Four girls. One magical, and possibly dangerous Italian summer. Family mysteries, ancient castles, long hot nights of dancing under the stars . . . and, of course, plenty of gorgeous Italian boys!
Flirting in Italian
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Book Description
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Editorial Reviews
From School Library Journal
Gr 8 Up-After seeing an 18th-century painting of an Italian aristocrat who could pass for her twin, Violet Routledge convinces her mother to send her to a study course in Tuscany. She has to find out if there's any connection between her and the girl in the painting, and in the meantime, she can get to know some of those famously handsome Italian boys. Violet stays in a villa with three other students and the family of Elisa, the woman who runs the program. It's a beautiful home but her experience is tarnished a bit by the nastiness of Elisa's daughter. Violet is feeling a little uncertain of her decision to spend time abroad until she encounters dark, mysterious, and downright hot Luca. He just so happens to be the heir to a nearby castle that just so happens to be the castle featured in the painting that Violet is dying to know more about. Flirting stays true to its title: Henderson delivers lots of crushing and a bit of mystery with a dash of Italian 101. Although the romance is appropriate for teens, the book has more of an adult chick-lit feel. The story stops without resolution and although a follow-up is planned, the abrupt ending breeds a bit more disappointment than anticipation. Readers who enjoyed Stephanie Perkins's Anna and the French Kiss (Dutton, 2010) will be interested in Henderson's tale of European romance.-Emily Chornomaz, Camden County Library System, NJα(c) Copyright 2011. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
About the Author
LAUREN HENDERSON is the author of the young adult Scarlett Wakefield series published by Delacorte Press. She is also the author of several acclaimed "tart noir" mystery novels for adults, as well as the witty romance handbook Jane Austen's Guide to Dating, which has been optioned for film development by producer Kiwi Smith. She was born and raised in London, where she lives with her husband. Visit her online at LaurenHenderson.net or myspace.com/msLaurenHenderson.
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
Fun and enjoyable, Flirting In Italian is packed with sexy Italian boys, gorgeously depicted European settings, mysteries, mean girls, and long hot summer nights. It's the ultimate summer read - light-hearted, and as sweet and fluffy as cotton candy. Don't be fooled by the beautiful pastel-coloured cover, though, this book is more than just a silly story about girls kissing boys in Italy. Featuring long buried family secrets, mysterious Italian paintings, and an old castle on the hill, Flirting In Italian entertains the reader with tension that is slowly (but steadily) building up throughout its pages, and danger that is lurking just around the corner.
The premise of this novel is too delicious to miss out on. The romantic countryside of Tuscany, a lovely fourteenth-century villa (with a swimming pool!), and two months of learning Italian, participating in art tours, watercolour painting and ballroom dancing - how could you possibly say no to all that? I enjoyed the setting of this novel and thought that Lauren Henderson managed to capture both the unique atmosphere of Italy, and the temperamental nature of Italians really well.
Violet Routledge, a teenage girl from London, arrives in Italy on a mission. Back at home, while visiting a local museum, she stumbled upon a portrait featuring some unknown Italian aristocrat who looks exactly like herself and could easily be her twin. Fascinated by the painting, Violet decided to learn more about the model, and find out if she's in any way related to her. She convinced her mother to send her to Italy for a two month long private course, under the excuse of learning Italian. After arriving in Tuscany, Violet meets the other students - an English red head, and two confident American chicks, and she decides to make the most out of her time in this hot and humid European country.
I enjoyed this book quite a lot. Especially Henderson's excellent writing style that seemed almost effortless and made the book quick and easy to devour. Lauren Henderson is a well-established author, she has written an impressive number of books (many of which quickly became bestsellers), and if you pick up Flirting In Italian, you'll see just why. This book was extremely readable. I couldn't put it down, even though some of the plot developments made me frown (or annoyed me) a bit. There was something about this book that held my attention and made me push through. I wanted to learn more about the history behind the painting. I wanted to see how the relationship between Violet and Luca will progress. I craved more of Italy. Ultimately, though, I really wanted Violet to focus more on discovering her connection to the girl from the portrait (after all, that was the reason for her flying to Italy in the first place). And I admit, as the story progressed and it became clear to me that she got totally side tracked (distracted by Luca's sweet lips or exchanging verbal-slaps with mean Italian girls) and had no plans of digging deeper into the past or doing any sort of research (not even when someone locked her up in a dungeon and then tried to poison her), I started getting impatient. I was also a little bit disappointed that not much of the plot got resolved in the end, and the parts that did get concluded, didn't impress me either (yes, I'm talking about you, you creepy Italian maid). It just seemed that a lot of the book focused on cat-fights, learning how to swear in Italian and other weird but non essential aspects of the story. The flirting was there, but since I wasn't all that impressed with the rude and cocky Luca either, I didn't really feel the swoon. The ending came very abruptly, and unfortunately, I can't say that I liked it. It wasn't a horrible ending, but it wasn't a very pleasing one either - it felt a little bit forced (as if the author didn't really plan for the sequel, but decided on it last minute). Thankfully, though, there will be two more books in the series (with Falling In Love In Italian being the next one), and hopefully it will provide more answers, concluding all the plot threats in a satisfactory way.
As for the characters in this novel, I thought they were a bit stereotypical, but in no way did it take away from the fun of watching them interact with each other. The dialogues were crisp and bursting with energy, making it easy to really get into the story. All the snarky exchanges and cat-fights proved to be very entertaining, and I even learned some Italian swear words (not sure if I should be happy about that, though). I adored all the characters (except for the arrogant Luca), especially the American girls, Kendra and Paige (they were just so lively, confident and likeable!). I liked the lead protagonist, Violetta, from the very beginning. She was down to earth, honest, and straight to the point, with just the perfect dose of sass and humour. I liked that she would stand up for herself (and for others, too), and didn't shy away from confrontation, and, although I didn't understand her attraction to Luca (at all), I still got quite attached to her. She was definitely the kind of girl I could be good friends with.
Overall, Flirting In Italian was a good book. Light and flavourful, it's a perfect beach read, especially if you like books set in Southern European countries, and ones that successfully depict both the atmosphere and the unique cultural aspects of the region. I'm looking forward to the sequel and can't wait to find out more about the mysterious portrait and the story behind it!
The premise of this novel is too delicious to miss out on. The romantic countryside of Tuscany, a lovely fourteenth-century villa (with a swimming pool!), and two months of learning Italian, participating in art tours, watercolour painting and ballroom dancing - how could you possibly say no to all that? I enjoyed the setting of this novel and thought that Lauren Henderson managed to capture both the unique atmosphere of Italy, and the temperamental nature of Italians really well.
Violet Routledge, a teenage girl from London, arrives in Italy on a mission. Back at home, while visiting a local museum, she stumbled upon a portrait featuring some unknown Italian aristocrat who looks exactly like herself and could easily be her twin. Fascinated by the painting, Violet decided to learn more about the model, and find out if she's in any way related to her. She convinced her mother to send her to Italy for a two month long private course, under the excuse of learning Italian. After arriving in Tuscany, Violet meets the other students - an English red head, and two confident American chicks, and she decides to make the most out of her time in this hot and humid European country.
I enjoyed this book quite a lot. Especially Henderson's excellent writing style that seemed almost effortless and made the book quick and easy to devour. Lauren Henderson is a well-established author, she has written an impressive number of books (many of which quickly became bestsellers), and if you pick up Flirting In Italian, you'll see just why. This book was extremely readable. I couldn't put it down, even though some of the plot developments made me frown (or annoyed me) a bit. There was something about this book that held my attention and made me push through. I wanted to learn more about the history behind the painting. I wanted to see how the relationship between Violet and Luca will progress. I craved more of Italy. Ultimately, though, I really wanted Violet to focus more on discovering her connection to the girl from the portrait (after all, that was the reason for her flying to Italy in the first place). And I admit, as the story progressed and it became clear to me that she got totally side tracked (distracted by Luca's sweet lips or exchanging verbal-slaps with mean Italian girls) and had no plans of digging deeper into the past or doing any sort of research (not even when someone locked her up in a dungeon and then tried to poison her), I started getting impatient. I was also a little bit disappointed that not much of the plot got resolved in the end, and the parts that did get concluded, didn't impress me either (yes, I'm talking about you, you creepy Italian maid). It just seemed that a lot of the book focused on cat-fights, learning how to swear in Italian and other weird but non essential aspects of the story. The flirting was there, but since I wasn't all that impressed with the rude and cocky Luca either, I didn't really feel the swoon. The ending came very abruptly, and unfortunately, I can't say that I liked it. It wasn't a horrible ending, but it wasn't a very pleasing one either - it felt a little bit forced (as if the author didn't really plan for the sequel, but decided on it last minute). Thankfully, though, there will be two more books in the series (with Falling In Love In Italian being the next one), and hopefully it will provide more answers, concluding all the plot threats in a satisfactory way.
As for the characters in this novel, I thought they were a bit stereotypical, but in no way did it take away from the fun of watching them interact with each other. The dialogues were crisp and bursting with energy, making it easy to really get into the story. All the snarky exchanges and cat-fights proved to be very entertaining, and I even learned some Italian swear words (not sure if I should be happy about that, though). I adored all the characters (except for the arrogant Luca), especially the American girls, Kendra and Paige (they were just so lively, confident and likeable!). I liked the lead protagonist, Violetta, from the very beginning. She was down to earth, honest, and straight to the point, with just the perfect dose of sass and humour. I liked that she would stand up for herself (and for others, too), and didn't shy away from confrontation, and, although I didn't understand her attraction to Luca (at all), I still got quite attached to her. She was definitely the kind of girl I could be good friends with.
Overall, Flirting In Italian was a good book. Light and flavourful, it's a perfect beach read, especially if you like books set in Southern European countries, and ones that successfully depict both the atmosphere and the unique cultural aspects of the region. I'm looking forward to the sequel and can't wait to find out more about the mysterious portrait and the story behind it!
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
By jennifer
Format:Hardcover
The title and the cover drew me to this book. I think both are really cute and sound like a fun book. I have read some of the
Scarlet Wakefield series by this author and hoped there would be some mystery in this story too. And there was.
The story is about a girl, Violet, who loves art. She finds a painting in a museum of a woman that looks like she could be her twin. Curious, Violet decides to take off to Italy and search for the origin of the painting. She feels that there must be a connection. Once she is there she finds an Italian boy, 3 unlikely friends, a jealous enemy, and more mystery and danger than she expected.
The story was really enjoyable. Violet was a really easy character to like and relate too. She acted and though for the most part like any other teenage girl. Violets roommates were also very fun, all uniquely different enough to spark some fire into the relationships. They are quite the foursome and one would never see all of them hanging out together, but they work.
There is a bit of a love story, actually the romance is a big part of the story. The first half, maybe a little more, was devoted to Violet and her friends going out and finding boys to fall for. Violet seems to fall for a pseudo bad boy, Luca. One moment he is sweet and sexy and then he says something ridiculous that made me laugh and slap him too. Violet seemed to have much of the same reaction. They had some real chemistry with a bit of a language and cultural snag. Their relationship was definitely a plus to this story.
The other part of the book was devoted to the mystery of the painting. Luca lives in the castle where the painting can be traced back to. Luca's mother and staff seemed to think that Violet looks a lot like Luca's aunt at a very young age. Interesting. This part felt a little strange to me. I really hoped Luca would not turn out to be Violet's cousin. This mystery led to some danger. The book really got interesting at this point and became a real page turner for me. Unfortunately only part of the mystery is solved at the end. I am really happy to see a companion book coming out.
Overall, it was a fun story but I felt like it was almost two different stories. It seems at the beginning, this is going to be another contemporary romance and then a mystery kind of takes over. I think that they mystery bit could have been built a little more at the beginning. The character building was done well and that saved the story for me. I will read the companion book as soon as it comes out because I am dying to see what happens.
Scarlet Wakefield series by this author and hoped there would be some mystery in this story too. And there was.
The story is about a girl, Violet, who loves art. She finds a painting in a museum of a woman that looks like she could be her twin. Curious, Violet decides to take off to Italy and search for the origin of the painting. She feels that there must be a connection. Once she is there she finds an Italian boy, 3 unlikely friends, a jealous enemy, and more mystery and danger than she expected.
The story was really enjoyable. Violet was a really easy character to like and relate too. She acted and though for the most part like any other teenage girl. Violets roommates were also very fun, all uniquely different enough to spark some fire into the relationships. They are quite the foursome and one would never see all of them hanging out together, but they work.
There is a bit of a love story, actually the romance is a big part of the story. The first half, maybe a little more, was devoted to Violet and her friends going out and finding boys to fall for. Violet seems to fall for a pseudo bad boy, Luca. One moment he is sweet and sexy and then he says something ridiculous that made me laugh and slap him too. Violet seemed to have much of the same reaction. They had some real chemistry with a bit of a language and cultural snag. Their relationship was definitely a plus to this story.
The other part of the book was devoted to the mystery of the painting. Luca lives in the castle where the painting can be traced back to. Luca's mother and staff seemed to think that Violet looks a lot like Luca's aunt at a very young age. Interesting. This part felt a little strange to me. I really hoped Luca would not turn out to be Violet's cousin. This mystery led to some danger. The book really got interesting at this point and became a real page turner for me. Unfortunately only part of the mystery is solved at the end. I am really happy to see a companion book coming out.
Overall, it was a fun story but I felt like it was almost two different stories. It seems at the beginning, this is going to be another contemporary romance and then a mystery kind of takes over. I think that they mystery bit could have been built a little more at the beginning. The character building was done well and that saved the story for me. I will read the companion book as soon as it comes out because I am dying to see what happens.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
This book was good... and then it was bad... and then it was good... and the it went south really fast. The guys were ridiculous, the women were ridiculous, even the plot reeked of stupidity. The characters really needed to be developed more. There was absolutely no sense to any part of it. DON'T PURCHASE THIS
Most Recent Customer Reviews
2.0 out of 5 stars
Diferent than it seemed from summary-first of two books
When Violet sees the painting at the museum that looks exactly like herself, she knows she must find out more about it. Read more
Published 8 months ago by Mrs. Heise
4.0 out of 5 stars
Mystery in Italy
As a fan of Lauren Henderson's Scarlett Wakefield series I was excited to read her new series set in Italy. Read more
Published 8 months ago by BeccaG
2.0 out of 5 stars
Was Okay
I was really looking forward to this book and was delighted when my request was accepted. The prologue had me very interested, but as the book went on, I became less sure about... Read more
Published 8 months ago by Jenn Booksessed
4.0 out of 5 stars
Come si dice "hot guys" in Italiano?
Three words. Hot...Italian...Guys... What more would you need in a book? Need a plot? Got it. And let me tell you, this book had far more depth than I was expecting. Read more
Published 10 months ago by Tammy Smith
2.0 out of 5 stars
Viva Italia...but the story falls flat
Despite the gorgeous setting of Italy (my top destination on my to-visit list!), this story was oddly flat for me. Read more
Published 10 months ago by Mary
5.0 out of 5 stars
More mystery than romance, with great setting details
I feel like my review needs to come with a disclaimer: I'm obsessed with books set in foreign countries. Read more
Published 10 months ago by onepagereviews
3.0 out of 5 stars
A little trip to Italy
It's just not summer if you don't read at least one one book (1) about a Summer Romance, (2) with a Clever Main Character, and (3) an Exotic Setting. Read more
Published 10 months ago by Debnance at Readerbuzz
2.0 out of 5 stars
Quite disappointing.
To be honest, it was a struggle to get through this. The beginning may have been the worst part - it didn't hold my interest at all. Read more
Published 10 months ago by Zoey Talbon
3.0 out of 5 stars
Cute premise, but the ending was a disappointment
When I first heard about Flirting in Italian, I knew that this would be right up my alley! It sounded like the perfect contemporary read with gorgeous foreign boys and an awesome... Read more
Published 10 months ago by sarah@catchingbooks
2.0 out of 5 stars
Ehh...
***ARC received by Random House for review***
This is probably the first time that such an incredibly vague book description has made me very curious to read the book... Read more
This is probably the first time that such an incredibly vague book description has made me very curious to read the book... Read more
Published 11 months ago by Nereyda @
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