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–Synopsis–

You can’t fall in love with someone who lives somewhere else and expect a happily-ever-after.

Lexi Walker has finally committed to the Italian adventure that she and her late mother dreamed of for years–complete with a meticulously crafted itinerary, four sealed letters to open at Rome’s most iconic sites, and her mother’s final painting to present at the art festival Lexi is helping organize. She’s ready for the perfect Roman getaway. What she doesn’t expect is for her mother’s artwork to start manifesting in real life, turning her carefully planned trip into something unpredictable.

Italian-American architect Mark Russo has sworn off American tourists after having his heart broken, and he’s certainly not about to let another one distract him from winning the restoration bid that could reunite his estranged father with his grandfather. But when the captivating woman next to him on the flight to Rome proposes a photography challenge–whoever captures the heart of Italy in seven days wins–Mark can’t resist the bet or her charm.

As Lexi follows the letters from her mother around the city, she encounters Mark everywhere she goes. Their competitive banter turns to undeniable chemistry, but they both know the cardinal rule of holiday romances. Will a little magic–and a lot of mishaps–break the Roman Holiday Rule?

–Review–

To preface, I would like to think Andra Loy and Haven for allowing ARC readers to come in and review The Roman Holiday Rule, and NetGalley for having an amazing platform for these books. Thank you!

The Roman Holiday Rule is a dual POV contemporary romance that follows the perspectives of Lexi Walker and Mark Russo as they discover the true heart of Italy. Through seemingly random happenstances, these two begin to heal from their previous heartbreaks as they share more than just a row on an airplane. Fate becomes quite a stubborn thing as it begins to alter their versions of the future as they move on from their pasts, culminating in a swoon worthy picture-perfect story.

One of the genres of this book, at least on Goodreads, was Christian fiction. I only recall maybe one or two moments in the book that lightly suggest any sort of spiritual belief so I would not necessarily consider this specifically Christian. That being said, the heavier magical realism elements may be hinting at a more deeper fate like message which could be attributed to believing in a greater power but that is a loose relation.

That being said, do not expect a story with specific mentions of Jesus or anything like that. It is a clean romance story however so that could be what that tag means as well? I am not too sure.

As the title suggests, the majority of the book takes place within the picturesque scenery of Rome, Italy. Where modern conveniences collide with the cobblestones and ancient remains of this iconic country. One of my favorite aspects of this book was the immersion I felt while following the characters on their daily adventures in Italy. Everything from the food, tourist attractions, to the very people, dragged me into this new culture and way of life. Traveling to Italy has always been on my bucket list so I found myself excited for each new day Lexi was wandering the streets.

The use of different artistic mediums such as photography, painting, cooking and architecture further added to the splendor of the scenery as well.

The overarching theme of family added yet another layer of enjoyment for me. The juxtaposition between Lexi’s deep rooted struggle with loneliness and the tight knit nature of Mark’s family, was beautiful. The quick acceptance of Lexi showed the beauty of found family.

One small disappointment for me was Mark’s subplot of reconciling part of his family that had not spoken in years. While I am glad this seemingly gets solved off page by the end, I was hoping to get to experience that reunion first hand. These plots of coming back together regardless of how much time goes by, are some of my favorites.

I found both main characters quite enjoyable once they began losing some of those misconceptions they were holding onto. In the beginning, I was struggling a bit with the cringey dialogue between Lexi and Mark. I thought the movie puns were coming off a bit too strong and forced since they had literally just met. Lexi started off quite childish in my opinion so it took longer for me to connect with her. Both characters did have some pretty great development and growth throughout the story which made them feel like such genuine people, which is always what I desire in a great story.

As far as the romance, there are some assumptions that both Lexi and Mark make that could have destroyed their relationship from the beginning. There is one particular misunderstanding Lexi has about Mark when they first meet that carries too far through the book in my opinion. There was absolutely no reason for her to have held on to that belief, other than a plot device to stave off the romance for a while. I am not a big fan of misunderstandings being used this way, which is the main reason for the four-star rating.

That being said, once the truth of each situation came out, both Lexi and Mark admitted their initial closed mindedness and worked at opening their hearts. That epilogue was a great addition and ending to the story!

All in all, if you enjoy a good scenic contemporary romance story with elements of magical realism, I would highly recommend marking your calendars for this release on August 4th!

Once again thank you to Andra Loy, Haven and NetGalley for the ARC read 🙂

-About the Author-

Andra Loy writes hopelessly romantic rom-coms where love bends reality, and her pre-published works have won numerous awards. Andra moved to Europe to teach English, where she hitchhiked, was sworn to secrecy about a secret mushroom hunting spot, and fell in love with the only American man in her small Czech town. Now, she lives in Michigan with her husband and three teens, teaching English, playing piano, and reacquainting herself with the American library system.