What Happens In Tuscany...

I loved this little story. I so wanted to be Katie and help out Victoria in her mansions with all her money!  Ha!  A nice little romance story about a 30 year Katie who gets a job being an assistant to 25 year old Victoria (25 year old going on 15 years old). She had never been or done anything since her mother died at the are of 10. She spoke like someone out of a Jane Austen novel, wore clothing that was very out of date and didn't know underwear came in other colors than white. 

Katie's job was to bring her into the 21st century and teach her about men, good and bad. The story was well written and kept me engaged this dreary winter afternoon. It definitely did it's job, I don't feel so dreary. 

I definitely recommend this book!  

Thank you Carina and Net Galley for providing me an e-galley in exchange for a review.

Thank you to Net Galley and Carina UK for a review copy of this book. This is my honest review.

Katie, after discovering her boyfriend had been cheating on her, quits her job and wants a change of career. She answers an advert in Lady, for a companion, to someone at Iddlescombe Manor. After passing the interview she is on her way unaware as to what will await her.

The woman she is to be a companion to, is Victoria Chalker-Pyne, a multi millionaire, 25 years old but has been secluded at Iddlescombe Manor her whole life as a result of her eccentric father. Victoria was brought up to speak and act like an Austen heroine, and know real knowledge of the 21st Century. It is Katie's job to bring Victoria completely into the modern world.

After some modernization has occurred, they decide to go to Tuscany where Victoria's father had a villa, to try and continue her education in the sun. This introduces us to all manor of gorgeous Italian characters and a wonderfully summery feel to the book.

I love books that are set in other countries, so the amount of this based in Tuscany, was a delight to me. The storyline with Victoria although most probably unrealistic, was lovely to read, and its hard to think that someone could have so little knowledge of small things that most of us take for granted on a daily basis.

Fantastically fun read, that left me with a smile on my face throughout. and is a wondeful story about love, and friendship.

What an amazing, heart felt read.

TA Williams has crafted an amazing story and I can't wait to read more from this amazing author!

Katie was having problems with her love life in England and she decided she needed to get away...So she applied to be a mentor of sorts to a young lady named Victoria. Victoria had quite the sheltered upbringing and needed to learn the way of the world and hired Katie to teach her just that.

Katie is Victoria's guide to all things 21st century - from boys to twitter to how she communicates on a daily basis.

From the latest electronics to an amazing car...then they take the most amazing trip to Victoria's villa in Tuscany...

What an amazing journey for both women in totally different ways...Will Katie want to return home after this life-changing experience?

Read it and find out!

What Happens in Tuscany is the second book I’ve read by T.A. Williams and he has that gorgeous way of writing a feel good story and something which will easily make you smile. This book sees Katie, who after dumping her cheating boyfriend, finds herself with a new job as companion to Lady Victoria Chalker-Pyne, who isn’t actually as old as her name might suggest. Victoria is only 25 years old and has lived a sheltered a life as they come. With no real life experience or knowledge, Katie is there to help and they soon develop a friendship, leading them to Tuscany, where the majority of this book is set. I really enjoyed the author’s description of Italy, of Tuscany, as it was made easy to picture the area, from the beaches and the sun to the wine, and the people too. Katie and Victoria were mostly having fun in Tuscany and it sounded like an ideal place to go. 

I loved the developing friendship between Katie and Victoria. Katie’s approach to the situation Victoria had been in was quite charming in that she sympathised without being too pitying and was laid-back but also allowed herself to stand up a bit to Victoria when she was acting like a teenager and repeating mistakes. Katie was kind and thoughtful and a true friend and I particularly enjoyed the moments in the book where their friendship stood out when they were having a good time in Tuscany. What I liked most about What Happens in Tuscany was seeing the learning curve Victoria went on, from learning to correct her outdated language to discovering new clothing and modern technology. It all felt so surreal how much she’d missed out on but as she started coming out of her shell, it brought the book a lot of humour and a more touching moment or two. With Katie’s help, Victoria began to get out more and make the friendships she’d never had before, as well as attract the attention of a couple of men, in which she was about to be given the opportunity to make some of those mistakes she’d missed out on. 

This book had lots of other memorable characters too and the author gave them all a strong voice, developing their characters well. There were the genuine people Katie and Victoria met, to the jerks and it was interesting to see which was which. One of my favourite characters was Marco, who never failed to put a smile on my face with his care, advice and sense of fun. I of course also have to mention Dante, the dog, who was so loveable and had so much character. I loved how he became so attached to Katie and how he had such an innocent way of getting what he wanted. Everybody needs a companion like Dante… Katie had her own romance story in this book but if I’m honest, I didn’t quite buy into her romance or see any real sparks or feelings there. I was also left a little confused with the way Victoria’s love life turned out but the romance wasn’t really a big part of this book for me because I loved this story for its take on friendship and learning to live. What Happens in Tuscany was a lovely read, a nice reminder to appreciate the things you take for granted and the friendships you make, whilst having the most fun all at the same time…

Loved it!  I loved hanging out in Tuscany with Katie and Victoria, and think we should all do it again.  I was worried about how this book might end, but it was "just right!"

hysterically funny, sweet and a all around fun reading experience. You will love this book. Its a true escape and a delight . Well done.

After discovering her boyfriend in a pub with his mates and a stripper, Katie has had enough. Add to that her discontentment with teaching and she’s well and truly ready for a big change in her life. She buys a copy of ‘The Lady’ and starts looking at the situations vacant . . . . that’s how she ends up working as a companion to 25 year old Lady Victoria at Iddlescombe Manor. Now Victoria may be 25 years old but she’s been basically imprisoned by her father since her Mother died when she was just ten years old. She’s never seen a colour television, computer, mobile phone  . . . . didn’t know that underwear is available in colours other than white . . . . never visited anyone or anywhere away from their country estate and never been visited, either. Katie’s job is basically to help Victoria learn to live in the twenty-first century following the death of her father.

Fairly obviously, from the title, the two go to stay in Tuscany and you’ll really need to read the book to find out what happens there! Watch out for the sleazy, despicable . . . . the outrageous . . . the desirable . . . . the supportive range of characters, they all have their roles to play!

A different sort of story in a fantastically beautiful area with intriguing events all combine to make this an enjoyable read.

Poor Katie is down on her luck after she splits up with her cheating boyfriend and finally decides to ditch her job as a teacher. However, things might be about to change for Katie when she notices an advert in The Lady magazine asking for a female companion and guide for an English lady, based in both Devon and Tuscany...
Before Katie knows it she is heading to Iddlescombe Manor to meet Lady Victoria Chalker-Pyne. Only Katie is in for one or two surprises; firstly Lady Victoria is not the elderly old woman that Katie assumed – in fact she’s only 25. That’s not the only shocking thing that soon becomes apparent, however. Victoria has been virtually kept prisoner at Iddlescombe Manor and has no TV, no internet, no concept of modern underwear and still uses terms such as ‘courting’. It soon proves clear that bringing Victoria into the twenty-first century is going to be no easy task, but despite that Kate and Victoria form a solid friendship. It’s not long before the pair take a trip over to Tuscany and visit Victoria’s gorgeous family villa. It’s then that things really start hotting up – and I don’t just mean the weather...

I am a huge fan of T.A. Williams after reading and loving When Alice Met Danny last year (make sure you check it out if you haven’t already!) so I had very high hopes for What Happens in Tuscany and was actually quite nervous as I started reading. Would I love it as much? Would there be another gorgeous Labrador in the story?
My nail biting was short lived, however because once again I absolutely loved this novel. It was every bit as good as When Alice Met Danny and has secured T.A. Williams a spot on my list of favourite authors.
One of my favourite things about What Happens in Tuscany was when Kate first arrived at Iddlescombe Manor and realised how sheltered Victoria’s life has been up until then. It made for a funny, heart-warming and extremely touching read as Kate brought Victoria up-to-speed on modern-day living (No, that woman wearing a tank top and shorts isn’t a prostitute...)
It was lovely seeing Victoria come out of her shell as she went from wallflower to, let’s be honest, a pretty foxy lady (she’s quick to get the hang of flirting. Still, she does have 25 years to catch up on...)
I also really enjoyed the parts of the story set in Tuscany, which was probably the majority of the novel. T.A. Williams made me want to pack my suitcase and fly over there right away, it sounded idyllic and made the perfect setting. The sun, the beaches, the wine and of course...the hunky neighbours. His descriptions really bring the setting to life and I found myself having no trouble envisaging the surroundings.

There’s a superb selection of characters to this story too. Not only were Victoria and Katie fantastic and I really enjoyed watching their friendship develop, but there were a cast of other really memorable characters too. I particularly liked Marco and of course – DANTE! Not all of the characters are good of course but I’ll leave it down to you to decide which are the ones to watch...

All in all I enjoyed pretty much everything about this story. I thought that the plot was strong, the relationships intriguing, the romance plentiful, the characters realistic and the setting ideal, but without a doubt the theme that shone through most for me was that of friendship. It made me grateful for the things that I have in life and made me think about living life to the full.
This is the perfect book to chase away those February blues and have you dreaming of sunnier climes. It’ll also leave you with the cheesiest grin imaginable. Feel-good fiction at its best.

I first came across T. A. Williams last year when I was invited to be part of the blog tour for his last book When Alice Met Danny. I enjoyed that book but had a few issues with the writing and the dialogue. However, I was keen to read T. A.'s next book, which came out earlier this month called What Happens in Tuscany. I haven't read many books set in Tuscany before, so I was looking forward to having my eyes opened and to escape to a sunny climate for just a while! This book was a massive improvement on his last book, I thoroughly enjoyed this one from start to finish, and really didn't want the story to end!

Katie is at a loose end when she applies for a rather unusual job - to go and work at a stately home helping a young aristocrat come to terms with the modern world, and open her eyes up for her new life. Her own relationship is in the gutter, she's fed up with her job and she desperately needs a change, and this job sounds like just the ticket. Lady Victoria Chalker-Pyne has spent her 25 years on this planet locked up at Iddlescombe Hall thanks to her over-protective father. Now he has died, she is ready to start finally living, and needs Katie's help to navigate the scary modern world - phones, TV's, Twitter, Facebook and modern day language! The pair strike up an unlikely friendship, and begin changing Victoria's life, and set off on a summer holiday to Victoria's family villa in Tuscany. Life for both ladies is about to get a whole lot more exciting...

Something about this book just worked for me right from the beginning. I really liked the idea of the story, of someone having their eyes opened to the modern world that we live in and take for granted, so that was very eye-opening as a reader too! You can't help but feel incredibly sorry for Victoria having lived such a sheltered life, through no fault of her own, and I really detested her father for what he has done to her. Yes, he did it for what he felt were the right reasons, but ultimately no-one has the right to hold another person captive which is essentially what Victoria's father was doing. However, Victoria was so sweet, loving her new life with Katie, and you can't help but love seeing her open as a person as she explores her new world.

Katie really opened up once the book got going too, and helping Victoria open her eyes was also good for Katie too, showing her some new opportunities that she badly needed in her life too. She is really kind and patient with Victoria, and the friendship between the pair is fun to read as it progresses. There are several male characters in the book, and although I got them muddled a little bit in my head, I soon straightened it out and was able to easily follow who was who. There's olive tree man Paul Taylor,  Victoria's old school chum Tom (who lives near her home in England), Martin, Katie's friend from the UK and Marco, an exuberant Italian who left a big smile on my face. But my favourite had to be Dante the labrador, what a gorgeous dog! You can see why Katie loved going on long walks through the Tuscan hills with him by her side.

I really loved the descriptions in the book of Tuscany. I have never been to this part of Italy myself, but T. A. Williams writes it so vividly that you can picture it in your mind as you are reading! Victoria's villa was sensational, I could imagine every nook and cranny, but also I could imagine the town, where Katie goes exploring, the other villas they visit, the hills, the olive trees, everything was evocative of Tuscany, it was just wonderful to read. T. A. Williams has certainly improved his dialogue writing for this book too - it flowed much more realistically and felt like I was reading a conversation, as opposed to the stilted dialogue I had encountered before. Yes, there are a few different romantic interests going on in the book, and it was fun trying to guess who the characters would end up with by the end, if anyone! The story was incredibly fun to read, and it was a truly escapist tale, I felt like I could be in the gorgeous kitchen of Victoria's Tuscan villa eating bread with them! I'd highly recommend this book, I loved it and I'm looking forward to more from T.A. Williams!

Finding oneself and one's direction in life  is a common theme approached in a very uncommon manner in this entertaining story.  Katie Parr has ended a seven year dead-end relationship and resigned from an unsatisfying job. Feeling it will take no time to find work, Katie crashes with her friend Jenny after moving out of the flat she had shared with her former soccer playing boyfriend, Dean.  Unfortunately, finding a new career is easier said than done. As she goes through ad after ad, she turns to the women's magazine The Lady looking for something.  Here she finds the advertisement for a companion for Miss Victoria Chalmer-Pyne.

In applying for this position, Katie is interviewed at a solicitor's office of some acclaim in London and is offered a substantial sum for the position which she decides to take. Katie travels by train to Nymptonford in Devon where she is met by driver Mr. Mackintosh in a beautiful old limousine for the continued trip to the country estate of Iddlescombe.

Katie gets her first glimpse of Miss Victoria as she passes the car on a sleek galloping horse as they arrive at Iddlescombe.  Both Macintosh and the housekeeper, Mrs. Millner elude to the fact that Miss Victoria's life has not been easy despite the obvious wealth and luxury of her upbringing. 

Upon meeting Miss Victoria, Katie gets a better understanding of her Pygmalion position to bring Miss Victoria into the twenty-first century. Katie learns that Miss Victoria has lived a cloistered existence on the country estate with her schooling done through a string of tutors and her playmates the characters of the classics.  With the exception of Sir Algernon, the staff, and the tutors, Miss Victoria had had little contact with the outside world. This is all about to change.

Follow the adventures of Katie and Vicky as they become best of friends while entering the world of technology, fashion, and negotiating the role of celebrity and the paparazzi.  Learn who can be trusted, who cannot, and how this lovely young heiress has almost disastrous results as she learns how to tell the difference as they travel to the family villa in Tuscany.

I truly enjoyed this little adventure and am ready to learn what happens after the festival.  TA Williams spins a delightful story that leaves the reader wanting to know more about the interesting characters.

Looking for a book to gift to a young woman going out into the world on her own for the first time?  What Happens in Tuscany is a New Adult novel that attempts to teach young women useful life lessons in the guise of a contemporary romance novel.  

Katie has to teach Victoria about modern life.  That is the premise that allows the author to include all sorts of lessons for young women today.  Katie herself is an example of how to behave, as she tries to recover from a bad romantic breakup, and to set her sights on her future.

The story is set in England (the first third) and in Tuscany, Italy.  The major characters are English, which may have contributed to the one problem I noticed with the life lessons.  The lessons did not warn against excessive alcohol consumption, a major social problem in Britain for the young people, possibly because it is accepted as socially normal.  Be aware that social and cultural references are English, which might confuse some U.S. readers.

So, what life lessons might your young woman receive from this book?  Here goes:

Managing personal finances Personal and social responsibilities Moral decisions Sexual mores Social situations including flirting, dating, physical love, relationships Dealing with pain, anger, jealousy, envy, and life's setbacks Maintaining a healthy weight Educational choices and job prospects Acceptance of our parents as flawed Dealing with loss, and the death of parents Compassion and kindness and tolerance of differences

There is a very thin plot to encompass all those lessons.  To be honest, the plot would not likely be enough to entertain a grown woman; it would be too dull.  But a young woman might find the book engrossing, especially since a new hunky guy enters the picture every few chapters.  

While sometimes promoted as a romantic-comedy, I think that is misleading, and there is very slight humor in the book.  It reads more like a British soap, with the happenings of the young women progressing like episodes.
Victoria is super-wealthy, so we are treated to the fantasy of what it might be like to have so much money, and to the truth that expensive Italy is so much nicer if you are rich.
It was a magnificent Florentine Villa...huge...ancient grove of trees...balustraded terrace...
You get the idea.  There is also lots of shopping with unlimited debit cards.  

I'm not sure young adults or new adults would buy the book for themselves, but it might make a wonderful gift for a loved one.  If you are worried about the book pushing morality you don't approve of onto your impressionable young reader, you should know that the author goes out of the way to stress that everyone has to choose their own moral road in life.

With that said, it is true that Katie and Victoria are modern women with money, freedom, and that they are seemingly magnets for hunky men.  The young women have access to reliable birth control but that is something that is skirted around and hinted at, and left to the reader to decide what is right for herself.  

I can't help but think the book is lacking in lessons concerning sexually transmitted diseases, since that is the most valuable lesson a new adult should have, but perhaps the publisher thought that was one lesson too far for this new adult novel disguised as a contemporary romance.

Please visit my full and illustrated review at Italophile Book Reviews.
http://italophilebookreviews.blogspot.nl/2015/02/what-happens-in-tuscany-by-ta-williams.html