Member Reviews
Thank you to @netgalley for this ARC. This book is out now. I wanted to love this book more than I did. I didn’t really enjoy Violet. More often than not she irritated me. She felt immature for her age. I couldn’t stand her self-sabotaging behavior. I did however enjoy a lot of the other characters in the book such as Marco, Holly, and Matt. The banter between Matt and Violet was decent, but I never felt like Matt and Violet had much of a love connection. Wasn’t the worst book I’ve read, but wasn’t a personal favorite.
Falling in love in Rome. Trips to Capri. Lizzie Maguire references. Chilled Prosecco.
These are a few of my favorite things.
Recap:
Violet Luciano has always dreamed of being a fashion designer. Life took some turns, and even though 8 years older than her classmates, she finished her degree and is in Rome to fight for a job in a NY label with her friends Marco and Holly. In walks Matt (or Matteo, in Italian) - the grumpy writer who Violet meets by accident (literally). When she finds out Matt is the son of the professor where the 3 students will be living for the summer, things heat up quickly.
Review:
First of all - love the title. Who doesn't love a Roman love story?
This book gave me so many of the things I love. It had great character development. I loved that they started to get to know each other early in the book and that they talked so much about why they are how they are - giving the reader a great insight into the characters. I understood their personality and their character traits. Loved that so much.
I felt for Violet and her issues between choosing her career and her romantic life and how difficult it can be to find a balance at the beginning of both, when you want to give 100% of yourself to both of those things. I loved her growth and her recognition of finding balance. One of my favorite quotes from the book was, "Love is something you gift yourself. You design it. You decide who you are going to love and who will have the privilege of loving you back". I think Violet embraced this at the end.
Read if you like:
Enemies to Lovers
Grumpy / Sunshine
Forced Proximity
Italian Summers
I just reviewed Ciao For Now by Kate Bromley. #CiaoForNow #NetGalley
Thank you NetGalley and publisher for this ARC publication for an honest review.
This is the perfect escape read! Exotic location, food, meet-cute, enemies to lovers, forbidden love...
You couldn't help but route for our couple, Violet and Matt! The fashion industry was a nice addition to the storyline. The story follows the basic formula, boy meets girl, obstacles thrown in the way, will love conquer all? Enjoyable read all the same!
4 stars
Loved this book, and Kate Bromley is HILARIOUS!
Here's our interview: https://www.whileyouwerereading.com/episodes/kate-bromleys-new-rom-com-ciao-for-now-lisa-confesses-a-secret
✅Fashion designer
✅When in Rome
✅Enemies to lovers
Violet gets a lifetime opportunity to go to Rome as part of a competition for fashion design to learn from the best. Of course on her first day there she spills her coffee on Matt a guy working away on his computer. Little does she know he’s her bosses daughter and they are gonna be living in the same place for the next month!
I love all of Kate Bromley's work, it is seriously hilarious ~she writes witty banter so well! This one did not disappoint. I loved both Violet and Matt’s characters. I loved seeing how they both grew and opened up overtime. I did feel like the ending was slightly rushed though.
The perfect summer read set in Rome! I loved the setting and the premise behind this novel. Violet is in Rome for a summer internship in fashion design. It’s her dream to work with a major label so she is excited to embark on her fashion journey through a competition. This one had me laughing from the moment Violet upsets the cafe table and meets Matt. Of course Violet doesn’t know that Matt is the son of her professor. After a rough start, Matt and Violet form a friendship that quickly turns into a secret romance. I loved the energy and imagery in this book and the love connection between Matt and Violet.
I have thoroughly enjoyed Bromley's previous stories. This was also good. I loved the fashion aspect, and the streets of Rome. Matt was a dreamboat of a human and I loved the early interactions he had with our Violet.
I am not a fan of second act breakups due to lack of communication/expectations. This led to some frustrating chapters for me.
Luckily the bow at the end was redeeming.
Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the advanced readers copy
This was such an adorable romance book to read and it hit most of my favorite tropes:
Read this if you love:
Enemies to lovers
Artists
Project Runway
All aspects of Italy-from different parts of the country, culture, food to the hot Italian men.
Thank you NetGalley and Graydon House for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Get lost in Italy’s breathtaking views & food along with the lure of a steamy Italian romance in this perfect beach read. This was a delight to read. All my senses were activated thanks to Bromley’s delicious descriptions.
I loved the sprinkled in Italian and references to monuments/places. It’s especially fun as an Italian reader to be able to follow along and know the mentioned places/phrases.
I thought the story was balanced — I liked that there was a lot of focus on MC’s work rather than just all romance.
I felt that the initial meeting between MC and her love interest was more on the unrealistic side, however once the book got moving their interactions were more believable.
The build up of the relationship was tension filled and passionate, so I felt there was more to be desired after the third act breakup.
Overall, this was a fun read with an interesting plot. The perfect beach read…
What do you get when you mix fashion, Italy, and a grumpy-sunshine trope? This Emily in Paris/Rome-styled book will surely win over anyone looking for a perfect beach read.
The lead - Violet is a quirky design student hoping to make it big by competing for a job at a New York label. Not all goes to plan when on her first day she spills coffee all over a not-so-happy man who she hopes to never see again. That is until she learns he is the son of the woman hosting the interns at her villa in Rome. Violet then makes it her mission to prove her skills as we follow her Italian adventure and the bumps that might just upheave her plans.
I love a cheesy romance set in one of my favorite cities, my rating: 4.5⭐'s
Thank you to Harlequin Trade Publishing and NetGalley for this advance copy - available now!
I love all of Kate Bromley's work, it is seriously LOL worthy~she writes witty banter so well! This one did not disappoint, especially with the setting...I was gripped from the get-go. I will be picking this one up for myself and hopefully for a few friends! This one was less angsty and more about the complexities of female friendships, travel-adventure abroad, and all the bonuses one can find as they make their merry way! A very cute contemporary romance.
I loved this book! The main characters, Violet and Matt, are well-written and have great chemistry, the setting in Rome is perfect, and the pacing is excellent. The world of fashion design was so fun to explore. I also loved how the author wrapped up Violet's journey and developed the love story by the end. This book was so sweet and romantic without losing any of it's fun. I highly recommend this story! Thank you to Kate Bromley, NetGalley, and Harlequin Trade Publishing for an eARC in exchange for my honest review.
In exchange for an advanced reader’s copy from the publisher and Netgalley, I write this honest review of Kate Bromley’s newest release “ Ciao For Now: A Romantic Comedy.” Imagine if The Devil Wears Prada were simply a romantic comedy sans Andy’s relationship plot line with the whimsy of the Audrey Hepburn classic, Roman Holiday. Put them together and you have Ciao for Now by Kate Bromley. In this story you follow Violet Luciano, who is entering her 30’s and feels as if she is falling behind the careers and relationships of her peers. The setting features a New York City design school where Violet is near the end of her program and lands an internship in Rome. In this internship, is an opportunity for Violet to compete for a place at an up and coming New York label. Does she move past feelings of insecurity ? Does she declare her passions and career path are not separate but together ? Stay tuned. Now for the romantic side of the story where fate brings together a stranger, an accident at a cafe, and an opportunity for tropes such as grumpy/sunshine to take place. The man in question is named Matteo, we learn he is her professor's son (GASP), and from their initial meeting have an automatic dislike for one another. As the summer progresses so does their chemistry. Will Violet learn to love again ? Will she lean into her evolving feelings for Matteo ? Check out Kate Bromley’s novel you will not want to miss this one. Overall I enjoyed it. It did not have the same effect as “Talk Bookish to me” but that is okay. I continued the story for Violets growth which was rewarding to read for you do not see characters today in their late 30’s who is starting over. I gave this book 3.5 stars and an overall 4 stars on goodreads.
Violet gets an internship at a famous fashion designer in Rome, Italy. She works alongside her friend Marco and another fellow intern Holly. I loved reading about the duties they had to take on while at the internship. Everything from picking up fabrics to a very funny fern scene on the subway. Violet is a great main character, she is easy to love and root for. She is also passionate, determined, she will always stick up for herself in any situation, and she refuses to give up on her dreams.
The way Violet and Matt meet will make you laugh. The banter they have throughout the book is great. You could feel the tension and chemistry coming off the pages. This is a great enemies-to-lovers romantic comedy.
I absolutely loved the ending of this book and how it all came together!
If you love a good enemy to lovers with a gorgeous setting you will love this book.
Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for an eARC in exchange for my honest review.
Book: Ciao for Now
Author: Kate Bromley
Format: Digital
Genre: Romance
Places Featured: Rome, Italy
Review Score: ⭐️⭐⭐️⭐️
Review: On her first day in Rome on an internship for fashion design, Violet Luciano falls for her professor’s son–she literally falls on him at a cafe and breaks his laptop. And although he just can’t seem to be nice to her, she also just can’t stop her feelings for him. And, of course, she has to balance these new feelings with her efforts to establish her career in fashion. It’s a charming love story with the always lovely background of Rome (though I do wish there was a little more focus on that part) and an interesting look into the world of fashion design.
Ciao For Now was a cute, quick romance about a woman visiting Italy to work and compete for a fashion internship. I read it all in one night, and it was a great, easy, breezy read.
I was SO excited to see this ARC come through. I have read a few other titles from Kate Bromley and have adored them! This was no exception. I felt transported to Italy and engrossed in this romance. Their was banter, swooning and the perfect amount of rom and com. I highly recommend!!
Make sure you grab this one to read by the pool this summer. I loved it. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.
Violet has always dreamed of being a fashion designer, and even though she got a late start she won’t let anything get in the way of living her dream. When she takes on a summer internship in Rome, she’s determined to prove to everyone that this is what she was made to do. Violet didn’t count on a chance encounter with her professor’s grumpy son changing the entire course of her summer and her life, but Matt is a force she cannot deny.
This grumpy/sunshine romance was truly everything! I loved it so much. Violet truly grew into herself during her time in Rome, and her back and forth banter with Matt was perfect. Their romance around Rome and Capri was truly swoon worthy. The swimming pool scene really set the stage for their budding romance. I loved several side characters, especially Marco with his steadfast support of Violet and Mira. I found Holly to be a really frustrating friend and her attitude and actions towards Violet didn’t make a ton of sense.
Obviously this was a romance, but I also truly loved Violet’s changing relationship with herself. This line at the final fashion show competition made me tear up because it really succinctly summarizes the impact of travel and living abroad: “I named it after me because my collection was based on people I met in Rome, in a big way. I met myself there, too. I met part of myself that I never would have known if I hadn’t gone.”
You must read this if you love: 🇮🇹 stories set in Italy🌧️ piove means rain🤭if you’re homesick 🌩️☀️grumpy/sunshine perfection 🎙️zippy banter👔 custom shirt measurement seduction 👗the glamorous Italian fashion scene 🍋 swoony weekend getaways in Capri 🥂 enemies to lovers 🍕forced proximity 💥 grand gestures at Comic Con
I adored the Italian setting, the enemies-to-lovers trope, and the snarky banter between these MCs. Their meet cute was perfect, and the forced proximity made it even more delicious. The fashion industry background was fun to read about, and especially the food! Fans of Kate Bromley's previous rom-coms will enjoy what she brings to the table in Ciao For Now as well.
This appealing, light-hearted rom-com will be a perfect summer read--especially if you have an international trip in the books.