***2 Stars***
I was really looking forward to diving into Royally Roma. New to me author, Rome as the setting and who can pass up a retelling of Roman Holiday? But as much as I tried, and believe me I tried, I just couldn’t seem to find a way to connect with the characters and without that connection I couldn’t get lost in the story.
This isn’t to say that I didn’t like Nico or Julia, I thought that they were both quite likeable characters in all honesty. Nico has toed the line since the day he was born and never thought twice about it. His sense of duty, honor and responsibility were all qualities I admire in anyone. His act of “rebellion” also fit along those lines because instead of going on a bender, he went sight seeing. Julia’s life was torn apart. Twice. But she is still determined to have her dreams become reality and is doing all she can to make it happen. I honestly loved how Julia picked herself up, pulled on her shitkickers and moved on with her life, this isn’t to say that she doesn’t have wounds and scars from what happened to her, because she does. But instead of fully immersing herself in a pit of despair over it all she’s only wading in while trying to find a way out of it.
Their relationship was very ‘insta’, insta-lust, insta-attraction, almost insta-love ~ yes, it is a thing when they think it and the waffle over it ~ and while I normally have no issue with it and can roll with it with the best of them, it didn’t work here for me. The spark was missing for me and by the time they got to the bare your soul portion of the story, I was just like “Okay”. Which was pretty much my reaction at the end when they do finally end up together.
But while Nico and Julia didn’t get me going, I did really enjoy the fun little historical facts about Rome that were in the book, some I new, others were brand spanking new to me and were definite bright spots in the story. It’s always painful to admit a book didn’t move you because we always want them to be absolutely, but it happens and while I can see how others will absolutely love this story and the characters, it’s a miss for me and I’m chalking it up to being a “It’s not you, it’s me” situation.
~ Copy provided by the publisher via NetGalley ~
In this charming, modern retelling of the classic Audrey Hepburn film Roman Holiday, a royal prince tries to escape his hectic and rigid life and ends up leading a young graduate student on a chase through the Eternal City.
Julia Costa is too busy trying to complete her PhD while also holding down a full-time job as a private tour guide in Rome to keep up with celebrity gossip. So when she crosses paths with a real, actual prince, she mistakes him for a client and takes him on a daylong tour of the city.
Intrigued by the idea of spending time with someone who obviously has no idea who he is, and delighted at the prospect of a day free of royal obligations, Niccolo La Torre, Crown Prince of Lazaretto, acts on impulse and assumes the role of Julia’s client. He swears to himself that he’ll return to his royal duties after only half a day…but he’s having the time of his life.
Until Julia presents him with the bill. Since he snuck out of the hotel without so much as a dime, he tries to escape, only to discover that she won’t let him out of her sight until he can pay her back. She’s determined to get her money…and perhaps more from the handsome stranger she’s fallen for
Book Summary
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Published By: Gallery Books/Pocket Star
Release Date: March 27th, 2017
Series: Royals #1
ASIN B01JGQAHQU
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Teri Wilson is a romance novelist for Harlequin, Pocket Books and Tule Publishing. Her novel UNLEASHING MR. DARCY is now a Hallmark Channel Original Movie, and she currently has three other films in development with the Hallmark Channel. Teri is also a contributing writer at HelloGiggles.com and Teen Vogue, covering books, pop culture and everything royal. She's crazy about cute animals, vintage fashion and traveling. Visit her at www.teriwilson.net or on Twitter @TeriWilsonauthr.
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