I thought the premise of this book was really neat, and that's why I picked it up as it had the kind of adventure I craved. However the shift of focus from the painting mystery to the love story (which do overlap I get it) was a bit disheartening, especially since I didn't like the love interest at all. ( )

The ending was incredibly cliche and took way too long to get there. It was almost Princess Diaries in a way (as I assume it's supposed to be) where the girl gets whisked off to be a princess. And it's very clear to me that Luca and Violet shouldn't be together, and I think the liberties the author took to make sure they did end up together ruined it a little bit. I did enjoy the girls' character development better (although Violet was a little too cold to Kelly IMO, give the poor girl a break!) and I really enjoyed the addition of Evan. I think the dynamic between him and Violet would have worked out much better than Luca. But alas, why deny the readers their forbidden romance? ( )

All of the characters in this seem obsessed with boys, to the point where it starts to feel like it's all they care about. None of the characters seem happy without boys around, and every time a new male character is introduced, his appearance and level of attractiveness is analyzed in detail by the narrator. There are also long passages that compare Italian boys favorably to English boys. Apparently Italian boys are a lot more confident - unlike those silly English boys, they are totally eager to compliment a girl's appearance (whether or not she wants their opinion), and they're willing to fight off their friends to get the girl they want. Oh, and they don't let a fear of being slapped stop them from doing romantic stuff.

Also, while there were some sort-of friendships between the female characters, they still viewed each other as the boy-hunting "competition" and were sometimes distrustful or even enemies as a result.

That's pretty much all I have to say about this book. ( )

It’s just not summer if you don’t read at least one one book (1) about a Summer Romance, (2) with a Clever Main Character, and (3) an Exotic Setting. Flirting in Italian satisfies all three criteria.
Violet is off to Italy, seeking to find out more information about a painting of a girl that looks remarkably like herself. She is ostensibly there for a summer study course, staying in a villa with three other students, but hoping to discover more about the subject of the painting said to be from a family living in a nearby villa.
Handsome Italian boys…yummy Italian food and wine…the mystery of the curious girl in the painting…and even a poisoning…what more could you ask for in a summer teen read?
I was a little annoyed to find that the book is only available (as of yet) in hardback (it screams to be a paperback beach read) and that the book ends without resolving the question of the odd resemblance of Violet to the girl in the painting (requiring one to read yet another very, very light teen read next summer, I presume.) ( )

When I picked this one up, I was expecting a light contemporary romance. I was hoping for that anyway. I was in the mood for a really good contemporary — something totally different from all of the paranormal/dystopian stuff I’ve been reading lately.

The book begins on a positive note with our main character, Violet, traveling to Italy to study for the summer. Well, to study and to investigate a painting that she saw hanging in a gallery. The girl depicted in the painting was a dead-ringer for Violet and she felt that heading to Tuscany to do a little investigating might reveal the secret behind who that girl really is and why she looks so much like Violet.
The story felt very disjointed. As I mentioned earlier, I picked up the book expecting more of a light, fun, contemporary romance with maybe a little mystery thrown in. After the first chapter, I start to think that maybe I’m going to get more mystery than light-romance, but then the mystery of the painting is just kind of tossed to the side for a while when the story shifts back into contemporary mode (minus the light and airy tone I’d originally hoped for). It left me scratching my head.

Violet is likable enough, but I never really connected with her. I definitely wasn’t a fan of Luca, the main love interest in the book. He was very inconsistent, and there were times when I wanted to give Violet a swift kick in the ass to wake her up. I don’t know why she felt she needed to take his crap. He was so hot and cold it was maddening. The ending also seemed to come out of nowhere. I know there is a sequel, but I’m not sure I care enough about the characters or the story to come back for more.
The good thing about the book is that Ms. Henderson’s prose is fluid and enjoyable. Her descriptions of Tuscany are very rich and vivid. I just wish I’d been more invested in the story. ( )