Finding Love in Florence

The Italian Bachelors #1

by Shanna Delaney

Is ten days enough time to find their forever?

Samantha always dreamed of coming to Florence, and now she's here, staying in an old castle. She's going to study all the sculptures in Florence… as soon as she stops getting distracted by the sculpted jaw of her hosts' son.

Edo has come home after six years, summoned to take the reins of the family's bed & breakfast—a fate he's dreaded most of his life. He's not even home a day before his mother is pushing him to play tour guide for their current guest, a pretty girl who seems different from the tourists Edo remembers.

As Samantha lets Florence open her heart, Edo lets her open his eyes to the city and home he'd forgotten how to love—but Samantha only has ten days in the country; will that be enough for them to build a future on?

Genres: Romance, Ebooks, Contemporary, Travel, Italy, Contemporary Romance, Fiction

220 pages, ebook

First published April 4, 2019

Reviews

[Melanie THEE Reader · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was OK. Cute, but boring. Edo and Samantha had to be two of the blandest MCs that I've ever encountered in a romance novel. Basically, this book would be the perfect Hallmark movie.

[Vibliophile · Rating 5 out of 5]

[ORIGINALLY TITLED "FINDING LOVE IN FLORENCE" NOW RETITLED AS "RELUCTANTLY MATCHED"]

(4.5 stars) - a pleasant surprise & a new author I'll be following

This fantasy romance in Italy surprised me so much because (a) the hero is a big jerk at first, & (b) they fall in love within less than 2 weeks - and somehow the author had me believing their story anyway.

Also, while the plot has been done before, the heroine avoided most of the stereotyped responses & reactions. The hero was not quite as believable for me, but they both read more like real people than author puppets.

I'm looking forward to reading more of the author's work!

Clean romance level: sweet, swoony kisses

[Anna · Rating 2 out of 5]

I wanted to love it, and the plot concept was nice.....there was just no emotional buy-in.....I felt completely unconnected and detached from the characters.

[Robynne Lozier · Rating 5 out of 5]

I used to be nuts about France. I have dreamed for years about visiting France. But recently I am rapidly falling in love with Venice and Italy as a new place to dream about living. So when I spotted this new series (Italian Bachelors) and one of the books is set in Venice, I grabbed the first book, which happens to be set in Florence. And yes this was also a cover buy.

This was a lovely romance. Samantha was an art student in the USA. She was forced to drop out of art school in order to look after her grandmother who had raised her. Grandmother Lucy had fallen and broken her hip. Soon after Lucy was diagnosed with Alzheimers and Samantha had stayed until after Lucy died. Samantha's father left when she was a child and her mother abandoned her at age 8.

Feeling abandoned once again, Samantha scrapes together enough cash to buy a plane ticket to Florence, Italy so she can see all the sculptures. But even then she still has to go on standby. After 2 days at an airport waiting for a standby ticket, Samantha is about to get kicked off the plane because the plane (economy section) is full. Samantha begs for a seat. She cannot be hanging around airports any longer. Then a hot young man sitting in the economy plus section, asks that she just be given a seat in the economy plus section, since there are spare seats available anyway. The plane is late in taking off and he wants to get home.

Upon landing in Florence, Samantha tries to find a bus to the Bed and Breakfast she had booked, only to discover that the hot young man who had helped her stay on the flight was also going to that same place. It turns out that the B&B was owned and run by his parents. Which was a large part of why he had left Italy and run away to America. He wanted to get away from the tourists who invaded his home every summer.

During the 2 weeks, Samantha spent in Florence, She and Edo (the hot young mans name) went almost everywhere together. He was too scared to admit that he was in love with her and she was too scared of loving him in case he found her boring and abandoned her as well.

At the end of the 2 weeks, Samantha quietly left the B&B and flew home.

Once back at her job, one of her colleagues told Samantha this piece of advice - yes it hurts to love, but life hurts whether or not you love someone, so you might as well love.

A month later Samantha sold her grandmothers home, and used the proceeds to return to Florence, stay in the same B&B where she had found love, enrolled in an art school in Florence and found herself a part time job in a real art studio.

Now she just needed to find out if the man whom she had walked away from, before he could forget her, still wanted to remember her.

[Ubeyde · Rating 5 out of 5]

Firstly, I am not sure if I am capable of writing a book review as it should be written, and my language skills may not be enough to fully express my thoughts. However, I just want to share how I felt after reading this book.

The book is very touching, and I truly felt connected to the characters. I love traveling and talking to strangers in the cities I visit, so I could really empathize with Samantha. As the story progressed, I sensed it might end in sadness, but I was delighted when Samantha changed her mind and returned to Florence. I was especially pleased when she reappeared at the castle. Anyone who loves traveling can see themselves in this story!

To sum up, it is easy-going, gripping, and lovely. I’m happy I read the book, and it’s one of those stories that motivates me to read even more.

[Jen Petro-Roy]

Oooh so lovely.

[Jessica · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute story, really enjoyed reading it!

[Coco.V]

🎁 FREE on Amazon today (9/26/2019)! 🎁

[lovelyq_ · Rating 1 out of 5]

dnf at 85% boring asf

[Jane Steele]

Out of this world and inspiring beyond reality!

Every detail in this book is so descriptive, and the entire book is painted and sculpted beautifully, also the plot, characters, scenes, climax, execution of the climax, and... well... everything works perfectly together. The whole story flows: with the swells of the plot in the best places possible. How Shauna Delaney captured the details of Italy, of Florence is out of this world.
I want to write when I'm out of collage. I currently just write as a hobby for myself, but this book has inspired me that maybe if I dig deep enough I can actually finish one of my stories instead of only starting them then moving on or giving up. It also makes me want to visit Florence Italy, but with my luck I will only meet a pickpocket not my night in shining armour.😏
Any way I recommend this book to literally anyone who likes romance, history, art, and of course Italy. O yeah if you love pesky Italian match making mothers this is the best book for you to read.
I hope this is the book foe you because it is one of my top favourite books ever!!! Enjoy😘

[M · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bella and Edo

Bella is finally on her way to Florence, but, keeps getting bumped due to her economy ticket. She's already lost two days of her vacation and now the stewardess is telling her she's being bumped again! The handsome man who she just hurt with her backpack comes to her aid and asks the stewardess if there isn't something that can be done for Samantha since the airline has already bumped her so many times? Thankfully she's finally on her way to Florence! What she doesn't expect is that the man who helped her would also help her when a man claiming to want to help her steals the money she has just converted. Then he sees where she is going, and insists she ride with him there. What is going on? Samantha has had nothing but bad things happen to her in the past and can't believe how nice it feels to have this handsome man want to actually help her. Will Samantha and Edo get over their differences? Will Samantha actually enjoy her vacation? Only one way to find out, read this great story by Shanna Delaney.

[Cindy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Have you ever had a place that you felt connected to edven if you've never been there? I've been in love with Italy for as long as I can remember—there's something about the language, the history, the culture—and the FOOD!—that really speaks to my soul on a deep level.

I haven't yet had the chance to visit Italy, but reading FINDING LOVE IN FLORENCE by new romance author Shanna Delaney was absolutely the next best thing. Delaney's writing is sharp and engaging, and Samantha and Edo are the kind of relatably flawed characters you can't help but love. I read this book on a day when I was sick, miserable, and stressed, and every time I had a chance to dip into the story it felt like a delightful relief. I'm picky about my romances, but this one unfolds just right, with enough humor and heart—and just a tiny bit of angst—to keep you turning pages right up until the satisfying ever after. I can't WAIT to revisit Italy with Shanna Delaney in her next book!!!

[Marie Bourgery · Rating 5 out of 5]

Samantha made a promise to her grandmother, the woman who raised her and that she dropped out of art school and took care of for the last five years until she died of Alzheimer’s that she would visit Florence, stay in a castle, and see the sights. Edo saves her from being bumped off the flight on the way over, but he is rude and no prince charming, not realizing she is staying at his parents B&B. His mother makes him go with her to see the sights and Edo ends up showing her places off the beaten path. The more time they spend together, the closer they become until he asks her not to go. But his childhood girlfriend didn’t choose him when he asked her to go with him to the US. And Samantha has been burned in the past and is afraid to trust that this is real. I loved reading about all the wonderful places to visit in Florence. This book really made me want to plan a trip and go. This was a sweet vacation romance.

[Cath642 · Rating 5 out of 5]

I definitely am not the best judge for this book since I’m in love with Florence and I’ve visited it more times that I can count and this book does it justice. I was very curious as to see if the author would be true-to-reality for the locations and landmarks and she didn’t disappoint. That’s why I finished it in literally A DAY.

I always go back to this book when I need to remember how i actually feel when I’m there.

Now as far as the plot, it’s a nice story , easy and fun to read.
If you’re looking for something that will transfer you to the scenery like you’re there, this book is for you!

K⚜️

[Barbara · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a new Author and one I will be watching to see what else she puts out. I found this to be a well written story about a woman who does not know how to let go of things from her past. Samantha and Edo's story starts off a little bumpy and then reading how their story progressed. But they still have things to over come his old girlfriend and her job that is waiting back in the States. A story I enjoyed reading. I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Cindy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've never had the good fortune to go to Italy, but after reading Finding Love in Florence, I walked around with "memories" of Florence in my brain for days.

Samantha had always planned to go to Italy with her grandmother, but instead went alone after her grandmother's death. Edo was unhappy about having to come back to Italy to take over the family business, and certainly wasn't interested in spending time with the tourist. The story and relationship developed sweetly and naturally, and by the end I was rooting for them both! I'll be looking for more travel romances from Delaney!

[Sandy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I started to read this book because Florence is one of my favorite cities and I have fond memories of being there but I continued to read it because of the richness of the story. The city and countryside were described beautifully and the characters were well developed. This is a very clean story and although I normally read books with a lot of steam, I did not miss it with this story. Samantha and Edo's relationship grew over a short time but you could feel the emotions between them. What a fabulous love story. This was a new author for me but I will be reading her again.

[Ivor J · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's not my usual genre to read but I really enjoyed it. It reminded me so much of that innocent joy of having a massive crush and finding out that crush might actually like you. Brought out a lot of feelings and memories for me. I really want to either:
a) visit Florence for myself
b) play Assassin's Creed II for some reason.

Either way. A great escapist read that'll make you feel like you're falling in love too.

[J.M. Ralley · Rating 3 out of 5]

Part of me enjoyed this book. The story grips you enough to make you want to continue reading but it is obviously written by an independent author.
I got a but fed up of the over use of passive words and adverbs making the story more telling than showing. To many sentences started with a name or pronoun which I find slows the pace too much.
I feel that the author did a good job, but feel like it needs another editing to make the story pop.

[Catarina · Rating 4 out of 5]

4,5⭐️
I kind of forgot about this book that’s why I took almost 2 months to read it (and because I had it on my phone so I only read it while I was waiting for the bus)
I really liked it, it’s a good book and it’s well written. I didn’t know the author neither the book. Found it on the app book from apple.
I recommend this book if you’re really into romance and if you want something easy to read.

[Kelly Teixeira · Rating 4 out of 5]

This actually surprised me because I really enjoyed it ! I read it in a day , it's fast paced and really easy to follow . There was a nice touch in not dropping everything all at once to be with him , and actually taking time to think it through , having a plan in Italy if the love part fails (the school and job) , so the ending was a 10/10 for me . It was a fast soulmate love but at the same time kind of grown up and realistic. Highly recommend !

[Emily Ripley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute vacation romance book. A couple that don’t give up and chase each other because they know that would make them fall in love with life again. good plot and character development.

- “But it's hurting you.” “Yes, but life does that. It does that whether you love or not, so you might as well love.”
- “No one who forgot me has ever come back.
- Samantha’s grandmother had taught her how to feel loved, but Edo had taught her how to feel adored.

[Sheila · Rating 4 out of 5]

Shanna Delaney’s Finding Love in Florence evocatively creates the beautiful city of Florence, its streets and gardens filled with history and mystery, its countryside so beautifully Italian. The town and environs are a powerful character in this gentle romance, making it a truly enjoyable novel, the more so if you’ve ever visited the place. Reading feels like walking in the Italian sunshine for a while.

[ஐ Katya (Book Queen)ஐ · Rating 2 out of 5]

I did finish this, and although better than most self published ebooks, I still didn't enjoy it as much as I thought I would. Italian or not, I had trouble with the hero being named Edo. Probably short for something like Eduardo which would have been easier to read. Edo sounds like a dogs name. Small gripe but it affected the entire book and how I related to it.

[Robin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Pleasant Cozy Romance

Shanna Delaney did a beautiful job on this story. I've never been to Europe, but she made Italy come to life. The setting was well crafted and the characters, vibrant. There were very few typos, none of them awful. This clean romance was enjoyable and I'd recommend it to those who enjoy clean, cozy romance.

[Pat Christie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ebook

She’s on a trip to Italy, the one she and her Grandmother were to make together. Her Grandmother made her promise to go before she passed. She meets a young Italian man on the flight and fate puts them at the same B&B. His parents own it and he’s home to inherit the business, not interested in a tourist, or perhaps he is.

[Susan Gleason · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars for me. I enjoyed traveling to Italy with this duo. Beautiful descriptions of the town and wonderful people inhabiting it. I would have loved more depth to the characters, but there was enough there that I had to finish and see what would happen between the unlikely, reluctantly matched pair!

[Ebony · Rating 5 out of 5]

A lovely and heartwarming story. Loved every second of it and it was exactly what I was looking for! It was easy and enjoyable to read. I finished the book in one sitting and I was so sad when it ended. I love clean romance stories that are focused on real feelings and connections. Can't wait to read more Italian romances!

[Carolyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Found this book on my kindle app, never heard of it or the author but I’m sick so I read when I can’t sleep.

This was a cute and fun read, much like a Hallmark movie, Samantha and Edo meet by chance and fall in love quickly. They make false assumptions and lack good communication skills. I would have loved more depth to the story but I still enjoyed the read.

[Sharon Dubuque · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really great story

I loved the fact that Edo was not a player. He was good looking and did not use his looks to be a playboy. He was a down to earth great guy and Samantha was also like him in many ways. She couldn’t believe it, Edo loved her. She surely loved him. Lots of emotions…