Kate Bromley

Truly charming romance between the lovely Violet and the reserved yet charming Matt. Violet is a fashion student years older than her peers. At 20 she left fashion school to follow a man who then left her (he is selfish, but as time goes on in the book it becomes clear that both of them know that though they like each other, maybe even love each other as friends, they are not a match but they have been together so long they are terrified to let go of one another.) She returns to fashion school without financial or moral support from her parents who want her to just grow up and be an art teacher. Finally graduating at 29 she lacks confidence and is terrified she will prove her parents right even though she has worked very hard and knows she is good at what she does. Her school (clearly it is FIT but it is never named) has a competition where the top 3 fashion design students go to Rome and intern at a top fashion house and get advice and ideas for creating a 5 piece mini-collection where one will be named the winner. (Why Rome and not Milan? No clue.) Think Making the Cut without cameras and without Heidi and her MILLION DOLLARS! Violet meets Matt, a showrunner for a popular streaming space-romance, her first day in Rome. He is immediately smitten but does not show it. She is immediately annoyed. After a first rancorous meeting they find out Violet is spending the month at Matt's mother's villa, as is Matt. Matt is terrified he is unable to commit (there are reasons for this) so he eschews romance but wants it from Violet. Violet is afraid she will ruin her professional life by following a guy like she did before, but is drawn to Matt. And Matt is adorable. Anxious and self-protective by nature Matt tears down his walls for Violet, but her fears get in the way.

The closed door romance is really healthy and adult and sweet most of the time. I enjoyed the fashion design info. It was interesting to hear about how things are constructed, fabrics created. and bodies measured. (There is a sexy measurement scene, and those are words I never expected to string together.) I think there were pretty significant pacing issues. Events occur, and there is very little to connect them. People are enemies and then suddenly besties. Americans show up in a room filled with Italian couturiers and fabric designers and instantaneously those Italian women become her fairy godmothers. Still, this was a lot of fun, and neither of the MCs give up everything for one another, instead they pledge to prioritize their relationship alongside their demanding careers and their friends and families. I would say this is a 3.5, rounded up because I felt very connected to the characters (who are so much more like me and my friends were at around 30 -- focused on building careers and travel and building "forever" relationships -- than all these books where women hang out and watch reality television with their besties while drinking sweet and unappealing cocktails.) Also big points for the Capri set scenes which were so breezy and satisfying and made me start looking at fights and hotels for vacation next year.… (mais)