I enjoyed the debut “Miss You” by Kate Eberlen and was certainly not disappointed by this, her second novel.
The book develops at a gentle pace, which gave me time to really start feeling an affection for the main characters Letty and Alf.
I loved the inspiring descriptions of Rome, where a lot of the novel is set, and it would make this a perfect book to pack for your summer holidays!
The plot has been beautifully thought through, with the story being told from various points of view.
Although, for me, this is a classic “romantic summer read” the storyline actually touches on a number of quite poignant real-life issues, which give this book more depth than you might expect at first glance.
Overall I would recommend this and rated it a strong 4⭐️.

I picked up this book because it had one of my favourite cities in it and my home town. The story did not disappoint. Learning about Rome from a different perspective had me writing a list of places to visit and things to do when I go there again as I read.
Meeting someone in a language school far away from your normal life. Finding a soul mate against all odds. Not easy when you find out about the back stories of the two main characters and how their lives intersect with the supporting characters. You keep your fingers crossed for a happy ending even though you can't see it happening.

I tried hard to get into this book but I just couldn’t get interested in it. Thank you for the opportunity to read it, I’m sure other readers will find it enjoyable.

Such a beautiful story with lots of emotion running through it. Letty and Alf are great main characters and you really want things to work out for them

Loved the setting for this book. All the places that were in it.
The story of Alf and Letty, who meet in a school I’m Rome, to learn Italian. They visit places In and around Rome. Alf is in a relationship but feels drawn to Letty. Letty has issues to deal with back home.
Circumstances change between them and they both return home. A twist follows, Letty and Spencer(whose real name is Stuart) get friendly and he gets close to her. What happens next is really sad. But there’s a silver lining. Definitely worth reading.

This was a really charming book with a beautiful sense of place: reading it made me desperate to go to Rome. The characters are interesting, the writing is compelling, and the plot smart and well-executed in a way that holds a reader's attention. Not a life-changing book, but a really enjoyable and easy read.

I've not reduced the rating for this as it's certainly not the author's fault, but I'm amazed a manuscript was put on NetGalley in this state, i.e. with all the combinations of 'fl' and 'fi' missing. Yes, you can work out what the words are supposed to be, but it's tricky and annoying and slows things down, certainly worsening the reading experience.

Absolutely loved this book and was very excited to read it after really enjoying Kate Eberlen's first book. I was hooked from the very beginning, with a cast of likeable, relate-able characters and found it hard to put down. I was drawn firstly to this story as it was set in Rome, one of my favourite cities, and it was easy to imagine myself back there from the clever descriptions given. Through Alf and Letty's time at the language school and their use of the Italian language it also made me seriously think about taking lessons myself.

This was a very enjoyable story, told from different characters' points of view , set in the current time, with glimpses of past events cleverly interwoven. I am still thinking about the characters several days after finishing the book and would love to see this adapted for the big screen.

Can't wait to see what Kate will write next!

I loved 'Miss You,' and while 'Only You' doesn't have a similarly strong central conceit, it's a lovely book in its own right.
This is the story of Letty and Alf (who are about the same age as Tess and Gus when 'Miss You' begins - unlike them, though, Letty and Alf remain in the late teens/early twenties stage of their lives for the entire book).
There were some characters I wanted to know more about, such as Letty's Italian grandmother Marina who developed her English accent to avoid xenophobia (just like some people in my family)!
I was also keen to hear more about Letty's mother Frances, a talented advertising executive who comes into her own towards the end of the book.
There are strong themes running through the book, which also have some small crossover with 'Miss You,' - seduction is more of a theme, with the author Kate Eberlen continuing to explore abuses of power in relationships (even when all parties are above the age of consent, though in the case of Letty and Alf, only just).

4.5 stars

This was a slow starter for me, it seemed to include lots of extraneous details about the characters' daily activities that baffled me a bit at first and I had to work a bit to figure out what was going on. I'm kind of a lazy reader so that level of effort almost made me bail a couple of times, but the other reviews raved about this and I didn't want to miss out. I also struggled to get used to the present tense narrative as well, probably because it's not what I'm used to.

I was so relieved I didn't bail on this, it was such a romantic read with all of the feels. Gradually all of the details that I had thought were unnecessary at the beginning fell beautifully into place. I was kind of in awe at how intricately plotted this story was. The clues are 'bread-crumbed' through the narrative so I had quite a few 'oh, right' moments of epiphany as read which I absolutely loved.

At its heart it's a romance featuring two characters with a past. Most of the story is set in Rome and the story makes full use of the history and heat and classical beauty of Italy. Once this started to come together, I struggled to put it down and I feel like I've spent a couple of days somewhere warm and beautiful instead of cold, rainy England.

Romantic and escapist, this is a lovely standalone read. Recommended.

**Thanks to the publisher via netgalley for the arc.**

I started reading this book but had to stop as I couldn't understand a lot of it because of the all of the missing letters. I know it's just a proof but it was just too time consuming trying to work it out

What's not to love about this book, its written beautifully, well adapted and complex characters plus with the added bonus of touring Rome. I've even taking notes to places they visited so I can visit myself.
Even though I guessed the twists, it didn't take away from the story. Highlighted so many paragraphs due to its charming narrative. I only wished it didn't end the way it did so they could continue dance throughout beautiful cities.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for an advanced copy for a truthful review.

Letty and Alf meet at Italian classes in Rome . Both have reasons for running to Rome. A delightful story telling how love blossoms, but will it overcome all other difficulties? Beautifully written and enthralling.

Only You, Kate Eberlen

Review from Jeannie Zelos book reviews

Genre: Romance, General fiction

I wanted to like this story, it sounded perfect for me.
I liked it – but its not one I'd re-read, and I did skim read parts because I wanted to get back to Alf and Letty together.
I loved Alf and Letty, who couldn't, and really enjoyed the scenes around Rome. I liked reading about their pasts and the effect it had on them, but I just didn't make that solid connection I need in a romance though, for me too much time was spent with other characters.
That's just me, others love this, its beautifully written, I just needed more Alf and Letty.

Stars: Three, one I liked but didn't love.

ARC supplied by Netgalley and publisher

Thanks Netgalley and the Publisher. This was a great love story, great characters, lovely storyline and thoroughly enjoyed it. Would recommend

There have been two recent books which seem to have lost the letters fi and fl. It's not too hard to work out, but some sentences are a bit odd, as ' Alf was left ummoxed' and 'Letty can nish her degree'. However the essentiall story was very sympatheically written.
Alf and Letty have each a background in dancing. When they meet in R,ome at a language class their interactions are awkward, but as they get to know each other, and dance together in the Piazza Navone, we can feel they are being drawn together.
The ending is lovely, seen as it is through the eyes of Frances, Letty's understanding mother.
Thanks to NetGalley for an advance copy of this book which I enjoyed reading.

This book is very sweet the 2 main characters are easy to relate to. The descriptive tours around Rome with Alf and Letty are lovely. It is a book of romance, sadness and hope. Not an all time favourite but readable.

Loved this book on many levels! It was a fantastic book for readers like me who love exploring destinations, other cultures and language learning as it gave a real insight into Rome and Italy (not to mention Blackpool!). There was a compelling love story to match but there were so many different and complex strands to it: mental illness and eating disorders being two such topics. Didn't want to stop reading!

This story entranced me from page one. It had everything I love about a good story: fascinating characters, a great storyline, Italy, dancing and a little bit of tension. I hated having to put it down and in the end, gave up the afternoon to finish it. It was that good.

The characters are well written, good to read about and totally believable. I just loved Alf, young but mature for his years. A true gentleman and a ballroom and Latin dancer. What's not to love about a man who can dance? If I was forty years younger I would have fallen in love with him!

Letty is so vulnerable;I just wanted to wrap her up and make things right for her. I felt all her defencelessness and fears; the writing was so good you could really get inside the heads of the characters.

I just loved wandering around Rome with these two and felt I was there. As I did when Letty is dancing in Alf's arms...a Venice Waltz in a piazza, what a dream. I loved this story and was sorry when it ended. I highly recommend reading this one.

not a typical boy meets girl romance by any stretch!
Both running from something, Alf and Letty meet in an Italian language class in Rome.
Alf is immediately a very appealing character who is living life to the full in Rome, learning the language, befriending the locals and taking tourists on tours.
Letty was a little more difficult to like in the beginning...standoff-ish and nervous and without much joy to her.
However as they meet and their romance unfolds, through dancing, Letty blossoms into a great character and as their backstories are filled in, detailing what led them to Rome both become real people.
The descriptions of Rome, the sights and the cafes were excellent and the characters interactions were very real with as much awkwardness and embarrassment as romance and fun and with many hurdles to happiness for them to get past.
A true romance!