Ciao for Now is the perfect romcom for those looking for a book set abroad and in the world of fashion design! I devoured this in one sitting! It has some of my favorite tropes: enemies, forced proximity, and grumpy sunshine. There’s amazing banter, friendships that will remind you of your own, and a setting that will make you want to pack your bags and jet set! I adored this quick and easy read and am looking forward to reading more from Kate Bromley’s backlist!

𝗣𝗘𝗥𝗙𝗘𝗖𝗧 𝗙𝗢𝗥 𝗙𝗔𝗡𝗦 𝗢𝗙
❥ Books set in Romance
❥ The Grumpy/Sunshine trope
❥ A fun romcom

𝗠𝗬 𝗥𝗔𝗧𝗜𝗡𝗚: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

#CiaoForNow:⁣
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“You decide who you are going to love and who will have the privilege of loving you back.”⁣
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Thank you again @uplitreads and @graydonhousebooks [partner] for my gifted copy! ⁣
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This is a perfect movie. That’s what you need to know. Think Devil Wears Prada but The Lizzie McGuire movie (screaming at the nod in the book) with a splash of Dr. Who. ⁣
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The trio Holly, Marco, & Violet are on internship to the beautiful Italy. They are in a contest while interning and there’s 5 judges to vote. While there, Violet runs (literally) into Matt’s table destroying his laptop. Matt is a writer for one of the hottest Sci-Fi shows of all time. (Think the doctor but Mandalorian type characters.) She ruins his laptop and his trip home because his mom is the one hosting the trio for their internship. ⁣
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I really liked the characters and I felt the tension between the two. I loved the intro of Dino the destino and how each character got a great storyline. You could see Violet grow before your eyes in the pages, and it was such a treat! I found it easy to root for her, and needed a HEA for everyone involved.⁣
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Overall, I really loved this summer treat! Definitely an amazing pool side read, but make sure you grab a spritzer because this will definitely have you reaching for antipasto. Out now! ⁣
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QOTD: What book did your start your week off with?

Fun, flirty, and exactly what you'd expect from a romance book! I loved it. It kept my attention, it was quick, and I loved every second of it.

I’ve read all of Kate Bromley’s books and I think this one might be my favorite.! I mean an enemies to lovers romance read set in Rome and filled with high end fashion…sign me up! It was a fun romance filled with flirty banter, a fashion competition and a dynamic cast of characters. Violet and Matteo’s meet cute was unforgettable and hilarious and their chemistry was undeniable. It was an addicting read with not only romance but Violet’s journey of self-discovery. It’s a story of following your dreams and your heart. I highly recommend!

"Love isn't something that you find or that finds you, 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."

Read if you enjoy:
- Fashion Internship
- Italy
- Grumpy vs. Sunshine
- One POV
- Forced Proximity
- Banter

Rating: 4 ⭐️

This book gave me vibes of Emily in Paris but in Italy and I was all in for it. This was a cute and lighthearted story of growth in one of my favorite cities I have visited, Rome.

Things I loved:
- Italy! Setting truly transported me
- Violet’s growth throughout the story and her desire to excel despite starting plan B late in life.
- Banter between the main characters
- Frienship with Marco
- Fashion aspect
- Comedic aspect of story, had me chuckling many times
- Last scene in walkway and what it represented in terms of friendship

Things I disliked:
- Third-act breakup (Just left an underwhelming feel after the build-up)
- Immaturity of FMC at times

Quotes I liked:

“There’s beauty in every inch of a woman. In art, in fashion, in life, there will always be people who want to mold our bodies into ways that will suit them, but this can never be. There is nothing more beautiful and deserving of respect than the shape of a woman.”

Thank you to NetGalley and Graydon House for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to Graydon House for allowing me to read and review this earc!

In Ciao For Now, we follow Violet as she follows her dream of working in the fashion industry. She battles her insecurities as she takes part in a design competition.

Kate Bromley adds so many great layers to her romances. There is so much to the story aside from the “will they or won’t they” between the main character and her love interest.

Violet builds so many relationships along the way, and it really is so enjoyable to see how each of these play out. She also works really hard on herself and her growth as a person and a designer is a joy to see.

Don’t get me wrong, the romance is real good. And it’s a little of the enemies to lovers that I adore. I highly recommend this and all of Kate’s other works!

In Kate Bromley’s new rom com Ciao for Now, Violet Luciano, a talented student of fashion design, has landed the opportunity of a lifetime. She gets to spend a month in Rome, Italy, interning at a popular fashion house and competing against two of her fellow classmates for the chance to secure a job at a major label back home in NYC. Violet knows this experience will change her life, but she has no idea how much!

What’s the opposite of a meet cute, a meet ugly? Almost as soon as Violet lands in Rome, she manages to trip and fall in a cafe, crash landing on a sexy man, crushing his laptop and dousing him in coffee. He is clearly not impressed and Violet can’t wait to get away from him, but guess what? Turns out he’s Matteo, the grumpy son of the professor who is hosting the students from New York so they’re staying in the same place. 😂

This was such a fun read! I love the enemies to lovers and forced proximity tropes so I had a blast following Violet and Matteo as they awkwardly navigated their way around each other, only to, of course since it’s a romance, eventually develop feelings other than hate for one another. I loved both characters and thought they had amazing chemistry.

I also loved hanging out with Violet and her endearing classmates as they interned in the fashion world. I don’t know much about fashion but it was fun exploring that world with them and watching them design pieces for their contest.

One of my favorite parts about the story though was that Violet is somewhat older than her classmates and has returned to school to find her passion. Her journey to Rome is also a journey of self discovery.

This is my third time reading Kate Bromley and I have yet to be disappointed. If you like rom coms, Italian settings, fashion design, and journeys of self discovery, you’ll definitely want to check out Ciao for Now!

Rome might be the place in the world that I would love to visit the most. The history, the food, the architechture - just all of it feels magical to me. Because of that, I love to read books set in Rome. Ciao for Now's title also drew me to the book. It is a cute and fun read, but is not going to be added to my list of favorite romcoms.

I do love when a woman in a romance has clear career ambitions, and Violet certainly has that. After putting her dreams on the back burner for a while, she is determined to use her internship to pursure her goals in the fashion industry.

I wasn't as invested in Violet and Matteo's relationship as I wanted to be. When they got together, it didn't quite feel earned. I felt the same way about their breakup and reunion. Each of these moments felt rushed and didn't leave me the chance to get emotionally wrapped up in what was happening.

I love when a book has solid side characters, and I felt like that is missing in Ciao for Now. The reader gets a little glimpse into Violet's sister and into Marco, Holly, and Mira who Violet works with. However, the reader doesn't really get a sense of who these people are outside of their interactions with Violet.

Ciao for Now hits many of the tropes and expected moments of a romance novel. Matteo and Violet definitely are an example of the "grumpy-sunshine" trope - with Matteo as the grump to Violet's sunshine. Of course, they are also an example of "vacation romance" or a "fling." Despite it hitting all of the expected beats, it didn't sparkle in the way I wanted it to.

Ciao for Now is a fun escapist read, but it is not anything to write home about.

4 stars

I've read all of Kate Bromley's books and enjoyed them. This one was not my favorite, but I did enjoy it. The first half was awkward. I enjoyed the 2nd half. I especially appreciated the message that you have to love yourself before you can love someone else. I also enjoyed the Italian scenery and the inside look at the fashion industry.

Thank you to Harlequin Trade Publishers and NetGalley for the digital ARC in return for an honest review.

Romance in Rome - say less!

It was good, but not the best romance I've read. You hear about the drama, but don't experience it so there's no real pining between the characters.

3.5 🌟
Thanks so much to @graydonhousebooks for my eARC of this book.

🇮🇹Violet and 2 fashion school colleagues arrive in Rome. They are interning at a fashion house and creating a line for the chance to win a job at a NY label.

But on Violet’s first morning in Rome she clumsily stumbles into a man and ruins his laptop. Mortified, she hopes to never see him again. Unfortunately his mother is one of her mentors while in Rome. His cranky demeanor softens as they get to know each other and she works toward her fashion goals.

This was entertaining and such a fun escape to Italy!

🇮🇹Read if you love:
-found family
-enemies to more
-following your passion
-themes of “it’s never too late to…”
-Project Runway

This was a decent enemies to lovers, grumpy/sunshine, slow-burn romance set in Rome that sees an aspiring fashion designer falling for the mysterious son of her teacher. I enjoyed this one but didn't love it as much as the author's previous books. Good on audio narrated by one of my absolute favs, Natalie Naudus. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital copy in exchange for my honest review!

3.5 stars

I’ve loved Kate Bromley’s previous two books, so I was excited about Ciao for Now, and especially excited about the Italian setting. While I loved the setting and getting to ‘see’ Rome and Capri, the story and the romance fell a bit flat for me. I never got invested in the characters and I didn’t really feel their chemistry. I want to root for a couple and get invested in them, but I just couldn’t get there. I did appreciate Violet’s growth and how she ultimately overcame the obstacles in her way (which were sometimes self-imposed ones). Overall this was cute and I’d recommend it to people looking for a light summer read with a perfect summer setting.

The following review was posted on my blog on Thursday, Tuesday June 6th, the day of publication. It has already been posted on Goodreads and will be posted on Instagram soon. The blog post includes links to order the books and to its Goodreads page, so readers can add it to their to-be-read books.





Genre: Romance
Actual Rating: 4 stars
Spicy Meter: 1 fire emoji
Content Warnings: Describes toxic relationships and mentions death of a parent. Contains some sexual content.

“Ciao for Now” follows Violet Luciano as she and a few of her colleagues embark to Rome for a fashion internship. Little did she know that as soon as she got there she would stumble into her mentor’s son, ruining his computer, and effectively laying on the worst first impression ever—an introduction that leaves them as, essentially, enemies… But if they’re enemies, then why do they feel this pull towards each other? Better look away, I guess.

I have read other books by Kate Bromley, so I can’t say I’m completely surprised I adored this book—her writing style has captivated me before and her quirky characters always capture my heart. Now, sprinkle in some more forbidden romance, in true Kate Bromley fashion, and you had me hooked.

“Ciao for Now” is the perfect summer-y read. Set in Rome, this read will have you wanderlust and wishing you, too, will follow your dreams wherever they might go. Sitting just over 300 pages, this was a short, quick read, perfect for some airport hopping, so don’t hesitate to grab this book if you’re looking for a lighthearted, heartwarming enemies-to-lovers romance.

If you click here, you’ll be redirected to Goodreads, so you can add the book to your TBR list.

Or you could click here, and be redirected to Amazon, so you can order the book.

ARC provided by Graydon House and Harlequin Trade Publishing in exchange for an honest review.

Publication Date: June 6, 2023

Ciao for Now centers around Violet, who is a 28 year old design student spending a few weeks in Italy for a design competition that could change her future. She meets Matt after accidentally bumping into him in a coffee shop, spilling his coffee and breaking his laptop in the process. He is the grumpy to her sunshine, and they continue to be prickly around each other until they call a truce. When they begin to get to know each other, feelings develop. BUT Violet has a history of losing herself for the man she is with and she doesn't want that to happen this time - not when so much is at stake for her. Kate Bromley is always such a fun and easy read, and this book is no exception.

I thought this book was so cute! I loved the way that even throughout the story themes and issues that are going on today we’re brought front and center, not to mention the way that the characters fought for what they felt was right!

Violet is an American interning at a fashion house in Rome, Italy. She’s determined to bring her A-game, until she has a disastrous meet cute with her professors son.

We follow Violet through a summer of interning, but also a summer of adventures, falling in love, and ultimately making the decision of whether she wants to find love or win the Internship.

I thought this was a super charming story - full of witty banters but also growth & development with the characters as they figured out what they wanted out of life, including a relationship with each other. I loved not only the chemistry between the two MCs, but also loved the friendship & relationships with the side characters as well.

I love rom-coms that take place abroad and Ciao for Now was no exception!

Huge thank you to Harlequin Trade Publishing and NetGalley for the e-ARC. And huge thank you to UpLit Reads for a finished copy and allowing me to participate in this campaign! These were provided in exchange for my honest review.

This one grabbed me right away! The banter between Violet and Matteo was perfect! Hit the enemies to lovers perfectly, or maybe a bit grumpy-sunshine as well. There was a part where she overheard him talking about her on the phone, and wow was he a complete and total ass! But the way she chose to get revenge on him, that was so funny! It was so unexpected! But eventually their relationship developed and it was sweet and perfect, until two things happened.

One had to do with one of the other people in the internship, and I think she was being ridiculous, so that made me mad. But then what happened when Violet shared her designs at the end? Well that had me in tears. The author was able to bring out laughter throughout the story, but then so much emotion when necessary as well.

I also loved Matt/Matteo’s career, his writing for a favorite science fiction type of show, and then the Comicon scene was so good.

I have to say I loved this story, and since I’ve wanted to read something by this author for a while now, I know I have to go back and read those books too!

This book sort of fell flat for me. The storyline was fine and the romance addition was okay as well.

Ciao for Now is the third book by Kate Bromley that I have the pleasure to read. In her books we can always find easy-to-read stories that are also deep and relatable and this time it wasn’t the exception.
I really liked Violetta and Matt, they had great chemistry and I’m a big fan of the enemies-to-lovers trope so I really enjoyed that part. The secondary characters are also very interesting like Marco and Mira, I think it was great that the three contestants remained in good terms through the competition.
It was a deeply enjoyable read and I loved reading about Rome and the fashion industry. I liked how the story developed and ended and I loved the character growth through the book.
Overall, I really liked it and I would absolutely continue reading Kate Bromley’s books.