Oh my word this book is just gorgeous!!!! I fell in love instantly and I loved Lucia’s character.
Jo’s description of this town outside of Naples is absolutely spot on, as my family is from the area. I felt like I was transported to my Nonna’s house!!!
Absolutely beautiful and perfect and Jo has cemented herself as a must read author in my opinion!! Just gorgeous

I would describe this as the perfect swimming pool novel - foodie theme, exotic location and thwarted romance - to be passed on to the person on the next lounger when you’re finished. The highs are when Jo Thomas writes about cooking and food, the description of the solidarity of the “nonnas” and being transported to Italy for pizza and romance. The lows? Well the storyline is highly predictable and some of the things that happen are somewhat unbelievable and serve only to move the story along - for example, neither staying in touch with nor divorcing your ex for seven years only to fall straight back into his arms after a few weeks, a loving grandfather who would rather see his restaurant not passed down the generations than have a woman in charge at a pizzeria, and a few more things besides. Definitely not for in-depth analysis but a perfectly acceptable lightweight and undemanding holiday read.

Lucia goes back to Italy for her annual trip to see her Nonna and Nonno. She finds that Nonno intends to give his pizza restaurant to Lucia's ex husband Giaccamo to try new types of pizzas. Lucia wants the restaurant to stay traditional and so proposes a competition between her and Giac to see who sells the most pizza. The winner gets the restaurant. However, it is not know for women to run pizza restaurants in the village so she has to keep it secret!
She encounters new friends, old loves and realises where her passion lies.

A great read from Jo Thomas that immediately transports you to Italy, with wine and pizza and sunshine!!

Ok, first off I don’t think I’ve ever fancied a proper pizza more than I did when I was reading this! Jo just transports you to Nonno’s and I could just imagine tucking into a slice of authentic pizza.

I absolutely loved Lucia and I actually warmed to Giac quite quickly, you could just tell that there was more to the story than first impressions and I really wanted the two of them to click together.

The whole spirit of the book is so powerful, how true it is to really be yourself and not be afraid of putting yourself out there even when everyone’s telling you shouldn’t. Just because society says you can’t do something doesn’t mean that you have to stick with traditional and some times out of date opinions.

This was actually my first book by Jo but I think I’ve been majorly missing out and need to read more now!! And a trip to Italy of course…

I love a Jo Thomas book they transport you to a wonderful place that has a real feel good factor.
Lucia heads to Italy for her two week annual holiday with her grandparents after working hard as a lawyer in Wales.
When she arrives there are a couple of shocks in store. Nonno wants to retire and sell the pizzeria and her estranged husband Giacomo wants to take it over.
After receiving bad news from work Lucia decides to re evaluate her life.
I loved the descriptions from the smell of the lemon trees to the aromas of the pizzas cooking in the forno. I could imagine myself in the restaurant eating pepperoni pizza and a glass of prosecco, the sun going down after the heat of the day. Perfect.
Thanks to Netgalley and Random House for the ARC

Lucia is looking forward to her yearly trip to Italy to visit her grandparents, whilst she maybe have grown up in Wales, she is still very much connected to her Italian roots. Once in Italy, she is still thinking about her job as she is about to get a promotion!

However, soon she will forget about work and will instead focus on Nonno's pizzeria as he has made the decision to retire and sell. Lucia becomes set on carrying on the family tradition, nonetheless the small town where her nonni live is very set on tradition and her nonno is not sure a female pizza maker (pizzaiolo) will be successful. Can Lucia prove him wrong? Plus, there is also someone else interested in owning the pizzeria and nonno is considering selling it to him.

Impossible not to enjoy reading this book, as it will make you travel to Italy with its beautiful description, you will find yourself transported there and wanting to eat all the yummy food. Even though the plot is quite predictable, the way it is narrated, it is a pleasure to read and it also has a great message of challenging the patriarchal society and mentality in Italy.

Thank you to Netgalley and Random House UK, Transworld Publishers for the opportunity to read and review this book in exchange for an honest review,

What a delightful Book to read especially when the weather is cold & damp ,& our Skies are cold & overcast with dark Grey Clouds. This Book is full of the warmth if Italy ,or the warmth I imagine there to be in early Summer Time ,& which would bounce of the Buildings & light up the architecture plus ripen the wonderful sounding fresh produce to be used in Nonno's the Pizza Restaurant by Lucia & by Giacomo her ex husband to decide who will run it now that her Nonno ( grandfather ) is retiring ! Will they reunite both the Pizzeria & their Marriage ? you will have to read the Book . It is also a story about a sort of Feminism too because who do all great Male Chef's own their basic skills & knowledge too , their Mothers, Grandmothers & in some cases even their Sisters . #FB, #NetGalley, #GoodReads, #Instagram , # Amazon.co.uk ..... Jo Thomas delivers again & I shall recommend this Book to lots of Friends .#<img src="https://www.netgalley.com/badge/c566f42be23a0e25d120e78a3454e2d427c4beee" width="80" height="80" alt="50 Book Reviews" title="50 Book Reviews"/>, #<img src="https://www.netgalley.com/badge/ef856e6ce35e6d2d729539aa1808a5fb4326a415" width="80" height="80" alt="Reviews Published" title="Reviews Published"/>,#<img src="https://www.netgalley.com/badge/aa60c7e77cc330186f26ea1f647542df8af8326a" width="80" height="80" alt="Professional Reader" title="Professional Reader"/>

If you are looking for the perfect escapism this summer then this book is it. I really enjoyed the descriptions of Italy, the food and the setting just sounded so wonderful!

I really loved how all the women stuck together to make things happen and how driven Lucia was in getting what she wanted.

Great story great atmosphere, perfect summery story

This book was my first Jo Thomas book, and all I have to say is wow. Just WOW! I was totally hooked from the very first page.

The main character Lucia is a hard-working lawyer, who is currently aiming to obtain a big promotion. But the time has come for Lucia to go on her annual trip to visit her grandparents in Italy who own a pizzeria, but once she's there she finds out that her grandfather has decided to retire and will likely sell the business. Will Lucia decide to go for her big law-firm promotion, or is this now her chance to chase down her dreams?

The escapism that this book provided was unreal. I was instantly whisked away to Italy, taking in the sites, history and food...oh geez THE FOOD. Thomas has such a talent for transporting us to wonderful places without it being too overly descriptive and convoluted, which obviously keeps you wanting to read more.

I also really enjoyed the use of the Italian language, as it didn't feel like it was just used as a device to grow the plot or storyline. I have read previous books where authors have used a different language to give emphasis to the setting, which just made it feel like the story was being pushed on the reader - this is not the case with this novel.

Chasing the Italian dream celebrates family, love and of course chasing down your dreams. If this book has been any indication, I really need to run down to my local bookstore and buy more Jo Thomas books.

A great summer romance. You can almost taste the food as it is cooking. A slight nod to the inequality of women in the workplace but as with all good romances it all is right in the end.
Thank you to NetGalley and Random House for the advance copy of this book.

If you love Italian food, family, little courtyard pizzerias then this is the perfect book to curl up with and embrace your imagination taking you to somewhere completely different.
I felt absorbed by the cooking and flavours described in this book and also the celebration of family cooking, particularly of the women.
A delicious read

Lucia is working hard at her job as a lawyer, she knows she is up for promotion and so she is determined to win the coveted place. She knows she can do no more once she leaves for her two week holiday back to Italy, to her grandparents and the place she thinks of as home.

Upon arriving in southern Italy, I like Lucia felt automatically transported to the warmth of the Mediterranean, the smell of the lemons growing in the trees, the music of the little village and the taste of the home cooking from her grandmothers home kitchen.

All is not as it seems as Lucia, settles in she realises that her grandfather is thinking about giving up his little pizza restaurant as there is no one to take his place now he is seriously considering retiring. Lucia is horrified that this going to happen and is even further shocked when she discovers who is likely to take over.

Her husband, Giacomo. A man she has not seen for at least six years and someone she has not actually got round to divorcing.

It looks like this is going to be a difficult period for Lucia and she decides to face the challenge head on and says she wants to run the restaurant too. Her Grandfather sets her and Giacomo to a competition and may the best ‘man’ win.

However it is not going to be easy for either of them, Lucia needs to be recognised as something that is seen only as a mans job and so she needs some support. That support comes from some unlikely but lovely sources and proves that any woman is as good as any man in the kitchen.

Can Lucia keep a restaurant going and a successful career in law in another country? Can she keep the tomato sauce bubbling on the stove and can she convince Giacomo that perhaps they should get divorced. As difficulties find all of them in different ways, Lucia is faced with a decision – what does she want to do with her life? And who does she want to share it with?

I am fairly new to this authors books, but they are so rich with colour and character and in the case of this one wonderful Italian flavours that I could have eaten a bucket of gorgeous pizza and pasta described so well by the author. I was transported away completely with this novel and the warmth of its story emanated off the page in waves and I was swept away to that little part of Italy where I felt I could watch the world go by.

A perfect holiday read and a perfect read if you really need an Italian dream holiday.

I loved this book following the story of Lucia as she moves to Italy to help run her grandfather's pizzeria. She has an interesting history there as she bumps into her ex husband with whom there is unfinished business.
A great read for pure escapism as we join the author on the streets on authentic Italian village. You can practically smell the scents of the food and the bougainvillea that grows wild.
A delight of a summer book.

#fun # escapism # summer # Italy # chasingtheitaliandream

When we can’t travel anywhere, Jo Thomas provides yet another perfect 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 escape.

When the world seems to be out to get you, the one place you can find solace is with family and for Lucia that means escaping Wales for Southern Italy. The only problem is that the peace she hopes to find in the bosom of the family is shattered with the news that her ferociously traditional Nonno is retiring and selling his pizzeria.
Rocked to her core, Lucia tries to persuade him to let her become the first pizzaiola in the area, but he would rather give it to someone else in the family, someone that let her down when she needed him most.

One of the aspects I love most about Jo Thomas’s latest book is the female empowerment, taking on a male dominated industry but with the help of other women, women who were not given the same opportunities but who would have been more than capable of the task. I love how the men don’t even know it’s happening right in front of their eyes. Nonna, has to be one of my favourite characters.

It is the characters, which truly make this story, with you see Italian in the title, you’d be forgiven for thinking you would get long romantic descriptions of the countryside, the azure sky and the cerulean blue waters, there are some but it’s the wide array of characters that make this book so special.

My thanks to #Transworld and #Netgalley for giving me the opportunity to read and review #ChasingTheItalianDream By Jo Thomas

Purchase Links:
Amazon UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Chasing-Italian-Dream-Jo-Thomas-ebook/dp/B08F4V1GS9/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=Chasing+the+Italian+Dream+by+Jo+Thomas.&qid=1619306935&sr=8-1
Waterstones: https://www.waterstones.com/book/chasing-the-italian-dream/jo-thomas/9780552176866
Barnes and Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/chasing-the-italian-dream-jo-thomas/1139092221?ean=9781473573628
Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/gb/en/ebook/chasing-the-italian-dream

Pizza! I could smell it, taste it and I had to eat some as soon as I finished the book as it had me craving it all the way through! I love Jo Thomas's books and have read every one and this one is just as amazing.
This book is based around Lucia who grew up in Italy and then moved to Wales who goes back to Italy to visit her grandparents as she does every year. However this year everything seems to be changing and Lucia must decide whether she has her priorities in life right?
Jo's descriptions of the small Italian town, the pizzeria, Lucia's story and the smells and tastes of the food will have you salivating right to the end.!

Jo Thomas books always transport me to another country, where I can perfectly imagine being there. This book is in Italy, based around a Pizzeria. The book is not so much about the famous sights and landmarks. Instead this book focuses on the residents their and families.
Luce is Half Italian and Half Welsh. She is on her Annual holiday to visit her Nonno and Nonna when they drop a bombshell, which includes an unexpected reunion. She also gets unexpected news from home in Wales. She suddenly has to decide what she actually wants to do next.
I loved the cast of minor characters in this book. The all had their own stories to tell. I especially loved all of the Nonna's and their secret network and solidarity to each other.
The descriptions of food were absolutely stunning. I now want to go to Italy to eat real pizza, and fresh Mozzarella. This book will certainly make you very hungry.
This book is an easy escapism, perfect for Summer reading. It's another great book from Jo Thomas. I am looking forward to reading her next book. Thank you to Netgalley and the Publisher for my ARC.

A thoughtful and comforting read which was easy to sink in to, well written and described Italy beautifully. Thoroughly enjoyed it!

Review of Chasing the Italian Dream by Jo Thomas

I do like this authors work and this book didn't disappoint. This is the story of Lucia, a hard working lawyer from Wales who has to re-evaluate her life and her choices when her family pizzeria in Italy is about to be sold due to her grandfathers retirement. Great read in a great setting. Recommend

Lucia goes to Italy to stay with her grandparents for a few weeks who live there and run a pizza restaurant.

While she is there she discovers her nonna and nonno intend to sell the restaurant and Lucia steps in to run it herself. However in Italy women are not allowed to run restaurants and so a competition is devised to see who is worthy of being the new owners. Unfortunately for Lucia her competition is Giacomo who is not only a talented chef, but is also her husband.

Really good, fun read. Really enjoyed it.

JO THOMAS – CHASING THE ITALIAN DREAM ****

I read this novel in advance of publication through NetGalley in return for an honest review.

I selected this book to review because I love Italy. And, apart from the opening line which is disappointingly derivative of so many trashy novels whose authors lamely seek attention, it took me there. Not just took but immersed, the food, the heat, the smells, the sounds, the generational family thing that is so common over there and so rare over here.

It’s a simple tale, which three-quarters of the way through I began to find repetitive, but it dotted all the I’s and crossed all the T’s by the satisfying conclusion.

Half-Welsh-half Italian, Luce, the protagonist, rushes out to Italy on the cusp of the promotion she desperately wants in the lawyer firm for which she works back in Wales, to stay with her beloved grandparents for her annual holiday, as well as divorce her estranged Italian husband.

Once there, and happily settled into the colourful routines of Italian life, she discovers that her grandfather is ill and is having to put up for sale the family pizzeria they have owned for generations. And this is what her battle is about: the sale of the pizzeria she has known since a child to her boo-hiss ex-husband, and the promotion back on Wales she has worked so hard for. More importantly, this is a tale, set in a patriarchal society, about women of all generations coming together and proving they are every bit as powerful and capable as the men who traditionally hold them back.

Despite my occasional reservations, this is an enjoyable, easy read that does what it says within the title: allows the reader to chase their Italian dreams.