Thank you to Graydon House for allowing me to read and review this earc!

In Ciao For Now, we follow Violet as she follows her dream of working in the fashion industry. She battles her insecurities as she takes part in a design competition.

Kate Bromley adds so many great layers to her romances. There is so much to the story aside from the “will they or won’t they” between the main character and her love interest.

Violet builds so many relationships along the way, and it really is so enjoyable to see how each of these play out. She also works really hard on herself and her growth as a person and a designer is a joy to see.

Don’t get me wrong, the romance is real good. And it’s a little of the enemies to lovers that I adore. I highly recommend this and all of Kate’s other works!

In Kate Bromley’s new rom com Ciao for Now, Violet Luciano, a talented student of fashion design, has landed the opportunity of a lifetime. She gets to spend a month in Rome, Italy, interning at a popular fashion house and competing against two of her fellow classmates for the chance to secure a job at a major label back home in NYC. Violet knows this experience will change her life, but she has no idea how much!

What’s the opposite of a meet cute, a meet ugly? Almost as soon as Violet lands in Rome, she manages to trip and fall in a cafe, crash landing on a sexy man, crushing his laptop and dousing him in coffee. He is clearly not impressed and Violet can’t wait to get away from him, but guess what? Turns out he’s Matteo, the grumpy son of the professor who is hosting the students from New York so they’re staying in the same place. 😂

This was such a fun read! I love the enemies to lovers and forced proximity tropes so I had a blast following Violet and Matteo as they awkwardly navigated their way around each other, only to, of course since it’s a romance, eventually develop feelings other than hate for one another. I loved both characters and thought they had amazing chemistry.

I also loved hanging out with Violet and her endearing classmates as they interned in the fashion world. I don’t know much about fashion but it was fun exploring that world with them and watching them design pieces for their contest.

One of my favorite parts about the story though was that Violet is somewhat older than her classmates and has returned to school to find her passion. Her journey to Rome is also a journey of self discovery.

This is my third time reading Kate Bromley and I have yet to be disappointed. If you like rom coms, Italian settings, fashion design, and journeys of self discovery, you’ll definitely want to check out Ciao for Now!

Rome might be the place in the world that I would love to visit the most. The history, the food, the architechture - just all of it feels magical to me. Because of that, I love to read books set in Rome. Ciao for Now's title also drew me to the book. It is a cute and fun read, but is not going to be added to my list of favorite romcoms.

I do love when a woman in a romance has clear career ambitions, and Violet certainly has that. After putting her dreams on the back burner for a while, she is determined to use her internship to pursure her goals in the fashion industry.

I wasn't as invested in Violet and Matteo's relationship as I wanted to be. When they got together, it didn't quite feel earned. I felt the same way about their breakup and reunion. Each of these moments felt rushed and didn't leave me the chance to get emotionally wrapped up in what was happening.

I love when a book has solid side characters, and I felt like that is missing in Ciao for Now. The reader gets a little glimpse into Violet's sister and into Marco, Holly, and Mira who Violet works with. However, the reader doesn't really get a sense of who these people are outside of their interactions with Violet.

Ciao for Now hits many of the tropes and expected moments of a romance novel. Matteo and Violet definitely are an example of the "grumpy-sunshine" trope - with Matteo as the grump to Violet's sunshine. Of course, they are also an example of "vacation romance" or a "fling." Despite it hitting all of the expected beats, it didn't sparkle in the way I wanted it to.

Ciao for Now is a fun escapist read, but it is not anything to write home about.

4 stars

I've read all of Kate Bromley's books and enjoyed them. This one was not my favorite, but I did enjoy it. The first half was awkward. I enjoyed the 2nd half. I especially appreciated the message that you have to love yourself before you can love someone else. I also enjoyed the Italian scenery and the inside look at the fashion industry.

Thank you to Harlequin Trade Publishers and NetGalley for the digital ARC in return for an honest review.

Romance in Rome - say less!

It was good, but not the best romance I've read. You hear about the drama, but don't experience it so there's no real pining between the characters.

3.5 🌟
Thanks so much to @graydonhousebooks for my eARC of this book.

🇮🇹Violet and 2 fashion school colleagues arrive in Rome. They are interning at a fashion house and creating a line for the chance to win a job at a NY label.

But on Violet’s first morning in Rome she clumsily stumbles into a man and ruins his laptop. Mortified, she hopes to never see him again. Unfortunately his mother is one of her mentors while in Rome. His cranky demeanor softens as they get to know each other and she works toward her fashion goals.

This was entertaining and such a fun escape to Italy!

🇮🇹Read if you love:
-found family
-enemies to more
-following your passion
-themes of “it’s never too late to…”
-Project Runway

This was a decent enemies to lovers, grumpy/sunshine, slow-burn romance set in Rome that sees an aspiring fashion designer falling for the mysterious son of her teacher. I enjoyed this one but didn't love it as much as the author's previous books. Good on audio narrated by one of my absolute favs, Natalie Naudus. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital copy in exchange for my honest review!

3.5 stars

I’ve loved Kate Bromley’s previous two books, so I was excited about Ciao for Now, and especially excited about the Italian setting. While I loved the setting and getting to ‘see’ Rome and Capri, the story and the romance fell a bit flat for me. I never got invested in the characters and I didn’t really feel their chemistry. I want to root for a couple and get invested in them, but I just couldn’t get there. I did appreciate Violet’s growth and how she ultimately overcame the obstacles in her way (which were sometimes self-imposed ones). Overall this was cute and I’d recommend it to people looking for a light summer read with a perfect summer setting.

The following review was posted on my blog on Thursday, Tuesday June 6th, the day of publication. It has already been posted on Goodreads and will be posted on Instagram soon. The blog post includes links to order the books and to its Goodreads page, so readers can add it to their to-be-read books.





Genre: Romance
Actual Rating: 4 stars
Spicy Meter: 1 fire emoji
Content Warnings: Describes toxic relationships and mentions death of a parent. Contains some sexual content.

“Ciao for Now” follows Violet Luciano as she and a few of her colleagues embark to Rome for a fashion internship. Little did she know that as soon as she got there she would stumble into her mentor’s son, ruining his computer, and effectively laying on the worst first impression ever—an introduction that leaves them as, essentially, enemies… But if they’re enemies, then why do they feel this pull towards each other? Better look away, I guess.

I have read other books by Kate Bromley, so I can’t say I’m completely surprised I adored this book—her writing style has captivated me before and her quirky characters always capture my heart. Now, sprinkle in some more forbidden romance, in true Kate Bromley fashion, and you had me hooked.

“Ciao for Now” is the perfect summer-y read. Set in Rome, this read will have you wanderlust and wishing you, too, will follow your dreams wherever they might go. Sitting just over 300 pages, this was a short, quick read, perfect for some airport hopping, so don’t hesitate to grab this book if you’re looking for a lighthearted, heartwarming enemies-to-lovers romance.

If you click here, you’ll be redirected to Goodreads, so you can add the book to your TBR list.

Or you could click here, and be redirected to Amazon, so you can order the book.

ARC provided by Graydon House and Harlequin Trade Publishing in exchange for an honest review.

Publication Date: June 6, 2023

Ciao for Now centers around Violet, who is a 28 year old design student spending a few weeks in Italy for a design competition that could change her future. She meets Matt after accidentally bumping into him in a coffee shop, spilling his coffee and breaking his laptop in the process. He is the grumpy to her sunshine, and they continue to be prickly around each other until they call a truce. When they begin to get to know each other, feelings develop. BUT Violet has a history of losing herself for the man she is with and she doesn't want that to happen this time - not when so much is at stake for her. Kate Bromley is always such a fun and easy read, and this book is no exception.

I thought this book was so cute! I loved the way that even throughout the story themes and issues that are going on today we’re brought front and center, not to mention the way that the characters fought for what they felt was right!

Violet is an American interning at a fashion house in Rome, Italy. She’s determined to bring her A-game, until she has a disastrous meet cute with her professors son.

We follow Violet through a summer of interning, but also a summer of adventures, falling in love, and ultimately making the decision of whether she wants to find love or win the Internship.

I thought this was a super charming story - full of witty banters but also growth & development with the characters as they figured out what they wanted out of life, including a relationship with each other. I loved not only the chemistry between the two MCs, but also loved the friendship & relationships with the side characters as well.

I love rom-coms that take place abroad and Ciao for Now was no exception!

Huge thank you to Harlequin Trade Publishing and NetGalley for the e-ARC. And huge thank you to UpLit Reads for a finished copy and allowing me to participate in this campaign! These were provided in exchange for my honest review.

This one grabbed me right away! The banter between Violet and Matteo was perfect! Hit the enemies to lovers perfectly, or maybe a bit grumpy-sunshine as well. There was a part where she overheard him talking about her on the phone, and wow was he a complete and total ass! But the way she chose to get revenge on him, that was so funny! It was so unexpected! But eventually their relationship developed and it was sweet and perfect, until two things happened.

One had to do with one of the other people in the internship, and I think she was being ridiculous, so that made me mad. But then what happened when Violet shared her designs at the end? Well that had me in tears. The author was able to bring out laughter throughout the story, but then so much emotion when necessary as well.

I also loved Matt/Matteo’s career, his writing for a favorite science fiction type of show, and then the Comicon scene was so good.

I have to say I loved this story, and since I’ve wanted to read something by this author for a while now, I know I have to go back and read those books too!

This book sort of fell flat for me. The storyline was fine and the romance addition was okay as well.

Ciao for Now is the third book by Kate Bromley that I have the pleasure to read. In her books we can always find easy-to-read stories that are also deep and relatable and this time it wasn’t the exception.
I really liked Violetta and Matt, they had great chemistry and I’m a big fan of the enemies-to-lovers trope so I really enjoyed that part. The secondary characters are also very interesting like Marco and Mira, I think it was great that the three contestants remained in good terms through the competition.
It was a deeply enjoyable read and I loved reading about Rome and the fashion industry. I liked how the story developed and ended and I loved the character growth through the book.
Overall, I really liked it and I would absolutely continue reading Kate Bromley’s books.

Ciao for Now is a super cute, funny story of following your dreams, and of course, love.

Violet is a fashion student, and she's in a competition with two of her friends. She gets to spend an entire month in Rome (oh, I'd love to go there!!!). On her very first day there, she goes to a Café for a pick me up and literally crashes into Matt, or Mateo, depending on who you're talking to, and kills his lap top! They talk and take a picture together because she's never going to see him again, right? Wrong! He's the son of the teacher that's in charge of the competition!!! Can they get along for the month that she's in Rome? Can she focus on the competition and win? Read this charming book to find out!

Ciao for Now by Kate Bromley is a delightful romantic comedy set in Italy. Violet Luciano is interning at a Fashion design house in Italy, and on her first day in Italy literally runs into someone at an Italian café. Matteo is the son of the professor that Violet and the other interns are living with. Violet has to see Matteo again, every day.

The characters were so engaging in Ciao for Now. I loved the banter, friendship, and chemistry between Violet and Matteo. They both grew and changed in the story and were delightful to root for. The secondary characters were fantastic and gave the story depth. When I finished this story I wondered if it was too late for me to change my major to fashion design and travel to Italy. I was intrigued by the Italian culture in the story, the amazing food, and the sites of Italy. I have decided I need to start saving for travel to Italy.

I laughed out loud, was drawn into the amazing setting, and loved the characters in Ciao for Now by Kate Bromley. It was fun to engage with such a great story and I highly recommend it!

I was given a copy by the publisher and not required to write a positive review.

Ciao For Now is a excellent summer read - a funny grumpy-sunshine and enemies-to-lovers romance set in beautiful Italy. The banter is definitely top-notch. Violetta and Matteo have great chemistry. But Violetta's dismissal of Matteo as someone she could see a future with was frustrating at times. She did come across as less mature and too whiny at times. But since she made changes in her life for a man before and she ended up regretting it and putting off her dream of becoming a fashion designer - it is understandable that she viewed the competition as her only opportunity left. And I wanted to see more with Marco - he was such a fun friend character. Overall, this was an adorable romantic comedy-definitely recommend. Thank you to Harlequin Trade Publishing, Graydon House, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this novel.

This was the third book I've read by Kate Bromley. They are always a wonderful mix of a compelling love story with complex characters. It's particularly admirable how each of her main characters are passionate and career-driven, which is seen in Ciao For Now.

I loved the backdrop of Rome, but wish the city was featured a little more.

Overall, it was a fun read that portrayed the enemies to lovers trope very well. I'm excited to read more of Kate Bromley's books!

4.5 rounded to 5! This book surprised me in all the right ways. I truly didn’t expect the wit, banter, and love story to grab me the way it did. I loved every single second of this ADORABLE book. The sibling dynamic, the quirky loveable main characters, & Rome is one of my favorite places and this gave me all of the feels with this setting. So grateful to have been able to read this. Thank you!!!