Thank you to NetGalley, Boldwood Books and author Leonie Mack for this eARC

A very sweet autumnal romance with sprinkles of serious topics, quirky side characters and adorable pets with lots of personality.
The romance between Alex & Jules was super cute, however I feel like it dragged a bit in the middle because it felt very repetitive at some points.
I absolutely loved the setting - usually when we have a setting in Italy it more of a summer vibe, somewhere in the south, maybe even by the beach. This was something new and fit so perfectly for a fall romance with the mountains, the cold and the chestnuts!
3.5 stars

Thank you so much for the ARC! I was excited. to read this, however, it wasn't my favourite. I found the writing to be fairly average, and struggled to pick it up. The story was also a bit too predictable. Lastly, I didn't feel like I was able to connect well with the characters and it took forever for the plot to pick up.

This heartwarming story follows Julia, an Australian who moved to Italy for love, only to find herself abandoned, homeless, and struggling to figure out her next steps. Her only constant companion is her dog, Arco. While waiting for her passport in the small Italian village of Cividale del Friuli, Julia unexpectedly meets Alex, a busker with his cat Attila. Their chance dinner leads to a series of events that neither anticipated, intertwining their lives temporarily.

Both characters are grappling with recent personal struggles, not intending to fall in love, especially given their diverging futures. Julia is portrayed as the stronger, more complex character, while Alex offers a lighter contrast. The story explores the challenges they face while also bringing humor and emotion to the forefront, especially through the vivid depictions of Italian rural life and the farm work Julia takes on.

While the novel delivers charming autumnal scenes and moments of giggles, it lags slightly in the middle but remains an overall enjoyable and detailed read about self-discovery and unexpected connections.

Really wanted to like this book, however I could not. It was not engaging, and felt poorly written.. Was very difficult to get into and keep my attention.

A really lovely story in a beautiful Italian village. The beautiful tight community welcome Jules who is looking for a free and safe place to stay while waiting on her passport. But she meets Alex and together they begin to move forward in their lives to overcome some grief and guilt of their pasts. A very visual story I could see this being a great film!

The desire to visit Italy grew even stronger after finishing this - especially Italy in the fall?? How gorgeous it sounds!

This was a lovely fall-vibes romance, perfect to cozy up with while the weather is getting a little chillier outside. I enjoyed Leonie Mack's easy writing as we follow Julia in her adventure to the Friuli area of Udine, an attempt to get "as far away from Italy without leaving Italy" as she could. The vivid descriptions we get of the area, the farm, the buildings, I quite enjoyed and would have loved to get a lot more of that. If I can't travel somewhere in person, I sure do love to travel in books!

Julia is hanging in limbo, waiting for passports so she can escape back to Australia after some turbulence with a past lover and a failed business venture. Her decreasing bank account, lack of place to stay, and the need to get away from her ex-boyfriend drives her to sign up to work on an organic olive farm in exchange for accommodations. Just until she can get back home, right?

Alex, our main male character, is a bit of a mystery for a good portion of the book. As a reader, we get very small tidbits as to what kind of trauma he went through before it finally gets revealed to Julia (and us) and then his behaviors make a lot of sense. I am no stranger to the type of trauma he went through, so I felt the rawness of his emotions, and the way the author wrote about his issues were realistic.

Both of our main characters had good character development, both separately and together, which was nice. Sometimes in a fluffy romance, we don't always get to see that on both sides, even if both parties have different issues they are dealing with. So I appreciated that.

As much as I love a good smutty book, I do also love a nice fade-to-black romance, too, which is what we get in this one. If that type of steamy is your jam, and you like a cozy, slow-burn type of romance set in a picturesque Italian town, this book will be for you.

This book is like a little romantic vacation in Italy. Julia has just gotten out of a bad relationship and is short of funds. She takes a job on a farm and has an instant attraction to Alex, but things are not simple. They are both veterans in the relationship wars so being together isn’t always easy. I loved the setting and the characters and the world that Leonie Mack created.

Awww I loved this, was super cute, super sweet and an easy ready! I read in a day's and a half, ate it up and left no crumbs. Only criticism is I felt the whole battling of feelings became a bit much and dragged out bur it was such a beautiful ending and a beautiful story! Second Leonie Mack book I've read and I'll definitely be reading more

I enjoy Leonie Mack's books generally and this was no different. Her descriptions are always so vivid and wonderful, almost taking you to the places in the book.

Alex and Jules have both had traumatic pasts which makes pursuing a relationship difficult. Although they had an instant connection, both of them (especially Alex). The villagers however really want Alex to move on and be happy, and play matchmakers for the couple. Jules has her own issues that makes her self-doubt take over. The story was a little predictable but still charming, and overall I enjoyed it

Thanks to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This is a heartwarming tale of two people coming to terms with the events of their recent pasts and not looking to fall in love, especially as their future plans don't mesh in the slightest. I found Jules to be a stronger, more nuanced character than Alex, but their story is well told (even if it does drag somewhat in the middle of the book) and the supporting cast, including Arco, is delightful. Also delightful are the detailed descriptions of a more remote area of northern Italy and the farm work that Jules signs on for. An enjoyable read.

Another fabulous story from Leonie Mack. I just adore her books and this one is simply beautiful.

We have two lost and damaged characters brought together and finding their way through the obstacles to a happy ever after. The setting in Italy is, as always, so wonderfully realised that you feel you’ve actually been living there for the duration of the book.

Julia is Australasian and has escaped a terrible relationship with Luca and is waiting for the B&B she invested her money and love in, to be sold. Alex is Italian and has a tragic back story which is slowly revealed.

There’s a cast of amazing characters who unlike many secondary characters in books - actually come to life too.

I love LM’s voice and found this a riveting and emotionally satisfying story. Highly recommend. 5 star read.

LOVE, LOVE, LOOOOOOVVVEEE, LOVED IT!!!… Absolutely stunning!!!… I was completely swept away!!…
Brilliant

I blame Leonie Mack for introducing me to a little slice of Italy that I now feel the need to explore! The community, the food, the work ethic, the pride and the landscape of this area really come through strong in this story, creating a brilliant setting for a possible autumn romance.

“Wine is more than culture here. It’s life.”

“Trees welcomed the morning light in every shade from deep green to glowing orange and red. The only signs of human settlement were the occasional tiny hamlets of clay-roofed houses with thin ribbons of smoke emerging from the chimneys."

Imagine this. After being jilted by love and while waiting on your passport to fly home to Australia, you stumble across a man playing the accordion (not an instrument I often encounter in a romance, but I’m open to it). This man somehow rewrites your final days in Italy.

For me as a reader, this is a story of second chances. Alex and Jules are complex characters. They are fairly young, yet it feels like they have lived a lifetime. Unfortunately for me, it felt like this story was taking a lifetime, only picking up about halfway through the book. There is a lot of push and pull, as well as ups and downs, which mirrors my feelings about the book. For example, I loved the setting and the characters (the dog and the cat are possibly my favorites), but the pacing was too long and drawn out for me. It’s a beautiful story that I feel just needs edited a little more to quicken the pace.


Thank you to Boldwood Books for this gifted copy via NetGalley. These opinions are entirely my own. If you are drawn to a book with a complicated love story that takes place in the gorgeous Italian countryside, then pour yourself a glass of vino and enjoy Leonie Mack’s latest, In Italy for Love.

I'll admit it was the Italy setting that caught my attention. I was in it for the Italian scenarios, people, food or culture.
There is some of that, yes, but in general I didn't care for the romance aspect of the story.
It was fine, just it won't be memorable for my taste.

In Italy for Love is a light and enjoyable read that follows Julia as she escapes her ex-boyfriend and finds herself working on an olive farm in Italy. The setting is absolutely idyllic, and the author's ability to transport readers to the Italian countryside is fantastic. It starts with a sweet meet cute and charming coincidence; the romance between Julia and Alex is sweet and believable; and there's a touch of suspense as back story unravels that keeps you turning the pages. I did love how developed Alex was as a character/love interest, and his exploration of grief felt authentic without being too much of a personality trait.

However, the book is pretty predictable, and the ending is spelled out pretty clearly. Overall, it's a charming escape read that's perfect for fans of romance novels, but it didn't have a tremendous impact on me!

I would rate this book 3.5 out of 5 stars (rounded up to 4).

This was an extremely cute romance 🥰 The slow burn tension with fade to black romance scenes, adorable pets, wholesome meddling family, and all the roller coaster of emotions makes this book hard to put down!

A very intense read. A story of losing love , falling out of love and the confidence to fall in love again. It was a moving story at time. Loved the chestnut part. Attila the cat was fab and Arco the dog. Alex and Jules were great characters . Set mainly in Italy and a bit in Australia . A good ending. I did love it .

This book was so good! The romance was so cute and it was so enjoyable. The setting was perfect and it made me feel like i was there.

⭐️⭐️

The wind blows a little bit colder (sorry, cheesy frozen reference), and the autumn vibes are all around, and it's October-the season of Halloween, so this should've been a perfect seasonal read!!!

Unfortunately, I wasn't too much a fan. I didn't actively dislike it, but I can't say I loved it.

The characters.. despite the backstories they had, they weren't very interesting as humans. Maybe it makes it realistic in a way, but they were awkward with their interactions and actions, and the miscommunication and assumption of each others' emotions based on facial expressions got a bit too much.

What I did like was everything other than the characters or the plot. Because this book is written in third person pov, it portrays autumn in Italy so well, and now I'm more obsessed with autumn than ever. Olives, harvest and the cool air felt very vivid, so despite not actively engaging in with the characters, I felt more excited for fall than ever!

Oh and this is a completely off the topic side note, but the random Korean show reference was so funny-

"Or like one of those Korean shows: if we die at the same time, we'll be reborn on the same day and find each other in the next life"

-yup, sounds like a drama I've watched

Anyways, (I don't know why this review sounds someone sleep deprived wrote it. Maybe it's because I am) overall, this was a good starter for autumn, but not a favoured romance book.

Thank you for providing a copy of this arc in exchange for a review. I enjoyed reading about autumn in Italy, but rather felt that the dialogues and the characters' interactions were too awkward at times.

If you're a sucker for travel and romance, In Italy for Love by Leonie Mack is the perfect pick. That being said, I'll be honest—it starts off a bit slow. The first few chapters left me waiting for something to happen, and it took some time for the story to pick up speed. But trust me, once it does, it's like a slow burn that turns into a cozy blaze. As the main character's relationship deepens, so does the connection you feel with the characters. They both have their own emotional baggage to deal with, and it’s satisfying to watch them grow and find happiness together. Quick, easy read that's totally worth it. It's a charming, feel-good romance that delivers all the beautiful scenery and heartfelt moments you could ask for. If you’ve ever dreamed of falling in love in Italy, this book will transport you right there.

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