Italian for Beginners by Kristen Harmel

Summary from the Publisher:

Thirty-four-year-old Manhattan accountant Cat Connelly has always lived life on the safe side. But after her little sister gets married, Cat wonders if she has condemned herself to a life of boredom by playing by the rules. She decides to take a chance for once, accepting an invitation to spend a month with an old flame in Italy. But her reunion with the slick and gorgeous Francesco is short-lived, and she finds herself suddenly alone in Rome. Now, she must see if she has the courage to live outside the lines for the first time - and to face a past she never understood. It will take an unexpected friendship with a fiery Italian waitress, a whirlwind Vespa tour of the Eternal City with a handsome stranger, and a surprise encounter with an old acquaintance to show Cat that life doesn't always work out the way you expect, but sometimes you have to have fall in order to fly.

My thoughts:

I found this to be a super quick read. It tells a story of something that I think every woman goes through at some point in her life. It is a story of self discovery. I found the characters to be completely believable. I found that I could easily relate to Cat. As the oldest of three girls, I often feel responsible for my younger sisters just as Cat does for Becky. Having said that, I have to admit that I wouldn't go to the lengths that Cat goes to for her sister. Perhaps that is a result of my own period of self discovery?

There are some moments where the story is a bit far fetched, but that is what makes it a good story, right? We don't want to spend our precious time reading about our mundane daily lives, we want things that are a little bit unbelievable.

All in all, I enjoyed this book and would recommend it to anyone who wants a fluffy and quick read.