Many thanks to Bookouture for inviting me to be part of the Books on Tour for “Escape to the Rome Apartment” by Kerry Fisher. This is the third book in the series but it can be read as a stand alone story.
Pack your bags, because you’re going to Italy! The sights and sounds in the story will make you feel as if you are there. Sara’s best friend dies and leaves her money to travel to Italy. Since she’s stuck in a dead end marriage and basically a maid to her grown up twin boys, she decides to travel by herself. This is an emotional roller coaster read. It will show you that you are never too old for a second chance at life.
Many thanks to the author, Bookouture and NetGalley for a complimentary copy of the book. The opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.

"Escape to the Rome Apartment" is a story of family, friendships and finding oneself, with a bit of romance thrown in. The lead character is Sara, a 57 year old mother of twin sons, and a working woman. Having decided that they have grown apart, she and husband Declan had put off divorce because of the pandemic. Now matters come to a head and Sara finds the courage to stand up for herself and force some progress.

As Sara follows the wishes of her recently deceased best friend Lainey she meets new people and discovers a different lifestyle. She is no longer at the beck and call of 3 men but does as she pleases. We also discover the truth about her love for Italy.

This is an uplifting read for those in late middle age - life is not over and can still dish up some surprises!

Thanks to Net Galley and the publishers for the opportunity to review this book.

Thank you NetGalley and Bookouture for this eCopy to review

Kerry has done it again another excellent book about how it is not too late to live the life you want rather than the one others force you to. Once again I was swept up with the characters and locations, both expertly depicted. On another soggy week in the UK all I want is to escape to Rome and lap up some sunshine and perhaps find the inspiration to make changes in my own life.

A fantastic read

A great plot enhanced by the backdrop of Italy - and who doesn't love Italian culture? Their history, wonderful food and that laid back lifestyle. It's a story of new beginnings and being brave enough to take chances and change direction. As we glimpse journalist Sara's life, it seems right from the beginning, other people have influenced her choices - and she has made some bad ones herself. Continually bullied at work and given the more mundane projects, she decides enough is enough and walks out of her job. Home life is no better. At 57 with twin boys of 21) she has fallen into the role of the 'wife machine' with an expectation she will sort out every domestic problem and provide a smooth home life for husband Declan and the boys to drop in and out of. Despite Declan deciding their marriage has run its course and mentioned divorce, nothing has changed. That change comes when her best friend Lainey dies, leaving her £20,000 together with a request that her ashes are scattered at Portofino. Sara decides she will carry out her wishes, seeing it as an opportunity to get away and take stock of her life. Predicably Declan (who is the most selfish, insensitive individual) not only objects to the trip but also appears to think he has a claim on the £20,000. In the end, taking a leap of faith, Sara leaves, with the promise she will be back in a few days.
A chance meeting with a fellow passenger on the plane turns the whole visit on its head and the story takes Sara on a journey she did not expect, one which will change her life for good. Great characters, a wonderful story and, of course, Italy! I was rooting for Sara all the way.

I would like to thank Bookouture, the author and Netgalley for an ARC of Escape to the Rome Apartment in exchange for an honest review.

I did not read the other books in the series but this was great as a standalone. I love the storyline and that the main character is 57 years old. This is a beautiful and touching story. A fantastic summer read,

📗 📖 📗
Arc Review

𝗘𝘀𝗰𝗮𝗽𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗥𝗼𝗺𝗲 𝗔𝗽𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁
Kerry Fisher
Bookature
Publishing April 11, 2024


It came to my attention after finishing the book that it's the 3rd installment in 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗜𝘁𝗮𝗹𝗶𝗮𝗻 𝗘𝘀𝗰𝗮𝗽𝗲 series, but it worked very well as a standalone.

This is a wonderful, uplifting, emotional story of letting go and finding your true self. Sara is a fifty seven year old woman trapped sharing a house with her soon to be ex-husband and twin boys who are grown but still tied to mother's apron strings.

Her best friend Lainey has passed away, and her dying wish was to have her ashes scattered at the beach in Rome, where they had vacationed in their youth.

In a snap decision, she books a flight, and it turns into the trip of a lifetime. Sara embarks on a journey of self-discovery and empowerment. She decides to be brave and relishes in the freedom she had long forgotten

Through beautifully immersive writing, we discover the sights, sounds, and smells of Italy and get to know the amazing people who help Sara along the way. I loved some of the advice she received about why people stay in stagnant situations such as marriages, relationships, jobs, etc. It was quite enlightening.

I would definitely recommend this lovely book to everyone.
Thank you to the author, Bookature, and Netgally for the arc. My review was voluntary.



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It is stories like these that remind me I must take my head out of a thriller more often.

This is a beautiful, emotional, sweet and uplifting story about how our losses and our loves shape us. How life can change almost overnight and just how short life is.

A generous bequest from her lifelong friend Lainey to scatter her ashes in Rome sends ripples through every part of Sara’s life. Navigating the loss of her friend and the demise of her marriage while still trying to be a safety net for her now-adult children, she begins to realise that her life - and the possibility to find new love - does not end in your fifties.

Through beautifully descriptive and immersive writing, the sights and sounds of Rome felt tantalisingly close and made me want to hop on a plane.

Thank you so much to Bookouture and NetGalley for the ARC.

This,book is a celebration of life. It is,a funny and wise story about new,sparks instead of a midlife crisis.It gives,us hope instead of drudgery.
I enjoyed reading this story immensely.

A lovely tale of a woman taking a second stab at life. I liked that Sara is 57 and plunging forward into Florence, propelled by her friend Lainey who bequeathed her the means. Of course there's a romance with challenges but there's also (and this isn't a spoiler) an HEA. I missed the first two books and this was fine as a standalone. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. A good read.

Closing one chapter of life, can she smoothly launch into the next?⛲

Yes, I liked the plot based around 57 year old Sara finding it hard to break away from her foundering life in Britain. Finally fed up and newly unemployed, she grabs the opportunity to head off to Italy to carry out her best friend Lainey's dying wishes. And the real adventure begins...

Although I preferred the first story in this series about the sanctuary Rome apartment and its eccentric owners, I did find this a good read. The author really knows how to incorporate the spirit and magic of Florence, Rome and the Ligurian coast sights, ancient streets and gorgeous landscapes into the story. The Rome action is reserved for the latter part of the story.

Sara, the main character, had to be pulled along to face new challenges, but I could relate to this reluctance to totally ditch her old life and start afresh at her mature stage of life. There's continuing frustration emanating from her demanding soon-to-be ex; the family home to be sold; two sons to be settled; a strong-willed travelling companion to handle; a new romantic interest and the overwhelming uncertainty of just where she will end up.

The flashbacks to her earlier Italian love affair are nicely built in and add extra drama to her travels as Sara fears facing the "great tragedy" of her youth by returning to Rome. And the reminiscences of her times with BFF Lainey added poignancy.

Thanks to Bookouture and NetGalley for sharing a complimentary advance copy of the book; this is my voluntary and honest opinion.

My review will be shared on Goodreads, Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Bookbub.

I've never read a book my this author before. This is a part of Kerry Fisher's The Rome Apartment trilogy but it is a stand alone read.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It's about friendship, letting go of the past, unlearning who you aren't and finding yourself again, boundaries, and bit of romance.
I could have highlighted most of this book. It's refreshing to read books about older mature women who are still living life. Learning, exploring. Letting go of expectations, even though there is some reluctance to let go of what's comfortable and live fully. Getting second chances, whether at love or life in general. Kerry Fisher's writing is so thoughtful.
I liked this book so much I put the other two in this series on my to be read most.
#EscapetotheRomeApartment
I received this book from NetGalley and the publisher, I was under no obligation to write a review. All opinions are my own

Description
Sara’s eyes fill with tears as she reads the letter, her last words from her dearest friend: ‘I’m buying you your freedom. You don’t need to ask your husband’s permission and you have to put yourself...

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Description
Sara’s eyes fill with tears as she reads the letter, her last words from her dearest friend: ‘I’m buying you your freedom. You don’t need to ask your husband’s permission and you have to put yourself first for once. Have an incredible adventure before it’s too late for both of us…’

Sara has lost her zest for life. Trapped sharing a house with her soon-to-be-ex-husband, with grown-up children who still need her but take her for granted, working in a job where her boss bullies her, the final straw is the heartbreak of losing her beloved best friend Lainey.

But Lainey’s death could be the beginning of Sara’s new life… as the last gift Lainey gives to her friend is a sum of money and a request: that Sara travels to Italy, the scene of the pair’s youthful adventures, and scatters Lainey’s ashes on the beach at Portofino.

For once, Sara decides to be brave. She quits her job, tells her family they can manage without her, and sets off on the trip of a lifetime. Swept up by new friends and relishing the freedom of being away from home in beautiful Florence, Sara finds herself drawn to Carlo. Handsome and charming, he is everything Sara finds it so hard to be: carefree, impulsive, living in the moment without worrying about the future.

And then Sara sees something she shouldn’t… and discovers a secret about Carlo that makes her question everything she thought she knew. Stuck at a crossroads in her life and her travels, she can’t face returning home yet, but nor is she brave enough to continue the challenge that Lainey set her. And then she meets an English woman who tells her about an apartment in Rome, that could just be the answer to everything…

Return to the sunny streets of beautiful Rome with this heart-warming and romantic story about discovering your true path in life. Perfect for fans of Jill Mansell, Elin Hilderbrand and Sheila O’Flanagan

I enjoyed this book, but probably not as much as the first book. I loved how the first one was set up with the main characters. But the additional characters in the next two just did not capture me as much. I would definitely recommend this author and will check out any other books to come by them.

I voluntarily reviewed a copy of this book provided by NetGalley.

Kerry Fisher, Escape to the Rome Apartment, Book 3 of The Italian Escape, Bookouture, April 2024.

Thank you, NetGalley, for providing me with this uncorrected proof for review.

Kerry Fisher’s Italian Escape series is a pleasant combination of romance, social commentary and the most engaging descriptions of Italian towns, culture and life. With its two main characters, Ronnie and Marina, friends in their seventies who live in the apartments, some continuing secondary characters and the introduction of new ones, the Italian Escape series is an engaging read. Although I found Books 1 and 2 more absorbing, Book 3 has a charm of its own, beginning with Sara’s escape from her life in England with a demanding husband and twin sons to a chance meeting on the plane with a woman whose joyous approach to life begins to work a change in Sara’s.

Sara, now in her fifties, is returning to Italy years after her romance with an Italian lover failed. Although this provides a background to her visit, most importantly she has returned to scatter the ashes of her best friend, Lainie, with whom she spent a summer in Italy. She has spent her life after this joyous time bowing to society’s expectations. However, even before she reaches the Rome apartment where Ronnie and Marina’s plans help women change their expectations of what life can offer them, Sara has rebelled. She has refused to bend to her tyrannical boss at the prestigious women’s magazine where she is lifestyle editor, giving her the opportunity to stay in Italy for as long as she wants. It will take her longer to change her wife and mothering mode, but this at least is a start.

Florence, Portofino and then Rome provide wonderful vignettes of Italian culture and locations; popular songs from the past stimulate memories for the fictional characters and readers; Beth and Rico from a previous Roman Apartment journey not only make a link with the Rome apartment and its influence but continue their story. Sara’s past showing her parents’ disapproval of her former romance and life choices are intersected with her current experiences in Italy. Clues to the life she has lived in her marriage are provided through texts and phone calls from her husband and sons, and Sara’s reflections.

Once again, Kerry Fisher has written a well plotted romance with preceptive portrayals of family relationships, friendships, and lifestyles that embrace a range of options to enhance women’s choices. That she does so with women in the fifties and seventies as the main characters is another positive feature of this series.

This book was recommended at my bookclub and it certainly didn't disappoint. I just loved it and can’t wait to read the next one in the series. Very atmospheric and I felt like I was in Rome as well.

Thanks to the Publisher and Netgalley for an early review copy.

I loved this story. I feel you will be wanting to travel to Italy when you finish the book.

It’s about Sarah, she made a promise to her friend Laney, that she’ll take her ashes to Italy and scatter them there.

But, now, a year later, Sarah is yet to fulfill that promise.

When her morning at work goes from bad to worse, she leaves the job and her current way of living.

If you’ve felt that you wish you’d lived a different life, this story will relate to you.

She arrives in Italy and meets someone who she once parted ways with.

I recommend this book.

Although Kerry Fisher has published a long list of novels since 2012 I have only just come across her writing and this is the first one I have read. ‘Escape to the Rome Apartment’ came to my attention being an Italophile. It is Book 3 of a series The Italian Escape, however that made no difference to my enjoyment of this story, as it stood alone perfectly.

Sara the middle aged protagonist embarks on a journey of self-discovery whilst carrying out her deceased best friends last wishes. The descriptions of her time in Italy transported me back to Milano, Firenze and Roma once again. I felt I was there with her, every step of the way as the story developed.

My love of Italy was definitely satisfied by this uplifting feel good read. Would recommend to lovers of romance and or Italy. Thanks to Net Galley and Bookouture for giving me the opportunity to read and review this novel.

Escape to the Rome Apartment by Kerry Fisher is the perfect springtime read that transported the reader to the sunny streets of Italy. It was the third book in the series - I hadn’t read the previous instalments and certainly didn’t miss out so it can be read as a standalone story. It delivers on the promise of love, laughter, and loss. The first few chapters I was in awe at Sara's ability to be spontaneous and escape the drudgery of the day-to-day work/family routines and jump on a plane. Sara’s journey of self-discovery, empowerment, and friendship is both relatable and intriguing, with Sara serving as a strong and engaging female lead. The story is an great escape, offering a blend of backstory, romance, and feel-good moments. Highly recommended for anyone in need of a quick, heartwarming and uplifting read. Thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for the ARC in exchange for a review.

I liked books 1 and 2 in this series, so was itching to get my hands on book 3. This was such a lovely story and in Spring made me crave the Italian sun. Lots of love, laughter and loss. This is relatable, and intriguing. Sara is a great female lead as you go through the motions with her and I liked seeing her story blossom.

Great escapism, liked the backstory and an all round feel good read.

This is the feel good story you need this spring! Escape to the Rome Apartment will have you checking flights to Italy before you finish the book. This story follows Sarah who has promised her best friend, Lainey that she would scatter her ashes in Italy, but a year later and she hasn't made that trip. After a disastrous morning at work, Sarah stands up to her boss and walks out of her job and her humdrum, suburban life. Any one who has regrets over a life you wished you lived will love to read about Sarah's adventures in Italy, her reunion with the "one who got away", and finding new love. This is the perfect springtime read.

This was really sweet and the exact type of book I needed to read right now. It's touching whilst also feeling v relatable,