Livia in Rome

by Bruna De Luca

Could Rome be where the heart is?

Sixteen-year-old Scottish–Italian Livia feels like an outsider, spending the summer in her grandmother’s bar in Rome.

Smug local boy Giulio works there too, and quickly becomes Livia’s nemesis. She is not going to be the cliché foreign girl who has a summer romance.

But as Livia navigates family drama, new-found friendships and. . . Giulio, she starts to see the city – and herself – in a new light . . .

Perfect for fans of Love and Gelato, To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before and Anna and the French Kiss.

Think ice cream dates, gorgeous Italian boys and sightseeing on a Vespa!

Scottish Italian author, Bruna De Luca, draws on her own experiences of growing up as a third culture ‘Scotalian’ kid. 

Genres: Romance, Young Adult, Italy

271 pages, Kindle Edition

Published July 3, 2025

Reviews

[milliereadsalot · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was adorable! Set during a summer in Rome, this utterly transported me to Italy, especially with all of the mentions of the food. Livia is there to help run her grandmother’s cafe while she is in hospital, but struggles in Rome as although she has Italian parents and speaks the language, she has been raised in Scotland, and so she has a real identity crisis going on, which felt really authentic and interesting to include. The plot as a whole was a little predictable, especially with the romance, but at the same time, the romance was really sweet. A short, easy read, definitely one for the summer!

[Lara Mewett · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’ve set myself a new book challenge: to read fiction set in places I’ve actually visited. This one was perfect, as it’s set in Rome and the main character, Livia, is from Edinburgh—two cities I’ve been lucky enough to explore.

The story was a little predictable, but still enjoyable. I loved how it transported me back to Rome, allowing me to picture the cobbled streets, famous landmarks, and remember the warmth of the Italian sun. However, when Livia joked at the mid thirties being too hot… I had 42 degrees 🥵

The Italian language sprinkled throughout the book made it even more unique, although I found myself having to look up quite a few words.

The back of the book enlists there are three words to describe it: sunshine, romance, and culture.

And no, Livia, you are not just a cliché foreign girl having a summer romance.

[bookswstella · Rating 3 out of 5]

I didn’t love it but I didn’t dislike it either, an average read to me!

It was a very short, sweet and easy read! I probably would’ve enjoyed more it if I read it a few years ago tho, closer in the age of the characters!

I found Livia’s behavior/attitude towards Giulio in the beginning to be very rude and childish, she just assumed things and acted on that. I’m happy that I can say that I enjoyed her in the end tho! She pulled through with some really good character growth in those 256 pages!

Giulio was sweet! I didn’t fall in love with him and I do agree with Livia that his behavior was a bit odd at times, but I still think he handled it better than her!

I really liked the side characters! I also loved the little community/found family that was created throughout the book! It was sweet!

[Olga · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a sweet, slightly awkward teen romance that knows exactly what it is.

Livia in Rome follows sixteen-year-old Livia, Scottish-Italian and feeling painfully out of place, as she spends the summer in Rome helping out at her grandmother’s bar. She speaks the language, sort of. She belongs, technically. And yet everything about the city reminds her that she is both foreign and familiar, never quite one thing or the other.

The setup is comforting and familiar. Sun-soaked streets. Ice cream dates. Family tension simmering behind café counters. A smug local boy who is immediately irritating and, inevitably, not quite what he seems.

Giulio arrives on cue as the nemesis-turned-love-interest, and the trajectory from friction to fondness is not exactly surprising. This is a very predictable arc, but it is handled gently enough that I didn’t mind following it along. The romance is soft, hesitant, and age-appropriate, which I appreciated.

Where the book works best is in its quieter themes. Identity. Belonging. What it means to be from somewhere without feeling fully claimed by it. Livia’s discomfort with her Italian-ness felt recognisable, especially in the way she bristles at correction and resents being told she does not quite measure up.

The found family element is lovely. The side characters bring warmth and texture, and the sense of community around the bar is easily the most charming part of the novel. Rome itself is rendered with affection, even if the descriptions stay on the surface. You get the vibe, if not the depth.

The writing, however, is very serviceable. Clean. Competent. Unshowy. It does its job and moves on. Nothing here stood out stylistically, and emotionally it stayed fairly light throughout. I never felt surprised, challenged, or particularly moved, even when the stakes were raised.

Livia herself took a while to warm to. Her early attitude towards Giulio is defensive to the point of rudeness, though to the book’s credit, she does grow. By the end, she feels more settled, more open, more herself.

This is one of those books where I kept thinking I would have loved it more had I read it younger. As it stands, I found it pleasant rather than compelling.

3 out of 5.

A decent, easy read with a sunny Roman backdrop, gentle romance, and thoughtful touches around identity and belonging. Nice company for a weekend, but not one that will stay with me.

[Sareen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Born and growing up in Scotland to Italian parents, Livia. Is spending the summer in Rome for the first time in ten years.
As her Nonna lies in hospital with a broken leg, Livia and her Ma arrive to help run the family cafe. Well, Livia would help if the locals and even her own mother weren’t so scathing at her attempts to speak Italian and make a decent coffee.
To her utter disgust, she is sent to Italian classes to learn a language she feels she already speaks.

It doesn’t help that, whilst she has been gone, Giulio, her next door neighbour seems to have practically moved in and taken over not only running the bar but taking care of Olivia’s Nonna too.

When she discovers the bar is in danger of being closed Olivia, along with her new friends decide to do something about it.

But can they do enough to save the bar?

Will Livia do the age old thing and fall in love with an Italian boy?

A warm hearted, Vespa scooting, adventure filled with sumptuous food, drink, sunshine , Italian culture, fun, family and friendships!

This story races along, keeping the reader guessing the whole way through and hoping for a happy ending.

What a fabulous way to discover Rome from your own home and it will leave you wanting to travel and explore such a fascinating city and its amazing history and culture.

[Nessa’s Book Reviews · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bruna de Luca’s debut is a heartfelt coming-of-age romance brimming with culture, charm, and a healthy dose of gelato.

Livia in Rome is perfect for fans of Love & Gelato and Anna and the French Kiss, delivering a delightful summer adventure that’s equal parts emotional and effervescent.

Sixteen-year-old Livia, half-Scottish and half-Italian, arrives in Rome feeling like she belongs nowhere. Working at her grandmother’s bar, she clashes with Giulio, a smug local boy who becomes her unexpected rival and maybe more.

But family secrets, a new sense of identity, and the magic of Rome start to shift Livia’s worldview.

What I Loved:

* An authentic cross-cultural voice: Livia’s identity crisis feels real and resonant, especially for third-culture kids.
* Rome as a character: From espresso to Vespa rides, the city pulses with atmosphere.
* Enemies-to-something-more romance: Livia and Giulio’s chemistry is irresistible.
* A story about growth as much as love: Family, friendship, and self-acceptance are just as important as the slow-burn romance.

Livia in Rome captures that dizzying feeling of first love and finding your place in the world. It’s a breezy, heartwarming escape to the Eternal City with a side of personal growth and pistachio gelato.

[Noelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

☀️ Livia in Rome by Bruna De Luca 🇮🇹

Thank you so much @scholasticau for this beautiful book I’m so grateful!! 🥹💛

This was such a short and sweet summer romance, perfect for younger teens! It had that lovely found family/small community feel that I always adore, the side characters were great and I loved the friendships that formed throughout! 🥰

It also beautifully showed the struggles of being from two cultures. Livia is Italian but raised in Scotland and while she understands and speaks some Italian, she isn’t fluent. When she visits Rome to see her nonna after ten years, she suddenly feels like a foreigner in her own culture. I loved seeing her gradually reconnect with her roots, improve her language and pick up on all the little cultural things (like the air conditioning, iykyk 😆)

Also it honestly made me proud every time I understood the bits of Italian sprinkled in! 🙈

And of course, the Rome setting completely stole my heart. I’ve been lucky enough to visit twice and this book made me want to hop on a plane back immediately!! 😍🇮🇹☀️

If you’re after a wholesome, clean teen romance, Livia in Rome is such a lovely pick!

Livia in Rome is out now! ✨

[Rebecca R · Rating 4 out of 5]

You've heard of 'Emily in Paris'...here's 'Livia in Rome'. Her Italian is a lot better than Emily's French and she's not nearly as insufferable.

Sixteen-year-old Livia has grown up in Scotland with her Italian parents and she hasn't been back to Italy since she was five, but now her grandmother is in hospital and Livia and her mum have travelled to Rome to support her and help out in her bar. Livia is anxious about getting to know her grandmother and worried her mum will keep treating her like a tourist - even though she is technically Italian. And her fears are realised when she discovers that her grandmother already has a substitute grandchild, gorgeous but smug Giulio, who she seems to like a lot more than Livia.

Despite the crushing and the blushing, there is also a lot of thoughtful commentary on how it feels to have your identity split between two different cultures. 'Livia in Rome' is a charming and engaging teen romance about first love and finding your own identity.

[Laurel Decher · Rating 5 out of 5]

Life isn't always easy when you belong to more than one culture. Living far away from a grandparent can complicate things when you finally visit. Livia doesn't know her grandmother's friends and they don't know her, so she has to prove her worth and figure out if the boy who's helping in the coffee bar is a true friend or not.

The story is just as much fun as the cover! Livia's adventures, as she gets to know her family's coffee bar, are like a trip to Rome with just enough setting to feel like you are there. But there's more to the story: Livia's inner life is so endearing. She's trying to BE as Italian as she looks, and doesn't want to be mistaken for a just another tourist. And then there are all these secrets to sort out--charming, interesting, and immersive.

[Sheila Averbuch · Rating 5 out of 5]

I just loved this: anyone who's a two-culture kid will relate to Livia, who's grown up in Scotland to parents from Italy. She feels extra sensitive about looking, feeling or seeming like a foreigner when she takes a summer trip back to help out at her grandmother's cafe in Rome. Livia's main relationship really is with Rome and finding her place in it, but the romance plot is believable and sweet. My favourite part was the diversity of Rome itself: people from lots of backgrounds, and always the question over everything: what makes you belong, and can only one kind of person be "one of us?" A wonderful, satisfying conclusion and an important book, especially now.

[Venice White · Rating 4 out of 5]

such a fun and sweet read, all the characters were so compelling and i love love loved the friend group dynamics that emerged out of the language lessons and livia's complex relationship with her family and figuring out where she fit in. cracked up on occasion with livia's metaphors and the absolute stubborn refusal to admit her own feelings regarding giulio. also delightful to spend time in rome and edinburgh having been to both in the past year.

[Onie Tibbitt · Rating 5 out of 5]

I just finished this delicious page turner of a book. It's perfect for a holiday or long weekend read.

The characters leap off the page, their stories made me laugh and cry, and the author writes with such eloquent ease and grace.

Beautiful heart bolstering themes with a sunny sprinkling of Italian cuisine. Highly recommend ✨

[deborah🐝 · Rating 4 out of 5]

⭐️4.25 - this book made me miss rome so much. i want my own italian summer romance stat!

[Cherilyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

The cutest enemies to first kiss story, set in Rome! Very cute teen story, no language or other inappropriate content.

[Daphne · Rating 2 out of 5]

2,5 ⭐️

[Mila Johnson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was amazing I 100% recommend it for young readers from the age of 10-13.

[Alice! · Rating 5 out of 5]

this was my favourite read of the summer :)

[Adibah(whatdibsread) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Livia in Rome is a very short and sweet story, I didnt love it but I didnt hate it either. As I read the story, I felt like I was settling into a soft afternoon in foreign city where nothing grand happens, just enjoying the warm atmosphere of the life in lively piazzas and sunlit cafes.

Sixteen-year-old Livia, who’s Scottish-Italian, spends her summer in Rome working at her grandmother’s bar. She feels like an outsider as she is not quite Scottish nor Italian. Her awkwardness with Giulio, a local boy who quickly becomes her nemesis adds another drama to the story. Between Giulio and navigating her mixed identity, Livia explores what it means to feel belonged.

Loved the vibe but not the story. I liked Livia, I adored the Roman summer, and I felt her journey in a way that was meaningful, but I also wanted more emotional punch and more risk in the romance. There were also moments where things felt slow and I wish the book has more conflict so that I can trully see how Livia reinvent herself better. Not just that, I wish to learn a lot about Giulio as he was portrayed to be complicated but I felt like I didn’t fully learn why he is the way he is.

Anyways, thank you Pansing for sending me this copy in exchange for a review. This book is now available at all good bookstores.

[Yvonne Banham · Rating 5 out of 5]

16 yr old Scottish-Italian Livia doesn't feel fully at home either in Edinburgh or in Rome, and that's about to get a whole lot harder to deal with when she spends the summer in her grandmother's bar in... Rome. What makes this book exceptional is the authentic voice behind Livia's dilemmas as a third culture kid. The writing style is easy and flowing and effortlessly evokes the beauty, the heat and the food (Oh the food!) of Rome. Livia has lots to negotiate with new friendships and family dramas, but as the reader you can sit back and nod wisely at her ever changing friendship with the initially annoying Giulio. And some of the final scenes (I won't give that spoiler!) remind me of one of my favourite ever films. The characters (both main and side) are interesting and multi-dimensional and I'm honestly in awe of how the switches in language are managed. ** WARNING! You may get the intense desire to eat Italian food and travel to Rome while reading this book.