Maybe I would have rated this higher if the ending were different. The ending just didn’t work out for me, felt like a convenient way of giving up on the character development. Other than that it was a pretty decent read. I can’t say I liked Lizzie as a character much but overall the characters worked.

This is an enthralling “keeper” ! Her brilliantly crafted expressive prose drew me in from the beginning and held me fast till the end. The characters vaulted off the pages straight into my heart and kept me thinking about them long after I turned the last page. I fell in love with them immediately.

Lizzie & Dante, wow just wow.. I had no idea what to expect but Mary Bly did not disappoint. A young woman heads to Italy with her best friend and his partner for a few weeks of rest and relaxation. A chance occurrence on a beach and she meets the owner of the most famous chef in Elba. He invites her and her friend’s to his restaurant and they are all shocked at who he is and what luck they have. Dante is a world renowned chef, his restaurants has a waiting list for months. He has a place in Manhattan and on Elba and he falls hard for Lizzie. Neither can really explain their connection and how it can’t be stopped. They are drawn to each other and to each other’s world. But they have secrets and they live two different lifestyles. But Manhattan can connect them? Secrets can be shared? Can their worlds collide the right way? Most importantly can love prevail? This was such a wonderful story of hope and love. Friendship and heartache. The setting is amazing, I felt like I could be on a beach in Elba.. I want to thank Netgalley & Mary Bly for my copy, for an honest review.

Harlequin Junkie Recommends

Lizzie & Dante could easily have been a dark and heavy book, given the subject matter of a potentially terminal illness. But Mary Bly infused it with enduring friendship, the love of Lizzie's family of choice, and a romance that was both tender and breathtaking.

I've always enjoyed Eloisa James's writing style in her Historicals so I was excited to see how it would work in a Contemporary novel--written under her actual name, Mary Bly. And I have to say that I was still charmed by her characters and their quick-witted dialogue. Plus, the setting! The quirky, laid back island of Elba was the perfect place for our heroine Lizzie to come to terms with her illness, decide on her future, and of course, fall in love.

It seems like there's been a rush of books lately that deal with serious illness, and while most of them have been tearjerkers, Lizzie & Dante wasn't overall until towards the very end. It was a bittersweet ending that did make me cry profusely, but mostly in a good way. And most of that was thanks to the awesome cast. It took me a little bit to nail down the personalities and figure out the relationships between Lizzie, Grey, Rohan, Dante and Etta. But once I did, they felt like friends. I can't think of another way to put it. The group was funny, sometimes outrageous, but mostly, was flawed in a completely endearing way.

My only slight setback was working through some of the dialogue. Although I've read Shakespeare, it's been many (many) years since I studied it so the references didn't always click right away. But aside from that, I had a great time with the back and forth between Lizzie and her offbeat crew.

If you're looking for a beach read that will whisk you away to a gorgeous tropical locale, give you all the feels, and that has a cast of characters not to be missed, then Lizzie & Dante is the perfect book for you.

This is a treat! Lizzie is a renowned Shakespearean scholar who has been invited on a wonderful vacation to the coast of Italy by her old friend, a famous author, and his partner, a famous actor. So, lots of glamour, right from the start. She has been diagnosed with cancer, and is struggling with that. She meets Dante, a chef, and falls in love with him and his young daughter. Well paced, with great characters. I look forward to recommending this to romance readers who are looking for something beyond the Regency-era settings.

Lizzie is dying, and she knows it. While she’s not exactly ready to abandon this mortal coil, she is at peace with her reality. While vacationing with her childhood best friend Grey and his boyfriend in Elba, Lizzie finds that while she might be at peace with dying, the universe isn’t going to let her go quite yet. While sunning at a local beach she befriends a scruffy dog and a chef named Dante, who swiftly finds his way into Lizzie’s heart — even though love is the last thing she’s looking for.

Lizzie quickly falls for Dante and his bubbly tween daughter, Etta, as she struggles with how she can bring these new people into her life, just as it's about to end.

Yes, Mary Bly’s protagonist is dying in “Lizzie & Dante” and her book certainly does call for a packet of tissues, but her novel is so much more than a story about death. Bly packs plenty of laughs and heartwarming moments into this book as Grey pushes Lizzie to keep fighting for life, while Dante envelopes her in a passionate romance and Etta provides her with the chance to experience motherhood. “Lizzie & Dante” examines not just loss and grief, but love and found family and even critical commentaries on Shakespeare’s “Romeo and Juliet.”

Bly’s novel is irresistibly captivating, between the lush descriptions of Elba and the local fare and the vibrantly depicted characters readers will quickly find themselves swept away by this escapist tale. Tackling sizzling romance and heartbreak, “Lizzie & Dante” is euphoric, winsome tale that poses philosophical questions about love and death that is sure to stick with readers long after the final page.

Lizzie Delford arrives on the quaint island of Elba with her novelist ex-fiance´ and his famous boyfriend (a little confusing at first). She is a Shakespearian professor and sadly her days are numbered. Lizzie is sick and hope has all but drained from her life. Lizzie was invited on this exotic adventure to assist with details on a new Romeo and Juliet production and could not resist the chance to escape the sticky streets of NY for the green hills and sunshine. Filled with celebrities and wealthy yachters, Lizzie searches for privacy to read and nap at her leisure. On the beach she is quickly befriended by an adorable dog Lily, who wants nothing more than a cuddle. Initially annoyed when the owner disrupts her solitude, this handsome Italian chef cannot be resisted. Quickly offering her and her friends a meal at his restaurant, Lizzie falls in love with his easy going manner, feisty daughter and zest for life that has her stomach doing backflips. Something she hasn’t felt since beginning the drugs, chemo and surgery. Wanting to treasure every moment of this delicious romance, Lizzie keeps her secrets hidden. But as Dante has most unexpectedly stolen her heart she cannot find the words that will most certainly break his own. Loved the Italian setting, quirky characters and easy writing. Most likely meant to give the reader grateful perspective - it was still quite difficult to get lost in finding love during terminal illness. Your call.

Mary Bly is the real identity of romance author Eloisa James, and this is her first book of women's fiction rather than romance. I am not sure this worked for me. I just found it.... like, it clearly wanted to be a romance, but then she put on brakes all over the place to make it not a romance. I think that having Dante's 13 year old daughter be a narrator was probably what was the biggest risk, and I don't think she pulls it off. It's one of those coy, precocious "she's 13 but somehow talks and thinks and acts like she's 23" characters. It was hard to believe and I didn't really care -- why not just call the book Lizzie and Dante's Daughter? That being said, Bly is a terrific writer and that carried me through.

Lizzie and Dante was such a heartfelt and beautiful read. I felt swept away to the Italian coast, and swept away into this tender romance. This is a book to be savored!

This is a beautifully written story about love, family, friendship and life. When I finished it my initial response was "WOW!" It was a moving story that I had to finish once I began reading it.

I received this book as a complimentary early release and the views expressed are my own.

I want to start by saying I have read almost everything written by the author under her alter ego of Eloisa James and have always enjoyed the quick pace and fun. I was skeptical but knew I would read Lizzie and Dante even though I don't typically read modern day romance.. This book exceeded my expectations and obliterated my skepticism. Ms.. By brings the characters to life and has you cheering them all on.. Even dealing with such heavy topics as cancer and death she is able to make the reader laugh, cry, and any number of emotions in between. I would definitely recommend this be added to your reading list

A beautiful story of living the life you want when its coming to a speedy end. After her terminal diagnosis Lizzie takes off and discovers love with Dante and his small island life and his daughter. Is it fair to enter a young girls life only to leave it shortly after or is it better to have loved and known a mother then to never feel that connection. The emotional battles are so well depicted and created. Beautiful work.

"On the heels of a difficult break-up and a devastating diagnosis, Shakespeare scholar Lizzie Delford decides to take one last lavish vacation on Elba, the sun-kissed island off the Italian coast, with her best friend and his movie-star boyfriend. Once settled into a luxurious seaside resort, Lizzie has to make big decisions about her future, and she needs the one thing she may be running out of: time. "

"She leaves the yacht owners and celebrities behind and sneaks off to the public beach, where she meets a sardonic chef named Dante, his battered dog, Lily, and his wry daughter, Etta, a twelve-year-old desperate for a mother. While Dante shows Lizzie the island’s secrets, and Etta dazzles with her irreverent humor, Lizzie is confronted with a dilemma. Is it right to fall in love if time is short? Is it better to find a mother briefly, or to have no mother at all? And most pressingly, are the delicacies of life worth tasting, even if you will get to savor them only for a short while? "

The perfect beach, pool or comfortable chair with a big glass of ice tea, lemonade or wine. Lizzie & Dante will take you to the black sand beaches of Elba Island, Italy. It will introduce to a delightful cast of characters including Dante's 12 year old daughter and their dog.
This is a book about living life to the fullest, a book about friends and a book about living a lifetime of love in the time we are given.

When friends sweep Lizzie away to the Italian isle of Elba (yes, Napoleon’s), she isn’t looking for romance. It’s a trip of a lifetime for the Shakespeare professor; with stage three cancer, she’s preparing her goodbyes. But then Lizzie falls for Dante, a local chef, and his motherless daughter Etta and wonders: Is it wrong to love if you’re dying? Delicious.

4/5 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ for Lizzie & Dante

This book gave me allllll the feels!! Perfect for the beach or a trip, but be prepared to cry! (I definitely did!) these characters are so lovable and I was completely enamored with the setting and the relationships from the start. Highly recommend!! Thank you @netgalley for the ARC!

In writing this review I find myself searching for the right words - words with which to do justice to a story that’s unlike any other I’ve ever read - the means by which to convey how it made me feel. Because that’s what this book is to me: a feeling. Special seems too simple and yet, it is exactly that. But it’s something deeper as well. Perfectly told, Lizzie and Dante conveys a certain nostalgia for those seemingly trivial moments that are in fact the most important ones of our lives.
While the title may suggest a romance, this story offers so much more. It’s an epic multi-faceted love story filled with thought provoking discussions. The characters are not only well crafted with individual quirks and depths along with compelling motivations, but so incredibly real they’ll leap off the page and sit beside you as you read.
Essentially this is Lizzie’s story of bravery, of fighting for more than what life has given, and of carrying on against adversity. But it’s also the story of her friends, their love for her and for each other, of Dante’s incredible vision of a future Lizzie didn’t believe in before arriving in Elba, and of Etta – a twelve year old girl in need of a mother.
In short, I would describe this book as a lazy afternoon on the beach when you know you’ll eventually have to face the world again, but just for a moment everything stops and you see the perfection in every small detail.
Highly recommended to anyone with a box of tissues at the ready.

On July 13, 2019, Lizzie Rose Delford, a Stage Three Cancer Patient, also a Professor of Shakespeare, is on a ferry headed for Elba along with her best friend Grey who used to be her boy friend, who is currently involved with and in love with the gorgeous actor Rohan Das. Lizzie is a tag-along to help Rohan realize his dream of directing a new film rendition of Romeo and Juliet. Lizzie is facing her mortality, Grey is trying to pull her back from the edge and Rohan is signing autographs while trying to figure out how to make Romeo and Juliet more relevant. Along comes a dog who adopts Lizzie, and her owner Dante who is a whole lot more than she suspects. Dante has a daughter Etta, who desperately wants a mother and to be part of a family and is so far beyond precocious that any sentence out of her mouth can be a jaw dropper or a laugh a minute. Even though Lizzie’s wicked diagnosis is always in the very present background there are some very interesting and comic takes on a variety of situations. Not hard to see where this is all going.

While this love story is a little out of my comfort zone I loved the way Bly dealt with a very emotional and delicate prognosis. It was, in equal parts, fun and sad, and while the ending is no shocker it is held in abeyance as we are allowed to understand all the frustration and love running through the story.

Thanks to The Dial Press and Net Galley for a copy.

Lizzie and Dante is a story about love and life. It's about living life to your fullest and not giving up when things get real hard.
This was an emotional journey for Lizzie. Going to Italy was going to be her last big hurrah! She was tired of fighting.
Never did she think she'd meet someone and fall in love.
Dante meets Lizzie and its practically love at first sight. He has a 12 year old daughter, Etta. They both love Lizzie.
Together they become a family and give Lizzie the reason to fight and to live.
Bring a box of tissues. It's a very emotional journey.
My only personal thought is I could have done with out the epilogue. I would have been very happy with that.
5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
I want to thank Netgalley for the chance to review this book.

Lizzie and Dante is a new book by Mary Bly. The novel is a modern day read that asks questions about life and love. Mary Bly is the real name of Eliosa James, so you already know the strength of the writing and the characters. The novel allows readers to enjoy a luxury vacation with fancy food and special people.

Lizzie has been offered a vacation on Elba, a beautiful island thanks to her long friendship with Grey. Grey, the one person who knows her more than she knows herself. Grey brings her along to help his boyfriend Rohan, who is determined to redo Romeo and Juliet in a new and different way. Lizzie, a Shakespearean professor, is the perfect person to help Rohan. They stay at a beautiful hotel and rub elbows with the rich and famous.

Lizzie however has cancer, stage 3. She has been offered new treatment, but she is not sure that she wants to keep fighting. Lulu has decided that Lizzie needs her - so she stays with her - meanwhile she meets Dante on the beach only to find out Lulu is his. He offers her dinner and her life grows.

This book was one of the best of the best. Lizzie and Dante made me laugh and cry, sometimes at the same time! I love how Lizzie found love and family. I thought the characters of Ruby and Rohan were fun, but by far I loved Etta and Grey. This is a wonderful book reminding us that we cannot control our future, but we can live in the moment. Lizzie and Dante by Mary Bly is a fabulous read.

A wonderful light summer read, quite poignant at the end. The characters were well drawn and the romance was believable.