Emilia is in Rome alone on a vacation she planned with her now ex boyfriend. Although she’s definitely reeling from her breakup, the protagonist is too whiny and self indulgent to be likeable. When she meets a new man, who make her question her relationship with her father (the first man), she realizes that all of her relationships were drought and she needs to strike out but, of course, she isn’t…it takes a new man to show her this, right?

'Six Days in Rome' was the first Francesca Giacco book I picked up so I wasn't really sure what to expect. I knew I liked the synopsis and have an adoration towards all things Italian cuisine related, with that I decided to pick up and dive into this story.

It began in a rather interesting manner and I personally liked Giacco's writing style, she truly knows how to draw readers into her story, immersing them through the journey of healing. She establishes the story and illustrates it in a way without having to provide immense detail, making it all that much more enjoyable. I liked seeing the growth of character and coming into one's own. The was only one thing I didn't really like and that was the use of past tense over that of present. It would have been nice to have a bit more present tense, especially as it felt like the story was going back in time too much. Overall, a nice read that I recommend checking out.

I think I would have liked this book a lot more before I ever went to Rome, because I felt myself annoyed with the characters (in a bad way) and just missing the setting that I knew in my mind rather than engaging with the book. It's like that meme... I don't care if something good happened to you, it should have happened to ME

Thank you for the advanced copy of this book! I will be posting my review on social media, to include Instagram, Amazon, Goodreads, and Instagram!

The writing in this book was okay, but not great. The plot was okay, but overly repetitive at times. What I enjoyed most were some of the sights that the author took us to.

This novel bounces from now and to the past in her life’s story. Makes it interesting and. As she shares her thoughts it’s like 3 stories in one. Enjoyed

Very much in the fictionalized tradition of Eat, Pray, Love, a heartbroken woman crushed by a failed relationship escapes to Italy to heal.

This concept has been done to death, but not all fictional breakup travelogues are created equal, and this one is a cut above the rest.

The writing is far better than what we typically get on this subject, and the tone is more contemplative than angsty, and has plenty of lightness and optimism to keep the story from getting too mired in past events.

The backstory for the protagonist’s family and the tone reminded me a bit of Half Blown Rose. While this book can’t compete with that one from a literary standpoint, it lives in the same sphere in terms of being uplifting without being saccharine and sweet without being schlocky.

A lovely tribute to independence, everyday courage, and of course, to the lovely city of Rome.

✨ Review ✨ Six Days in Rome by Francesca Giacco

I love traveling alone and this brings back all those feelings of exploring new places alone, but it also makes you sit in those feelings of aloneness - sometimes they are comfortable and sometimes they aren't. This book so brilliantly immerses you in those feelings, and I loved it.

The story follows Emilia, a 30-something New Yorker, on her six day trip through Rome, a trip she had planned to take with her boyfriend Michael but now that they've split up, she's visiting alone. In semi-stream-of-consciousness, we follow her not only through Rome but through the depths of her memories as she explores her recent relationship and break-up, her fraught relationship with her singer father and the rest of her family, and her feelings of solitude, creativity, and professional expression.

Emilia meets John, another ex-pat, and their stories weave in and out as Emilia adventures through Rome and explores her feelings, and considers her past, her present, and her future.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Genre: women's fiction, literary fiction
Location: Rome
Reminds me of: Half-Blown Rose
Pub Date: out now

This for sure isn't a book for everyone - the very long chapters, the semi-stream of consciousness format, the way it meanders through past and present is artsy and evocative and thoughtful. It especially resonated for me as someone who has spent time traveling alone.

The descriptions of Rome - its people, sights, travel, and more - were really beautiful and put you right in the middle of the city. This isn't a book to shy away from the experience of place. The writing is really lovely and I enjoyed reading it.

Read this if you like:
⭕️ travel stories and descriptions of cheese
⭕️ stream of consciousness style of writing
⭕️ narratives of self discovery
⭕️ Italy / Rome

Thanks to Grand Central and #netgalley for an advanced copies of this book!

I’m a sucker for a book set in Italy! This book is very character driven. Emilia, the main character, was expecting to travel with her boyfriend but spends six solo days in Rome instead. She is full of introspection and self-reflection during these days and works through several things while she observes the daily life of Italians and tourists.
This is not the type of book that I typically enjoy, but the setting made it worth sticking around. I struggled to connect with the main character and felt frustrated by the constant jumping back and forth between the past and present without any warning. Overall, if you’re a fan of character driven novels and enjoy Italy then this book is for you!

This is a beautiful book, perfect to read while sitting alone at a sidewalk cafe preferably in Rome. It is almost like a tone poem, very cerebral and introspective in the early half, almost too much so. I was about to quit when another character was introduced and I felt the story became less introspective. It was a lovely character study, One could see the evolution and discovery that took place over Emilia’s six days of thinking about her family and love relationships. Well worth reading.

Reading this book felt like I was reading a literal dream and that was tricky to get used to at first, but once I got used to it the style really left me fully immersed in the story in a way that I'm not quite sure I've ever even experienced before. I really enjoyed getting lost in Emilia's story and being so fully present in her mind really made me feel connected to her in a way that was very deep and magical. I wish I could have binge read this one because it was pretty disorienting to be ripped out of it and get back to reality after each session.

I was looking forward to reading this book, unfortunately it fell flat for me. Emilia just talks and talks and talks, it gets boring pretty fast. I found myself thinking all right, when is the action going to start? Emilia’s storytelling drags to the point that she sounds super depressed and it made me feel as the reader not interested in finding out how her story would turn out.

This book is truly beautiful and will make you want to go to Rome immediately. I know I will re-read it the next time I go to Rome and may even re-read it before then. The descriptions are so vivid, so lush, so luxurious. I will say this book is exceptionally cerebral -- I don't mind being in someone's head and having an entire book unfold just from their thoughts and recollections rather than action. This was very well written and I loved the characters. Definitely recommend!!!

Six Days in Rome comes out next week on May 3, 2022, and you can purchase HERE! I LOVED THIS BOOK!

The postcards I bought earlier are fanned out on the table. A ritual almost every time I go somewhere worth chronicling: write to a few people, trying to capture what I see, how being in a particular place makes me feel.

Six Days in Rome felt like literature. This story tells the story of heartbreak and renewal and wandering aimlessly around an ancient city and being in awe. I thought this story was so well told and learning about the main character from essentially her thoughts was very realistic. Our thoughts often wander when we are left alone with them and one little thing can get us going on something about the past or something that we love, or maybe don't love. It felt like the ramblings of her consciousness put the reader right in her brain, while also telling of her day to day movements through Rome. I only had to give this 4 stars instead of 5 because the chapters are SO long and it made it difficult to find a stopping point, which also meant I found it hard to pick up because I never knew when I would be able to put it down to do other things.

A lovely reflection on Rome, relationships, family, and the relationship you have with your own self (and, how to stay true to that self!)

I picked this book up because I've lived in Rome and wanted to revisit it. I got that, and much more. Although it was a bit slow at times, it was like going to Rome without purchasing a plane ticket. By the end, I felt like I knew her family and what it was like to walk around the city in her shoes.

Perfect for anyone who loves solo travel and going deep into a narrator's head.

A good quick fun read for an afternoon escape, a weekend at the beach, a long plain ride etc. It will take you away and won't disappoint.

I hate to say that I honestly couldn’t finish this book. I love Rome and had high hopes for this book. I could get into it. It was hard to follow at times what was a flash back and what was current.

After Emilia’s relationship suddenly ends, she decides to take the vacation to Rome that she’d planned with her ex as a solo traveler instead. Emilia acts as our deeply observant and self-reflective narrator as we experience the city with her. We weave in and out of her memories, emotions, personal relationships, and experiences of Italy. During her stay, she meets John, an expat she unexpectedly connects with who challenges her to face difficult memories and relationships from her past.

Giacco’s novel is proof that a book doesn’t require a flashy plot to carry enormous weight. Emilia grapples with her role as an artist, memories of her previous relationship, and what it means to love people in her life who perhaps do not deserve it. The characters are flawed and real and conclusions are not wrapped up tidily. This is a quiet exploration of heartbreak, art, freedom, memory, and new beginnings, made all the more powerful by the deftness with which Giacco reveals the characters to the reader and to each other.

Ever since visiting Rome myself more than a decade ago, I’ve searched for a depiction of the city that transported me back there without falling into cliche. Giacco gets it exactly right, down to the smallest detail. I wish I could keep living in this story.

Thank you to NetGalley and Grand Central Publishing for this ARC e-book in exchange for an honest review.

Oh, my goodness. This book took me longer to read, but that was just because I wanted to immerse myself in the plot. Six Days in Rome is a beautiful piece of literature and a must read. Make sure to purchase this book when it comes out on May 3rd. Thank you to NetGalley and Grand Central Publishing for this advanced copy.

Emelia escapes to Rome on a trip meant for two and is faced with diving into herself and analyzing her relationships, her art, and herself. A deeply self-reflective novel that inspires vulnerability and independence.

Overall, I enjoyed the book. Emelia is lovable and like a dear friend, you want to force all of her vulnerabilities out into the open so she can live to her full potential. The book is broken down into each day she spends in Rome and while I didn’t mind, it made the chapters a bit difficult to get through. Intermixed with the present day of her trip, there are plenty of flashbacks and redirection to her family, her art, and Michael. If you don’t pay attention, the transition back to present can be somewhat confusing.