renwar96's review against another edition
4.0
I didn't realize this book was listed as a rapid reads, short story when I downloaded the ebook version to read and review. I really loved the descriptions of all of the beautify places in Italy that Charlie and her Aunt Della visited on this whirlwind romance story. I wish it would have been a little longer so I could invest in the characters more and really get to know them better. All in all it was a fun read for anyone who wants a little romance and a little travel in their story!!
beauty_andherbooks's review against another edition
3.0
I chose to read & review this book because I am always a sucker for a cute story in a beautiful country such as Italy!
We are introduced to Charlie who has just gotten out of a relationship and is invited by her Aunt Della to join her on a free trip she had won to Italy, hoping it would be a "cure" for a broken heart. Understandably, Charlie isn't too excited about going because her head and her heart are still grieving. I'm happy that even with her rough start the first few days, eventually she did enjoy herself on the trip because it would have been a waste to go to such a beautiful place and not make the most of it.
Because this story was a novella rather than a full novel, it did feel rushed but that is what I was expecting. It was a quick easy read that I got through in an afternoon. The author did a great job of capturing the descriptive beauty of Italy and did add in a touch of romance which I enjoyed.
I also have to admit that out of all the characters, I honestly loved Aunt Della the best! She was so entertaining. Overall, I did like this book but I didn't love it - I think if it had been made into a longer novel, there would have been more of a story and more details the author could have touched on. I felt like I wanted more out of it by the end.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for giving me the chance to read and review this book.
We are introduced to Charlie who has just gotten out of a relationship and is invited by her Aunt Della to join her on a free trip she had won to Italy, hoping it would be a "cure" for a broken heart. Understandably, Charlie isn't too excited about going because her head and her heart are still grieving. I'm happy that even with her rough start the first few days, eventually she did enjoy herself on the trip because it would have been a waste to go to such a beautiful place and not make the most of it.
Because this story was a novella rather than a full novel, it did feel rushed but that is what I was expecting. It was a quick easy read that I got through in an afternoon. The author did a great job of capturing the descriptive beauty of Italy and did add in a touch of romance which I enjoyed.
I also have to admit that out of all the characters, I honestly loved Aunt Della the best! She was so entertaining. Overall, I did like this book but I didn't love it - I think if it had been made into a longer novel, there would have been more of a story and more details the author could have touched on. I felt like I wanted more out of it by the end.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for giving me the chance to read and review this book.
randina's review against another edition
2.0
The concept of this book is interesting, however, the execution was poor.
1. I don't understand why this book was only ~100 pages - there was a lot more opportunity for a story with this idea.
2. The writing in this book felt a lot more YA than adult - I did not believe the main character was in her mid to late twenties the way she spoke or acted. The bad luck quirk she is cursed with came across more childish than funny; she brought a great deal of it on herself. It missed the mark for me. The writing also came across choppy with short unnecessary sentences
3. The romance was highly underdeveloped, and the ending came about so strangely and was completely unbelievable.
Even though this only took me an hour, I wish I hadn't bothered at all. Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
1. I don't understand why this book was only ~100 pages - there was a lot more opportunity for a story with this idea.
2. The writing in this book felt a lot more YA than adult - I did not believe the main character was in her mid to late twenties the way she spoke or acted. The bad luck quirk she is cursed with came across more childish than funny; she brought a great deal of it on herself. It missed the mark for me. The writing also came across choppy with short unnecessary sentences
3. The romance was highly underdeveloped, and the ending came about so strangely and was completely unbelievable.
Even though this only took me an hour, I wish I hadn't bothered at all. Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
tswanson103's review against another edition
2.0
I did not particularly enjoy this book. The concept was great and Charlie seemed like a character I could like, but nothing about the story or writing was well-developed. A story that should have spanned at least twice the amount of pages was jammed into a short package, giving the reader no time to really get to know Charlie or go on the journey with her. The writing also had to be very summary-based and non-descriptive. It felt a bit like teenage fanfiction instead of a romance.
I think this story had potential but should have been developed into a full novel.
I think this story had potential but should have been developed into a full novel.
musicalknitter's review against another edition
5.0
I loved this book! The characters are so believable and the setting is fun with many fun personalities. I hope to see more of this couple in more books. There are certainly enough interesting folks to provide more books:). Keep the books coming!
haleyandherbooks's review against another edition
3.0
This is a perfectly cute novella. When I began reading it, I had no idea that it was a novella so I was a bit put off by how rushed everything seemed, but if you take into consideration that it’s not supposed to be a full fledged book, it was okay. I still would have liked to see better execution, but the story was cute enough. The characters were interesting and there were some humorous moments. But all in all, I think the romance was too rushed.
ryner's review against another edition
1.0
Charlie's Aunt Del won a vacation tour for two to Italy, and she has generously invited Charlie to join her. All ready for adventure, Charlie is initially dismayed when her luggage is lost en route and she ends up having to borrow a number of Della's more outlandish ensembles. However, undeterred and having taken an interest in both the suave tour guide and the friendly tour bus driver, Charlie enthusiastically embraces Italy and its possibilities.
I had a couple of issues with this book. Admittedly, I'm 100% not its target demographic, and I received this ARC via LibraryThing's Early Reviewers program, but unfortunately nowhere in the giveaway description was it disclosed that this was a "Rapid Read." While brevity in itself is not necessary a problem, the grammar and sentence structure are significantly dumbed down (soooooo many sentence fragments), and because it is told in the first person it makes poor Charlie seem rather dim. A number of stereotypes are perpetuated, there are frequent uncomfortable attempts at depicting broken English, and several offensive comments occur in the narrative, such as travelers with medically-necessary dietary restrictions being regarded as "problems."
It's true that the story is a light, easy, playful read, but if I hadn't been reading an advance copy, and if it weren't just 110 pages with wide margins, I would have abandoned it fairly quickly. It's pretty awful.
I received this ARC via LibraryThing's Early Reviewers program.
I had a couple of issues with this book. Admittedly, I'm 100% not its target demographic, and I received this ARC via LibraryThing's Early Reviewers program, but unfortunately nowhere in the giveaway description was it disclosed that this was a "Rapid Read." While brevity in itself is not necessary a problem, the grammar and sentence structure are significantly dumbed down (soooooo many sentence fragments), and because it is told in the first person it makes poor Charlie seem rather dim. A number of stereotypes are perpetuated, there are frequent uncomfortable attempts at depicting broken English, and several offensive comments occur in the narrative, such as travelers with medically-necessary dietary restrictions being regarded as "problems."
It's true that the story is a light, easy, playful read, but if I hadn't been reading an advance copy, and if it weren't just 110 pages with wide margins, I would have abandoned it fairly quickly. It's pretty awful.
I received this ARC via LibraryThing's Early Reviewers program.
aeh218's review against another edition
3.0
I enjoyed reading this short novella. I do feel that it should be noted that the publisher is known to advertise to ESL and reluctant readers, so I did not come into the story expecting Jane Austen-level prose.
Our main character, Charlotte AKA Charlie, is recovering from the end of a long-term relationship. When her widowed aunt wins a free trip to Italy, Charlie is asked to go along. Charlie decides her motto for the trip is "why be boring?" and takes several mishaps in stride. First, her luggage is lost! And somehow she can't help but be a magnet for various spills on her borrowed clothes. At least there's a cute guy or two to help distract her.
I did have a couple of issues with the book, though. The broken English spoken by some Italian characters could come off as a bit offensive. Charlie is not without her flaws (homegirl was a bit judgey over clothes). However, I really enjoyed the descriptions of the traveling locations; I never knew I wanted to visit Italy so much! This story is short, romantic, and fun to read. My personal favorite moments were the witty emails shared between Charlie and her younger sister.
Would I recommend this book to other people? Yes, especially if they're looking for a fun, quick read. This would be the perfect pool or beachside companion.
A big thanks to NetGalley for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.
Our main character, Charlotte AKA Charlie, is recovering from the end of a long-term relationship. When her widowed aunt wins a free trip to Italy, Charlie is asked to go along. Charlie decides her motto for the trip is "why be boring?" and takes several mishaps in stride. First, her luggage is lost! And somehow she can't help but be a magnet for various spills on her borrowed clothes. At least there's a cute guy or two to help distract her.
I did have a couple of issues with the book, though. The broken English spoken by some Italian characters could come off as a bit offensive. Charlie is not without her flaws (homegirl was a bit judgey over clothes). However, I really enjoyed the descriptions of the traveling locations; I never knew I wanted to visit Italy so much! This story is short, romantic, and fun to read. My personal favorite moments were the witty emails shared between Charlie and her younger sister.
Would I recommend this book to other people? Yes, especially if they're looking for a fun, quick read. This would be the perfect pool or beachside companion.
A big thanks to NetGalley for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.
hellohalesreads's review
2.0
The Italian Cure is a rapid read novella that follows Charlie as she and her Aunt Della travel around Italy. It is a light, easy and extremely quick read. However, I didn’t enjoy it as much as I thought I would. I did not connect with the writing style which seemed very rushed and choppy and caused the character development to lack. The concept of the novella could definitely be amazing if it were further developed.
Many thanks to Netgalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Many thanks to Netgalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
thegracefulbibliophile's review against another edition
3.0
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a digital copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. When I picked up this book, I didn’t realize it was a novella. It was a short read, but that’s not always a bad thing. However, this one didn’t quite check off all the boxes in books I love. I guess because it was a novella, there was enough room on the pages to fulfill some of these things. I found the characters to be slow developing, and some not at all. I wanted to get to know the characters more which would have helped to build on the main storyline. And the ending was kind of abrupt and left so many questions and main plot events unanswered. But I did love the setting - a tour through Italy - and that was enough to make me want to take another trip!