I appreciate the warnings at the beginning of the book and I was okay to read it but there moments in the book that it was boring or too much. Some moments it was okay, but overall it had the right tone for the topics talking.

I must admit there were parts of this book that I loved and then there parts of this book that I hated. I felt that Stevie's family travails were just too many and too much. The story of SIDS was heartbreaking and after the light-hearted beginning of the book, totally unexpected. And it just kept getting worse, for every little happy thing that happened, even worse things happens until I felt Stevie's sadness pressing down on me. The only redeeming thing is at least (spoiler alert) there is a happy ending, although exactly how it was accomplished is not explained.

2.75 stars


Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC (it's my first one :))

I enjoyed the first half of the book. There is something about meeting someone at weddings (one that isn't the groom or the bride) that I found so sweet. It was an easy read and the first half was quite interesting to get into.

But I seem to have lost the plot or direction of this book. It felt a little bit... all over the place - like it was MESSY. It felt like all the flaws of Stevie were just there and not given any justice at all.

I truly expected more from this book based on the description (which felt a little far from the actual plot).

Thank you Netgalley for this ARC. All Roads Lead to Rome by Yamile Saied is a heartwarming and adventurous story about self-discovery, love, and the beauty of travel. Saied’s writing is engaging and vivid, capturing the magic of the setting and the emotions of the characters. The story is both fun and heartfelt, making it an enjoyable read for those who love stories about love, travel, and personal growth. Overall, All Roads Lead to Rome is a delightful and inspiring novel.

Stevie is a woman with a complex family life. Trying to find out how to achieve her dreams while also finding love is a challenge for her. But upon meeting Cristian, she thinks she has a place to start.

This book was an easy read. My favorite character was Cristian, and he felt grounded and reasonable. While Stevie has been through a lot, I grew tired of Stevie’s inability to communicate and her childishness in relationships.
The book dealt with a lot of complex themes, which kept it interesting. However, I don’t feel like it did any of them well. It was a bit all over the place, in that it felt like 4 different books wound up into one messy one. I couldn’t tell if the author wanted it to be a rom-com, a book about grief, a book about following your dreams, a book about a trio of best friends, or a book about a mother-daughter relationship.

My favorite quote was “You need to go to therapy, bebé.”

Thanks for the ARC, Netgalley!

The cover may suggest a light hearted rom com but don't let that fool you- this book is SO much more! Grief, love, friendship, and conflicts mix together to create a truly beautiful story. It is not dark or heavy, just a simply beautiful story.

All Roads Lead to Rome is an uplifting, beautifully crafted story with rich character development and an honest portrayal of the complexities of interpersonal relationships—especially between mothers and daughters, and the often times difficult dynamic with stepfathers. Through Stevie’s journey across the globe, we see that even those who seem to have it all—money, good looks, great friends—are ultimately searching for the same thing: a sense of belonging and unconditional love.

This is the story of Stevie Choi and Cristian, but it’s so much more than just a love story. It’s a story about friendship, family, grief, healing, and the journey to finding oneself. I also loved the multicultural aspect—it’s always great to see that represented in a novel.

Quick note: Based on the description alone, I initially expected a lighthearted rom-com with sprinkles of grief and conflict. But this book turned out to be so much more, and that’s exactly why I loved it. However, if you’re looking for a truly lighthearted rom-com, keep this in mind! The author provides trigger warnings at the start, which I appreciated. Readers—always check for trigger warnings!

Stevie has endured immense loss in her life, and as a result, she spends years running—from commitment, from love, from the possibility of more pain. However, deep down, she longs for connection and belonging. And in the midst of running, she unexpectedly stumbles into love.

Stevie and Cristian meet in Rome (there’s a whole backstory to this, but I don’t want to spoil it!), where their instant connection leads to a playful, seemingly harmless pact: if they’re both still single at seventy, they’ll marry each other. In the meantime, they agree to remain “fiancé” friends. But with miles between them and their lives pulling them in different directions, can they truly maintain this friendship—and the feelings that come with it?

Their friendship is deeply supportive, allowing them both to grow, love, and learn in different ways. I really liked how the book explores the delicate relationship between love and timing.

The family dynamics in this book are painful and, at times, extremely frustrating—I often wanted to shake some of these characters! But the story also subtly highlights the beauty of friendships and the people who stand by us through life’s hardest moments. My only wish is that we had seen more of the behind-the-scenes resolution at the end. But then again, isn’t that how it often happens in life?

I found myself deeply invested in Stevie’s growth, resilience, and relationships. Her journey is raw, emotional, and messy—but ultimately, uplifting. I loved this book!

Thank you to Net Galley, the author and the publisher for this ARC. All opinions are my own.

This started a little slowly for me but once I got into it I really enjoyed the story! Not quite as lighthearted as the cover suggests.

This wasn't quite the travel romcom the blurb (and cover) suggest, but it was a really moving love story.

this book was okay. It was pretty much a standard romance with all the normal repeating cliches and cheesy lines. It was not unique from other romances unfortunately, and it was not that interesting, to me it was a little hard to get through.

Thank you to NetGalley, to the author, and to the publisher for this complimentary ARC in exchange for my honest review!!!

While I understand some advance readers feel differently, I really enjoyed ALL ROADS LEAD TO ROME. This is not your typical syrupy sweet romance or rom com. The description and cover might be slightly misleading in that respect. This story is not afraid to tackle tough issues such as teen pregnancy, grief, and death. However, it does not end up being a heavy book. The author incorporates Stevie's heartbreak into a story about healing and moving towards the future. Things are not wrapped up completely with a nice bow (for example I wished for a little more resolution with respect to how Stevie's family treats her) but I appreciate and admire how the story tries to stay true to life in that respect. I will look forward to more from this author.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an advance e-galley; all opinions in my review are 100% my own.

I think the description of this book did not match the book I read, or maybe that’s just me. I was hoping to get a fun lighthearted travel romance and that was not the case at all. Of course, the heartbreak Stevie faces is mentioned at the beginning of the description, I think this does a huge disservice to the book and really turned me off from the whole thing. As a warning, this book deals with the concepts of grief, teenage pregnancy, and death very heavily. We spend a lot of time with Stevie going through these and I think there should have been some sort of content warning in the description or the book itself. Also, for this book to be about her relationship with herself as well as Cristian, i don’t think we got much of her dealing with herself and learning to love herself. I also hated the way her mom’s new husband talked to her and how that was never resolved. I wanted some resolution with mom and step dad and for Stevie to advocate for herself. Honestly, I don’t think this book should be marketed as a romance book because that is such a small part of this story. Overall, this book just missed the mark with me and fell short of what I was expecting.

Do you need to be reminded to have faith in what the future brings? Pick up All Roads Lead to Rome by Yamile Saied Mendez. It’s just what you’re looking for.

Shoutout netgalley for this arc!

I genuinely loved reading this book - the travel, the food, the silly commitment. The only reason i dinged a star was because the ending - i wish there was more!!! Justice!!!!

I had a hard time with this book. From the description of “heartwarming romcom,” I expected a Katherine Center-type story, or even Sarah Adams—with sparkle and sweetness and witty banter. Instead, the main characters were snarky, devil-may-care, and even a bit vulgar. Plenty of audience for this story, but the description may be attracting the wrong readers.

While the premise is sweet, the characters are not.

Gahhh love this book!! The first chapter was so hard to get through and I almost regretted wanting to read this book. But oh my, am I glad that I continued. This book had me feeling all the feels, it was superb!

Without giving spoilers, I like how there’s a backstory of the character that you get a glimpse of in the first chapter but you don’t wait long until you get the whole story. Most books take their time and reveals bits at a time but not this book. You get the majority of the back story of one situation almost instantly. Absolutely recommend this book!

Thank you to Kensington Publishing | Kensington, Yamile Saied Méndez, and NetGalley for the ARC!

3.75 stars rounded up to 4.

One of my favorite things about this book is the very natural minority representation. Mentions of of the FMC's ethnicity wasn't forced or specially called like it was something exotic. It was a romcom that dealt with introspective topics with equal parts plot and character development. I feel like the only thing hindering this book was the narrative style. It was a bit more tell rather than show and a bit dry, almost like journalistic style. I didn't feel drawn or immersed in the world. But it was a great story about personal growth!