A Girl is a Half-formed Thing by Eimear McBride

May 29, 2015 By Leave a Comment

GIRL
A Girl is a Half-formed Thing by Eimear McBride
Publisher: Faber and Faber
Genre: Contemporary
Length: Full Length (202 pgs)
Rating: 4.5 stars
Reviewed by Hawthorn

Eimear McBride’s debut tells, with astonishing insight and in brutal detail, the story of a young woman’s relationship with her brother, and the long shadow cast by his childhood brain tumour. Not so much a stream of consciousness, as an unconscious railing against a life that makes little sense, and a shocking and intimate insight into the thoughts, feelings and chaotic sexuality of a vulnerable and isolated protagonist, to read A Girl Is A Half-Formed Thing is to plunge inside its narrator’s head, experiencing her world first-hand. This isn’t always comfortable – but it is always a revelation.
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Touching on everything from family violence to sexuality and the personal struggle to remain intact in times of intense trauma, McBride writes with singular intensity, acute sensitivity and mordant wit. A Girl is a Half-formed Thing is moving, funny – and alarming. It is a book you will never forget.

A Girl is a Half-formed Thing reveals the inner workings of a girl, from her early years and into adulthood, whose brother suffers from a brain tumor.

What I noticed first about this book is the style. It’s shocking at first, a stream-of-consciousness of sorts, and it takes a while before you get sucked in and you start to distinguish the different voices. The ‘I’ is the narrator, the ‘you’ is her brother with whom she ‘talks’ in her mind. The sentences are chopped up and re-stitched together into ungrammatical, disjointed fragments that are at times revealing and at times confusing. Although reminiscent of Joyce, this novel is far more accessible, and the story can pull a reader in despite the occasional passage that is too obscure to decipher.

The plot of the novel could be summarized in just a few lines, but that doesn’t really give it justice. The real action takes place in the girl’s mind, in her coping with her strict and distant mother, the handicapped brother, and the uncle with whom she starts a disquieting, strange relationship in her adolescence. This is not a light read; rather, it’s disturbing in places and thought-provoking throughout. The girl’s sexual exploits that often border on abuse – but abuse instigated by herself – are difficult to read about and towards the end I felt they became too much.

Although there are some gentle moments between the narrator and her brother, most of the book is a dark read that more or less only allows one ending. Despite that, A Girl is a Half-formed Thing is cathartic and gripping in its own way.

Filed Under: Mainstream Fiction, Other, Reviews Tagged With: , , , ,

Girl Underwater by Claire Kells

April 6, 2015 By Leave a Comment

GIRL
Girl Underwater by Claire Kells
Publisher: Penguin/Dutton
Genre: Action/Adventure, Contemporary
Length: Full Length (300 pgs)
Heat Level: Sensual
Rating: 4 stars
Reviewed by Hawthorn

Nineteen-year-old Avery Delacorte loves the water. Growing up in Brookline, Massachusetts, she took swim lessons at her community pool and captained the local team; in high school, she raced across bays and sprawling North American lakes. Now a sophomore on her university’s nationally ranked team, she struggles under the weight of new expectations but life is otherwise pretty good. Perfect, really.

That all changes when Avery’s red-eye home for Thanksgiving makes a ditch landing in a mountain lake in the Colorado Rockies. She is one of only five survivors, which includes three little boys and Colin Shea, who happens to be her teammate. Colin is also the only person in Avery’s college life who challenged her to swim her own events, to be her own person—something she refused to do. Instead she’s avoided him since the first day of freshman year. But now, faced with sub-zero temperatures, minimal supplies, and the dangers of a forbidding nowhere, Avery and Colin must rely on each other in ways they never could’ve imagined.

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Girl Underwater is a suspenseful mix of the struggle to survive and the gentle, but strong emotions that can only develop in the most extreme situations.

The switching back and forth between the days after the plane crash and Avery’s present day effort to cope with the psychological consequences of the trauma propels the story forward. The reader keeps guessing about what will happen next or what exactly happened in those five days of terror that affected Avery so much that she still can’t let go.

This story is much more than just a romance. It’s a novel about growing up, about coming to terms with a horrific event and with life in general. It’s also a story populated with strong characters that are likeable and realistic and that we care for since the very beginning. Despite the focus being on Avery and her struggle, first to survive, and later with PTSD, the author also managed to write very detailed scenes in the wilderness of the Rockies that evoked the desperation of the five survivors. Those chapters were filled with tension, but also with hope and warmth because of the genuine relationships that developed between Avery, the boys and Colin.

A little less convincing were Avery’s reasons for avoiding Colin at the beginning of the story and I kept waiting to read a deeper, more unpleasant reason behind it, but apart from that first meeting of theirs, nothing else was offered as an explanation. Similarly, the ending felt a bit disjointed. Towards the end, Avery changed her mind about how she felt a few too many times, so the epilogue came a bit out of the blue, although it offered a satisfying ending after the harrowing tale.

The descriptions of Avery’s PTSD were very vivid and I could feel her struggle throughout the novel. It made me really feel for her. I admired her strength, but also her parents for raising her to be the independent, strong woman that she was. The family scenes, both Avery’s and Colin’s, were very precious and infused the novel with a feeling of hope.

Girl Underwater is a gripping tale of survival, growing up, friendship and the most epic sort of love. You just have to dive in and let it knock the air out of you by its intensity and optimism.

Filed Under: Reviews, Romance Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

Best Man for the Bridesmaid by Jennifer Faye

March 25, 2015 By Leave a Comment

BRIDESMAID
Best Man for the Bridesmaid by Jennifer Faye
Publisher: Harlequin
Genre: Contemporary
Length: Full Length (252 pgs)
Heat Level: Sensual
Rating: 3 stars
Reviewed by Hawthorn

Always the bridesmaid

Planning her sister’s Italian wedding only reminds Jules Lane of how far away she is from finding her own true love. And worse, she’s doing it alongside the brooding, mouthwateringly handsome best man, Stefano DeFiore.

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Having seen the destructive power of love, Stefano has no time for weddings but Jules’s smile is captivating. Making her feel like the most beautiful woman in the world is one thing, but can he give this blushing bridesmaid a happily-ever-after of her own?

In the second novel of the DeFiore Brothers series most of the characters from the first book return for another Italian romance.

But this time the protagonists are Dante’s older brother Stefano, a widower filled with guilt, and Lizzie’s sister Jules. The two characters are so very different that despite the fact that they fall for each other early on, a happy ending seems impossible for them. But slowly, they begin to trust each other and reveal their painful secrets only to realize they are far less painful when shared with someone who cares. I was also very happy to see Dante and Stefano’s father slowly but surely letting himself be happy again in female company. I thought this was a very sweet, if brief, subplot.

There were some inconsistencies, like when Stefano was described as enjoying some downtime and seven sentences later he practically begs his father to give him work to do so he wouldn’t think of Jules. Also, having just finished the first book in the series, the biggest drawback of this novel was that it was too much like the first one. The characters or the plot didn’t bring anything much new, particularly in the first half of the story. I wished for fresh storylines and fewer clichés.

One thing that stood out and painted Jules as a strong individual, however, was how she realized it was time she started making her own decisions and not let Lizzie guide her through life anymore. Lizzie had always been her big sister and Jules loved her dearly so it was a hard choice to tell her she would not attend grad school even though Lizzie wanted her to and had already paid her tuition fees. This decision made me like Jules that much more.

Best Man for the Bridesmaid is a sweet read and you don’t have to read the entire series to be able to follow the story or get to know the characters. It brings a nice dose of the wedding fever, repressed emotions and angst, and ties it all up in Stefano and Jules’s romantic reunion at the wedding.

Filed Under: Reviews, Romance Tagged With: , , , , ,

When It’s Right by Jennifer Ryan

March 17, 2015 By Leave a Comment

RIGHT
When It’s Right by Jennifer Ryan
Montana Men #2
Publisher: Avon Books
Genre: Contemporary
Length: Full Length (265 pgs)
Heat Level: Spicy
Rating: 3.5 stars
Reviewed by Hawthorn

Everything’s bigger in Big Sky country, including the hearts of the Montana Men

Erectile dysfunction is one of the utmost issues that a gentleman buy sildenafil australia can ever contain. Locals will often mix acai pulp and generic tadalafil 20mg Guarana (another amazing fruit with natural stimulants) for a healthy burst of natural energy. 4. It would be unheard of if someone sells Pfizer devensec.com viagra on line ordering or Eli lily viagra at our rates. Occurrence of erectile dysfunction may viagra uk online possibly indicate a number of hidden medical condition. Wide open sky, rolling green hills . . . Gillian Tucker could get used to life in the country—one far from the violence she left behind in San Francisco. Warily accepting an invitation to the Montana ranch that belongs to her grandfather, a man she’s never met, Gillian hopes this is the haven she seeks. A sexy, overbearing cowboy who shines a light on her well-hidden dreams is not at all part of her plans.

Blake Bowden’s reckless past is far behind him, and as a newly named co-owner of Three Peaks Ranch, he’s not taking any chances. Until a beautiful, haunted woman arrives, igniting a desire he shouldn’t feel. His partner’s granddaughter is strictly off limits. But the longer Gillian’s there, the stronger the pull grows between them. And when a new danger surfaces, Blake will do anything to keep her safe…even if it means risking everything for her heart.

When Gillian was at her lowest point in life, the goodness of the family she didn’t even know she had changed everything for the better.

The journey Gillian went through was inspiring. As a character, she was a lovely mix of resilience and gentleness. The fact that her sole focus was the wellbeing of her brother portrayed her as a selfless, courageous and tender woman. Her love for her brother was one of the sweetest aspects of the novel. I was expecting a bit more tension between her and her grandparents initially, but Bud and Dee were portrayed a bit too sweet to allow for any depth in their relationships.

After the tumultuous beginning and a lot of suspense, the novel experiences a slump in pace towards the middle, but it picks up at the end, culminating in a scene that is both sweet and tragic, thanks to Ken, a character who is fascinating because of how thoroughly bad he is.

Blake, as sexy and strong as he is, didn’t convince me as the hero of this story. While I understood his need to protect Gillian, he was often pushy and overbearing, answering questions and making decisions instead of her etc. His best scenes are with Justin, rather than with Gillian. His friendship with her brother felt a lot more genuine than his attraction to her. The words ‘I love you’ are repeated too often by the end of the novel they begin to feel empty and fake. There’s no real tension between Blake and Gillian and that is why I felt no chemistry between them.

The gentleness that Gillian is capable despite growing up in a family fraught with abuse is the highlight of this novel. She grows into her new family and into a gentle relationship with Blake, finally realizing she can have a happy ending, too.

Filed Under: Reviews, Romance Tagged With: , , , , ,

Not a Fairy Tale by Romy Sommer

March 10, 2015 By Leave a Comment

FAIRY
Not a Fairy Tale by Romy Sommer
Publisher: Harper Collins
Genre: Contemporary
Length: Full Length (244 pgs)
Heat Level: Spicy
Rating: 5 stars
Reviewed by Hawthorn

And the award goes to…

Not Nina Alexander that’s for sure. With her best gracious loser face firmly in place, Hollywood’s hottest starlet is hoping to end her evening of disappointment with a graceful exit stage left. Only an unexpected proposal and an awkward wardrobe malfunction mean that this is certainly going to be a night to remember… for all the wrong reasons! So what girl would resist the gorgeous Dominic Kelly coming to her rescue?! Especially when he’s whisking her out of the paparazzi’s prying eyes on the back of his motorbike – and wearing a tux to rival James Bond!

Nina soon realises that the only way to recover from such a scandal is to toughen up and snag the role of the decade in the year’s hottest YA screen adaptation. Who better to train her than her very own professional stuntman? Getting up close and personal with Dom will take Nina well out of her comfort zone – both professionally and in her closely scrutinized private life. But this A-list couple know only too well that’s it not all happy ever afters in Hollywood…

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Nina, as the star of the book and in Hollywood, was painted very realistically. She was in turn selfish and vain and deep and warm, with both aspects of her character written believably and surprisingly not mutually exclusive. Her painful past led her to find refuge in the shallow world of celebrities. Everything there is safe because it doesn’t include any emotional attachment; people are your friends only as long as you pay them or they need you to give them a boost in their career. There was no danger for her to get attached to someone and then lose them.

But she can’t escape emotional attachment when she meets stuntman Dominic Kelly. Sure, they have a business arrangement that says he’ll train her for the most coveted role at the moment, nothing more, nothing less. Unfortunately for Nina, this entails a whole lot more. But it’s also more for Dominic who’s not used to women staying until morning. But Nina, to hide from the paps, practically moves into his house. And them spending all their time together gets them to lower their defenses.

The pressures of stardom – and also the benefits of it – were shown very realistically, I thought. It was a wonderful image of what actors and actresses have to go through for their careers. The constant scrutiny, the ridiculous demands, the media – it all forces them to shut themselves from the world even more. But I also loved the scenes on the beaches because the author managed to paint the landscape very vividly, too.

My only objection was to how often Nina liked to repeat that she is selfish and vain. I realize this was part of her trying to convince herself that she didn’t need anything else but the public’s adoration and attention, but the frequency of her claims somehow clashed with the rest of her characterization.

I loved the slow progression of their relationship; how their feelings for each other blossomed quietly and unnoticed until it was too late. That final ‘complication’ was the ultimate test of their characters. And they passed with flying colors.

Not a fairy tale is a heart-warming story that shows the other side of Hollywood stars and paints them as people like us. It will make you want to read the other novels in the series.

Filed Under: Reviews, Romance Tagged With: , , , , ,

Shadow Ritual by Éric Giacometti, Jacques Ravenne

March 4, 2015 By Leave a Comment

RITUAL
Shadow Ritual by Éric Giacometti, Jacques Ravenne
Publisher: Le French Book
Genre: Action/Adventure, Contemporary, Suspense/Mystery
Length: Full Length (270 pgs)
Rating: 4 stars
Reviewed by Hawthorn

An electrifying thriller about the rise of extremism. Two slayings—one in Rome and one in Jerusalem—rekindle an ancient rivalry between modern-day secret societies for knowledge lost at the fall of the Third Reich. Detective Antoine Marcas unwillingly teams up with the strong-willed Jade Zewinski to chase Neo-Nazi assassins across Europe. They must unravel an arcane Freemason mystery, sparked by information from newly revealed KGB files. Inspired from the true story of mysterious Freemason files thought to hold a terrible secret, stolen by the SS in 1940, recovered by the Red Army in 1945 and returned half a century later.

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For me, the absolute favorite part of the novel were the two protagonists and their relationship. They were complex and intriguing and I kept wanting to know more about them. The fact that they started off their partnership on the wrong foot only added an extra dimension to their interaction. Despite the tense relationship, the attraction between them was noticeable from the very beginning. The villains, however, appeared a bit too simplistic and I wished for more complexity in their characterization.

I liked how, unlike with other similar books, with Shadow Ritual we got to know the Freemasons from an insider’s perspective. I felt that gave the story more credibility, because the investigators weren’t going on guessing and hearsay but one of them was actually initiated into the lodge’s secrets and rituals. Although, on occasion, there was perhaps a bit too much backstory and history interwoven into the current storyline.

However, the plot was intense and suspenseful and kept me riveted till the very end and now I want to read the rest of the novels in the Antoine Marcas series.

If you like thrillers à la The Da Vinci Code, Shadow Ritual is ideal for you. It’s filled with compelling characters and intense action and you won’t be able to put it down until the very satisfying resolution.

Filed Under: Mystery/Suspense, Reviews Tagged With: , , , , , ,

Cognac Conspiracies by Jean-Pierre Alaux, Noël Balen

March 2, 2015 By Leave a Comment

 

COGNAC
Cognac Conspiracies by Jean-Pierre Alaux, Noël Balen
Publisher: Le French Book
Genre: Contemporary, Suspense/Mystery
Length: Short Story (109 pgs)
Rating: 4 stars
Reviewed by Hawthorn

The heirs to one of the oldest Cognac estates in France face a hostile takeover by foreign investors. Renowned wine expert Benjamin Cooker is called in to audit the books. In what he thought was a sleepy provincial town, he is stonewalled, crosses paths with his first love, and stands up to high-level state officials keen on controlling the buyout. Meanwhile, irresistible Virgile mingles with the local population until a drowning changes the stakes.

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The added bonus of this cozy mystery is the atmosphere the authors create and the landscape descriptions. Reading Cognac Conspiracies is like visiting the Cognac region, so vivid is the setting. The text is imbued with a certain ‘Frenchness’ that gives it a special charm. On top of that, the reader gets a lesson on cognac, wines and winemaking.

Although this mystery was rather easy to solve, the characters in this series are anything but simple. Particularly the relationship between Benjamin Cooker and his assistant Virgile is intriguing. The appearance of an old flame of Benjamin’s also revealed new aspects of his character. The Lavoisier family is another bunch of compelling characters, but I was disappointed in how vaguely Benjamin’s wife was characterized. I’d love to know more about her.

Cognac Conspiracies is a quick read, with a story that moves along at a fast pace so that it never loses the reader’s interest. But particularly at the beginning, the time frame was a bit confusing and I had to re-read certain passages about the history of the Lavoisier family to understand the timeline.

Cognac Conspiracies is the fifth book in the Winemaker Detective Series but can easily be read as a standalone. It’s a quick, fun read with entertaining characters and little drama.

Filed Under: Mystery/Suspense, Reviews Tagged With: , , , , ,

Bringing Home the Bad Boy by Jessica Lemmon

February 27, 2015 By Leave a Comment

BAD
Bringing Home the Bad Boy by Jessica Lemmon
Publisher: Forever (Hachette Book Group)
Genre: Contemporary
Length: Full Length (278 pgs)
Heat Level: Spicy
Rating: 4 stars
Reviewed by Hawthorn

The Bad Boy Is Back

Evan Downey needs a new beginning. Since the death of his wife five years ago, the brilliant tattoo artist has shut himself away in a prison of grief that not even his work can break him out of-and what’s worse, Evan knows his son Lyon is bearing the brunt of his seclusion. Moving back to the lake town of Evergreen Cove where he spent his childhood summers is his last chance for a fresh start.
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Charlotte Harris knows she owes it to her best friend’s memory to help Evan and his son find their way again, but she can’t stop her traitorous heart from skipping a beat every time she looks into Evan’s mesmerizing eyes. Charlotte is determined to stay strictly in the Friend Zone-until a mind-blowing night knocks that plan by the wayside. Now, if they’re brave enough to let it, Charlotte and Evan might just find a love capable of healing their broken hearts . . .

Jessica Lemmon has a knack for character portrayal. The characters in Bringing Home the Bad Boy come to life on the page. Even Rae, who died four years prior to the opening pages of the novel, felt alive and still very present, albeit only in the minds of the other characters. She was like a shadow between Evan and Charlie.

I really liked how Evan, unlike Charlie, had reached an inner peace that allowed him to pursue Charlie. He didn’t obsess over his deceased wife and the fact that she had been Charlie’s best friend. He honored her memory by being the best dad he could be to their son Lyon, but he didn’t let his past stop him from trying to be happy and to create a good, safe family environment for Lyon.

Charlie on the other hand was, understandably to a point, more hesitant and more riddled with guilt. A large part of that, I felt, was due to her having had a crush on Evan back when they were all just teenagers. But her indecisiveness reached a point where her guilt and insecurity bordered on obsession with Rae and how Charlie had no right to be happy. This was a result of how her ex boyfriend Russell had treated her, and it made a lot of sense, but I think the way he and his current wife were portrayed as entirely negative characters was too simplistic.

A very positive aspect of the story was the ending. This portrayed her as a smart and emotionally mature woman. She was also great in her interactions with Lyon. But the truly wonderful scenes were the ones with Lyon and his father. The author presented Evan as a truly great dad: flawed, but well-meaning and wonderfully loving and dedicated. I don’t think I’ve seen such a wonderful father figure in a book in a very long time.

Bringing Home the Bad Boy is an emotional read, with plenty of angst, but also filled with hot romance and tender emotions that grow into a strong, passionate love.

Filed Under: Reviews, Romance Tagged With: , , , , , ,

Love and Other Games by Ana Blaze, Melinda Dozier, Aria Kane, Kara Leigh Miller

February 26, 2015 By Leave a Comment

 

LOVE
Love and Other Games by Ana Blaze, Melinda Dozier, Aria Kane, Kara Leigh Miller
Publisher: Swoon Romance
Genre: Contemporary
Length: Full Length (242 pgs)
Heat Level: Spicy
Rating: 4 stars
Reviewed by Hawthorn

LOVE AND OTHER GAMES is a collection of four sexy new adult stories centered around athletes competing in the Winter Games by Ana Blaze, Melinda Dozier, Aria Kane, and Kara Leigh Miller.

Worth More Than Gold by Ana Blaze

Amy Pierce, the klutzy sister and manager of America’s Skating Sweetheart, is used to being invisible. But when a friend drags her to a party near the Olympic Village, Amy catches the eye of a sexy Norwegian ski jumper. It’s a magical night, but an awkward next morning has her running.

Everyone knows Erik Andresen’s best shot at an individual medal was back in 2010, before an injury pulled him from the competition. He’s there for his team, but a hot night and a remarkable final training session have him wondering if a gorgeous good-luck charm could give him another chance at the podium.

With a little bit of luck, these two might have a shot at something worth more than gold.

Trouble with Gold by Melinda Dozier

US snowboarder and notorious prankster, Ty (Trouble) Madsen is only getting a taste of his own medicine when his Olympic teammates shackle him to a fence wearing nothing but his boxers.

Reception and protocol volunteer, Nadia Hoffman, gets up close and personal with the sexy snowboarder to rescue him, but she’s not the kind of girl who lets her hormones get in her way. A professional performance could help her land her dream job at Olympics Committee Headquarters, but her new assignment supervising the rambunctious US Snowboarding Team is making that difficult. Can she see behind the snowman in the community center bathroom and into the warm heart of the man everyone calls Trouble?
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The Girl behind the Gold by Aria Kane

Greek aerial skier Lia Milonas’s parents are about to lose the family farm. Saving it means medaling and landing a huge sponsor. While her no-nonsense attitude has her well on her way to a medal, it hasn’t won her a place in fans’ hearts.

“Come back with a story that will make readers cry, or don’t come back.” This is what Brandon James’ boss told him before he left New York to cover the Winter Games for Moment Magazine. With a wink and a smile, he can charm his way into any invite-only party, but that career-making story is nowhere to be found – until he meets Lia.

The two strike a deal that should get them both what they want – but neither would have guessed they’d also find what they need.

Ice Gold by Kara Leigh Miller

Colton Campbell thrives on the fast paced, adrenaline rushed lifestyle of being an Olympic hockey player.

Despite Brenna Jessup’s abhorrence for the games and the athletes, she’s hand-picked as the official photographer for the U.S. Olympic Hockey Team.

When a faux pas by Brenna almost costs Colton his career, she owes him. Too bad for her, Colton doesn’t want apologies — he wants retribution! And he knows just how to get it — and her — in the process.

Although the most recent Winter Olympics are behind us, Love and Other Games is a fun read that will get you in the mood for some sweet, sporty action.

This new adult collection of four short stories is a quick read, but despite the stories being relatively short, they’re not rushed. The four authors managed to get their characters across well, with enough detail and development to sound real and intriguing.

My favorite story was Trouble with Gold because of the cute banter between Nadia and Ty. But the other three stories weren’t far behind. What I really enjoyed with this collection was that the authors showed the reader that while the athletes work hard for their success, they also know how to have fun. On top of that, the Olympic village being the setting adds an additional charm. The Olympics are the height of any athlete’s career so they are bound to involve tension and heightened emotions. All this was very obvious in the stories.

The stories are linked by a legend about a lucky torch that brings the gold medal to the athlete that finds it in the village. I felt that was a lovely touch that entwined the stories together. Also, the writing styles of the authors were similar enough so that the differences between them didn’t feel disruptive. The stories had enough conflict and drama to intrigue the reader but not too much for their length.

Love and Other Games was a nice surprise that has me craving more Olympics stories.

Filed Under: Reviews, Romance Tagged With: , , , , ,

The Playboy of Rome by Jennifer Faye

February 25, 2015 By Leave a Comment

ROME
The Playboy of Rome by Jennifer Faye
Publisher: Harlequin
Genre: Contemporary
Length: Full Length (250 pgs)
Heat Level: Sensual
Rating: 3 stars
Reviewed by Hawthorn

Taming the Italian playboy…

Lizzie Addler’s dream of working in Italy is about to come true—that is if she can convince passionate Italian chef Dante DeFiore to keep his side of their bargain. Dante might be hotter than the Italian sun, but he’s as cool as ice toward Lizzie…
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Dante hasn’t the time to pander to Lizzie’s dreams of culinary fame—he has a restaurant to run! But as Lizzie proves herself to be a spectacular addition to his kitchen—and to his life—Dante wonders…can he keep her forever?

The Playboy of Rome has an appealing premise: a hot Italian chef, a young, aspiring cook and the fiery tension between them, all filmed for a reality show.

The novel starts off very promising. There were great scenes with the chef, Dante, especially the scenes at his family home. His interaction with his grandfather, father and brother were intense and very revealing of his character. But unfortunately, they were also far more emotional than his scenes with Lizzie. I simply couldn’t feel any chemistry between the two of them despite the fact that I liked them as individual characters.

Perhaps this was due to the slow progression of the story – we get to see some action in the kitchen only in the second half of the novel, while in the first half they more or less only talk. I felt that the instant attraction between Dante and Lizzie was a bit overdone, a slower start would’ve been more believable. However, the deep feelings that they both feel towards the end made their break-up even more painful and angsty.

Lizzie’s character and her strength were heart-warming. She was a foster child and the neglect she’d experienced in her early childhood explained many of her characteristics, but towards the end this storyline became a bit too repetitive. However, I liked her gentleness towards Dante’s grandfather and father; it showed clearly what family meant to her.

Despite the protagonists being chefs, The Playboy of Rome focuses more on their romance and not on the cooking. However, their love story under the hot Italian sky is delicious nonetheless.

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