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A review by mishale1
Rome in Love by Anita Hughes
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.