An amazing feel good story. I am so glad I read it, it is so captivating that I envy anyone read it for the first time!

Having thoroughly enjoyed the previous two books in the Rome Apartment series, I was super excited to be granted an advance copy through Netgalley.

I admit to being a bit confused when Sara, whose story this is, goes first to Milan, then spends a while in Florence before arriving at the eponymous Rome apartment. While I didn’t in the least mind ‘being’ in Florence, I was eager to meet up with Ronnie and Marina again and have them do their magic for Sara.

Despite not being a mother myself, I sympathised with Sara in her struggle to cut the apron strings for her twin sons, even while thinking ‘come on, girl, it’s for their own good’!

As well as enjoying seeing Sara give herself permission to take risks and start a new way of life, there was the delightful bonus of briefly catching up with Beth and Rico from book 1 of the series.

My only complaint – it was too short. I want more!!!

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… Very well written, with relatable characters and well-constructed dialogue resulting in a very engaging — but also satisfying — storyline ⭐⭐⭐⭐

I was thrilled to see there was a third book in this wonderful series, and finished it almost it in one go. I felt a lot of empathy with Sarah, and thoroughly enjoyed reading about her changing life. As with the previous books, it has made me want to visit Rome again, the descriptions are beautiful and I need to see those unusual places (not seen by most tourists) for myself. I cannot recommend this book highly enough, particularly for women of the same age!

Thank you Netgalley for providing me an ARC.

Thank god for Lainey and her last wish because if Lainey didn't free Sara, I would have! Can't believe how useless her Husband and her sons were and the first couple of messages when she is in Italy? Rage inducing!

Loved the detailed descriptions of what Sara saw and did in Italy, I felt like I was there! The characters were really mixed and this made a fun read.

The switch between the end and the epilogue was a little bit on the short side.

Fifty-seven-year-old Sarah has been stuck in a marriage long past its expiry date. In fact, since deciding to divorce three years ago, she and her soon-to-be ex-husband have been continuing to live in the same house. Her opportunity to break free is offered to her in the most unique circumstances; the last request of her recently passed best friend, Lainey.

Lainey has gifted her £20, 000 to buy her freedom on the one condition that Sarah uses the money to scatter her ashes in Portofino, Italy.

Before she has time to get cold feet, Sarah books her ticket to Italy promising her twin 18-year-old sons that she’ll be back in 5 days. Everything changes when she meets Boo on the flight. Boo encourages Sarah to see that she’s been moulding herself into someone else’s view of what she should be and challenges her to reawaken her senses that have become dull after 26 years of a loveless marriage.

“There’s more to life than fitting into a jelly mould of convention.”

“What if you just didn’t. Didn’t anything. Didn’t go home, didn’t help with the house, didn’t I don’t know, do what people expect of you?”

Sarah grabs the opportunity to shed a weight. She doesn’t allow her husband to dictate her timeline and begins living life with music in her soul.

I absolutely loved this third installment of the Rome Apartment series! The examination of why we stay in an accepted cocoon no matter how unhappy we are was thought-provoking as was the suggestion to unburden ourselves of the things that give structure to our life and reclaim some space for ourselves.

I also appreciated the struggle mothers have with the tricky transitional period when their children are adults in so many ways but still need their parents. I don't have children, but I can imagine this story would have an even deeper appeal to those who have children who are nearing ‘leaving the nest.’

I laughed and cried and closed this book reminded again why I love these women who champion the downtrodden woman and/or a woman at a crossroads. Fisher’s story about the adventures, love, joy and lessons from the Eternal City is magnificent. Its theme may be about rediscovery, but it's about so much more than that!

Ronnie’s advice will stay with me:

“It takes decades to stop worrying about things, people, events that don’t matter. Gobble up every opportunity, say yes to things that excite but scare you and give people who whine about their lot a wide berth. With any luck, the next thirty years will be the best you’ve ever had.”

I will be singing the praises of this trilogy to anyone who will listen!

This is book 3 of the Italian Escape but it can be read as a stand-alone.

I was gifted this copy by Bookouture and NetGalley and was under no obligation to provide a review.