Love Among the Ruins beautifully encapsulates the essence of Italy, making it a captivating read for anyone who dreams of exploring its enchanting landscapes. The protagonist, Callie, a writer grappling with the loss of her wife, embarks on an Italian tour that she and her late wife had planned. The trip, initially taken under the pressure of a looming deadline and the encouragement of friends, transforms into a journey of healing and discovery.

Callie's unexpected connection with Dana, her empathetic seatmate who aids her through a panic attack, blossoms into something deeper amidst Italy's romantic backdrops. Their relationship unfolds with a gentle, slow-burn intensity that is as delightful as it is genuine.

The author's meticulous attention to detail brings Italy's historic landmarks to life. The vivid descriptions make it easy for readers to feel like they're traversing Italy alongside the characters.

While the romance between Callie and Dana is tender and engaging, it sometimes feels secondary to the author's passionate portrayal of Italy. However, this doesn't detract from the story's premise. I also enjoyed reading about the camaraderie of Callie's friends and the diverse group accompanying them on the tour, as it added lightness and humour.

In essence, Love Among the Ruins is a well-crafted blend of travelogue and romance. It's an ideal pick for those seeking a literary escape to picturesque Italy, offering a journey that's both heartwarming and visually stunning.

Many thanks to Netgalley and Bella Books for a copy of this novel. ARC provided in exchange for an honest review.

What should have been couples trips for 2 women are now singles trips . This is what has happened to Calliope (Callie) and Dana. These two are drawn together for the simple reason that they are the odd ones out in the group.
Callie is having a more difficult time dealing with the breakup and wants to leave the tour. Dana persuades her to stay on. Callie does and the women spend more time together and realize that this trip is the best thing that could have happened to them.
I received an ARC from Net Galley in exchange for an honest review.

An enjoyable read. This is a slow burn romance between two successful mature adults. There was some complexity, but it all worked out in the end. The characters were written well, and I loved the relationship between Callie and Dana which was so sweet and giving. I loved all the places they toured and learned even more about the history of some of these well known sights. I would definitely recommend this book to my friends and family and I look forward to what's next from this author

3.5 stars
Very touching romance.
Two very unhappy ladies find true love during a tour of Italy.
One has lost her wife of 20 years to cancer.
IThe other did not have a happy childhood and discovers her business partners have betrayed her.
The characters were attractive and sympathetic. The dialog was interesting how they supported each other.
As much as I loved the budding romance it was only 20% of the story. The remaining 80% was a travel log of Italy, its museums, restaurants, hotels and sights.
I'm surprised there wasn't and advertisement for the actual travel agency included.
I will look for other books by this author though, because the writing is very interesting and moving. But I prefer less travel log.
I was given this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I think it’s clear that Love Among The Ruins is the author’s ode to Italy. If, like myself, you have never been lucky enough to visit, google is your constant companion while reading.
Callie is a writer with a deadline and a broken heart. A year after the loss of her wife, she is persuaded by her friends to take the trip the couple had originally planned, and with the added pressure from her publisher, she reluctantly agrees. Almost instantly she is indebted to Dana, who helps her through her first panic attack and ends up being her seat buddy on the bus. Dana is gentle and understanding, and both women connect on a personal level, even as they leave out their reasons for being alone on the tour.

The details and descriptions are incredible, but as a person with aphantasia, looking up the historic landmarks helped me connect with Callie and Dana as they travelled through Italy’s most romantic sights and slowly fall in loveto connect with the MCs and feel like I was travelling along right beside them.
The slow-burn love story comes second to the amazing sights the reader is taken through, but it is sweet and sexy and plays out in a sense that feels perfect for the MCs. The secondary characters in the form of Callie’s best friends, and the strangers who become family on the tour keep the mood light with banter and plenty of lighthearted moments. The love story was sweet and the MCs likable but I couldn’t help but feel like that came second to the love story to Italy. That doesn’t change the fact that it was a beautiful written book.
Love Among The Ruins is perfect for those in need of a quick getaway.

I received an ARC from Bella Books via NetGalley for my honest review.

Dana has just found out her partners are embellishing money from the company Dana isn’t giving up her business built using her own talents developing and researching her security systems used by many banks. Dana hopes no one in her group of fourteen fellow travelers will recognize her.
Callie was still dealing with the death of her wife Abby. She has hidden herself from everyone but she has three determined friends to get her back to the warm, friendly, loyal, friend they have always known. She has anxiety so even leaving her home is a challenge. When her friends give her a letter from her late wife who tells her to move on with her life and accept the gift they had for her. A bus tour of Italy.
Ms. Maliorsi made me feel as if I was traveling through Italy with them. Great, very likable characters from Dana and Callie to the supporting cast. A lovely story. Very, very enjoyable read.
ARC via NetGalley/ Bella Books

Love Among the Ruins by Catherine Maiorisi is a beautiful love story that those of you who love to travel will adore. I think I learned more about Italy reading this book than I ever did in a history or geography class, and it was way more enjoyable.

This novel tells the story of Calliope (Callie) DeAndre and Dana Williams. Callie is still mourning the loss of her wife who died one year ago. Callie has retreated into herself ever since then. Dana is also dealing with trauma in her life and has learned not to trust love. Through different sets of circumstances, they end up going on a romantic couples tour of Italy as two singles instead of a couple. They end up helping each other and forming a friendship that could become more as they tour the romantic sights of Italy.

Love Among the Ruins has a fair amount of sadness and anxiety at the beginning of the tale, but this story actually turns into a heartwarming and heart melting love story. Of course the setting plays a major part of the narrative, and the author does a wonderful job of describing the places as well as incorporating them into the story. The characters also play an important part in this romance. I fell for Callie and especially Dana right away, but over time the secondary characters, mainly the other folks on the tour also made their way into my heart.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading Love Among the Ruins, and recommend it to all who love a good romance. I’m giving this novel 4.5 stars.

I received an ARC from NetGalley and Bella Books for an honest review.

Really enjoyed this book, the author writes excellent lesbian crime books but this was a more traditional romance book with some complexity. Callie is grieving the loss of her wife who died a year ago when her friends encourage her to go on the month long romantic tour of Italy. She decides she will as she is writing a romance book set in Italy. When she has an anxiety attack another guest Dana takes care of her and the become fast friends. I really enjoyed the depth of the main characters and also the minor characters who all had distinct personalities and issues they were also escaping from. I also enjoyed the meta story of a writer writing a romance book set in Italy and the way that we got the full extent of her research, it was like we were on this trip too. It was a luxury holiday and so there was a lot of wealth and privilege casually dropped into the story but overall, a believable, enjoyable read.

With thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

An enjoyable enough read. This is a slow burn romance between two successful mature adults. There was some complexity, but it all worked out in the end. The characters were also ok, I thought Callie was way too dependent on Dana, which was a bit annoying, but it doesn't take away the fact that it was still enjoyable.
4stars



Thank you NetGalley and Bella Books.

Callie is a writer who has experienced the last year without her wife, Abby. Abby passed away due to cancer and Callie hasn't really left the confines of her home as she continues to grieve. Friends are instructed to give Callie a posthumous letter from Abby one year after her death if Callie is still grieving. After she reads the letter she tentatively agrees to go on the month-long tour of Romantic Italy that she and Abby had discussed. During Day one of the tour Callie suffers an anxiety attack and is aided by Dana who we later find out is a multimillionaire company head. Through the first several days of the trip Dana continues to aid Callie with her anxiety attacks and helps prevent her from leaving the tour. As the tour continues the woman begin to rely on each other more, enjoy each other's company, and learn from each other about the different Italian destinations.

The writing about the Italian locale is phenomenal, read likes to tour guide summary, and definitely made this reader want to take the tour. I also enjoyed the evolution of the relationship between Callie and Dana from support to eventual friendship to tentative kissing and finally a complete romantic relationship. Grieving is a tricky process, different for everyone, and luckily Callie had Dana to help support her through some of the later stages. 4 stars

I received an ARC from Bella Books and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

While the main plot of this book made me want to sit back and read a good summertime book about traveling to one of the most romantic places on earth, it was a disappointment. I think the thing that bothered me so much is that Dana was so co-dependent with Callie, and Callie's weakness was a big turn-off. I get that she was grieving, but I felt the whole "I have anxiety and can't leave the house, but suddenly I'm off to Italy and bond with a co-traveler in the first 24 hours" really hard to swallow.

I did love the setting though and overall it was a pleasant enough book to read - it just wasn't everything I wanted and expected.

Callie and Dana have both been through a lot. We know that it's been a year since Abby, Callie's wife had died. We don't know Dana's story right away, but, we learn it as the tour to Italy that they are both on goes on.

They get closer, but, there are definitely issues. The two main characters and their stories are interesting, but, I also really enjoyed the secondary characters stories too.

Carl, Ellie. etc. had fun stories that were complex as well. Those were the stories that kept me reading. And, the places were pretty cool too. It was a really great read.

I’ve read multiple books by Maiorise and this might be my least favourite.

This book feels like it starts out in the middle of something, the middle of Callie’s grief. Which is true. She’s grieving her wife’s death. What I found incredibly hard to understand was how long that has been, the way it’s written, especially in the beginning is that it could have been 20 years or a month. It was very confusing. Just as confusing was figuring out their age. In the end I think Callie and Dana are in their thirties, but the way they act? Might as well have been in their sixties.
This book is just a bit of a snooze fest.
The author tells us they want to revisit all the places they couldn’t go during the Covid pandemic, it ends up being a bit of a love song to Italy, maybe too much so. At times it borders on being a travel guide.
That’s not say I didn’t like it, the way Maiorisi describes Italy transports you right there, it’s the best part of this book. The setting is fantastic. I just don’t care much for the rest of it.
Another odd story choice, for me, is interspersing the main story with snippets of thoughts/lines of the book Callie is writing/journal entries, it’s strange and makes me forget where we are in the story. I makes it so I can’t “feel” the romance happening, it’s more like I’m being told (twice).

Anyway, this just wasn’t for me. I basically only liked the setting and couldn’t wait for this book to be over. And that epilogue? No thanks…

A romantic month long tour of Italy, with a dozen coupled strangers is definitely not what Callie had in mind. Mourning the loss of her wife and working on reducing her anxiety attacks every time she leaves her home is where her energy lies. An intense intervention by her loved ones pushes Callie to sign on for the tour.

Dana has an inherent interest in the history of people and places that are foreign to her. The tour of Italy is also a perfect escape from the daily pressures of her life right now. She wants to make personal changes yet never imagined she would fall in love by the end of the tour.

Love Among the Ruins is a lovely slow burn romance. Maiorisi offers up a beautiful tour of Italy filled with interesting historical tidbits while tenderly opening Callie’s heart to accept new love. She deftly handles the large cast of tertiary characters by making them stand out as individuals integral to the story.

Normally set later in most romance novels, Maiorisi positions the angsty hurdle to a year before this story begins. Learning to live again without her wife beside her, Callie carries this throughout the storyline. This helps to unfold the story in a very realistic manner.

There are a couple of things that brought the rating from a five to a four for me. The symbolism of the birds is an interesting addition to the plot however it is overused to the point of negating the positive feelings associated with them. As well, the epilogue is crammed a bit too full with closing up loose ends. I understand this is what readers desire however some endings had very little importance to the main plot. Dana’s brothers is one of these.

All in all I found Love Among the Ruins to be an entertaining read and I highly recommend it.

I received an advance review copy  from Bella Books through NetGalley.  I am leaving this review voluntarily.

I received an ARC copy of this book from the Publisher via Netgalley and voluntarily leaving my review.

Callie and Dana are very successful women. Callie is dealing with the passing her wife Abby from cancer because of this she developed panic attacks and hasn’t left her home since. When her friends Angela Bonnie and Erin along with her agent Sarah tells her it’s time for her to write the book she plan before Abby death in Italy and gives her the letter Abby written courage her to live and love. Callie decides to go but once there she has a panic attack and fellow traveler Dana witness this and helps her through it and makes a pact with Callie if she stay she help her. Callie and Dana grow closer while getting to know each other as they build bond with the tour group. I like that the tour group thought they were together because the chemistry they have and how well they got along especially like they got to witness them falling for each other although they weren’t ready to admit to themselves because Callie thought she was betraying Abby even though it’s seems Abby was giving her blessing you’ll find out why when you read this book and Dana who felt she wasn’t worthy that’s comes from family who didn’t treat her well and from friends she thought had her back and ex who betrayed her. I love that this was slow burn romance that dealt with grief betrayal finding out you are worthy and finding a love that can last and finding a found family in the process.

Callie lost her wife to cancer a year ago and is struggling to get on with her life when her publisher starts pushing her on the deadline for a promised new book. Callie reluctantly starts her research by taking a month long tour of Italy, hoping her crippling anxiety attacks won't stop her. She meets Dana, a fellow traveler on the tour, who somehow knows exactly how to help her get through it all.
This was 3.5 stars for me. I liked Callie and her story was compelling, she's a young widow who is struggling with that and this tour poses a huge challenge for her. Dana immediately is very supportive and helpful and they have a great connection, driven by Dana's attentiveness to Callie's needs. I liked the two of them together and their slow burn romance was very well done. I really loved the setting, the descriptions of Italy here were great, and it made me feel like I was right there with them. The romance portion felt well paced and I liked that they didn't immediately jump into bed together as it made the progression flow very naturally. Their fellow tour group members were all great side characters and I liked each of their stories as well.
There were a couple negatives for me that took my rating down a bit. Though the romance felt well paced other parts seemed rushed. The last chapter or epilogue ended up feeling like an info dump instead of a catch up for the missing time. There were some miniscule details in there that didn't add to the story at all and made the dialogue feel awkward. This was where I felt it most but wasn't the only spot that felt awkwardly paced. Another issue was the age of these characters. In the beginning they are said to be in their late 30's but both MCs come off as older than that, not a big deal but it just felt off. The final issue has to do with Dana, most of the story revolves around Callie and her history and we get some bits and pieces of Dana but it still felt unbalanced. Dana also has a background storyline related to her business that I thought could be very interesting but didn't seem to be taken advantage of at all. I'd have liked to see some more detail and time spent around that storyline and on Dana in general.
I did like this book and I would definitely pick up another Maorisi in the future. Though it starts a bit heavy on the emotions it ended up being a nice feel good read overall.

I really like the start. We learn a lot about one main, we really get a good picture of why she is the way she is, but we don't learn much about the other. We do however have questions and as the early stage of the book continues, more questions. This, currently, (20%) is not a light, frothy, laugh a minute book. What it is however is compelling, and somehow, not depressing.
40% in and the mains have a strong friendship. The book hasn't dragged because Callie, the main voice, is developing and we are seeing the friendship and trust develop. Some romances only have the plot romance and if nothing is happening pace suffers. With this book, because Callie is developing, pace is perfect.
However around 60%, although interesting detail about Pompeii is imparted, I felt pacing did dip a little. Also the second guessing of intentions around having a family seemed a bit odd, especially as I still wasn't quite sure the ages of the mains.
Many books do the one bed plot device. However I can't remember another where the tension arising from that has been so well done, or another writer who has paced the book to build up the tension of the situation.
The end brings everything together and while there is a utopia ending, I found it emotional. Often in romances I like the characters and am happy to see them get together. This was more. I felt I had been a part of their journey, rather than just observed. In romance often, the romance is the plot. This book absolutely had romance as a plot but the people development was a big part also. I suppose some would describe this as slow burn, although often I find that is levelled as a criticism. This was perfectly paced, apart from for me the slight dip in Pompeii.
I will admit to a TBR pile, after this book I have a TBV list, (To Be Visited). I have also read many books that are set in places that, apart from the place being named there is no local flavour. This book had so much flavour! It just stopped short of being too much of a guide book at points, but I enjoyed it, all aspects of it. 4 stars because it felt like a book with depth.

would like to thank netgalley and the publisher for letting me read this lovely book

though its very descriptive about italy so at times i skipped over certain sections the whole storyline did grab me

its about grief and surviving grief and then getting out of your comfort zone and meeting new people

callie is grieving, she has been in mourning now for just over a year, the panic attack and anxiety attacks are still coming

but its the phone call about the book she had promised her publisher thats about to change her life

and with that in mind her friends find her just the sort of holiday that will encompass her need to travel through italy and maybe write the book she is meant to, but its a daunting task to get her ready for this month long trip away on her own...travelling with a small group of people around italy...when all she really wanted to do was to do the trip with her wife...which was never going to happen

so the first meeting with her fellow travellers started off on a rocky start and with her nearly leaving the organised trip but a fellow traveller called dana helped get her over the first hurdle

its an illuminating trip around italy and a lovely book to read with quite a few discoveries along the way

I liked this book. One of the reasons is because I have visited many of the places mentioned and enjoyed reliving them through the story. This is the story of one woman recovering from the loss of her wife and the other woman trying to get over betrayal by her girlfriend and also her business partners, The story takes you from their first meeting to the gradual love that builds between them. A very enjoyable book altogether.

Two women meet on a luxury almost month long tour of Italy. The guided tour is limited to twelve people and Calliope (Calli) Deandre and Danielle (Dana) Wittman quickly pair up as travel buddies. Calli is internationally famous romance and mystery writer but isn’t recognized by the group initially. She has been homebound for the last year while grieving for her wife who died. She has a book due soon and the setting is Italy. Dana is a tech millionaire who planned to go on the trip with her now ex-girlfriend. In the beginning Dana recognizes and helps Calli through her panic attacks.

This book reads like a love letter to Italy. The cities, history and food descriptions fill the pages between getting to know you conversations. I’ve been to a majority of the locations so that was a real plus for me. But I can see it may be too much information for readers less interested in Italy. I enjoyed the gentleness and support Calli and Dana give each other and Maiorisi does a great job at increasing the sexual tension between the two. I also like that the rest of their group gets to be part of the story. I have traveled with people and formed friendships where we have reunions to reconnect, so the bonding of the group seems real to me. The signs from birds is a sweet added touch.

This is a gentle, slow burn romance between two mature and successful people. I don’t recall ages ever mentioned but Calli was with her wife for roughly twenty years so it is safe to say they are in their 40s. This is a lovely travel romance and if you love Italy the location is an added bonus. Thank you to Bella Books and NetGalley for the ARC and I am leaving a voluntary review.