I loved this story that combines a romance with discovering one’s true self. As the story unfolds, Aurora has lost her mother and is having difficulty with managing her grief. Her business and romantic relationship are not in a good place. She travels to Sicily to find her relatives and begins to heal and realize what she wants out of life. This story is filled with great descriptions of Sicilian life: family, food,and traditions. I would recommend reading this book. I was given an arc from NetGalley but this is my honest review.

Aurora’s career as a life coach and motivational social media influencer is prospering and her boyfriend’s determination and goals match her own. She’s strict about her adherence to her life goals, diet and fitness.

However, her Italian mother thinks Aurora doesn’t have the passion she should and that she’s missing out and not embracing true happiness by always denying herself. And then suddenly her mother dies and turns Aurora’s life upside down.

Aurora can’t just brush away her grief like her boyfriend expects. He was a piece of work! The main driving force in her strict lifestyle, IMO. She can’t continue to coach and produce podcasts telling people how to live their life when hers is unraveling and she has no support. On a whim she sends in her DNA to see if there’s any family and gets the shock of her life. Her mother has a bunch of family in Italy.

I enjoyed seeing Aurora draw close to her Italian family, uncover the mystery of why she never knew about them. The food and setting of Italy sounded delicious and gorgeous! I loved Aurora’s loud and boisterous family! Quint, who started off as a friend and ended up as so much more, was lovely!

Aurora’s journey through grief and figuring out what’s important was a moving one! I enjoyed seeing her slow down and savor the gifts life has to offer.

This was a sweet romance with the beautiful backdrop of Sicily. It tells the story of a young woman who finds out that sometimes grief and loss can force you to open your eyes to see what is really important. I enjoyed the characters and how their relationships grew throughout the book. I especially enjoyed reading about the beauty of the land, the mouthwatering food, and the joy and love for life of the Sicilian people. It is a lovely story and one that I can easily recommend for lovers of romance.

My thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the chance to read and review this book.

Jennifer Probst is one of my favorite authors so all of her books are a must read. This one was not a 5 star for me- not because it wasn't great but I just didn't connect the main character Aurora like do with some of her other characters. I enjoyed her journey but her experience didn't feel new to me. However what I missed in the connection to the character I gained in the world building. The scene was painted so well with each word I felt like I was walking along the streets of Sicily along with them. The most connected I felt to the character was when she described her surroundings in such great details, it made me want to book the next flight!I would still recommend this as a great leisure or beach read

This is a book I will remember for a long time—not just because it brought back memories of my time living in Sicily (where the setting itself feels like a character) but because of the way the author writes about loss, grief, and healing. Her storytelling is poignant and deeply moving. Though I found myself in tears at times, the book ultimately warmed my heart. I absolutely loved it and will be looking up more of her books beyond this series. Her writing goes straight to the heart!

To Sicily with Love tells the story of Aurora, a social influencer and writer who really feels that she has her life together and a lot to share with the public...until her mother passes away and her life completely changes. Suddenly, all of the things that she thought she knew about herself stand to change.

With no remaining family, she takes a DNA test that she'd been given as an old Christmas gift, and thinks that perhaps there's a stray relative out there somewhere in the world for her. Little does she know that she has a ton of immediate family awaiting her in Siciliy!

The book did an amazing job sharing the feelings and thought processes as Aurora coped with loss, her hopes for the future, taking chances on opening up to others, and accepting change in her life as she rediscovers who she really is. I loved how the story told how she really learned to love herself again, as well as family and falling in love with the land of Sicily. It made me fall in love with Sicily - I definitely want to go there now! It was a heartwarming tale and one that I would definitely recommend.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this Advanced Reader Copy. All opinions are my own.

Really enjoyed this story about a young woman finding herself and her family in Italy. The plot is incredibly unrealistic, but the setting is phenomenal, and you can’t help but love Aurora’s Sicilian family and Quint. Jennifer Probst always has me dying to visit Italy with her books!

** spoiler alert ** It was ok. If you want to read a predictable, very low-stakes, low-spice love story in Italy while watching the La Dolce Villa, this might just be the ticket.

(A single shot of Milo Manheim's bare bum in the long-awaited love scene between Maddie and Wally in School Spirits' episode last night gave me more excitement and romance than this whole book.)

The prose is stilted and full of cliches, and the author "tells" instead of "showing" - I know it is a common complaint, but it was especially pronounced here. Given all this "telling," the pace is also inconsistent. We get every detail of a scene or conversation, and then the time jumps suddenly.
Show us what's going on via interactions and dialogue instead of retelling what the therapist said and how another night went at the pub.

I trudged through this book. The MC's maddening relationship with food and grief is one thing, and her insufferable boyfriend is an extreme caricature, but what completely rubbed me the wrong way is Aurora asking her grandfather's permission to date a man - given that her mother left the family completely years ago and never spoke of them again after the same man did not approve of her choice of partner (Aurora's Dad.)

"Look, ma! I am giving into the patriarchy, and now I am happy in the way you could never be!"

That's the same grandfather who gives her a stink eye every time she considers saying no to more food - how dare she. After growing up in a "you don't leave the table until your plate is empty" culture, I find these scenes of the "loving" Italian force-feeding as damaging as the heroine's inner monologue about the carbs and "what would Jason think if I ate some bread and pasta."

I also sensed deep religious undertones (maybe I just needed to research the author and her works better) - given the return to the weekly mass with the family and extremely PG-13 romance.

This book was not for me - on so many levels.

Thank you, NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group, for sharing an advanced reader's copy in exchange for my honest review.

Aurora, still reeling from the sudden death of her parents, is unhappy that her boyfriend Jason tells her he wants a break. As a social media influencer with a massive following, she breaks down during a podcast, causing her book contract to be delayed. Amidst her relationship issues, contractual problems, and public embarrassment, an unexpected DNA result sends her on an unexpected trip to Sicily. Unbeknownst to her, she has numerous relatives in Italy, closely related to her family tree.

Aurora plans a month-long stay in Italy, hoping to reset her life and get back on track. Discovering her Italian relatives leaves her curious about their history and why her mother kept that side of her family a secret. Learning the truth might just be the healing balm she needs, all while reveling in the attention of an attentive Italian man.

This heartwarming story feels like a coming-of-age tale. Aurora once had it all, having surpassed her personal goals. However, her losses were adding up, and this trip to Italy provided the perfect reset she needed. Faced with new choices and the newfound connection to her family, it creates a compelling story for readers who enjoy connecting with the characters. Aurora’s protagonist makes choices that ultimately lead to her happiness.

The family aspect of the story is heartwarming, especially as most of them welcome her with open arms. Aurora needs this bond with them, and it’s wonderful to witness their connection as the story unfolds.

Many thanks to Berkley and to NetGalley for this ARC for review. This is my honest opinion.

This book was more than a romance. This book was about self discovery, over coming grief and building a more intimate and positive relationship with oneself. This book started really slow at first but picked up as Aurora met and learned about her family. I love how descriptive the author was which allowed me to really picture all the things Aurora got to experience. This is definitely an enjoyable read and anyone who loved Eat, Pray, Love.

To Sicily with Love by Jennifer Probst

Thank you @netgalley and @berkleypub for the opportunity to read this book!

I liked the premise of losing yourself along the way and going on a journey to find yourself. This was a little eat, pray, love for me and I enjoyed that. I fell in love with her Italian family and all the food made me so hungry while reading. I actually enjoyed that this book was closed door, I don’t think explicit spice was needed.

I do have to say, I wanted to love this book more but I think there were some things that held me back. I think the FMC was a bit annoying and stayed with the ex wayyyyy too long…that relationship should have been cut a lot earlier to give her the opportunity to grow more on her own. I felt like the internal dialogue was a bit repetitive but understandable for someone whose whole life was turned upside down. The last thing I’ll mention is, the narrator for the audio mostly did a great job but sometimes the fake Italian accent was cringe.

Again, I try to be as positive as possible but I also want to be as honest as possible when it comes to my reviews and this one was just so so for me.

Just because it was not 100% for me, does not mean it won’t be for you.

If you love:
Finding yourself
Found family
Pastor trauma
Italian vacations
Closed door romance

Try this one out!

#tosicilywithlove #netgalley #bookreview #bookreviewer #romancebooks #closeddoorromance

Thank you to Berkley Publishing Group and NetGalley for the arc copy of this book. All opinions expressed are entirely my own.

Aurora York from New York has everything she wants: a hot gym owning boyfriend named Jason, a life coach business, a shiny new podcast, an online following that adores her, and a book contract. The death of her father 5 years prior set her into work mode, serving as the motivation she needed to be a boss babe. However, when her mother dies unexpectantly, she falls apart. She loses all motivation to write the book, has a public freakout on the podcast that is broadcasted live, and just wants to hide in her apartment. To top it off, Jason wants to take a break.

On a whim, Aurora submits her DNA to an ancestry site. An email with her results indicates she has family in Sicily, although her mother told her she was an only child with deceased parents. Aurora receives an email from her matched cousin, begging her to come to Sicily and meet their large family. So she does, and it quite literally changes her life. At the end of her stay, Aurora must decide if she still wants the life she built back in New York or if the place her mother was raised is where she feel she belongs, with the family she never knew she needed.

This book is beautifully written, with descriptions of vivid imagery, interesting food, and supportive loving characters. I laughed and cried multiple times. I did find the book a tad slow / hard to get into prior to Aurora going to Sicily, but once she gets there the story flies by. I think this book gives a great message to those who have recently lost a parent, that it's okay to lose yourself and rebuild. Or really to anyone in general, loss or not.

I absolutely loved this book from start to finish. I think all readers will be able to relate to some part of Aurora’s journey through life. It may be from losing a parent, discovering who your family truly is, dating the wrong guy and then finding who you think is right for you, or trying to find true joy in life. This book made me want to visit Italy so badly as I have never been outside of the United States. Will need to get a physical copy so I can share this story with others I know will fall in love with it as much as I did!

This book is incredible - I laughed, I cried, and I want to read it all over again.

Aurora is life coach who loses both parents unexpectedly and takes a DNA test that leads her to long-lost family in Sicily. She feels like she had everything figured out - and as a life coach, she's often doing that for other people - and it was beautiful to see her story unwind. It reminded me to stop and take in the little things in life, take joy in food, family, and good friends. This will be one that stays with me for a long time!

I have read so many excellent books recently, and this one is at the top! I absolutely loved it. I actually used the highlight feature through the book, which I don't do often. It was so real, heartbreaking, and heartwarming all rolled together. I loved the characters, the extended family, the location. I wanted to be in Sicily with them, being a part of it all. The slow burn romance was perfection. My favorite of this series by far. Will read again.

4.25/5

Aurora is still coming to terms with her father’s death, when she is dealt another blow. As a popular life coach, motivational speaker/podcaster, She slowly becomes unhinged. Her hunky gym owner boyfriend is trying to support her thru but isn’t fully listening/understanding her. After a DNA test shows her a side of her life she never knew, she decides a trip is in order hoping this will answer a lot of her questions. This opens up a whole world for her and gets more than she hoped for.

This book was such a pleasant surprise. One word of warning…don’t read this book if you’re hungry! Oh my, the food described is enough to have you looking up trips to Sicily, even if the scenery alone described doesn’t send you. I loved the Aurora’s development from having a singular focus to finding her own voice and putting herself first. Sweet coming of age story, ultimately finding family and love. Secondary characters are fun! I didn’t realize until the end of the story that it’s part of a Meet Me in Italy series, but each can be read as a stand-alone. I was in need for a different type of romance and this fit that bill.

Thanks to Berkley and NetGalley for this ARC. This is my honest opinion.

I laughed, I cried, I smiled and kicked my feet. This was truly such a heartwarming story of a woman who thought she had it all together for reality to come crashing down. I thinks it’s safe to say we all have a little of aurora in us and that is what made this story so easy to sink my teeth into! I found myself crying with her through her loses and her smile and cheer for her as she grew through them and learned to love life again. Justin told her she can’t eat pray love through grief but think Quint and i beg to differ. Love this feel good story about self discovery and think it’s so worth the read!

Thank you NetGalley and Berkley Publishing for the free ARC in exchange for an honest review!
#berkleypartner

This was such a treat. It has been years since I read a Jennifer Probst novel.

In this book Aurora, a life coach, believes she has her whole life figured out and that her career is all she needs to be happy. Life doesn’t always work out the way we think, Aurora’s life is shaken up after her mother dies and she realizes that she doesn’t have all she needs in life. During her time of grief she takes a DNA tests and realizes she has a family she didn’t know existed. She travels to Sicily to meet her long last family. During this time, Aurora realizes that there is more to life than her career.

I really enjoyed watching Aurora change and find herself after grief. So many times we lose ourselves and forget how to keep living and this was a good example that life keeps on moving and sometimes we need to start over to find happiness within.

I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a women’s fiction with a romance that makes you feel giddy.

Thank you #netgalley and Berkeley publishing for the ARC

Our FMC, Aurora, is a social media influencer/life coach that transformed her life after the death of her father five years before the story begins. When her mother suddenly dies and all of the tools she used for herself (and preached to her clients and social media following) suddenly don’t work, she takes off to Sicily to connect with her mother’s family that she only just discovered existed.

This is a beautifully written story of working through and accepting grief, in the stunning setting of Sicily. I had a great time reading this, and was rooting for Aurora’s development from the very beginning.

This is a perfect summer read for anyone looking for a closed door, slow burn romance!

Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

To Sicily with Love is a beautiful love story between a mother and daughter, a woman and a country and a woman who finds not only a family, but also a soulmate. The message of the story is so important...sometimes a woman's greatest loss can become her greatest strength in life.

Aurora York is a superstar! She can do it all! She has a popular podcast, is a life coach, and is writing a book. She has a wonderful boyfriend Jason who is just as busy as she is, and they both treat their bodies like temples. An only child and with her father's tragic passing, it is her responsibility to take care of her mother who continually tries to malign her lifestyle. She doesn't care for her boyfriend and feels Aurora starves herself. She reluctantly makes the trek to her house alone as little as possible, not realizing this visit where she tries to convince her to stay for dinner would be the last time she sees or speaks to her.

She is devastated at the loss of her mother. Now she is truly alone with no family or relatives, only Jason who himself is constantly busy. At first, she feels she is holding it all together, but as her emotions and feelings get the best of her, she begins to have breakdowns one in particular which is on air.

She decides to put her book on hold and seek help. One of the suggestions is to do a DNA test to see if she can find any relatives, she was unaware of. What she discovers will change the trajectory of her life forever!

Unbeknownst to her, her mother was born in Sicily and left her family behind to come to America. But the family she left including her grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins all still live in a small seaside town in Sicily. Against the wishes of her boyfriend but encouragement of her therapist she decides to go meet them and stay for ten days.

She is of course overwhelmed by these people who pull her in and love her unconditionally even though they did not know she existed. Her grandparents, especially her grandfather does not have much to say to her still angry that his daughter abandoned the family all those years ago. But they refuse to tell her why.

Aurora's light begins to shine as she spends time and many, many meals (and carbs) with her relatives, laughing, going to church and learning the language. The more time she is there, the more it feels like a home. And of course, there is a very handsome man who continually gives her sage advice.

As her time in Sicily draws to an end, she begins to feel a loss she never imagined. She still does not have the answers to all her questions, or even what the life she knew is even worth her time anymore, and there is the mystery as to why her mother left and never mentioned having a family to her at all.

To Sicily with Love is full of love and hope as well as guilt, but most importantly, it's about finding out who you really are in so many ways, slowing down and looking around for the beauty which can be seen through yours and other people's eyes as well, including the main character of this wonderful story, Sicily.

Thank you #NetGalley #Berkley #JenniferProbst #ToSicilywithLove for the advanced copy.