Chasing the Italian Dream
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- Create Date：2021-06-05 00:51:35
- Update Date：2025-09-06
- Status：finish
- Author：Jo Thomas
- ISBN：0552176869
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Summary
Praise for Jo Thomas
:
'Rich， warm and sunny。 A story that stays with you long after the last page is turned' Milly Johnson
'The characters went straight to my heart' Katie Fforde
'A sparkling， heartwarming hug of a story' Miranda Dickinson
'Like the very best kind of holiday' Lucy Diamond
'Rich， warm and sunny。 A story that stays with you long after the last page is turned' Milly Johnson
'The characters went straight to my heart' Katie Fforde
'A sparkling， heartwarming hug of a story' Miranda Dickinson
'Like the very best kind of holiday' Lucy Diamond
Reviews
Lucy-Bookworm
，
Lucia is a high-flying city lawyer who is expecting to be made a partner in the firm， something she has devoted years to earning， but when she is passed over in favour of a younger male colleague she starts to rethink her priorities。 Visiting her Italian grandparents “Nonna & Nonno” she starts to help out in the family pizza restaurant as she always does。 This is a very male-dominated society with businesses being handed down from father to son （the woman are expected to cook for the family but Lucia is a high-flying city lawyer who is expecting to be made a partner in the firm， something she has devoted years to earning， but when she is passed over in favour of a younger male colleague she starts to rethink her priorities。 Visiting her Italian grandparents “Nonna & Nonno” she starts to help out in the family pizza restaurant as she always does。 This is a very male-dominated society with businesses being handed down from father to son （the woman are expected to cook for the family but not in restaurants） but with Nonno looking to retire， Lucia’s father having died & her brother having no interest in the restaurant， it looks inevitable that Nonno’s Pizzeria will have to be sold。 Nonno then has a thought that the restaurant could be passed to somebody who is almost family – Lucia’s not-quite-ex-husband Giacomo。 Lucia accepts that Giacomo is a great pizzaiolo but cannot bear to see Nonno’s restaurant become an outlet for his new trendy ideas … she soon realises that her heart is in Italy & the restaurant， but will anyone accept a female running a restaurant？ Can she really become a pizzaiola？ Let’s just say that nobody has reckoned on the power of the ‘Nonna Network’ – the local grandmothers who are quite something when they combine forces！Overall this is a light， heart-warming book perfect for a summer read。 It has a strong female lead character and despite the male-dominated society that still thrives in this small Italian town， the There are also fabulous descriptions of the location， the people & especially of the food – after reading this， you will want to visit Nonno’s Pizzeria to eat a woodfired pizza with toppings straight from the Nonnas！Disclosure: I received an advance reader copy of this book free via NetGalley。 Whilst thanks go to the author & publisher for the opportunity to read it， all opinions are my own。 #ChasingtheItalianDream #NetGalley 。。。more
Carol Barnes
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Loved this book from start to finish。 Well written and very descriptive evoking memories of Italian food prepared and cooked with love。 Great， strong female characters。 Nearly everyone has been in the positionin of trying to discover their true calling and this is certainly the case with the central character Lucia。 Highly recommended
Suzanne Rogerson
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I enjoyed this book from the very first page and spent many nights staying up too late reading it。 The location comes alive and as always the descriptions of food and wine are perfect and make you long to share in the whole pizzeria experience （especially as I’ve eaten out once in almost a year and a half！）。The main characters in this book have their flaws – Lucia is very single-minded and can’t see what’s truly going on around her and her ex， Giacomo， shuts up and retreats when faced with probl I enjoyed this book from the very first page and spent many nights staying up too late reading it。 The location comes alive and as always the descriptions of food and wine are perfect and make you long to share in the whole pizzeria experience （especially as I’ve eaten out once in almost a year and a half！）。The main characters in this book have their flaws – Lucia is very single-minded and can’t see what’s truly going on around her and her ex， Giacomo， shuts up and retreats when faced with problems instead of stating how he feels。 At times this would irritate me， but I think that’s because it was obvious they were meant to be together and I just wanted that happy ever after moment for them to come asap。The cast of characters were like good friends， especially Nonna and Nonno， and I shall miss reading about them。This book is the perfect way to escape for a few hours， who can resist a romantic retreat to Italy？4。5 stars 。。。more
Nicola
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I absolutely adored this book， I could not put it down。 I'd never read anything by Jo before but now I need to rush out and buy absolutely everything else。 The characters are so lovable and you can totally feel Lucia's emotions at every turn。 I absolutely adored this book， I could not put it down。 I'd never read anything by Jo before but now I need to rush out and buy absolutely everything else。 The characters are so lovable and you can totally feel Lucia's emotions at every turn。 。。。more
Stacy M
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I love Jo Thomas and her ability to transport you to another country in her books。 Her descriptions of the settings are always accurate and well researched and the food references have definitely impacted on my dinner choices over the years。 Wherever the book is set - I know at some point during the book I’ll be eating that cuisine。 However this is definitely not my favourite of her books。 For me it was a little predictable & repetitive。 I feel it maybe could have been a novella。 The setting & c I love Jo Thomas and her ability to transport you to another country in her books。 Her descriptions of the settings are always accurate and well researched and the food references have definitely impacted on my dinner choices over the years。 Wherever the book is set - I know at some point during the book I’ll be eating that cuisine。 However this is definitely not my favourite of her books。 For me it was a little predictable & repetitive。 I feel it maybe could have been a novella。 The setting & characters are likeable， but I didn’t feel it had the spark of ‘honey farm’ or ‘lemon grove’。 Also at one point I tried to count the amount of times the word peppery popped up - but I lost count。 If you want a lighthearted escape then this book is perfect - it’s a great beach read （in case we are ever allowed to read a book on a beach in warmer climes） and a nice story。 。。。more
Julie
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Delicious， delightful and completely delectable， Jo Thomas’ latest novel Chasing the Italian Dream is romantic escapism at its finest！Hard work is its own reward – that mantra is what Lucia has always believed which is why she is working as hard as she possibly can in order to get the big promotion which she has wanted for so long。 Lawyer Lucia has sacrificed far too much and put in far too many hours in order not to get this promotion， so when she finds herself in desperate need of a break， she Delicious， delightful and completely delectable， Jo Thomas’ latest novel Chasing the Italian Dream is romantic escapism at its finest！Hard work is its own reward – that mantra is what Lucia has always believed which is why she is working as hard as she possibly can in order to get the big promotion which she has wanted for so long。 Lawyer Lucia has sacrificed far too much and put in far too many hours in order not to get this promotion， so when she finds herself in desperate need of a break， she decides to go to her grandparents’ house in Southern Italy。 Surrounded by fragrant lemon trees and mouth-watering food， Lucia instantly feels at home， but little does she realise that in Italy she might just end up finding the fulfilment and happiness which she has never managed to attain in a stuffy office。However， Lucia is broken-hearted when her beloved nonno announces that he is selling the family pizzeria。 Lucia has such fond memories of the eatery and it is devastating to think that the pizzeria will no longer be in the family。 Lucia has barely recovered from this shock when another curveball is thrown her way: the person who is going to take over the running of the restaurant is none other than her ex-husband and she isn’t exactly overjoyed at the prospect。 Giacomo is not her favourite person in the world and Lucia cannot believe that he will be running the business that has been at the heart of her family for generations。However， as Lucia finds herself spending more and more time in Italy – and with her ex husband – she finds herself falling in love not just with her surroundings， but maybe also with the one man she had hoped never to see ever again: Giacomo。 Lucia has always believed that her future was in Wales and that she would practice law until her retirement， but maybe under the blazing Mediterranean sky， she can carve out a new life for herself – but only if she has the courage to fight for what she truly wants。Jo Thomas strikes gold once again with her latest captivating and evocative novel， Chasing the Italian Dream。 Beautifully lyrical and so richly descriptive readers will feel as if they are on holiday in Southern Italy themselves， Chasing the Italian Dream is an addictive and atmospheric tale about second chances， life’s many surprises and new beginnings that sparkles with joy， humour and warmth。I fell in love with the novel’s cast of wonderfully drawn characters and found myself completely enchanted by their eccentricities， larger than life personalities and love of Italian food （which I am sure we can all relate to！）A first class novel that will sweep readers away， pour a glass of Limoncello and let Jo Thomas take you to Italy with Chasing the Italian Dream。 。。。more
Samantha Luke
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This latest book from this fabulous author whisked you off to an Italian vineyard。 The main character Zia-Lucia is on a mission to find out the truth about her Italian heritage。This was a delightful read that with it's clever writing transported me to Italy。Highly recommended as a lively summer read。 This latest book from this fabulous author whisked you off to an Italian vineyard。 The main character Zia-Lucia is on a mission to find out the truth about her Italian heritage。This was a delightful read that with it's clever writing transported me to Italy。Highly recommended as a lively summer read。 。。。more
Jennyh
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I really enjoy a Jo Thomas book， she transports you to the heart of the novel， bringing the setting and the characters to life。 she also provides a HEA which is important for a satisfying beach read。Lucia had Italian parents but spent he life growing up in Wales and her summers in Italy with her grandparents。 Whilst on her summer holiday her dreams are shattered and although she needs a life change， she prefers to stick to tradition and normality。meeting her estranged husband may be the catalyst I really enjoy a Jo Thomas book， she transports you to the heart of the novel， bringing the setting and the characters to life。 she also provides a HEA which is important for a satisfying beach read。Lucia had Italian parents but spent he life growing up in Wales and her summers in Italy with her grandparents。 Whilst on her summer holiday her dreams are shattered and although she needs a life change， she prefers to stick to tradition and normality。meeting her estranged husband may be the catalyst required for her to make some life changing decisions。wonderful characters and superb setting make this a must read book for the summer。。 I loved it and would have read it in one sitting if real life had not intruded！read and enjoy 。。。more
L A King
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What a superb book。 It lifted my spirits and swept me off to sunny Italy with the smell of lemons and olive groves。 Jo Thomas is excellent at getting the reader to feel that they are living the book。 The characters are wonderful and believable。 Lucia is a lawyer in England and is looking forward to her two-week holiday on her grandparents’ farm and helping out in their Pizzeria。 in Italy。 On arrival she learns that her grandfather has not been too good and has decided to retire。 This causes a pr What a superb book。 It lifted my spirits and swept me off to sunny Italy with the smell of lemons and olive groves。 Jo Thomas is excellent at getting the reader to feel that they are living the book。 The characters are wonderful and believable。 Lucia is a lawyer in England and is looking forward to her two-week holiday on her grandparents’ farm and helping out in their Pizzeria。 in Italy。 On arrival she learns that her grandfather has not been too good and has decided to retire。 This causes a problem as the Pizzeria has been in the family for years and goes to the oldest son。 Unfortunately， Lucia’s father has died。 Her brain goes into action and starts to think， is it time to re-evaluate her life and take over？ She becomes upset when she finds out that ex-husband， Giacomo，， has been asked if he is interested in taking it over。 It’s not thought that women should be Pizzerias。 Let the battle begin。 The love between Lucia and both her grandparents flows out of the book。 This is a fantastic ‘get away from it all’ book。 Eloquently written with everything that makes a great book。 Thank you， Jo， for a wonderful read。 。。。more
Susanne Scott
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What an amazing trip to Italy。 Reading this book made me feel like I really there， the smells， the food， the language。 Beautiful。 Luce and Gia are great together。 Each trying to figure out who they are now as adults， they’ve tried doing what was expected of them， and now they’re following their hearts。 The supporting characters are great too， Veronica and Sofia and especially Nonna， they really highlight the real role women play in supporting men and also societies views on their accepted place。 What an amazing trip to Italy。 Reading this book made me feel like I really there， the smells， the food， the language。 Beautiful。 Luce and Gia are great together。 Each trying to figure out who they are now as adults， they’ve tried doing what was expected of them， and now they’re following their hearts。 The supporting characters are great too， Veronica and Sofia and especially Nonna， they really highlight the real role women play in supporting men and also societies views on their accepted place。 This was cleverly written with lots of thought and heart。 I was rooting for Luce and Gia but they certainly kept me waiting， the epilogue was sheer beautiful perfection。 。。。more
Tredaran
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I would describe this as the perfect swimming pool novel - foodie theme， exotic location and thwarted romance - to be passed on to the person on the next lounger when you’re finished。 The highs are when Jo Thomas writes about cooking and food， the description of the solidarity of the “nonnas” and being transported to Italy for pizza and romance。 The lows？ Well the storyline is highly predictable and some of the things that happen are somewhat unbelievable and serve only to move the story along - I would describe this as the perfect swimming pool novel - foodie theme， exotic location and thwarted romance - to be passed on to the person on the next lounger when you’re finished。 The highs are when Jo Thomas writes about cooking and food， the description of the solidarity of the “nonnas” and being transported to Italy for pizza and romance。 The lows？ Well the storyline is highly predictable and some of the things that happen are somewhat unbelievable and serve only to move the story along - for example， neither staying in touch with nor divorcing your ex for seven years only to fall straight back into his arms after a few weeks， a loving grandfather who would rather see his restaurant not passed down the generations than have a woman in charge at a pizzeria， and a few more things besides。 Definitely not for in-depth analysis but a perfectly acceptable lightweight and undemanding holiday read。 。。。more
Christine Davies
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Lucia Rossi-Llewellyn， a business lawyer， has gone on hoiliday to a little town outside Naples。 This is where her Noona & Nonno live & run a retaurant。 Lucia spends her holiday here every year & it's where she is most happy。 Her Nonno wants to retire but Lucia is not happy about who will take the restaurant over。 Great book， that flows happily through the story。 Loved the characters & their stories too。 Lovely book for a quiet afternoon that will leave you feeling content。 Lucia Rossi-Llewellyn， a business lawyer， has gone on hoiliday to a little town outside Naples。 This is where her Noona & Nonno live & run a retaurant。 Lucia spends her holiday here every year & it's where she is most happy。 Her Nonno wants to retire but Lucia is not happy about who will take the restaurant over。 Great book， that flows happily through the story。 Loved the characters & their stories too。 Lovely book for a quiet afternoon that will leave you feeling content。 。。。more
Victoria Wilks
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I have read all of Jo Thomas’ books and fallen in love with each and every one of them， so when given the opportunity to read this latest novel I jumped at the chance！。Chasing the Italian Dream takes us on an adventure with Lucia – who has been working herself hard for years as a lawyer， desperately seeking the promotion to partner within the law firm she gives her all to every day。 Knowing she has done all that she can to earn this promotion – which she has already earnt twice over in my opinio I have read all of Jo Thomas’ books and fallen in love with each and every one of them， so when given the opportunity to read this latest novel I jumped at the chance！。Chasing the Italian Dream takes us on an adventure with Lucia – who has been working herself hard for years as a lawyer， desperately seeking the promotion to partner within the law firm she gives her all to every day。 Knowing she has done all that she can to earn this promotion – which she has already earnt twice over in my opinion！ – Lucia decides to take a break to Italy， visiting her much loved grandparents。But when Lucia arrives in Southern Italy where her grandparents reside， there are many shocks awaiting her – the biggest one being the return of her estranged husband Giacomo – someone who she has managed to avoid for quite some time now， following their romance fizzling away。Alongside this， Lucia also learns that Giacomo has reappeared in her life with the sole purpose of taking over the pizzeria that her Nonno has owned his entire life。 Realising he is at the point of retirement， and with no son to pass the family business on to， Nonno decides that Giacomo is the next best thing – after all， he is still a part of their family as Lucia’s husband。But Lucia is far from happy with this arrangement， and the situation seems to give her the push that she needed to realise that her heart is not in her current job as a a lawyer – it is in fact fully invested in keeping her families legacy alive here in Italy。 Deciding that it is only fair to give them both a fair chance， Lucia and Giacomo must work alongside each other to prove they are the right person for the job。I absolutely adored this story from the very beginning。 Jo Thomas has such an immersive writing style that makes you feel as though you are living within the world in which she has created。 The characters are authentic and well developed， each of them having flaws and difficulties to overcome – factors in which make them all the more human。 The setting was an absolute dream， which once again was brought to life wonderfully by the author – I could certainly picture myself taking a much needed break there too！。A gorgeous， heartwarming story that has you hooked to the very end。 I adored this book！。 。。。more
Carie
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A wonderful book where you are transported to Southern Italy， sunshine and pizza。 Very well written with vivd descriptions and great characters。 Lucia is a hard working business lawyer from Wales with Italian heritage。 She goes to visit her Nonno and Nonna on her yearly 2 week holiday on Italy and helps out at their resturant。 At the start of her holiday Nonno tells her that he is retiring from his resturant and her ex husband Giacoma is to take it over and run it。 Lucia is awaiting news of a pr A wonderful book where you are transported to Southern Italy， sunshine and pizza。 Very well written with vivd descriptions and great characters。 Lucia is a hard working business lawyer from Wales with Italian heritage。 She goes to visit her Nonno and Nonna on her yearly 2 week holiday on Italy and helps out at their resturant。 At the start of her holiday Nonno tells her that he is retiring from his resturant and her ex husband Giacoma is to take it over and run it。 Lucia is awaiting news of a promotion back in Wales whilst on holiday and finds out that she didn't get it and she realises that she wants to stay in Italy and run the restaurant。 Nonno decides to do a deal for Lucia and Giac to each run their own half of the kitchen and whoever has the most sales at the end of the month will run the family restaurant。 Let the competition begin。。。 In this heart warming story you are immersed into Southern Italy; transported into the kitchen imagining the smells of the cooking， fresh and crisp; you could picture being there in the sunshine。 Has a great mix of characters who you could relate to。 Nonna， a strong Italian matriarch， dependable， caring and clever。 Lucia， an independent， fiesty modern woman。 Nonno， the loving Italian grandfather set in his ways。 Giac， the ex husband。A story of friendship and family filled with love and emotion。 This is the first of Jo Thomas's books I have read and I will be seeking out her others。 I would definitely recommend this to others。 Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review 。。。more
Sarah Neeson
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Chasing the Italian Dream is a nice， feel good book about lawyer Lucia who returns to visit her Nonno and Nonna in Italy and ends up attempting to run the family restaurant。 It’s unheard of for a woman to try and do this in the area of Italy so there are many challenges to overcome。。。 not least having to share the kitchen with her estranged husband。 I enjoyed the book and the descriptions of all the food succeeded in making me very hungry and in need of a holiday to Italy！！！！I would have rated i Chasing the Italian Dream is a nice， feel good book about lawyer Lucia who returns to visit her Nonno and Nonna in Italy and ends up attempting to run the family restaurant。 It’s unheard of for a woman to try and do this in the area of Italy so there are many challenges to overcome。。。 not least having to share the kitchen with her estranged husband。 I enjoyed the book and the descriptions of all the food succeeded in making me very hungry and in need of a holiday to Italy！！！！I would have rated it higher but there were times which were really repetitive。 The same facts being told to us over and over。 This also made some of the dialogue feel quite clunky。 。。。more
Barbara
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The timing of this escape to Italy， was just perfect。 Winter weather was taking its toll and I found myself craving sunnier climes。 Jo Thomas delivered， and then some！Lucia is exhausted by the pressures of work， hindered by her colleague’s incapability to respect professional boundaries and her inability to say no。 There’s a promotion on the table and Lucia is convinced that it’s just a formality。 She is more than ready for her annual trip to Italy where she happily works alongside her grandfath The timing of this escape to Italy， was just perfect。 Winter weather was taking its toll and I found myself craving sunnier climes。 Jo Thomas delivered， and then some！Lucia is exhausted by the pressures of work， hindered by her colleague’s incapability to respect professional boundaries and her inability to say no。 There’s a promotion on the table and Lucia is convinced that it’s just a formality。 She is more than ready for her annual trip to Italy where she happily works alongside her grandfather is his pizza restaurant。Discovering that her grandfather has decided to retire and hand the reins to a successor， Lucia is shocked to learn that his first choice is her estranged husband， Giacomo。 Determined to keep the restaurant in the family， Lucia makes a deal that could lead to her becoming the new owner and Giacomo being sent away。This is a truly joyful story， packed full with gorgeous characters who are easy to imagine。 It’s impossible to pick a favourite， but it would be a close call between the Nonna’s and Veronica。 Fine examples of strong women。The food， of course， takes centre stage and it was in this book that I learned about the difference between a Pizziaiolo and a Pizziaiola; a term bestowed only on the most talented of pizza makers。 I was insatiably hungry， reading about all the fresh ingredients and imagining the plates leaving the kitchen。 。。。more
Denise Mcghie
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Sentirsi bene storia ambientata nella bellissima Italia！I really enjoyed this book， it's set in a little village in Italy where Lucia's Nonna and Nonno live。 Luce a business lawyer， whose Italian parents moved to Wales when she was young， goes back to holiday there every year。 This year when she goes back she finds out Nonno has decided to retire and pass on the business of his pizza restaurant。 Enter Giacomo who has history with Lucia。You realise quickly what way the story is heading but it doe Sentirsi bene storia ambientata nella bellissima Italia！I really enjoyed this book， it's set in a little village in Italy where Lucia's Nonna and Nonno live。 Luce a business lawyer， whose Italian parents moved to Wales when she was young， goes back to holiday there every year。 This year when she goes back she finds out Nonno has decided to retire and pass on the business of his pizza restaurant。 Enter Giacomo who has history with Lucia。You realise quickly what way the story is heading but it doesn’t hurry to get there and I liked the flow， it was easy and relaxed。All the characters were relatable and likeable （apart from Dante！） and the descriptions of the food made me yearn to be there eating antipasti， pizza （although not the rhubarb one）， gelato and drinking good red Italian wine。I might be a little biased as I love everything about Italy， the people， the language， the food， the country but for me this book took me away and for just a little while I lived la dolce vita。Thank you to Netgalley and Random House UK for the ARC 。。。more
Jean
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A light romantic read where you know what`s going to happen and the journey is very colourful。Luce returns to Italy for her yearly holiday to help out in the family pizza restaurant only to find out her grandad wants to sell the business and retire and has offered it to Luce`s estranged husband who she left years ago to move back to Wales to follow her career as a solicitor。When she finds out she didn`t get the promotion she expected she dives into making pizza hoping to take over the business b A light romantic read where you know what`s going to happen and the journey is very colourful。Luce returns to Italy for her yearly holiday to help out in the family pizza restaurant only to find out her grandad wants to sell the business and retire and has offered it to Luce`s estranged husband who she left years ago to move back to Wales to follow her career as a solicitor。When she finds out she didn`t get the promotion she expected she dives into making pizza hoping to take over the business but has to compete with her ex Giac。Everyone loves a happy ending and this keeps you reading to find out if it is。Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review。 。。。more
Helen
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I seem to be reading a lot of books set in Italy at present！ Must be my desire to get away and not being allowed to due to Lockdown！I got engrossed in this book and spent many nights trying to stay awake long enough to read more than a couple of pages。 Not because the book wasn't engaging， but becuase I couldn't stay awake！I loved the 'girl power' theme that emerges from this book and the celebration of the 'Nonna Network'。 From Lawyer to wannabe pizzaiola （or is it pizzaiolo？） I thoroughly enjo I seem to be reading a lot of books set in Italy at present！ Must be my desire to get away and not being allowed to due to Lockdown！I got engrossed in this book and spent many nights trying to stay awake long enough to read more than a couple of pages。 Not because the book wasn't engaging， but becuase I couldn't stay awake！I loved the 'girl power' theme that emerges from this book and the celebration of the 'Nonna Network'。 From Lawyer to wannabe pizzaiola （or is it pizzaiolo？） I thoroughly enjoyed this story。Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the ARC to review。 。。。more
Heather Trevis
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Lucia takes a well-earned rest from her business law job， visiting her Italian grandparents in her late father’s hometown in Italy。 Shocked to learn that her beloved grandfather is retiring and handing over the family pizzeria， she takes matters into her own hands and finds herself in a tetchy competition with her ex。 This is a light-hearted read containing a mixture of romance， soul-searching and fabulous， evocative descriptions of Italian cuisine。 Feel-good， escapist fiction。
Lisa Trup
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At first this book felt a bit obvious， and to be honest in retrospect it was。 But as I got further into the book I became more invested in the characters。Luce who married her childhood sweetheart Giac and then left him to pursue a legal career in Wales， Veronica， the local prostitute and various others along the way。The story is about Luce who returns to Italy from Wales after failing to achieve the promotion she was after。 She decides she wants to take over her grandfather's pizza restaurant， h At first this book felt a bit obvious， and to be honest in retrospect it was。 But as I got further into the book I became more invested in the characters。Luce who married her childhood sweetheart Giac and then left him to pursue a legal career in Wales， Veronica， the local prostitute and various others along the way。The story is about Luce who returns to Italy from Wales after failing to achieve the promotion she was after。 She decides she wants to take over her grandfather's pizza restaurant， however he has already offered it to Giac。Her grandfather decides there should be a competition to see which of them sell the most pizzas， the winner getting the restaurant。Of course ultimately love blossoms again between Luce and Giac and we're in for a happy ending。 As I said the story is a bit obvious but it was a nice pleasant read。 。。。more
Erica Robbin
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Such savory stories and writing。 I would like to thank Random House UK， Transworld Publishers for providing me with an advance readers copy via access to the galley for free through the NetGalley program。 I'd recommend it to anyone， especially those who are looking for a refreshing travel escape while on lockdown or feeling bogged down by life circumstances。The StoryReading stories by Jo Thomas are always such a treat to dive right in and be whisked away to a lovely place。 Reads like the first g Such savory stories and writing。 I would like to thank Random House UK， Transworld Publishers for providing me with an advance readers copy via access to the galley for free through the NetGalley program。 I'd recommend it to anyone， especially those who are looking for a refreshing travel escape while on lockdown or feeling bogged down by life circumstances。The StoryReading stories by Jo Thomas are always such a treat to dive right in and be whisked away to a lovely place。 Reads like the first glance at a restaurant menu， where everything sounds so delicious and you want to devour it all， a good restaurant with good conversation， one where you leave happy and satisfied。Took me right there。 First sip of morning coffee。 An early day’s work of homemade pizza dough divided and ready for a lunch time feast， fired in a wood oven。 Wandering around the plaza， the market， the people I might meet。 The aroma of fresh cut citrus， garden basil， garlic， tomato， mozzarella bubbling， ready for your heart’s content。 I was there enjoying it with Nonno and Nonna。And this one was all about Italy， family， and love。 With deeper sentiments， life circumstances， with crossroads that were unexpected， interesting， and dynamic enough to make me think about my own。The WritingEvery book I've read thus far has delivered its promise and this was was no exception。 Inviting and not overly descriptive。 Just enough to create alluring atmosphere while just enough to allow my imagination to feel like it was my own experience。 I really liked the initial and subsequent use of Italian language and translational presentation。Questions I had were later answered in more subtle， internal monologue and character interaction。 Super gratifying when that happens and when it doesn't feel forced， jarring， or overly-explanatory。 Makes for a good reading experience that doesn't feel either rushed or boring。I thoroughly enjoyed this one and am looking forward to the next read！ 。。。more
Debbie Loader
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It's all about second chances which are always good but throw in a little feminism and stir well and you get a delightful read that is full of descriptions - so much so that when you shut your eyes you can smell and taste them too。 Thoroughly enjoyed。 It's all about second chances which are always good but throw in a little feminism and stir well and you get a delightful read that is full of descriptions - so much so that when you shut your eyes you can smell and taste them too。 Thoroughly enjoyed。 。。。more
Claire O'Sullivan
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A lovely， light， gentle read 。 Transported to Italy and given lots of pizza during lockdown - perfect。 Very readable and a real tonic - felt warmer for reading this。
Joanne
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Lucia while expecting a promotion at her lawyers firm visits her family in Italy for her usual 2 week holiday， where she discovers her grandfather is thinking of retiring。 Finding out she is passed over again by a junior colleague Lucia has a rethink about her life。 A story about family loyalty， tradition and discrimination。 Wonderfully written with twists and turns at every pizza。 A feelgood book celebrating women's empowerment。 A book to read in one sitting as it keeps you enthralledReviwed on Lucia while expecting a promotion at her lawyers firm visits her family in Italy for her usual 2 week holiday， where she discovers her grandfather is thinking of retiring。 Finding out she is passed over again by a junior colleague Lucia has a rethink about her life。 A story about family loyalty， tradition and discrimination。 Wonderfully written with twists and turns at every pizza。 A feelgood book celebrating women's empowerment。 A book to read in one sitting as it keeps you enthralledReviwed on Facebook too 。。。more
Emma Hardy
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The perfect book for escapism。 Gorgeous setting。 The book transports you to Italy and you feel immersed in the culture。 Starts with a pacey rush to the airport and then relaxes you into Italian life。 Great characters， highlights how women are often overlooked for men in both of Lucia's worlds。 Just be warned， you will so so be craving pizza whilst reading this， more than ever before。 A perfect spring/summer read。 Highly recommend。 Loved it。 The perfect book for escapism。 Gorgeous setting。 The book transports you to Italy and you feel immersed in the culture。 Starts with a pacey rush to the airport and then relaxes you into Italian life。 Great characters， highlights how women are often overlooked for men in both of Lucia's worlds。 Just be warned， you will so so be craving pizza whilst reading this， more than ever before。 A perfect spring/summer read。 Highly recommend。 Loved it。 。。。more
Jeanie
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With thanks to netgalley and Jo Thomas for an early copy in return for an honest opinion。 Having read most of jo's books was delighted to read this one。This is one lady you can totally rely on fir an outstanding read nothing but praise for her books，can highly recommend。 With thanks to netgalley and Jo Thomas for an early copy in return for an honest opinion。 Having read most of jo's books was delighted to read this one。This is one lady you can totally rely on fir an outstanding read nothing but praise for her books，can highly recommend。 。。。more
Susan
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Thanks to Random House and Netgalley for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for a review。 A wonderful， light summer read making you long for hot days in Italy and leisurely pizza lunches washed down with wine and perhaps some grappa。Loved it。
Laura Taylor
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This is the first book I've read by Jo Thomas and it definitely won't be the last！ Italy is my favourite place to visit and when I saw the cover and read the title I thought it would be right up my street。 The first couple chapters where the main character Lucia is chasing a promotion at work were a LITTLE contrived， I thought， when it was overemphasised exactly how she would be spending her time/money/career once she got the new job。 However， I am glad I stuck with it as the story progressed to This is the first book I've read by Jo Thomas and it definitely won't be the last！ Italy is my favourite place to visit and when I saw the cover and read the title I thought it would be right up my street。 The first couple chapters where the main character Lucia is chasing a promotion at work were a LITTLE contrived， I thought， when it was overemphasised exactly how she would be spending her time/money/career once she got the new job。 However， I am glad I stuck with it as the story progressed to an interesting， unpredictable and delightful celebration of women in Italy and lots of description of my favourite foods and scenery！I loved the relationship between Lucia and her grandparents - I don't think there are enough books written about that special bond between generations and I loved the way Jo Thomas did this。 Overall it was a brilliant （if slightly undemanding） read with a big heart。Many thanks to Netgalley for providing a pre-release copy in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Mavis
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