Anna Roberts has been dreadfully hurt by the ending of a relationship and desperately needs a new start where she can begin to get her life back together again. When she sees her dream job advertised working in a beautiful Italian Castle, on Lake Como, it seems perfect, the only stumbling block is that the job requires a couple to take on the housekeeping and maintenance duties.

Newly single, Anna makes the momentous decision to invite her exasperating neighbour, Jake Tucker to be her pretend partner in this venture and whilst Jake has his own very personal reasons for taking a chance with this new start he doesn't bargain on how difficult it will be to continue the pretense of a relationship with Anna. Enemies to Lovers is a familiar trope in romantic fiction and The Italian Job certainly makes this into an interesting journey for both Anna and Jake who continue to spar with each other so much that people begin to wonder if they really are a couple at all.

The setting of the story in Italy is idyllic and the perfect place to escape to in this wonderfully romantic story which ticked all the right boxes for me. A will they, won't they couple who each have had their share of difficulties, and yet they continue to strive to do better. Beautifully written, as always, by an author who never fails to get the balance right in any of her wonderful stories.

Tender romance, sizzling passion and everlasting love come together in a perfectly wonderful romantic adventure.

I loved everything about this book. There's Anna and Jake the main characters - both flawed, both likeable. There's the lovely setting and there's an engaging will they/won't they plot. And, as well as all that, there's a great supporting cast of both good and bad folks. The romance is perfectly handled with just the right amount of heat. I binge read it over two days and I miss it now it's finished.

In this enemies-to-lovers sweet romance, Anna and Jake take a job in a castle in Italy as caretakers. The catch is, they're supposed to be a couple. Can they pretend to like each other well enough to fool everyone into believing they're in love?

This was a bit of a longer read than the typical romcom. Most of the time that didn't feel like a problem, but toward the end I was a little done with hearing them each go on about how the other couldn't possibly love them back. But the lack of communication and sharing feelings is not my favorite.

I enjoyed the romance and fake-dating is one of my favorite tropes. Seeing the change from their fake reactions to each other and the real reactions later in the book was nice, and I liked the way their friends reacted when they found out the truth.

There was plenty of sexual tension but it was more off-the page - not quite closed door, but also not as steamy as many other books. It was more implied than actually detailed out, but it was very clear what was going on when it faded to... gray.

Overall, I'd give this one 3.5 stars, but round up to a 4. I think it would be a good read for anyone who enjoys fake dating, and the Italian setting in a castle added to the ambiance.

Anna was so easy to like, even if she was a little too uptight and you had the urge to just ruffle her hair a bit or do anything to make her stop being so organized and controling. It made sense why she was like that, but I still wanted her to loosen up and I think Jake was just the guy to help her do that. There was clear chemistry, even when they were still enemies. Their banter was fun and kept the story moving quickly.

I loved the special relationship Anna had with her father and Jake with his mother and sisters. Both Anna and Jake's pasts had affected them a lot and made them behave the way they did, but the message was also loud and clear, your past should not rule you, you determine your own future.

Overall this was a light feelgood RomCom and I look forward to reading more books in the series.

Highlights:
- likeable main characters
- wonderful setting on Lake Como
- fake relationship
- enemies to lovers
- opposites attract, goodie two shoes with bad boy
- light, feelgood RomCom
- man with troubled past and woman who has been hurt

Get ready to fall completely in love with Kathryn’s latest book The Italian Job.

I will admit that I was a bit nervous when I started this book because of its sheer length (600 pages!). I was worried it would become repetitive or feel like it was dragging out. I have to say that 600 pages have never flown by so quickly for me. This book is one of those stories that instantly grabs you and doesn't let you go until the very last page. I was so sad when I finished this book because I didn't want to leave Lake Como. Kathryn's writing is just magical and lush. She was able to write something engaging, captivating and just all-consuming. When I wasn't reading this book, I was thinking about it. Hell, I even dream about this book, but who could really blame me when there is a swoony, gorgeous character like Jake Tucker in it.

When reading this story, it really plays out like you are watching your favourite TV show in your head. Everything just comes to life, and you feel so invested in the characters and plot. So let's chat about the characters first; Anna and Jake are fun, fabulous, and complex characters. I will talk about the romance between them later. I really loved Anna; she has this wonderful mixture of no-nonsense attitude and vulnerability. She is coming out of a terrible breakup that has shaken her self worth and confidence. It was wonderful going on this adventure of finding her dream job, regaining her confidence, and learning to open her heart again. I also felt like I found a kindred spirit in Anna and her need to constantly make lists, something I love and need to do in my own life. Jake is the complete opposite of Anna. He is a laid-back, fun, impulsive guy who often finds himself inserting his foot into his mouth after speaking without thinking. But underneath that bad boy exterior is a genuinely good guy with a heart of gold. Jake is that gold standard, shall I say, hunky romance book boyfriend. The secondary characters in this book add that extra charm or drama that helps to elevate the whole story to the next level.

The story itself has so much to offer its readers. There is drama, steamy romance, humour, and an unforgettable setting. Everything just comes together perfectly. I loved the whole concept of moving to another country for a job. It had me thinking of what country I would love to work in. The descriptions of Lake Como were lush and vivid, and the food talk in this book was oh so yummy.

Anna and Jake's relationship has this opposites-attract, enemies-to-lover, forced proximity feel to it. These tend to be my favourite tropes, so I was definitely in heaven. In the first half of this book, these two are definitely at each other's throats, and there is lots of conflict. The banter is sharp, witty, and sometimes steamy (usually because of Jake). But as the story progresses, these two slowly start to see the world from each other's perspectives. I loved that slow progression of their relationship; it really just worked for them. Their relationship wouldn't have been as believable if they had jumped into bed with each other right away. The sex between these two is on fire, and Lord Kathryn did a great job at building that sexual tension between these two.

The Italian Job is just so darn wonderful and is a book I would read again and again.

Thank you, Harper Collins UK, One More Chapter, and Rachel’s Random Resources for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book was such an unexpected delight. I love hate to love romances and this was amazing. It kept me so addicted.
Anna and Jake are the perfect romance couple. They had so much chemistry it was electric and addictive. I loved the banter and snarky comments.
I loved that this book wasn't just an electric romance it had more depth than that. It has amazing side characters, drama and sexual chemistry you will love it.

I thoroughly enjoyed this trip to Italy, to all the sun and scenery at the villa where Anna and Jake work. You can sense the chemistry between them from the start but their repartee will make you smile. Anna is nursing a broken heart and the loss of her job and home. Knowing Jake's background, you are wary of him at first, but you soon see his dep love for his family and his loyalty to them.

Kathryn creates some lively characters who take the couple as they find them and who welcome them into the community. There are also one or two people who you do not take to but they move the story on and add to the fun. This is well up to Kathryn's high standard of storytelling and provides the perfect weekend read.

In short: romance under the Italian sunshine
Thanks to the publisher for a copy of the book
#blogtour

After going through a horrible breakup with her boyfriend, Miles, Anna has lost her man, her apartment, and her job working in his restaurant. When she moves back home with her dad, she crosses paths with her childhood neighbor, Jake, who just recently finished a jail sentence for punching Anna’s now ex boyfriend. As Anna searches for a new job, a once in a lifetime opportunity arises to manage and cook at a castle on Lake Como. The only catch is that it the job requires a couple to manage the whole estate. As Anna realizes what a fresh start this would be for her, she realizes it could benefit Jake as well, who needs to start anew.
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💭Thoughts💭
This book was so cute. The typical enemy to lover trope is always fun, but these two definitely had way too many misunderstandings and backpedaling actions that it actually got really frustrating. It also seemed really far fetched, especially at the epilogue when everything was tied together WAY too perfectly. Over all, a cutesy fun romance.
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⌛️Favorite Moment⌛️
My favorite moment was when Anna and Jake first started to get to know and like each other. Their chemistry was off the charts and you could definitely feel the crackling sexual tension between the two.
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🎉 Theme Ideas 🎉
It’s Italy! Have an Italian feast. Anna loved to cook, so try making a homemade lasagna or some chili, Jake’s favorite. Seafood, wine, and beer are also a great choice to pair with everything.

Ohhh this book……I don’t know why but it just had me smitten from chapter one and kept me in its tight embrace the whole time. I adored everything about this story and couldn’t put it down.
Who wouldn’t want to live in a castle right? And if you had to tell a few white lies to get there it’s fine right? Which is exactly what Anna and Jake decided when they both saw an opportunity too good to resist. Only, it required a couple to fulfil the requirements and Jake and Anna are far from it.
The setting of a castle in Italy is the most romantic setting that I can think of. The castle itself sounds amazing with stunning views and the neighbouring area is just so friendly and seems traditional. I’d love to live there.
I loved the characters of Jake and Anna and how they constantly got each other so wrong. It was great to see things from both their perspectives and this gave me a deeper understanding of each of them and why they behaved certain ways. The chemistry between the two was always there but what began as a little spark became much stronger as the story moved on. I adore the enemies to lovers trope and really enjoyed how this plot unfolded. This book also had just the right amount of spiciness for me and I couldn’t get enough.
The Italian Job is a superb read, perfect for the beach, garden or tucked up in bed with a glass of wine. The food descriptions are also delicious and mouth-watering – almost as much as Jake and Anna. I cannot recommend this romance enough.

A relaxing, fun, and witty read evoking the idyllic, picturesque landscape so vividly described. It has you laughing out load and feeling all the emotions skilfully conveyed through the pages.

Anna and Jake are such lovable characters and the dual pov is perfect for us to get to know them on a deep level. Anna’s reeling from a recent break up and Jake’s been having a rough time, so a fresh start in Lake Coma is just what they need. I love the fake-relationship, forced proximity element which Freeman gives a fresh and exciting take on.

They have a tempestuous past relationship but don’t really know each other. Jake has a bad guy reputation and Anna doesn’t think he takes anything seriously, whereas Jake thinks Anna’s far too serious and needs to relax and enjoy things more. As they spend time together they start to see different sides to each, and as Jake starts to bring down his walls brick by brick Anna sees the real him. By opening up they begin to understand the other, and as their attraction intensifies feelings begin to grow. Anna is the organised to his chaos and they complement each other so well.

I love how we get to hear what they both are thinking so we know they feel the same way even though they think they are in it alone! This leads to much angst and has us eagerly turning the pages to see if they get their much deserved happy ending.

Obstacles are thrown into the mix and Anna’s ex turning up complicates things further; Jake also has a history with Miles which could destroy all that they have built.

The joy, fear, and hope of falling for someone are marvellously encapsulated, and Freeman beautifully shows the need to move forward and not live in the past. Take a risk, take that chance, and you might just get what you want!

This story envelopes you in happiness; it has everything you need for the perfect rom-com with that something extra. It’s a charming, uplifting escape and will leave you with a warm fuzzy glow.

3.5 stars, rounded up to 4.

The Italian Job has a fun premise and characters that I rooted for throughout the story. When Anna needs a change in her life and stumbles on an opportunity to manage a castle at Lake Como, there’s only one problem: the owners of the castle only want a couple to manage the property. To apply for the job, Anna makes a deal with her neighbor Jake, who’s looking for a change of his own. They’ll apply for the job and pretend to be a couple.

This story has so many elements to it. Enemies to lovers and fake dating, all happening with the backdrop of a gorgeous Italian castle. I really enjoyed the banter between the characters and the development of the relationship between them. Their families, when we go to see them visit, were lovely and a wonderful addition to the cast of characters. I wish there was less miscommunication (or lack of communication) that fueled the plot, but all-in-all, it was a fun summer read.

Many thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the digital copy in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

I thougth this book was a good quick read. It's a romcom, with the ever-so favorite trope: enemies to lovers. I think the overall plot of the book was good. The one thing that I did struggle with a little while reading this book Jake's character. I felt like he was rude a lot of the book, and to me, it idn't really make sense. However, I still think this book is worth a read. The spice is written well, and honestly, it's worth reading if only for that lol.

Set to the stunning backdrop of Lake Como, Italy. Told from the alternating perspectives of both Jake and Anna.

Anna’s life has fallen apart. She found ex-boyfriend Miles in her bed with someone that most definitely wasn’t her. She thinks a clean break is just what’s needed. When she comes across the listing for the beautiful castle in Lake Como to live and manage she jumps at the chance. The only snag is that they’re looking for a couple.

Jake is an ex-con. He went to prison for 6 months for punching a man, it was to defend his sisters honour. Not many people can see beyond his criminal record. Currently doing odd job after odd job just to make ends meet.

Could he be the answer to Anna’s problems? Only problem is they can’t stand each other!

This was your typical enemies to lovers trope with a bit of fake dating thrown in for good measure. I must admit I loved this book from beginning to end! I quite liked Jake as a character, I could really buy in to him he seemed easy going, laid back and down to earth.

A lovely light and easy summer read. One to check out.

After Anna’s relationship breaks down in a most humiliating manner, she loses her job and her home too. When a job opportunity to manage an Italian castle on Lake Como presents itself, there’s only one snag – the position is for a couple. She decides to ask her annoying neighbour Jake to pretend to be in a relationship with her. Jake also has good reasons to need this job and agrees, but these two really don’t get on – can they really pull it off? For Anna, it’s a dream job in a dream location but Jake is most definitely not her dream man!

Gradually Anna and Jake move from constantly irritating each other to tentative friends and yes, more than friends. It’s a romance novel, you wouldn’t expect anything less. But watching the ups and downs of that journey is what makes the book so enjoyable.

Jake was a really interesting character. A bit of a rogue in his younger days he had turned his life around becoming a firefighter. But an outburst of temper lost him pretty much everything that mattered to him. It was obvious that he was a good guy despite his sometimes sarcastic and grumpy demeanour.

This may have been a fake relationship but there was nothing fake about the attraction between Jake and Anna. Something neither of them particularly wanted to give into but oh that simmering sexual tension! As ever, Katherine Freeman knows how to create a hot hero and it was no wonder that Anna appreciated what she could see. Mind you, Jake wasn’t immune to Anna’s curves either. However, physical attraction isn’t everything and it was as these two came to know and understand each other that love began to blossom.

The Italian Job is a fabulous sexy romance that could well have you feeling a bit hot under the collar. Kathryn Freeman writes about physical attraction so well. This is a great book about two people finding out that enemies can turn into lovers when they get to know the real person and not the facade. With the fantastic setting of a beautiful castle by beautiful Lake Como, the heat of the sun and the heat of passion, The Italian Job makes for a great summer read

This was a lovely summer read ! This romance covers all the best tropes - fake dating and enemies to lovers and the sexual tension is sizzling. It's also set in beautiful Italy -, and a castle no less! .. Who could pass on the chance of this dream job? Well all you have to do to get it is fake a fiance and everything will work out just fine? ... wont it?
Anna and Jake both need a new start , both escaping from something and this is why they agree to take on this opportunity...

The characters are well written, they have their flaws but I found the main two characters both very likeable.

The setting is beautifully described and made me long to visit ... 🇮🇹

So ;
🇮🇹 Beautiful Italian setting
🇮🇹 Fake Dating
🇮🇹 Enemies to lovers
🇮🇹 Dream Job

Romance under the Italian sun, this was a super cute read and although some parts were predictable it was a very fun and entertaining read. I'd recommend this fun rom com this summer! 🇮🇹🌞

I really enjoyed this book. There are lots of fake dating books out there, but this adds the opposites attract and enemies to lovers trope at the same time. The excellent descriptions of Lake Como whisked me away to Italy. I loved the characters, from the main characters Anna and Jake to their Italian friends. There’s even an excellent villain! I recommend this book, it’s a great read. 4.5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Synopsis:
Dream job. Dream house. Fake fiancé.

A year in a gorgeous Italian castle…

When Anna Roberts’ life implodes, an online search leads her to an ad for the ultimate dream job – management of a gorgeous castle on the shores of Lake Como, accommodation included. The only catch? Anna can’t do it alone…
…With the last man on earth she’d choose!
The castle owners will only accept a couple as caretakers, which means Anna needs a man on her arm at the interview. Enter her neighbour, Jake Tucker. Though Anna and Jake have never seen eye-to-eye, Jake’s had a rough few years and an escape to Italy sounds ideal. Yet, when they get the job and jet off, Anna and Jake face an unexpected challenge. Pretending to be a couple is difficult … but pretending the tension simmering between them doesn’t exist is quickly proving impossible!

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed as in this review are completely my own.

Of course the title of this made me think of a movie, and the two are not the same at all. But this book was a lot of fun! I loved this enemy to lovers/fake dating story! While this was a little bit longer, almost 400 pages, it read smoothly and really didn’t drag at all. The characters had great chemistry, or fireworks you might say with all the explosive arguments turned to to steamy loving times. Now the author doesn’t go real in detail in those scenes, but you do know what they are doing and it isn’t necessarily fade to black.

The whole setting was beautiful. A castle on Lake Como in Italy. Who wouldn’t want to visit, let alone be hired to work there and live there and take care of it? And all of the characters were wonderful, not only our couple of Anna and Jake, but their family and all of the people in the little village where they lived.

Anna was someone that it wasn’t hard to see who she was. While at times it was frustrating to have her take things a certain way, it was understandable with what her experiences has shown her. And then there was Jake. It was also frustrating how often he assumed people, often Anna, were referring or making comments based on his time in prison. But like with her, it was understandable based on how he’d been treated.

Their fake relationship becoming friendship and then leading to more followed the perfect path, both logical, realistic, while at the same time romantic and fun to read. I’ll definitely look into reading other books by this author in the future. And, looping back to my thought at the beginning of my review about the movie by the same name, while I thought there might be more references to that in the book, there was one towards the end that I was pleased to see.

5☆ A Spicy Rom Com

The Italian Job is a spicy Rom Com that I couldn't put down.

Would you take on a once in a lifetime job with someone you didn't particularly like and pretend to be madly in love with them?

Well that's exactly what Anna and Jake did. Both of them are having a really crappy time what with one thing after another, so when Anna hatches a plan and drags Jake along for the ride, it's never going to be smooth sailing.

But one thing is for certain their sexual chemistry sparks between them, if only they wasn't so stubborn to realise it.
With plenty of snark, wit and cheeky banter I absolutely loved watching Anna and Jake take on the castle together!

The Italian Job is a Feel-good Rom Com and was exactly what I needed.
Once again Kathryn Freeman has written an absolute gem of a story. If you haven't yet had the privilege of reading one of her books, then I highly recommend you grab a copy and whisk yourself away to Lake Como a little piece of paradise!

I wanted to love this book and the premise was right up my alley, but unfortunately I couldn’t get into it. It felt like there was no chemistry between Jake and Anna, and their relationship felt very childish and far fetched. This one just wasn’t for me!

I would firstly just like to say a big thank you to Rachel’s Random Resources and NetGalley who very kindly forwarded me an arc copy of this book, for my Kindle, in return for my honest review.

I do love a good enemies to lovers trope and this one really hit the nail on the head and I really enjoyed it!
It was also set in an amazing, perfect location - an Italian castle, amazing!! If I closed my eyes I honestly felt as though I was there too.
The Italian Job was a wonderful read and I really enjoyed getting to know Anna and Jake and all their ups and downs.
This book was a great escapist read and a great bit of armchair travel and was a perfect read for this grey, damp, dull, rainy day!
A truly heartwarming book and I will definitely be coming back for more from this author…..