This is a super fun read. I really enjoyed this one!

Many thanks to the author, the publisher, and Netgalley for my ARC. All opinions are my own.

I received a copy of the book from Netgalley to review. Thank you for the opportunity.
A sweet and fluffy romance with some action. It is extremely readable and has some good writing.
However, there is little substance to the story and there could have been more development in the story to add more depth.
An OK read.

My Thoughts:
A Shot at Amore is a second chance at romance that takes you to Italy.

Sofia has to take care of her aunt Nella and out of nowhere, her childhood crush Antonio returns. their relationship didn't end up in a nice way and she still has feelings for him.

Antonio is pretty much everything we are told an Italian man is; hot and carries a gun. He has a reputation that precedes him. He wants to turn his life around and devote and make up for the bad decisions he took when he was young.

Despite how things are working between them and their best efforts to stay away. Their connection is sweet, charming, awkward, and easy. An unbidden desire sparks between them, but Sofia battles with her feelings, and despite her feeling for Antonio she deals with that. She gets a bit cliche and says she doesn't need a man but well what happens says otherwise haha.

The storyline was too rushed, too simple, and was too easy. All in all, avid fans like me will enjoy the book regardless of the mentioned below.

A sweet romance with a hint of action!
I loved the way the story panned out. The history between the characters made it all the more irresistible.

I expected a little more action, based on the job of the General.

(09/08/2020) 3.75 stars. Thank you to Netgalley for an e-arc of this novel! A Shot at Amore is sweet, second chance at romance novel set in Italy. There we follow the protagonist, Sofia, as takes care of her aunt Nella when suddenly, her childhood sweetheart Antonio returns to her life. The last time they saw each other, they did not leave off on good terms but there are still underlying feelings that are threatening to creep up to the surface.

Sofia and Antonio's friends to lovers romance is sweet but I feel like something was missing. They initially headbutts but it felt like it was not drawn out enough. Their initial breakup when they were young wasn't that much of a bombshell either. It was just a matter of lack of communication and awkwardness which made the rekindling of their relationship too easy.

Certain personal events in Sofia's life led her to being mistrusting of men. I honestly don't like the "I don't need no man!" trope as it feels really cliche. I understand why Sofia feels the way she does, but I wish her struggle was presented differently and maybe followed Sofia's mental health struggle. I feel like there was a real chance for Nora James to present a protagonist who struggles with PTSD trying to cope and rebuild her love life, but I can understand that she may not have been going for that.

Antonio was a sweet character but he wasn't very... Complex? I don't want to say he was one-dimensional but ultimately his personality felt a little too simple. But sometimes people are that way, so this point is for my personal preference!

I know this is a romance novel and romance usually has a happily ever after, it seemed that this one was too rushed and was too easy. The entire novel Antonio lives in fear that he would attract the attention of the mafia and endanger Sofia. At the end of the novel, certain events transpire and it leads him to believe that he won't be their target anymore and that the mafia would forget him.... Which seems unlikely to me (but maybe I just don't know much about the mafia! If you have a grudge, wouldn't you see it through to the end?)

I really love the setting (I am a sucker for anything set in Italy!). I wish I could live in a small Italian town and live a (somewhat) simple life.

Overall, A Shot at Amore was an enjoyable read, but I wish there was more depth to the characters and story that made things more exciting and more rewarding for readers.