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When In Rome
When In Rome...Find Yourself
Rory Hartnett has sworn off love, so boys will not be a distraction on her six-week study abroad trip to Rome. She has her plate full dealing with her anxiety in a foreign country, making new friends to explore the city with, taking classes, and applying for an internship at a travel e-zine. But when she meets the cute artist sharing her eccentric host mother’s lodging, all bets are off.
Fall in love with the first in a brand new series about four girls finding themselves—and maybe love—in the city of fountains. If you loved Anna and the French Kiss or Love & Gelato, you won’t want to miss this sweet New Adult series from new romance author Lena Mae Hill.
Fall in love with the first in a brand new series about four girls finding themselves—and maybe love—in the city of fountains. If you loved Anna and the French Kiss or Love & Gelato, you won’t want to miss this sweet New Adult series from new romance author Lena Mae Hill.
165 pages, Kindle Edition
Published September 6, 2016
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August 2, 2017
'I VOLUNTARILY REVIEWED A COPY FROM THE RACHEL E. CARTER YA BOOK CLUB ON GOODREADS.'
Probably more accurately a 2.5/5, but I'm going to round up because I did enjoy the book. Overall, it was a good book, there were just a few things that irked me, that kept me from actually loving the book.
Rory as a main character definitely wasn't one of the worst I've read about, though she certainly wasn't one of my favorites, either. I loved watching her grow as a character, and I feel like her inner monologue was definitely accurate to that of someone with anxiety. I just didn't like how willing she was to dump everything that represented her to fit in, however temporarily.
Her "best friend" back home was such a complete bitch. The fact that Rory kept referring to her as her best friend but she never once talked to her the six weeks of her being Rome? The fact that she seems to constantly be forcing Rory into situations she wouldn't have done on her own. Constantly making Rory drink to "calm her down", making her wear specific clothes, and just gahhh. Encouraging her when she started sleeping with Jack.
Then there's the whole Rome thing. This book takes place in ROME. And you'd hardly even know that was the case because it's hardly even a backdrop to this story. And I mean, she was there for SIX WEEKS! There's only mention of a couple fountains, basic Coliseum tour mention, pizza, one gelato stand visit, and crappy Chinese food.
And her whole broken heart story... reaaaally wasn't much of a broken heart story. It was just sorta a failed attempt at catching a guy's attention and it actually trying to be in a relationship with him for fear of not fitting in.
Okay. And their portrayal of the "stoner" boy. I'm sorry, but the whole fucking book every time they mentioned the "love interest" she HAD to mention something about his smoking habits or some comment derogatorily representing pot but then it would bounce back around in a good light randomly. The typical "stoner" demeanor shown in shows, books, and movies makes it fairly obvious when it's someone really doesn't know the effects...
Overall, throughout the book I did enjoy the storyline and Rory's progression, but it took so long for something to happen, I was bored throughout the first chunk of the book.
Probably more accurately a 2.5/5, but I'm going to round up because I did enjoy the book. Overall, it was a good book, there were just a few things that irked me, that kept me from actually loving the book.
Rory as a main character definitely wasn't one of the worst I've read about, though she certainly wasn't one of my favorites, either. I loved watching her grow as a character, and I feel like her inner monologue was definitely accurate to that of someone with anxiety. I just didn't like how willing she was to dump everything that represented her to fit in, however temporarily.
Her "best friend" back home was such a complete bitch. The fact that Rory kept referring to her as her best friend but she never once talked to her the six weeks of her being Rome? The fact that she seems to constantly be forcing Rory into situations she wouldn't have done on her own. Constantly making Rory drink to "calm her down", making her wear specific clothes, and just gahhh. Encouraging her when she started sleeping with Jack.
Then there's the whole Rome thing. This book takes place in ROME. And you'd hardly even know that was the case because it's hardly even a backdrop to this story. And I mean, she was there for SIX WEEKS! There's only mention of a couple fountains, basic Coliseum tour mention, pizza, one gelato stand visit, and crappy Chinese food.
And her whole broken heart story... reaaaally wasn't much of a broken heart story. It was just sorta a failed attempt at catching a guy's attention and it actually trying to be in a relationship with him for fear of not fitting in.
Okay. And their portrayal of the "stoner" boy. I'm sorry, but the whole fucking book every time they mentioned the "love interest" she HAD to mention something about his smoking habits or some comment derogatorily representing pot but then it would bounce back around in a good light randomly. The typical "stoner" demeanor shown in shows, books, and movies makes it fairly obvious when it's someone really doesn't know the effects...
Overall, throughout the book I did enjoy the storyline and Rory's progression, but it took so long for something to happen, I was bored throughout the first chunk of the book.
March 3, 2017
Where do I begin? Hmmm.. Truth to be told, I really don't know how to start this review about my feelings towards the characters, without hurting someone else's feelings, but I can't help it. It took me a while to finish the book because I had struggles reading it in the first place.
I get it, Rory was somewhat sheltered in life, but at the age of 21, she still had a lot of hang ups and indecision and insecurities and behaved like a 15 year old. Okay, to be fair, I know it's been given that her character has a serious case of anxiety and lack of self-esteem. But that's beside the point. I really didn't have strong connection with her.
I, as the reader, got tired of all those things she did - like thinking, assuming, doubting, hesitating, and feeling uncertain about a lot of things.. She questioned everything! Man, in the end, I got frustrated and annoyed.
Even when Rory finally settled in Rome and met Ned, her stoner friend next door, I had hoped for her to grow some balls and backbone. That one time when she got lost, I think that's the time my heart softened for her. One major factor that I liked though was learning about her house mother Theresa, bless her heart. That tragic event that led to what she became in the end - that I perfectly understood.
Now let's go to Ned, the artist and the mystery guy. Well, I like him, he's normal in his own special ways. He's easy to get along with and he's really nice. But him together with Rory, I didn't feel it. I meant the sparks. I got nothing. I just didn't get that usual "kilig" factor I usually feel.
Lastly, the story took place mostly in Rome Italy. I had expected the story to feature more scenic spots and Italian settings. Sadly, I didn't get much of this wonderful city in the story.
Anyway, I know that I should have been more understanding about Rory and her anxiety attacks. I know how this kind of sickness make that person helpless and powerless. If ever I offend anyone with my concerns regarding anxiety issues, I apologize. I guess this book just didn't work out for me.
----- NOTE: I VOLUNTARILY REVIEWED A COPY FROM THE "RACHEL E. CARTER YA BOOK CLUB ON GOODREADS. -----
I get it, Rory was somewhat sheltered in life, but at the age of 21, she still had a lot of hang ups and indecision and insecurities and behaved like a 15 year old. Okay, to be fair, I know it's been given that her character has a serious case of anxiety and lack of self-esteem. But that's beside the point. I really didn't have strong connection with her.
I, as the reader, got tired of all those things she did - like thinking, assuming, doubting, hesitating, and feeling uncertain about a lot of things.. She questioned everything! Man, in the end, I got frustrated and annoyed.
Even when Rory finally settled in Rome and met Ned, her stoner friend next door, I had hoped for her to grow some balls and backbone. That one time when she got lost, I think that's the time my heart softened for her. One major factor that I liked though was learning about her house mother Theresa, bless her heart. That tragic event that led to what she became in the end - that I perfectly understood.
Now let's go to Ned, the artist and the mystery guy. Well, I like him, he's normal in his own special ways. He's easy to get along with and he's really nice. But him together with Rory, I didn't feel it. I meant the sparks. I got nothing. I just didn't get that usual "kilig" factor I usually feel.
Lastly, the story took place mostly in Rome Italy. I had expected the story to feature more scenic spots and Italian settings. Sadly, I didn't get much of this wonderful city in the story.
Anyway, I know that I should have been more understanding about Rory and her anxiety attacks. I know how this kind of sickness make that person helpless and powerless. If ever I offend anyone with my concerns regarding anxiety issues, I apologize. I guess this book just didn't work out for me.
----- NOTE: I VOLUNTARILY REVIEWED A COPY FROM THE "RACHEL E. CARTER YA BOOK CLUB ON GOODREADS. -----
October 6, 2016
*Thank you to the publisher/Netgalley for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review.*
This book was entertaining but not really special. I was in the mood for a light contemporary, and this was a contemporary, but not light.. I hoped that it would contain a lot of romance, but that was also a bit disappointing.
Rory is suffering from anxieties and she has decided to study in Rome. Throughout the book you’ll read a lot about her anxiety.
At first I disliked that she is questioning everything. On every page you read an inner monologue and in the middle I found it very annoying and overly dramatic. But in the end she changed and that made the whole story better. I loved the changes that Rory went through.
I do think that the storytelling was a bit slow sometimes. That’s because of all the thoughts that are written on paper. And that's also why it took me a while to read this book while it only has 165 pages.
I recommend this book to everyone who loves to read about travelling because I want to go to Rome now! But when you’re in the mood for a fluffy book about romance, I don’t recommend this book.
This book was entertaining but not really special. I was in the mood for a light contemporary, and this was a contemporary, but not light.. I hoped that it would contain a lot of romance, but that was also a bit disappointing.
Rory is suffering from anxieties and she has decided to study in Rome. Throughout the book you’ll read a lot about her anxiety.
At first I disliked that she is questioning everything. On every page you read an inner monologue and in the middle I found it very annoying and overly dramatic. But in the end she changed and that made the whole story better. I loved the changes that Rory went through.
I do think that the storytelling was a bit slow sometimes. That’s because of all the thoughts that are written on paper. And that's also why it took me a while to read this book while it only has 165 pages.
I recommend this book to everyone who loves to read about travelling because I want to go to Rome now! But when you’re in the mood for a fluffy book about romance, I don’t recommend this book.
September 3, 2016
[ Review originally posted on The Bookish Khaleesi ]
*Thank you to the publisher/Netgalley for for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review. This in no way influenced my opinion.*
I am in a big contemporary mood and was looking for a fluffy book to make me smile and fill me with the feels; however this just missed the mark. I didn’t get that much fluff and I got a whole lot of anxiety and frustration.
This book is set in the beautiful Rome when socially awkward, Rory decides to study abroad for one of her classes. Rory struggles with anxiety and deciding to go to Rome by herself is a very huge deal. I was proud of her for making this decision to begin with and was looking forward to seeing her character development throughout the novel. With Rory having anxiety and struggling with social interactions I thought I was going to relate to her quite well. At first, I did. I felt what she felt and sympathized for her. She was in a new country around new people, of course she was going to feel overwhelmed. However, her thoughts became very repetitive. Rory would agonize over the same thing and have very similar thoughts over and over. It began to frustrate me and then triggered my own anxiety! I wanted to like Rory, I really did. Her voice was just unappealing and she had very little development. In fact, in the end I didn’t feel very much growth for her beside finally standing up to her overbearing parents.
As for our love interest, Ned, I didn’t swoon, I didn’t care, I didn’t fall in love. In fact, I didn’t even really get to know him! Plus, he smoked weed and that’s just not something I can get behind. Sorry, Dude. Ned and Rory are thrown together by staying with the same house mother while in Rome and though they spend a lot of time together, I didn’t feel a connection between the two of them. When characters told Rory that it’s so obvious that she liked Ned, I thought “How?” Was I missing something?
There were some enjoyable scenes. I really liked Theresa, Rory and Ned’s house mother. She struggles with anxiety and her own demons so severely that she is afraid to leave her own house. I would have liked to see Rory and Ned helping her feel comfortable to walk out and leave the house because her backstory was so sad! Rory really should have spent some more time interacting with her. Also, I liked when Ned took Rory out showing her around the city. I thought that was really cute. Kristina started off as a rocky character, but once she basically told Rory to grow a pair I started to like her. Rory finally felt like she was apart of the group and she had friends. It was nice to see Rory have someone who she felt she could go to for advice that was outside of her family.
The writing was clear, easy to follow and get into, but it was missing something – an extra spark. The plot felt dull and ended too abruptly. Although I had a few problems with this it was enjoyable. I just wish I could have liked it a bit more.
Side note: I wish we saw more of Ned’s art. There was a scene where Rory overhears his classmates talking about him and when they notice her one says “I wonder if she’s seen it?” Seen what? What is he doing? IT WAS NEVER ADDRESSED AGAIN!
If you enjoy this reading material, I would give it a chance. Who knows you may end up loving it.
*Thank you to the publisher/Netgalley for for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review. This in no way influenced my opinion.*
I am in a big contemporary mood and was looking for a fluffy book to make me smile and fill me with the feels; however this just missed the mark. I didn’t get that much fluff and I got a whole lot of anxiety and frustration.
This book is set in the beautiful Rome when socially awkward, Rory decides to study abroad for one of her classes. Rory struggles with anxiety and deciding to go to Rome by herself is a very huge deal. I was proud of her for making this decision to begin with and was looking forward to seeing her character development throughout the novel. With Rory having anxiety and struggling with social interactions I thought I was going to relate to her quite well. At first, I did. I felt what she felt and sympathized for her. She was in a new country around new people, of course she was going to feel overwhelmed. However, her thoughts became very repetitive. Rory would agonize over the same thing and have very similar thoughts over and over. It began to frustrate me and then triggered my own anxiety! I wanted to like Rory, I really did. Her voice was just unappealing and she had very little development. In fact, in the end I didn’t feel very much growth for her beside finally standing up to her overbearing parents.
As for our love interest, Ned, I didn’t swoon, I didn’t care, I didn’t fall in love. In fact, I didn’t even really get to know him! Plus, he smoked weed and that’s just not something I can get behind. Sorry, Dude. Ned and Rory are thrown together by staying with the same house mother while in Rome and though they spend a lot of time together, I didn’t feel a connection between the two of them. When characters told Rory that it’s so obvious that she liked Ned, I thought “How?” Was I missing something?
There were some enjoyable scenes. I really liked Theresa, Rory and Ned’s house mother. She struggles with anxiety and her own demons so severely that she is afraid to leave her own house. I would have liked to see Rory and Ned helping her feel comfortable to walk out and leave the house because her backstory was so sad! Rory really should have spent some more time interacting with her. Also, I liked when Ned took Rory out showing her around the city. I thought that was really cute. Kristina started off as a rocky character, but once she basically told Rory to grow a pair I started to like her. Rory finally felt like she was apart of the group and she had friends. It was nice to see Rory have someone who she felt she could go to for advice that was outside of her family.
The writing was clear, easy to follow and get into, but it was missing something – an extra spark. The plot felt dull and ended too abruptly. Although I had a few problems with this it was enjoyable. I just wish I could have liked it a bit more.
Side note: I wish we saw more of Ned’s art. There was a scene where Rory overhears his classmates talking about him and when they notice her one says “I wonder if she’s seen it?” Seen what? What is he doing? IT WAS NEVER ADDRESSED AGAIN!
If you enjoy this reading material, I would give it a chance. Who knows you may end up loving it.
August 31, 2016
Thanks to the author for providing an ARC for me in exchange for an honest review, This doesn't influence my thoughts on the book.
When in Rome...Find Yourself is one of the most adorable NA romance I have read. It is humorous, cute, well written and utterly enjoyable. From the first chapter, Rory Hartnett bewitched me and I fell in love with her story. Despite her weird quirks, I still love her perhaps even more because of it. Rory has a wild imagination that amuses me, She has the tendency to come up with ridiculous yet funny scenarios in her mind. Her passion for photography is something I can relate to as I felt the same during college. She might appear timid and have trust issues but that is understandable because of things that happened in her past. Seeing her with Ned is really awesome, I could feel the intense feelings growing between them. Her entire adventure in Rome was also quite enjoyable. The moments before the ending had a pleasant surprise I didn't see coming but helped the book to have a satisfying ending. This is a book I can recommend to anyone who loves romance and it is a series I would definitely love to continue.
When in Rome...Find Yourself is one of the most adorable NA romance I have read. It is humorous, cute, well written and utterly enjoyable. From the first chapter, Rory Hartnett bewitched me and I fell in love with her story. Despite her weird quirks, I still love her perhaps even more because of it. Rory has a wild imagination that amuses me, She has the tendency to come up with ridiculous yet funny scenarios in her mind. Her passion for photography is something I can relate to as I felt the same during college. She might appear timid and have trust issues but that is understandable because of things that happened in her past. Seeing her with Ned is really awesome, I could feel the intense feelings growing between them. Her entire adventure in Rome was also quite enjoyable. The moments before the ending had a pleasant surprise I didn't see coming but helped the book to have a satisfying ending. This is a book I can recommend to anyone who loves romance and it is a series I would definitely love to continue.
September 1, 2016
This review was originally posted on The Book Hookup
here
.
*Disclaimer: An advanced copy of this title was provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review. However, that did not influence this review in any way. All thoughts, quotes, and opinions will be of this version and not of the published edition.
♥ Quick Thoughts and Rating: 1 star! This book wasn't my cup of tea. Maybe others will be fond of it, but yeah. . .not for me. Ultimately, I feel really mislead by whomever chose to compare this to a New Adult version of Anna and the French Kiss because that's setting up the reader for high expectations and for lots of room for the book not to meet them.
♥ Review: I'm going to try to be super brief because I just don't want to be a jerk. Bluntly stated, I didn't enjoy this book. There were several points while reading that I wanted to DNF (and now knowing what I do, I should have saved myself those hours and called it quits), but I kept pushing through in the hopes that our poor heroine would experience a little growth. In the end there was a little, but it was so minimal that I wouldn't exactly consider it "growth" just a moment of bravery. But I'm getting ahead of myself, so let me break this down into what exactly didn't work for me.
–Our heroine and her lack of development: Bless Rory's little heart, but she was super neurotic. At the beginning, I mistook her anxiety and constant inner monologue of self-loathing for the whirlwind of being in a new country and trying to adjust to that. I even found it somewhat endearing and relatable seeing as I'm a little socially awkward and a bit of an anxious worrier in my own right. But after spending the first 50% completely locked away in the inner workings of her tumultuous thoughts, my personal anxiety felt like a stroll in the park in comparison to hers. I'm not going to lie, it was mentally exhausting. But even more than that, I felt Rory had so much room to grow and the author chose to keep her in the same state that resulted in her coming across as, in the words of another character that was supposedly her friend, "pathetic" and according to herself "sheltered and naïve." Even more, having her constantly repeating the same things over and over, leads to my next complaint...
–Plot, pacing, and writing: The premise for this book had so much potential and yet it felt very one-note. So much of this book is literally spent in Rory's mind, her obsessing about unnecessary things and beating herself down, that I sincerely feel like this book was one big, crazy-long monologue. Even worse, because of that, the pacing doesn't go anywhere. It was a steady, endless stream of boring and just short of "crazy" inner-ranting about how she doesn't belong, will never belong, and how she has to force love out of her life after a guy used here, except that suddenly she's already in love with this new boy that she barely knows just because he pushed here hair behind her ear. No. Just no. I get all those things about self-doubt, as I imagine any girl would, but I also feel like everyone at some point experiences that critical moment in their life where they have to tell themselves, "Okay, self. Just stop. That's enough of that garbage." Additionally, I think so much of this story felt like it's told to the reader and not experienced by the character, if you know what I mean. I needed to be more in the moment to connect to our main character, but I was never able to form that bond with her.
–The setting: They're in Rome! ITALY! When this book was likened to Anna and the French Kiss in the summary, I just knew I would fall in love with it for the setting experience alone. In AatFK, I fell in love with a city that I had never been to just because of the way the author captured it so easily and made me feel like I was there through the eyes of her characters. Sadly, Ms. Hill failed to capture that same experience here. In fact, we rarely even get to "see" much of the city and that was rather disappointing.
–The romance and lack of a "real" ending: For me, there was no romance. Rory fell in love and Ned wanted to kiss her a lot and he was super fascinated with her hair, but I never felt a single spark or sensed any chemistry between them. Then she apparently wants to stay in Rome for herself and possibly for him, but we never get to see that. In a way, it appeared to have fallen off mid-scene. I don't know how to explain it other than to say that it just felt incomplete.
–Random bits: She sweats a lot. I know this is as weird thing to observe, but I just pictured her looking like she was constantly walking around in a downpour for how much she talk about sweat and pit stains on her shirts. (Blech. I'm still grossed out about it.) Aside from that, there was also the issue of me never connecting with any of the other secondary characters. All of the girls seemed generic and superficial. I don't even remember much about them other than one of the girls that I don't even remember her name–or any of the others, sadly–was kind of super bitchy and gave terrible advice. Lastly, I was incredibly annoyed by the numerous amount of times our TWENTY-ONE-YEAR-OLD heroine ran to her room and dove in her bed to hide. I get melodramatic moments, but the excess of it combined with her age and the reasons she was hiding just had me rolling my eyes after a point and wanting to tell her to grow up already.
♥ Rec It? Not really. Others may enjoy this, but I can't in good conscience recommend it. It was a wonderful premise with an abundance of potential, but it needed a good bit more work and development before I think a majority of people would fall in love with it. Unfortunately, I'd have to recommend readers pass on this book, but that doesn't mean that I don't think some people can connect with it.
♥ A very special thanks to Speak Now and NetGalley for providing me with an advanced copy of this title.
Christina's Review:
*Disclaimer: An advanced copy of this title was provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review. However, that did not influence this review in any way. All thoughts, quotes, and opinions will be of this version and not of the published edition.
♥ Quick Thoughts and Rating: 1 star! This book wasn't my cup of tea. Maybe others will be fond of it, but yeah. . .not for me. Ultimately, I feel really mislead by whomever chose to compare this to a New Adult version of Anna and the French Kiss because that's setting up the reader for high expectations and for lots of room for the book not to meet them.
♥ Review: I'm going to try to be super brief because I just don't want to be a jerk. Bluntly stated, I didn't enjoy this book. There were several points while reading that I wanted to DNF (and now knowing what I do, I should have saved myself those hours and called it quits), but I kept pushing through in the hopes that our poor heroine would experience a little growth. In the end there was a little, but it was so minimal that I wouldn't exactly consider it "growth" just a moment of bravery. But I'm getting ahead of myself, so let me break this down into what exactly didn't work for me.
–Our heroine and her lack of development: Bless Rory's little heart, but she was super neurotic. At the beginning, I mistook her anxiety and constant inner monologue of self-loathing for the whirlwind of being in a new country and trying to adjust to that. I even found it somewhat endearing and relatable seeing as I'm a little socially awkward and a bit of an anxious worrier in my own right. But after spending the first 50% completely locked away in the inner workings of her tumultuous thoughts, my personal anxiety felt like a stroll in the park in comparison to hers. I'm not going to lie, it was mentally exhausting. But even more than that, I felt Rory had so much room to grow and the author chose to keep her in the same state that resulted in her coming across as, in the words of another character that was supposedly her friend, "pathetic" and according to herself "sheltered and naïve." Even more, having her constantly repeating the same things over and over, leads to my next complaint...
–Plot, pacing, and writing: The premise for this book had so much potential and yet it felt very one-note. So much of this book is literally spent in Rory's mind, her obsessing about unnecessary things and beating herself down, that I sincerely feel like this book was one big, crazy-long monologue. Even worse, because of that, the pacing doesn't go anywhere. It was a steady, endless stream of boring and just short of "crazy" inner-ranting about how she doesn't belong, will never belong, and how she has to force love out of her life after a guy used here, except that suddenly she's already in love with this new boy that she barely knows just because he pushed here hair behind her ear. No. Just no. I get all those things about self-doubt, as I imagine any girl would, but I also feel like everyone at some point experiences that critical moment in their life where they have to tell themselves, "Okay, self. Just stop. That's enough of that garbage." Additionally, I think so much of this story felt like it's told to the reader and not experienced by the character, if you know what I mean. I needed to be more in the moment to connect to our main character, but I was never able to form that bond with her.
–The setting: They're in Rome! ITALY! When this book was likened to Anna and the French Kiss in the summary, I just knew I would fall in love with it for the setting experience alone. In AatFK, I fell in love with a city that I had never been to just because of the way the author captured it so easily and made me feel like I was there through the eyes of her characters. Sadly, Ms. Hill failed to capture that same experience here. In fact, we rarely even get to "see" much of the city and that was rather disappointing.
–The romance and lack of a "real" ending: For me, there was no romance. Rory fell in love and Ned wanted to kiss her a lot and he was super fascinated with her hair, but I never felt a single spark or sensed any chemistry between them. Then she apparently wants to stay in Rome for herself and possibly for him, but we never get to see that. In a way, it appeared to have fallen off mid-scene. I don't know how to explain it other than to say that it just felt incomplete.
–Random bits: She sweats a lot. I know this is as weird thing to observe, but I just pictured her looking like she was constantly walking around in a downpour for how much she talk about sweat and pit stains on her shirts. (Blech. I'm still grossed out about it.) Aside from that, there was also the issue of me never connecting with any of the other secondary characters. All of the girls seemed generic and superficial. I don't even remember much about them other than one of the girls that I don't even remember her name–or any of the others, sadly–was kind of super bitchy and gave terrible advice. Lastly, I was incredibly annoyed by the numerous amount of times our TWENTY-ONE-YEAR-OLD heroine ran to her room and dove in her bed to hide. I get melodramatic moments, but the excess of it combined with her age and the reasons she was hiding just had me rolling my eyes after a point and wanting to tell her to grow up already.
♥ Rec It? Not really. Others may enjoy this, but I can't in good conscience recommend it. It was a wonderful premise with an abundance of potential, but it needed a good bit more work and development before I think a majority of people would fall in love with it. Unfortunately, I'd have to recommend readers pass on this book, but that doesn't mean that I don't think some people can connect with it.
♥ A very special thanks to Speak Now and NetGalley for providing me with an advanced copy of this title.
February 13, 2017
I VOLUNTARILY REVIEWED A COPY FROM THE "RACHEL E. CARTER YA BOOK CLUB" ON GOODREADS
"When In Rome...Find Yourself" is a story about a 21 year old Rory who, despite a life-long struggle with anxiety, decides to make a life-changing decision to apply for a study abroad program, leave her family and everything she's known and spend 6 weeks in Rome. And as Rome and Paris compete with each other to be the Europe's love capital, obviously there has to be a romance.
When I saw a chance to get a R&R copy of a book set in Rome when I was on my way to Rome , it seemed like fate. And a NA romance at that! Unfortunately, "Anna and the French Kiss" and "Daughter of Smoke and Bone" set my expectations as to American-books-set-in-Europe very, very high, and my previous experiences with American-books-set-in-Italy (*cough* Love and Gelato *cough*) have been disappointing at best. Unfortunately, that hasn't changed. I expected a steamy romance full of drama and spaghetti and pizza, narrow alleys after dark, fountains and life music. I didn't get that.
But, let's start with one thing that I really liked about this "When in Rome". The insight into mind of a person struggling with anxiety. It was very interesting and believable (as far as I know) and I especially liked that the author wasn't tempted to lessen Rory's anxiety as the plot progressed. No, Rory was still struggling but she was learning to live with her anxiety. Love didn't "cure" her. That was great and it’s upsetting that there aren’t that many books like that out there.
While the story was pretty well-constructed, there was a lot of telling-not-showing (particularly at the beginning). The writing grew better with progress, though.
Now, my main issue that highly affected the rating. If you use Rome as a background, milk it for what it's worth. It's not some random town in a random state, and simply mentioning that they went to Colosseum or Forum Romanum does nothing to convey the atmosphere. Instead, I cannot count how many times it was mentioned that Rome is dirty and smelling of urine. I expected this book to enhance my Roman experience but I was only frustrated. And that only grew because of the obvious lack of research. I cannot imagine any non-Italian willingly driving a car in Italy, much less in Rome. And the day trip to Milan from Rome? Please, I’ve been struggling for the past half a year to schedule a trip to Milan because it’s too far away and I don’t have enough time. And I don’t even live in Rome, I live halfway between Milan and Rome . The bus from Rome to Milan takes TEN HOURS ONE WAY. And no one, no one buys bus tickets on a bus station. I’m not sure if it’s even possible, most bus companies ask you to book online because we live in the 21st century. So the part when they eat breakfast, drive a car to the bus station (and leave it exactly where…?), buy tickets, take a bus and are in Milan in time for the second breakfast? Yeah, not exactly believable. But, hey, if I wasn’t reading it at a bus station in Rome myself, I might have fallen for it.
The second problem is that there is no spark between the main character and the love interest. All they ever seem to do is smoke together and they “relationship” develops so quickly and suddenly. I just didn’t buy it.
Finally, I had a problem with stereotypes/generalizations. Rory keeps referring to Ned as a “stoner” for most of the book, even though she knows that there is so much more to him than the fact that he likes weed. There was also a moment when Rory called someone (or herself? I honestly don’t remember) a “schizo.” I have hard time believing that someone suffering from mental health problems would use such word lightly. There were also gender-stereotyping (and totally untrue) statements like “Only a guy could be that spontaneous” or “Girls don’t walk alone.” The first one? In my personal experience, boys are usually more home-oriented and tend to travel in groups/with girlfriends. It’s the girls who go on study abroad (both a semester and do-your-degree overseas) or go on a spontaneous trip to Florence. But maybe it’s just Europeans. The second one I could have understood if it was an “I” (as in Rory) –with a character suffering from anxiety it would make perfect sense that she doesn’t leave home on her own. But otherwise, either America is really a whole different (more traditional and dangerous) world, or, more likely, it’s some 19th century sentiment.
Overall, I really liked the idea and as far as mental health issues books go, it was quite good. I believe that especially someone suffering from similar problems might really like it. But, personally, I’m afraid I would have enjoyed it way more if it was taking place in a random American town. And that’s just sad.
"When In Rome...Find Yourself" is a story about a 21 year old Rory who, despite a life-long struggle with anxiety, decides to make a life-changing decision to apply for a study abroad program, leave her family and everything she's known and spend 6 weeks in Rome. And as Rome and Paris compete with each other to be the Europe's love capital, obviously there has to be a romance.
When I saw a chance to get a R&R copy of a book set in Rome when I was on my way to Rome , it seemed like fate. And a NA romance at that! Unfortunately, "Anna and the French Kiss" and "Daughter of Smoke and Bone" set my expectations as to American-books-set-in-Europe very, very high, and my previous experiences with American-books-set-in-Italy (*cough* Love and Gelato *cough*) have been disappointing at best. Unfortunately, that hasn't changed. I expected a steamy romance full of drama and spaghetti and pizza, narrow alleys after dark, fountains and life music. I didn't get that.
But, let's start with one thing that I really liked about this "When in Rome". The insight into mind of a person struggling with anxiety. It was very interesting and believable (as far as I know) and I especially liked that the author wasn't tempted to lessen Rory's anxiety as the plot progressed. No, Rory was still struggling but she was learning to live with her anxiety. Love didn't "cure" her. That was great and it’s upsetting that there aren’t that many books like that out there.
While the story was pretty well-constructed, there was a lot of telling-not-showing (particularly at the beginning). The writing grew better with progress, though.
Now, my main issue that highly affected the rating. If you use Rome as a background, milk it for what it's worth. It's not some random town in a random state, and simply mentioning that they went to Colosseum or Forum Romanum does nothing to convey the atmosphere. Instead, I cannot count how many times it was mentioned that Rome is dirty and smelling of urine. I expected this book to enhance my Roman experience but I was only frustrated. And that only grew because of the obvious lack of research. I cannot imagine any non-Italian willingly driving a car in Italy, much less in Rome. And the day trip to Milan from Rome? Please, I’ve been struggling for the past half a year to schedule a trip to Milan because it’s too far away and I don’t have enough time. And I don’t even live in Rome, I live halfway between Milan and Rome . The bus from Rome to Milan takes TEN HOURS ONE WAY. And no one, no one buys bus tickets on a bus station. I’m not sure if it’s even possible, most bus companies ask you to book online because we live in the 21st century. So the part when they eat breakfast, drive a car to the bus station (and leave it exactly where…?), buy tickets, take a bus and are in Milan in time for the second breakfast? Yeah, not exactly believable. But, hey, if I wasn’t reading it at a bus station in Rome myself, I might have fallen for it.
The second problem is that there is no spark between the main character and the love interest. All they ever seem to do is smoke together and they “relationship” develops so quickly and suddenly. I just didn’t buy it.
Finally, I had a problem with stereotypes/generalizations. Rory keeps referring to Ned as a “stoner” for most of the book, even though she knows that there is so much more to him than the fact that he likes weed. There was also a moment when Rory called someone (or herself? I honestly don’t remember) a “schizo.” I have hard time believing that someone suffering from mental health problems would use such word lightly. There were also gender-stereotyping (and totally untrue) statements like “Only a guy could be that spontaneous” or “Girls don’t walk alone.” The first one? In my personal experience, boys are usually more home-oriented and tend to travel in groups/with girlfriends. It’s the girls who go on study abroad (both a semester and do-your-degree overseas) or go on a spontaneous trip to Florence. But maybe it’s just Europeans. The second one I could have understood if it was an “I” (as in Rory) –with a character suffering from anxiety it would make perfect sense that she doesn’t leave home on her own. But otherwise, either America is really a whole different (more traditional and dangerous) world, or, more likely, it’s some 19th century sentiment.
Overall, I really liked the idea and as far as mental health issues books go, it was quite good. I believe that especially someone suffering from similar problems might really like it. But, personally, I’m afraid I would have enjoyed it way more if it was taking place in a random American town. And that’s just sad.
April 4, 2017
I VOLUNTARILY REVIEWED A COPY FROM THE "RACHEL E. CARTER YA BOOK CLUB ON GOODREADS.
This story is about a girl with anxiety issues. It is not a fun and fluffy read. It is intense. I started reading and by Chapter 4 I was exhausted. She deals with so much stress and anxiety in just the few choices she makes in the beginning. This was definitely not my cup of tea. Although it did open my eyes up to the way I think my sister feels. She cares so much about what other people are thinking about her that she cannot make a decision. I never understood why until I read this book. While it was not my type of book at all, I feel like it really represented those who have major anxiety. It made me more sensitive to how they might feel.
This story is about a girl with anxiety issues. It is not a fun and fluffy read. It is intense. I started reading and by Chapter 4 I was exhausted. She deals with so much stress and anxiety in just the few choices she makes in the beginning. This was definitely not my cup of tea. Although it did open my eyes up to the way I think my sister feels. She cares so much about what other people are thinking about her that she cannot make a decision. I never understood why until I read this book. While it was not my type of book at all, I feel like it really represented those who have major anxiety. It made me more sensitive to how they might feel.
March 1, 2017
Rating: 2,5 stars
I voluntarily reviewed a copy of When In Rome... Find Yourself by Lena Mae Hill from the Rachel E. Carter YA book club on Goodreads!
Alright so, When In Rome... Find Yourself is about Rory Hartnett, who is about to leave her home in Kansas to study in the beautiful Rome this story is set in. The thing is though, our protagonist suffers from anxiety. Her daily struggles, at first I related to, her struggles in social interactions and the worries that surfaced everytime. But what bothered me was that our dear 21 year old protagonist acted somewhat... Childish? Also, her thoughts were becoming quite repetitive, which annoyed me a little.
Also, the love interest, Ned, did not interest me at all, I felt no connection between him and Rory or whatsoever.
Besides, what was up with the dude? He. Kept. Repeating. It. And it was so damn annoying. I even looked it up and guess what? He says it about a thirty times and the book isn't even 200 pages long.
After all this ranting, I'll end this review on a more postive note because there were scenes that I liked - which mostly involved Theresa, the house mother Rory stayed with. Also, this was a quick read, so that's a plus too!
All in all, I would recommend it if you are looking for a quick read, and don't want a contemporary with a too heavy romance!
I voluntarily reviewed a copy of When In Rome... Find Yourself by Lena Mae Hill from the Rachel E. Carter YA book club on Goodreads!
Alright so, When In Rome... Find Yourself is about Rory Hartnett, who is about to leave her home in Kansas to study in the beautiful Rome this story is set in. The thing is though, our protagonist suffers from anxiety. Her daily struggles, at first I related to, her struggles in social interactions and the worries that surfaced everytime. But what bothered me was that our dear 21 year old protagonist acted somewhat... Childish? Also, her thoughts were becoming quite repetitive, which annoyed me a little.
Also, the love interest, Ned, did not interest me at all, I felt no connection between him and Rory or whatsoever.
Besides, what was up with the dude? He. Kept. Repeating. It. And it was so damn annoying. I even looked it up and guess what? He says it about a thirty times and the book isn't even 200 pages long.
After all this ranting, I'll end this review on a more postive note because there were scenes that I liked - which mostly involved Theresa, the house mother Rory stayed with. Also, this was a quick read, so that's a plus too!
All in all, I would recommend it if you are looking for a quick read, and don't want a contemporary with a too heavy romance!
September 22, 2016
2 Italian Pizza Stars/5
Big thanks to Speak Now for sending me a free copy in exchange for a review through NetGalley.
This is the sugary sweet story of a girl named Rory that goes to Rome over the summer on a class trip. She struggles with anxiety and is terrified to venture out of her shell. While there she learns that she is sharing a host house with a cute dreadlock-covered boy named Ned, and through getting to know him she becomes less anxious and faces her fears.
Mild spoilers ahead
This book. Ah this book bothered me.
What I liked:
I really liked the writing. I think that the author definitely has control over grammar and laying down words in a tasteful manner. The writing style was definitely the high point of this novel for me, and it is probably the main reason that I was able to finish this book.
I also really liked most of the characters. Ned was cool most of the time, but I did not like what a big deal this book made out of weed. A totally normal scene would be playing out and then it seemed as if weed was forced unnaturally into the scene. But drugs aside, I really liked Ned and thought that he was super sweet, even though he was quiet most of the novel.
I loved Kristina. She was the bitchy character that you can’t help but love. She spoke her mind which was super refreshing and she helped bring Rory out of her shell.
What I didn’t like:
Rory. I said before I loved the characters. Well I loved all except for this one. The most important one. Go figure. My big problem with her was her anxiety. We heard about it almost every single page. She was constantly having an inner monologue that was warning her how scary and terrible the world is. But then she would think that she’s being silly for no reason. But then it would be back to worrying over the most minute things. I understand that the author was trying to portray anxiety correctly, and I actually think that she portrayed it extremely well. It just wasn’t fun to read about sadly because it was more annoying than anything.
Its not New Adult. When I saw this listed as New Adult, I got super excited. Every once in awhile I need a fun, flirty, dirty contemporary to contrast with all the other things I’m reading. I was expecting to find this going into this book. I was sorely mistaken. This book was mostly about Rory finding out who she is a person, not about finding love in Rome. Which is cool and I can totally see how you’d be into that, but it’s not what I was expecting so therefore my rating drops.
Another thing I’m not crazy about it how quickly the ending wraps up. I won’t go into details for fear of spoilers but I think a couple more chapters could have been adding at the end and also (If Rory’s story isn’t continuing with the other’s in this series) an epilogue to see where everyone ended up. I want to know more about Theresa and Quinn and Brody! There are too many areas where the plot drops off leaving readers wondering what the heck happened. I want answers!
Big thanks to Speak Now for sending me a free copy in exchange for a review through NetGalley.
This is the sugary sweet story of a girl named Rory that goes to Rome over the summer on a class trip. She struggles with anxiety and is terrified to venture out of her shell. While there she learns that she is sharing a host house with a cute dreadlock-covered boy named Ned, and through getting to know him she becomes less anxious and faces her fears.
Mild spoilers ahead
This book. Ah this book bothered me.
What I liked:
I really liked the writing. I think that the author definitely has control over grammar and laying down words in a tasteful manner. The writing style was definitely the high point of this novel for me, and it is probably the main reason that I was able to finish this book.
I also really liked most of the characters. Ned was cool most of the time, but I did not like what a big deal this book made out of weed. A totally normal scene would be playing out and then it seemed as if weed was forced unnaturally into the scene. But drugs aside, I really liked Ned and thought that he was super sweet, even though he was quiet most of the novel.
I loved Kristina. She was the bitchy character that you can’t help but love. She spoke her mind which was super refreshing and she helped bring Rory out of her shell.
What I didn’t like:
Rory. I said before I loved the characters. Well I loved all except for this one. The most important one. Go figure. My big problem with her was her anxiety. We heard about it almost every single page. She was constantly having an inner monologue that was warning her how scary and terrible the world is. But then she would think that she’s being silly for no reason. But then it would be back to worrying over the most minute things. I understand that the author was trying to portray anxiety correctly, and I actually think that she portrayed it extremely well. It just wasn’t fun to read about sadly because it was more annoying than anything.
Its not New Adult. When I saw this listed as New Adult, I got super excited. Every once in awhile I need a fun, flirty, dirty contemporary to contrast with all the other things I’m reading. I was expecting to find this going into this book. I was sorely mistaken. This book was mostly about Rory finding out who she is a person, not about finding love in Rome. Which is cool and I can totally see how you’d be into that, but it’s not what I was expecting so therefore my rating drops.
Another thing I’m not crazy about it how quickly the ending wraps up. I won’t go into details for fear of spoilers but I think a couple more chapters could have been adding at the end and also (If Rory’s story isn’t continuing with the other’s in this series) an epilogue to see where everyone ended up. I want to know more about Theresa and Quinn and Brody! There are too many areas where the plot drops off leaving readers wondering what the heck happened. I want answers!
September 5, 2016
I received this book from the author in exchange for a spoiler free review.
This is going to be a rambling review, I'm having trouble getting all of my thoughts and feelings in order, so hopefully it makes sense.
Note: I was really excited to read this book because Rory has anxiety and so do I (more on that in a minute) and I couldn't wait to see how she handles her anxiety and how much she would grow from this experience. But I just ended up angry, frustrated, sad and disappointed.
If you have anxiety I would not read this book. I have severe anxiety. I was diagnosed when I was 14 I'm 27 now, I take medicine everyday and I've learned to control it or work with it as much as I can to prevent it. Rory's anxiety triggered my anxiety and for a book to do that is ridiculous. It probably just seems like it but I felt that she was having a constant anxiety attack. Which, for the record, doesn't necessarily mean visibly freaking out. Most of the time you can't even tell I'm having an anxiety attack or anxiety about something, the only people who can tell is my family. She said several times that she wasn't having an attack but when you're freaking out ALL THE TIME you are. Honestly I'm a bit disappointed in the author. Rory could've easily learned to control her anxiety if she had worked at it and also if she was taking her medication like she should've been. It would've been nice to see Rory grow but honestly there was very little to no growth. She's very obsessive, constantly worrying, she constantly had negative thoughts, and it just got to the point where I kept thinking this girl needs help.
This could've been a FANTASTIC book. This book could've shed light on anxiety and how it affects people. Which it did but not in a way that would make people truly understand. If anything I feel like people will get the wrong idea about anxiety thinking that everyone who has anxiety is like this and we're not. She also could've had Rory grow and learn to control her anxiety, shown that taking medication to help isn't a bad thing, helped people see that you can have anxiety and live a normal life with out freaking out 24/7. But it didn't and that's really sad. It also could've helped people who have anxiety feel like they're not alone. Shown them that you can get out and do things (which I have a problem with sometimes), travel and have a real life without panicking and worrying constantly. At first I could really relate to Rory and understand her but after one chapter that ended and I honestly couldn't stand her and couldn't understand why she let it rule her life and not get help. Like I said I'm really sad and disappointed with this book.
This is going to be a rambling review, I'm having trouble getting all of my thoughts and feelings in order, so hopefully it makes sense.
Note: I was really excited to read this book because Rory has anxiety and so do I (more on that in a minute) and I couldn't wait to see how she handles her anxiety and how much she would grow from this experience. But I just ended up angry, frustrated, sad and disappointed.
If you have anxiety I would not read this book. I have severe anxiety. I was diagnosed when I was 14 I'm 27 now, I take medicine everyday and I've learned to control it or work with it as much as I can to prevent it. Rory's anxiety triggered my anxiety and for a book to do that is ridiculous. It probably just seems like it but I felt that she was having a constant anxiety attack. Which, for the record, doesn't necessarily mean visibly freaking out. Most of the time you can't even tell I'm having an anxiety attack or anxiety about something, the only people who can tell is my family. She said several times that she wasn't having an attack but when you're freaking out ALL THE TIME you are. Honestly I'm a bit disappointed in the author. Rory could've easily learned to control her anxiety if she had worked at it and also if she was taking her medication like she should've been. It would've been nice to see Rory grow but honestly there was very little to no growth. She's very obsessive, constantly worrying, she constantly had negative thoughts, and it just got to the point where I kept thinking this girl needs help.
This could've been a FANTASTIC book. This book could've shed light on anxiety and how it affects people. Which it did but not in a way that would make people truly understand. If anything I feel like people will get the wrong idea about anxiety thinking that everyone who has anxiety is like this and we're not. She also could've had Rory grow and learn to control her anxiety, shown that taking medication to help isn't a bad thing, helped people see that you can have anxiety and live a normal life with out freaking out 24/7. But it didn't and that's really sad. It also could've helped people who have anxiety feel like they're not alone. Shown them that you can get out and do things (which I have a problem with sometimes), travel and have a real life without panicking and worrying constantly. At first I could really relate to Rory and understand her but after one chapter that ended and I honestly couldn't stand her and couldn't understand why she let it rule her life and not get help. Like I said I'm really sad and disappointed with this book.
February 15, 2017
I really wanted to like this book cause it deals with heavier social issues (like anxiety)which I love in my books but, I just really couldn't get into it.
Even though Rory suffered from severe anxiety she was very childish for my liking. For a 21 year old studying aboard I would have assumed she would have been more mature.
Ned was Rory's opposite and I could see why she liked him but I just couldn't feel any connection for them as a couple or separately.
I voluntarily reviewed a copy from Rachel E Carter YA Book Club on Goodreads
Even though Rory suffered from severe anxiety she was very childish for my liking. For a 21 year old studying aboard I would have assumed she would have been more mature.
Ned was Rory's opposite and I could see why she liked him but I just couldn't feel any connection for them as a couple or separately.
I voluntarily reviewed a copy from Rachel E Carter YA Book Club on Goodreads
September 5, 2016
An aptly named read. Rory has never been far from home and with controlling overly cautious parents its no wonder. She has lived her life trying to be accepted instead of being herself including being used and discarded. So of course she is guarded, naive, and very indecisive, basically sheltered. But is she too guarded to live and experience Italy and a budding romance.
A cute (sometimes she is quite annoying) coming of age story about finding yourself and deciding to live a full life instead of wrapping herself in bubble wrap. I had to keep in mind this is a YA book and a young lady budding from over protective parents and very few true friends. This is her first exposure to life and she tackles it with trepidation and success. Good story and even the supporting characters do their part. Nicely done.
A cute (sometimes she is quite annoying) coming of age story about finding yourself and deciding to live a full life instead of wrapping herself in bubble wrap. I had to keep in mind this is a YA book and a young lady budding from over protective parents and very few true friends. This is her first exposure to life and she tackles it with trepidation and success. Good story and even the supporting characters do their part. Nicely done.
August 30, 2016
*This book was received via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review*
I liked the main character Rory at first as she reminded me of myself with her social anxiety and general awkwardness, however I found her annoying after a while as much of the story was told in her head. I did however find it frustrating how she was unable to stand up for herself and was glad when she finally started to express her own opinions. The reason for the low rating was the plot which was quite dull and was often repetitive as Rory constantly had the same thoughts no matter where she went. The ending also seemed kind of abrupt and forced.
I liked the main character Rory at first as she reminded me of myself with her social anxiety and general awkwardness, however I found her annoying after a while as much of the story was told in her head. I did however find it frustrating how she was unable to stand up for herself and was glad when she finally started to express her own opinions. The reason for the low rating was the plot which was quite dull and was often repetitive as Rory constantly had the same thoughts no matter where she went. The ending also seemed kind of abrupt and forced.
August 21, 2016
Loved it, a great book for Young Adults A find yourself book. Lena hits all the drama of being a college student and on your own for the first time.
I loved Rory story. I want more of her et Ned. The travel through Rome was great I could picture it.
A definite recommend
I loved Rory story. I want more of her et Ned. The travel through Rome was great I could picture it.
A definite recommend
December 8, 2016
Pretty good for a contemporary. There were a couple of things that I had issues with though. Full review to come [probably will be a mini review]
Arc was provided by the author and publisher!
Rating: 3.5 Crowns
Arc was provided by the author and publisher!
Rating: 3.5 Crowns
September 6, 2016
DNF - I tried, it just wasn't for me.
September 1, 2016
This review was originally posted on The Book Hookup
here
.
*Disclaimer: An advanced copy of this title was provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review. However, that did not influence this review in any way. All thoughts, quotes, and opinions will be of this version and not of the published edition.
♥ Quick Thoughts and Rating: 1 star! This book wasn't my cup of tea. Maybe others will be fond of it, but yeah. . .not for me. Ultimately, I feel really mislead by whomever chose to compare this to a New Adult version of Anna and the French Kiss because that's setting up the reader for high expectations and for lots of room for the book not to meet them.
♥ Review: I'm going to try to be super brief because I just don't want to be a jerk. Bluntly stated, I didn't enjoy this book. There were several points while reading that I wanted to DNF (and now knowing what I do, I should have saved myself those hours and called it quits), but I kept pushing through in the hopes that our poor heroine would experience a little growth. In the end there was a little, but it was so minimal that I wouldn't exactly consider it "growth" just a moment of bravery. But I'm getting ahead of myself, so let me break this down into what exactly didn't work for me.
–Our heroine and her lack of development: Bless Rory's little heart, but she was super neurotic. At the beginning, I mistook her anxiety and constant inner monologue of self-loathing for the whirlwind of being in a new country and trying to adjust to that. I even found it somewhat endearing and relatable seeing as I'm a little socially awkward and a bit of an anxious worrier in my own right. But after spending the first 50% completely locked away in the inner workings of her tumultuous thoughts, my personal anxiety felt like a stroll in the park in comparison to hers. I'm not going to lie, it was mentally exhausting. But even more than that, I felt Rory had so much room to grow and the author chose to keep her in the same state that resulted in her coming across as, in the words of another character that was supposedly her friend, "pathetic" and according to herself "sheltered and naïve." Even more, having her constantly repeating the same things over and over, leads to my next complaint...
–Plot, pacing, and writing: The premise for this book had so much potential and yet it felt very one-note. So much of this book is literally spent in Rory's mind, her obsessing about unnecessary things and beating herself down, that I sincerely feel like this book was one big, crazy-long monologue. Even worse, because of that, the pacing doesn't go anywhere. It was a steady, endless stream of boring and just short of "crazy" inner-ranting about how she doesn't belong, will never belong, and how she has to force love out of her life after a guy used here, except that suddenly she's already in love with this new boy that she barely knows just because he pushed here hair behind her ear. No. Just no. I get all those things about self-doubt, as I imagine any girl would, but I also feel like everyone at some point experiences that critical moment in their life where they have to tell themselves, "Okay, self. Just stop. That's enough of that garbage." Additionally, I think so much of this story felt like it's told to the reader and not experienced by the character, if you know what I mean. I needed to be more in the moment to connect to our main character, but I was never able to form that bond with her.
–The setting: They're in Rome! ITALY! When this book was likened to Anna and the French Kiss in the summary, I just knew I would fall in love with it for the setting experience alone. In AatFK, I fell in love with a city that I had never been to just because of the way the author captured it so easily and made me feel like I was there through the eyes of her characters. Sadly, Ms. Hill failed to capture that same experience here. In fact, we rarely even get to "see" much of the city and that was rather disappointing.
–The romance and lack of a "real" ending: For me, there was no romance. Rory fell in love and Ned wanted to kiss her a lot and he was super fascinated with her hair, but I never felt a single spark or sensed any chemistry between them. Then she apparently wants to stay in Rome for herself and possibly for him, but we never get to see that. In a way, it appeared to have fallen off mid-scene. I don't know how to explain it other than to say that it just felt incomplete.
–Random bits: She sweats a lot. I know this is as weird thing to observe, but I just pictured her looking like she was constantly walking around in a downpour for how much she talk about sweat and pit stains on her shirts. (Blech. I'm still grossed out about it.) Aside from that, there was also the issue of me never connecting with any of the other secondary characters. All of the girls seemed generic and superficial. I don't even remember much about them other than one of the girls that I don't even remember her name–or any of the others, sadly–was kind of super bitchy and gave terrible advice. Lastly, I was incredibly annoyed by the numerous amount of times our TWENTY-ONE-YEAR-OLD heroine ran to her room and dove in her bed to hide. I get melodramatic moments, but the excess of it combined with her age and the reasons she was hiding just had me rolling my eyes after a point and wanting to tell her to grow up already.
♥ Rec It? Not really. Others may enjoy this, but I can't in good conscience recommend it. It was a wonderful premise with an abundance of potential, but it needed a good bit more work and development before I think a majority of people would fall in love with it. Unfortunately, I'd have to recommend readers pass on this book, but that doesn't mean that I don't think some people can connect with it.
♥ A very special thanks to Speak Now and NetGalley for providing me with an advanced copy of this title.
*Disclaimer: An advanced copy of this title was provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review. However, that did not influence this review in any way. All thoughts, quotes, and opinions will be of this version and not of the published edition.
♥ Quick Thoughts and Rating: 1 star! This book wasn't my cup of tea. Maybe others will be fond of it, but yeah. . .not for me. Ultimately, I feel really mislead by whomever chose to compare this to a New Adult version of Anna and the French Kiss because that's setting up the reader for high expectations and for lots of room for the book not to meet them.
♥ Review: I'm going to try to be super brief because I just don't want to be a jerk. Bluntly stated, I didn't enjoy this book. There were several points while reading that I wanted to DNF (and now knowing what I do, I should have saved myself those hours and called it quits), but I kept pushing through in the hopes that our poor heroine would experience a little growth. In the end there was a little, but it was so minimal that I wouldn't exactly consider it "growth" just a moment of bravery. But I'm getting ahead of myself, so let me break this down into what exactly didn't work for me.
–Our heroine and her lack of development: Bless Rory's little heart, but she was super neurotic. At the beginning, I mistook her anxiety and constant inner monologue of self-loathing for the whirlwind of being in a new country and trying to adjust to that. I even found it somewhat endearing and relatable seeing as I'm a little socially awkward and a bit of an anxious worrier in my own right. But after spending the first 50% completely locked away in the inner workings of her tumultuous thoughts, my personal anxiety felt like a stroll in the park in comparison to hers. I'm not going to lie, it was mentally exhausting. But even more than that, I felt Rory had so much room to grow and the author chose to keep her in the same state that resulted in her coming across as, in the words of another character that was supposedly her friend, "pathetic" and according to herself "sheltered and naïve." Even more, having her constantly repeating the same things over and over, leads to my next complaint...
–Plot, pacing, and writing: The premise for this book had so much potential and yet it felt very one-note. So much of this book is literally spent in Rory's mind, her obsessing about unnecessary things and beating herself down, that I sincerely feel like this book was one big, crazy-long monologue. Even worse, because of that, the pacing doesn't go anywhere. It was a steady, endless stream of boring and just short of "crazy" inner-ranting about how she doesn't belong, will never belong, and how she has to force love out of her life after a guy used here, except that suddenly she's already in love with this new boy that she barely knows just because he pushed here hair behind her ear. No. Just no. I get all those things about self-doubt, as I imagine any girl would, but I also feel like everyone at some point experiences that critical moment in their life where they have to tell themselves, "Okay, self. Just stop. That's enough of that garbage." Additionally, I think so much of this story felt like it's told to the reader and not experienced by the character, if you know what I mean. I needed to be more in the moment to connect to our main character, but I was never able to form that bond with her.
–The setting: They're in Rome! ITALY! When this book was likened to Anna and the French Kiss in the summary, I just knew I would fall in love with it for the setting experience alone. In AatFK, I fell in love with a city that I had never been to just because of the way the author captured it so easily and made me feel like I was there through the eyes of her characters. Sadly, Ms. Hill failed to capture that same experience here. In fact, we rarely even get to "see" much of the city and that was rather disappointing.
–The romance and lack of a "real" ending: For me, there was no romance. Rory fell in love and Ned wanted to kiss her a lot and he was super fascinated with her hair, but I never felt a single spark or sensed any chemistry between them. Then she apparently wants to stay in Rome for herself and possibly for him, but we never get to see that. In a way, it appeared to have fallen off mid-scene. I don't know how to explain it other than to say that it just felt incomplete.
–Random bits: She sweats a lot. I know this is as weird thing to observe, but I just pictured her looking like she was constantly walking around in a downpour for how much she talk about sweat and pit stains on her shirts. (Blech. I'm still grossed out about it.) Aside from that, there was also the issue of me never connecting with any of the other secondary characters. All of the girls seemed generic and superficial. I don't even remember much about them other than one of the girls that I don't even remember her name–or any of the others, sadly–was kind of super bitchy and gave terrible advice. Lastly, I was incredibly annoyed by the numerous amount of times our TWENTY-ONE-YEAR-OLD heroine ran to her room and dove in her bed to hide. I get melodramatic moments, but the excess of it combined with her age and the reasons she was hiding just had me rolling my eyes after a point and wanting to tell her to grow up already.
♥ Rec It? Not really. Others may enjoy this, but I can't in good conscience recommend it. It was a wonderful premise with an abundance of potential, but it needed a good bit more work and development before I think a majority of people would fall in love with it. Unfortunately, I'd have to recommend readers pass on this book, but that doesn't mean that I don't think some people can connect with it.
♥ A very special thanks to Speak Now and NetGalley for providing me with an advanced copy of this title.
February 25, 2017
I VOLUNTARILY REVIEWED A COPY FROM THE "RACHEL E. CARTER YA BOOK CLUB ON GOODREADS.
I want to thank the author and Rachel for this wonderful opportunity.
I really wanted to love this book. First because it sounded like a super sweet and easy to read romance. Then when I realised that the protagonist has severe anxiety, I wanted to love it even more. And last but not least I wanted to love it because it was the first time I got a copy of a book to read and review.
Sadly I couldn't love it. Not really. There was just too much stuff that was bothering me.
First of all there was the problem I had with the flashbacks. I think flashbacks are sometimes a necessary evil in books and in this book it was obviously necessary to have some kind of flashback, but the way the flashbacks were written, was just horrible. They kind of crept up and you didn't noticed them until you were already thrown back to the present and wondering what the hell had happened. Every time one of these came around I was pulled out of the story and more than once had to go back to make sure I hadn't skipped a page. It felt that sudden and abrupt.
The other really important thing was the portrayal of drugs in this book. I am all for showing that some people take drugs in books or showing the effects or the experimenting, but in this case it was different. It felt like drugs were a good thing. The protagonist got over her anxiety with them and more than once it felt a bit like the book was promoting drugs, which is not okay at all. It had this "just take something and your pain and problems will go away and everything will be easy" kind of feeling. It never showed any bad side effects, not really at least (I just can't count being frisky as a bad side effect).
The last thing that really bothered me was the ending. Granted that was probably my problem and has not really much to do with the book and more with my perception of it. Through the whole book a twist was teased that would have been predictable, but I would have enjoyed it. I was counting on it, because it would have been sweet and there could have been a lot of potential in it for a more interesting plot line. Sadly the book did not deliver. The teased twist just didn't happen and it left a bad feeling for me. The ending just felt so rushed and it felt like all of a sudden everything was okay, because the desired amount of pages had been met.
Alright, now that I have complained I want to add all the things I loved about this book!
The way the anxiety is portrayed is just perfect in every way. I struggle with nervousness and overthinking, not to the extend that it would be considered as anxiety, but enough that I found myself in the protagonist a lot of times. It felt refreshing to have a character have such an obvious problem and I really liked that. Also the way it is handled by the other characters. They are all very reasonable about it. I feel like the author may have some experience with this kind of feelings at least to some extend or she did her research really really really well. I was impressed by that.
I also loved the plot most of the times. It was sweet and easy to read and the love story was nice and the guy was a good guy and not some kind of idiot, which is all to common in novels these days. He let her handle herself even though he knew about her anxiety. He let her grow from her experiences and didn't try to do everything for her. I really liked that.
I also liked the friendship that developed. She really did deserve some friends like that, who would help her grow as a person and not hold her back, like her previous friends.
But most importantly I really liked how the backstory was explained bit by bit. Granted the flashbacks were done poorly, but the sequence in which the story was revealed was exactly the right one. With better flashbacks this story would have been marvellous.
All in all it was a nice read that I would recommend if you are interested in protagonists with anxiety and don't have a problem with a quite positive portrayal of drugs. But don't expect it to be life changing. It is a sweet little love story but nothing that will keep you reading through the night.
I want to thank the author and Rachel for this wonderful opportunity.
I really wanted to love this book. First because it sounded like a super sweet and easy to read romance. Then when I realised that the protagonist has severe anxiety, I wanted to love it even more. And last but not least I wanted to love it because it was the first time I got a copy of a book to read and review.
Sadly I couldn't love it. Not really. There was just too much stuff that was bothering me.
First of all there was the problem I had with the flashbacks. I think flashbacks are sometimes a necessary evil in books and in this book it was obviously necessary to have some kind of flashback, but the way the flashbacks were written, was just horrible. They kind of crept up and you didn't noticed them until you were already thrown back to the present and wondering what the hell had happened. Every time one of these came around I was pulled out of the story and more than once had to go back to make sure I hadn't skipped a page. It felt that sudden and abrupt.
The other really important thing was the portrayal of drugs in this book. I am all for showing that some people take drugs in books or showing the effects or the experimenting, but in this case it was different. It felt like drugs were a good thing. The protagonist got over her anxiety with them and more than once it felt a bit like the book was promoting drugs, which is not okay at all. It had this "just take something and your pain and problems will go away and everything will be easy" kind of feeling. It never showed any bad side effects, not really at least (I just can't count being frisky as a bad side effect).
The last thing that really bothered me was the ending. Granted that was probably my problem and has not really much to do with the book and more with my perception of it. Through the whole book a twist was teased that would have been predictable, but I would have enjoyed it. I was counting on it, because it would have been sweet and there could have been a lot of potential in it for a more interesting plot line. Sadly the book did not deliver. The teased twist just didn't happen and it left a bad feeling for me. The ending just felt so rushed and it felt like all of a sudden everything was okay, because the desired amount of pages had been met.
Alright, now that I have complained I want to add all the things I loved about this book!
The way the anxiety is portrayed is just perfect in every way. I struggle with nervousness and overthinking, not to the extend that it would be considered as anxiety, but enough that I found myself in the protagonist a lot of times. It felt refreshing to have a character have such an obvious problem and I really liked that. Also the way it is handled by the other characters. They are all very reasonable about it. I feel like the author may have some experience with this kind of feelings at least to some extend or she did her research really really really well. I was impressed by that.
I also loved the plot most of the times. It was sweet and easy to read and the love story was nice and the guy was a good guy and not some kind of idiot, which is all to common in novels these days. He let her handle herself even though he knew about her anxiety. He let her grow from her experiences and didn't try to do everything for her. I really liked that.
I also liked the friendship that developed. She really did deserve some friends like that, who would help her grow as a person and not hold her back, like her previous friends.
But most importantly I really liked how the backstory was explained bit by bit. Granted the flashbacks were done poorly, but the sequence in which the story was revealed was exactly the right one. With better flashbacks this story would have been marvellous.
All in all it was a nice read that I would recommend if you are interested in protagonists with anxiety and don't have a problem with a quite positive portrayal of drugs. But don't expect it to be life changing. It is a sweet little love story but nothing that will keep you reading through the night.
February 11, 2017
I VOLUNTARILY REVIEWED A COPY FROM THE RACHEL E. CARTER YA BOOK CLUB ON GOODREADS.
So, my spirit. Never in my life have I related with a character more. Yes it’s a trigger warning for anxiety but boy is it accurate. Rory has such a beautiful soul I loved reading about her journey. Her thoughts were recorded so clearly yet I’m presently having a hard time coming up with a way to describe it. Some would find it harsh and full of anxiety, but to those of us who have felt what Rory feels it is more understandable. Above all else the story itself was enjoyable and funny. She has quirks and a wild imagination but honestly it just makes me like her more. The author Lena Mae wrote in the developing relationship of Rory and Ned so discreetly that I almost didn’t pick up on it with my focus being on her personal emotional/mental development. I say all that to say this, if you’re looking for a contemporary romance and don’t get triggered by anxiety this really is the book for you.
So, my spirit. Never in my life have I related with a character more. Yes it’s a trigger warning for anxiety but boy is it accurate. Rory has such a beautiful soul I loved reading about her journey. Her thoughts were recorded so clearly yet I’m presently having a hard time coming up with a way to describe it. Some would find it harsh and full of anxiety, but to those of us who have felt what Rory feels it is more understandable. Above all else the story itself was enjoyable and funny. She has quirks and a wild imagination but honestly it just makes me like her more. The author Lena Mae wrote in the developing relationship of Rory and Ned so discreetly that I almost didn’t pick up on it with my focus being on her personal emotional/mental development. I say all that to say this, if you’re looking for a contemporary romance and don’t get triggered by anxiety this really is the book for you.
March 6, 2017
First off, I hate giving low star reviews. I enjoyed this book for what it was about. The issues that people with severe anxiety probably go through was enlightening but I felt that the protagonist, Rory, was very immature for a 21 year old; granted she has led a sheltered life but she acts more like my immature 14 year sister with much less self-confidence. I liked how by the end of the book she was starting to grow a backbone by standing up to her parents and making decisions for herself, I felt this maybe should have happened sooner in the book. When in Rome is set in Rome, there should have been better descriptions of well, everything. I wanted to feel as if I was there exploring the city with Rory and of course Ned. I couldn't really get a good picture in my head of what Rory and Ned or really of the other characters look like, I don't remember there being any real descriptions on their appearances. Ned, the sweet, stoner housemate was relatable and quirky. I really liked Ned and had hoped for more of a connection and romance between him and Rory. Sadly, I was expecting so much more out of this book.
I voluntarily reviewed a copy from the "Rachel E. Carter YA Book Club" on Goodreads
I voluntarily reviewed a copy from the "Rachel E. Carter YA Book Club" on Goodreads
September 14, 2016
*I received an ARC from the author in exchange of an honest review.*
Okay. I know it said ARC so I was supposed to post my review a bit earlier but unfortunately, school happens and it ate up most of my time. So here I am, putting my review just now with the background music of Malang from the movie Dhoom: 3. (I’m not advertising the movie but I definitely recommend this. It’s a Bollywood but it’s a great movie.)
First off, the book is a good read. It has the perfect pace in a realistic romance story. I mean, there are a lot of romance books right now that are mostly fast paced and it’s good to read something that’s in a normal pace and not looked like a whirlwind romance. Though I admit in the first place that I was impatient because I was so curios who would be Rory’s pair or leading man. I was so impatient that I didn’t realize that it was already revealed, it was Ned.
Before I start talking about their love story, let me first talk about Rory. For the past books I reviewed, there are times that I would say that I could somehow relate to the heroine because some things and stuff. But with this book, I could say that I was exactly was Rory was –two years ago that is. That feeling that even asking direction was so hard to do. And always feeling so hard to fit in in a new environment. Seriously, I didn’t know that I already have the level of anxiety that need medication. Just like Rory, I depend on my family so much. Whatever my parent’s decision was, it’s also my decision. I’ve never decided on my own before. And if given the chance, I would never leave our house to live separately from them. That’s why I don’t know things outside the four corners of our home. Sure I have knowledge about other things but about being independent? I suck. I couldn’t even get trusted in withdrawing money before. But when I lived with my aunt to study college, that’s where everything changed. Sure I was still super shy but my aunt trained me so much I changed.
Now that I don’t have the same level of anxiety as before anymore, while I was reading Rory’s story, I realized just how annoying and irritating I was before. Though I totally understand Rory as to why she’s so anxious at things, I still find it annoying. But like I said, I understand it and I know how it felt. I just realized that to other people who don’t know how hard it is to deal with anxiety almost every second of everyday, they would find it annoying and irritating.
Let’s go to Ned. When Ned appear in the airport, he didn’t made enough impression to me that it made me think that it was Ned that was the hero in the story. His first appearance was introduced like he’s not one of the major characters. Maybe that’s why I didn’t knew he was the hero until a little in the middle. (Peace!) And I was shocked when he revealed his age. (Nope, I’m not gonna reveal it here.) Though shock was my second reaction. First was cringe. Haha! Forgive me, yes I cringe but that doesn’t mean that’s gross or something, I just cringe easily. xD
The story has a great title. At first, my thoughts was like, the title said find yourself but it was more like Rory dealing with her anxiety and not falling in love while trying so hard to have a group of friends to fit in. But as I think about the story more, the title is actually accurate to the story. Rory is trying to find herself in Rome. Her kind of self who doesn’t depend too much on her parents. Her kind of self who doesn’t avoid falling in love and just enjoys it instead. Her kind of self who can have friends and enjoy hanging out with them.
I like the story because I can relate to it. Not the romance part but to Rory herself. I like the story because it wasn’t fast paced and it took its own pace instead. I like the story because it’s realistic. I totally like the story over all.
The ending made me want to read the next book about Rory and Ned. It was not a complete cliffhanger but it was a cliffhanger nonetheless.
If you want to read something very close to a realistic romance story, I recommend this book to you. Read it first before you judge. Better yet, don’t judge it. Enjoy it!
P.S
Just a little something I want to share. If Ms. Lena is reading this right now, we have the same middle name, Mae. xP Just sharin’!
Okay. I know it said ARC so I was supposed to post my review a bit earlier but unfortunately, school happens and it ate up most of my time. So here I am, putting my review just now with the background music of Malang from the movie Dhoom: 3. (I’m not advertising the movie but I definitely recommend this. It’s a Bollywood but it’s a great movie.)
First off, the book is a good read. It has the perfect pace in a realistic romance story. I mean, there are a lot of romance books right now that are mostly fast paced and it’s good to read something that’s in a normal pace and not looked like a whirlwind romance. Though I admit in the first place that I was impatient because I was so curios who would be Rory’s pair or leading man. I was so impatient that I didn’t realize that it was already revealed, it was Ned.
Before I start talking about their love story, let me first talk about Rory. For the past books I reviewed, there are times that I would say that I could somehow relate to the heroine because some things and stuff. But with this book, I could say that I was exactly was Rory was –two years ago that is. That feeling that even asking direction was so hard to do. And always feeling so hard to fit in in a new environment. Seriously, I didn’t know that I already have the level of anxiety that need medication. Just like Rory, I depend on my family so much. Whatever my parent’s decision was, it’s also my decision. I’ve never decided on my own before. And if given the chance, I would never leave our house to live separately from them. That’s why I don’t know things outside the four corners of our home. Sure I have knowledge about other things but about being independent? I suck. I couldn’t even get trusted in withdrawing money before. But when I lived with my aunt to study college, that’s where everything changed. Sure I was still super shy but my aunt trained me so much I changed.
Now that I don’t have the same level of anxiety as before anymore, while I was reading Rory’s story, I realized just how annoying and irritating I was before. Though I totally understand Rory as to why she’s so anxious at things, I still find it annoying. But like I said, I understand it and I know how it felt. I just realized that to other people who don’t know how hard it is to deal with anxiety almost every second of everyday, they would find it annoying and irritating.
Let’s go to Ned. When Ned appear in the airport, he didn’t made enough impression to me that it made me think that it was Ned that was the hero in the story. His first appearance was introduced like he’s not one of the major characters. Maybe that’s why I didn’t knew he was the hero until a little in the middle. (Peace!) And I was shocked when he revealed his age. (Nope, I’m not gonna reveal it here.) Though shock was my second reaction. First was cringe. Haha! Forgive me, yes I cringe but that doesn’t mean that’s gross or something, I just cringe easily. xD
The story has a great title. At first, my thoughts was like, the title said find yourself but it was more like Rory dealing with her anxiety and not falling in love while trying so hard to have a group of friends to fit in. But as I think about the story more, the title is actually accurate to the story. Rory is trying to find herself in Rome. Her kind of self who doesn’t depend too much on her parents. Her kind of self who doesn’t avoid falling in love and just enjoys it instead. Her kind of self who can have friends and enjoy hanging out with them.
I like the story because I can relate to it. Not the romance part but to Rory herself. I like the story because it wasn’t fast paced and it took its own pace instead. I like the story because it’s realistic. I totally like the story over all.
The ending made me want to read the next book about Rory and Ned. It was not a complete cliffhanger but it was a cliffhanger nonetheless.
If you want to read something very close to a realistic romance story, I recommend this book to you. Read it first before you judge. Better yet, don’t judge it. Enjoy it!
P.S
Just a little something I want to share. If Ms. Lena is reading this right now, we have the same middle name, Mae. xP Just sharin’!
March 6, 2017
I liked the idea of the story. It's an easy read. I Suffer from anxiety, so I could understand a lot of the main characters fears and thoughts. The only thing that I didn't like was the usage of marijuana, like it's a good thing."I VOLUNTARILY REVIEWED A COPY FROM THE "RACHEL E. CARTER YA BOOK CLUB ON GOODREADS."
February 13, 2017
Set in the picturesque and historical city of Rome Italy, “When In Rome…Find Yourself” opens when Rory Hartnett a neurotic young woman escapes her sheltered life in Arkansas to study abroad. Struggling to leave her heartbreak and anxiety behind she soon discovers that she’s sharing her guest mother’s home with a cute artist, and that with a whole lot of self persuasion she can explore the city and take classes on her own without getting lost, and to even make new friends.
In a heart-wrenching story of a young woman’s battle to overcome her anxiety and take control of her life Rory Hartnett leaves her past behind and takes on the challenge of surviving the rigours of a foreign city and trying to make friends, although she keeps the safety net of her family a phone call away. Skilfully as Rory struggles to be friends with several of her classmates, all level-headed and self- assured especially Kristina, Lena Mae Hill sketches the pain of her past in her thoughts and memories with its abuse, the callousness of friends and her heartbreak.
Emotionally riveting in intensity as the plot progresses, Rory begins to develop a backbone, facing down Kristina, acting on her attraction to Ned and applying for an internship to travel e-zine. With each misstep and let-down, she seems to come alive, gaining inner strength and more control of her life. I liked the way Lena Mae Hill builds realism with Rory and Ned's slow burgeoning romance as she fumbles and falters, holding tight to her vow rather than suffer further heartbreak but gaining new insight as their attraction deepens.
Rory Hartnett arriving in Rome is quiet, paranoid, anxiety-ridden and awkward around boys. Reliant on her family for support and encouragement she’s tethered to them by phone, only breaking free when an incident leaves her lost and depending on her wits to get back to her lodging. Yet with every small step she takes she becomes braver, more outspoken and self-confident, breaking free from the chains that bind her to the past. Ned the student artist living in the room next to hers is easy-going, considerate, friendly and easily fits in with her friends. Haunted by the pain of his past, he's secretive, keeping his work locked behind the door of his room, only opening himself up when Rory begins to let him know her on a deeper level. All the characters including the lovable but shattered landlady, Theresa; the frank, sexy and overly confident Kristina; and the compassionate Maggie add depth and drama to the realism of this story.
I liked “When In Rome…Find Yourself” although I felt Rory was more neurotic than was warranted at times. Yet the story with its foreign setting, complex characters, and captivating plot made it an enjoyable read and I would not only like to see Lena Mae Hill continue Rory and Ned’s story but wouldn’t hesitate to try another book in this series.
In a heart-wrenching story of a young woman’s battle to overcome her anxiety and take control of her life Rory Hartnett leaves her past behind and takes on the challenge of surviving the rigours of a foreign city and trying to make friends, although she keeps the safety net of her family a phone call away. Skilfully as Rory struggles to be friends with several of her classmates, all level-headed and self- assured especially Kristina, Lena Mae Hill sketches the pain of her past in her thoughts and memories with its abuse, the callousness of friends and her heartbreak.
Emotionally riveting in intensity as the plot progresses, Rory begins to develop a backbone, facing down Kristina, acting on her attraction to Ned and applying for an internship to travel e-zine. With each misstep and let-down, she seems to come alive, gaining inner strength and more control of her life. I liked the way Lena Mae Hill builds realism with Rory and Ned's slow burgeoning romance as she fumbles and falters, holding tight to her vow rather than suffer further heartbreak but gaining new insight as their attraction deepens.
Rory Hartnett arriving in Rome is quiet, paranoid, anxiety-ridden and awkward around boys. Reliant on her family for support and encouragement she’s tethered to them by phone, only breaking free when an incident leaves her lost and depending on her wits to get back to her lodging. Yet with every small step she takes she becomes braver, more outspoken and self-confident, breaking free from the chains that bind her to the past. Ned the student artist living in the room next to hers is easy-going, considerate, friendly and easily fits in with her friends. Haunted by the pain of his past, he's secretive, keeping his work locked behind the door of his room, only opening himself up when Rory begins to let him know her on a deeper level. All the characters including the lovable but shattered landlady, Theresa; the frank, sexy and overly confident Kristina; and the compassionate Maggie add depth and drama to the realism of this story.
I liked “When In Rome…Find Yourself” although I felt Rory was more neurotic than was warranted at times. Yet the story with its foreign setting, complex characters, and captivating plot made it an enjoyable read and I would not only like to see Lena Mae Hill continue Rory and Ned’s story but wouldn’t hesitate to try another book in this series.
March 1, 2017
Rory has problems with anxiety and decides to try for a study abroad program. Rory does have a passion for photography. She wants to go to Rome to study. Rory worries about what people think of her and weather they are really close to her. Rory starts to fall for Ned but fails to get his attention. Ned is her hot and stoned roommate. Rory felt Ned was the only person she could really be herself with. Rory did get into the program she wanted and had been there six weeks.
I simply could not finish this book it just did nothing for me and certainly didn’t hold my attention in any way. Then though Rory is in Rome it really doesn’t mention anything about Rome really. This story also dragged for me.I found for me Rory was annoying. Also this story didn’t seem believable in any way to me. Does Rory know Italian and wouldn’t being in a foreign country only add to her anxiety ? Just not the story for me.
I simply could not finish this book it just did nothing for me and certainly didn’t hold my attention in any way. Then though Rory is in Rome it really doesn’t mention anything about Rome really. This story also dragged for me.I found for me Rory was annoying. Also this story didn’t seem believable in any way to me. Does Rory know Italian and wouldn’t being in a foreign country only add to her anxiety ? Just not the story for me.
October 29, 2017
Read full review HERE
This was yet another book that I’ve had for ages, and that for some reason I kept putting it off… now I’m thinking that I would rather have skipped it. But alas, I read it. It was bad.
I will say that the whole book was a miss for me, and I couldn’t find any redeeming qualities on this book. But I’m gonna tell you guys what I hated the most, ok?
I’ll be honest, the main character on this book, Rory, suffers from severe anxiety, and while my understanding of the mental disease is limited, and I can see how debilitating it can be, the representation of anxiety in this book was poorly done in my opinion. When it’s well written, you can empathise and understand a disease, even if you never suffered from it. Here, the only thing I really wanted was to club Rory in the head and make her shut up, because her fears were way way too irrational. And it was written in a way that we were living inside her head, in the irrational land, for over 90% of the book.
With that said, I hated Rory. I wanted to feel for this girl, but I just couldn’t. She worried about everything, and while I understand that it might be a true representation, it was way too much. Are they thinking I’m ugly? Will the taxi driver have a bomb? How will I pay the groceries? I’m the 5th wheel… would they even notice if I was gone? It was exhausting to be in her mind. But the real kicker is that she reads like a 15 year old, while she was supposed to be 21. I couldn’t get my mind around that fact. She was so insecure, and she was willing to do whatever it took to please people who she hardly knew and she thought would never look at her as a friend. Still, one of them wanted to cut off her favorite skirt, and what did she say? “Sure“, while really thinking “NOOOO!!!“. I can’t… I just can’t… I mean, this girl runs and hides in her room each time Ned looks at her a little bit longer. What was that? She was so immature!!!!
The rest of the characters weren’t that much better either. I wanted to like Ned, the love interest, but I just couldn’t for some reason. I appreciated how he took his life, doing what he wanted and taking advantage of opportunities, but I think the book focused way too much on weed and how he was always smoking pot and so on, and it just made me like him less and less.
The group of friends mostly just annoyed me, because I felt like they should have tried to make Rory feel included, especially since they all saw how hard it was for her. They do try from a point on, even if she resists it, but I still felt like something was severely missing there.
The romance didn’t make any sense for me, there was no chemistry at all there. Much like Rory’s previous romance didn’t make sense to me either, but hey, what do I know…
While there is a slight character development towards the end, when Rory actually affirms herself for a couple of pages, it was still too little too late. This book could have been loads better if she actually grew, if she used the fact that she was alone in a foreign country to actually take life by its horns. She didn’t. She needed push after push after push, and she only slightly stands up for herself towards the very end, and very feebly at that.
This book definitly wasn’t for me, it was a pain to actually finish, and I’ll definitly stay away from the sequels.
This was yet another book that I’ve had for ages, and that for some reason I kept putting it off… now I’m thinking that I would rather have skipped it. But alas, I read it. It was bad.
I will say that the whole book was a miss for me, and I couldn’t find any redeeming qualities on this book. But I’m gonna tell you guys what I hated the most, ok?
I’ll be honest, the main character on this book, Rory, suffers from severe anxiety, and while my understanding of the mental disease is limited, and I can see how debilitating it can be, the representation of anxiety in this book was poorly done in my opinion. When it’s well written, you can empathise and understand a disease, even if you never suffered from it. Here, the only thing I really wanted was to club Rory in the head and make her shut up, because her fears were way way too irrational. And it was written in a way that we were living inside her head, in the irrational land, for over 90% of the book.
With that said, I hated Rory. I wanted to feel for this girl, but I just couldn’t. She worried about everything, and while I understand that it might be a true representation, it was way too much. Are they thinking I’m ugly? Will the taxi driver have a bomb? How will I pay the groceries? I’m the 5th wheel… would they even notice if I was gone? It was exhausting to be in her mind. But the real kicker is that she reads like a 15 year old, while she was supposed to be 21. I couldn’t get my mind around that fact. She was so insecure, and she was willing to do whatever it took to please people who she hardly knew and she thought would never look at her as a friend. Still, one of them wanted to cut off her favorite skirt, and what did she say? “Sure“, while really thinking “NOOOO!!!“. I can’t… I just can’t… I mean, this girl runs and hides in her room each time Ned looks at her a little bit longer. What was that? She was so immature!!!!
The rest of the characters weren’t that much better either. I wanted to like Ned, the love interest, but I just couldn’t for some reason. I appreciated how he took his life, doing what he wanted and taking advantage of opportunities, but I think the book focused way too much on weed and how he was always smoking pot and so on, and it just made me like him less and less.
The group of friends mostly just annoyed me, because I felt like they should have tried to make Rory feel included, especially since they all saw how hard it was for her. They do try from a point on, even if she resists it, but I still felt like something was severely missing there.
The romance didn’t make any sense for me, there was no chemistry at all there. Much like Rory’s previous romance didn’t make sense to me either, but hey, what do I know…
While there is a slight character development towards the end, when Rory actually affirms herself for a couple of pages, it was still too little too late. This book could have been loads better if she actually grew, if she used the fact that she was alone in a foreign country to actually take life by its horns. She didn’t. She needed push after push after push, and she only slightly stands up for herself towards the very end, and very feebly at that.
This book definitly wasn’t for me, it was a pain to actually finish, and I’ll definitly stay away from the sequels.
February 20, 2017
I VOLUNTARILY REVIEWED A COPY FROM THE "RACHEL E. CARTER YA BOOK CLUB ON GOODREADS.
This book was short to read and the pacing was good. Having spent some time in Italy you could tell that the author had actually been to Rome rather than just describing someplace she had never been. I appreciated that.
The main character of Rory was not the easiest for me to identify with as she is very anxious. I think the author captured the circular nature of what goes on in the thoughts of someone who is prone to worry a lot and I appreciated her sharing that with us the readers. However after the first few chapters though it just got hard.
Rory though in her early 20s and in college comes from a very sheltered life and that is obvious when she goes with her school to study for a few months in Italy. Rory is very self absorbed and it takes a long time for any of that to start chipping away from her character.
Which is why it took me so long to read this relatively short book. If I read it for too long I would start feeling depressed from being inside of Rory's head so I would have to take a break from it again.
However I do suspect that this is a fairly accurate portrayal of what it is like to have anxiety. The author talks about it more in the end of the book and kudos to her for sharing this part of human nature with the rest of us. It just wasn't my cup of tea because of the lack of forward motion on the part of the main character.
This book was short to read and the pacing was good. Having spent some time in Italy you could tell that the author had actually been to Rome rather than just describing someplace she had never been. I appreciated that.
The main character of Rory was not the easiest for me to identify with as she is very anxious. I think the author captured the circular nature of what goes on in the thoughts of someone who is prone to worry a lot and I appreciated her sharing that with us the readers. However after the first few chapters though it just got hard.
Rory though in her early 20s and in college comes from a very sheltered life and that is obvious when she goes with her school to study for a few months in Italy. Rory is very self absorbed and it takes a long time for any of that to start chipping away from her character.
Which is why it took me so long to read this relatively short book. If I read it for too long I would start feeling depressed from being inside of Rory's head so I would have to take a break from it again.
However I do suspect that this is a fairly accurate portrayal of what it is like to have anxiety. The author talks about it more in the end of the book and kudos to her for sharing this part of human nature with the rest of us. It just wasn't my cup of tea because of the lack of forward motion on the part of the main character.
March 7, 2017
This book was so sweet and I loved the romance and the characters development! I also love books with roommates and summer and romance.
February 10, 2017
I received this eARC from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This in no way alters my opinion of the work.
Oh, Rory. It was very hard not to think of Gilmore Girls while I was reading about you, but I digress. The same can be said for Ned (kind of). Anyone else thinking of Ned Flanders? Hi-diddly-hell-no you're not the only one. I'm a terrible human for saying this but literally any other name in the world would have been better for Ned's character. He's a stoner. With dreads. C'mon now, neighbour.
In any case, the blurb compares this book to Anna and the French Kiss and Love & Gelato. I have not read the latter so I can't attest to whether that's a correct comparison. In my opinion, the only similarity between Anna and Rory is that they've both gone abroad for school. While reading Anna and the French Kiss gives you butterflies and giggles, When in Rome... makes you feel anxious as heck. Maybe that's just me. I do suffer from clinical anxiety, so Rory's constant inner turmoil was very relatable, but also very triggering.
I've read some other reviews by people who were annoyed by Rory's constant worries/insecurities. I didn't mind it as much. I found this to be very realistic. Anxiety doesn't just go away because you're on holiday, or there's a cute boy who likes you, or you suddenly make friends. It's a constant thing. The thoughts are always there. So I really appreciated seeing this (accurate) portrayal of clinical anxiety in a protagonist for once. The romance was pretty cute as well, but it didn't make or break the story (which is a good thing).
In regard to character development, Rory's was minimal but I think there is definitely room for improvement. The story ends just when she's on the cusp of her "breakthrough". I'm not sure if there will be another instalment about her but this book is a start. I'm keen to see how she deals with her anxiety during her extended stay in Rome, and whether this extra time will prove to be more beneficial or damaging to her mental health.
Overall, a quick and easy read. Looking forward to a sequel that allows more time for Rory's self-actualization.
★★★ (3.5 stars) because the good things outweighed the bad. And there's definitely potential for more.
*This is a note to the reviewers who thought Rory was pathetic:
I hope you or your loved ones never have to deal with a mental illness that is so debilitating. The fact that Rory is able to get out of bed in the morning and interact with people at all (no matter how much she doubts herself) is commendable. I hope you understand that. She has a long way to go, but mental illness is a battle you fight one day at a time... so I think she's doing a pretty damn good job, okay?
Oh, Rory. It was very hard not to think of Gilmore Girls while I was reading about you, but I digress. The same can be said for Ned (kind of). Anyone else thinking of Ned Flanders? Hi-diddly-hell-no you're not the only one. I'm a terrible human for saying this but literally any other name in the world would have been better for Ned's character. He's a stoner. With dreads. C'mon now, neighbour.
In any case, the blurb compares this book to Anna and the French Kiss and Love & Gelato. I have not read the latter so I can't attest to whether that's a correct comparison. In my opinion, the only similarity between Anna and Rory is that they've both gone abroad for school. While reading Anna and the French Kiss gives you butterflies and giggles, When in Rome... makes you feel anxious as heck. Maybe that's just me. I do suffer from clinical anxiety, so Rory's constant inner turmoil was very relatable, but also very triggering.
I've read some other reviews by people who were annoyed by Rory's constant worries/insecurities. I didn't mind it as much. I found this to be very realistic. Anxiety doesn't just go away because you're on holiday, or there's a cute boy who likes you, or you suddenly make friends. It's a constant thing. The thoughts are always there. So I really appreciated seeing this (accurate) portrayal of clinical anxiety in a protagonist for once. The romance was pretty cute as well, but it didn't make or break the story (which is a good thing).
In regard to character development, Rory's was minimal but I think there is definitely room for improvement. The story ends just when she's on the cusp of her "breakthrough". I'm not sure if there will be another instalment about her but this book is a start. I'm keen to see how she deals with her anxiety during her extended stay in Rome, and whether this extra time will prove to be more beneficial or damaging to her mental health.
Overall, a quick and easy read. Looking forward to a sequel that allows more time for Rory's self-actualization.
★★★ (3.5 stars) because the good things outweighed the bad. And there's definitely potential for more.
*This is a note to the reviewers who thought Rory was pathetic:
I hope you or your loved ones never have to deal with a mental illness that is so debilitating. The fact that Rory is able to get out of bed in the morning and interact with people at all (no matter how much she doubts herself) is commendable. I hope you understand that. She has a long way to go, but mental illness is a battle you fight one day at a time... so I think she's doing a pretty damn good job, okay?
February 27, 2017
It was an ok book, the ending was really good. It wasn't good in the beginning but it got better it was just a little frustrating that Rory was so filled with anxiety, I mean a little anxiety is okay but she had so much. I felt so bad for her, her one friend was horrible, her "boyfriend" was disgusting and she had been bullied her whole life. I didn't like the whole smoking and pot stuff but the rest was good. I liked how she grew up and started to control her anxiety. "I VOLUNTARILY REVIEWED A COPY FROM THE "RACHEL E. CARTER YA BOOK CLUB ON GOODREADS."
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