Let me start by saying I won this ebook along with another I did not know this was a series and this was book 4 in that series It does read like a standalone and i don't think I was missing anything.

I really have to get one thing off my chest- I hated Jason what a tool.....

Synopsis (Just a bit)

Aurora York had it all loving parents, a steady relationship, and a promising career. But after she loses both parents unexpectedly, she can’t seem to stay on track any longer. Lonely and lost after a public meltdown that threatens her professional credibility, she’s shocked when DNA test results show a blood relative in Sicily. When her cousin reaches out online and begs her to come to Italy to meet everyone in person, Aurora makes the leap.

I won a copy !
My thanks to NetGalley, the author and publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Winsome, tender, and atmospheric!

To Sicily with Love is a heart-tugging, engaging tale that takes you into the life of the grief-stricken Aurora York who, after struggling to regroup after the death of both of her parents, embarks on a journey to Italy to unravel the secrets of her mother’s past and to meet the extended family she never knew she had.

The writing is rich and vivid. The characters are endearing, adventurous, and authentic. And the plot is a wonderful mix of life, love, family, friendship, secrets, light drama, self-discovery, and romance.

Overall, To Sicily with Love is another sophisticated, emotive, compelling addition to the Meet Me in Italy series by Probst that once again highlights her exceptional ability to sweep you away to another place through her passion and knowledge of its food, culture, and landscape.

To Sicily with Love by Jennifer Probst, book four in the Meet Me in Italy series, takes the reader on a journey from New York to Sicily, accompanying Aurora York on her quest to heal after the loss of her mother. Aurora is a driven life coach whose own life falls apart after the unexpected death of her mother. She is struggling professionally and in her romantic relationship. As an only child, she believes she has no living family, but a DNA test reveals that not to be true. Aurora embarks on a trip to Sicily to meet the cousins, aunts, uncles, grandparents, and extended family she didn’t know she had.

While some parts were a bit slow, by the time she gets to Sicily and spends time with her family, navigating a new culture, family dynamics and interactions along, as well as the descriptions of locations, helped the story pick up. You get lost in the Italian landscape, descriptions of food, and the importance of family, all while you're sorting through themes of grief, guilt, and self-discovery. There is a romance element to this book, but it takes a backseat to the themes of healing and self-discovery. I really began to enjoy Aurora more as well as the additional characters; especially her relationship with her Boppa. Jennifer Probst has written a wonderful book about rediscovering joy after experiencing profound grief.

I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book.
#NetGalley #Berkley

A good novel about personal growth and finding joy.
I didn’t like Aurora very much for the first part of the book, especially the way she treated her mother.
I loved the vivid descriptions of Sicily and Aurora’s family. Even cranky Baba covered up his lifelong regret with gruffness.
Quint was dreamy and every girl’s answer to a happily ever after.
Aurora spent a lot of time trying to squeeze herself back into a life size that no longer fit.
I did finally warm up to her but my favorite characters were Catena and Quint.
I think Probst needs to write Catena’s story next!

3⭐️ Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group for an advanced copy of To Sicily With Love.

Aurora thinks she has it all together in life, her career and relationship are right on track. She lost her father five years ago and her mother has never really been the same. Then she gets the devastating news that her mother has passed away. She feels lost and finds out she has family she never knew about in Sicily so she decides to go visit and it is life changing for her.

I was not a fan of the female main character at all. I disliked how dismissive she was of her mother when all she wanted was to spend time with her. I disliked her boyfriend at the beginning and how she just followed his lead. The only redeeming thing in this book were the descriptions of Sicily and the descriptions of the amazing food.

When Aurora’s mother dies, her carefully constructed life of control and discipline falls apart. Her relationship with her boyfriend was based on their shared goals of success, until Aurora realizes she has cut herself off from true emotion. Finding out she has an extended family in Sicily, Aurora visits and begins a transformation. I really enjoyed the Italian setting, and the large, boisterous family, but the slowness of Aurora’s self realization was off putting to me. All in all, I did enjoy the book. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

Aurora’s journey from grief to self-discovery in Sicily is both heartwarming and immersive, filled with rich cultural moments and endearing family dynamics. The contrast between her fast-paced digital life and the deep-rooted traditions of her newfound relatives adds depth to her emotional transformation. With a touch of romance and the pull of two worlds, this novel beautifully explores the question of where home truly lies.

My Honest Opinions:
This book had me craving a summer holiday in the Italian sun, however that was really where my love for this story ended. I could never really connect with the MFC, and there were so many cringy cliches used that just felt inauthentic and something more akin to a cheesy Hallmark movie (which I’m a fan of in small doses, not something I want to read over 300 pages of.)

If you are looking for a light, breezy book this might be for you, it just wasn’t exactly the type of romance writing that I crave.

Thank you @netgalley and @berkleypub for the e-ARC in order to review and rate this story.

#NetGalley #Berkley #BerkleyPub #RomanceBooks #BookReview #ToSicilyWithLove

I wanted to love this book, but sadly I ended up forfeiting at 60%. The book was filled was too many cliché phrases, horrible American stereotypes (you want me to believe that Sicilians had no idea how weird it would be to put hot dogs on a pizza and call it honoring someone), an insufferable FMC and as someone who is currently grieving over the loss of her father, the grief felt inauthentic. I knew exactly what would happen immediately, and although predictably is a good thing in a romance, it left me incredibly bored. I also hated the whole "motivational influencer" role that just fell flat. When her client had a panic attack about an Oreo and her advice was to be extra careful the next day I literally laughed, and not in a good way. Most motivational/inspirational people I follow would tell you that life is about balance, something our FMC was slacking tremendously and predictably develops throughout the book. However, I just can't imagine a world where someone who gained the fame she did, would be so one dimensional. She also kept mentioning all the lemon and lime art in the shops in Sicily as if those are the only remarkable things she saw. I had to stop immediately at 60% when the FMC unironically said "dreams don't work unless you do". I skipped to the end to see if my prediction was correct, and it was which I'm glad there was a happy ending. If I forced myself to finish this book it would have put me into a reading slump. Reading this book felt like showing up to a job that I hated.

3.5 🌟 This was an enjoyable read about family and love that took place in New York and Italy - two of my favorite places. I appreciated the focus on Italian culture and family and I loved the plot concerning Aurora growing closer with all of her newly found family members. I will admit that the first half of the book was a bit tough for me because I found Aurora and, more specifically, her boyfriend’s behavior to be a bit unbearable. I get that was the point, but they were still irritating. Aurora’s family was the saving grace throughout it all though. There was also some romance (can’t forget about sweet Quint), which I enjoyed, but I didn’t feel that it was anything to write home about. Overall a solid read but nothing super memorable. Thank you to NetGalley and Berkeley Publishing Group for the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review 🙂

🤍Book Review🤍
4🌟
📖Book: 17/78
📚 Title:
To Sicily with Love
✍️Author:
Jennifer Probst
📄Pages: 384
💫Genre:
Fiction•Romance
••••••••••••••••••••••••
📝Synopsis 📝
Aurora is a famous Life Coach who’s life is about to chance. Her mom unexpectedly passes away and to her surprise she finds out she’s been living a lie. She has a televised breakdown and decides to discover her Sicilian roots and what her mother left behind.

💭My Thoughts 💭
This book was a beautiful tribute to Italy and how to rediscover joy and love after profound loss. I enjoyed reading through Aurora’s healing process and rediscovery with a touch of romance. The visualization and description make me want to hop on a plane to Italy, and I want to eat all that food. I loved how this was based on Aurora taking that DNA Test🧬
I didn’t like Jason from the get go and will remain team Quint. I also didn’t know this was book 4 of a series, but it can also be read as a stand alone.

🤍Grief
🤍Rediscover Self
🤍New Found Family
🤍Healing

🤍Special thanks to @netgalley and @berkleyromance @berkleypub for an E-Copy this arc in exchange for an honest review.
•••••••••••••••••••••••
#bookstagrammer #bookstacommunity
#bookreview #romancebooks #bookreviewer #bookrecommendations #netgalley #netgalleyreads #bibliophile #tosicilywithlove

This book, holy cow! I love this author and series, but I have to say, this is my absolute favorite.

For those of us who have lost our mother's, this book hit close to my wounded heart. I cried big tears during this story, laughed at the incredible family Aurora fell into, and swooned with the love Aurora and Quint found. I adore the way this author writes, and I jammed through this book faster than I have in the previous books in the series. Had I started it earlier in the day I would have finished it in one sitting, it was that good. This story makes you want to visit every place Aurora went to, eat and laugh with the amazing family and enjoy the food you could almost taste. The ending was emotional, but perfect.

I truly loved every bit I experienced while reading this, and can't wait to see what Jennifer has in store for us next.

I voluntarily reviewed an ARC copy of this book.

“I’d begun to find hidden pieces of myself here I hadn’t known existed.

Thank you to @prhaudio for the #gifted audiobook. Thanks also to @berkleyromance for the gifted e-arc #berkleypartner #berkley All opinions are my own.

To Sicily with Love is an emotional story of love and loss, family and heartbreak, grief and healing. I was lucky enough to be gifted both an audio and e-arc copy of this book allowing me to go back and forth between the two formats. The imagery, writing, and attention to detail is remarkably done and the audio version elevates this further. The narrator flawlessly draws you in and keeps you captivated the whole time.

After the loss of both of her parents, Aurora is struggling to keep her life on track. When a DNA test reveals that she has a first cousin match in Sicily, Aurora decides to embark on a whirlwind journey to discover her long lost family. She could never have imagined that this leap of faith would change her life in so many ways but the question then becomes which version of her life does she want for her future?

Putting my thoughts together on this one was not easy. The loss of Aurora’s mom is a prominent and beautifully portrayed piece of the story which hit very close to home. I think that a bigger theme of the book however is self-reflection and the idea that we must all discover ways to feed the parts of ourselves that bring us peace and help us grow. Once Aurora ditches her non-supportive boyfriend and her unhealthy eating habits she begins to embrace things that bring her joy. Watching her grow and seeing her realize that her path in life is not set was the most enjoyable part of the book for me.

If you are a fan of emotional stories with a hint of romance then this is one that I would recommend

If you are looking to be easily swept away and be immersed in a lighthearted fade-to-black romance set in Italy- this one is for you!

The story follows Aurora who is a go-getter, boss-babe who runs her own life coaching business. She is dating the gorgeous Jason who pushes and challenges her to be her best self mentally and physically. After dealing with a series of losses, Auroa realizes that she is greatly missing meaning in her life and jumps on an opportunity to visit her long-lost family in Sicily. It is a romantic adventure and the story overall was predictable and sweet.

Some things that didn't land quite well as how much weight and eating was discussed (it is mentioned A LOT which is good but I felt like it was but excessive). I also felt that Aurora was trying BREAK away from the expectations of others only to gain a new set of people who also had expectations for how she should act (or in this case eat. Like girl if you are FULL to the point where it is described you feel like you are going to barf SAY YOU ARE FULL. Okay. Rant over.)

Anyway! Cute, sweet, lighthearted, and closed door romance.

Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley Romance for an ARC!

This was a charming novel about a woman who figures out the meaning of life after her mother passes away with some real big family secrets. When her mother dies, she finds out that she has family that she never knew about in Sicily. She goes there to meet them, eats a lot of great food (the book definitely made me hungry) and finds love. The ending was predictable but, you know what, if it wasn't, I would have been made. In effect, this was a book that I could read and fulfil my fantasy of traveling in Italy and eating my way through it. Is this a life altering read? No. But it definitely fulfilled one of my big desires for reading: to escape. I will definitely look for more books from this author. Oh, and I know that I did not read any others in the series, but I really don't think it kept me from enjoying it.
4 1/4 stars.
Thanks to NetGalley and Berkeley Publishing for providing me with this opportunity to read this engaging novel in exchange for my honest opinions.

4.25 finding yourself stars

What happens when a life coach loses her way? How can she coach anyone when she melts into an emotional puddle during her podcast? Aurora has good reasons, though. She just lost her mother and her father before that and feels totally alone. And her boyfriend, a health coach/trainer, keeps encouraging her to push through the pain and have an action plan.

Aurora decides to do a DNA test to see if she has any other family. She discovers that she has a whole side of her mother’s family in Sicily. When her career struggles continue, Aurora decides to take her cousin up on the offer to visit Sicily.

What a life-changing trip! She discovers an authentic family and begins to learn the tragic story of her mother leaving Sicily many years ago to marry her English father. She also discovers that Italian food is so delicious! She eventually turns off the voice in her head that forbids carbs and sugar. Food should feed your soul and give you joy. I loved that advice.

As Aurora is embraced by her family, she realizes she is changing, healing, and finding a new path. And that boyfriend? He’s just not worth her time, so she breaks things off with him. It’s a good thing, too, because there is a handsome Italian man who is very interesting! The romance here was heart-warming, with enough heat to be fun, but a good relationship for Aurora.

This is my third Jennifer Probst book, and I really liked this one! I finished it on Valentine’s Day, and I think the romance was spot-on for that special day! I loved reading about the food, the traditions, the family connections, and the scenery!

This is Meet Me In Italy #4, but can be read as a stand-alone.

Life coach and podcaster, Aurora York has her life turned upside down when her mother suddenly dies leaving her with no living relatives (or so she thought). A DNA test later reveals she has first cousins in Sicily and a whirlwind trip has her travelling there for the summer where she connects with family she never knew she had and finds love along the way. Sweet, heartfelt and good on audio. This was an easy, enjoyable read that is sure to appeal to fans of books like The Sicilian inheritance by Jo Piazza. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital copy and @prhaudio for a complimentary ALC in exchange for my honest review!

If you don’t come into this book hungry, you will certainly leave that way. This is apparently the fourth book in a series, however this is the first one that I have read. That being said, it worked perfectly fine as a standalone and I will be looking to read the rest of the books in this series soon! I thought this was such a good story. I found our main character Aurora to be such a lovely protagonist. The character development and change in her was heartwarming, and I appreciated how much she changed for the better throughout this book. It was hard not to want to jump on a plane immediately to Italy while reading it. This book reads like a love letter to Sicily, and it made me want to go and be a part of this family! Not only that, I learned about Italian culture. It also had such good discussions about grief and dealing with loss of a parent. This is such a difficult topic to address, but I think that the author did such a good job of navigating through this and Aurora came through on the other side a completely different person. Truly, this was a delight to read and I look forward to more from this author in the future.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group for an advanced reading copy of this book. All opinions within this review are my own.

I haven’t read the rest of this series so I was a bit lost in some of the conversations that happened previously. However it was fun and light hearted, not super deep but made me want to visit Sicily

This was a heartwarming and cute read, but I didn’t love it. It’s #4 in a series (I haven’t read the previous books), but it worked fine as a standalone. That said, I struggled to connect with the characters, which made it harder to fully enjoy.

Once we got to Sicily, the story picked up with beautiful descriptions of the landscapes, family dynamics, and mouthwatering food 🇮🇹🤤. Aurora’s relationship with her Boppa was a highlight, and the emotional themes of grief and self-discovery were well done. But the romance? Barely there. And Jason? Immediately no. 😤

The writing was strong, but the pacing dragged, and some parts felt repetitive. If you love immersive settings and family-focused stories, this could be worth the read—but don’t expect a sweeping romance or fast-paced plot

This is another great story in the Meet Me in Italy series. It has some wonderful characters with the main character Aurora going on her own emotional journey to healing and self discovery. You will want to travel to Sicily and eat all of the food when you are done reading this book. This story's emotional roller coaster takes you on a fabulous journey. It is a very enlightning read!!