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Livia hasn’t been back to Rome in 10 years, since her parents took her there for a visit when she was just 6. She may be of Italian blood, but she’s grown up in Scotland. That means she doesn’t fully fit in either place.
When her nonna (she calls her “Nina”) breaks her leg, Livia and her mom go to Rome for the whole summer to help out. Nina has run a “bar,” basically a coffee shop, in the amazing ancient city for decades, and Livia is excited to work there. But her Italian isn’t native Roman, and her coffee-making skills aren’t up to snuff right away, either. She feels self-conscious knowing the locals sense she’s not one of them.
What makes it worse is that golden boy Giulio can run circles around her. And Nina adores him. He lives next door and works at the bar, and he even has been delivering lunch to Nina in her hospital room every day. On top of that, there is clear friction between Livia’s mom and Nina. Livia doesn’t know what caused it, but she wishes she could find out and maybe help fix it.
Meanwhile, Rome is beautiful and full of things to see and enjoy, and Giulio is, admittedly, handsome. Livia doesn’t want to be just a tourist in this city, and she doesn’t want to have a clichéd summer romance. What can she do to embrace the experience and be true to herself?
My Roman Summer is a YA summer romance I can recommend to anyone, especially young readers. It’s set in a gorgeous locale, with lots of descriptions of famous places. Italian food plays a big role: new dishes and treats are featured every day. There’s plenty of sun and even a hammock on a roof. The story is quick, easy reading. And it’s nice and clean, completely appropriate for any age readers.
Rated: Mild. No profanity, but one instance of the name of Deity in vain (in English, though there are a lot of OMGs in Italian). A brief kiss.
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*I received an ARC in exchange for my honest review.
