I guess I’m in the minority, but I really didn’t like this book. I had to push myself to get through it and thought about giving up around the 30% mark.

I felt like the characters, Violet (or Violetta when the mood strikes) and Matt, went from hating each other to into each other too quickly and without any interaction between them really. It just happened where one day Violet saw Matt and was disgusted and angry, and the next she was into him. Bam. Done.

I hated Violet as the narrator. She’s nearly 30 but felt SO immature - her thoughts, her actions, everything. I hated her through most of the book.

The side characters were there but really weren’t and honestly fell flat. Even Matt was boring. And what was the point of bringing up Violet’s ex, Greg, SO many times? It got to be too much.

I tried but I didn’t love this book at all. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC.

Wow! I loved this book. This is the first Kate Bromley book I have read, and I was really impressed. Set in the backdrop of Rome (romantic already, right?) fashion student, Violet, is participating in an internship of a lifetime. While studying under an esteemed designer, Violet not only learns so much about the fashion industry, but also about her sarcastic, grumpy son, Matteo.
Their hilarious meet-cute drew me in immediately. The chemistry and witty banter among all the characters is to die for. It's smartly written with characters that jump out on the page. I loved Violet immediately and despite Matt's grumpy demeanor, his witty sarcasm had me wrapped around his finger.
Despite being a romcom, there was plenty of character growth and much respect for Violet's less than conventional college plan. It was inspiring to see her chase her dreams regardless of what anyone else thought. Matteo coming to the realization that he can forgive himself for his past was moving. Seeing these two finally realize they deserved each other was something I definitely was there for. I can't wait to try Ms. Bromley's backlist.

Thanks NetGalley for the ARC!

This one’s so sweet and if you’re a fashion lover I imagine you’ll feel this one deeply. Our main girl is in a fashion competition in Italy and I loved exploring fabrics and designs with her!

The love interest was GRUMPY GRUMPY and at first I was like damn how are they ever going to like each other with all this animosity brewing, but they found a way and I appreciated the slow build of it all.

I think so much of the beginning was so funny?? The back and forth between them was giving me second hand embarrassment in a good way I swear they were intentionally so embarrassing lol. But there’s a lot that got explored here: searching for yourself vibes, questioning your self worth, wanting everyone to win the competition but having to face the harsh reality of everyone’s good but only one can win.

Loved so many side characters, it wasn’t just about love and fashion there was a lot of friendship along the way too.

So cute, definitely recommend!

Oh my gosh, this book was so adorable! It was such a fun and lighthearted romcom. Once I started reading it, I found myself not wanting to put it down! I binged the last half of it, in one day!

I loved how the book was set in Rome. It sounded so dreamy, I wished I was there! I liked Violets character, and I loved seeing how much she grew as the story went on. I also really liked the enemies to lovers and forced proximity trope in this book! This book gave me all the feels when reading it! If you’re looking for a good book to read this summer, I highly recommend checking this one out!

An Italian setting, fashion, cibo favoloso (fabulous food) and my favorite trope - enemies to lovers!

Ciao for Now is about Violet, a fashion student, interning in Italy. On her first day in Rome, Violet crashes into a gorgeous man destroying his laptop. This guy just happens to be Matteo the son of the fashion icon who is hosting her in the city. Their initial frenemies banter was humorous, and the forced proximity added a fun element to their attraction. I also especially enjoyed the grumpy / sunshine dynamic.

This story is not your typical RomCom, and delves into mental health, discovering your best self and finding room for love in your life.

Thank you Harlequin Trade Publishing, Graydon House, for the complimentary copy.

🇮🇹Book Spotlight🇮🇹
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Thank you so much @uplitreads @harpercollins and @katebromleywrites for the advanced copy of Ciao for Now which came out last week! It will make you want to hop on a flight to Italy with the sweetest and most relatable main character Kate. I love a grumpy sunshine trope and this one is just so delightful. A fun sweet happy read that deserves to be read on the beach 😎
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Summary: With her thirties rapidly approaching and a mountain of student debt looming over her, Violet Luciano’s dream of finishing design school and working in fashion has cost her everything. So when she lands an internship at an up-and-coming fashion brand in Rome, she brings her A game to Italy. With nothing left to lose, Violet plans to win the competition among the interns for the ultimate prize—a job at a New York label.

But when a coffee run goes wrong and Violet accidentally destroys a stranger’s laptop, all of the apology Americanos in the world won’t help her. Because it turns out that the man from the café is Matteo, her professor’s eternally grumpy son, who thinks she’s a clumsy American…and maybe a stalker. Their animosity (and undeniable chemistry) grows as together they’re forced to face a summer of chic parties, adventures through Rome and sharing a home…with the person they can’t stand the most.

The more time she spends with him, the more distracted she finds herself. With her chance to win the competition slipping out of her grasp, Violet has to decide whether to say ciao to Matteo—or ciao to her dreams.
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QOTD: where would you like to travel to one day?! I think Italy would be beautiful to visit 😻
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#ciaofornow #katebromley #bookreview #bookrecommendation #bookstagram #booksofinstagram #booksofig #bibliophile #bookobsessed #bookaddict #bookaesthetic #readersofinstagram #readmorebooks #readersgonnaread #bookaesthetic #romancebooks #romancebookstagram #romancebookaddict #summerreading

When a book is pitched to me with The Lizzie McGuire movie as a comp title, it would be illegal for me not to read it. Therefore, it’s was practically a foregone conclusion that I was going to enjoy Ciao for Now, a romance set in Italy featuring an aspiring fashion designer and a broody screenwriter. However, I didn’t anticipate just how much I was going to enjoy a new novel from a new to me novel- so much so that I’m immediately adding all of Kate Bromley’s backlist titles to my TBR list!

First off, this book came out at the perfect time, in my humble opinion. I love reading books set abroad during the summer (especially when it seems like everyone has a fancy European vacation planned this summer but you!) Getting to start my summer TBR off with Violet’s magical trip to Italy was a treat, and experiencing it through her eyes as a design student was incredible (it honestly brought back all of the dreams I had of being a retail buyer back when I worked at Nordstrom during my summer breaks in college!) Despite at one point in my life being super interested in the fashion world, I’d never read a book about an aspiring fashion designer and it was incredibly interesting learning about the design process via Violet and her two friends (and competitors, since they’re traveling and interning as part of the competition). I loved hearing about both the exciting tasks they got to rotate through as interns at a major label (it gave me The Bold Type vibes in the best way) but also learning about their creation process as they physically made their pieces. Just the way Violet describes fabric is so fascinating I could read about it all day.

Fashion aside, the characters in this novel were excellent. They all have incredible banter, especially Violet’s friend and competitor Marco- I laughed out loud several times during his dialogue, and Violet has some great verbal barbs herself (and I just came off reading an Ali Hazelwood novel, who’s truly often hilarious with her characters’ dialogue). Everyone in the book wanted to be Marco’s BFF and I was definitely right there along with them! Violet herself was a fun character to read (if a bit self-sabotaging). I liked the element of her character being older and having gone back to college to pursue her dreams in her late 20s, as it led a uniqueness to the book that I haven’t read about often, and as a thirty something it was relatable to see someone close to my age try to keep up with the Gen Z kiddos (if you can’t tell, I’m an old soul starting to approach the “get off my lawn” phase of my life, lol).

As for the romance, I did overall enjoy it, though I wish it had been more of a slow burn. To me it felt like it moved too quickly, but given that Violet was only in Rome for 4 weeks, it makes sense that the timeline would have to be a bit more compressed. Matt (or Matteo) was a good mix of both playful and broody, though I wouldn’t call this quite a full-fledged grump-sunshine trope…he was more mildly disgruntled, lol. I actually found their romance to be very sweet and I loved that they were both creative people pursuing their passions (Matt being the creator/lead writer for a very popular sci-fi/romance show that totally reminded me of how folks would act had he been behind a phenomenon like GOT or Stranger Things- his show supposedly has that level of hype). Mild spoiler, but there was a third-act breakup that felt a little silly (though I applaud the author for making it last a whole year, even it was a fast-forward situation in the end) but I adored the grand gesture at the end.

Overall: Ciao for Now was super cute and a really fun read, with the bonus of having an incredible setting in Italy. While I wish the romantic tension had been built up a little more, I thoroughly enjoyed this novel and will definitely be adding any future romances this author adds to my TBR!

*Now off to binge What Dreams are Made Of” on Spotify*

“Ciao for Now” is the perfect vacation read! A fashion designer headed for Rome meets her match in this thinly veiled enemies to lovers romance. Set among the beautiful backdrop of Rome you get to see Violet and Matt both become the fullest of who they can be through them growing closer together and both individually through the conflict that inevitably comes. Violet and her friends are in Rome to work at a fashion house as interns for a month. They’re all competing to be supported by the fashion school at the completion of the competition. We get to follow Violet through the ups and downs of self confidence and growing more into herself as she experiences Rome for the first time. Would definitely recommend for a sweet, summer read!

Thanks to Kate Bromley and Graydon House for allowing me to read this book!

Violet is one of three American students from her fashion design program chosen to go to Rome for a month to intern at a fashion design company. At the end of the month she and the other students will submit their portfolio of five original pieces and the winner will get a full time position with the new label. She soon butts heads with the son of her professor who is also living two doors down from her.

This was truly such a fun and funny book and exactly what I'm looking for in a romcom - I laughed so much throughout at the banter and situations Violet found herself in. There's a reference to the Lizzie McGuire movie that made me laugh so hard, Violet's relationship with her sister and their facetime calls together, and her period drama small talk on "the state of the roads" were such delightful moments.

I empathize with Violet's insecurities as an older student going back to school feeling too old to pursue her dreams and loved seeing her gain more confidence throughout the story. But there is also depth to the story with self criticism, mental health, and the characters all had emotional intelligence and depth. This is a very atmospheric story that will bring you to Rome, Capri, and NYC. Highly recommend this for a summer read - you will smile so hard throughout!!

Recommend if you enjoy:
🇮🇹Atmospheric stories set in Italy!
☀️Grumpy/sunshine
😆Witty banter
👠The fashion industry
📺Reminiscent to Emily in Paris!

Violet had put her dreams to a halt for a relationship that didn’t work out. She decides that it is never too late to pursue them and is determined to finish design school. That’s when she lands an internship working in fashion at Rome, Italy. Where she not only will work with very important designers, but she will also have the opportunity to compete among the interns for a position at a New York fashion label. When she meets a grumpy American by accident, destroying his laptop, she doesn’t know he’s her mentor’s son. Forced to spend time together living under the same roof, Violet doesn’t imagine how much her life will change in this new journey.

First of all, let’s ignore the fact that I thought this book was being released this week and it was last week. Sorry! 😅🥴

I absolutely loved reading this book! The details, the fabrics, the characters, the scenery, everything! I had expectations because I love this author and Kate Bromley delivered. ✨🫶🏻 But if you’re looking for a very spicy book, this has a very subtle smut compared to Talk Bookish to Me. (also VERY recommended btw👀)

If you love shows like Next in Fashion, Jane by design or love anything fashion related, this is the book for you.✨

I give this book 4.5/5.💖

Ciao for Now is out now!✨

Huge thanks to both Netgalley and the author Kate Bromley for the ARC.

This was a great rom-com palate cleanser. I love how in Kate Bromsley's books she makes Rome a main character in the story, this one surely did not disappoint. This one was very light hearted however it did not shy away from serious topics. It had the main characters finding themselves with a jump in the time line which isn't always done correctly however here I loved. It had you falling in love with all of the side characters, each and every one of them. It also gave me an insight to the fashion world I know absolutely nothing about which is always a plus for me. I desperately need to go back to Rome after reading this book!

Thanks to NetGalley for an ARC copy in exchange for an honest review, as always all words are my own.

Ciao For Now is an adorable book that definitely puts you in the mind of a fun RomCom. A quick read that was entertaining throughout, I loved it, and will be recommending it to anyone who loves a nice travel romance story!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a digital ARC of this book in exchange for feedback.

Thanks to the publisher and Uplit Reads for the gifted copy.

This is a fun enemies to lovers romcom that's perfect for a pool or beach read. Violet is in Italy for a month long fashion internship with two other students. She and another intern, Marco, go explore before their evening plans when she literally knocks into a man at a cafe, destroying his laptop and spilling coffee all over him. As she's desperately trying to apologize, they partake in some excellent banter before she leaves to go back to where they're staying. Fast forward a few hours to drinks on the terrace with the professor, and who walks in...but Matt, the guy from the cafe. Turns out he's the professor's son and he's staying there for the summer too.

I'm sure you can tell where it's going, but along with the romcom aspect of the book, we get a look at life as a fashion intern and a little bit of life in Italy. I would love to go to a fabric store like the one described - and this book basically solidified that Capri is on my bucket list. It's well balanced between the romance between Violet and Matt, and Violet's personal struggles as she completes her internship and works on her pieces for the competition.

Kate Bromley is a solid writer of rom coms and banter, and this book doesn't disappoint in either respect. I've read all three of her books, and enjoyed them all.

Violet moves to Rome for a short term fashion house internship with two of her younger college classmates in hopes of winning the ultimate prize - a job at a NYC label. But during her first day in Rome, she trips and destroys another customer’s computer with her coffee. She doesn’t expect to see the man from the cafe, Matteo, at the house they will be staying at during their internship. Sparks fly between Matt and Violet and they set on their own Italian adventure while Violet is also putting in hours to make her internship work. Can her future include both?

This was a cute romcom that made me jealous of Violet’s time in Rome just based on the descriptions. I loved Matt’s grumpiness and his writing job. I would watch his show. I think they had decent chemistry but I would have loved more time with the secondary characters as well. A good summer read.

Thanks to NetGalley and Grayson House for this eARC. Ciao For Now is out now.

Ciao for Now was a wonderful read! It was set in Rome, and Kate Bromley did an amazing job of bringing the city and characters to life. Violet is a fashion student, older than her peers, and in a friendly competition with two of them in Rome. Disaster strikes Violet almost immediately when she embarrasses herself in the middle of a cafe and meets Matt. This story had so much more depth than I was expecting, and you really could feel the thoughts of Violet as she struggled with the competition and her feelings. If you are looking for a nice romance read, this is definitely one to pick up!

Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for the e-ARC to review. All opinions are my own.

Ciao for Now is the perfect romcom for those looking for a book set abroad and in the world of fashion design! I devoured this in one sitting! It has some of my favorite tropes: enemies, forced proximity, and grumpy sunshine. There’s amazing banter, friendships that will remind you of your own, and a setting that will make you want to pack your bags and jet set! I adored this quick and easy read and am looking forward to reading more from Kate Bromley’s backlist!

𝗣𝗘𝗥𝗙𝗘𝗖𝗧 𝗙𝗢𝗥 𝗙𝗔𝗡𝗦 𝗢𝗙
❥ Books set in Romance
❥ The Grumpy/Sunshine trope
❥ A fun romcom

𝗠𝗬 𝗥𝗔𝗧𝗜𝗡𝗚: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

#CiaoForNow:⁣
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“You decide who you are going to love and who will have the privilege of loving you back.”⁣
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Thank you again @uplitreads and @graydonhousebooks [partner] for my gifted copy! ⁣
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This is a perfect movie. That’s what you need to know. Think Devil Wears Prada but The Lizzie McGuire movie (screaming at the nod in the book) with a splash of Dr. Who. ⁣
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The trio Holly, Marco, & Violet are on internship to the beautiful Italy. They are in a contest while interning and there’s 5 judges to vote. While there, Violet runs (literally) into Matt’s table destroying his laptop. Matt is a writer for one of the hottest Sci-Fi shows of all time. (Think the doctor but Mandalorian type characters.) She ruins his laptop and his trip home because his mom is the one hosting the trio for their internship. ⁣
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I really liked the characters and I felt the tension between the two. I loved the intro of Dino the destino and how each character got a great storyline. You could see Violet grow before your eyes in the pages, and it was such a treat! I found it easy to root for her, and needed a HEA for everyone involved.⁣
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Overall, I really loved this summer treat! Definitely an amazing pool side read, but make sure you grab a spritzer because this will definitely have you reaching for antipasto. Out now! ⁣
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QOTD: What book did your start your week off with?

Fun, flirty, and exactly what you'd expect from a romance book! I loved it. It kept my attention, it was quick, and I loved every second of it.

I’ve read all of Kate Bromley’s books and I think this one might be my favorite.! I mean an enemies to lovers romance read set in Rome and filled with high end fashion…sign me up! It was a fun romance filled with flirty banter, a fashion competition and a dynamic cast of characters. Violet and Matteo’s meet cute was unforgettable and hilarious and their chemistry was undeniable. It was an addicting read with not only romance but Violet’s journey of self-discovery. It’s a story of following your dreams and your heart. I highly recommend!

"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."

Read if you enjoy:
- Fashion Internship
- Italy
- Grumpy vs. Sunshine
- One POV
- Forced Proximity
- Banter

Rating: 4 ⭐️

This book gave me vibes of Emily in Paris but in Italy and I was all in for it. This was a cute and lighthearted story of growth in one of my favorite cities I have visited, Rome.

Things I loved:
- Italy! Setting truly transported me
- Violet’s growth throughout the story and her desire to excel despite starting plan B late in life.
- Banter between the main characters
- Frienship with Marco
- Fashion aspect
- Comedic aspect of story, had me chuckling many times
- Last scene in walkway and what it represented in terms of friendship

Things I disliked:
- Third-act breakup (Just left an underwhelming feel after the build-up)
- Immaturity of FMC at times

Quotes I liked:

“There’s beauty in every inch of a woman. In art, in fashion, in life, there will always be people who want to mold our bodies into ways that will suit them, but this can never be. There is nothing more beautiful and deserving of respect than the shape of a woman.”

Thank you to NetGalley and Graydon House for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.