Review: Wish You Were Italian by Kristin Rae

Wish You Were Italian

(If Only # 2)

By: Kristin Rae

Pub. Date: May 6, 2014

Publisher: Bloomsbury

Pages: 323

Source: Netgalley

Pippa has always wanted to go to Italy … but not by herself. And certainly not to sit in art school the entire summer learning about dead guys’ paintings. When she steps off the plane in Rome, she realizes that traveling solo gives her the freedom to do whatever she wants. So it’s arrivederci, boring art program and ciao, hot Italian guys!

Charming, daring, and romantic, Bruno is just the Italian Pippa’s looking for—except she keeps running into cute American archeology student Darren everywhere she goes. Pippa may be determined to fall in love with an Italian guy … but the electricity she feels with Darren says her heart might have other plans. Can Pippa figure out her feelings before her parents discover she left the program and—even worse—she loses her chance at love?

 I received this galley in exchange for an honest review.

I have never been a huge contemporary fan. I usually end up finding them a little silly and over the top. But every once in a while I get in the mood to read one. I am so happy that I decided to read Wish You Were Italian! The story was absolutely adorable, the characters were so much fun, the writing was fast paced and interesting and everything felt so realistic! If every contemporary was like this one, I would be a fan for life!

Pippa is forced to attend on art program in Florence, Italy for the summer by her mother. She would have much rather stayed home with her best friend, Morgan, but since she is in Italy, she has decided to make the best of a crappy situation. After some thinking, she decides that instead of going to the art program, she is going to see all the parts of Italy that she always wanted to see, including Pompeii and Rome. With the extra money her father gave her, she sets out for the adventure of a lifetime. Along the way she meets the most interesting and lovely people.

The setting was absolutely breathtaking. I really felt that I was visiting all of the sites right along with Pippa and doing everything she was doing. I was insanely jealous of her as well. The story just made me want to go to Italy even more!

I really connected to the character of Pippa. She was a normal girl who didn’t take herself too seriously. She didn’t get along with her mom, but still wanted to make her happy. I loved watching Pippa grow and become more confident in herself. I also loved the connection she had with Darren, the cute American she meets on her first day in Italy. It was so cute how they kept meeting up! She also had an interesting relationship with Bruno, the Italian hottie whose family she ends up staying with.

Wish You Were Italian has easily become a favorite of mine! The ending had me swooning completely, it was so sweet! I cannot wait to see what Kristin Rae comes up with next!