I have enjoyed every single page of this book. After finishing it I felt happy and was full of warmth and optimism. From Rome with Love is a fun romantic, sexy read that you really can’t miss, it is absolutely one of this summer’s must – reads! It has it all: Italian food, the city of Rome, hidden family secrets, romance, adventure, travelling, sun and cold drinks. Yes it’s partly predictable, yes there are some clichés and yes the story isn’t anything new, but it’s an easy and fun summer read if you’re looking for something light and romantic. Sometimes you need exactly that kind of read that’s why I enjoyed it so much.

Jules Wake manages to convey the atmosphere of actually being in Rome even if you've never visited. Add some super characters, a romance with a conflict ( and boy what a conflict when the twist appears) and you have a wonderful read. My favourite kind of book combines a good story with escapism preferably set in a foreign location and "From Rome with love' has this in bucketfuls. It also gives a few cultural tips should you actually be able to visit for real. Very enjoyable and after being immersed for a couple of hours was a tad surprised when I surfaced to find myself still in the UK!

A romantic travel tale full of angst , family drama and a couple destined to be together except that life keeps getting in the way. Rome provides a glorious setting to this story, which is an easy rewarding read.
I received a copy of this story from Harper Impulse via NetGalley in return for an honest review.

It took me a while to actually get into this book, but once I did, I found it really showed the culture and the environment of Rome! I can't quite pinpoint what it was that made me keep reading, but the guide book obsession resonated! I loved learning about the different sights that Lisa goes to, and I love how her and Will were at odds most of the time.
I haven't read the other books by this author, but I'm definitely eyeing them for the next time I go on a buying spree!

Things I loved about this book:

Lisa is a strong character. She is nervous about taking chances, but she takes a deep breath and she does it anyway.

Will carefully works to expand Lisa's bubble and helps her experience new things while they are eating and drinking their way through Rome and the countryside.

There's angst but it is short and neither character lets it drag on and on.

From Rome With Love, the setting in this book is very lovely and I feel like I am in Rome. I just couldn't get enough from reading it.

Lisa for me she is like myself (?) as though I can relate with me. lol Lisa she has never been travel anywhere alone, afraid of heights and she loves her Nan. With that being said, she have to travel to Rome to meet her estranger father, discover the city. I just feel so closed with the characters.

I totally enjoy reading this lovely, sweet story with beautiful characters in From Rome With Love.

A excellent romantic story. I totally loved this book.

Lisa is visiting her Nan when she discovers a photo of her father, the man who left when she was two and has not heard of since, and the engagement ring that he gave her mother which she wanted returned to him after she had died.

Determined to return the ring she books a trip to Rome, the only address that she has for him, and arranges to go with her friend Giovanni and stay in his apartment, but unbeknown to her Will her one time friend now foe persuades Giovanni to let him stay there as well at the same time. With both men competing for her attention there will certainly be some fun!

A lovely story with great descriptions of Rome and although fairly predictable there were lots of twists and turns and great to catch up with some of the characters from previous books. Perfect light read for the beach

From Rome with love was just the warm fun read that is needed on a cold winters day, too lift your spirits. This is the first book I have read by this author, I would be interested in reading more in this series, as I enjoyed the writing style and the characters were likeable.

Perfect book for traveling, if you aren't traveling to Rome, you soon will wish you were! A really descriptive book, it drew me in to the main character, even if I did want to shout at her at times..

From Rome with Love, Jules Wake

Escape the January blues with the perfect feel-good romance!

Genre: Romance, Women's Fiction

Review from Jeannie Zelos book reviews
 
I’m new into this series, but each book is a standalone one so that was fine.
I enjoyed this story, but didn’t love it. Its a fun read, something to relax with when you don’t want to have to concentrate too hard. A typical chic-lit read, perfect for holdays etc.

I loved Rome, the food, my mouth was watering at the descriptions, and Will’s enthusiasm about it, and the descriptions of the places they visited.
Will is a lovely man, I really could visualise him, and he’s clearly liked by his staff, a kind of tough but fair guy. That meant his actions with Lisa in the past, after that one special night just didn’t feel right.
Lisa was a sweet girl, but I never really felt her, never thought I properly understood her somehow. She and Will were clearly attracted, but I needed a bit more of that simmering sensuality that they both felt.
Those parts really brought the romance alive but I didn’t feel there were enough of them...and the bit where it all goes wrong, well I saw that coming from, the first hint.

Knowing what’s going to happen doesn’t spoil a book for me, I often reread favourites and if course know the ending, but somehow this was just too obvious, and Lisa reaction just didn’t feel right. felt very out of character for her.

Stars: Three and a half, a fun chic-lit light read. 

ARC supplied for review purposes by Netgalley and Publishers

¨From Rome With Love¨ is the first book I have read by Jules Wake, it started a bit slow but it picked up about a quarter way through and after that, I could not put it down. Lisa goes to Rome to look for her estranged father after finding a hidden heirloom. She finds help and romance in her childhood friend, Will, who broke her heart a year before. They embark on their journey to find Lisa's father, but also enjoy everything Rome has to offer. This was an enjoyable read with some great characters and I will definitely look into reading her other ¨From… With Love¨ books.

I have been waiting and waiting for Will & Lisa's story and I was ecstatic to receive an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

And I was in no way disappointed! Jules describes the love/hate relationship perfectly and the sexual tension rises steadily through the book. I loved Nan and her interfering ways and Giovanni and his boyish enthusiasm for everything!

The descriptions of Rome were magical and I was so glad to see my favourite building, The Pantheon, included. But these were nothing to the descriptions of the food! My mouth watered on and off the whole way through and made me want to try loads of Italian dishes! Who knew that Balsamic Vinegar had so many flavours.

Thank you Jules, for a wonderfully romantic travelogue!

This book takes you on a wonderful tour of Rome - experiencing the tastes and smells alongside the spectacular buildings. My daughter went to Rome last year and I've wanted to visit ever since. This book has just renewed that feeling. Lisa wants to return something to her estranged father and stays at Giovanni's families home. Will has also tagged along to visit lots of authentic Italian food suppliers and although they've shared a 'moment' things are strained between them.

I loved the trips that Lisa went on with both Will and Giovanni, even imagining the hair pin bends that would scare me silly! Is there a spark of romance around, are the 2 lads competing for her attention? I just loved the whole book.
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I know this book is meant to be a part of a series but I love that I could read it as a stand alone and understand everything that was happening regardless.
The plot really did throw me for some loops (in a great way) and kept me on the edge of my seat. Never did I ever expect some of the twists and turns in the story line which normally in this genre the plots are more than predictable. It had me feeling such a range of emotions for the characters and their story. I will definitely be reading the entire series after this.

I was thrilled to be asked to kick off Jules Wake's blog tour for her brand new book From Rome With Love. I've read most of Jules' books before and loved them, so was excited to get stuck into reading this one. I love the cover, it looks summery and certainly entices you into wanting to read it. When I began reading, I realised several of these characters have popped up before in Jules' other books, and it was lovely to catch up with Siena, Laurie, Cam and co again!

This time, however, we follow the story of Lisa, who is determined to go to Rome to locate her father to return a family heirloom after the death of her mother. However, all Lisa knows about him is that he didn't bother asking her to live with him once her mother died, and all she has is an old photo with an address that is decades old. Instead, she hops on a plane with her Italian friend Giovanni, and another local Will, who owns the pub and is opening his own restaurant. The pair have a bit of a past so Lisa isn't thrilled he's hijacked her holiday. But will she be able to find her father in Rome, and can Lisa and Will admit there's more than a little attraction between them?

I really enjoyed this story from the beginning. I liked Lisa straight away. She's grown up with grandmother who isn't the easiest woman to get along with, and I certainly felt Lisa's frustration and love towards her grandmother through the entire book - despite the many arguments the pair had you could really feel the love that they had for each other. Lisa's relationship with Will however was a bit more complicated but I really enjoyed that story unfolding and seeing the friendship between them blossom while they were in Rome together.

Jules Wake has clearly done her research when it comes to Rome because she describes is so beautifully throughout the book. I haven't been lucky enough to visit Rome myself but I loved reading about it, from the famous tourist hotspots such as the Spanish Steps, the Colosseum and the Trevi fountain, to the small Italian cafe's that Lisa and Will frequent, and the other places they travel to research Italian food and drink for Will's restaurant. I found Wake's descriptions to be really vivid, and I loved seeing these things through Lisa's eyes because she was so excited about everything to do with Rome, her enthusiasm was catching!

As well as the holiday to Rome, there was the more serious storyline of Lisa trying to track down her father. There were a few twists and turns along the way, it couldn't all be plain sailing for Lisa of course, and there was a bit of a shocking conclusion to that too which had me really surprised! It set up Lisa's return to the UK and the return of a few characters too which was nice to see. Overall, this was a really enjoyable read from Jules Wake, and there's not a lot I can fault about this book at all! I loved the characters, the setting, there was some humour and a storyline that kept you wanting to read on until the last page! Highly recommended!

In June I reviewed a Jules Wake book, ‘From Italy With Love’, and thought it was loads of fun. So when an opportunity came up to read another from the series, I jumped at the chance. What a fun series this is proving to be and although characters do arise from past books, each is very much a standalone read. You do not need to have read any of the other books but if you have, it’s like revisiting old friends and having a catch up which was nice.

I enjoyed this book tremendously - rating it even higher than previous ones. It was coasting along as a solid chick lit read, until about three quarters the way through and BAM! Such an unforeseen plot twist was introduced that elevated it that little bit more for me. For this is where Jules Wake excels, as her tales (like I wrote previously) are not just ‘fluffy’ chick lit, but contain intricate twists that, although you know you will get your happy ending, they keep you very much engaged with the characters.

What I also thoroughly enjoyed about this particular one was the depth and detail Wake provides you with on everything to do with Rome. She provides the almost perfect mix of romance and culture that I feel I have just arrived back from visiting the famous city myself! There are the obvious trips to the likes of the Vatican and Spanish Steps, but thanks to Lisa’s infamous guidebook, I learnt so much.

‘A list? You can’t do Rome by list. You have to live and breathe it.’

Add to that the amazing Italian cuisine with trips to authentic restaurants or wineries and it’s a complete getaway. As Will introduces Lisa to blind tasting tests on everything from olive oil to cheese production to learning the finer skills of wine tasting, you can’t help but literally savour the moment, as indeed the ‘passion for food positively glowed’ off the page.

One final winning aspect for me is the humour. I love both the lead characters and their bantering with each other is phenomenal.

‘Nice. Me? No you’ve definitely got the wrong man.’
‘I said nice. We are talking the dog’s arse end on the scale of compliments.’

Not to mention Lisa’s inner dialogue that I could very much relate to at times:

‘He wouldn’t be checking he had his phone or passport with him once, let alone on the half hour, every half hour.’

‘The horrible pull-along case, which had seemed so brilliant earlier, suddenly had a life of its own and did not want to partake in the hurried slalom through other travellers all heading down the same wide corridor.’

From Rome with Love is the perfect mix of all that is Italian especially the food, wine and culture. The friendships, romance and especially the hidden family secrets make this a wonderful read that kept me engaged and smiling all the way through.

‘Give people that feeling of holidays, the taste of Italy and the laid-back sense of having all the time in the world to enjoy the intense flavour of sunshine and tradition.’


This review is based on a complimentary copy from the publisher and provided through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. The quoted material may have changed in the final release

Actual rating: 4.5

I think I fell in love with this book more than From Paris With Love This Christmas. I reviewed that title recently, having caught it free on Amazon, and it surprised me so much with how I enjoyed it that I had to download this from NetGalley. I mean, my ARC pile was down to 2 books, so I had to stock up again, right?

Anyway, Will and Lisa's story intrigued me in From Paris With Love This Christmas. I always wondered what created the animosity between them and I'm glad they got their own book. They were a great couple of characters to watch unfold and fall in love. Seriously, this book brought a smile to my face numerous times. I loved Will's enthusiasm for food, but I also loved the playful flirting and irritation shared between him and Lisa. They obviously belonged together.

As well as that, I loved the setting. The author captured Italy brilliantly and it felt as if I was truly there. I could imaging this being a great holiday/beach read. This book also did what it sold me on--beating the January blues.

Overall, I enjoyed this even more than the previous book in the series. It held my attention the entire way through and kept me smiling. A beautifully written book I'd definitely recommend.

Such a joy to be back reading the From ...with love series, and I feel as though I haven't been away, with the story telling just as brilliant as the others. There is just such a comfortable feel to this book, its as though you are reading about old friends, but in reality Lisa and Will haven't been the focus of the others in the series, so its just clever writing making you feel as though you know them rather fast.

That being said, Siena and Laurie from the first two books do play a part in this one, but as From Rome With Love works as a standalone, you don't need to know them to in advance, but for anyone like me that has read them all, it is great to catch up with characters I love.

I feel as though I have had a fantastic trip to Rome through this story, taking in not only some of the major tourist attractions, but thanks to Will wanting to setup an authentic Italian restaurant, there is a lot of bellissimo Italian food. Lisa isn't the most adventurous eater, so its lovely to see her trusting Will, with trying some new delicacies, despite the fact the pair of them don't tend to get on.

Lisa is a lovely main character, she has a fear of heights, has never travelled alone before, and absolutely loves her Nan, and her guide book! Lisa has only agreed to this trip to Rome, in order to meet her estranged father, and allows a friend to give her free accommodation in Rome to save on money. However Giovanni appears to have other ideas.

Their first day sightseeing together gives important insights into both of their personalities, so its rather a relief that Will had managed to arrange his research trip to Rome, for the same dates as Lisa. Will helps Lisa with the search for her father, and I could see that the pair were growing closer over the days in Rome, even if they were denying it. There are definitely some surprises in store, as things are never as they seem.

With Lisa's guide book obsession, I learnt a lot about the Colosseum and also the Sistine Chapel, and I would have loved to gone to the Trevi Fountain with her. Then again I'd have also been happy with Giovanni's first night choice of things to do, but Lisa and Will weren't as enthralled at watching Rome vs Lazio in a Roman bar!

From Rome with Love blends in a perfect mix, Italian food, the city of Rome, romance, hidden family secrets, friendship and fabulous descriptive storytelling, in a wonderful story that I loved every second of.

Thank you to Harper Impulse and Netgalley for this copy of the book which I reviewed honestly and voluntarily.