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A Rosie Life In Italy 2: What Have We Done?
What do you do when your adult kids fly the nest and you are having a midlife crisis during a global pandemic? You buy a 22 room derelict villa in Italy while grocery shopping of course. Well, that is what Rosie did.
Buying the house was an accident. She only went out for bananas.
Rosie embarks on renovating her 22 room ‘new’ home in Italy with a non-negotiable move-in date of Christmas Eve.
Surrounded by a cast of interesting characters, the Irish woman learns the Italian way of life and house renovating in the country she wants to call home. But when the project manager goes AWOL, non-Italian speaking Rosie has no option but to take control with the help of a translation app.
With no heating, windows disappearing, mystery holes in the garden, water flooding down the stairs, a pandemic destroyed business and with a move-in date that seems more laughable than doable, Rosie begins to question if she was crazy to follow through on her fabulous midlife crisis dream of renovating a villa in Italy.
Buying the house was an accident. She only went out for bananas.
Rosie embarks on renovating her 22 room ‘new’ home in Italy with a non-negotiable move-in date of Christmas Eve.
Surrounded by a cast of interesting characters, the Irish woman learns the Italian way of life and house renovating in the country she wants to call home. But when the project manager goes AWOL, non-Italian speaking Rosie has no option but to take control with the help of a translation app.
With no heating, windows disappearing, mystery holes in the garden, water flooding down the stairs, a pandemic destroyed business and with a move-in date that seems more laughable than doable, Rosie begins to question if she was crazy to follow through on her fabulous midlife crisis dream of renovating a villa in Italy.
306 pages, Kindle Edition
Published November 17, 2021
493 people are currently reading
758 people want to read
About the author
Rosie Meleady
24 books94 followersIrish author Rosie Meleady, has been a magazine publisher and editor since 1994. She won the International Women in Publishing Award 1996 at the ripe old age of 24. She couldn't attend the award ceremony in London as she decided it would also be a good day to give birth.
In her 'A Rosie Life In Italy' series, Rosie writes about buying a 22 roomed derelict villa in Italy by accident, renovating it and existing in Italy.
Her favourite board game growing up was Cluedo, and as an adult she started a Missing Persons Agency. Her love of solving mysteries led her to start writing her 'Deadly Wedding Cozy Mystery' series.
She now lives happily ever after in Italy while renovating the villa and writing long into the night.
Follow Rosie on social media to say hello, see photos of life in Italy and her renovation project.
http://www.facebook.com/rosiemeleadya...
http://www.instagram.com/arosielifein...
Follow Rosie's blog on www.rosiemeleady.com
In her 'A Rosie Life In Italy' series, Rosie writes about buying a 22 roomed derelict villa in Italy by accident, renovating it and existing in Italy.
Her favourite board game growing up was Cluedo, and as an adult she started a Missing Persons Agency. Her love of solving mysteries led her to start writing her 'Deadly Wedding Cozy Mystery' series.
She now lives happily ever after in Italy while renovating the villa and writing long into the night.
Follow Rosie on social media to say hello, see photos of life in Italy and her renovation project.
http://www.facebook.com/rosiemeleadya...
http://www.instagram.com/arosielifein...
Follow Rosie's blog on www.rosiemeleady.com
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 52 reviews
November 11, 2022
I had only joined Goodreads and uploaded my books but I wasn't too sure what I was doing so gave my own book a 5 star review. I don't want to remove the rating as it might send my book into a dungeon somewhere!
November 16, 2021
A Rosie Life in Italy 2 as wonderful as number 1
I started reading this little gem yesterday and finished it today, unable to put it down. It’s wonderful, chock full of warmth and humour and so very real. Rosie’s writing is truly evocative, making you feel as if you’re in the thick of the story yourself rather than being a bystander reading about it all. I laughed out loud countless times and was deeply moved by other moments in this family’s story. There’s always a slight trepidation for me when I’m reading a book 2, having loved it’s predecessor, the worry being that it won’t live up to the first and I’ll be disappointed… Nothing could be further from the truth in this case! A beautifully told tale that I just lapped up. Looking forward to the next instalment already! Five stars - highly recommend!
I started reading this little gem yesterday and finished it today, unable to put it down. It’s wonderful, chock full of warmth and humour and so very real. Rosie’s writing is truly evocative, making you feel as if you’re in the thick of the story yourself rather than being a bystander reading about it all. I laughed out loud countless times and was deeply moved by other moments in this family’s story. There’s always a slight trepidation for me when I’m reading a book 2, having loved it’s predecessor, the worry being that it won’t live up to the first and I’ll be disappointed… Nothing could be further from the truth in this case! A beautifully told tale that I just lapped up. Looking forward to the next instalment already! Five stars - highly recommend!
November 7, 2021
I loved it, didn't want it to end. It was as good, if not better, than the first book. Lots of details about the renovation (still don't get the concept of concrete for the roof) and the characters who worked on the house. Looking forward to the next chapter.
January 15, 2022
A cracking pace.
Smoother narrative, tidier formatting complement the pacy against the clock continuation of the Rosie story, with its vast cast of genuinely likeable characters thrown together in an engaging real life is better than fiction plot.
Smoother narrative, tidier formatting complement the pacy against the clock continuation of the Rosie story, with its vast cast of genuinely likeable characters thrown together in an engaging real life is better than fiction plot.
May 11, 2023
I enjoyed reading Rosie’s adventures while renovating their Italian home and all the problems that involves. She is such an enthusiastic person and she writes in and upbeat manner, with her positive attitude as her and her Husband’s can do attitude, nothing holds them back.
October 12, 2023
It got a bit boring and repetitive
August 23, 2023
What a character Rosie Meleady is! I just love her conversational style of writing , her enthusiasm and sense of humour. I can just hear her lovely Irish lilt describing these events. After inadvertantly buying the 'Sighing House' just before lockdown in Italy things are beginning to ease off a bit and finally she and her husband Ronan can start renovating. Of course it turns out to be a huge job, made more complicated as Rosie has a deadline that they must be in by Christmas. She had a vision of having a huge traditional Christas tree with presents underneath, decorations and a turkey dinner on Christmas day and best of all her family there. Well, the best laid plans and all that!
I admired her hands on attitude and the way she got on with tiling much to the amazement of the Italian workmen. And whatever would she have done without Google translate? I can't wait to start book 3 to see what happens next to this madcap, close knit family.
I admired her hands on attitude and the way she got on with tiling much to the amazement of the Italian workmen. And whatever would she have done without Google translate? I can't wait to start book 3 to see what happens next to this madcap, close knit family.
November 29, 2021
Another great book
I loved the first book, and this second was enjoyable too, the sadness came through loud and clear, but the positives of the house reno was heart warming.
I loved the first book, and this second was enjoyable too, the sadness came through loud and clear, but the positives of the house reno was heart warming.
November 14, 2021
Brace yourself…
Love the story of the Reno and the various other issues. Her love for her daughter touched my heart. Sometimes things don’t turn out the way we wish they would but sometimes things are well enough.
Love the story of the Reno and the various other issues. Her love for her daughter touched my heart. Sometimes things don’t turn out the way we wish they would but sometimes things are well enough.
November 9, 2021
Fun read
Love the roundy sandwich, tampon Covid test & hearing loss incident. Cleverly shares the truth about the ups and downs of real life battlers & building.
Love the roundy sandwich, tampon Covid test & hearing loss incident. Cleverly shares the truth about the ups and downs of real life battlers & building.
February 24, 2022
Rosie has the Irish gift of Storytelling! I was rooting for her the entire book as she shared her journey with both humor and a little heartbreak. While I did not have the guts for a complete Reno….I did buy a 350+ year old house in Italy and found a kindred spirit in Rosie as we shared some similar experiences. Lovely story. Epic adventure. I wish you and your family many years of fabulous Christmases in your new HOME!
March 17, 2022
I loved this book and all the people in it. A great real-life story and well-told. I was with her on her quest every step of the way. I really enjoyed a Rosie Life in Italy 1 so I was worried this might not be a good. I needn't have worried. Going buy the third book now. They are such fun reads!
December 28, 2021
the definition of a ‘feel good’ story
Normally this genre would not catch my eye, very different to the books I usually read but I couldn’t help myself to try it.
I’m very glad that I tried something new, I needed something different and this was exactly the thing. Utterly intriguing and thoroughly wholesome, there were some moments of ‘how will they flip this into a positive’ or ‘will things turn out alright in the end’ but it made the outcomes much more rewarding to read. You get a huge sense of relief from this book, there is so much to relate to especially with current situations, so it was nice to see happier endings and positive outlooks.
As for book three … is it July yet?
Normally this genre would not catch my eye, very different to the books I usually read but I couldn’t help myself to try it.
I’m very glad that I tried something new, I needed something different and this was exactly the thing. Utterly intriguing and thoroughly wholesome, there were some moments of ‘how will they flip this into a positive’ or ‘will things turn out alright in the end’ but it made the outcomes much more rewarding to read. You get a huge sense of relief from this book, there is so much to relate to especially with current situations, so it was nice to see happier endings and positive outlooks.
As for book three … is it July yet?
December 23, 2022
I loved this book and the series. I’m very happy that I didn’t find the series until the forth book was just being released as it allowed me to go immediately into the next book. I think I would have been too anxious waiting for the next - as I am now for book five!
If you have always dreamed of moving abroad, or to Italy more specifically, I highly recommend this series. Rosie’s writing is so real and raw, she gives the dirty details and doesn’t slather it all in false positivity. She gives you the good, the bad, and the ugly. I plowed through this series in less than a week and just couldn’t tear myself away.
If you have always dreamed of moving abroad, or to Italy more specifically, I highly recommend this series. Rosie’s writing is so real and raw, she gives the dirty details and doesn’t slather it all in false positivity. She gives you the good, the bad, and the ugly. I plowed through this series in less than a week and just couldn’t tear myself away.
March 31, 2023
Charming and Hysterical
A Rosie Life in Italy 2 is a hysterical story of an Irish woman and her family renovating a house in Italy. It takes place during Covid and demonstrates the frantic way the world was during the uncertainty of the pandemic while dealing with workmen in a country which she does not speak the language. Rosie writes in the manner in which she would speak allowing the reader to be there in the moment for every crazy thing. It’s a fun, lighthearted, feel good read!
A Rosie Life in Italy 2 is a hysterical story of an Irish woman and her family renovating a house in Italy. It takes place during Covid and demonstrates the frantic way the world was during the uncertainty of the pandemic while dealing with workmen in a country which she does not speak the language. Rosie writes in the manner in which she would speak allowing the reader to be there in the moment for every crazy thing. It’s a fun, lighthearted, feel good read!
December 29, 2021
Great book
I really enjoyed this book, better than the first one. Towards the end and her daughter trying to get her replacement passport and then hurry to get to the plane before borders shutdown, I was on the edge of my seat reading as fast as I could to see if she made it to the plane before the borders shut. Quite exciting, now can't wait till book 3 and see where that one takes me.
I really enjoyed this book, better than the first one. Towards the end and her daughter trying to get her replacement passport and then hurry to get to the plane before borders shutdown, I was on the edge of my seat reading as fast as I could to see if she made it to the plane before the borders shut. Quite exciting, now can't wait till book 3 and see where that one takes me.
November 2, 2022
This book was delightful and as much as I enjoyed the first book, this one cleaned up the editing complaints I had before. I love that it picked up right where book 1 left off (and book 3 is doing the same) so it’s a very bingeworthy read. There were a lot of ups and downs and relatable moments throughout this. I’m loving this series for being both an easy light read with a lot of depth and information.
March 30, 2023
Book 2 in the Rosie Life in Italy series describes the months spent renovating the Sighing House, in the midst of the COVID pandemic. Renovation frustrations, linguistic hurdles and family dramas are the order of the day. Like the first book, it made me laugh and cry. I especially loved the Ronan-bugle episode! As evidence of how much I enjoyed it, I bought the 3rd book on the same day I finished the 2nd!
April 10, 2023
I absolutely loved the first book, and on the strength of that one, downloaded the next 3 in the series! I was a little disappointed in the 2nd book as it went over a lot of the old ground of the first one. I realise it probably had to be done but was a little frustrating. I wanted it to be a ‘stand alone’ book about renovating the house, not explaining to readers who somehow didn’t read the first one to be brought up to speed on the background of their story. I found the first one funnier and just more enjoyable hence the 3 stars.
February 26, 2022
Rosie’s journey to La Dolce Vita is an absolute delight!
The author’s humor, and zest for life made this book a laugh out loud pleasure. I read the first book of this series and can’t wait to read the third. I recommend this book highly. As happens with a great book, I just fell in love with the author and her family.
The author’s humor, and zest for life made this book a laugh out loud pleasure. I read the first book of this series and can’t wait to read the third. I recommend this book highly. As happens with a great book, I just fell in love with the author and her family.
May 1, 2022
Funny Italian Pandemic Story
The Rosie Life in Italy books are both an entertaining and funny story about an Irish family settling in Umbria and the joys of getting a villa refurbished. The family is crazy but the folks they meet along the way are crazier. Enjoy a funny and quick read.
The Rosie Life in Italy books are both an entertaining and funny story about an Irish family settling in Umbria and the joys of getting a villa refurbished. The family is crazy but the folks they meet along the way are crazier. Enjoy a funny and quick read.
August 11, 2022
Another enjoyable read
Having read the first book in the series I couldn't wait to read on to find out what happened next. Rosie's writing makes you feel part of the experience and, despite all the trials and tribulations of renovating a house on a strict budget during a global pandemic, she makes the reader feel part of the experience.
Having read the first book in the series I couldn't wait to read on to find out what happened next. Rosie's writing makes you feel part of the experience and, despite all the trials and tribulations of renovating a house on a strict budget during a global pandemic, she makes the reader feel part of the experience.
February 13, 2023
First, I'm a solid Rosie fan now. This book was just as intriguing as Book 1, but had a slower start (explaining relative facts from Book 1). I so would love to live in Italy and Rosie is opening my eyes as to what I'd do differently from her lessons learned and much appreciated pain points shared. I have started Book 3 and am as deeply entrenched already as with the other two. Rosie's writing style is wonderful and "real!" Thanks for sharing your "adventures" with us, Rosie.
May 11, 2023
Enjoyable read.
Reading this brought back memories of the challenges that came with the world wide pandemic. The uncertainty the stress the tears but also the family getting closer and still feeling joyful moments. The author writes with great feelings and comedy to keep the pages turning! Sweet fun storytelling.
Reading this brought back memories of the challenges that came with the world wide pandemic. The uncertainty the stress the tears but also the family getting closer and still feeling joyful moments. The author writes with great feelings and comedy to keep the pages turning! Sweet fun storytelling.
July 18, 2023
Rosie and Roman finally own The Sighing House, which they quickly rename The Workhouse. They find a crew of builders, and work finally starts on their renovations. However with so much needing to be done, and no income for the past year due to Covid, they decide to do as much of the work as they can.
October 31, 2023
The second book is just as much fun to read as the first!
I love to read about people who choose to take on remodeling projects, especially in Italy. Rosie brings her experiences to life... including all the complications the pandemic brought to all of us. Inspirational and uplifting, I can't wait to continue reading with book #3. Thanks, Rosie!
I love to read about people who choose to take on remodeling projects, especially in Italy. Rosie brings her experiences to life... including all the complications the pandemic brought to all of us. Inspirational and uplifting, I can't wait to continue reading with book #3. Thanks, Rosie!
March 25, 2025
Renovation fun seems to never end. Throw in the language barrier, Italian work schedules, and Covid lockdowns this just means disaster. Rosie and Ronan are real troupers and manage to not kill each over through the delays and dirt. Their Italian dream home simply must be habitable for Christmas, that didn't seem too much to ask. Renovators will sympathize and nod knowingly as they read.
February 15, 2022
Loved it!
A funny, captivating and daunting journey through rebuilding a beautiful and dilapidated house in Italy. It had me laughing out loud and cringing. I read it in two nights and can't wait for the 3rd book.
A funny, captivating and daunting journey through rebuilding a beautiful and dilapidated house in Italy. It had me laughing out loud and cringing. I read it in two nights and can't wait for the 3rd book.
February 15, 2022
Survivor! Covid edition . Italy
Family moves to Italy, buy an abandoned villa to restore and Covid hits Europe. What can go wrong?
Everything.
When they have a deadline to be in villa by Christmas.
Family moves to Italy, buy an abandoned villa to restore and Covid hits Europe. What can go wrong?
Everything.
When they have a deadline to be in villa by Christmas.
March 14, 2022
All systems go!
Couldn't put this book down. Would they make it into their new home in time or not? Against all the odds and with lots of ups and downs it turned out alright in the end.
Couldn't put this book down. Would they make it into their new home in time or not? Against all the odds and with lots of ups and downs it turned out alright in the end.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 52 reviews