Bubbling up with Helena

• Title: Ciao for Now
• Author: Kate Bromley
• Publisher: Graydon House
• Release Date: 6/6/23
• Genre: Romance
• Age Range: Adult
• Rating: ★★★
• Publisher’s Summary: When an American interning at a fashion house in Rome butts heads with her professor’s surly son, sparks fly! With her thirties rapidly approaching and a mountain of student debt looming over her, Violet Luciano’s dream of finishing design school and working in fashion has cost her everything. So when she lands an internship at an up-and-coming fashion brand in Rome, she brings her A game to Italy. With nothing left to lose, Violet plans to win the competition among the interns for the ultimate prize—a job at a New York label. But when a coffee run goes wrong and Violet accidentally destroys a stranger’s laptop, all of the apology Americanos in the world won’t help her. Because it turns out that the man from the café is Matteo, her professor’s eternally grumpy son, who thinks she’s a clumsy American…and  maybe  a stalker. Their animosity (and undeniable chemistry) grows as together they’re forced to face a summer of chic parties, adventures through Rome and sharing a home…with the person they can’t stand the most. The more time she spends with him, the more distracted she finds herself. With her chance to win the competition slipping out of her grasp, Violet has to decide whether to say ciao to Matteo—or ciao to her dreams. 

Rome might be the place in the world that I would love to visit the most. The history, the food, the architechture – just all of it feels magical to me. Because of that, I love to read books set in Rome. Ciao for Now‘s title also drew me to the book. It is a cute and fun read, but is not going to be added to my list of favorite romcoms.

I do love when a woman in a romance has clear career ambitions, and Violet certainly has that. After putting her dreams on the back burner for a while, she is determined to use her internship to pursure her goals in the fashion industry.

I wasn’t as invested in Violet and Matteo’s relationship as I wanted to be. When they got together, it didn’t quite feel earned. I felt the same way about their breakup and reunion. Each of these moments felt rushed and didn’t leave me the chance to get emotionally wrapped up in what was happening.

I love when a book has solid side characters, and I felt like that is missing in Ciao for Now. The reader gets a little glimpse into Violet’s sister and into Marco, Holly, and Mira who Violet works with. However, the reader doesn’t really get a sense of who these people are outside of their interactions with Violet.

Ciao for Now hits many of the tropes and expected moments of a romance novel. Matteo and Violet definitely are an example of the “grumpy-sunshine” trope – with Matteo as the grump to Violet’s sunshine. Of course, they are also an example of “vacation romance” or a “fling.” Despite it hitting all of the expected beats, it didn’t sparkle in the way I wanted it to.

Ciao for Now is a fun escapist read, but it is not anything to write home about.