Bookworm Nation

Pippa is in Italy for the summer and, despite her parents’ wishes, she has no intention of just studying the local art! She has a list of things of her own to do: from swimming in the Mediterranean Sea to getting a makeover – and falling for an Italian boy! As Pippa explores the dramatic ruins of Rome and Pompeii, she is swept into her own drama with two guys: an irresistible local she knows is nothing but trouble and a cute American archaeology student . . . Will she find her true love?

Affascinante! This book was totally charming. Maybe it’s because I’ve always wanted to visit Italy, ever since I was very small. I still hope to get there one day, especially after reading this book.

While I think it’s totally insane to send your seventeen-year-old daughter alone to Italy, it did make for a fun plot here. Pippa goes to Italy to study art. Once she arrives she decides to go her own way and explore the country she has always wanted to see and photograph. Pippa was pretty likable, I thought she fit her age well, but still had a good maturity about her. It was fun to watch her explore Italy and also discover herself along the way.

I can’t believe I’m going to say this, but I actually enjoyed the love triangle in this one. Maybe since she meets both guys at the same time and has to spend time with each to really decide who she likes best. Seemed realistic to me. Both guys had their own charm, but there is definitely one I liked more. Bruno was the hottie Italian she was hoping to meet. He is charming and knows all the right things to say. Darren is the cute American who is sweet and kind and a little slower in showing his feelings. I’m never sure how these travel romances are going to work out, so I was glad to see how things wrap up. I loved Pippa’s BFF Morgan and I hope she gets her own book. She is such a good friend, I loved the goal journal she made for Pippa. Such a fun idea.

Overall, a charming read and one I would highly recommend. I’ll definitely be keeping my eyes open for what this author comes up with next!

Content: Clean!

As the daughter of a well-known politician, Anna Lloyd has been groomed for success. There’s only one problem: for her, success never sticks. Texas-bred rancher Jay Maddox wants one last chance at fun. After a lifetime of being responsible for siblings, mortgages, and a dysfunctional mother, he’s ready for an adventure that’s all his own. When both of them arrive to begin taping the show, they’re joined by three other couples, and all are eager to get started. Until the producers make a decision that throws everything into chaos. Now Jay and Anna are alone in the wilderness—forced together against their will into a partnership neither one bargained for. How is Anna supposed to get her boyfriend to commit to her when she’s stuck with this southern cowboy instead? How is Jay supposed to survive a solid month with this big-city girl who gets under his skin in more ways than one?

I’ve been looking forward to this one ever since I finished The Wedding Game. It didn’t disappoint, I was quickly engaged in the story and rooting for Jay and Anna. I liked both Anna and Jay and it was fun watching them fall in love. They do so under some pretty dire circumstances and will probably make their relationship stronger in the long run. I thought the setting was fun, although I wouldn’t go rushing off to Alaska any time soon. I was surprised by how much time they were actually alone during the filming of the show; I guess I was expecting more of a Survivor type setting (only in freezing Alaska). As in most of these type stories there are some obstacles for the couple to overcome. It was a tad frustrating; I wanted to shake Anna a few times. I understood her though; I got how she couldn’t or wouldn’t want to disappoint her family. It’s a lot easier said than done and her behavior and choices seemed realistic. I was happy with how everything worked out.

Overall, a super fun read. Ms. Matayo is quickly becoming an auto-buy author for me! Can’t wait to see what she comes up with next.

Romance: Clean, a few passionate kissing and very mild innuendo
Language: Can’t remember any, if there was it was mild

The last thing career-driven Kessen Newberry wants is to leave her home in Colorado to spend a Season in London, far away from her job, her friends and the memories of her mother. However, her father, the Earl of Newberry, threatens to disinherit her unless she gets in touch with her British roots. She complies, but has no intention of enjoying the experience. That is until she meets Christian Vandenbrook, the arrogant and irritatingly handsome future Duke of Albany and her father’s business partner. Unfortunately, Christian hates Americans. And coffee. And apparently, Kessen. A hatred this passionate can only lead to one thing… marriage. Caught in the middle of a Regency-inspired nightmare, Kessen and Christian are forced to marry in only one week’s time. Resigned to their fate, the two resolve to give the relationship a chance—which would be much easier if everyone would stop interrupting them every time they found a moment alone.

This was charming! I loved how lighthearted it was, I caught myself smiling a lot throughout the book. Christian and Kessen had great chemistry, I liked their banter. I also loved their friends Nick and Duncan, they were a riot. I loved how they were trying to keep them apart before the wedding and also how they wanted to help them get to know each other. I think the characters would probably die if they knew I've never had a drop of coffee or tea! There was a lot of kissing in this book! They couldn’t keep their hand off each other. And while I think that’s important in a relationship, I also think there are more important things for long-term success. By the end I still kind of felt the main component for their relationship was lust. I hope that when things mellow out and they settle down they are able to build on their friendship and have their HEA. Overall, a fun escape and I agree with another review that said this would make a fun movie!

Content
Romance: Pretty clean
Language: Mild