I always look forward to a new Donna Ashcroft book, and was not disappointed with this one. Delightful characters who blended together perfectly

Rose wants her best friend to reconsider her hasty decision to marry. Ben is best friends with the prospective groom and wants him to be happy, so he is immediately at odds with Rose in this enemies-to-lovers romantic comedy. It's a tale full of unexpected incidents, quirky characters and a growing attraction between Rose and Ben that neither expects nor wants. It has a vividly described Italian setting and a vibrant cast of characters, led by Aunt Aurora, the clairvoyant, who adds humour, poignancy and wisdom to this emotional story. I like the emotional journey the two main characters experience, the Italian setting and the cast of entertaining characters.
I received a copy of this book from the publisher.

I enjoyed the sense of place in this book. I was ready to jump on an international flight within the first few chapters. I found the MMC to be charming and swoon worthy. The FMC was complex and I liked the depth of character. The spicy scenes were wonderfully spicy. My favorite characters had to be the zany aunt and her dead husband, they brought a fun whimsical aspect. I did feel that the book dragged on a bit in the middle and the back and forth of the wedding being on and off was a little tedious but overall it was a fun read.

Rose heads to Italy to attend her friend’s wedding, which came together after a whirlwind romance. She has no plans to just sit back and watch it happen. She is determined to stop the wedding before her friend makes a mistake. Enter Ben, the charming and wildly flirty best man, who is equally determined to make sure the wedding goes off without a hitch.

The setting is a true highlight. The descriptions of the Italian countryside, the food, and the wedding festivities had me fully transported. A few side characters added a lot of charm and heart to the story as well.

The leads were a bit harder to connect with. Rose felt overly rigid at times, very stuck in her ways. Ben leaned heavily into the flirt role and came off a little too much. Their dynamic had moments, but overall I found myself more interested in everything happening around them.

Despite that, the story was fun and breezy. It’s a light read with good vacation vibes and just enough drama to keep things moving. Worth picking up if you’re looking for a destination rom-com with a little tension and a lot of Italian flair.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for the ARC.

💐 🥂BOOK REVIEW 💐🥂

𝖠 𝖵𝖤𝖱𝖸 𝖨𝖳𝖠𝖫𝖨𝖠𝖭 𝖶𝖤𝖣𝖣𝖨𝖭𝖦
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Out Now on KindleUnlimited

𝐸𝓈𝒸𝒶𝓅𝑒 𝓉𝑜 𝐼𝓉𝒶𝓁𝓎, 𝓉𝑜 𝑔𝑜𝓁𝒹𝑒𝓃 𝓈𝒶𝓃𝒹 𝒶𝓃𝒹 𝒶 𝑔𝓁𝒾𝓉𝓉𝑒𝓇𝒾𝓃𝑔 𝓈𝑒𝒶, 𝓉𝑜 𝓌𝑒𝒹𝒹𝒾𝓃𝑔 𝒷𝑒𝓁𝓁𝓈 𝒸𝒽𝒾𝓂𝒾𝓃𝑔 𝒾𝓃 𝒶 𝓉𝒾𝓃𝓎 𝒽𝒾𝓁𝓁𝓉𝑜𝓅 𝓉𝑜𝓌𝓃… 𝒞𝒶𝓃 𝑅𝑜𝓈𝑒 𝒽𝑒𝒶𝓁 𝓉𝒽𝑒 𝒽𝑒𝒶𝓇𝓉𝒷𝓇𝑒𝒶𝓀 𝒻𝓇𝑜𝓂 𝒽𝑒𝓇 𝓅𝒶𝓈𝓉, 𝒶𝓃𝒹 𝓉𝒶𝓀𝑒 𝒶 𝒸𝒽𝒶𝓃𝒸𝑒 𝑜𝓃 𝓁𝑜𝓋𝑒?

🩷 Thank you to @netgalley for this sweet ARC! I so much enjoyed this Italian #romcom and enjoyed the beautiful descriptions of the sceneries and settings. Although I did have a hard time connecting to the FMC, Rose, I did enjoy the banter between her and the MMC, Ben. As a whole, the story was super cute and an enjoyable summer read.

🪻🪻🪻🪻🪻🪻🪻🪻🪻🪻🪻🪻🪻🪻🪻🪻🪻🪻🪻🪻

As the sun sets over a villa in Tuscany, an engagement party is in full swing. The bride-to-be gazes up at her groom, her glass of prosecco glinting in the evening light as she toasts their happy future; but as Rose watches her best friend Luna swoon over her handsome new fiancé, she can’t help feeling worried. Life has taught Rose that love ends in heartbreak, and all she wants is to protect herself and Luna. That’s why she came up with her Rules for Love: follow these and happiness is guaranteed.

Only Luna is breaking all the rules. She only met Marco a month ago. Rose is sure that love at first sight isn’t real… until she sets eyes on Ben, the best man. Towering above her, with tousled blonde hair and wide, powerful shoulders, he’s irritatingly charming, relentlessly positive and insists that love really can conquer all. Rose’s head is in a spin.

She has learned to never open her heart, never to trust, but Ben is becoming harder to resist…

Will breaking the rules end with Rose breaking her heart? Or will the magic of Italy bring her the happy ending she’s always dreamed of?

#summervibes☀️ #italianwedding #netgalleyreviewer

Quick synopsis:
Rose, a relationship therapist who doesn't believe in healthy relationships, flies to Italy to attend her best friends' wedding, determined to stop her from marrying a guy she's just met.
Insert Ben, the groom's best friend who's determined to make the wedding happen no matter what!

They're both the complete opposite and the only thing they have in common is: their fear of falling in love, so what happens when they start catching feelings?

SPOILER-FREE REVIEW:
- A very light summer read, full of warm family vibes, adventures and lots of funny scenes! For me, it made me think of 2000s movies, so simple yet mesmerising 😍

- Loved being inside Rose's head as a therapist and how that affected her judgement and actions.

- Ben's love for Rose felt more genuine than hers for him, I felt like she was more physically attracted to him, but their love story is still nice.

- Aurora's character was so much fun! I adored her and her "husband" Aldo! Each character was actually really unique and interesting, they were all very well-written 💕

- THERE'S A DOG IN THIS BOOK.
And it plays an important role towards the end!

- The book is a dual pov written in third person, I really liked it, but I wish the author showed more when describing the characters emotions than telling how they feel.

Quotes from A Very Italian Wedding by Donna Ashcroft:
" Wed in haste, repent at leisure is a mantra I share with all my clients."
" He wasn't used to having these feelings, wasn't ready - but for the first time in a long time, Ben wondered if with Rose, he could be? "
" Silence was the space where you learned the most interesting things. Pieces of puzzles people didn't always intent to share. It was irritating how much she wanted to get to know Ben, how much she suddenly wanted to flesh out and colour in the empty spaces of his life. "

A Very Italian Wedding is the perfect romantic escape! I wasn't a big fan of Rose, but Ben’s warmth and humor shine through every scene. If you’re looking for a sweet, feel-good escape that whisks you off to Italy, this one’s a must-read!

this book gave me ✨Italy-core✨ and i was so here for it. small villages, cliffside views, chaotic wedding energy? yes please. The atmosphere was doing all the heavy lifting—and honestly, I didn’t mind.

rose is flying in to talk her bestie out of sprinting into marriage, fully armed with logic and a slightly judgy vibe. but guess who’s on the same flight? ben—the best man, walking charm bomb, and firm believer in reckless romance. sparks fly, obviously. they clash, they flirt, they bond over shared trauma. classic.

ben was a sweetheart and totally carried the emotional weight of this story. i wanted to give him a hug. rose… was another story. she was so tightly wound and ruled by other people’s bad choices that i had a hard time connecting with her. she did start to soften, and i was almost rooting for them—until the dreaded miscommunication plot hit and I checked out. Hard. from that point on, I couldn’t root for the couple, no matter how cute the scenery was.

also—where was Luna’s storyline?! I needed more of her and marco. give me the actual whirlwind romance. aurora & coco were the standouts though—big personalities, fun energy, would read a spin-off with just them.

overall...messy but charming. i didn’t love the couple, but I liked the writing and I’d absolutely try something else by this author.

huge thanks to netgalley for the arc <3

Oh my! This book is gorgeous. Between the locations and the array of romantic moments, I loved everything about it.
When Rose, the self-proclaimed love doctor, learns that her friend has met and become engaged to her fiancé in the space of less than a month, every alarm bell rings in her head, and she embarks on a mission to make Luna see the light.
Rose has created an extensive set of rules curated to ensure that mistakes are avoided and the heart is protected. The most urgent of them is that a couple should know each other for at least a year before things get serious between them. With years spent counselling couples, Rose believes in her rules and never deviates from their structure.
I completely agreed with Rose and her rules because they made absolute sense to me. However, I’m also a great believer in the mantra that rules were made to be broken, so maybe I’m not the best judge. When Rose finds herself in a situation where she meets the incredibly handsome Ben, who happens to be the best friend of Luna’s groom, sparks begin to fly and become complicated by the added presence of Marco’s clairvoyant Aunt Aurora and her late husband.
I loved everything about this book, from the inclusion of many tropes to the relationships between the best friends. The romance felt real despite being accelerated by circumstances. I was fully invested in Rose’s mission until I found myself more interested in Rose failing and Luna finding happiness.
Rose and Ben captured my imagination, and despite the rules being put in jeopardy, I wanted to see a happy ending for them all.
A Very Italian Wedding has everything that I could have asked for, from beautiful characters and hilarious wedding guests to an incredibly happy ending. I loved it and cannot recommend it enough.

Tuscany, known for its breathtaking beauty, serves as the picturesque backdrop for this heartwarming tale of love and friendship. Rose, overjoyed for her best friend Luna’s recent engagement to Marco, can’t help but be concerned about Luna rushing into this significant milestone.

Amidst the festivities, Rose crosses paths with Ben, the soon-to-be best man. Determined to keep her heart guarded, she finds it challenging to resist Ben’s charm, positivity, and unwavering belief in true love. As Ben seems to embody every quality she desires, Rose grapples with the prospect of her heart being shattered.

“A Very Italian Wedding,” a captivating novel by Donna Ashcroft, transports readers to the enchanting landscapes of Tuscany. The story is a delightful exploration of new love, the excitement of a wedding, and the enduring power of love.

From the very first page, the story ensnares the reader, transporting them to the picturesque seaside of Tuscany. The sun’s radiant rays dance upon the water, creating a mesmerizing display of diamonds. Rose and Luna, the beloved characters, are portrayed with such depth and authenticity that they feel like close friends. The author’s skillful storytelling makes this a must-read for anyone seeking a heartwarming and entertaining escape. I highly recommend this lovely book.

Rose heading to Italy to stop her best friend Luna from marrying a man she met only a month ago , next to her at the airplane is sitting Ben Lucas s best friend who is there and he is trying to persuade her that the wedding must go on . Rose is always trying to find Luna and talk to her about her upcoming wedding but Ben is always there and they have to do chores away from the villa . Even though she doesn't believe in love thanks to her parents she can't deny that Ben is breaking all her rules . Will he be able to make her realize that his feelings are true and real ?
I received this book from netgalley , the author and the publisher as an ARC . Thank you . All thoughts and opinions are my own .

Rose is the 'Love Doctor', trying to protect others from romantic heartbreak. So when her best friend invites her to Italy for her wedding, she is determined to protect her from heartbreak. So she heads to Italy, determined to put a stop to this wedding. She hadn't anticipated Ben, the groom's best friend. to put a wrench in her plans.

Overall, I enjoyed the story. I loved Aurora! She was such a fun character. Rose was annoying at first, but she grew on me. I would've loved more of Marco and Luna, as well as his fun family. Anyway, it was a fun summer romance read, and I loved all of the characters. Plus, the descriptions of living in the villa, as well as being in Italy. Maybe a sequel?

Thanks @bookouture, @netgalley, and the author for this arc.

BLOG TOUR REVIEW

Review for 'A Very Italian Wedding' by Donna Ashcroft.

HAPPY PUBLICATION DAY DONNA!!! YET ANOTHER ABSOLUTE STUNNING ESCAPISM!! ! A perfectly gorgeous and heart-warming book and absolutely perfect to read at this time of the year with the sun shining down!!! The vivid descriptions left me feeling the warm air of Tuscany, smiling and laughing with the characters and following in love with Tuscany and the characters!.

I have absolutely loved each and every one of the amazing Donna's books that I have read so far and this one is no exception!!! How she does it time and time again I will never know but I am just over the moon that she does as every time I need a feel good book to turn a frown upside down Donna Ashcroft is my go to woman!! Honestly if you are ever in need of a break and fancy the gorgeous Tuscany in Italy then grab this absolute stunner or just grab any book by Donna and be swept away in another one of her beautiful stories. I have never been to Tuscany but this book really is the next best thing as it genuinely felt like Donna had swept me away at the turn of a page!! As soon as I finished I just wanted to jump on a plane and head there to see if it is as beautiful as Donna's stunning evocative descriptions! Seriously, you need to grab this book today and it will take you on a holiday and turn a frown upside down!!! There was plenty going on throughout and it kept me hooked from start to end. This book is absolutely rammed full of love, wedding planning, happiness, laughter, stunning settings, friendship and much more!!!! The storyline was sweet, romantic, uplifting and everything you want in a heart warming romance and I completely fell head over heels in love!!! I was devastated when I came to the end and realised I would have to unpack my suitcase as I genuinely felt as if I'd been on a holiday. It was an uplifting breathe of fresh air and It ended absolutely perfectly!!! Again, just another stunner from this extremely talented author!! I genuinely have no idea how she does it again and again but she does and I love her for it!!!! Just like this book her words and stunning descriptions are magical dropping you straight into the middle of this stunning book watching everything and everyone come to life in front of your eyes. It is one of those stunning books that it is impossible to say just one more chapter to. I gave up even trying to lie to myself saying just one more in the end as every time I came to the end of one chapter I just HAD to know what was going to happen next and this ended up happening so many times I ended up devouring the whole book in a several hour sitting!! I just could not put my book down and I was absolutely gutted when I came to the end of the book! The storyline was sweet, romantic, funny, uplifting and everything you want in a heart warming romance and I completely fell head over heels in love!!! This book is an uplifting breathe of fresh air!!! It ended absolutely perfectly!!! I cannot wait to get stuck in to more of Donna's amazing books!!

The characters were all strong, well defined and realistic and I fell in love with every single one of them!! I was absolutely gutted when I came to the end and had to say Goodbye to them. They made me laugh, smile, swoon and made my day so much brighter!! I absolutely loved getting to know Rose, Ben and every single person I met throughout while seeing and hearing everything they were doing through their eyes thanks to Donna's brilliant descriptions. As always Donna does an amazing job of weaving the multiple protagonist perspectives of Rose and Ben together perfectly with alternating chapters at the perfect times ensuring the reader gets the bigger and best picture of everything that is going on. I was completely invested in the main characters and rooting for them throughout but it was not just Rose and Ben that created this stunning book but also several other characters. There were so many other characters that I really enjoyed meeting and who will be missed. I could go on and on but I best stop there. Needless to say many of the characters made an impact on me and it would be lovely to see them all again!!!

Clear your schedule ready to get lost in this unputdownable escapism.

Well done Donna on yet again another absolutely gorgeous book. This is why you are one of my favourite authors!!! I am thoroughly looking forward to reading more of your books past and future. Congratulations on another stunning success and here's to your next one 🥂!

Overall another absolute stunning escapism from this amazing author!!


#AVeryItalianWedding #DonnaAshcroft #Sphere #Bookouture

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I am very excited to have spot on the blogtour for ‘A Very Italian Wedding’ by the funny and talented Donna Ashcroft. 

The characters are fun, complex and I love how they develop.

The story is told from different perspectives. We get a a sense of their individual quirks.

Rose the bridesmaid meets Ben  the best man on the plane to Italy.

Their friends Luna and Marco are getting married and they have only been together a matter of weeks.

Ben is excited and Rose is not! Being a therapist she sees many red flags. Luna has been her friend since they were 8.

Add Coco the dog to the mix, and its evident whom she likes more.

Arriving to a number of issues and detours, and flamboyant Italian aunt Aurora and her metaphysical predictions and ways and other fun characters.

I had laugh out loud moments and enjoyed the set up. Can you really fall in love at first sight?

You will have to join me in diving in, you won’t regret it. X

What is a wedding without a little chaos along the way! A Very Italian Wedding was a great read and I thoroughly enjoyed reading the book. I loved the Italian wedding setting! It made me want to take a trip to the Italian coast for sure!

At first I did not like Rose as a character at all but as the story went on and we learned more and more about her I started to really enjoy the character. I think she grew so much by the end of the book it made me wanting so much more!

I loved Ben from the start but really enjoyed his character development as well. I wish we got more of Marco and Luna though.

It was a quick read and a very enjoyable one! I will definitely be reading other books by this author and am hoping for more of these friends in the future!

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for providing me with an Arc.

A Little Slice of Italian Sunshine (Even When It's Raining in the UK!) 🇮🇹☀️

Warning: May cause an uncontrollable urge to book the next flight to Italy!

Thjs is the kind of feel-good story that's a perfect antidote to a dreary week – and trust me, reading this during a particularly rainy spell in the UK, it was a much needed dose of sunshine!
The star of the show, for me, was undoubtedly the gorgeous Italian villa setting, with a vivid picture of the rolling hills, delicious food, and charming atmosphere that you can practically taste the limoncello and feel the warm Tuscan sun on your skin.

I'll admit, I struggled to connect with the FMC at the very beginning. Her initial portrayal didn't quite click with me. However, as the story unfolded, the chemistry began to build, and that, coupled with the idyllic setting, really drew me in. It's a story that blossoms, much like the Italian countryside it depicts.
While it might not have been a perfect five-star read for me, it was an enjoyable and heartwarming journey. If you're looking for a light, romantic escape that will transport you to a beautiful Italian wedding, this is a lovely choice. Just don't blame me when you find yourself googling holiday websites!

#averyitalianwedding #netgalley

Who doesn’t want to escape to Italy in the summer? We sure do! Reading this book felt like we were the ones traveling to Italy alongside Rose and Ben…plus who couldn’t forget Aurora and Aldo. 😂

The primary premise of this book is Rose is traveling to Italy for the last-minute wedding of her best friend, Luna, who has decided on a whim to marry Marco, a man she met only a month ago. To some people, this would sound extremely romantic…to Rose, it sounds completely crazy and she’s determined to convince Luna to call off the wedding. The only problem? Marco’s best friend, Ben, is along for the journey to Italy with her and wants to ensure the wedding happens and Marco gets to marry the girl of his dreams.

As you can imagine, chaos ensues from the moment Rose meets Ben on the plane and he spills his coffee all over her thanks to turbulence. And it only gets worse from here…everything that can go wrong on this trip does and puts the entire wedding in disarray. That’s where you start to see everyone’s true colors come out and multiple characters in the book have to deal with some of their baggage where the root of the issue may not always be what it initially seems.

This book is the perfect summer read. It has a wonderful cast of unforgettable characters, two-legged and four-legged…and technically a spirit too. It also includes some of our favorite tropes including forced proximity, opposites attract, holiday romance, and found family. Plus, the characters dish up some extremely hilarious scenes and dialogue…we’re looking at you Aurora, and we get some incredible spice in a surprising location. It also will make you feel a ton of emotions, but won’t cause too many tears so you don’t have to worry about getting sunscreen in your eyes while reading this book at the pool or beach.

Highly recommend adding it to your TBR list if you’re looking for a summer read with unforgettable characters, great spice, and fantastic storytelling.

This cover is so colorful and inviting I wanted to step into it.
I wanted to be the one to sit on luscious Ben’s lap on the flight to Italy instead of the dog.
Aurora was my favorite character with her glitzy wardrobe and her announcements.
Both Ben and Rose had to face their scars and see that putting yourself out there can pay off.
It’s a sweet story.

3.5 ★
Overall, A Very Italian Wedding was a very cute and heartwarming read. The Italian setting was absolutely dreamy—Ashcroft captures the sights, sounds, and flavors of a small Italian town so vividly, it felt like a mini vacation in book form. The charm of the cobbled streets and family traditions added so much richness to the story.

The characters were genuinely enjoyable. They had a nice mix of warmth, humor, and depth, and while the plot leaned a bit on the predictable side, the emotional beats still landed. Their relationships—both romantic and familial—brought a sweet, comforting tone to the book that made it feel cozy and satisfying.

Not a groundbreaking story, but definitely a delightful one. It’s the kind of book you’d want to read on a sunny afternoon with a glass of wine (or maybe a cappuccino). Light, feel-good, and full of Italian charm.

Thank you Netgalley for the ARC.

Ah, a wedding in Italy! How lovely! The perfect setting, the scrumptious food, love in the air, and a villa in Tuscany sounds like a dream! But for Rose, the bride's best friend, it's a ball of worry and concern. Her best friend Luna only met Marco a month ago, fell madly in love and is getting married. Rose knows that Julie is making a mistake! On the way to Italy, Rose sits next to Ben the best man at the wedding. Ben is handsome, charming, and happy that Marco has fallen in love and is getting married. His reaction is the complete opposite of Rose's reaction to the upcoming wedding!


I always say, with romance novels it is all about the journey and this was a journey set in a lovely setting full of interesting characters. Rose, initially felt like an older woman to me. She is stodgy, set in her ways, unyielding, and felt cold at times. She really did come across as bitter. Even Coco, the dog, was a little uptight at first. Ben on the other hand is fun, happy-go-lucky, charismatic, and supportive. They are total opposites!


I enjoyed their banter, the descriptions of the beautiful setting, the unique side characters and of course, Coco the dog! Coco just needed a little joy in her life to have her wagging her tail! Coco stole every scene she was in as did Marco's Aunt Aurora who was a fun and interesting character as well! Plus, can you really remain stodgy and uptight in Italy?

As I got to know Rose better and learned more about her backstory, I warmed up to her and began to understand her character. Rose goes on quite the journey in this book and it was a joy to see her character evolve. Not only did she go on an individual journey she went on a romantic journey as well!

I found this book to be charming, fun, entertaining and heartwarming. I enjoyed Donna Ashcroft's wonderful writing, her vivid descriptions, her interesting and unique characters and the journey all of the characters in this book took while in Italy for A Very Italian Wedding!

The publisher may want to put a warning on this book that reading it may have you dreaming of Italy and Italian food!