything one would expect from an Italian lover. As his character became clearer (beyond Avery’s quick recollections of her time with him in Spain) I couldn’t help but wonder why she left him behind in the first place!
This was a fun, flirty trip to Rome right alongside Avery. The descriptions of places around the city are incredibly vivid, painting the setting in real color. Each version of Rome had a slightly different pace: discovering Daisy’s Rome, then Marcello’s Rome, then Avery’s own explorations.
From the moment she sees Marcello Bianchi again, she realizes she may have made a mistake all those years ago. These two have a chemistry that sparks up as soon as they are together again, though the question remains will their chemistry overcome the anger. And is this the life she really wants for herself?
For catching her husband in the act, Avery is relatively calm and collected about her divorce. What she had a harder time handling was her mother-in-law’s opinions and the idea that she should accept an apology gift and continue with the status quo. I liked watching her find herself again after 9 years of turning herself into the wife her husband expected.
Romantic, protective, suave, and caring, Marcello was everything one would expect from an Italian lover. As his character became clearer (beyond Avery’s quick recollections of her time with him in Spain) I couldn’t help but wonder why she left him behind in the first place!
This was a fun, flirty trip to Rome right alongside Avery. The descriptions of places around the city are incredibly vivid, painting the setting in real color. Each version of Rome had a slightly different pace: discovering Daisy’s Rome, then Marcello’s Rome, then Avery’s own explorations.
The cast of characters adds color to the story. Daisy’s free spirit and love of all things Roman was the perfect place for Avery to return when she needed a shoulder. Marcello’s family are the postcard Italian family: large, boisterous, and inclusive. I can only guess that Daisy and their third friend, Fiona, will be the subjects of other books in the Broads Abroad series, as it is noted in Goodreads but there are no other books listed as yet.
I was gifted a copy in exchange for an honest review.
This book grabbed me with the humor beginning on the first page and then completely transported me to Rome. The scenery, the food, the culture, the language, and the hot, sexy man speaking Italian...
Avery and Marcello had a four month long love affair during college study programs in Barcelona and they had plans to continue their relationship. But she went home and ended up breaking his heart without explanation.
Avery and Marcello had a four month long love affair during college study programs in Barcelona and they had plans to continue their relationship. But she went home and ended up breaking his heart without explanation.
Nine years later, when her now carefully organized and routine life suddenly implodes, she accepts an invitation to run off to Rome to visit her best friend, Daisy. She never expected to run into Marcello there and he is completely shocked as well. He's angry, confused, and still hurt. He never really knew what happened and why she abandoned their plans. They begin to mend fences, and start to rekindle their flirty rapport and sexual tension.
Marcello is so magnetic, hot, and swoony. He literally sweeps her off her feet...again. And Avery is funny, sweet, and finally letting herself go. This is an adventure in Rome with friends, a love interest, and a new outlook. She's trying to find herself, purpose, and happiness. She's just figuring out what she really wants out of life and is rediscovering her own creativity and skills. This trip and this man start to bring her back to life.
They fall back into their intense connection with uncontrollable lust and passion, but there are still secrets. I was so tense just waiting for some full disclosure and worrying about what the fall-out was going to be. They definitely have some issues to deal with and work out. But I liked that they are now a mature couple and even though emotions can run high and they can react strongly, there was not a lot of long-lasting or unnecessary angst.
This is a second-chance romantic tourist adventure. It was easy to get caught up in and feel like you were right there experiencing it. It is humorous because of the character's personalities and situations, so it more naturally funny than a slapstick comedy.. At the heart of the story is the romance and Avery's journey of self discovery.
Avery's jet-setting college friends, Daisy and Fiona are both outspoken firecrackers. I assume they will the next two "Broads Abroad" in the series. The setting and locations truly come alive with the vivid descriptions adding to the romantic atmosphere. And who can resist a sexy, charming Italian with an accent? Not me.
I was gifted a copy in exchange for an honest review.
New York Times Best Selling author ALICE CLAYTON worked in the cosmetics industry for over a decade before picking up a pen (read: laptop).
She enjoys gardening but not weeding, baking but not cleaning up, and has finally convinced her long-time boyfriend to marry her.
Now, about that Bernese Mountain dog.
Nina Bocci is a novelist, publicist, eternal optimist, unabashed lipgloss enthusiast, constant apologist and a hopeless romanticist. She has too many college degrees that she’s not using and a Lego addiction that she blames on her son.
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