I must firstly apologise for the amount of time it has taken me to provide a review of this book, my health was rather bad for quite some time, something that had me in hospital on numerous occasions and simply didnt leave me with the time I once had to do what I love most.

Unfortunately that does mean I have missed the archive date for many of these books, so It would feel unjust throwing any review together without being able to pay attention to each novel properly.

However, I am now back to reading as before and look forward to sharing my honest reviews as always going forward. I thank you f0r the patience and understanding throughout x

This was the perfect summer read, with the beautiful setting of the island of Elba, and I really enjoyed both Lizzie as protagonist and the deeper plots of her relationship and her sense of self.

this story delves into the life of a woman grappling with a terminal cancer diagnosis, who embarks on a sunlit retreat to Italy, to rediscover her true self amidst the wreckage caused by her illness. the characters, though, had their moments of subtle frustration.

the abundance of concurrent themes felt overwhelming and sometimes contrived, resulting in forced sentimental elements. there was just a lot happening without a seamless integration into the story.

i wouldn't recommend this and was thoroughly disappointed. :(

Lizzie and Dante just had me hooked from the start. This is an emotional novel with excellently fleshed out characters and the pacing was very good. I don't want to give anything away so it's best you experience it for yourself.

Thanks to Mary Bly and Little Brown Book Group UK for my eARC in exchange for an honest ad voluntary review.

4.5 stars

A beautiful, moving, heartbreaking book that was definitely not what I expected. I went into it thinking it was going to be a bright and breezy summer romance, but boy oh boy was I wrong (which actually reading the synopsis instead of skimming it showed was actually my fault, as theres definitely hints in the summary that it wont be a light read). Would I recommend it? That depends on what you're looking for I guess. If you want a light summer read, then it wont be for you, but if you're in the mood for working out your tearducts then this is the book for you.

3.5 stars.

3.5* raised to 4*

Lizzie and Dante is the first contemporary novel from Mary Bly, who is also known by the pseudonym Eloisa James, a prolific and popular author (who I’m a big fan of). The book is set on the island of Elba and follows Shakespeare professor, Lizzie, who is dying and seemingly has given up on life. With her best friend, Grey and his partner, Rohan, they travel to Elba for a long summer break and meet Dante, a slightly mysterious chef and his daughter, Etta.

I struggled to review Lizzie and Dante because it wasn’t what I expected, at all. This is partially my fault as I really enjoy the historical romances written as Eloisa James and I was keen to read this- so I read it without reading the synopsis properly and I was expecting a fun, Italy based contemporary; I certainly wasn’t expecting the content to be so heavy.

Although the cover would suggest otherwise, this book is not light and covers some heavy topics (CW’s below). It also isn’t really a romance in the traditional sense, but there is romance in there. The love story is bittersweet (even tragic), and I viewed the book as being more about family, found family and all love- rather than it being a romance. I especially liked Etta and her relationship with the different adults!

This is by no means a criticism, but I think it is important to note. Overall, I enjoyed the book very much, even with some misgivings. Bly’s writing is great, and I could see similar elements of Eloisa James in the writing. I loved the setting of Elba, and it was abundantly clear that the descriptions were written by someone who loves Italy and spends a great deal of time there. I also liked how I could really imagine these places!

Thank you to LBBG/Piatkus for my copy in exchange for an honest review.

(CW for cancer, alcoholism)

I've always loved her books under the pen name Eloisa James, so I was really excited for her latest offering. This was a solid and enjoyable bit of escapism at a time when that's incredibly rare.

I cried buckets and I think this should be rated in handkerchiefs not in star.
A poignant and moving story with some light moments and a lovely setting.
Great characters, a plot that flows and and a lot of emotions.
I appreciated how the author describes Isola d'Elba and how she deals with illness.
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine

Goodreads rating: 4.27 stars. My rating: 4.5 stars.

CW: Cancer, Alcohol Abuse, Foster System

“She had the unnerving feeling that the two of them were turning from single notes to a chord of music.”

Despite this being ‘Mary Bly’s’ official debut novel, she is already literary royalty. Under the pen-name ‘Eloisa James’ she has published over 30 romance novels and novellas, several of which in collaboration with creator of the Bridgerton universe, Julia Quinn. It comes as no shock, then, that Lizzie & Dante is utterly glorious. It transported me from the London rain to the Tuscan sun, posed me questions on how I am living my life (yes, I had a minor existencial crisis, but the good kind), and was on my mind for days after I finished it. In a word: divine.

So, what’s it all about?

Lizzie, a 32-year-old Shakespeare professor, is dying. Despite having been offered alternative treatments, she has given up the fight for her life and made peace with her inevitable fate. She is taken on holiday to the island of Elba by her long time best friend, Grey, and his movie star boyfriend, Rohan, in an effort on their part to remind her of the joys of life, but under the guise of ‘helping Rohan with his upcoming adaptation of Romeo and Juliet’. It is there that she meets the enigmatic Dante and his 12-year-old daughter Etta, who is desperate for a mother figure, and soon Lizzie finds herself in a moral predicament: is it fair to fall head first into a passionate love affair, knowing her time will shortly be coming to an end?

My Thoughts:

The first thing I want to make abundantly clear is that this is not a light, breezy, beach-read romance (unless you like being reduced to a snotty puddle of tears on the beach, in which case, go ahead). It is a love story, but not just between two people. There is romance in there (Lizzie and Dante, of course) but it is more about the love between the ‘found family’ that we see forming throughout the book.

Every element of this book felt so real. It is evident that Mary Bly is well acquainted with Elba from how exquisitely she describes the island. From the landscape to the Italian cuisine, everything is painted in such fine detail that it is hard to not be mentally transported there (and feel immensely jealous of the characters sunning themselves on the glorious beaches). Lizzie’s diagnosis is harrowingly authentic – both the physical and emotional ramifications. For me, the most poignant moments were not those depicted in meticulous detail but the little things, the little changes Lizzie had made to her lifestyle with the knowledge that her days were numbered. Her journey with cancer also reflects an element of Bly’s personal life, with both herself and her mother-in-law having suffered from it, which made it all the more moving a read.

I adored how unique every character was, they all had their own personal flair to bring to the group. Dante is mysterious and rough around the edges, but unfalteringly kind. Rohan is divinely flamboyant and glamorous, the yin to Grey’s pragmatic (but secretly passionate) yang. Ruby is frank and fierce, Etta is bold and wise beyond her years, and Lizzie is incredibly selfless and strong. If I were to host a dinner party for all my fictional favourites, they would all certainly make the cut.

I promise it isn’t all tears; there are plenty of wonderfully happy moments in there too, albeit bittersweet. Lizzie never thought she would fall in love before her time is up, but along comes Dante. She never imagined she would experience motherhood, but along comes precocious tween, Etta. She grew up without a family, so chooses her own before its too late. We, the reader, watch her gradually become reacquainted with the pre-cancer Lizzie as she decides to live her life, or what little time she has left, to the fullest.

To Conclude:

No book has made me sob quite like this did. I have photographic evidence of my post-epilogue meltdown but I’ll spare you the details – it was really rather foul. Lizzie & Dante has just hit the shelves so run, don’t walk, to your local independent bookstore and grab a copy. But, I warn you, when it’s over you will find yourself perusing Skyscanner for flights to Tuscany.

Special thanks to NetGalley and Little, Brown Book Group for providing me with an advanced reader copy – seriously, I can’t thank you enough.

I requested ‘Lizzie and Dante’ to review from netgalley having been swooned by the gorgeous cover of where the Elba sea meets the sky and the juicy Italian lemon. To me, this cover screamed easy-going, sun lounger summer read however I greatly underestimated the story of Lizzie and Dante. It’s no secret that Lizzie has stage 3 cancer and I have to admit I was a little apprehensive as to how Lizzie’s story would unfold. There are several complex issues underpinning the story of our two lovers however ‘Lizzie and Dante’ isn’t just a summer fling but a story of hope, love and learning who your family are and where you belong.
My favourite character was the lovely, charismatic Etta (who got her crimson red bra in the end!). It was great to read through the somewhat innocence and simplicity of a pre-teens eyes whilst also hearing from Lizzie’s conflicted point of view. Unlike some readers I was pleasantly surprised by the epilogue, I felt from the beginning that the end was almost inevitable and it wouldn’t have been right for Mary Bly to have finished Lizzie and Dante’s story in any other way.
If you’re looking for a straight forward romance with a predictable happily ever after ending, Lizzie and Dante may not be for you however if you’re in search of a story of love, friendship and family in the most important form, you will thoroughly enjoy reading ‘Lizzie and Dante’.

Beautifully written with very lyrical prose. Such an enjoyable read, I really enjoyed how although it was a romance, it hit much heavier topics too. The different POVs were done well too, really enjoyed this book!

2.5/5

I want to preface this review by saying that Romance is not my favourite genre. I read them from time to time because every now and then I find one that I love.

Unfortunately Lizzie & Dante didn't end up as a loved book.

I was drawn to this one because of the mention of the illness, as emotional/heavier content in romances is often what I like.

However, reading this book I found it lacking that emotional punch I was looking for. Coming across, to me at least, as a little detached from emotion and underwhelming.

The love story itself seemed a little rushed and I would have liked more development on that. I think there was a little too much time spent on other character and storylines, that for me as a whole it felt too rushed and we didn't get to know any of the characters well enough for me to care about them.

I know a lot of people love this book, but it wasn't for me.

Time to clear your schedule for the afternoon, coffee pot on and phone turned off - you won’t want to put this one down. This was a compelling and thoroughly enjoyable read from start to finish. Be prepared to shed some tears ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

A powerful read! This book is so beautifully well written , the characters are are so three dimensional and well developed, you will need a box of tissues with this book, it will break your heart but also put it back together (kind of but no spoilers) . This book a tearjerker but so full of hope and affirmation for life, absolutely beautiful

Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for a free copy for an honest opinion

A beautiful story. Very well-written. Lizzie meets Dante whilst on holiday on the island of Elba but this isn't your average romance by any means. Well worth reading. I can imagine this would make a very good film too!

Lizzie meets Dante while she is on holiday on Elba. They both live in New York, but does that mean they have a chance together when it is back to real life?
I liked how the book is told from different points of view.

Wow, just wow! What an amazing book! The story is beautifully written and the text is lyrical - almost poetic. There were so many passages I wanted to go back and reread, to really think about the deeper messages the author conveys. All of the characters are richly drawn and sympathetic and I loved how 12 year old Etta’s voice was part of the narrative. The descriptions of Elba were so vivid, I could picture it as clearly as though I were actually there. This book is life affirming and hopeful, with the central message that love, in all it’s forms, is always worth fighting for.