The story follows Lo, a young woman from a family of psychics who has never experienced visions herself—until she finally has one right before a backpacking trip to Italy. Her excited aunties are convinced she'll meet her destined love on this journey. When she's rescued from a runaway trolley by the handsome Caleb in Venice, it seems the prophecy is fulfilled. However, as Lo travels through Italy with her best friend Teller, her growing feelings for him complicate her belief in her vision.
Lea's writing shines in the vivid descriptions of Italian cities from Venice to Rome to the Amalfi Coast, making readers feel transported alongside the characters. The dynamic between Lo and Teller is realistic and compelling, built on years of friendship and understanding rather than instant attraction.
While the premise might seem predictable, Lea injects enough authentic emotion and self-discovery into Lo's journey to keep readers invested. The book thoughtfully explores how much we should let perceived destiny guide our choices versus following our hearts.
Perfect for fans of Emily Henry and Christina Lauren, "Something Like Fate" is an ideal summer read that will leave you craving both Italian gelato and your own European adventure with a potential soulmate.

TW: death of mother, knee injury

I enjoyed this book. I really thought this was great for older teens and young adults. I loved the magical realism components, but my favorite part of the book was how the travel and the scenery was incorporated into the story. I did wish the two characters communicated a little bit better, but I think that is also realistic for their age.

my first amy lea but not my last! this was such a cute book! i love a friends to lovers romance and make it a summer romance with an italy setting!! i’m in! this book was so funny, sweet and heartfelt! this is such a perfect summer read!

This was such a cute YA romantic comedy. While I really liked this, it was hard to tell a times if this was supposed to be a YA book or more of an adult romance. While I don't mind spice in my books, some people might. All in all I really enjoyed it and would definitely recommend to others.

A special thank you to netgalley and the publisher for this free advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

3.5 stars rounded up

This was a sweet YA/new adult story that centers on Lo, a college freshman whose family has the ability to see visions of their soulmates before they meet them. Lo thinks the family gift has bypassed her, but when she suddenly has a vision right before leaving for Italy, she becomes convinced she's meant to find her soulmate on her trip and brings her best friend, Teller, along for the adventure. But is love a matter of fate, free will, or a mixture of the two?

The premise of this story and Lo's trip pulled me into this book, but the lack of communication between Lo and Teller was frustrating. I also wish Lo's family had let her know the truth about their visions earlier on, as well.

I also felt like more of this story could have been edited out because it sometimes felt repetitive and slower-paced than I think it needed to be. I loved the friendship between Lo and Teller and the nostalgia, though, and overall enjoyed the idea of this book and Lea's writing.

If you’re looking to fill your country’s tbr you can add this one to Italy!

It’s a YA, that has some magical realism sprinkled in. If follows Lo, who is spending a summer backpacking in Italy with her best friend Teller. This is a friends to lovers romance that will have you smiling at their special moments.

I really enjoyed the beginning and expected it to be as great all the way through, but it wasn’t. About halfway through it got predictable. Maybe I’m too old for it?

Cute friends to lovers romance set against the backdrop of Italy in the summer. Reading this book really took me back in time to the self discovery phase of college. Loved Lo’s aunts and the family lore rooted in Chinese fortune telling. The book dragged a bit at times but was an enjoyable read overall and did have me briefly questioning my thoughts on fate and soulmates.

I am so bummed this was not a favorite of mine, after loving Amy Lea’s other work. Something just did not hit for me, despite it having all the pieces of things I would usually love.

Something Like Fate is an enjoyable young adult rom-com. In Lo’s family, the women have visions of their soulmate, but at age nineteen, Lo is feeling like an outcast because she hasn’t had a vision yet. When the vision unexpectedly arrives, it seems to show that Lo will meet her soulmate on her upcoming Italian vacation. But Lo’s relationship with her best friend Teller may make things a bit more complicated. This book is funny and sweet, exploring themes of finding your path in life and taking charge of your own destiny.

This was cute, not very memorable and some things made me cringe. The love triangle and the “soulmate” talk is also cringe. Her family has a “curse” and if she doesn’t find her soulmate than she could die like her aunt?! Idk. Not my favorite
⭐️⭐️⭐️
Thank you for the arc!

Publication : March 1st, 2025

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Amy Lea delivers a heartfelt and charming romance in Something Like Fate, blending fate, choice, and undeniable chemistry. With relatable characters, witty banter, and just the right amount of emotional depth, this story pulls you in from the start. The romance feels natural and swoon-worthy, while the themes of personal growth and destiny add depth.

Thank You NetGalley and Skyscape
The publisher provided ARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review

Thank you Netgalley and Skyscape for the opportunity to read this YA magical romcom!

In "Something Like Fate," Amy Lea crafts a delightful romance that combines the subject of fate, and pure friendship. The story follows Lo, who has grown up surrounded by her family's psychic women, yet has always felt left out due to her lack of abilities, setting the stage for a charming exploration of love, friendship, and self-discovery.

Lo's long-awaited vision finally comes to her, and with it, the promise of finding "The One" during a backpacking trip in Italy. Accompanied by her best friend, Teller, the journey becomes a vibrant backdrop for Lo's fate to play out. Amy Lea's writing captures the enchanting beauty of Italy, making readers feel as if they’re wandering the streets of Venice and Rome alongside the characters.

When Lo meets Caleb, it's the meet-cute of her dreams. However, it’s Lo’s evolving feelings for Teller that truly add depth to the story. Their friendship, fraught with tension and unspoken feelings, creates a compelling love triangle that keeps readers guessing about where Lo's heart truly lies. Lo's journey is not just about finding love; but about understanding herself and the relationships that matter most.

Overall, "Something Like Fate" is a heartwarming read that balances humor, romance, and a touch of magic. It may not break new ground in the romance genre, but it certainly entertains and leaves readers with a smile. A lovely addition to any summer reading list!

3 stars
Content warning: injury to main character

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a digital copy to review. All thoughts are my own.

I've sat for a while on writing this review, mostly because I didn't know how to frame my thoughts. The concept is cute enough, and I enjoy predictable little rom-coms where the main protagonist needs to travel to a European country to understand something about themselves. It's nostalgic towards the shows I grew up watching. It's also well done with the coming of age aspect, and Lo definitely learns a lot about herself, her friendships, and her family dynamics whilst travelling around Italy with her best friend Teller.

However, the fortune-telling aspect of this story really let it down. I didn't enjoy how it was created and infiltrated very conveniently into scenes and emotional thought processes. Lo comes from a family full of women who meet their soulmates at some point in their lives. She's also struggling with the lack of guidance that she could have received from her mother, who sadly passed away when she was very young, over this aspect of her life. She hyper-fixates on this, as well as being led astray by her needlessly kooky Aunt, and I just never came to enjoy this aspect of the read. It hindered growth between Teller and Lo, and stopped several scenes I liked from being more impacting.

Perhaps someone younger - who this is marketed for - might enjoy the fate element to this read, but I came to dislike Lo as a character because of it, and wished Teller would find someone else to like more instead. He ended up being a bit pointless with the decisions Lo made at the end of their trip, and when their reunion happened, it lacked any spark for me.

Something Like Fate is generically predictable, and there's nothing wrong with that. It's easy enough to read, but I just found it to be overall quite a beige book that had more potential than what was executed.

SOMETHING LIKE FATE by Amy Lea is a sweet and comedic story filled with friends-t0-lovers, a love triangle, supportive aunties, and gorgeous Italian destinations. Amy Lea never misses!

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I have read, and really enjoyed, several other books by this author. So I went into reading this book with high expectations. This book lived up to my expectations. It was wonderful!

Despite being almost Lea’s oldest YA characters, they felt so young and immature. Yes nineteen is definitely still young and immature (and that’s okay!) but this just felt wrong idk. Almost like middle grade?? despite the sexual bits. Which also felt extremely misplaced for the character development we were given. I promise I’m not some weirdo who thinks YA books should read like adult books or that I’m a prude I PROMISE!!! However, I have read a lot of YA books throughout my years (of all different age ranges and a lot while I was the specific age ranges) so I do think I’m a pretty good judge. Feel free to take my opinion with a grain of salt though. But I maintain this book felt extremely disjointed. The last 10% of the book felt like a fever dream.

A sweet story that takes place on a fun summer vacation in Italy. Lo comes from a family with psychic abilities so when she finally gets a vision she becomes convinced that she will find her soulmate on her trip. However, there are some bumps along the way and some confusion about her soulmate and true feeling. Could it be that Lo's feelings guide her down a different path than the one she originally thought?

Aside from the romance aspect I really enjoyed the conversations that Lo had with her aunts and eventually her father.

ARC REVIEW

This book has a few tropes I don't normally reach for, but I love Amy Lea's other books so I took the chance!

This book is great if you love:

👩‍❤️‍👨 young adult
🔼 love triangle
🚪 closed door
🥐 Italy travels
💖 friends to lovers

This romance had a fun twist of soulmates and fortune telling on top of a great, authentic friends to lovers journey. It also was Amy's same quality writing but still felt different from her other stories! 

I don't read too many Y/A books so I can't say for certain, but at times the characters felt a bit young for the age they were. Other than that this was an enjoyable read!

Truly a cute YA romance novel about fate, the one and truly knowing your worth. The way Amy Lea writes her books always feels so good and really touches you. This one had me laughing and wanting to cry at one point.