Title: It Takes a VillaAuthor: Kilby Blades
Published by: Entangled Publishing on May 24, 2022
Genres: Contemporary Romance
Pages: 352
Format: Paperback
Source: Angela Melamud, Entangled Publishing
Book Rating: 8/10
For the reasonable price of $1, Natalie Malone just bought herself an abandoned villa on the Amalfi Coast. With a detailed spreadsheet and an ancient key, she’s arrived in Italy ready to renovate—and only six months to do it. Which seemed reasonable until architect Pietro Indelicato began critically watching her every move…
From the sweeping ocean views to the scent of the lemon trees, there’s nothing Pietro loves more than his hometown. And after seeing too many botched jobs and garish design choices, he’s done watching from the sidelines. As far as he’s concerned, Natalie should quit before the project drains her entire bank account and her ridiculously sunny optimism.
With Natalie determined to move forward, the gorgeous architect reluctantly agrees to pitch in, giving her a real chance to succeed. But when the fine print on Natalie’s contract is brought to light, she might have no choice but to leave her dream, and Pietro, behind.
Review:
Cheery, warm, and romantic!
It Takes a Villa is a charming, uplifting tale that sweeps you away to the idyllic Amalfi Coast and into the life of the grief-stricken Natalie Monroe as she reluctantly leaves her current life behind and heads to Italy to honour the plans she made with her late grandmother to renovate an abandoned villa on a tight budget, a limited renovation window, and the unexpected help from a sexy Italian architect.
The writing is fluid and sweet. The characters are hardworking, helpful, and kind. And the plot is an enchanting mix of life, love, family, friendship, hopes, dreams, community, self-discovery, taking chances, and finding a place to call home.
Overall, It Takes a Villa is an amusing, refreshing, enjoyable treat by Blades that I thoroughly enjoyed and which, ultimately, reminded me that life is truly an adventure!
This novel is available now!
Pick up a copy from your favourite retailer or from one of the following links.
Thank you to Entangled Publishing and Angela Melamud for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.
About Kilby Blades
Kilby Blades is a USA Today Bestselling author of Romance and Women's Fiction. Her debut novel, Snapdragon, was a HOLT Medallion finalist, a Publisher’s Weekly BookLife Prize Semi-Finalist, and an IPPY Award medalist. Kilby was honored with an RSJ Emma Award for Best Debut Author in 2018, and has been lauded by critics for “easing feminism and equality into her novels” (IndieReader) and “writing characters who complement each other like a fine wine does a good meal” (Publisher’s Weekly).
During her fifteen year career as a digital marketing executive, she moonlighted as a journalist, freelanced as a food, wine and travel writer and lived it up as an entertainment columnist. She has lived in five countries, visited more than twenty-five, and spends part of her year in her happy place in the Andes Mountains.