ITALIAN FOR BEGINNERS
Grand Central Publishing
August 2009
Summary: 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.
Not only does this book immediately grab hold of your heart and pull you deep inside Cat Connelly’s life, but it actually transports you to Rome. You honestly feel as if you have stepped into a little Italian life. Cat is dealing with some major life issues but Kristin Harmel’s light-hearted and often amusing tone provides the book with a perfect balance. The subject of reinvention is one that will certainly strike a chord with anyone who has ever questioned their destiny. This book was such a delight to read that the minute I finished it, I had to pass it along to a close friend. It is the kind of story you immediately want to share with people. Kristin Harmel has the ability to create vivid and honest characters that come alive on the page. Her writing and story telling gets more intimate and deeper with every book and yet she maintains a consistent ability to entertain her readers. A great read!
