ITALIAN FOR BEGINNERS: REVIEW AND GIVEAWAY

GIVEAWAY ENDED!
ITALIAN FOR BEGINNERS
BY KRISTIN HARMEL

ABOUT THE BOOK:

Thirty-four-year-old Manhattan accountant Cat Connelly has always lived life on the safe side. But after her little sister gets married, Cat wonders if she has condemned herself to a life of boredom by playing by the rules. She decides to take a chance for once, accepting an invitation to spend a month with an old flame in Italy. But her reunion with the slick and gorgeous Francesco is short-lived, and she finds herself suddenly alone in Rome. Now, she must see if she has the courage to live outside the lines for the first time - and to face a past she never understood. It will take an unexpected friendship with a fiery Italian waitress, a whirlwind Vespa tour of the Eternal City with a handsome stranger, and a surprise encounter with an old acquaintance to show Cat that life doesn't always work out the way you expect, but sometimes you have to have fall in order to fly.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Kristin Harmel is a contributor for People magazine where she has interviewed numerous celebrities. She has been an adjunct journalism instructor at the University of Florida and has lived in Paris, New York, Boston, Tampa Bay, and Miami. She currently lives in Orlando and is working on her second novel.

MY REVIEW:

I loved this book. If you ever saw ROMAN HOLIDAY with Audrey Hepburn, this is almost like a tribute to that wonderful movie. Cat Connelly plays the typical role of the good sister, the steady dependable girl who lives a very safe life. The one who is always there in case she is needed by her family. She gets a "bee in her bonnet" at her sister's wedding when her grandmother makes her feel like a failure for not being married and decides to be brave and take a chance. Remembering the wonderful time she had in Italy as a student, she decides to return and look up her old love interest, which of course is not what she thought it would be when she gets there. Of course, the predictable plot could make to a ho,hum book, but the charming way that Kristin Harmel writes, draws you in. She even includes great recipes at the end of the book. You see and experience Rome and falling in love through Cat's eyes. Her Italian friend adds spice to the story and the romance is perfecto! If you want a sweet and warm feeling love story that is well written with such description you wish you were there, read this book. I found it a quick and enjoyable summer read.

THE GIVEAWAY

THANKS TO MIRIAM AND THE GREAT
GANG OVER AT HACHETTE BOOK GROUP
FOR SPONSORING THIS GIVEAWAY.
I HAVE 5 COPIES TO GIVE AWAY.

RULES:

***U.S. AND CANADIAN RESIDENTS ONLY
***NO P.O. BOXES, PLEASE
***YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS MUST BE WITH YOUR
COMMENT SO I CAN CONTACT YOU IF YOU WIN
***COMMENTS MUST BE SEPARATE IN ORDER
TO COUNT AS MORE THAN ONE

HOW TO ENTER:
(THIS WILL BE A FUN ONE)

+1 ENTRY: TELL ME YOUR FAVORITE ITALIAN FOOD

+1 MORE ENTRY: NAME AN ITALIAN CELEBRITY OR FAMOUS PERSON

+1 MORE ENTRY: NAME A MOVIE THAT TAKES PLACE IN OR IS ABOUT ITALY

ALL ENTRIES MUST BE IN BY
6 PM, EST, SEPTEMBER 9

Buona fortuna!

(Good Luck)