Roman Crazy (Broads Abroad, #1) by Alice Clayton, Nina Bocci Series: The Broads Abroad #1
Published by Gallery Books on September 13th 2016
Pages: 336
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Avery Bardot steps off the plane in Rome, looking for a fresh start. She’s left behind a soon-to-be ex-husband in Boston and plans to spend the summer with her best friend Daisy, licking her wounds—and perhaps a gelato or two. But when her American-expat friend throws her a welcome party on her first night, Avery’s thrown for a loop when she sees a man she never thought she’d see again: Italian architect Marcello Bianchi.
Marcello was the man—the one who got away. And now her past is colliding with her present, a present where she should be mourning the loss of her marriage and—hey, that fettuccine is delicious! And so is Marcello…
Slipping easily into the good life of summertime in Rome, Avery spends her days exploring a city that makes art historians swoon, and her nights swooning over her unexpected what was old is new again romance. It’s heady, it’s fevered, it’s wanton, and it’s crazy. But could this really be her new life? Or is it just a temporary reprieve before returning to the land of twin-set cardigans and crustless sandwiches?
A celebration of great friendship, passionate romance, and wonderful food, Roman Crazy is a lighthearted story of second chances and living life to the fullest.
One of my favorite romantic comedy authors, Alice Clayton, teamed up with debut author Nina Bocci to write Roman Crazy. The result is a warm second chance romance and wonderful travel guide all rolled into one.
When Avery’s lackluster and soul-sucking marriage implodes, she begins divorce proceedings and then jets off to Rome to spend a few weeks recovering with her best friend. In the midst of falling in love with Rome and rediscovering herself, she runs into Marcello, a sexy Italian architect and former love of her life. The pair parted on bad terms nine years ago.
This book gave me a severe case of wanderlust. The authors do an amazing job of conveying all the food, sights, sounds, and smells of Rome as readers experience the region through Avery’s adventurous eyes. The story celebrates Rome in such a way that the city becomes an engaging character unto itself.
I thoroughly enjoyed Avery reclaiming her independence while reigniting her artistic passion after years of losing herself in her marriage. Marcello is the ultimate catch: charismatic, successful, patient, and extremely forgiving—perhaps too forgiving—of Avery. I also really appreciated Avery’s relationship with her soon-to-be-ex husband and her parents.
The connection between Marcello and Avery is strong, but once they repair old wounds and give in to their desires, the story seems to stall. I wanted more organic conflict and a growing build between them to sustain my interest.
Roman Crazy is an enjoyable and lighthearted romantic comedy. If you have a weakness for all things Italian and are looking for a low-steam, sweet second chance romance, I suggest you try this book.
Recommended for fans of:
Travelling
Second chance romance
Italian accents
**ARC received in exchange for an honest review.**
About Alice Clayton
Alice Clayton worked in the cosmetics industry for over a decade before picking up a pen (read laptop)She enjoys gardening but not weeding, baking but not cleaning up, and finally convinced her long-time boyfriend to marry her. And she finally got her Bernese Mountain dog.
About Nina Bocci
Nina Bocci is a novelist, publicist, eternal optimist, unabashed lipgloss enthusiast, constant apologist, and a hopeless romanticist. She has too many college degrees that she’s not using, and a Lego addiction that she blames on her son.
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