I’m delighted to be joining the blog tour today for the latest book from Leonie Mack, In Italy for Love, and sharing my review. Published by Boldwood Books on 22nd October, it’s now available as an e-book (free via Kindle Unlimited), in paperback, and as an audiobook too. Many thanks to Rachel at Rachel’s Random Resources for the tour invitation and the support, and to publishers Boldwood for my advance reading e-copy (provided via netgalley).
Leonie’s writing just gets better and better – she’s been on my “must read” list for some time now (you’ll find all the reviews if you pop her name in my search bar), and news of every new book fills me with joy and anticipation. The plots of her books are always so very different, their settings perfectly drawn, and the chemistry between her couples is always particularly special. This time last year I read and reviewed Snow Days With You, and didn’t think she’d ever be able to write a book I loved more – until I read her last book, A Wedding in the Sun, and declared it my new favourite with its chaotic road trip and wonderful emotional content that really touched me to the heart. And now we have another – might I just love this one even more?
Julia Volpe’s Italian dream has turned into a nightmare.
Still living with her ex, Luca, a year after they’ve broken up, desperate to sell the dilapidated B&B that was meant to be their future, Jules knows she needs to leave. There are just two problems. Her passport has expired and she’s broke.
Not quite ready to ask her parents for help – at the ripe old age of twenty-seven – Jules decides to head as far away from Luca as she can to work on an olive farm until she has enough money to pay for her passport and a ticket back home.
Jules has sworn off love, but she hadn’t bargained on the beauty of Cividale del Friuli, the ancient Italian town on the banks of the gloriously blue Natisone river. As the community of farmers, neighbours and locals generously welcome her into their lives, Jules can feel her defences crumbling. But it’s when she meets Alex, broodingly handsome yet charmingly gallant, that Jules truly knows she’s in trouble. Because Alex has sworn off love too, and his reasons run deep enough for him to keep his word just as Jules is starting to reconsider her resistance to romance.
Live your very own Italian dream and let Leonie Mack whisk you away. Romantic, spell-binding, truly touching and perfect for all fans of Jill Mansell, Mandy Baggot and Sarah Morgan.
Desperate to escape the unbearable situation she’s found herself in – a relationship where the love has died, a bed and breakfast business that failed and took all her savings – Jules has made the difficult decision to leave and fly home to Australia. But first, she needs to sort out her expired passports – and rather than stay, she finds a temporary job on an olive farm, somewhere where her obnoxious partner hopefully won’t find her, while she waits. With very little money left, and an unexpected travelling companion in Arco (the dog her partner didn’t want around either), she finds herself in Cividale del Friuli, close to the Italian border with Slovenia, in the foothills of the Italian Alps.
The farm turns out to be not quite what she was expecting – welcoming enough, but distinctly rough and ready, and the expected accommodation not available. But there’s a solution at hand – an accordion player, Alex, who she met on arrival, turns out to have a family connection to the farm’s owners, and a spare room they insist he puts at her disposal. But it’s all distinctly awkward – they got rather closer than they should have done on their first meeting, and neither of them is looking for a long-term relationship, although there are others who’ve already decided that they really need to be a couple. Then there’s Attila, Alex’s Persian cat – he’s not going to take to the presence of the over-exuberant Arco too well. And then there’s all that personal baggage – Alex has even more than Jules does, with real sadness in his past – but it becomes increasingly difficult to resist the sizzle of attraction between them.
This is very much the story of their developing relationship – and I loved every single moment – but it’s also so much more than that. The whole setting is quite beautifully drawn, entirely transporting you to this beautiful small corner of Italy as they struggle against the elements to bring in the olive harvest – Jules crosses the bridge over the stunning Natisone river ravine daily, and the town itself is surrounded by medieval walls and particularly atmospheric. And then there’s the close community who watch their every move, totally invested in their romantic future – such a well-drawn cast of quirky and endearing characters, their interference bringing plenty of humour at times, but adding to the emotional depth of the story too.
The whole story is wonderfully told – and not just the romance, although that was something very special indeed, with very strong chemistry between the unlikely couple as they struggled to resist the powerful attraction between them. The sadness in both their pasts and their uncertainties about the future are so beautifully handled, and the emotional balance – with both tears and laughter – just perfect. There’s a particular degree of drama too – edge-of-the seat writing at its best – along with a few distinctly unwelcome surprises along the way. The author’s writing has never been better – this was a really special book I absolutely loved, and I couldn’t recommend it more highly.
About the author
Leonie Mack is the bestselling author of romantic novels including My Christmas Number One and Italy Ever After. Having lived in London for many years her home is now in Germany with her husband and three children. Leonie loves train travel, medieval towns, hiking and happy endings!
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Sounds lovely Anne. I’ve only read one by this author but really enjoyed it.
Reading it at the moment. Really enjoying it. Like you, Anne, I’ve loved all of this author’s books.
Sounds good! I love books set in Italy!
And this was a corner of Italy I’ve never come across before – I loved it!