I made it to 10%. I picked it up a week later and I don’t remember a single thing from the first part except that there was something relating to religion. I think. So that really says it all.

Thanks to NetGalley and Penguin for the ARC.

This was my first book to read by this author but it won't be my last! This was a beautifully written novel that evokes so many emotions. Don't miss out on this one!

Thank you NetGalley, Publishers, and Liam Callanan for gifting me a copy of When in Rome in return for my honest review.

1/5 stars

This was a DNF for me around the 150-page mark. I was not interested in this nor was I excited to continue you reading it. There was too much would she or would she not. Stop being so damn indecisive and make a decision!! It is unfortunate because the blurb sounded so promising!

A Massive Thank You to the Author, the Publisher and NetGalley for giving me the chance to read and review this book prior to its release date.

I may have fallen victim to judging a book by its cover here. I guess I was expecting a lighter read, but instead I was left reading about nuns and convents. Super repetitive, but I didn't mind Claire.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC.

When In Rome by Liam Callanan is a story of second chances, second guessing and hope. Claire is 52 & is at a crossroads in life. She has a wonderful, grown daughter and a steady career. But she thinks she wants more. A chance trip to Italy, intrigues her and she jumps at the chance to go. While in Rome she reminisces about her youth and her Catholic faith. She is living in a convent and she has a strong connection with the nuns. She always thought she might become a nun. Is now her time? Could she possibly give her friends, life and career and take vows? While working on the deal to sell or keep the convent, Claire speaks with her best friend, her daughter and Marcus an old love/friend. The setting is beautiful, the story is good as well. At points it lagged a bit but overall I really enjoyed this story. This was a 4 star read for me. It was nice to read a story about a this phase in her life. I read to the end because I had to see who she picked.. thank you to Netgalley and the author for my copy for an honest review. It was my pleasure to read and review this book.

I’ll be honest, I requested this book set in Italy because of the title, with no knowledge of the story within. I’m rather happy about it because I don’t think I would have gravitated to a story about a middle-aged woman, stuck in her life as a realtor, now contemplating joining the ranks of the Catholic Sisters in Rome whose convent she is trying to sell.

I’m not a deeply religious person, but I found peace in Claire’s story as she tried to find herself. Little did she know her best friend, her daughter, and the man she’s been secretly in love with since college have a plan of their own. This reminded me of Under the Tuscan Sun as they both reflect on the meaning of life and how to reinvent one’s self in the middle of your prime.

I just wish the pacing was a bit better, I found Claire’s constant contemplation and avoidance of all issues frustrating at times. Still, I’m happy I read this book based in Italy

Thank you to NetGalley for the advance ecopy of this title. I loved this story about a woman entering her 50s, and trying to discern what she is going to do with the rest of her life. Claire is a real estate agent who specializes in selling old religious buildings. She has a grown daughter, a fabulous best friend/business partner, and a complicated friendship with Marcus whom she met at Yale
. Deep in the recesses of Claire's mind is her desire to become a religious sister that compelled her as a teenager. When Claire is dispatched to Rome to sell a convent, her desires become rushing back; but what desires are they.
I really enjoyed this second act book about thinking about your life and reevaluating your choices. It really spoke to me. I felt very connected to Claire even though our life paths are very different. Every woman should read this.

The author's prose in this novel was beautiful, but the story just didn't grab me. The premise - a middle aged woman discerns a call to be a nun - spoke to me, and I looked forward to that story. But the author threw a love story with an actor into the plot, and this just didn't ring true for me. Also, much of the plot was set at Yale University. The social dynamics of these scenes seemed more suited to middle school than a large university. Students in the lunch room openly taunting and ridiculing a freshman for planning to be a nun? Really? No one even knows the other freshman in a large university like this, in my experience.

I wanted to like this book, particularly after reading the lovely prose at the beginning of the book. But it just didn't work, in my humble opinion.

Claire is at a crossroads in her life, she feels like her life needs to be readjusted and she thinks that Rome holds the key. While in Rome she meets a group of nuns and she thinks that she may join a convent. A past love reappears in her life and throws her trajectory off. Will love change her plans? A cozy romance with delightful characters.

Disclaimer: Thank you NetGalley and Penguin Group Dutton for this copy and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Claire finds herself in Rome tasked with attempting to save a crumbling convent. When she was younger she had intended to take her vows but changed her mind after college and meeting Marcus, whom she loved though she never told him. Thirty years later, after meeting the nuns of the struggling convent, she seems to think this might be her chance to finally answer the call but hesitates at leaving her daughter, friends, and Marcus, who is trying to propose while they are both in Rome. Despite the focus being on religion, there never seems to be much of a connection for Claire and it's' not clear to the reader why she suddenly feels so compelled. However, the setting in Rome is beautifully described and makes you want to meander your way through and eat everything in sight. Overall, the book felt like it lacked direction, but does make up for it a bit with the wonderful setting and delightful nuns.

Claire in midlife is trying to find her true path in life .Set in Rome beautifully written thoughtful I really enjoyed following her on her quest.#netgalley #dutton

Claire is at a crossroads. At 52, the heroine of WHEN IN ROME by Liam Callanan, is caught in her lifelong debate between retreating into the security and spiritual life of a convent with nuns or advancing into the uncertain and compelling world holding Marcus, her decades-long love, and a life with no certain path nor outcome. Set in Rome, the story never failed to intrigue and inspire me with unforgettable settings and moments, although there were pats where I wanted to slap Claire upside the head when she got lost in memories of Yale, what people expect, and what she thought she would or should be doing. Oh, dear, that's much like real life, isn't it? I enjoyed the story, cheered the conclusion, and savored the moments with feisty, intelligent, worldly-wise nuns. I received a copy of this book and these opinions are my own, unbiased thoughts.

I really wanted to love this book. I adore Rome and always make sure to visit as many churches as I can when I am there. I love the art and the history found there even though I am not a believer. But the main character Claire is just overwrought and noncommittal. Marcus had no personality and Dorothy seemed like an immature teenager not a woman of 29. And the book goes on far too long. That being said I did enjoy much of the book and am grateful to NetGalley and the publishers for the ARC.

There was much to love here, but somehow it just fell a little short.

Growing up, Claire was sure she had a vocation, but we're told about this, not truly shown it. The same as she ages and ends up in Rome: we're told (frequently) about her feelings and her hesitations, but it never quite reads as real. Most of the time, Claire is rather distant as a main character - I got more of a sense of Rome than I did of her inner turmoil about what her life should be. That distance also applies to her relationship with Marcus, which also doesn't quite feel real. I'd hoped for a greater sense of her faith and her inner calling, and her struggles with both versus the "real world" but instead it was as though there was a layer of something between that and the reader.

eARC provided by publisher via Netgalley.

I requested this because I was intrigued by the setting--I have a lot of fond memories of Rome--and because the premise of Claire hanging out with three nuns in a convent to figure out her relationship to religion feels unique. While the descriptions of Rome's food, culture, and beauty are compelling and lush, unfortunately, I disliked the characters. (Well, all the characters except the nuns. The nuns are hilarious, and I would love to hang out with them.)

Claire is so wishy-washy in her priorities that I became disinterested in her journey. This might have been affected by Liam Callanan's narrative drive; while the framework is there, the plot meanders so much that it becomes tough to follow. The second-chance romance blossoming between Claire and Marcus is mildly interesting but, again, Marcus doesn't have much going for him besides the fact that he's a successful actor and has loved Claire for decades. While she doesn't feature heavily in the story, Claire's daughter Dorothy behaves more like a nineteen-year-old than a twenty-nine-year-old, inserting at least one abbreviation in each of her texts (think "G2G" or similar) and bemoaning how "old people" think.

I felt myself disengaging from the book halfway through because of these feelings, and while there are a couple of exciting plot points toward the end, I wish it had worked better for me.

When in Rome is a delightful story about new beginnings, second chances and searching for one's calling. At the age of 52 Claire is at a crossroads and her wish to start over leads her to Rome. As a real estate agent her passion is old buildings. But she has more than one reason to visit a lovely convent. As a teenager becoming a nun was her dream and calling but she hadn't pursued it. Is the answer now obvious?

Claire's best friend and daughter encourage her to take time for herself in Rome. And she does. She immerses herself in the culture and attempts to learn more Italian language by conversing with locals. She enjoys her surroundings, slow pace of life and the food. Quirky nuns at the convent become friends and wise mentors. When Marcus arrives she is flooded with emotions and snippets of her past. He has always loved her since the day he first saw her in college. They explore their friendship in their middle age in the Eternal City.

Rome is one of my favourite cities in the world to visit and as an expat can relate to often humorous language issues and cultural differences. Food, street and site descriptions tugged at my heart and transported me to Rome in a nanosecond. I like that the slow-paced story is written with originality. A middle-aged protagonist is refreshing. However, the characters are not convincing to me and the frequent switching of timelines became a wee bit burdensome.

Those intrigued by glimpses into romance, Rome and The Vatican particularly have much to look forward to with reading this slow burn.

My sincere thank you to Penguin Group Dutton and NetGalley for providing me with an early digital copy of this charming novel.

Love a book that takes place in a beautiful place on the precipice of the main character finding themselves. Kept me interested and I enjoyed the storyline.

A bit of a Hallmark Movie plot which is not a bad thing. Claire is 52 and has been successfully selling real estate for decades with her best friend. Her forte seems to be selling old churches to people to make into homes, or hotels, or restaurants. When the firm is asked to sell a convent in Rome, she travels there and comes face to face with her Catholic School past. Back then she was sure she was being called to become a nun, but life got in the way and that commitment to her faith was put aside. Maybe this will be her chance to conquer her mid-life crisis and find happiness via “higher calling” even if her daughter, her business partner Monica, and Marcus her long-time best friend think she’s gone off the deep end. Add in humor and romance and the mix is perfect.

I liked the premise of this book but Claire just wasn’t authentic to me, nor were the three wacky nuns or her lifelong love, Marcus. I wanted to like this book but just couldn’t follow though to the end.