hank you To Netgalley for providing me with an ARC to read.
SPOILERS TO FOLLOW

I gotta be honest... I thought this was an adult novel when I read the synopsis. I guess I thought Story was already in college?? And waiting to go back for another semester in the fall?? Not that she was 18 and hadn't been to college yet. I think I mostly assumed it was an adult novel because of the way the cover was drawn. A lot of adult romance novels have this kind of cartoonish style drawn on their covers now and it didn't help that the synopsis mentioned Roman Holiday right away. Those combination of things is what made me request this story for review.

I quickly realized though that Story was a teenager (I was very concerned for a moment there why she would care about what the other teenage diplomat kids thought about her) and not in her 20's. Once I realized I was reading a YA novel I lost a lot of my interest in the story. Everything felt pretty bland and boring for me.

One of the things that really bothered me though, which is why the book is two stars and not three, was the use of hashtags in Story's explanation post to the internet. Story didn't use social media much in the first place so it was hard to believe she'd hashtag those words so randomly and the way that she wrote #overdose bugged me really badly. It felt like she was making fun of something serious in a way. So it really irked me.

Normally I really love YA and I think this is a great concept for a book but I simply didn't like the execution and didn't enjoy the characters or their arcs.

Thank you to Delacorte Romance & NetGalley for an ARC of this book, in exchange for my honest opinion.

I really loved this sweet love story, that was a perfect summer read! It gave me When in Rome mixed with Princess Diaries vibes in the best way possible.

The progression of Luca & Story’s friendship that led to romance felt so real, and relatable. It was definitely a slow burn/gradual love that formed very naturally. And I absolutely loved all the adventures they went on throughout the summer! I felt like I was in the back seat of their car, or right on the Vespa with them sightseeing and taking in all Rome has to offer. I also loved seeing how much Story and Luca grew as individuals, with the help of each other.

The ending was just chefs kiss and so perfect! I would love to see the author write a sequel or their first year at Oxford together; because I just know they will be off on another epic adventure!

One of my favorite quotes:
“The last two months have been a fast sail on a perfect day, and I know now that the world is meant to be tasted and felt, and not just wondered at. The world is still scary to me, but it’s okay to be scared because the things that are true can’t ever be really lost. Rome taught me to love, and love taught me to believe.“

This YA romance is truly a love letter to Rome, and as someone who loves Italy, I admittedly enjoyed all the Rome scenes and the nods to Roman Holiday. While the fake dating scheme between Story and Luca was a little outlandish and convoluted (Luca--a famous Scottish socialite--meets Story in a gelato store while hiding from the paparazzi and convinces her to pretend to be his girlfriend to take the heat off his real-life girlfriend singer Jasmine, whose ex-boyfriend has entered rehab, and is worried it will reflect badly on her career and new music--shoo!) and it took a bit of time to get to truly know the characters, I ended up really loving this book due to its commentary on social media, addiction, and how we treat famous people. Story is an intelligent, animal-loving vegan who has learned to shrink herself because of the hate she has received growing up as the daughter of an addict dad who died when she was young. She only agrees to help Luca because she has a good heart, and he has the wealth to establish a scholarship in her father's name for children of addicts. As the everyday girl enters the world of wealth and privilege, hilarity ensues with lots of "eat the rich" sound bites and a slow burn buildup that finds Story falling for Luca, despite her own inhibitions and Luca's best friend Andrew's warnings. The paparazzi definitely toys with Story and maims her for everything from her clothing choice to her background, and you feel for her as she realizes she's gotten herself in too deep with her college acceptance to Princeton hanging in the balance. However, the Eternal City's glowing backdrop is truly its own character and spending so much time together leads to Story & Luca's development and lots of sparks. A great addition to any high school library's romance section and recommended for those who enjoyed destination romance books like Anna and the French Kiss or Love & Other Great Expectations.

Thank you to Random House Children's/Delacorte Romance for the ARC.

All Roads Lead to Rome gives Starstruck x The Lizzie McGuire Movie with hints of Letters to Juliet and a modern-day Bridgerton….

Needless to say, I LOVED this.

Was it a tad cliché? Yes. Was it insta-love? A little bit. Was it unrealistic? Probably. But I don’t care. This book gave me what I needed from a YA, European, celebrity fake-dating romance and I devoured it.

I’ll be honest, until about the 20% mark I wasn’t sure if I liked it or would like it. The story started slow and it took a while to get into the rhythm of the writing/dialogue.

But after that 20% mark, I absolutely loved it. The pace started picking up, I got more invested in the characters, and I realized the writing style truly reflected Story and who she is.

I loved seeing Story blossom, Luca’s growing maturity and Andrew’s friendship to the both of them. I wish more than anything that there would have been an epilogue to this story, though. 😭

Before reading, I would check the trigger warnings. There’s several potential triggers including substance use disorder, death of a parent, bullying, etc.

This book comes out June 18th, and I couldn’t recommend it enough if you like this trope!

And finally - thank you so much to NetGalley and Random House Children’s/Delacorte Press for providing me with an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review!

My thanks for the ARC goes to NetGalley and Random House Children's, Delacorte Romance. I'm voluntarily leaving a review.

Genre: Contemporary Romance, YA Romance, Coming of Age
Age: Young Adult Audience (13-18 years old)
Spice Level: No sex on the page. A little bit of implication but not with the main characters.
Language: Some swearing

ALL ROADS LEAD TO ROME is a lot of fun! The main trope is a famous boy and a regular, ordinary girl—this is not my favorite trope, but it works here. I loved the development of the relationship. I kept trying to pinpoint the moment when they changed. It flowed very naturally.

I loved:
- Seeing Italy in a new way
- Scotland!
- Fast cars
- Cows
- Other animals
- Jack (seriously a good guy)
- Clothes
- Nicknames
- Story's mom is amazing!
- Strategies to handle social media and bullying
- CHEMISTRY!

I think older teens will especially love this book.

Happy reading!

🩷❤️ All Roads Lead to Rome ARC Review ❤️🩷

Thank you so much to Sabrina Fedel, Delacorte Romance and Penguin Random House for the opportunity to read and review this book!

All Roads Lead to Rome is a standalone contemporary YA romance. Astoria is looking forward to graduation and enjoying living in Rome. But when she’s photographed with a celebrity, she finds herself in a spotlight she never asked for. She soon realizes that she might have more in common with the flirty celebrity than she ever imagined

This was a super cute read. I really enjoyed Astoria in this book - I feel like her anxieties were relatable and I liked her strength. Luca was such a fun, flirty character and I really enjoyed seeing him evolve throughout the book too. Rome is a beautiful city and I enjoyed that it was a setting for this fun book

Overall this was a four star read. I enjoyed the characters and the story, but would have loved some scenes from Luca’s PoV too! This book does touch on some heavy topics so please check triggers if you’re sensitive. This book did have a YA romance plot but no on page smut, so one flame for spice

If you’re a fan of fake dating, fun characters and Italian history, then absolutely pick this one up!

Please Note: review will be posted to Amazon upon publication

All Roads Lead to Rome by Sabrina Fedel is a captivating and charming novel that is perfect for younger teens. This book offers a delightful and romantic story that is sure to appeal to readers of all ages. Embark on a journey filled with love, adventure, and the magic of summer romance as you follow the road that leads to a perfect summer getaway.

A little what a girl wants, a little lizzie mcguire movie (which are movies i still love to this day!l....a fun YA fake celebrity dating in Rome. I loved the descriptions and the gelato. Some of the scenarios felt a little over the top, the conflict and resolution felt very rushed (I wish there had been an epilogue!) There were some moments that felt too surface level for the heaviness of the content, even with this being a clearly YA novel l. And honestly there multiple other MMCs other than the hero that I kind of wanted to root for more. 🫣 that aside, I loved watching Story and Luca's friendship grow throughout the book, the adventures around Rome, and the visit to Scotland. 🥰

Thank you Netgalley and Random House Children's, Delacorte Romance for the ARC in exchange for my review!

All roads lead to Rome gave the Liszt McGuire movie but they guy is a prince and they really fall in love. I was skeptical at first because I found Story to be a little unlikable but she grew on me and I loved how her and Luca made each other grow through the story. This is a really fun summer read

Fake Dating? YA? Set in Italy? Super famous MC? Yes, yes, yes, YES! These things are so hard to find in a young adult novel, and I was SO excited when I found this one! This is an immediate add to my classroom library!

so cute, i liked this one! this is definitely giving vibes of the lizzie mcguire movie. especially not knowing luca is a celebrity and gets to have an adventure with him as a "normal" person.

Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for a review.

All Roads Lead to Rome is such a fun story. It's a more modern version of The Lizzie McGuire Movie and I loved it! Story is such a cool 19 year old. She's so normal given the kind of life she leads and while not perfect, she's definitely the kind of friend we all need. I loved her perspective and attitude towards Luca and this deal. Luca is adorable and such a fun character, and I loved watching him grow and both he and Story encouraging each other. This book has an insane premise, but the characters feel normal and interesting even given their location and the eyes on all of them!

Introverted, slightly anxious Astoria “Story” Herriot knows everything about Rome—her mom’s an attorney here and the two of them are living la dolce vita… at least until Story’s off to college in the fall.
But when Story is in the wrong gelato shop at the right time, she’s swept up in a fake dating scheme with Scottish heartthrob, Luca Kinnaird, to protect his relationship with a pop princess. There’s something in it for her, too—Luca promises to help fund a scholarship in her dad’s memory. Soon she’s showing Luca the best cafés, sightseeing at the Mouth of Truth, and picnicking at the ruins of the Abbey of Santa Maria del Piano. Story’s travel guide skills are 10/10, but what she knows about being a celebrity—or having feelings for one? Zero.
Pretending to be Luca’s guide—then his girlfriend—gets the paparazzi’s attention . . . and what’s true and what’s fake gets blurry as their different worlds crash together. Sophisticated, hot, rich, and with the most charming accent ever, Luca is full of surprises. And maybe, too, is Story’s perfectly planned future.

I rather enjoyed this little YA romance! Characters were pretty well rounded, especially as teenagers, so that could have been a bit more believable…however l, I liked the Italian touches and the love story was very cute!

This one was a bit of a slow start for me. The first several chapters, the pacing felt off to me. Once I got into the story, however, I really started to enjoy it. I had such a hard time accepting Luca as a worthy love interest at first, but he grew on me as the story went on. The character development of both Luca and Story was very well done. I felt very connected to them by the end.

Rating: 4.75⭐️

I absolutely loved this book and the main female and male characters! Both the MFC and MMC had good character arcs, and I enjoyed seeing both of them growing as their relationship evolved. The setting of the book was wonderful, and it ended up being very impactful for both of the character's. One of my favorite parts of the book, was how the MFC and the MMC helped each other with the issues that they were going through, and that they made each other better versions of themselves. I thought that the ending was a perfect way to close the book, and I was very satisfied with how the MFC and the MMC ended up. This book is perfect for summer especially if you're going to be traveling in Europe. I read this book on the plane on my way to Rome and it made me very excited for my trip!🍝🇮🇹

The good:
The book was a quick and easy read and Luca was a good “book boyfriend” who listened to Story, accommodated her needs and stood up for her.

The bad:
Story gives off major “not like other girls” vibes, which made her pretty insufferable at times. Also, I’m not sold on the plot of this book. I have no idea why Luca would be considered famous enough to have paparazzi following him (and by extension Story) or why Story’s friends would recognize him. Additionally, why does he need a “fake girlfriend”? What was he planning to do to keep his relationship with Jasmine a secret before he ran into Story? I have no idea why Jasmine would suggest or agree to the arrangement either.

Somewhat unrelated, but I also find it odd that there aren’t swarms of people at some of these tourist sites in Rome in the middle of summer…

Overall, I thought the writing was pretty good for a debut (there were parts that dragged a bit, but overall I was engaged and it was easy to get through). I would be interested in picking up future books by this author. However, I think this book needed more editing.

2.5/5 stars

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Children’s for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

TW: addiction

This book should be everything I love: celebrity romance, fake dating, travel romance and a gender-swapped "Roman Holiday" adaptation. And yet, something just let me down; Don't get me wrong, this novel was still well-written with compelling language that reads quickly. But, something about the characters just lacked a certain sizzle or pop for me personally, like I struggled to connect to them and thus care about their journey. However, as a travel romance, this one is absolutely fun and cute. And the inclusion of Edinburgh just made my heart happy.

A good tale about an interesting couple. The settings are great and the plot fun. While I wish that there had been more conflict before the big moment, I understand that the fairy tale nature of this story perhaps does not allow for such a move. Also, I would have liked to see more of Jack, who had potential as a character. Overall, though, I think this works very well as a young adult novel!

I am OBSESSED with this book!! At first I wasn't sure what to expect, and before I knew it, I couldn't stop reading. I love Story and Luca SO much. I love how everything played out. Perfect, cute YA read! Thank you NetGalley and Random House Children's for this free eARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

Thank you to netgalley and Random House Children's | Delacorte Romance for allowing me to read this book. This was such a fun and cute romance.