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.
(Blurb via Goodreads)
{Details} Kindle Edition, 251 pages. Published
March 27th 2017
by Pocket Star. eARC provided via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review
{Rating} 4/5 - I really liked it!
{Review}
I really enjoyed this one. It's a fast read, just over 250 pages, but it packs a big punch.
Both Julia and Niccolo have secrets they can't escape. Niccolo is at a breaking point. He's been the responsible one, the one that cleans up the messes, who does the hard thing, but when he sees the woman with the red painted mouth, who doesn't know who he is, mistakes him for her client he seizes the opportunity to escape himself - at least for a few hours.
Julia is a strong person too. Her life was upended and she moved to Rome to start over, to make a life for herself there. I loved Niccolo and Julia together, the way they build off of each other, they're better together. I loved the setting, the sightseeing, journeying around with Julia and Niccolo on the Vespa, seeing all the famous sights.
There were a few misses for me, I didn't like the beginning, I would rather have started without the glimpse of the future, and the ending felt too abrupt. I wish there had been more after the grand gesture, but I guess that's a good thing, leaving us wanting more. Overall I enjoyed Royally Roma and am excited to learn that the next book in the series, another retelling, will be available soon.
