My Lemon Grove Summer by Jo Thomas

 

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This was a fun, quick read. Jo Thomas is an English author who reminds me of Katie Fforde novels--contemporary women's fiction with a dash of romance and usually featuring a woman in her 30's-40's.

This novel takes place in Sicily, Italy and involves lemons--which I adore so much. I love everything lemon. Lennie and Zelda are friends who have come to the conclusion that life in England is not going to get better. Neither of them are happy with their humdrum lives. Lennie tells Zelda about an opportunity to move to Italy and live in a small town where they will pay for you to stay and help grow the community. Sounds like a win-win, right? And that pesky part about not finding love? 

Lennie and Zelda made a pact years ago that if they reached age forty without finding true love, they would get married. What could possibly go wrong with marrying your best friend?

Off they go to Italy, and meet a few other people who have also taken the leap and moved in the hope of starting fresh. Only problem is the town folks don't want outsiders moving in, and the houses they were promised are falling down disasters. Someone in the village of Citta d'Ora is pulling all the strings to push Lennie, Zelda, and their new friends out. 

There's also the local legend that says if a marriage doesn't happen in the village every ten years, Etna (volcano!) will show it's displeasure. And wouldn't you know, but that volcano is doing some rumbling...will Lennie and Zelda say "I do", even though it's quite clear they are firmly in the friend zone? Especially when Zelda sees Luca and feels the zip of instant connection...what's a woman to do?

This was a fun, quick read that took me away to Italy. Lemons abound in this novel, and I couldn't help but smell them the whole time I was reading this novel. There are even recipes in the back of the book for lemon-flavored treats. My only annoyance was with Zelda continually talking herself into keeping her promise to Lennie even when it was so very obvious they were not attracted to each other. 

I'll be reading more of Jo Thomas--she's an entertaining writer; romance is part of the story, but it's pretty clean--lots of longing looks and maybe a kiss or two.This novel was all about being true to yourself, taking chances, and using your talents to carve out a new life. 

Rating: 3/6 for a lovely novel set in Sicily, full of lemon groves and a sad, dying town that just needs some loving care to come back to life. Characters are enjoyable and just enough side stories to keep it all interesting and moving towards a satisfying conclusion. 

Available in ebook and paperback. 

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My Lemon Grove Summer by Jo Thomas

Pasta Wars by Elisa Lorello

Katie Cravens is a successful CEO of Pasta Pronto, her very own diet frozen food company; she's a size 2, and happily engaged to a lawyer.  Everything sounds great, right?  

Except Katie comes home one day and finds her finance in bed with another woman.  And there are candy wrappers all over the floor!  Her finance's last zinger, as he moves out, is that his lover doesn't worry about what she eats, and that's what makes her more attractive than Katie.  Ouch.  That hurts.  

Katie's blows continue, as her company struggles to survive a recall notice on one of her meals after it makes people sick.  Hoping to save her company, she agrees to partner with the Caramelli family in Italy, famous for their restaurants and quality Italian cuisine. Luci Caramelli invites Katie to Italy to go over paperwork and meet each other.  Luci's twin brother Luca is the moody, extremely sexy chef who doesn't want to partner with Katie and considers her food fake and, well, crap.  But they need a shot in the arm in order to keep their restaurants open, and Katie's partnership just may help them do that.  

As you can imagine, Katie and Luca don't hit it off; the calorie-conscious workaholic and the Italian chef who values fresh, handmade pasta dishes over "plastic" food.  Luca introduces Katie to fresh pasta, biscotti, and the delights of antipasto.  Katie's trip to Italy gives her a chance to look at her life and heal her wounded heart.  Attracted to, yet completely infuriated by Luca, she's torn between raging lust and knowing she's got to go back to New York and take care of her company.  There's just no room in her life for Luca. 

I won't tell you anymore, because there is a little twist in the last bit of the story involving Katie, Luca, and a televised competition.  I liked this novel, but it is definitely on the lighter side and certainly a fun tale to read leading up to Valentine's Day.  I have to say the food descriptions made me want to try my hand at homemade pasta.  Katie's journey from a hard working woman who is so focused on being perfect and in control, to a woman who learns to relax, enjoy life, and enjoy food is one that is certainly believable.  Sometimes we get so focused on walking that straight line we forget to look up, take a breath, and slow down.  In a world where we're all so rushed and it's too easy to eat garbage, this book was a reminder to me to pay attention; most especially that eating the good stuff is worth the time and effort it takes to make it.  

Rating: 6/10 for a light romantic read full of delicious food, the Italian countryside, and a heroine who isn't perfect (and is actually kind of klutzy).  

Available in paperback and e-book. 

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Pasta Wars by Elisa Lorello

I Loved, I Lost, I Made Spaghetti by Giulia Melucci

Just about every woman has a great story about the "one".  That one that seemed so darn good at the beginning, and ended up being waaay wrong at the end.  In I Loved, I Lost, I Made Spaghetti by Giulia Melucci, she has more than the "one".  Giulia's book is about her travails in the world of dating and relationships.  Poor girl.  She's pretty, smart, a great cook, has a great job and plenty of friends, but keeps trying to mold herself into what she isn't for each of the men who enter her life.  It's quite funny; Giulia also has a great sense of humor, and can look back on her romances and see exactly where they went wrong, and how they went wrong.

Interspersed within each chapter are recipes that coincide with each romance.  Giulia loves to cook, and is quite a good one, too.  She finds it a little frustrating to be dating a man who doesn't really care much about food at all; her efforts at creating lovely dinners go unrecognized and unappreciated.

If you're looking for a humorous look at dating in the 21st century, look no farther.  Giulia's book is delightful to read, and sometimes a bit sad, too.  Will she ever find someone who appreciates all of her?  Can she stop herself from trying to be what her men want, and not being her true wonderful self?

I enjoyed this biography.  I got online and checked up on Giulia; she's doing just fine, thank you.  Her dream of being a writer has been realized, and I hope she continues to write.  She has a great voice and you'll find yourself sipping a glass of wine, laughing over her disasters, and buying tomatoes and pasta (not Barilla) to make yourself a delightful dinner for one.

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I Loved, I Lost, I Made Spaghetti by Giulia Melucci