With thanks to Netgalley, Pigeonhole, the publishers and the author for the arc.
An enjoyable read by Kate Eberlen, Only You is a story of two people who meet, fall in love and then live happily ever after? Letty and Alf meet in Italy and spend time together while taking Italian lessons. The scenery was wonderful and the story easy to read.

I absolutely loved this. The relationship between Letty and Alf is beautiful and the development of the characters back stories throughout really adds another dimension. Really worth a read.

I’ll admit once I saw the dance theme on this book, I couldn’t wait to read it and didn’t take in much else of the blurb. So it was a bonus to discover the Rome setting too. Tick and tick on settings that I love.

FIRST LINE OF ONLY YOU BY KATE EBERLEN

“The air is bright with sunshine, crisp with a lingering breath of dawn.”

5 THINGS I LOVED ABOUT ONLY YOU

- Location, location, location. Beautifully described, I felt like I was standing in Rome eating an ice cream. And this is the perfect time to be a virtual tourist.
- Charming characters who find themselves in tricky situations. I was very invested in their stories and it had me turning pages eagerly to follow their journeys.
- The language of dance just added so much to the romantic feel of the book. I loved that Alf and Letty connected so much through dance and it cemented my feels for them.
- Mental health issues are sensitively and and emotionally explored.
- The theme is uplifting despite the heavy topics covered, and it’s the kind of book you read with a happy sigh.

Overall I loved, how have I not heard of this author before?! I’m on the hunt now for more of her books.

WHO SHOULD READ ONLY YOU BY KATE EBERLEN

I’d recommend this to you if you like romantic books with engaging characters. Or if you are a fan of dance themes in books. Fans of authors such as JoJo Moyes or Susan Lewis might also enjoy.

Wow what a beautiful book. Took me a while to get Into but when it got going it was very special. The story was so Interesting it had everything I want in a novel great characters and good story telling. Loved Alf and Letty and what they had been through in previous relationships made it all the more poignant. I loved the locations felt like I was back in all the beautiful places in Italy which I love and the dance thread especially the ballet references made this book a perfect read for me.Loved it

I will admit that this one is a slow burn, with the beginning 1/4 to 1/3 of the book being full of a lot of seemingly needless details about the characters and their circumstances. This meant that it was a bit complex to work out what was going on, and I did nearly throw this on the DNF pile. Luckily, I stuck with it, and all those extra details slotted into place by the end.

The setting of the book was perfect, with it being based mainly in Rome. Not only is Rome beautiful, it is also ridiculously romantic, and it lent itself so well to being the backdrop for the beautiful romance at the heart of this book. The writing in these sections set in Rome was also beautiful, very polished and professional and hugely enjoyable to read.

However, I did feel the later sections of the book (which are actually set before the two meet) were weaker, and less enjoyable. It was almost like the author had created this beautiful romance with ease, but then struggled with getting these two characters to where they needed to be in order for this romance to be possible. It also became far more cliche in the second half, which for me was a bit disappointing.

Personally, I did enjoy it, and it could work as an easy beach read that you don't have to concentrate on too hard. However, I did feel the book lost its way a little, and unfortunately it left me feeling underwhelmed and a bit disappointed.

Disclaimer - I was provided with an advance reading copy by NetGalley. This hasn't affected my review in any way, and all opinions are my own.

There were some lovely elements to this story. I loved the parts in Italy and New York, where they were described so wonderfully, it was easy to imagine being there.
The main characters were a little hard to find likeable, especially as the back stories were revealed, but the journey wasn’t an conventional love story.

This book is so wonderfully written I felt like I was walking and dancing through the streets of Italy myself. I became very invested in the two main characters and desperately wanted a happy ending for them. The plot twist was unexpected and beautifully crafted

Rich, atmospheric, and beautifully written. I loved this book from start to finish.

We start by meeting Letty and Alf in an Italian class in Rome. They seem at first just two people whose paths happened to cross. Actually, the intertwining of their lives and blossoming love story is however, something else altogether. This story carries a plot carefully woven, like the creeping roots of a beautiful tree, slowly, intricately powerfully drawing many complex threads together.

*Spoiler alert*
I greatly enjoyed the careful almost (but not quite) parallels between Letty and Alf, and Violetta and Alfredo - the characters in La Traviata, the Opera which features several times in the story. This is an epic love story set in a relatable modern world where you have to work hard not to let your past define you. It is a refreshing fusion of romance and some much darker themes, almost at times with elements of a psychological-thriller.

And instead of the traditional 'will they won't they' story arc, we are treated to a much more poetic exploration of the trials and tribulations of modern romance, set against a rich and beautiful backdrop of ballroom, dance and music.

These are characters you're rooting for, struggling to find their way in the world, and the way back to each other.

The only thing that could have improved it for me was...more!

Thank you to the publishes and Netgalley team for my copy :)

I found this a slow starter to be honest but about half way it kicked in and gave me all the feels. Such a romantic book and I enjoyed being transported to Rome.

I love Italy and have visited often and so I really liked the setting of this romantic story although it has been many years since I have visited Blackpool. I was submersed in the story from the beginning and found it a real page turner. I loved the characters and found the story fascinating I was just sorry when it ended. Leaving the reading wanting more is good I think. Excellent read from beginning to end.

Only You by Kate Eberlen

An absolutely beautiful book in every way. There are funny moments, sad moments, tragic moments. With such strong descriptions of the travels and places .

I truly loved this book you go through every emotion imaginable whilst reading this book as if you are experiencing it yourself.

Very well done Kate

I really enjoyed this book, I thought the descriptions of Rome were excellent, I really felt I was there with the characters. The characters were realistic and I was invested in what happened to them. There was a nice contrast of light and dark in the story. The background of dance and including Blackpool in the story was also an enjoyable touch. Overall a good story well written.

The setting was novel, and the actual setup of the book (a class where people from different countries are there to learn Italian) gave this book a sense of flair right from the get-go: it was not going to be the typical boy-meets-girl read. And that was so much the case here! The characters themselves are a little peculiar, and it takes a moment to warm up to them through the extensive amount of detail and information that is thrown at you at the start (and the present tense throughout doesn't help!). But once you do, it such a sweet, cozy read.

This book just did not grip me at all. It tells the story of Letty and Alf who meet when they’re visiting Rome. I struggled to enjoy it from the beginning and wanted to give it a chance - but it just wasn’t for me sadly.

Thank you to Netgalley for giving me the opportunity to read the book in exchange for an honest review.

The book which was sent through netgalley had words with letters missing mostly fi or fl. It made the book unpleasant to try to read.
If the book could be reissued with the words spelled correctly I would be interested in reading it!

This was a beautifully written love story between Alf and Letty who meet in Rome at a language class. The story progresses slowly. Lived all he descriptions of the locations they visited - really brought the story alive. Eventually their back stories emerge - both slightly shocking and not what I was expecting. Just when you think all is lost with their relationship the story turns again. Well worth a read.

What a lovely story! Super easy to read and hard to put down. Emotional and happy and a genuine feel good read

Letty and Alf meet in Rome at an Italian class. Alf is immediately bewitched and intrigued by Letty. She is quiet and reserved, but as they begin to spend time with one another they find for the first time that they can be unashamedly themselves with one another. As they dance the Viennese Waltz on the Piazza Novona, Letty feels that this is the best moment of her life. But she is keeping a tragic secret to herself, and he too, has a complicated past. Not to mention a girlfriend. And when they come face to face with their past and present secrets, it seems that it is over for Letty and Alf before it really began.

As they both return to England and lead their separate lives, they are grieving for what might have been. Letty loves Alf, but feels that if he knew her secret, he wouldn't want her anymore. And Alf hates himself for not being honest about having a girlfriend. He emails her to explain everything but in the end it is Letty's Mum who plays Cupid..

They do meet again, but will they ever dance together again? Can they move from the past to live in the moment? Described as 'charming, tender, funny and sweet' this is a touching story about bravery and hope, and daring to love again after betrayal and heartbreak.

Full of passion and despair, Letty is fighting the demons from her past and Alf is caught up in a relationship he really doesn't believe in. They meet in Rome and their adventures really bring the city to life. However their pasts catch up with them and their love seems doomed. Treachery, manipulation, mental illness and broken families mean nothing is easy for these two. A couple of great twists, no holding back on the murky details, and great characters. An excellent page turner.

This was a great read and I thoroughly enjoyed Alf and Letty's story. It started off slow and took me awhile to get into it initially however once i got past the first couple of chapters I was hooked.
I think both characters had a few problems but they never properly resolved in my opinion. It just focuses more on their love story towards the end and all the stuff that happened that made the characters end up in Rome was never fully resolved. It just stays in the background, sort of brushed off for them to get their HEA. So I think that made me feel slightly unsatisfied.