✨ Ever read a book that makes you want to travel throughout Europe? If so, what book?" ✨

I just finished The Italian Job by Kathryn Freeman, and I'm am looking to get to Lake Como ASAP!!!! 🚤 This place sounds MAGICAL!!!!

📝 When Anna Roberts walks in on her boyfriend having sex with another woman, she realizes it's time for a change. Anna takes the chance and applies for her dream job as a caretaker for a Lake Como castle! 🏰 The only catch.....she needs a partner to do this with!

Jake Tucker has grown up as Anna's (miss goody-too-shoes) neighbor. He's hit some bumps in the road, and life hasn't been easy for this ex-firefighter. Escaping to a new country may be exactly what he needs.

What I 🤍:
🚤 Lake Como Setting
🏰 Life Living in a Castle
💕 Friendships with Locals
♥️ Growing Up Together Troupe
👩‍🍳 Starting Over Again

This book has THE BEST setting of any book I've ever read. Lake Como is my next overseas 🌊 vacation!!!!! I also adored the 'small town' feel of the locals who lived there. They seem like the most genuine people, and honestly, those were the characters I was most interested in! 😬

I had a few issues with this book. I felt Anna and Jake's relationship was pretty unbelievable. They were mean to one another, and were constantly hurting one another's feelings. I can't imagine anyone you'd want to be with that you had to apologize to every day. 🙁 Also, how Anna handles her ex DRIVES ME NUTS! I seriously wanted to scream at her! I won't spoil what happens, but, seriously, why would you keep talking to a guy that's an absolute entitled jerk?

Prince's Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Steaminess: 🔥🔥🔥🔥

I wanted to love this book so much! Unfortunately, the main characters just didn't do it for me. If you love escapism romance, this is for you. The setting can't be beat. 😊

Thank you to NetGalley, One More Chapter and Harper Collins Publishers for a copy of this book. This is my honest review and will be posted soon to my instagram account (@lifewithprinceman).

If anyone here has had a craving for more romance set in Italy after seeing "Under a Tuscan Sun," then this book is for you. A romantic comedy filled with the splendor and heart of Italy (and Italian food) - so what's not to love? I devoured this like a well-made Rissoto or Lasagne, and loved every second of it. Highly recommended, and it definitely hits all the right spots for you romance die-hards out there!

Thank you to publisher and author for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own. The is a cute adorable rom com com that hits on almost every trope. Sexy bad boy,neighbors to lovers, fake dating, romantic setting. All in all solid 4/5 book.

I enjoyed this women's fiction book but was not swept away. Cheesy, tropey, and no deep dives into character development or descriptive language that was compelling. I knew the setting was in Lake Como but had a hard time imagining the castle and the surrounding areas. All the characters fell a bit short for me, especially Nigel, his parents and many of the Lake Como dwellers. I really didn't love Anna and Jake as main characters, either, I'm sorry to say it!! Forgive me!

3 stars for this, but many thanks to NetGalley for an e-copy of this book in advance of its release, in exchange for an honest review.

I read four chapters and could not continue. The thought of straight and narrow Anna asking ex-con Jake to apply with her for a "couple's" job in Italy was too unbelievable. Jake was despicable to me from the start, especially the way he ogled her breasts and constantly put her down. Many reviewers have 4 and 5-starred this, so I'm definitely in the minority here. And that's okay. As the Italians say, "A ciascuno il suo."

Thanks to the author, HarperCollins UK, One More Chapter, One More Chapter, and NetGalley for the ARC. Opinions are mine.

Thank you NetGalley for a free ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The premise of this was amazing. Italy? Enemies to lovers? Fake dating? It sounded like a perfect read. But I had to DNF due to the writing. It just wasn't my taste, and I did not feel connected to the characters at all. While this book wasn't for me, it may be a great book to someone else. The writing just wasn't my style. I felt as if I was being told how the MCs feel, rather than reading and understanding their actual emotions. I also felt like the banter/communication between the two MCs was lacking any chemistry. I'm sad to say I couldn't finish it, as I had high hopes for this one.

If you're looking for a lighthearted, fun book this is the book for you! This is my first book by Kathryn Freeman and I absolutely loved it. You will fall in love with and root for the 2 main characters, Anna and Jake. Imagine applying for a job at a castle in Italy and if you get the job you will live there for 1 year on Lake Como. The castle has a pool, a hot tub, a boat on the lake, and is so large a hotel company wanted to manage it. That's the dream job for Anna, who recently broke up with her boyfriend after catching him in bed with a co-worker. She lost her relationship, her home that she shared with him, and her job as she worked in his restaurant. After moving back in with her Dad, she comes across the job at the castle when looking for dream jobs on the web. When she calls to inquire about the job, which includes cooking for the owners and their guests, she finds out that they are only interested in couples managing the castle. Anna is a chef and really wants this job. Her neighbor's son comes to visit his mom once a week and Anna has known him for years. After speaking to his mom one day she finds out that Jake could use a change of scenery, too. She gets the idea to ask him if he'd be interested and that is how the book starts.

Its such an engaging story that I read this book in less than a day. I had to know how they made out with the multiple jobs at the castle, how they enjoyed the castle and town, and most of all I had to know if they became partners in every way possible. I can't recommend this book enough! Do your self a favor and get this book as soon as you can!

I would like to thank NetGalley and Harper Collins UK One More Chapter for allowing me an advanced copy of The Italian Job.

So mediocre and forgettable, the characters had no chemistry, Jake pissed me off so much, and I genuinely did not want the characters to end up together

This book was a pleasant surprise! Anna is recovering from a humiliating breakup that has shaken her confidence. Jake is recently home from prison and is dealing with his own insecurities. They are both struggling to find a job so when Anna sees a listing for a couple to oversee the care of a literal castle in Italy, she convinces Jake to pretend they're in love. They grew up as neighbors so they have a pretty rich (and tumultuous) history.
I loved the dynamic between Anna and Jake and the growth of their characters. Their feelings felt very authentic and the slow burn between them was delightful! Jake is the typical bad boy with a heart of gold who fiercely protects those he loves. Anna is the rule follower who needs someone to help her step out of her comfort zone. A sweet fake dating trope that leaves you with the perfect HEA.

Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins UK, One More Chapter for the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Content warning: infidelity

Anna is a hyper-organized woman who loves lists and is well prepared for everything she does. Neighbor Jake is ruled by his emotions and makes decisions on the fly. Anna has recently broken up with her boyfriend, and Jake was just released from prison for assaulting Anna's former boyfriend. Jake was a fireman before incarceration and they won't take him back. They both could do with getting out of England.

Anna Googles "dream job" and finds a listing to run a castle in Italy that functions much like a boutique hotel. The only catch is that the owners want a couple to run the place. Anna enlists Jake as her fake boyfriend to do the driving, manual labor, and castle maintenance while chef Anna handles the food and cleaning.

It's clear Anna and Jake can't stand each other, so how they think they can be a convincing couple is a mystery. But as soon as they're alone in Italy, they begin to feel sparks fly. Each has baggage from their past that they must let go of if they want to be together.

Recommended for fans of destination romances, contemporary romance, and the forced proximity and enemies to lovers tropes.

Representation: formerly incarcerated main character, retired police officer

I’ve never read a book by this author before but I’m so glad I found this! I was addicted to this book. Every single trope that a reader could ever want in a romance book was in here. Enemies to lovers? Covered. Fake dating? It’s all there! Forced proximity? You guessed it. Just incase for some reason you needed me to tell you more about it, here we go.
Our girl next-door Anna is looking for a new job due to breaking up with her awful ex boyfriend. Now, when looking for a job, everyone’s had the urge to just search “dream job” in the search bar right? Well Anna let that thought win and she really did stumble across the definition of a dream job. She could live in italy for one year managing a gorgeous castle on Lake Como, but there’s one catch, it has to be a couple. Thus, Anna turns to bad boy Jake Tucker who is also struggling to find a job due to his six month prison sentence. Is he the best choice? Definitely not, but it can’t be that bad right?
Anna and Jake are the PERFECT book couple, I loved seeing them grow in confidence around their interactions. Their personalities blended seamlessly together to create the perfect banter that genuinely had me giggling out loud. Even though the miscommunication and assumptions towards the end was mildly irritating, this book was very entertaining and exactly the romance I needed to get me back on track.
Thank you Netgalley and Harper Collins, One More Chapter for sharing this digital ARC with me in exchange for an honest review.

Anna Roberts is a list-love who has a hard time letting go of control. Jake Tucker is her devil-may-care neighbor who has had a rough few years, but won't stop his cocksure attitude or dissuade his confidence. When Anna's personal and professional life implodes, she finds herself on the precipice of landing her dream job - cooking and managing a private castle on the shores of Italy's Lake Como. The catch? The owners want a couple to take care of the castle and its expansive grounds. Pretending to be a couple is one thing - but to try to ignore the tension simmering between them is proving to be impossible.

This book was a fun escape and a fabulous enemies-to-lovers story. The characters were well fleshed out and three dimensional and I enjoyed that there was a shift in POV between Anna and Jake throughout the novel. There's a great supporting cast and I loved the relationship between Anna and her Dad and with Jake and his sisters, mum, and niece & nephew. Freeman does a great job at building sexual tension and I loved the setting of Lake Como - not a bad place to fake a relationship, no matter how irritating the ridiculously hot ex-con/firefighter-with-a-heart-of-gold pretending to be my fiance is.

This is a great beach read and a perfect escapist fantasy for the summer. Will definitely be recommending this title for travelers and I'm interested in checking out more of Freeman's work. My thanks to HarperCollins Publishers and NetGalley for the digital ARC of this book.

Who isn’t looking to read a cute enemies to lovers tale set in Italy? This book had the ‘good’ girl falling for the tattooed, motorcycle riding ‘bad’ boy. Jake’s character was full of cliches but also full of vulnerability and insecurities beyond his gruff exterior which balanced it out nicely. I enjoyed the tension between Jake and Anna and the clashing of their personalities, mixed in with a lot of miscommunication and walls built up by past trauma and experiences. The pair slowly opened up to each other and revealed more of themselves in a way that didn’t seem rushed or forced. This was a great advocate for second chances in life and it was heartwarming to see the acceptance Jake received from his friends in Italy when he so feared their reaction to his past. It was impossible not to have a soft spot for him as we’re shown more of his hang ups and how his character learned to be a little brash.

It would have been nice to see a little less of Nigel and a little more of Rosa, Marco, Sara and Will to really develop those relationships and have a better sense of Jake and Anna’s life in the community outside of the castle. I also found Anna’s character to be built off her history with Miles and her absent mother, and Jake’s to be his absent father and prison stint. Adding a little bit more depth to their characters outside of these key points would perhaps have made them a little more relatable and easier to grow attached to but overall, I enjoyed reading this cosy Italian romance and felt that the uncertainty surrounding their role at the end added some suspense which was good to see!

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/60580871-the-italian-job

I guess the right bucket to put this one into is romance/chick lit. Very predictable storyline but this isn't the kind of book where you want surprises and it's also feel good, sexy and fun. One to read on the beach on holiday or when you want a break from the grind of reality. I'd go and live in an Italian castle with Jake any day!

Thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for an ARC in return for an honest review.

A happy ending, light romance novel. I enjoyed Anna and Jake going from enemies to lovers and the friendships they made in the process. The ending was a little predictable, but satisfying. A nice, quick read.

3 1/2 stars

Anna and Jake have been neighbors since childhood and they don't get along well. When an opportunity comes up for Anna to apply for her dream job in Italy, one of the requirements is to be a couple. She convinces Jake into a fake relationship and they get the job.

I liked the setting of the castle on Lake Como and all the locals who later become friends. As it's usual in fake relationship stories, Anna and Jake were awkward around each in the beginning and the more time they spend, the more they learn about each other. They become friends and eventually lovers.

Btw, Klingon is Star Trek not Star Wars. I can't believe nobody caught that.

I received a copy from the publisher via NetGalley and this is my honest opinion.

Sexual content and language.

Set me in Lake Como, make it about romance…I AM IN!

This was a great romance read, perfect for summer beach days or pool side reads with an umbrella drink in hand.

If you love a romance set in Europe you will love this book

This book was a breath of fresh air for me. I loved Anna and Jake! It wasn’t overly angsty or steamy and didn’t have a whole lot of twists and turns but, in my opinion, it was just the right amount of it all. The characters all balanced one another and everyone made sense for the storyline. If you’re in the mood for a good book that is an easy read with a well rounded, happy ending - I definitely recommend The Italian Job!

Thank you to HarperCollins UK, One More Chapter for allowing me to read this E-ARC copy through NetGalley in exchange for my honest review!

I loved the concept for this. Who doesn’t want to spend time in Italy in a castle?! Their time in Italy was so fun to read about! I do have some qualms about how often Anna’s huge boobs were mentioned. We get it.

What a beautiful book! I absolutely loved the whole Italian atmosphere - Italy is one of my favorite places even though I've been only once there - and lake Como is one of my dream destinations, so reading about these amazing characters living their dream in such a beautiful place warmed my heart. Anna is a strong and amazing woman, Jake is everything a woman could want and together they make such a beautiful couple. Fake dating is also one of my favorite tropes, so I enjoyed a lot reading this book. Highly recommend it!