To be fully transparent, Ciao For Now by Kate Brinkley started a teensy bit slow for me. I’m so glad that I stuck with it though, because that all changed about a quarter of the way in. Ciao For Now is a delightful story of a fashion design student and a writer, set in charmingly perfect-for-this-book Rome. The main character, Violet, experiences a lot of high points and definitely some low ones. You can’t help but root for her though, and you’ll be so glad you did. This story is about believing in yourself, and giving yourself the room and grace to make mistakes but to also keep moving forward.

Special thanks to Net Galley and Harlequin Trade Publishing- Grayson House for providing an advanced reviewer copy to me in exchange for my honest review and opinion!

This book was so much fun. The chemistry Violet and Matt was off the charts. I had a huge smile on my face any time they interacted. There was also a fun vibe between Violet and her friends, especially Marco who was a delight. The settings in Italy were amazing, making this a great feel good summer beach read!

Thank-you to Netgalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for the advanced reader copy.

4.5/5 Stars

This is the perfect fun, summer romance read! Matt and Violet have a meet-cute at a cafe in Rome that goes terribly wrong. It’s so hilarious, it immediately sucked me in within three pages and I knew I was going to love this book. Violet is in Rome for a fashion internship + competition over the summer, and realizes that Matteo is her professor’s son and they’re going to be close by for the duration of the internship…which is awkward to say the least.

This is an enemies to lovers and grumpy/sunshine romance with fantastic Italian summer scenery. The witty banter is unparalleled, the relationships between Violet’s bestie Marco (also joining her on the internship), and her sister…were just so fun. The chemistry between Matt + Violet is fantastic. This was a nice lighter mor upbeat summer read, compared to some of the more heavy romances I’ve read lately. But it still had enough depth where I felt like these characters were human, relatable, and I got to really know each character, and also see their growth throughout the book.

My only complaint, which I’m not even sure you can count as a complaint— I just wanted more Matt/Violet together! I feel this way about every book couple that I love.

I’ve never laughed out loud more with a book before. Add this to your TBR asap.

I received this ARC from Netgalley in exchange for my honest review!

Hey now, hey now….this is what dreams are made of….
you see what I did there? If you don’t get the Lizzie McGuire reference, we can’t be friends. Violet is an American fashion intern in Rome who after an epic meet-cute with Matt, navigates her way through her internship competition, and of course falls in love in the eternal city. Matt, or Matteo, is an Italian-American tv writer who is visiting his mama, who just happens to be Violet’s professor/hostess. Of course. So after Violet spectacularly crashes into Matt’s cafe table and breaks his laptop in true American tourist fashion, they aren’t off to the best start. But their hate isn’t hate at all, it’s playful and sweet and I ATE IT UP like gelato. I was really feeling Lizzie McGuire vibes from Brooke and the beginning of the book. It was nostalgic. And the descriptions of the city and specifically the fashion district (for lack of better word) took me back to my own trips to the city. She really nailed the ambiance in short and small descriptions sprinkled throughout.
I loved the romance, I loved Violet’s arc and I loved the side characters that added to the whole story without being cheesy. This is the perfect vacation/summer/beach read!

If you're looking for a fun romance that will make you feel like you're embarking on a beautiful Italian vacation, add Ciao for Now to your list. It's fun, it's steamy (at times), it's laugh-out-loud funny, and features characters that I fell in love with.

The story follows three students who are selected for a prestigious fashion internship in Rome for one month and at the end, one of them will be offered a full-time position. While this is the base for the story, the real story is that they are staying at their professor's home and right before they arrived there, Violet managed to fall and crack her son's laptop. Of course, she doesn't know this at the time and doesn't discover it until they arrive at the home.

I love a good enemies-to-lovers trope and a good close-proximity story, and this combines them both.

This is such a sweet story and the perfect one to read while enjoying the beach, pool, or lake (or wherever you like to relax during the summer months!)

Thank you Uplit Reads, Harlequin Books (Graydon House) and NetGalley for the gifted eARC!}

Hmmmm. Unfortunately this one didn’t grab me. I think it was the prose and the present tense writing. It tried a little too hard. The dialogue was funny at times but often very immature. There was an over abundance of adverbs (the character did something “fleetingly” twice within three pages.

With the slow start getting into the story and then the writing style that wasn’t quite for me, it just wasn’t love. But I do think it will have an audience… it’s a fun story with some good romance.

Thank you for the ARC!

Violet Luciano started late on fulfilling her dreams as a fashion designer. She's easily 5 years older than the other interns, but she's not gonna stop until her dreams are met. Including an internship at a fashion house in Rome Italy. She's ready to bring her A Game and win the competition and a job back home in New York, until she meets Matteo her professors son. They started off on the wrong foot, but living in the same house together brings something they can't deny, their undeniable chemistry. Violet might get caught in a whirlwind romance, and lose sight of why she's in Rome. Can she have Matt and win the competition? Or will she have to say ciao to one to get the other.

This is such a fun summer read. It gave me major Emily in Paris vibes. I love an enemies to lovers sub-genre and thought she wrote it well. I loved Matt as an MMC. He is kind of crusty and grumpy on the outside, but once he dropped his defenses he was this sweet cinnamon roll hero. I related to Violet and enjoyed that she was this almost 30's woman who is still trying to find her path. The only reason I didn't give it 5 stars because it took me a while to get into the story. Thankfully it did pick up and towards the end, I couldn't put it down!

Thanks to the publisher for the ARC in order for an honest review. This book releases 6/6

I devoured this book! The initial banter between Violet and Matt was witty and so funny. The author did a great job transitioning from the enemies to lovers trope. I also enjoyed the character development and the growth within Violetta from when she came to Rome to when she went back to NY. I love me a HEA, and this book gave me all that and more!

Cut some mozzarella, pour yourself a glass of Prosecco and imagine sitting in the beautiful city of Rome.

Violetta is a 29 year old fashion student who finds herself in Rome for a one month internship at a fashion brand, where she’ll compete with two fellow students for a job at a big label in New York. While Violet believes this is her last shot to pursue her career and chase her dream, she is quickly distracted by Matteo, son of the fashion professor who is also housing her and her peers while they’re in Rome. Violet and Matt’s banter and chemistry was very balanced from the first time they met and I really enjoyed how their relationship was more on the realistic side. They also shared some real vulnerable moments which I really liked. While this book was a romance, it was also a story of family, friendships, and chasing your dreams no matter how much you think you should give up.

𝑲𝒂𝒕𝒆 𝑩𝒓𝒐𝒎𝒍𝒆𝒚: 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒅𝒊𝒅 𝒊𝒕 𝒂𝒈𝒂𝒊𝒏 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒘𝒓𝒐𝒕𝒆 𝒂𝒏𝒐𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒓 𝒊𝒏𝒄𝒓𝒆𝒅𝒊𝒃𝒍𝒆 𝒃𝒐𝒐𝒌! 𝑻𝒉𝒂𝒏𝒌 𝒚𝒐𝒖 @𝒏𝒆𝒕𝒈𝒂𝒍𝒍𝒆𝒚 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝑯𝒂𝒓𝒍𝒆𝒒𝒖𝒊𝒏 𝑻𝒓𝒂𝒅𝒆 𝑷𝒖𝒃𝒍𝒊𝒔𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒂𝒅𝒗𝒂𝒏𝒄𝒆 𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒅𝒆𝒓 𝒄𝒐𝒑𝒚 𝒊𝒏 𝒆𝒙𝒄𝒉𝒂𝒏𝒈𝒆 𝒎𝒚 𝒉𝒐𝒏𝒆𝒔𝒕 𝒓𝒆𝒗𝒊𝒆𝒘.

My two passions collide with this romantic comedy in the most spectacular way! This turned out to be one of my favorite books so far this year. Sewing and fabric and romance and books .. it was perfectly designed (😏) I loved it!! Violet is a fashion design student chosen with two others for a competition in Rome, Italy for a coveted job at a New York fashion label. On day one she runs into a grumpy man destroys laptop she thinks the worst is behind her. Until she discovers the man is actually her professor‘s son and will also be staying in the same house with the three interns. Their banter is witty and fun and the romance is perfectly steamy. It’s a perfect book for a summer read and it comes out just in time with a publication date of June 6, 2023.

Ciao for Now is the perfect summer beach read. It’s short and memorable enemies to lovers romance that makes you wish you were walking the streets of Italy as well.

Violet and Matt truly were made for each other and it seems like fate dragged them to one another; emphasis on the dragged because I know how they survived their first couple of days together!

I devoured this book in two days. It was everything I wanted to inspire a euro summer vacation.

This book was cute and charming in theory. There were some great snapshots of Italy, and moments of chemistry and tension between Violet and Matt, but its pacing was way off.

Was this about Italy? Violet and Matt? Getting into fashion? Persevering to achieve your dreams? The balance of these elements were off, resulting in a just fine story.

Someone on Instagram recommended this book. I love a good, grumpy sunshine and enemies to lovers, so I immediately went to NetGalley to request this ARC.

This is the perfect book to read while having a glass Prosecco, as you feel you are right there in Rome enjoying good food, drinks, and scenery. This book transports you to the fashion world of Rome. It definitely had some ‘Emily In Paris’ vibes. It was also a beautiful setting for a summer romance. I loved the tension between the characters. As their animosity towards each other grew, so did their attraction and feelings. Their chemistry was undeniable. I highly recommend this feel-good romance that will leave you with a smile on your face.

Favorite quote: “Love isn’t something that you find or that finds you, love is something you gift yourself. You design it. You decide who you are going to love and who will have the privilege of loving you back.”

Thank you Harlequin Trade Publishing and NetGalley for this eARC in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

I was right.
I may have solely loved this book because it took place in Rome and my affinity for Italy knows no bounds. BUTTTT!!

It was more than that. The deep feeling for the city, for the fashion industry, and that the MC portrayed was all the author, and she nailed it. Violet was the perfect mix of character, and while she had her self-doubts, I didn't feel crushed or all consumed by them. The story still unfolded and I appreciated that.

Matteo, the love interest. Next to tattoos a beard will snag me in right away (I am so predictable) but he did have just a bit missing. The chemistry and conversation for these two for an absolute pleasure and so overall I still loved Violet and Matt. But I just felt that I could have done with a better visual for him, his Italian heritage, accent…. Or persona if you will. While I was immersed in Italy and in Violet's own head, I felt his character description fell just a tad flat.

This was my first Kate Bromley book, but it won't be the last. It was everything I hope when I pick up a rom-com, and Violet and her bestie delivered hard on the com part of that. I laughed out loud, and felt so connected to their weirdness that I was right there with them.

Thanks to NetGalley and Harlequin/Graydon House for the ARC. I voluntarily read and reviewed this book.
I have absolutely no fashion sense, I don't even like to shop, so I guess that probably influenced my dislike of this book. It bored me. Too much about the fashion industry and not enough romance. That, and I hated the main character of Violet. Every relationship she had (except with her sister) seemed toxic. I didn't feel any chemistry between her and Matt, and can we talk about Greg for a sec? Why oh why would she continue to text him after the way he ended their relationship? Back to Matt, he sends her messages through Instagram? You're both in the US at the same time, you can't text or call? Jeez. Anyway, can't recommend this one and the only reason I'm giving this any stars is because Kate Bromley is actually a good writer. I've liked her other work, this one just didn't work for me.

Ciao For Now was exactly what I needed. I loved this emotionally charged book. It sucked me in from the first page and kept me wanting more on the last. I now want to vacation in Italy and go to the places described in the book. The friendships were as just important as the romance and that is rare! This book is a gem!

This is a super fun read all about love, fashion, and the magic of Rome! Violetta and Matt instantly become frenemies after a hilarious collision in a cafe. Soon, what was disdain and annoyance becomes something else entirely, maybe even love. Anything can happen on a summer trip to Italy!

love kate bromley and her style of writing. this one was one of the best ive read from hers. I would definitely recommend it and i cant wait to see what she comes up with next

DNF @ 28%
I don’t think this was for me. The interactions between MCs felt forced, immature and lacked chemistry and the secondary characters were kind of annoying.

I received this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Overall a nice easy read but missing something to really set it apart.