Thanks to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for a copy of this book!

This book was cute, sweet, and full of emotional highs and lows for both of the main characters. I really appreciated seeing the development of Alex and his world. I enjoyed learning more about this area of Italy through their stories!

However, this book felt too long, and the chemistry between the characters didn't develop to a point that I actually bought that they were attracted to one another. I felt like the two characters were the vehicle to explore Italy, rather than having Italy be the background for falling in love.

I would recommend this book for people who want a beach read/airport read with behind closed doors spice.

In this book we meet Julia who is dealing with her terrible ex. She is forced to leave the house she put all her money into as a failed b&b and the dog. She travels as far as she can away so she can breathe without the ex being there. She finds work on a farm, while she works on the process of reapplying for her passport that expired to go home to Australia. She finds herself falling more and more in love with all things in this small region of Italy that is the crossroads of Europe. It is fun seeing two thick headed people deal with old Italians that love young love and will put people in all sorts of situations to make them see what they have in front of them. If you love Hallmark movies with a touch of spice you should read this book. Thank you Netgallery, Boldwood Books and Leonie Mack for choosing me to be an arc reader of this book.

I really enjoyed reading the character development of Alex, and how he navigates the stages of grief while trying to understand his feelings for Jules. While reading this book, I felt so many emotions - tears when reading about what happened with Alex that changed his life forever to quips of laughter when his extended family tried to meddle in the connection of Jules and Alex. The found family in this book is heartwarming and really reminds me of what it feels like to be accepted by a community, and the actions of living in a small town somehow seems to be amplified with Italian culture. I thought the author did an amazing job of really trying to describe the town and the culture of the Furlans.

In Italy for Love by Leonie Mack was not for me. I could not get into the storyline; however, the cover is very cute. IIFL may work for other people who appreciate romance in small towns though!

I don’t even know where to begin with this review. I was so completely drawn into the story of Jules and Alex. Of what has been, what is and might be. I normally struggle with third-person pov as I find it hard to feel connected to the story. This book does it so well.

It made me smile and cry, often at the same time. I’m so amazed at how the author captured the pain of a man with such deep scars, with all his conflicting thoughts and feelings. How much he wanted to continue living, but felt lost in a grey world of guilt and torment.

🌰 ‘Go and talk to Alex, then. He smiles more with you.’

They were so great at communicating, yet so horrible at the same time. I absolutely adored this book, it was painfully beautiful.

🌰 ‘I keep assuming you don’t exist except as a perfect figment of my imagination, like I’ve hit rock bottom, so I invented you to make me feel better.’

Jules decided to go travelling from her home in Australia and met Luca. They decided to open an B&B which didn't work out. She discovered her passport had ran out but she had to stay in Italy to get them renewed. She went to the furthest away place to get away from her ex.

After moving to Italy for love, Jules quickly realizes that la dolce vita isn’t so sweet when you’re stuck living with your ex, Luca, a full year after the breakup. The rundown B&B that was supposed to be their dream is now a nightmare she’s desperate to sell. But there are two big hurdles: her passport’s expired, and she’s flat broke.

Refusing to crawl back to her parents for help, Jules packs her bags and heads as far away from Luca as she can, landing herself on a family-run olive farm. Her plan? Work until she can afford a new passport and a one-way ticket back to Australia.

Jules has sworn off love, but the charming town of Cividale, with its breathtaking views of the Natisone River and a welcoming group of friendly farmers and locals, starts to chip away at her defenses. Things get even trickier when she meets Alex, a ridiculously handsome guy who’s just as anti-love as she is. Now, as Jules rethinks her “no love” policy, Alex’s own romantic baggage threatens to keep them both in a holding pattern. Trouble, meet Jules.

Julia (Jules) Volpe is desperate to sell the dilapidated B&B that she bought with her ex, Luca ’s Italian dream has turned into a nightmare. Still living with him, a year after they broke up, she knows she needs to leave but she has no money and her passport has expired. Determined not to ask her parents for help, she decides to work on an olive farm until she has enough money to pay for her passport and a ticket back home. When she arrives at Cividale del Friuli, the ancient Italian town on the banks of the gloriously blue Natisone river, she finds herself loving life again. When she meets Alex, she questions whether she can find love again.
I really enjoyed the character of Jules who finds herself again when she immerses herself into the community of Cividale del Friuli. The story was made all the more enjoyable for the beautiful description of the location, and I also found myself lighter for the experience. I thought that the developing relationship between Jules and Alex was well delivered, as was the struggle to overcome grief. An enjoyable read.
This book I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book from NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I received this book for free for an honest review from netgalley. Thank you for the opportunity.

Escapism at its best! Sweet and romantic and just what I needed.

I wasn't sure about this book at first, but I did eventually enjoy Jules' adventures in Italy. It was fun to read about her and Alex

Listen, this one ticked a lot of boxes for me. Two broken people with a lot of baggage who worked through it all to be together? Check. Some senior citizens constantly meddling in the MCs’ lives? Check. Crying because of a cat? Extra check.

The mixture of pain from Alex and Jules had me in tears more than I care to admit - everything that they went through felt so raw and vulnerable that it felt like you knew them personally. All I had to do was ignore the part where Alex supposedly has a goatee and the part where a passport could show up in less than 10 business days and I was set for a very fun, cute, emotional read.

This was a lighthearted, heartwarming romance that I extremely enjoyed reading during the fall.
As I was reading, I was transported to Italy's Cividale. The story is written in the 3rd person POV, which was great for this book and did it a great service as we are able to experience Italy and its scenery in the fall, as well as enter our characters' heads.

In this story, we follow our two main characters after they've had both experienced heartbreak in very different ways.
I loved how their relationship grew from complete strangers to a one-night-stand to friends before they become lovers. I loved parts of the grown-up communication they have, and the way they set some boundaries for themselves.
I also loved the sense of the found family we get. Every character we meet is absolutely loveable. But my favorite has to be Berengario with his meddling and efforts at match making.
The characters felt real, which I always enjoy and appreciate in romance books.

We also have a dog which always adds to my enjoyment of a story. I found myself literally smiling every time he appears on a page.

Absolutely 100% recommend to anyone looking for a sweet fall romance.

Thank you to NetGalley, Boldwood Books and author Leonie Mack for this eARC

A very sweet autumnal romance with sprinkles of serious topics, quirky side characters and adorable pets with lots of personality.
The romance between Alex & Jules was super cute, however I feel like it dragged a bit in the middle because it felt very repetitive at some points.
I absolutely loved the setting - usually when we have a setting in Italy it more of a summer vibe, somewhere in the south, maybe even by the beach. This was something new and fit so perfectly for a fall romance with the mountains, the cold and the chestnuts!
3.5 stars

Thank you so much for the ARC! I was excited. to read this, however, it wasn't my favourite. I found the writing to be fairly average, and struggled to pick it up. The story was also a bit too predictable. Lastly, I didn't feel like I was able to connect well with the characters and it took forever for the plot to pick up.

This heartwarming story follows Julia, an Australian who moved to Italy for love, only to find herself abandoned, homeless, and struggling to figure out her next steps. Her only constant companion is her dog, Arco. While waiting for her passport in the small Italian village of Cividale del Friuli, Julia unexpectedly meets Alex, a busker with his cat Attila. Their chance dinner leads to a series of events that neither anticipated, intertwining their lives temporarily.

Both characters are grappling with recent personal struggles, not intending to fall in love, especially given their diverging futures. Julia is portrayed as the stronger, more complex character, while Alex offers a lighter contrast. The story explores the challenges they face while also bringing humor and emotion to the forefront, especially through the vivid depictions of Italian rural life and the farm work Julia takes on.

While the novel delivers charming autumnal scenes and moments of giggles, it lags slightly in the middle but remains an overall enjoyable and detailed read about self-discovery and unexpected connections.

Really wanted to like this book, however I could not. It was not engaging, and felt poorly written.. Was very difficult to get into and keep my attention.

A really lovely story in a beautiful Italian village. The beautiful tight community welcome Jules who is looking for a free and safe place to stay while waiting on her passport. But she meets Alex and together they begin to move forward in their lives to overcome some grief and guilt of their pasts. A very visual story I could see this being a great film!

The desire to visit Italy grew even stronger after finishing this - especially Italy in the fall?? How gorgeous it sounds!

This was a lovely fall-vibes romance, perfect to cozy up with while the weather is getting a little chillier outside. I enjoyed Leonie Mack's easy writing as we follow Julia in her adventure to the Friuli area of Udine, an attempt to get "as far away from Italy without leaving Italy" as she could. The vivid descriptions we get of the area, the farm, the buildings, I quite enjoyed and would have loved to get a lot more of that. If I can't travel somewhere in person, I sure do love to travel in books!

Julia is hanging in limbo, waiting for passports so she can escape back to Australia after some turbulence with a past lover and a failed business venture. Her decreasing bank account, lack of place to stay, and the need to get away from her ex-boyfriend drives her to sign up to work on an organic olive farm in exchange for accommodations. Just until she can get back home, right?

Alex, our main male character, is a bit of a mystery for a good portion of the book. As a reader, we get very small tidbits as to what kind of trauma he went through before it finally gets revealed to Julia (and us) and then his behaviors make a lot of sense. I am no stranger to the type of trauma he went through, so I felt the rawness of his emotions, and the way the author wrote about his issues were realistic.

Both of our main characters had good character development, both separately and together, which was nice. Sometimes in a fluffy romance, we don't always get to see that on both sides, even if both parties have different issues they are dealing with. So I appreciated that.

As much as I love a good smutty book, I do also love a nice fade-to-black romance, too, which is what we get in this one. If that type of steamy is your jam, and you like a cozy, slow-burn type of romance set in a picturesque Italian town, this book will be for you.

This book is like a little romantic vacation in Italy. Julia has just gotten out of a bad relationship and is short of funds. She takes a job on a farm and has an instant attraction to Alex, but things are not simple. They are both veterans in the relationship wars so being together isn’t always easy. I loved the setting and the characters and the world that Leonie Mack created.

Awww I loved this, was super cute, super sweet and an easy ready! I read in a day's and a half, ate it up and left no crumbs. Only criticism is I felt the whole battling of feelings became a bit much and dragged out bur it was such a beautiful ending and a beautiful story! Second Leonie Mack book I've read and I'll definitely be reading more