Caught in a FAB Romance (@TheLoveJunkee)

PJV Quickie: Roman Crazy is going on my Top 10 list of favorite books this year. Relatable characters, funny dialogue, and descriptive writing made this a five-star read. As soon as I finished the last page I wanted to start reading it again.

Review:

Avery Bardot was going through the motions in her staid, predictable life, when she caught her husband cheating on her. Deciding things were not going to change unless she makes the changes herself, a spur-of-the-moment decision to join her friend Daisy in Rome should be just what she needs to pick herself up and get on with her life.  What she doesn't expect is to run into Marcello Bianchi, the "semester abroad" fling that she never forgot.

Now, as she takes time to discover the beautiful city of Rome, she rediscovers herself and her love of art. And maybe, she re-discovers how wonderful love can be.

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This is a wonderful second-chance romance but it's so much more than that. I can't say enough wonderful things about Roman Crazy - I really, really enjoyed being "in" this book.  And that's part of what made it so wonderful, I really felt like I was there, with Avery, walking the cobbled streets of Rome, I could almost taste the food and smell the delicious scents.  I've never been to Italy, so I can't say if they got everything right, but the descriptions were full and rich and it took no effort on my part to imagine the scenes.  Roman Crazy gave me an acute case of wanderlust.

A lot of times I like a book because of the hunky hero or love interest.  Marcello was a good character, but he wasn't my focus - it was Avery I was cheering for.  I love Avery - she's real, not perfect. She took the easy way out when she was younger and if she hadn't caught her husband cheating may have just kept on being alive, but not living. She jumped on this second chance and I was genuinely cheering on this fictional character.  She made a few missteps along the way but grew into a strong character  who knows what she wants and goes for it.  (Also, I seriously want to hug the authors for the choice she makes near the end).

Throughout, Roman Crazy has humor, introspection, passion (both physical and food-related), and holds a steady pace from start to finish.  I had a "book high" for days after reading Roman Crazy and I'm looking forward to reading more books by this author duo.