Read this book while vacationing in Rome, and I wanted more. More emotion in the enemies to lovers romance, more rich descriptions that actually transported you to the place, more character development. Everything felt very surface level and in some ways forced. There are books that you read where the words flow, and the use of analogies and adjectives serve a purpose, but in this novel it seemed a bit forced or simple. An easy summer read, but unfortunately it won’t be one that I remember.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing access to a digital ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Such a fun read! I love a good Italian setting!! So beautiful and dreamy! Plus, when you have a great enemies to lovers trope with amazing banter, it just makes it a great read! Highly recommend!!

*Thank you so much @uplitreads for the #gifted copy in exchange for an honest review.*

Ciao for Now by Kate Bromley
Format: eARC
Pub. date: June 6/23

Oh Italy…the title had me at Ciao. When Violet finds her life at odds she decides to take a risk and enter a fashion competition where the internship is in Italy. It is here that she meets the grumpy Matteo who she finds equally annoying and attractive.
Throughout her journey Violet ends up learning as much about herself as she does fashion and we, the lucky reader, get to go along for the ride.

Kate Bromley gives us a book with humour, banter, passion and love, all while setting the stage in beautiful Italy. I really enjoyed the characters and the storyline. It was interesting and kept me wanting to know more. I actually didn’t want the book to end. If you are looking for a fun, summer, read then pick this one up!

Many thanks to NetGalley and Graydon House Books for the opportunity to read this ARC for my honest review.

I spent a couple of weeks in Rome and Tuscany a few years ago and did not have nearly as much fun as Violet did. Not only does this showcase a romance, but friendships and success. Or I should clarify that what you think will be success and what you achieve and the journey to get there. I did smile as Violet laments over and over how old she is for what she is doing. She’s still in her twenties.

While I thought Violet and Matteo had great chemistry and loved the quasi grumpy sunshine, forced proximity, and haters to lovers romance they had, I was more invested in the friendships Violet made and how well they supported each other. I liked her growth at her internship and her personal growth. I really appreciate when a book tells more than one story. And Marco might be one of the best supporting characters I’ve read about in a while. Kate if you are reading this, he’d be great in his own story.

It nailed the feel of Italy and I could see this as a movie like the great rom coms of the 90s. Because while I was invested in the entire story, I did root for Matteo and Violet to get over their hurdles and get together. Their chemistry sizzled on the page and kept me glued to my book.

This is the perfect summer/beach read. Especially if you are looking to travel vicariously through someone else’s eyes.

"Ciao For Now" by Kate Bromley is a story that follows the common romance novel trope: girl who wants independence after challenging breakup, meets boy who goes from foe to friend and more.

It is set in Italy and the author beautifully describes the location and amazing local food. But that is probably the most depth seen in the book. Though the fashion world is central to the story, it is only curtly addressed.

Overall, this story did not separate itself from many others like it. The character development felt limited and I did not find myself routing for anybody. The result, for me, was that it was hard to get through.

Thank you Netgalley and HarperCollins for the ARC.

This story was hard to put down. Violeta wins a chance to live and work for a fashion label in Italy before her final project in design school. Italy works all of its magic.
This made me want to see and touch the fabric to help make decisions. It was great to look at a different field from the angles of someone breaking in and that line of trusting yourself while knowing how to take feedback.

#arc
#netgalley
#ciaofornow

3.5 stars (rounded up)!

"Ciao for Now" by Kate Bromley is a cute and summery Italian fashion-centered romance with better friendships than romantic relationships. I have to admit, I *loved* Matt as the grumpy, broody main male character, and really liked Violet as the driven-to-a-fault (but still self-sabotaging) main female character, but together? They might have decent banter with one another, but they lack the chemistry needed for me to invest in and root for them as a couple. They both make great strides to grow and mature and find themselves in self-exploration, but their very short love story didn't have enough time to grown and be nurtured into full believability. I did, however, love Violet and Marco's playful friendship, Violet and Holly's tense-but-blossoming friendship, Violet's working relationship with the Italian fashion team, particularly Mira. I didn't love the third act, which is rife with miscommunication and an overly and unnecessarily dramatic break-up. Just have a conversation with each other and talk out and work out your post-Italy plans, fears, and goals!! Luckily, this book is quickly paced and easy to read, so any issues you may have are easy enough to dismiss.

Thank you to NetGalley, Kate Bromley, Harlequin Trade Publishing, and Graydon House for the ARC of this book. All opinions are my own. I was not compensated for my review.

Highlights: Italian setting, fashion world, personal growth, summer fling, brooding hero.

I love books set in a fashion world and stories that transport me to a different country, and Ciao For Now hit both of these spots. It made me dream about a visit to Italy. The romance between Violet and Matteo was sweet and swoony, and their banter was top-notch! They had great chemistry. I also loved Violet's friendships with her friends and competitors, Marco and Holly, and the new friends she made in Italy. Ciao For Now was a delight from start to finish. It's a perfect summer read.

Excuse me while I run off to Rome!

Ciao For Now has it all. Fabulous Italian food, Prosecco, Roman landmarks, glittery parties, and peaks into the fashion industry serve as the backdrop to this grumpy/sunshine, enemies to lovers, forced proximity romcom. I didn’t want it to end and would love to see this turned into a movie or Netflix show.

I loved the snarky, flirty banter between Violet and Matteo. It brought such a smile to my face. I was fascinated by the world of design school and the fashion industry. And as usual, Kate Bromley has a gift with transporting her readers to another location. This time it was Italy, and while I’ve never been, I almost feel like I have been after reading this. This would be a perfect book to tuck into your summer bag.

If you love Emily in Paris, traveling, or fun romcoms, you’ll love Ciao for Now. Pair with a glass of Prosecco or an aperol spritz and a plate of pasta, and you’ll have the perfect reading experience.

An American girl visits Rome as part of a fashion design competition and meets a boy. They instantly hate each other, but then they don’t, and it’s all so delightful.
I loved the scenery, the trope, and the characters when were so much fun. Enemies to lovers isn’t usually my thing, but it worked in the best way, and Violet and Matt won me over.
This is a perfect summer read!

Matt and Violet’s Italian cafe meet cute was a disastrous good time. The enemies vibes were set from the beginning and I enjoyed every back and forth dig they through at each other.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC that I'm a bit late to review. Ciao for Now was everything I was looking for in a quick summer read. With a grumpy love interest and incredible banter, Kate Bromley drew me in from the moment of the not-so-cute meet cute. Things moved a bit slow at time, but I loved all the different character dynamics at play.

This was a super cute read. I enjoyed it a lot. I love how Kate Bromley always takes you traveling with her books and develops the sweetest characters that you just absolutely love. The sexual tension between Violet and Matt. Despite the slow burn in the love area, this book was everything but slow. It was a well paced and I really enjoyed it.

Another winner from Bromley!! No matter the setting, Bromley manages to transport her readers, and this trip to Rome was so much fun! And it had so many of my fave tropes!

•Grumpy x sunshine
•Forced proximity
•Enemies - friends - lovers

I love when the characters show growth and aren’t just instantly together - I adored the ending!!

I thought this one was super cute! We start off with Violet, a girl in her 30s who is studying fashion in fancy schmancy Rome, and meets a man (Matteo) who is broody, infuriating, and mysterious. Oh, and she is also staying in the same house as him while she and two other people intern at a fashion company that is also a competition. Don't forget the added sparks when they're around. So not difficult, right?

Right?

That storyline turned out entertaining as hell. I was living for the sexual tension, the competition, the friendships--everything. The side characters were also chef's kiss. I loved all of the characters in here, except maybe Violet's ex (like buh-bye). The pacing was pretty good, and it was an enjoyable read--easily devourable. Perfect for a light, beach read!

Thank you to @netgalley for this ARC. This book is out now. I wanted to love this book more than I did. I didn’t really enjoy Violet. More often than not she irritated me. She felt immature for her age. I couldn’t stand her self-sabotaging behavior. I did however enjoy a lot of the other characters in the book such as Marco, Holly, and Matt. The banter between Matt and Violet was decent, but I never felt like Matt and Violet had much of a love connection. Wasn’t the worst book I’ve read, but wasn’t a personal favorite.

Falling in love in Rome. Trips to Capri. Lizzie Maguire references. Chilled Prosecco.
These are a few of my favorite things.

Recap:
Violet Luciano has always dreamed of being a fashion designer. Life took some turns, and even though 8 years older than her classmates, she finished her degree and is in Rome to fight for a job in a NY label with her friends Marco and Holly. In walks Matt (or Matteo, in Italian) - the grumpy writer who Violet meets by accident (literally). When she finds out Matt is the son of the professor where the 3 students will be living for the summer, things heat up quickly.

Review:
First of all - love the title. Who doesn't love a Roman love story?
This book gave me so many of the things I love. It had great character development. I loved that they started to get to know each other early in the book and that they talked so much about why they are how they are - giving the reader a great insight into the characters. I understood their personality and their character traits. Loved that so much.
I felt for Violet and her issues between choosing her career and her romantic life and how difficult it can be to find a balance at the beginning of both, when you want to give 100% of yourself to both of those things. I loved her growth and her recognition of finding balance. One of my favorite quotes from the book was, "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". I think Violet embraced this at the end.

Read if you like:
Enemies to Lovers
Grumpy / Sunshine
Forced Proximity
Italian Summers

I just reviewed Ciao For Now by Kate Bromley. #CiaoForNow #NetGalley

Thank you NetGalley and publisher for this ARC publication for an honest review.

This is the perfect escape read! Exotic location, food, meet-cute, enemies to lovers, forbidden love...
You couldn't help but route for our couple, Violet and Matt! The fashion industry was a nice addition to the storyline. The story follows the basic formula, boy meets girl, obstacles thrown in the way, will love conquer all? Enjoyable read all the same!

4 stars

Loved this book, and Kate Bromley is HILARIOUS!
Here's our interview: https://www.whileyouwerereading.com/episodes/kate-bromleys-new-rom-com-ciao-for-now-lisa-confesses-a-secret

✅Fashion designer
✅When in Rome
✅Enemies to lovers

Violet gets a lifetime opportunity to go to Rome as part of a competition for fashion design to learn from the best. Of course on her first day there she spills her coffee on Matt a guy working away on his computer. Little does she know he’s her bosses daughter and they are gonna be living in the same place for the next month!

I love all of Kate Bromley's work, it is seriously hilarious ~she writes witty banter so well! This one did not disappoint. I loved both Violet and Matt’s characters. I loved seeing how they both grew and opened up overtime. I did feel like the ending was slightly rushed though.