This book was a nice easy read, perfect for a summer holiday. You can just enjoy the story and you don't have to think to much about it. It also made me crave pizza!
Thank you to Jo Thomas, NetGalley and Random House UK, Transworld Publishers for the opportunity to read and review this book.

In the words of Lucia, “It’s the story of pizza and a pizzaiola”. It’s also the story of female empowerment.
I could almost smell the hot, crispy dough, feel the sun on my arms, hear Angelo singing, taste the mozzarella!
A really lovely book, perfect for happy summer reading.

I enjoyed this book, but some of the repetitive descriptions did get a bit much, felt like the word count needed to be increased, so one character would repeat what another had just said, it wasn’t needed and took away from an otherwise good book, I did like the characters they were well written.

A real taste of Italy. You can taste the pizza and feel the traditional village life. Lucia goes for a holiday, then realises the dream she was chasing as a lawyer does not satisfy her as much as cooking in her grandfather's restaurant. The problem is that her ex husband could end up with the restaurant and then her new dream would be over. Traditions and relationships are tested as the restaurant competition for ownership leaves you desperately wanting to place your order!

This was a real treat for all the senses. I truly felt I had been transported to a small Italian town. I could feel the warmth, smell and taste the pizzas and was enveloped in the family love. I was left with a real wish to be there! There was no big startling revelation, nothing that wasn't expected, but what a nice, easy, relaxing read. #netgalley #chasingtheitaliandream

A great holiday book
Easy to read but found the ending a little predictable but would recommend it as a good summer read

Although I enjoyed this book it felt a little predictable and I guessed quite quickly what would happen in the end. A perfect holiday read . My thanks to netgalley and the publishers for giving me the opportunity to read this book in return for an honest review.

Really enjoyed this book. I have to be honest. I found the first few chapters slow and predictable, But once Lucia got into the kitchen at the restaurant, the pace really picked up. I particularly enjoyed the way she picked up all the female waifs and strays and they became this formidable force.

The romance aspect felt a little rushed, but over all I really enjoyed the story and would recommend it.

4.5/5 💫 Gosh, this book was such a lovely escape!
In Chasing The Italian Dream, we follow Lucia as she visits Italy on her annual trip! But unlike her previous tours, this trip changes her life forever. :') This book was filled with mouth-watering descriptions of food, charming characters, a wonderfully plotted storyline and lessons about self-discovery. Seeing Lucia figure out what she really wants from life was such a lovely journey. I loved seeing her grow & become the best version of herself. Lucia's grandparents, Nonna and Nonno were just... the best. They were JUST ADORABLE. I am pretty sure that their hugs would take all the sadness away from my life. 🤧

Can't recommend this book enough!! Many thanks to Netgalley and Random House UK for the e-ARC 💜

What a lovely uplifting story this is! I fell in love with Italy, the pizzeria and Lucia’s family. Lucia had never really felt Italian, being raised in Wales, but never felt welch either, having Italian parents. Wherever she was, she felt like an outsider. Lucia had married Giacomo, whose family also had a pizzeria in the next town. Wow, did he make me weak at the knees! This man just made me smile on every page.

By birthright, the pizzeria should have been handed down to Lucia’s father, but he had tragically died and has it was only men that cooked the pizzas, her grandfather said he would have to sell his restaurant. Lucia was holidaying at her grandparents when her not yet divorced husband turned up wanting to take the restaurant over. Lucia stepped in with an unthinkable solution. Now, the kitchen would heat up!

I am smiling from ear to ear while writing this review, what a lovely warm and truly delicious story this is. I liked getting to know the extended community, especially the women, but nonna was extra special. Nonna had a sparkle in her that kept her young with a sprinkle of mischief thrown in. Nonna was one of my top characters in the story.

It is a story of tradition, honour, family and love, and it is beautiful. I like a book that can give me butterflies, and this story did just that. A lovely ending with a contented smile and sigh from me. Pure joy!

I wish to thank the publisher and Net Galley for an e-copy of this book which I have reviewed honestly.

Lucia a workaholic lawyer is forced to re-evaluate what she wants from life. A visit to her family in Italy opens up an opportunity.The descriptions of the setting and food make you yearn to travel. Amazing characters who bring the book alive. Loved it.

Thanks to netgalley for the chance to read this book.

Another great book by Jo.

Lucia is a lawyer in Wales and takes a break to see her grandparents in southern Italy whilst waiting to see if she’s got the promotion she has been working hard for the last few years. Her grandfather has decided to retire and may need to sell the families pizzeria. Lucia doesn’t want this to happen so asks her grandfather to give her a chance to prove herself. He sets Lucia and her estranged husband Giac the competition of who can sell the most pizzas to see who will take over the pizzeria. The locals must not find out that it is a competition and that a woman is the chef in the kitchen as they will not approve. Her feelings for Giac begin to resurface, can they convince her grandfather not to sell and who will win the competition.

Chasing the Italian Dream - Jo Thomas

We get to tag alongside Lucia when she visits her Nonna and Nonno's house just outside Naples in Italy, where she discovers they are retiring from the family run pizzeria and will have to sell up. Even more unfortunate is the fact that her nearly ex-husband Giacomo wants to take it over! Lucia then starts to look at her life and see what she wants from her future and maybe begins to embrace a new life. The food descriptions in this book were fab and made me extremely peckish. I loved being able to picture the lemon trees and pretend I was there as well. Thank you so much to Random House UK, Transworld Publishers, Corgi and NetGalley for the E-ARC and allowing me to give my honest opinions.

A lovely summer read based on Lucia and Giacomo when they visit grandparents' house in southern Italy,
Put yourself there amongst the sunshine and lemon trees
It's an enjoyable read, well written, and easy read.

This is a pleasant little rom com, following the fortunes of Lucia and Giacomo, as she visits her Nonno and Nonna at their home just outside Naples in Italy.

It is certainly evocative of sultry summer evenings in the Mediterranean, with lovely descriptions of the food - I could almost taste the flavour of the sun ripened tomatoes in my mouth!

It's a cute little summer read, it doesn't take much thinking to get through it and has a host of colourful characters.

It's a 3.5 stars from me. Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Chasing the Italian Dream by Jo Thomas Pub Date 10/6/21
A summer escape she'll never forget.
Lucia has worked hard as a lawyer in Wales, aiming for a big promotion she hopes will shortly come her way. Finally, taking a well-earned break at her grandparents' house in southern Italy, the sunshine, lemon trees and her nonna's mouth-watering cooking make her instantly feel at home.
But she's shocked to learn that her Grandfather is retiring from the beloved family pizzeria and will need to sell. Lucia can't bear the thought of the place changing hands - especially when she discovers her not-quite-ex-husband Giacomo wants to take it over!
Then bad news from home forces Lucia to re-evaluate what she wants from life. Is this her chance to carry on the family tradition and finally follow her dreams?
Chasing the Italian Dream is an atmospheric descriptive celebration of Italy, family bonds, love, life, and realising your dream.
An all-embracing summer romance.
A highly recommended, enjoyable, easy read.
I want to thank NetGalley, Random House UK, Transworld Publishers and author Jo Thomas for a pre-publication copy to review.

Really enjoyed this book loved the setting, loved the characters. Was such an enjoyable read, so well written, and easy read. I say this a lot but could imagine sitting on a warm beach somewhere reading this.

The story follows Lucia visiting her Nonno and Nonna on her summer holiday to Italy. Trained as a lawyer, Lucia leaves for her annual leave excited to find out if she’s been given the promotion she desperately wants or will she be overlooked once again? Nonno runs a pizzeria in the square where they live. Full of heritage, gorgeous ingredients and a love of cooking, Nonno announces his retirement. Will he be able to leave the restaurant to his family or will he be forced to sell...

This was such a cute read. I loved the setting being in Italy, it took me to the most wonderful location, I could imagine sitting in a bustling courtyard sipping coffee in the sun. It was packed full of different pizza recipes, most of which, I can’t wait to create. Both Giac and Lucia were so frustratingly cute together but their stubbornness infuriated me! I found this a great read, perfect for relaxing in the sun.

You can run from yourself and your life. You can spend years putting borders and trenches between yourself and things you truly love and places you truly belong at. You can even become a lawyer. But then...

But then you finally carve 2 weeks holidays and run away home. You run away to the place you love and where you are loved and where everything smells, tastes and feels so much better, stronger, more real.

Lucia is a business lawyer in Wales. She is a workaholic, working towards promotion. She believes that everything good and light hangs on whether or not she'd get this promotion: from new flat, to beautiful kitchen and amazing dinners she is going to cook in that kitchen. But life throws her a curve ball.

Lucia takes 2 weeks to go to a tiny Italian town where she grew up and where her grandparents still live and run pizza restaurant. She loses on promotion, finds out that her grandad is not well enough to keep the business going. Moreover, she finds out that rules and traditions in the place she loves will be working against her.. And if this is not enough, loves will be lost and found, hearts will be broken and mended.

Chasing the Italian Dream is a fairytale for grown up exhausted women who stopped believing in happy ending about twenty years ago. It's a beach read if you like, a summer read. But it works as well in the middle of winter and yet another COVID19 lockdown.

I enjoyed this book immensely. I loved the tiny town and it's smells and sights. I loved the food and its place in lives of people. The relationship between characters and its dynamic made me want to run away there and stay there forever. And yes, happy ending helped too.

Set in Italy, Jo’s book is a real gem, full of love, friendship and the importance of community. A thoroughly enjoyable, feel good read.