The Rome Apartment (The Italian Escape Series Book 1)
Book Description
As I stood on the terrace and gazed out over the most glorious view, he studied my face and said to me ‘Why do you look sad? No-one should be sad in Rome. We only have this one life, you know. Don’t waste it.’
Beth stands in the sunshine outside the magnificent wrought-iron gates of Villa Alba holding her suitcase. Only a few short months ago, she dropped her beloved only daughter off at college, holding back tears at the thought of an empty nest… clinging to the thought of the new chapter that she and her husband Joel could now begin together. But that same day, Joel dropped a bombshell. He thinks their marriage is stale, and wants a break; he says that Beth is no longer the same woman he fell in love with…
Searching for an escape, Beth spots an ad in a magazine for an apartment in Rome that is available for three months rental only to ‘an English woman of a certain age’. She reads on… Veronica, the 75-year-old owner, challenges her guests to rediscover themselves, find joy, and live life to the full – and there is no better place to do these things than in Rome, the most beautiful city in the world.
Ronnie sets Beth a list of tasks, forcing her to slow down and find beauty in every corner of the city: the sun on a stained glass window, a fragrant bunch of the freshest basil, a painting in a hidden courtyard. But her final task is the most challenging of all: to go out on a date with an unsuitable man.
But handsome and adventurous musician Rico, unsuitable in almost every way, may turn out to be just the right man to bring Beth back to life. With her break from Joel coming to an end, can Beth risk embracing the new life of exciting possibilities that Rome has opened up to her, even if it means losing everything?
Get swept away to the sunny streets of the most beautiful city in the world with this heartwarming novel about love and second chances. Perfect for fans of Faith Hogan, Elin Hilderbrand and Sheila O’Flanagan.
BLOG TOUR REVIEW
Review for 'The Rome Apartment' by Kerry Fisher.
Read and reviewed via NetGalley for Kerry Fisher, Bookouture publishers and Bookouture anonymous
Publication date 28th July 2023.
This is the third book I have read by this author. I have previously read 'The Woman In My Home' and 'Another Woman's Child' which I also recommend. This is also the first book in 'The Italian Escape' series.
This novel consists of a prologue and 18 chapters. The chapters are short to medium in length so easy to read 'just one more chapter' before bed...OK, I know yeah right, but still just in case!
This book is beautifully written and completely absorbs you in the stunning atmosphere of Rome and really sucks you in with the vivid descriptions leaving you feel the warmth of the the sun and smell of the sea. The synopsis and cover suits the storyline perfectly.
The storyline is authentic and realistic as well as easy to read and heartwarming. There was plenty of events going on throughout and it kept me hooked from start to end, I read it in one sitting while mainly sitting in the garden with the sun warming my legs at the same time Beth, Ronnie and Marina were being warmed by the sun in Rome, making it feel like I was there even more than Kerry's evocative storytelling did. The storyline was filled with a range of emotions and was heartwarming, heartbreaking and had friendships, new starts, relationships, fun,joy, living in the moment and everything you could ask in the perfect book for escapism!!! There were several times that I had got so lost in the storyline that when I finally looked up it took me a few moments to even realise where I was!!! There were countless times I told myself one more chapter then bed but I ended up devouring it in one sitting while walking around with my kindle glued to my hand!! It felt like a lovely break away from a rainy Wales!! I loved how the story ended and I would love to read more about this amazing place and fantastical people and cannot wait to return in Kerry's second book in this series 'Secrets At The Rome Apartment' that I am off to delve into next!! I was absolutely devastated when I came to the end of this book as I was truly whisked away to Rome feeling the fresh air on my face and looking at the stunning views. I absolutely loved the gorgeous atmosphere and the warm embrace of Ronnie and Marina. The storyline was so heartwarming and it was such an easy and relaxing read with moments of laughter, some tension and sadness but overall happiness. It ended absolutely perfectly and I would love to see what everyone decides to do next. This would make a lovely movie!!! An absolutely gorgeous book!! I cannot wait to go on my next Rome adventure with the very talented Kerry Fisher.
The characters were all unique with their own realistic traits, strengths and weaknesses. It was intriguing to watch Beth, Ronnie and Marina's friendships grow, develop and change throughout the the storyline. I loved meeting each and every one of them The friendship between the women was beautiful and it must be amazing to have such friendships where they supported each other so much. Anyway, I best not say anymore as don't want to give anything else away for future readers!! It's just so easy talking about this fantastic book and so much I want to tell you all about but i really need to control myself!!! Needless to say I absolutely adored each and every character each for a different reason. All characters worked perfectly with the storyline and I would love to meet them again and hope to see this made into a series or even a movie!!! Kerry's evocative writing skills ensured they all leapt out of the pages and came to life before your eyes as you read the pages.
Well done Kerry on another absolutely gorgeous book!!! A completely different genre to what I am used to reading by you but absolutely amazing and shows how much talent you have!!I will definitely be looking for your books any time I need to be swept off to another country!!! This is exactly why you are one of my favourite authors. Here's to your next guaranteed success 🥂
Make sure you read to the very end of the book to read the prologue and first chapter of Kerry's ''Secrets At The Rome Apartment'' which promises to be just as gorgeous as this book and is one I'm definitely looking forward to reading myself!!
Overall a perfect light hearted, stunning unputdownable escape that will sweep you off your feet and land you in Rome.
245 pages.
This book is just £1.99 to purchase, free on kindle unlimited and £6.99 in paperback (at time of review) on kindle via Amazon or free on kindle unlimited which I think is an absolute bargain for this book!!!
Rated 5 /5 (I LOVED it ) on Goodreads, Instagram, Amazon UK and Amazon US and on over 30 Facebook pages plus my blog on Facebook.
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Secrets at the Rome Apartment (The Italian Escape Series Book 2)
Book Description
Everyone has something to hide. Back then, I was a young woman, without the imagination to know how it would all end, and how the terrible consequences of the choices I made would echo down the years…
75-year-old Ronnie has made it her mission to help women of a certain age rediscover themselves. The owner of a palazzo in Rome, she has left her troubled past behind and reinvented herself in the most beautiful city in the world. And now she helps other women to do the same. Renting out her spare apartment for three months at a time, Ronnie invites her guests to take on a series of challenges that will help them to embrace beauty and joy, to rediscover themselves and to live their lives to the full.
But Ronnie’s confident exterior hides heartbreak and closely-held secrets. Why did she leave England all those years ago and what was she running away from? How did a woman who helps others to fix their shattered lives become estranged from her very own daughter, Nadia, who has left Rome and moved to England to escape her?
As Ronnie welcomes her latest guest to the Rome apartment, Nadia appears unannounced on her doorstep – pregnant and alone. Ronnie is desperate for a chance to put things right and to be part of her precious grandchild’s life, but in order to fix her family, she will have to dig up secrets from her past that could risk destroying everything…
Get swept away to the sunny streets of the most beautiful city in the world with this heartwarming novel about love and second chances. Perfect for fans of Faith Hogan, Elin Hilderbrand and Sheila O’Flanagan.
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Author Bio
Kerry Fisher is an internationally bestselling author of women's contemporary fiction, including The Woman I Was Before, The Silent Wife (USA Today bestseller) and Other People's Marriages, as well as a non-fiction memoir, Take My Hand. She was born in Peterborough, studied French and Italian at the University of Bath and spent many years living in Spain, Italy and France. After returning to England to work as a journalist, she eventually abandoned real life stories for the secrets of fictional families. She now lives in Surrey with her husband, with an intermittent empty nest as her two young adult children come and go.
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