I enjoyed this book and it's story of love and ambition. The main characters were likeable and I loved the fact that a lot of it is based in Italy, just reading about the food and wine made my mouth water.

I’ve read 3 other books by Reay – one that I really liked and two that were okay. This one definitely fell under the “okay” category. The whole idea didn’t feel super developed to me – almost like it was an early draft instead of the final one. I didn’t connect with Emily as easily as other characters. I did enjoy the settings of Atlanta, GA and Italy. Reay does a great job painting the landscape of her settings and I appreciate that. This was a cute story that didn’t capture me as much as I thought.

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for my unbiased opinion.

Emily Price is an art restorer in Atlanta for a few weeks for her job. When she meets Italian chef Ben, in town visiting family, she falls hard and fast. Even though she knows it’s crazy, she says yes when Ben asks her to marry him and follow her back to Italy. Fitting in with his family is difficult for Emily, though; she struggles to win their acceptance.

This book was a sweet, feel-good read. I enjoy art, but am not passionate about it the way Emily is. However, her love for the world of art shone through and made me feel it, too, and I could not help but root for Emily and Ben’s relationship to overcome all obstacles. I look forward to reading more of Ms. Reay’s novels.

This book is beautifully written. The main character, Emily Price, is a very interesting character . She has many wonderful skills which make her compelling. She is not only a woman who can fix anything, restore any art work or restoration project, she is an artist with exceptional skills. In this book we see her evolve from a woman who wants to fix everything in her sight, including those people that she loves, to a woman that realizes that not everything needs to be fixed. People need to be accepted -not always fixed. The descriptive parts of her travel to Italy are beautiful. The reader can picture the sunflowers along the countryside, the dogs hunting for truffles, and the beautiful architecture of Italy. This is one of the best books I have read in a long time. I would definitely recommend this novel to my book club!

A Portrait of Emily Price. presented itself to me as a type of literary puzzle. Not quite a mystery, however there were many parts that were a mystery looking for resolution.. Emily was a conservator that had been sent to Atlanta to reconstruct items that had been damaged in a fire. Through the rental of her workspace, she meets the owner who takes her to his Aunt and Uncles struggling Italian restaurant. His brother Ben is there, trying to upgrade the restaurant to receive a better selling price as the family there is ready to retire. Ben has two weeks left to complete this process before he must return to Italy. There is a lot accomplished in these two weeks as Emily volunteers to help. The restaurant and menu are revamped and Emily falls in love and marries Ben. The next day she moves to Italy to begin her life with Ben. There are many pieces of the puzzle to be connected. Family not speaking, a beautiful mural covered over in a church, Bens disconnection from his stateside brother, and a discontent and difficult mother-in-law to name a few. The story is rich in Italy's beauty and description of the Tuscan countryside. The journey that Emily undertakes unravels many things, particularly her own identity and she shows incredible restraint and patience along the way.

Usually if I see any reviews mentioning that a book is shelved as Christian literature I stay far away from it. However regarding this book I'm glad I didn't. This was a feel-good chick lit novel. Ben and Emily fall in love at first sight and get married. Emily follows him home to Italy. Sometimes for me the setting of a book can make it even better and this novel is an example of that case.
Fix-it girl Emily interferes a bit too much at the beginning and alienates some members of the family. When Emily discovers some family secrets, she questions her future with Ben.
The Christian aspects of this novel were subtly there with the themes of faith and hope. I would actually give this book a 3.75. For me this book lacked some action however that's not exactly the point of the novel. If you enjoy a good love story with family dramatics then this is your book.
Thank you to net galley for my ARC.

A bit slow and predictable at times, yet still an enjoyable read.

Good clean novel that places you square in the lives of two people falling in love and heal from past hurts

This book was my introduction to Katherine Reay's writing. I've heard so much about her books and I definitely was not disappointed.

I made the unfortunate mistake of reading some reviews online as I started reading the book and I think it tainted my view slightly even before the "good stuff" happened in the story. I did agree with some of the reviews though. At the beginning of the story when Ben and Emily meet, their romance seems unreal, too fairy-tale like, and just plain crazy. Two weeks and they're married and off to Italy?!?! But, as the second part of the book unfolds in Italy, I totally got it. Reay's motivation in creating Ben and Emily's relationship the way she did was the basis of all things that happen in Italy. The first part of the book felt a bit slow but the second part zipped along and I couldn't put the book down.

Ben is plain wonderful. Such a man of passion, devotion, loyalty, love. Emily is immature and young, compared to Ben. But she journeys through her soul, her past, Ben's past, and Ben's family's past to mature, grow up, learn more about herself and why she needs to "fix" everything all the time and actually takes a step back from herself when she realizes she can't and isn't supposed to fix everything.....or anything. I really felt for her in Italy as a stranger in a strange land. I didn't think she was meddling, but just trying to help in her way to all she met but nothing turns out the way she expected or hoped.

The supporting characters of Lucio (Ben's dad), Donata (Ben's mom), and Joseph (Ben's older brother) were amazing. Lucio and Donata really created another layer and depth to the story. Joseph still remains a mystery and I would love to read a book with him as the main character.

The thread of faith and hope was tightly woven into the story but wasn't overwhelming.

The technique of art restoration and conservation presented in the book was fascinating. The weaving of different classic novels to bring up a revelation or epiphany in each character's life was definitely interesting.

I don't like first person narratives but this book captured my attention and didn't let go until the end of the book. Even with the first person narrative, I didn't feel that I missed anything in the characterization of the others in the story.

I received a digital review copy of this book from NetGalley and the publisher. I was not required to give a review or a favorable review. All comments and opinions are solely my own.

I always like her books, the writing is engaging, fun, easy to read and get immersed in for a while. I've read all of her books now, and this is my least loved of them, but still loved. Just not as much. :)

Thomas Nelson and NetGalley provided me with an electronic copy of A Portrait of Emily Price. This is my honest opinion of the book.

Emily Price is an art restorer, talented and skilled, who dreams of being an artist with her own show. Benito Vassallo, a chef visiting from Italy, is trying to mend fences with his brother while helping remake his aunt and uncle's restaurant into a more modern business. After they meet in the restaurant, Emily and Ben are inseparable. In a move that surprises everyone in Emily's life, she follows her heart to Italy. When her exalting ways threaten the delicate balance in Ben's family, will Emily finally be able to see what is right in front of her?

A Portrait of Emily Price is a charming book, despite the fact that much of the story was expected. The author did a great job of bringing her characters to life, especially Emily, Lucio, and Donata. With a well described setting and fast paced plot, I found myself captivated by the story. I could visualize Donata especially well, with her thousand yard stare and fiery temper. I would recommend A Portrait of Emily Price to readers, as it is a book worth reading. This is the first book by author Katherine Reay that I have read, but it will certainly not be my last.

First things first -- that cover. If that doesn't scream Tuscan countryside, then I don't know what does. As happens, I was first drawn to this book by the gorgeous cover. I've read one of Katherine Reay's novels before, The Brontë Plot, and really enjoyed it so I had high hopes for this one. All of her previous novels have connections to classic literature -- I can never resist a good novel with allusions to other famous works.

In A Portrait of Emily Price, our protagonist is a art restorer. Emily meets Ben, a handsome Italian man who easily captures Emily's heart, and in the span of a few weeks he proposes, they marry, and Ben whisks Emily off to Tuscany. This was where I hit my first snag with the novel. It's not that Ben was that classic Italian heartthrob, or that Emily found herself quickly falling for him, but their extremely quick romance felt utterly shallow to me. In context, Reay managed to explain why it felt necessary (to the characters, that is) but I still felt like rolling my eyes at their too-quick courtship. Emily and Ben arrive in Tuscany, where Ben's rather intimidating mother is (not surprisingly) unimpressed with his new American wife. Ben's father, however, is kind and welcoming. As Emily tries to navigate her new family and her new country, she turns to creating art. Her art plays a big role in unveiling and helping to heal the family's longstanding secret.

I put down the book about halfway through -- after Ben and Emily arrive in Tuscany, but picked it back up again a month later because I wanted to see it through to the end. I certainly felt more pull from the second half of the book, when the focus is on the family's secrets and how their relationships change as Ben's father grows close to death. I just couldn't bring myself to believe in the "true love" between Emily and Ben. That can be a hangup that I have when reading contemporary fiction, but if it's not something that phases you, I'd recommend this book for the scenery, art, and the descriptions of food.

Emily Price is a young woman used to fixing things. She is an art restorer with a knack for fixing water damaged paintings, broken trinkets, chipped photo frames, non-working small electronics, and just about anything else that needs a little tlc. She's always been the sensible one in the family, helping her sister Amy find good jobs and making sure all her ducks are in a row. And then Emily goes to Atlanta. 

Sent from Chicago to help restore some walls, art pieces, and a mural for a family whose house was damaged by a fire, Emily immediately meets Joseph, who owns the restoration company where her employer rented her some space while she's in Atlanta. And Joseph takes her for dinner at his uncle's restaurant, where she meet's Joseph's brother Ben. Ben is a chef visiting from Italy, where he works at their parents' restaurant. And from the moment Ben and Emily meet, they are inseparable. 

In just a couple of weeks, Emily manages to restore her clients' artwork and to help Ben redecorate the restaurant. And after those two whirlwind weeks, when Ben proposes marriage, Emily can't help but say yes. Within days, she is a married woman living in Italy with her new family, trying to figure out what's next for her. She can fix the cracks in paint, but can she fix the cracks she finds in her new family? 

This novel has some ups and downs. Clearly, a lot happens quickly, and it's hard to get to know the characters under those circumstances. But the descriptions of the art, of the architecture, and especially of Italy sparkle with a brightness that make you want to get on a plane immediately and head to Rome. If you're looking for an easy read with Christian values, then give Katherine Reay a try. She can paint quite a picture with her words. 



Galleys were provided by the publisher through NetGalley.com.

Thank you to NetGalley and Thomas Nelson for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. This was an enjoyable read -- a nice story about taking chances and experiencing new things and cultures. I really liked the portions about art, food and Italy.

This is the first book I’ve read by Katherine Reay. I have mixed emotions about it. I felt the subject was original and creative, but I had a hard time getting into it. I wasn’t immediately pulled into the story. I guess part of it was that Emily and Ben, the main characters, didn’t endear themselves to me from the start. Once I got further into the story, I began to enjoy the story more. This story has a strong underlying message of redemption and forgiveness. I’ve heard a lot of great things about Katherine Reay’s books, so I will definitely read more of her books.

very enjoyable and gentle romance- Emily and Ben are a terrific couple who need to figure out how to work together as one. I liked this because of the descriptions of Italy (and the food) and the fact that the characters were very believable. This was a nice relaxing read where you'll root for these two. I had not read Reay before but I'm going to look for her again. Thanks to netgalley for the ARC. This is a winner.

Didn't hold my attention. I didn't like the character enough to worry about what happened to her.

One of my biggest loves is family fiction novels. This story was amazingly written, flowing easily and with a great, strong character. Emily is an art restorer likes to fix things. Fixing people isn't her forte. I will highly recommend this read.

3.5 stars. I received this as an ARC through Netgalley. I ate this book up. The beginning and end worked out well. I liked the perspective of Emily and enjoyed seeing the world through her eyes. However, I didn't feel like Emily grew as much as she could of. I also had a lot of trouble with the relationship between she and Ben. It seemed very rushed. It seemed like there were huge warning signs of "hey, this isn't gonna work" that Emily ignored. While I'm happy it worked out, I wish there had been a bit more give and take. The details of the art, the countryside, etc. were great. I wish the relationships had had a little more work. Overall, good read, needed a little characterization work.