✈️⛲❤️ "From Rome With Love" (2020) ❤️⛲✈️ - Book Review

 

MY REVIEW 

 

Paperback: 320 pages 

Publisher: Union Bay Publishing (October 12, 2020) 

Language: English

ISBN-10: 1735241121

ISBN-13: 978-1735241128

⬅️ Click Photo for Purchase Information

 

“Lucy Goff's new job caring for the quirky daughter of a wealthy Seattle couple comes with an unexpected perk: being whisked off to Rome the week before Christmas. Putting up with fifteen-year-old Tabatha's mood swings, not to mention Lucy's own fear of flying, is worth the opportunity to explore The Eternal City. 

But Lucy's dreams of a relaxing European vacation are upended almost as soon as they arrive. Tabatha's parents disappear, and Tabatha herself turns out to be more than a handful. The only person Lucy can turn to is Mario, the smooth and handsome Italian who volunteers to be their personal tour guide. Can she trust him? And what about Brad, the old boyfriend who wants to pick up where they left off? 

When a mysterious painting opens up painful family secrets, it seems as though Lucy's romantic holiday is over for good. Instead, she must confront not only her employers, but also her own feelings about love and loyalty. Is she ready to see that Christmas is just the beginning?”

 

Thank you in advance to the author, Kate Lloyd, for providing a complimentary review copy. A positive review was not requested or required, and all words are my own.

From the description, this sounded like a cutesy holiday romp in Rome. The cover was what drew me in – beautiful, festive, colorful – so much so that I honestly couldn’t wait to read it. But, it wasn’t exactly what I thought it would be, and any disappointment in this book is mine.

 

The title, From Rome With Love, would work better if it were an international romance. But, there is very little romance in this book. It tries too hard to be a romance in certain areas.

 

Don’t get me wrong; this sweet, clean read is still an interesting one that bounces between a reluctant romance and an international mystery. Since I am new to the author, I don’t know if this is her normal style or not. But, I didn’t know what to expect from this story as I was reading it. That’s both good and bad.

 

While this is told in first person from Lucy’s point of view, there are other main characters – her charge, 15 year old Tabatha; Mario (her international flight seatmate; love that he works for Amazon); Brad (Lucy’s “boyfriend”); Gretchen and Stan (Tabatha’s parents); Lucy’s own mother.

 

For me, the best (and most normal) character was Mario. Yet, in this day and age, his behavior could be seen as stalkerish and harassing. Given his sweetness and honesty – I’ll err on the side of caution and say his behavior was sweet and endearing. I definitely didn’t like Gretchen at all. Between Brad and Tabatha, I didn’t know who was more irritating.

 

Right off it is clear that Tabatha has issues with her behavior, thoughts, and actions. She also has a tendency to make up stories about knowing famous people and has an obsession with a dictator. It is also clear that her parents don’t seem to be too attentive to her problems except to admit she is “quirky”.

 

More on that later …

 

Lucy was not one of my favorite characters either. And, it had nothing to do with her problem, which might be a bit of a trigger for some folks – opioid addiction. This is mentioned several times in the story. Though, for what Lucy was going through and put through, I have to admire her resolve and her commitment to her sobriety. It was clear throughout most of the book she either needed a pill, drink, or a meeting. She was definitely admirable in that respect for not falling victim to her cravings.

 

Some elements of the story might have triggers for some people: opioid addiction; mention of Hitler and the Nazi regime; Amanda Knox reference (for those who have strong feelings either way); mental illness; alcohol and illicit drug abuse; along with a mention of suicide.

 

The first line with Lucy being asked if she had a passport was intriguing right off. And, I had such high hopes for this story. I wanted the insides to match the outside.

 

From the moment Mario is introduced I had a feeling there was something going on. His offer to help Lucy get the most of the trip was sweet and the fact that Tabatha liked him right off was a hint he was going to be a keeper. But, I couldn’t help but wonder what his angle was. There had to be something going on.

 

After an issue at St. Peter’s Basilica near the beginning of the story, it is clear that Tabatha has a serious problem. And, this is about the only time where Gretchen seems likeable when she has a heart-to-heart conversation with Lucy regarding Tabatha. Yet, there is no effort to assist the girl, only watch her.

 

As the back cover indicates, Tabatha’s parents disappear; they don’t even tell Lucy where they are. And, to add to the stress, Brad shows up to complicate Lucy’s life.

 

This is all before chapter 10. So, the author does manage to keep the reader interested by adding little surprises here and there to throw them off their game.

 

What’s worse is Brad pressuring Lucy to spend time with him and thinking she is willingly choosing to spend her time with Tabatha instead of him. Yet, Lucy still hasn’t ditched him.

 

There is a moment when Brad actually strikes her. Again, Lucy does nothing to set boundaries with Brad. It is, sadly, all too common with abused people.

 

Most of the action then returns to the United States when Lucy is directed to take Tabatha back home. And, it is here that the painting shows up. Not only does it start a mystery, but it also brings back some family drama that Lucy doesn’t need. It also has implications for her employers (Tabatha’s parents).

 

This is where it really caught my interest – stolen art, and Tabatha’s own knowledge of it, along with her parents possible participation in it. I definitely wanted to keep reading from this point.  

 

The actual Christmas holiday is spent with Lucy’s mother and her boyfriend. There is more drama with Mario, Brad, and even Tabatha. The readers will also learn why Mario was everywhere Lucy was.

 

One thing I will give this story – the drama didn’t stop, even when Lucy’s secret was revealed, and when Brad came back into the story – I was disappointed in Lucy’s mother not kicking the creep to the curb.

 

I still couldn’t get Lucy’s attraction to Brad after all of this. Honestly, I would’ve had my mother pushing the guy out the door! There’s being polite, and then there is being a doormat. I had to snicker about Brad, Mario, and a tree.

 

The family tension increases over the painting which could have ties to Lucy’s family. There is a bit of a drama over the painting with theft, break-ins, and its origins.

 

There is some drama between Lucy and her cousin Maureen over Mario as well. What’s a holiday without a little family drama?

 

There were a few plot issues that weren’t quite solved and I think they could’ve added some additional layers to the story:

 

#1 – What precipitated Lucy’s addiction?

#2 – How she get the job?

#3 – Break-in that wasn’t solved?

#4 – Were Tabatha’s parents really involved in art theft?

 

I was more interested in the mystery part of the art theft and World War II connection rather than the romance part. I wanted to see where the story was going, albeit it was at times a tedious read. I will admit I wanted more with Mario, Lucy, and the art theft and felt there was a lot more to be told there.

 

In my opinion, there were times Lucy should’ve called a health professional or someone in authority as Tabatha’s problems were far beyond her training or education. This could’ve resulted in a more serious issue than what is depicted in the book.

 

While the author used the diagnosis of bi-polar for Tabatha’s behaviors, those behaviors seemed to fit more under schizophrenia:

 

** Moodiness

** Violent Outbursts (one is depicted in the story)

** Compulsive Behavior (the Basilica incident is just one)

** Fatigue (she always wants to nap)

** Delusions (especially with the mentions of all the people she “knows”)

** Rapid/Frenzied Speaking

** Extremely disorganized or abnormal motor behavior. This may show in a number of ways, from childlike silliness to unpredictable agitation. Behavior can include resistance to instructions, inappropriate or bizarre posture, a complete lack of response, or useless and excessive movement.

 

There are others depicted in the story as well.

 

Other than that, this was overall a fairly easy read because of the short chapters. I was interested in figuring out what was going on so I definitely didn’t set the book down for too long.

 

The author’s writing is vivid and descriptive putting the reader in the center of the action; there are lots of historical facts as well. There were a few typos in this, but nothing to ruin the overall story.

 

Fans of the author or those who enjoy quirky romance/mystery reads with happy endings are sure to enjoy this.

 

While Amazon categorizes this under “Christian Books & Bibles” – there are no faith or Christian themes, no references to God, and no biblical quotes either. There are also no references to sex, very few signs of affection (no real kissing or even holding hands) if any, and no foul language.

 

This is a lower four (4) star read and could’ve been higher if the points mentioned were addressed. I would be interested in reading a follow up to see where the art theft plot was going and what the conclusion could be.

 

 

 

RATING:

 

4 ⭐⭐⭐⭐/5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ – Goodreads (Liked It/Really Liked It)

 

4 ⭐⭐⭐⭐/5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ – Bookbub (Actually 3.5 – But “GOOD”)

 

4 ⭐⭐⭐⭐/5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ – Personal Rating (see rating explanation in this blog: https://readingexcursions.blogspot.com/2020/01/rating-system-2020-changes.html) 

 

 

 

 

 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

 

 

Bestselling author KATE LLOYD is a passionate observer of human relationships. A native of Baltimore, she now lives in Seattle, WA. She’s the author of half a dozen novels, including the bestselling Legacy of Lancaster series. 

 

Over the years, Kate worked a variety of jobs, including car salesman and restaurateur. For relaxation and fun, Kate enjoys walking with her camera in hand, beachcombing, and singing. 

 

 

You can also find her on the following social media accounts:

 

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/katelloydbooks

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/katelloydauthor

 

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