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anie_star's review
3.0
Natalie bought a villa on Amalfi Coast. She didn't come on a whim. She has a detailed plan and set budget, to renovate the villa in six months and turn it into a functional hotel.
It was the dream, she and her grandma had. Now that Grandma passed away, she is even more determined. Once she arrives, nothing goes as planned. The offices are closed for the summer, there is a lot more to be fixed than she knew about and trouble seems to pill on.
Pietro is an architect and loves nothing more than this town. He is determined to save as many houses as he can and renovate them. Then Natalie hires him. They clash a lot, but also there is something brewing between them.
It's a lovely story. I love the setting of a beautiful town and a determined woman, set to reach her goal no matter what. But for some reason I couldn't get into it, or connect with the story, also the steamy parts felt a bit out of place.
Thank you, NetGalley for the ARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
It was the dream, she and her grandma had. Now that Grandma passed away, she is even more determined. Once she arrives, nothing goes as planned. The offices are closed for the summer, there is a lot more to be fixed than she knew about and trouble seems to pill on.
Pietro is an architect and loves nothing more than this town. He is determined to save as many houses as he can and renovate them. Then Natalie hires him. They clash a lot, but also there is something brewing between them.
It's a lovely story. I love the setting of a beautiful town and a determined woman, set to reach her goal no matter what. But for some reason I couldn't get into it, or connect with the story, also the steamy parts felt a bit out of place.
Thank you, NetGalley for the ARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
jackiehorne's review
2.5. Biracial American Natalie Malone dreamed of moving to Italy with her grandmother, who had spent time in the country as a teenager and remembers it fondly. After her grandmother's death, probate brings to light a mysterious inheritance from an Italian man, an inheritance which allows Natalie to participate in a foreigners-buy-and-restore-small-town-Italian buildings/businesses program in (fictional) small-town Zavona on the Amalfi coast. Pietro Indelicato, a local architect/restoration expert falls for her and helps her with the restoration of her pensione.
Blades' strong writing is once again on display here. But other than that, I didn't find much that appealed to me. There's little in the way of conflict between the romance leads, and even less in the way of character change/growth. And there's lots of telling, rather than showing, which gave the book the feel of a shorter category romance. The story spends most of its energy not on characters or romance, but on Natalie's restoration project, and problems with the larger program (led by Pietro's mayor father, with whom Pietro has a difficult relationship), a focus which I found quite dull. The biggest disappointment: the gender dynamics here are surprisingly conventional, given Blades' early novels, which stood out for their outspoken, unequivocal embrace of feminism.
I expected something far different from Blades, so I found this a disappointment. Readers looking for a category romance with a European setting and without relationship angst might enjoy this more than I did.
Blades' strong writing is once again on display here. But other than that, I didn't find much that appealed to me. There's little in the way of conflict between the romance leads, and even less in the way of character change/growth. And there's lots of telling, rather than showing, which gave the book the feel of a shorter category romance. The story spends most of its energy not on characters or romance, but on Natalie's restoration project, and problems with the larger program (led by Pietro's mayor father, with whom Pietro has a difficult relationship), a focus which I found quite dull. The biggest disappointment: the gender dynamics here are surprisingly conventional, given Blades' early novels, which stood out for their outspoken, unequivocal embrace of feminism.
I expected something far different from Blades, so I found this a disappointment. Readers looking for a category romance with a European setting and without relationship angst might enjoy this more than I did.
tlea's review
3.0
This is the first story that I've read from the author and it was a great introduction. We've all heard the news stories about being able to buy a property in Italy for $1, and who hasn't wanted to grab that offer? Well, this is the story of Natalie, who trades her life in America for a $1 purchase on the Amalfi coast. Then the reality sets in. I liked this story but didn't love it. It was wonderful at describing the beauty of Italy, until I'd had enough of the descriptions. We get it - it's beautiful. I did enjoy the slow burn between Natalie and Pietro but felt that the whole story ended too abruptly. Overall, I enjoyed the story and would probably read more from this author.
boo_trixie's review
Dnf at 40%. I really tried, but I had to stop due to the poor narration. Not sure what happened, but it was painful.
dhilderbrand's review
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Fun story. Little drawn out but I liked it
cassire's review
4.0
4.5 STARS
It Takes a Villa was a treat. It takes you right to Italy. This story sucked me in and did not let me go. The vibe, setting, story, and characters were charming and endearing. My only issue is with the spice. There were sometimes details and sometimes not. It didn’t seem to meet the standards of the rest of the book. Nevertheless, I really enjoyed my time reading this.
I voluntarily read an early copy.
It Takes a Villa was a treat. It takes you right to Italy. This story sucked me in and did not let me go. The vibe, setting, story, and characters were charming and endearing. My only issue is with the spice. There were sometimes details and sometimes not. It didn’t seem to meet the standards of the rest of the book. Nevertheless, I really enjoyed my time reading this.
I voluntarily read an early copy.
meganelise0_o's review
adventurous
challenging
emotional
funny
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
lagadema's review against another edition
4.0
What a charming story. Perfect for this time of the year. I enjoyed getting to know Natalie and Pietro while they restored Natalie's villa in the imaginary idyllic town on the Amalfi coast. It is a slow-burn romance but with enough steam and drama incorporated. The main characters are strong and different but opposites attract right? I like how the author brought the story to us and every description of that place. I enjoyed reading it and will read the author's other work in the future
lagadema's review
4.0
What a charming story. Perfect for this time of the year. I enjoyed getting to know Natalie and Pietro while they restored Natalie's villa in the imaginary idyllic town on the Amalfi coast. It is a slow-burn romance but with enough steam and drama incorporated. The main characters are strong and different but opposites attract right? I like how the author brought the story to us and every description of that place. I enjoyed reading it and will read the author's other work in the future
amandaj6's review against another edition
4.0
I do love any story that’s set in a different country and I felt like I was there with Natalie. I really liked Natalie and how capable she was and not portrayed as some silly American needing help. Well, she wouldn’t have if it wasn’t for the town council. Unfortunately, FOR ME, there was just too much drama. And while I went in thinking it was a “sweet romance” book, I can’t say that the smexy times was a disappointment. I mean, who could be disappointed in Pietro.
Thank you NetGalley and Entangled Publishing for providing this ARC to review. ~I was given this book and made no commitments to leave my opinions, favorable or otherwise. ~
Thank you NetGalley and Entangled Publishing for providing this ARC to review. ~I was given this book and made no commitments to leave my opinions, favorable or otherwise. ~