Book Smart Kate

Book: 🌟🌟🌟🌟💫  Spice: 🌶️

by Christy Schillig

I’ve never had an overwhelming urge to visit Italy…until I read this book! Schillig weaves the sights, sounds, and temperament of Urbino into every page of this novel, which is just so beautiful.

Ava has a plan for everything. She makes the plan, checks off the steps, and completes it. Italy is part of the plan. She gets to bolster her law degree before she starts with a top firm while checking Italy off the list of her late mother’s wishes for her. Along with an impending engagement to her politically connected boyfriend, her life is going exactly to plan. Until it isn’t. Instead of landing in Italy with an engagement ring and an internship, she lands with a “let’s take a break” conversation, a late airport pickup, a term abroad turned into chaos…and a handful of weeks that will alter her perspective on life, love, and family. As Ava adapts to her new reality, she embarks on an accidental journey of self-discovery through food, music, wine, art, and love.

I cannot wait for you to meet Ava and James. Both come with loads of family trauma. They start as comedic enemies-to-lovers but quickly grow into a deep connection as James shakes Ava out of her predictable patterns and Ava opens James up to embracing the opportunities in front of him. This book is deeply rooted in found family, connections to the past, and embracing your true happiness. Plus lots of wine and food. Schilling’s writing blends fun and quirky with thoughtful and heart wrenching in the best way. I can count on one hand the number of books that have made me cry in the last year and this is one of them. I simply loved it.