kbranfield's review against another edition
4.0
4.5 stars
Rome in Love by Anita Hughes is an incredibly sweet and charming romance loosely based on the movie Roman Holiday. Although a mostly light-hearted read, the storyline touches on a couple of issues that are sure to resonant with anyone whose desires and dreams are in direct conflict with family expectations and/or obligations.
Amelia Tate is absolutely thrilled to be starring in the remake of Roman Holiday. Although filming on location in Rome is a dream come true, the separation is a point of contention with her long time boyfriend. Their long distance relationship is already tenuous and Amelia is stunned by his suggestion that she give up her acting career to move to San Francisco with him. Already stressed upon her arrival on location and suffering from jetlag, Amelia is quickly overwhelmed by her first public appearance. Eager to escape the press's watchful eye, she dons a maid's uniform so she can enjoy a little sightseeing on the downlow. After sharing an innocent evening with fellow American Philip Hamilton, she makes an impetuous decision to keep her true identity hidden from him. Their paths continue to cross and after a surprise visit from her boyfriend takes an unhappy turn, Amelia unexpectedly begins to fall for Philip. She knows she needs to come clean with him about her true identity, but fearing this revelation will end their burgeoning romance, Amelia continues her ruse.
Unbeknownst to Amelia, Philip is keeping a few secrets of his own. He is thoroughly enchanted by Amelia and in the beginning, he has no idea who she really is. He quickly learns of her deception and after he is paid a visit by his father, who demands he honor an agreement made between them years earlier, he agrees to write an exposé of her exploits. The more he gets to know Amelia, the worse he feels about his assignment, but Philip is desperate to avoid joining the family business. He eventually finds himself in the middle of a moral dilemma where he must chose between betraying Amelia or giving up his career to fulfill his family's expectations.
Amelia also befriends Sophie, another young woman who is going to great lengths to keep out of the spotlight. Sophie only has a limited amount of time on her own and she is enthralled with her newfound freedom. She embraces everything Rome has to offer (sightseeing and shopping) but it is her new friendship with a handsome doctor that has the biggest effect on her life. Sophie is soon torn between duty and following her heart, and she is surprised by the outcome when she is finally reunited with her loved ones.
Love in Rome takes a bit of a whimsical turn when Amelia makes a startling discovery: a series of unmailed letters written by Audrey Hepburn when she was filming the original Roman Holiday. These letters are quite interesting and provide fascinating glimpses into the lives of Ms. Hepburn, her fellow co-star Gregory Peck and Paris news reporter, Veronique Passani. This innovative addition of historical details to the story is quite fascinating and it is a lovely tribute to the stars of the original movie.
Rome in Love by Anita Hughes has a wonderful cast of characters, a unique plot and a luxurious setting. Fast paced and engaging, this entertaining love story has a fun storyline that fans of contemporary romances are sure to love.
Rome in Love by Anita Hughes is an incredibly sweet and charming romance loosely based on the movie Roman Holiday. Although a mostly light-hearted read, the storyline touches on a couple of issues that are sure to resonant with anyone whose desires and dreams are in direct conflict with family expectations and/or obligations.
Amelia Tate is absolutely thrilled to be starring in the remake of Roman Holiday. Although filming on location in Rome is a dream come true, the separation is a point of contention with her long time boyfriend. Their long distance relationship is already tenuous and Amelia is stunned by his suggestion that she give up her acting career to move to San Francisco with him. Already stressed upon her arrival on location and suffering from jetlag, Amelia is quickly overwhelmed by her first public appearance. Eager to escape the press's watchful eye, she dons a maid's uniform so she can enjoy a little sightseeing on the downlow. After sharing an innocent evening with fellow American Philip Hamilton, she makes an impetuous decision to keep her true identity hidden from him. Their paths continue to cross and after a surprise visit from her boyfriend takes an unhappy turn, Amelia unexpectedly begins to fall for Philip. She knows she needs to come clean with him about her true identity, but fearing this revelation will end their burgeoning romance, Amelia continues her ruse.
Unbeknownst to Amelia, Philip is keeping a few secrets of his own. He is thoroughly enchanted by Amelia and in the beginning, he has no idea who she really is. He quickly learns of her deception and after he is paid a visit by his father, who demands he honor an agreement made between them years earlier, he agrees to write an exposé of her exploits. The more he gets to know Amelia, the worse he feels about his assignment, but Philip is desperate to avoid joining the family business. He eventually finds himself in the middle of a moral dilemma where he must chose between betraying Amelia or giving up his career to fulfill his family's expectations.
Amelia also befriends Sophie, another young woman who is going to great lengths to keep out of the spotlight. Sophie only has a limited amount of time on her own and she is enthralled with her newfound freedom. She embraces everything Rome has to offer (sightseeing and shopping) but it is her new friendship with a handsome doctor that has the biggest effect on her life. Sophie is soon torn between duty and following her heart, and she is surprised by the outcome when she is finally reunited with her loved ones.
Love in Rome takes a bit of a whimsical turn when Amelia makes a startling discovery: a series of unmailed letters written by Audrey Hepburn when she was filming the original Roman Holiday. These letters are quite interesting and provide fascinating glimpses into the lives of Ms. Hepburn, her fellow co-star Gregory Peck and Paris news reporter, Veronique Passani. This innovative addition of historical details to the story is quite fascinating and it is a lovely tribute to the stars of the original movie.
Rome in Love by Anita Hughes has a wonderful cast of characters, a unique plot and a luxurious setting. Fast paced and engaging, this entertaining love story has a fun storyline that fans of contemporary romances are sure to love.
katsmiao's review against another edition
5.0
I admit, I love all things Audrey Hepburn. So this book was irresistible.
And it kept what it promised: A charming, sweet story, that bring the essence of Audrey back to life and at the same time pulling it into the present day. The story is very well written, it's a pleasure to read. A book to get lost in and forget time.
And it kept what it promised: A charming, sweet story, that bring the essence of Audrey back to life and at the same time pulling it into the present day. The story is very well written, it's a pleasure to read. A book to get lost in and forget time.
gertyp's review against another edition
2.0
I think this will be the last of hers I'll read. I loved her first three---now I feel like her descriptions of everything are overdone and she's getting paid for product placements.
taypow's review
3.0
Mediocre writing, one-dimensional characters, but nostalgic descriptions of Italy and Audrey Hepburn references made it fun!
girlonthecsaw's review against another edition
3.0
Light romantic read that will appeal to fans of Audrey Hepburn - especially those who love "Roman Holiday".
cossettereads's review against another edition
1.0
As someone who's favourite film is Roman Holiday, I was really excited to read this book. The plot of the book seemed promising, but as another Goodreads reviewer put it, was a trainwreck in execution. In fact, I'd prefer to be hit by said train right now. It'd probably hurt less. In addition to a convoluted plot (which was full of plot holes) and an overabundance of adjectives and descriptions, it was completely disrespectful to Audrey Hepburn. I cannot fathom having the audacity to create fictional letters of Audrey's, discussing and complaining about those she loved most. As someone who looks up to and adores Audrey Hepburn, it was incredibly upsetting to see her painted in this way. I really don't think Hughes did any research on Audrey's relationships with Gregory Peck, William Wyler, etc.
In Amelia fashion, I'm going to get off my computer and drink enough that I pass out and hopefully forget I ever read this book.
In Amelia fashion, I'm going to get off my computer and drink enough that I pass out and hopefully forget I ever read this book.
mishale1's review against another edition
3.0
I like the idea of this story. And I like that it includes my favorite parts of an Anita Hughes novel, there’s always a lot of talk of good food, good fashion and an independent woman in the lead.
Amelia is an actress who has just gotten her first big break. She’s playing Audrey Hepburn in a remake of Roman Holiday. She’s on the cusp of being a big name.
Her long term boyfriend is not supportive. He wants her to come back home. He wants her to quit acting. But it’s her dream.
Soon after arriving, she runs out on a party and throws on a hotel maid’s uniform to sneak away from the crowd.
She meets Philip, a reporter, while in disguise.
She also meets Sophia, a princess.
She doesn’t want to tell Philip the truth at first and then she feels she’s in too deep to admit her lie about being a maid.
But Philip is a reporter and he might be on to Amelia before she fesses up.
Sophia is also under cover. She’s a princess in another country and isn’t likely to be recognized in Rome.
Add in the secret stash of letters Amelia finds in a desk in bed hotel room. They are letters written by Audrey Hepburn, while the stayed in the same room, filming Roman Holiday herself.
So, the storyline is cute, the setting in Rome is fun. And the food sounds delicious.
I’m even willing to go along with the undercover princess storyline and letters of Audrey Hepburn’s staying hidden in a hotel desk for 50 years.
But here’s what didn’t work for me, there’s so much going on that the attention to details isn’t quite there. For instance, the character Max seems to be wearing a yellow polo shirt every time he’s in the story. And all the characters kind of talk the same way. Amelia, Sophia and Audrey Hepburn all use a very similar way of talking. I know the author has a recognizable voice in her books but if there’s going to be three or four main characters I just prefer them to be a little more distinguishable from each other.
Amelia is an actress who has just gotten her first big break. She’s playing Audrey Hepburn in a remake of Roman Holiday. She’s on the cusp of being a big name.
Her long term boyfriend is not supportive. He wants her to come back home. He wants her to quit acting. But it’s her dream.
Soon after arriving, she runs out on a party and throws on a hotel maid’s uniform to sneak away from the crowd.
She meets Philip, a reporter, while in disguise.
She also meets Sophia, a princess.
She doesn’t want to tell Philip the truth at first and then she feels she’s in too deep to admit her lie about being a maid.
But Philip is a reporter and he might be on to Amelia before she fesses up.
Sophia is also under cover. She’s a princess in another country and isn’t likely to be recognized in Rome.
Add in the secret stash of letters Amelia finds in a desk in bed hotel room. They are letters written by Audrey Hepburn, while the stayed in the same room, filming Roman Holiday herself.
So, the storyline is cute, the setting in Rome is fun. And the food sounds delicious.
I’m even willing to go along with the undercover princess storyline and letters of Audrey Hepburn’s staying hidden in a hotel desk for 50 years.
But here’s what didn’t work for me, there’s so much going on that the attention to details isn’t quite there. For instance, the character Max seems to be wearing a yellow polo shirt every time he’s in the story. And all the characters kind of talk the same way. Amelia, Sophia and Audrey Hepburn all use a very similar way of talking. I know the author has a recognizable voice in her books but if there’s going to be three or four main characters I just prefer them to be a little more distinguishable from each other.
stephsabia's review against another edition
4.0
Rome in Love is the first book by Anita Hughes that I have read but it certainly won't be the last! In it our main character, Amelia Tate, is an up and coming actress who is staring in a remake of the classic movie Roman Holiday. While filming she begins to fall in love with an American man living in Rome. She decides to pretend that she is just a maid in order to keep her true identity from him.
This book was light and a faced paced romance that is perfect reading for a summer day. I loved the flashbacks (via hidden letters written by Audrey Hepburn) to when Audrey Hepburn was filming Roman Holiday and how her life and Amelia's seem to mirror each other. This was a delightful read.
*Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin's Griffin for an advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
This book was light and a faced paced romance that is perfect reading for a summer day. I loved the flashbacks (via hidden letters written by Audrey Hepburn) to when Audrey Hepburn was filming Roman Holiday and how her life and Amelia's seem to mirror each other. This was a delightful read.
*Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin's Griffin for an advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
anntea's review
adventurous
lighthearted
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0