Source: Author/Publisher in exchange for honest review
Description: When Amelia Tate is cast to play the Audrey Hepburn role in a remake of Roman Holiday, she feels as if all her dreams have come true. She has a handsome boyfriend, is portraying her idol in a major motion picture, and gets to live in beautiful Rome for the next two months.
Once there, she befriends a young woman named Sophie with whom she begins to explore the city. Together, they discover all the amazing riches that Rome has to offer. But when Amelia's boyfriend breaks up with her over her acting career, her perfect world begins to crumble.
While moping in her hotel suite, Amelia discovers a stack of letters written by Audrey Hepburn that start to put her own life into perspective. Then, she meets Phillip, a handsome journalist who is under the impression that she is a hotel maid, and it appears as if things are finally looking up. The problem is she can never find the right time to tell Phillip her true identity. Not to mention that Phillip has a few secrets of his own. Can Amelia finally have both the career and love that she's always wanted, or will she be forced to choose again?
Genre: Fiction
Why I Picked This Book:I had enjoyed the previous book (French Coast review) by this author and couldn't resist the mention of Audrey Hepburn.
My Impression: Take a good long look at the cover - that's basically the entire feel of the book. A bit on the indulgent side, definitely not an everyday activity, but delicious and relaxing all the same. This is the book equivalent of eating a calorie rich breakfast at an outside table in a sunny little cafe while on vacation.
There are some similarities to Hughes' earlier book French Coast - beautiful MC, kind of skeevy boyfriend, tons of gorgeous clothing, and a glamorous new friend of somewhat mysterious origins. While I wouldn't necessarily want to read these books back to back (though both are worth the read) they're distinctive enough that I didn't feel like I was reading the same book.
I absolutely loved the letters written by Audrey. We get a glimpse into what she's thinking as she's filming Roman Holiday and get to meet Gregory Peck. I could really picture the world that Audrey was inhabiting.
Amelia's world wasn't quite as vivid and Phillip really felt like the stronger character many times. I loved Sophie and Theo and enjoyed anytime that they were front and center. I didn't love the deception done by Amelia and Phillip (particularly on Phillip's side) but it was believably done and it made sense that as time went on it was getting harder and harder to tell the truth.
This is a perfect book for reading while lying in a hammock sipping mimosas and I can guarantee you you'll want to re-watch (or watch) Roman Holiday as soon as you finish the book!
Would I Read More of this Series/Author?: Definitely! It's perfect indulgence reading.
Would I Recommend this Book?: I would - especially if you've got a vacation coming up.
Challenges Met?
That sounds like a great plot. I will have to check this author out, she can take me traveling through books.
ReplyDeleteI watched Roman holiday so many years ago ! It's definitely time for a rewatch, good idea :)
ReplyDeleteMore than anything, I am curious about this book because Roman Holiday is a favorite movie of mine. But a remake of the movie - even fictitious, is just wrong! Still I will have to look into this one. Thanks for the review.
ReplyDeleteIt does sound like an indulgent read! I loved Audrey Hepburn (Charade, Wait Until Dark, Roman Holiday, Breakfast at Tiffany's...) and that part sounds like fun, plus exploring Rome while filming a movie. The deception part seems kind of silly-- to keep pretending she is a maid just to keep a guy interested, I don't know. Sounds like a title with some drawbacks, but enough going for it to be enjoyable.
ReplyDeleteThis is the second review I've read for this and the whole Hepburn excited me. This does sound like a good beach read.
ReplyDeleteThis sounds like a fun one, Katherine. I love Audrey Hepburn too. :-)
ReplyDeleteSounds fun. Romance books always seem to bring some level of deception. Guess it depends if you like the book/MC enough to over look it.
ReplyDeleteSounds like a fun contemporary, not my normal genre, but some times when one like this comes around I make an exception..lol. I admit the Audrey Hepburn mention got me curious too. :)
ReplyDeleteStormi
Second blog for today writing about this one. Like the setting.
ReplyDeleteNothing wrong with indulgent. I am following the Read a Romance Month and as synchronicity would have it I just read an interview with Anita Hughes on it. So double interested now! http://www.readaromancemonth.com/
ReplyDeleteI need to make the time to read this book, I love Audrey Hepburn, the era etc. this author sounds good too. I love to indulge myself sometimes:) have a great week! Thanks for this great review.
ReplyDeleteOh I'd read this one just for the setting! I got married in Rome and love any book that reminds me of that happy time in my life. Going to add both books to my to-read!
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