Five Days in Florence

by Lorraine Brown

'Perfect poolside reading' PAIGE TOON
'Enchanting, engaging and utterly romantic' MIKE GAYLE
'No one does romance and travel like Lorraine Brown' ZOE FOLBIGG

A fiancé. An old flame. And five days in Florence...

Maddie is over the moon when her boyfriend Nick proposes in Paris. And spending five days in Florence with his family sounds like the perfect way to get to know her future in-laws.

But Maddie is in for a rude awakening. Nick's parents are too posh for words, his daughter doesn't want to know her - and just why has his ex-wife come along?! And if that wasn't complicated enough, who should be at the same boutique hotel but Aidan, the one that got away two years ago...

Who knew so much could happen in just five days in Florence?

'A deliciously warm, gorgeous read that swept me off to Italy and had me falling head over heels for the characters' OLIVIA BEIRNE
'Deliciously escapist, you will want to book that Italian holiday straight away' CAROLINE KHOURY
' Touching, witty and charming, I loved it' NICOLE KENNEDY


Readers are loving Five Days in

'Five Days in Florence is a great escape and holiday read. It includes family tensions, job insecurities and a second chance at love, all set in idyllic Florence...I found it a real page turner and finished quickly.'

'A glorious, relatable book that covers so much in such a short number of pages and yet everything feels like it was covered perfectly. I really enjoyed this book.'

'I absolutely loved being transported to Florence through Lorraine's incredible writing too, and could really imagine myself walking in Maddie's footsteps!...It would have been so easy to read this book in one sitting as I never once wanted to put it down but I savoured it over three evenings instead. It was just such an incredible book with an ending that was everything I hoped it would be. I honestly cannot recommend it highly enough!'

'This is a fun second chance romance story that will transport you to the beautiful city of Florence, perfect for a few hours of escapism.'

Genres: Romance, Fiction, Ebooks, Summer, Chick Lit

278 pages, Kindle Edition

Published July 20, 2023

About the author

Lorraine Brown previously trained as an actress and is about to complete her final year of a postgraduate diploma in psychodynamic counselling. She lives in London with her partner and their 8-year-old son. Uncoupling is her first novel.

Reviews

[Nadine Schrott · Rating 1 out of 5]

Boa.....ne....ehrlich....das war echt überhaupt nicht mein Ding....sorry...🤔!

Ich lese wirklich gerne mal leichte Trivial Literatur für zwischendurch....und genieße dabei leichte Unterhaltung mit gutem Ende....doch dieser Roman war für mich der totale Reinfall....

Weder stimmungsvoll noch romantisch....nur dröge, vorhersehbar, langweilig und dumpf.....!

Bitte einfach im Regal stehen lassen!

Sorry!

[Alicia Knebel · Rating 2 out of 5]

90% der Charaktere waren einfach nur super nervig und anstrengend. Dazu gab es viel zu viele für die eigentliche Handlung überflüssige Dialoge und viel zu wenig Einblicke in die wirkliche Gefühlswelt der Protagonistin.

Mir war das Buch einfach zu flach. Es war leider weder humorvoll noch spannend oder besonders romantisch. Daher leider nur 2,5 Sterne.

[Rida Quraishi · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book whisked me away to the enchanting streets of Florence, Italy, and served as the backdrop to a tale of unexpected reunions and complex family dynamics.

The strength of this book undoubtedly lies in Lorraine Brown's vivid descriptions of Florence. Her talent for painting a picture of the city is nothing short of remarkable, making me feel like I was right there alongside Maddie, savoring gelato and wandering cobblestone streets. The cultural immersion and the beauty of Florence are undeniable highlights.

However, the book's structural choices left me somewhat unsatisfied. The narrative jumps back and forth in time, revisiting Maddie's past romance with Aidan and their abrupt parting. Unfortunately, these shifts didn't add substantial depth or new perspectives to the story, given that we already knew about this past relationship. I yearned for more time dedicated to Maddie's personal growth and development.

Maddie herself is a relatable character, navigating the complexities of her romantic entanglements and family drama. Her journey is one of self-discovery, and her struggles resonate with many readers. However, some of the male characters, including Nick and Aidan, come across as rather unlikable and weak, which can be somewhat frustrating.

Despite these reservations, Lorraine Brown's writing shines through, and her ability to craft strong female characters, such as Maddie, Daisy, and Sophia, is evident. The relationships between these women offer tender moments that add depth to the narrative.

While it didn't fully meet all my expectations, I would still be eager to explore more of Brown's work in the future.

[Nikki Brady · Rating 3 out of 5]

my favorite part was the story being based in Florence since I just visited myself. storyline was okay, dragged a bit and the end was predictable.

[Johanna · Rating 3 out of 5]

Kuula alati oma südant 🫶🏼

[whatlauraisreading · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 stars

My favourite part of this book is the vivid portrayal of Florence. Within the story, you're taken on a virtual tour of the city's landmarks and I loved all the picturesque scenes. I really, really want to go to Florence!

The story has two timelines and Lorraine Brown has also made me want to visit some more places in Scotland too as there are flashback scenes set there. However, I didn't feel like the two timelines quite worked in terms of this being a romance book. In the present day, we come into Nick and Maddie's story too late and by this point, it is hard to understand how they were ever in love. In the past, Maddie and Aidan's love story happened and was over too quick. So I was a little disappointed with the romance element. I also feel like you're supposed to like Maddie, but I just found her annoying.

Nevertheless, Five Days in Florence was easy to read and it's the sort of book I can imagine reading by the pool or on the beach.

[Lynn Butterfield · Rating 5 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
Lorraine Brown has done it again🥰
I’ve loved every book this amazing author has written!

Maddie is thrilled to get engaged to gorgeous Nick in Paris and they both go to Florence to spend 5 days there with his family. Sadly, his family are not what she envisioned and she is far from what they envisioned. Maddie is ordinary and quirky, whereas his family are uptight, aristocratic wannabes, not to mention - his ex wife came along for the fun of it?! Luckily, things heat up for Maddie as she spots the man who broke her heart two years ago, also staying at the SAME hotel in Florence. How on earth is there this much drama!?

✨
This book was amazing! And if I may judge a book by its cover - what a gorgeous cover! Lorraine has a real talent for creating the most likeable narrators. I truly enjoyed reading this and loved to hate people like Rosamund and Sofia! I can’t wait for Lorraine’s next book, which she tells me is tennis themed!

[Melanie Moreira · Rating 4 out of 5]

Foi a primeira vez que li algo da autora e gostei imenso. A escrita é super fluída, engraçada e que nos faz devorar o livro em pouco tempo 🥰
Sem dúvida que a família do Nick me deixou super irritada 🙄 e a única que se safa foi mesmo a Daisy.
A evolução da Maddie durante o livro é maravilhosa. Ela finalmente escolhe aquilo que ela realmente quer e ouve o que ela quer em vez do que os outros querem. E o Aiden 🥹🥹 “did I mention that I am completely, madly, out-of-control in love with you?" 🥹🩷

Além disso, a autora fez um excelente trabalho a descrever Florença. Por momentos pensei que estava mesmo nas ruas da cidade, a deliciar-me com um belo gelato ou a saborear um bom vinho! 😍

[Jimena De Las Heras Fernández · Rating 3 out of 5]

What I loved most about this book were the references and descriptions of the city of Florence—it felt like being there again ❤️‍🩹

Apart from that, the plot is very predictable and the love story isn’t one of the best that I’ve read (not at all), buuuuuut sometimes a girl just needs to read a rom-com based on her favorite city in the world, right??

P.S. After finishing it, I just remembered “Midnight Rain” by TS.

[Lena :)) · Rating 2 out of 5]

Dieses Buch hat absolut keine Handlung.
Das einzige was mir gefallen hat, ist die Darstellung von Florenz, der Rest war wirklich gar nicht gut.

[Ashley Price · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute book… I wasn’t expecting anything mind blowing. I only bought this because I was in Florence but it’ll be a fun little keepsake.

[Ingrid Maclean Nyegaard · Rating 2 out of 5]

Jeg er en hård kritiker, men synes virkelig at denne her bog manglede lidt af det hele. Den var sød, men manglede virkelig mere handling 🤝

[Natasha · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5. Bought this in Florence, and it was fun to read about all the places I'd been to again. The ending was a bit rushed, but cute read overall!

[Steph · Rating 4 out of 5]

Firstly, a big thank you to Orion and Net Galley for the ARC.

This is an easy, romantic read. I’d give it 3.5/4⭐️. The setting is fantastic, and the way the setting is brought to life is a real credit to the author. Such a romantic, beautiful setting that finds itself infected by the drama of the main characters, in good and bad ways.

The story did feel a little bit rushed – yes, for a book set over five days, you would expect it to be fast paced, but I feel like there could have been more to the story, more moments extended. Some of the characters were insufferable, such as Nick’s Ex- Wife. Sometimes, if a character is that irritating, and other characters let the behaviour slide, it hinders the reading experience for me.

I always love a good flashback, and I liked that these were incorporated so we could see the flashbacks of how Maddie and Aidan first met and fell for each other.

Overall, this was an easy summer read. Whilst it didn’t blow me away, I still really enjoyed it, and the incredible descriptions of the setting are some of the best I’ve seen in a book.

[Ninia LaGrande · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute und fix lesbar, aber auch ein bisschen random. Die Charaktere waren mir teilweise zu stereotyp, aber für ein verregnetes Wochenende ist es schon ok.

[Isabelle Mouat · Rating 3 out of 5]

Loved the book fast read and very entertaining

[Greta 💞 · Rating 1 out of 5]

No. Just no.

[Readingwith_georgia · Rating 5 out of 5]

red flag for an entire family? who knew

THANK GOD MADDIE MADE THE RIGHT CHOICE

Honestly loved the plot of this, and the dual timeline.

Red flags all round for nick and his family though - would run for the hills if that was me!

[Melanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nicht nur, aber auch, weil dieses Jahr unser Sommerurlaub nach Florenz gehen wird, habe ich mich sehr auf diesen Roman gefreut - und meine Erwartungen wurden nicht enttäuscht.
Die Heldin Maddie fährt mit ihrem Verlobten Nick nach Florenz - große Familienfeier anlässlich des 45. Hochzeitstag ihrer künftigen Schwiegereltern, die sie erst hier kennenlernen wird. Schon diese Ausgangslage würde mich persönlich maximal stressen, aber die arme Maddie muss sich zudem mit Nicks schwieriger Teenager Tochter aus erster Ehe und seiner schrecklichen Ex-Frau auseinandersetzen und trifft - wie viel Pech kann man haben - ihren letzten Ex vor Nick, mit dem die Beziehung nicht wirklich abschlossen wurde, sondern über Ghosting beendet, die wohl grausamste Art und Weise, eine Beziehung oder Freundschaft zu beenden.
Dieses Setting bietet natürlich allerhand Zündstoff, doch die Autorin verzichtet dankenswerterweise darauf, die "negativen" Protagonisten allzu einseitig darzustellen. Maddies Gefühlschaos bleibt die ganze Zeit nachvollziehbar und wird nicht übertrieben überhöht, was manchmal Autoren dieses Genres leider tun. Ich habe tatsächlich niemanden "gehasst", was mich wirklich positiv überrascht hat.
Maddie selbst ist eine ausnehmend sympathische Heldin. Sie ist nicht zickig oder Ich-bezogen, sie ist nicht "schwierig" oder nörgelig, quengelig, nein, sie ist wirklich bemüht, sich einzufügen und dennoch ihre Meinung zu vertreten, auch wenn ihr das wirklich schwer fällt. Sie ist außerdem in der Lage, zu kommunizieren, das fehlte mir leider in letzter Zeit oft in meinen gelesenen Romanen. Hier aber ist das wirklich kein Thema, was mich sehr gefreut hat.
Mir gefiel es also ausnehmend gut, Maddies 5 Tage in Florenz zu begleiten und parallel dazu ihre Geschichte mit Aidan, ihrem Ex Freund, zu erfahren.
Besonders schön waren natürlich die Schilderungen von Florenz und Umgebung, da bin ich so richtig begeistert worden und freue mich jetzt noch viel mehr auf unseren Urlaub dort!
Und - das ist auch ein absolutes Plus - das Ende ist richtig toll! Nicht kitschig, nicht brutal oder kindisch rachsüchtig, sondern erwachsen und positiv und der Epilog hat mich dann doch wirklich sehr gerührt.

Eine klare und eindeutige Leseempfehlung ohne jede Einschränkung für dieses wunderschöne Sommerbuch, das auch rein optisch durch den gelben Farbschnitt und das knallige Cover besticht!

[Cia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fünf Tage in Florenz – emotionale Kälte bei warmen Temperaturen 2,5 Sterne

Für mich hätte dieses Buch wirklich großes Potential gehabt im wunderschönen Ambiente von Florenz eine unterhaltsame Liebesgeschichte spielen zu lassen. Leider blieben bei mir die Gefühle für Maddie und Aiden aus.

Besonders gut gefallen hat mir wie die Autorin Florenz beschreibt. Man spaziert gemeinsam mit Maddie durch die Stadt und kann sich bildlich gut vorstellen, wie sie die einzelnen Sehenswürdigkeiten betrachtet. Leider war das für mich das Highlight der ganzen Geschichte, da ich mit Maddie als Hauptprotagonistin, Nick als ihren Verlobten sowie Aiden als alten/ neuen Love-interest leider meine Probleme hatte. Schnell erfuhr man, dass Maddie nur mit Nick zusammengekommen ist, um sich über Aiden hinwegzutrösten. Auch war ihr schon vor der Verlobung bewusst, dass sie nicht wirklich sich selbst in der Beziehung repräsentiert, sondern Nick eine Rolle ihrer selbst vorspielt. Ihre eigene Meinung äußert sie in der Beziehung zu Nick nicht, wodurch die Beziehung der beiden nur sehr oberflächlich ist.

Nick verhält sich während des ganzen Buchs Maddie gegenüber sehr bevormundend und ich frage mich wirklich, wie die beiden nur zusammenkommen konnten. Ich hatte mir sehr erhofft, dass es zwischen Nick und Maddie auch ein paar schöne Momente gibt, damit das Love-Triangle, in dem sich Maddie befindet, mehr ausgereizt wird und sie ein wenig mehr hin und her gerissen ist zwischen ihrem Verlobten und Aiden. Das hätte für mich die Spannung der Geschichte deutlich erhöht. So ist es von Beginn an offensichtlich, dass die Beziehung zwischen Nick und Maddie durchweg negativ und zum Scheitern verurteilt ist und Aiden scheinbar die Erlösung ist.

Aiden wiederum kommt leider erst nach der Hälfte des Buchs so wirklich ins Spiel. Vorher erscheint er nur wie ein Geist an den gleichen Orten in Florenz, wo sich Maddie gerade aufhält. Auf eine Interaktion zwischen den beiden muss man leider sehr lange warten. Im Nachhinein fragte ich mich schon, ob man sich den ersten Abschnitt des Buchs hätte sparen können – so wirklich ist da ja nichts passiert. Im zweiten Teil des Buchs tritt Aiden dann mehr in Erscheinung. Allerdings dominiert die Zweisamkeit zwischen Aiden und Maddie mehr in den Rückblenden als in der Gegenwart. Bei ihrem ersten Kennenlernen ist sofort eine körperliche Anziehung da, der sie dann auch schnell nachgeben. Leider fehlte mir einfach die Entwicklung ihrer Beziehung. Es ging alles sehr schnell, so dass ich nicht nachvollziehen konnte, was die beiden eigentlich miteinander verbindet. Für mich blieben beide Beziehungen von Maddie – sowohl die zu Nick als auch die zu Aiden, einfach zu oberflächlich und waren für mich nicht greifbar.

Für mich war das Buch schlussendlich von der Storyline her leider nichts Besonderes und konnte bei mir nicht wirklich Gefühle wecken. Einige Handlungsstränge blieben offen und die Rückblenden zogen sich für mich leider etwas in die Länge. Ich hätte es spannender gefunden mit dem Klappentext in die Geschichte einzusteigen. So wäre es schneller zum Zusammentreffen mit Aiden gekommen und man hätte den beiden mehr Zeit in der Gegenwart geben können, um sich wieder anzunähern. Anschließend hätte man das Love Triangle mehr zuspitzen können und hätte dadurch deutlich mehr Spannung in der Handlung kreiert. Leider wurde meiner Meinung nach das Potential dieser Story nicht genug ausgeschöpft und ließ mich deshalb emotional recht kalt zurück.

[Lauren Kyle · Rating 3 out of 5]

Was a cute read but was lacking spark, and the storyline was predictable as soon as Aiden came back into Maddies life (seems impossible as well like just too much of a coincidence but hey ho it was cute vibes)

Just seemed rushed as well at the end and I just can’t get over why Maddie would think it was ok that Nicks ex fiancé was in the same trip as her meeting Nicks parents for the 1st time?? Like noo way would that happen irl. And what happened with Maddie’s dream of producing her own travel related stuff??

Maddie is a travel assistant producer of a holiday network, and she is engaged to Nick (he is v wealthy). They go to Florence to meet nicks parents for the first time, who turn out to be horrible, up themselves people. Nicks ex, sophia, is also there along with their daughter Daisy. I found daisy extremely unlikable tbh. I loved all the Florence description parts, especially after going there on holiday before, it took me back!!

Maddie somehow meets Aiden there who she met previously at Loch Lomond when she was shooting footage and he was a travel writer. Just too much of a coincidence for him to meet Maddie like it just wasn’t believable. Aiden basically patched Maddies texts years ago, and his reason was his mum and dad told him he was adopted. I dunno why if he loved Maddie so much why he would stop messaging?? And the only reason he gets back together with Maddie is from this chance meeting? If he never magically met her in Florence, would he forever never of spoke to her again??

Maddie then dumps Nick again and gets back together with Aiden…then the book just stops?? Epilogue was too short and just was rushed and I wanted to know what she was gonna do with her job? At least we know Aidens parents (2nd first time meeting future in laws in 6 months lol) are actually decent.

Fun read though <3

[Lottie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was such a fun, easy romance that completely transported me from a rainy day in England to the beautiful city of Florence.

I've said it before and I'll say it again, second chance romances are my fave. The premise of the book sounded really intriguing and although it was easy to guess how the story would play out, it didnt take away the enjoyment of it.

I really liked our fmc, Maddie. She was such a relatable character and definitely had me giggling at times. The past chapters really helped me get a feel for Maddie's relationship with Aiden and how deep of a connection they had - I absolutely fell in love with Aiden and he really had me swooning 🤭 I was always looking forward to reading those chapters the most.

Reading the present day chapters with Maddie and Nick had a different feel to it, i did enjoy it and at first I found Nick to be quite charming actually and was worried I wouldnt know who I'd want Maddie to end up with but as the story went on, seeing Nick completely change around his family and treating Maddie differently I was seriously starting to get the ick 😬 and dont even get me started on Nick's family — especially Rosamund & Sophia— urgh they had me so mad I wanted to lob that Gucci purse at their heads.

Seeing Maddie's character grow from beginning to end made my heart happy and I wanted nothing but the best for her. You could tell she was struggling with making a decision but ultimately chose what was best for her. I also loved the growth between Maddie and Daisy's relationship - that really made me smile.

Overall I really enjoyable read 🫶🏼

Thank you Orion Books for this arc.

[Giuly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Maddie si sente la donna più felice al mondo dopo che Nick, il suo fidanzato, le chiede di sposarlo. Ora non manca che conoscere la sua famiglia, e quale occasione migliore se non 5 giorni a Firenze? Peccato che Nick si era dimenticato di dirle che ci sarebbe stata anche la sua ex moglie, per giunta considerata come seconda figlia per l'ex suocera. Ovviamente non finisce qui, nel suo stesso hotel incontra anche il suo ex storico che l'ha lasciata senza nessuna spiegazione. Maddie riuscirà a sopravvivere a questa breve, ma tragica, vacanza?




⭐️3,5/5
La struttura di questo romanzo ricorda molto “Forget me not”: la parte romance è concentrata nei capitoli che raccontano il passato dei protagonisti, mentre quelli del presente sono più concentrati sul viaggio fatto a Firenze. È stato molto bello aver un punto di vista di uno straniero cosi dettagliato di una città italiana.
Il personaggio di Nick non mi ha fatto impazzire, c'erano momenti in cui lo trovavo carino e alcuni in cui lo trovavo insopportabile, soprattutto quando trattava male Maddie davanti alla propria famiglia. Viceversa il personaggio di Aiden (un nome, una garanzia) mi è piaciuto abbastanza anche se avrei voluto leggere il suo pov e magari conoscerlo anche meglio. La trama poteva essere strutturata meglio, il finale mi ha lasciato un po’ a desiderare. In compenso è stata una buona lettura per esercitarmi con l’inglese, non ho fatto quasi per nulla fatica. Le parole che non conoscevo erano poche e molte ci arrivavi a logica. Sicuramente consigliato a chi volesse migliorare con la lingua, un po’ meno se si cerca una storia d'amore travolgente

[Natalie · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars rounded up

A second chance romance set in beautiful Florence written by Lorraine Brown? Sign me up!

While Maddie is on a trip to Florence with her new fiance Nick to meet his parents and celebrate their 45th anniversary, she is stunned to run into Aidan, the man whom she had a short-lived romance until he ghosted her.

Adding to the shock is the stress dealing with Nick's rich, snooty parents (and their racial microaggressions to mixed race Maddie), plus Nick's ex-wife, whom Nick neglected to mention was coming. At least Nick's teenage daughter Daisy had more maturity than the rest of the adults including her father.

This book is the perfect holiday read. Lorraine Brown is so talented at describing Florence in a way that made me feel like I was there grabbing a gelato with Maddie and roaming the cobbled streets, or looking at art and going on winery tours.

However, I found that the structural choices meant less time was spent on making the emotional beats land and the growing tension to build. The book jumps several times from the time Maddie meets Aidan to the moment he ghosts her. The problem with this is that we already knew this, so jumping back in time didn't add anything for me. I'd rather more time to watching Maddie growing confidence and assertive skills.

That said, I still really enjoyed this book and would happily read anything Lorraine Brown writes. If you like a good escapist second chance romance set in a beautiful destination, this book is the perfect tonic.

Thanks to Orion and NetGalley for the ARC.

[Caroline O'Sullivan · Rating 3 out of 5]

After just spending the last few days reading Fourth Wing, this book was the perfect palette cleanser as it was such a lovely read.

This storyline was based around two different time lines which I always adore. In the present day we spend our time in Florence and in the past we are in Loch Lomond. The authors description of each place was brilliant, you could really see each place vividly in your mind. I grew up going to Loch Lomond so it was lovely seeing it through the authors eyes.

I liked Maddie, she was a lovely down to earth woman with so much to offer. She was put in a very awkward position on this trip, one that most woman would never accept. I did not like her fiancé at all and could of happily slapped him for her along with his snobby mother and his hideous ex wife. How could they treat her the way they did and think that it was ok? I enjoyed his daughter, Daisy and loved that she had Maddies back. Maddie is definitely better at biting her tongue than I am, I would of lost it with them haha.
I really love how Maddie found her voice towards the end, she dodged a bullet for sure.

I much preferred Aidan, he was a much more likeable bloke, he was down to earth and just genuinely lovely. I would of liked to have seen more of him and Maddie together though as they seemed to have a great connection and lots more fun.

I didn’t really feel the romance in this book and wish there had of been more of that.

I enjoyed the epilogue and thought it was the perfect ending and honestly you can’t go by spaghetti carbonara in my opinion haha.

This book didn’t blow me away but I don’t think it was supposed to, it was a nice, easy quick read.I think it would be a perfect book for reading on the beach or lounging by the pool.

[alex_buchgeplauder · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ein schöner und entspannter Städtetrip
.
Florenz ist eine Reise wert. Die Stadt ist wunderschön und hat viel Sehenswertes zu bieten. Mit dem Buch, das ich euch heute vorstelle, könnt ihr lesend auf einen Städtetrip gehen und ganz viel Florenz-Flair genießen 
. 
Darum geht's: Bei einem Kurzurlaub in Florenz soll Maddie die Familie ihres Verlobten Nick kennenlernen. Überraschend trifft sie im Hotel Aiden wieder. In ihn war Maddie zwei Jahre zuvor schwer verliebt. Dann hat er sie von einem Tag auf den anderen geghostet. Diese Enttäuschung hat Maddie noch nicht verarbeitet…
.
Ich habe hier ein Buch gelesen, das ohne Schnickschnack und dadurch fast schon unauffällig daherkommt. Es gibt keine übertriebenen NA-Liebesdramen. Auch keine aberwitzigen RomCom-Szenen mit Witz komm raus, du bist umzingelt-Humor. Fehlanzeige auch in Sachen Spice. Damit fällt das Buch gleich durch mehrere Raster, die für Aufmerksamkeit sorgen würden. Aber ich habe nichts davon vermisst. Die Story ist pur und ich hatte ohne dieses ganze Drum und Dran einfach ein entspanntes Leseerlebnis. Ich konnte die Geschichte genießen, so wie sie ist: erwachsen, bodenständig und lebensnah. Auf Herz und Gefühl musste ich dennoch nicht verzichten. Der extra-Kick ist hier quasi das herrliche Florenz-Setting, dass ich hier in Form eines unterhaltsamen Cityguides präsentiert bekommen habe. Die Beschreibungen haben mich gedanklich wieder dorthin reisen lassen. Ich wurde an so vieles erinnert, was ich fast schon vergessen hatte. Alles in allem einfach schön und kurzweilig. Von mir gibt's eine Leseempfehlung!

[Paradise · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you were thinking about romantic cities, Paris and Florence might be at the top of the list. Both are beautiful, and when you sit down for dinner and see the sunlight glinting on the river... the feeling really is magical.

So a second chance romance featuring both cities was always going to be a winner!

Five Days in Florence is a gorgeous story and Lorraine Brown is a fantastic writer, managing to capture the true essence of Florence, combining the vibrant culture with the rustic countryside so that we see all sides of the city.

The dual timelines also introduce us to Maddie's time in Scotland, which is a nice contrast to Nick's family and their choice of pastime. Considering they have chosen to visit a culinary hot spot with some fantastic restaurants, they spent a lot of time eating in the hotel when we all know you should embrace the local cuisine and explore!

Maddie is all of us - independent, but a bit downtrodden, trying to make the right decisions but doubting herself along the way. Her personality really shines in the description and she is relatable throughout, although I was surprised she could afford her own place in London on her quite meagre salary! Dare to dream...

Brown writes very strong female characters, as Daisy and Sophia are also clearly visible and present as we read and the brief tender moments between Maddie and Daisy are lovely. Neither Aidan or Nick are particularly appealing and they seem quite weak; their attitudes are questionable and quite irritating, whilst their behaviour is unforgiveable, which is a shame - sorry Maddie!

A sweet yet passionate second chance romance which may inspire you to book flights to Italy...

[Frances Wilkinson · Rating 2 out of 5]

Ok

Nick asked Maddie to marry him on top of the Eiffel Tower, romantic maybe, but Maddie thinks it’s too soon, though she doesn’t tell Nick that. Four weeks on and they’re travelling to Florence to celebrate his parents wedding anniversary. They can’t fly because Nick doesn’t like to, so it’s the ferry and train and they arrive 24 hrs later. When they get to their 5 star hotel, Maddie isn’t allowed to freshen up because they are late for the family lunch. She hasn’t met his parents before and she wants to make a good impression, but Nick says she looks lovely and they will love her, oh did he forget to tell her his ex-wife and daughter are also there. I don’t know who thinks that’s appropriate but it was a red flag for me.
Apart from Daisy, most of the characters weren’t particularly likeable, Nick was subtly controlling, his parents condescending snobs and the ex-wife, poisonous. Maddie was very needy and a bit irritating. I found it hard to believe that she had been dreaming of her wedding for years, I thought women stopped doing that over 40 years ago.
To make the situation worse Maddie discovered that Aidan, the guy who dumped her two years earlier was staying their hotel.
The story kept going back and forth in time to bring us up to date on the earlier relationship, I found that very annoying. However I thought the story flowed well and I enjoyed the descriptions of Florence and the surrounding countryside but the story was a little disappointing.

[Francesca · Rating 4 out of 5]

Such an easy read, I inhaled it in a day.
Incredibly obvious story but isn’t that why we read some books, for the cosy familiarity?

I did find the end a bit abrupt and wish some more home truths could have been said to some characters. But I enjoyed the ride I had with this book.

I did find it creepy how much the main character’s backstory resonated with me though:
- Working in TV as an assistant producer, this is a role I’ve had a couple of times and I worked in TV for the better part of a decade - so know the limited promotional opportunities there. And knowing the companies she’s talking about very well.
- The Cliques in media - this is a huge part of the experience. Especially the part about the people who did media studies courses! As someone who didn’t do a media studies course but has the experience she talked about it was weird to see it called out.
- Although as someone who grew up on Brighton beach, that doesn’t give you the edge this book suggested 😂
- Oversized knitwear and skinny jeans- this is my whole wardrobe. In the way this character described it!
- Hoping you will one day know if you want kids but getting to your 30s and being none the wiser to that feeling.

I felt spookily seen!!

[Kate (bookishkenyannerd) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Maddie is over the moon when her boyfriend Nick proposes in Paris. And spending five days in Florence with his family sounds like the perfect way to get to know her future in-laws. But Maddie is in for a rude awakening. Nick's parents are too posh for words, his daughter doesn't want to know her - and just why has his ex-wife come along?! And if that wasn't complicated enough, who should be at the same hotel but Aidan, the one that got away two years ago.

This was easy to get into. I loved the descriptions of Florence and felt like I was right there with Maddie as she got to explore the city. Even though Nick's family was quite talented in dampening the mood, Maddie still found a way to enjoy her surroundings.

I do wish that she got more time to work on herself. I would've loved to see her standing up to Nick's family and also letting him know what was wrong in their relationship aside from the fact that they were drifting apart.

Aside from that, I loved getting a glimpse into her relationship with Aidan years ago. This was a low stakes love triangle so it was clear who would get the girl in the end 😂

This is another of the backlist titles I wanted to get to this year and I enjoyed it!