Italian Woman Short Black Dress Hair Sex With Younger 30
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The plot has been done to death… Sensible yet single heroine on the wrong side of thirty…nosey relatives who love to drop poisonous barbs at every given opportunity (especially at embarrassing public gatherings like weddings)…unresolved i
If this is your first chick-lit, you'll enjoy it thoroughly. And if it's your 55th chick-lit, you may not be blown away by the story but will still come away with a warm fuzzy feeling. I come under the latter category and 'Italian for Beginners' was a fun romp.The plot has been done to death… Sensible yet single heroine on the wrong side of thirty…nosey relatives who love to drop poisonous barbs at every given opportunity (especially at embarrassing public gatherings like weddings)…unresolved issues with a deceased parent....a well-paying though dead-end job…and the cherry on the cake: a non-existent love-life. Say hello to our heroine:Cat Connelly.
Cat meets the seemingly perfect man, but things go awry when she learns that he is married. In a bid to break out of her safe mould, she scoots off to Rome (a place she has always loved), where she hopes to reunite with an old flame. But the book is 340-pages thick and Cat's problems cannot be solved so soon. She encounters crazy situations and messy emotions that she could have done without. She learns to deal with her past baggage. She rediscovers her self…her self-worth…and people who prop her up with their buoyancy and sheer pig-headedness.
And the whole transformation was brought about in a glorious setting…the dusty, mellow around the edges, steeped in culture Roma . These were the parts I liked best. The author, Kirstin Harmel lets her love for the ancient city pour out through tiny but delicious descriptions, like:
I took a deep breath, soaking in the smells around me; baking bread from a nearby bakery; a hint of lavender perfume hanging in the air from the giggling pair of twenty-something girls who had just passed by; the slightly salty, slighty muddy smell of the Tiber river, drifting in from a block away.
I started off getting irritated with Cat's seeming lack of backbone to feeling happy as I watched her grow, glow and shed her insecurities. A sweet light read that gives you a few moist-eyed moments; but mostly fills you with a strong yearning to wear a white sundress, a floppy straw-hat, gladiator-sandals and have your own l'il Roman Holiday
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I love Cat Conelly! Such a lovely woman, i guess. I admire her character being a loving daughter and a sister. There's Marco too, and i super love him!! He's so cool, kind-hearted and a real gentleman.. Haha, i'm actually fantasizing to be with a ma
This book is a WOW! Such an amazing one! When i first saw the book, i wasn't interested at all 'cause i thought it's merely a guide for beginners wanting to be proficient in the Italian Language..But..i was wrong. This book now is one of my favorites!I love Cat Conelly! Such a lovely woman, i guess. I admire her character being a loving daughter and a sister. There's Marco too, and i super love him!! He's so cool, kind-hearted and a real gentleman.. Haha, i'm actually fantasizing to be with a man like him. (oh well, there's only very few of them in this world i know). I feel like Marco deserve Cat better than anybody else including Michael. He's the one who encouraged Cat to face and overcome the issues with her mother,and of course because of him, Cat's Roman Holiday became so beautiful and worth remembering. I obviously want him to end up with Cat, unfortunately it didn't turn out that way:( I wish Kristin Harmel, made a different side of the story like......Michael found a different woman to love who is as nice as Cat, or.....He and Karina, Cat's friend and landlady, developed feelings toward each other and they end up together.Hahaha:)
I'm not a classic movie lover but this time i felt the urge of watching one, that is the Roman Holiday. Maybe soon, i still don't have the copy..But it's one thing that i look forward this weekend. I've never been to Rome as well. My top priorities in my destination list have always been Japan, Canada, US, London but I think I'm gonna include Rome this time..
Kristin Harmel did a good job in all her books. Two thumbs-up for "Italian for Beginners"! (haha..i wanna say it again, i want Cat and Marco together, could u make another story for them, Kristin?? Haha..oh well she'll never read this, i know!! hehe)
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The idea is really not terrible (and neither was the descriptions of Italy and the ending was kind of cute, otherwise, I'd have given it only one star), but the execution lacked... something. I think I'd have preferred this as a short story. The word "wonderment" was used twice, and that's twice too many. Several characters' jaws dropped mo
The only way I forced myself to finish this book was because I'd hurt my back the night before and this was the only book I could reach without getting up. :PThe idea is really not terrible (and neither was the descriptions of Italy and the ending was kind of cute, otherwise, I'd have given it only one star), but the execution lacked... something. I think I'd have preferred this as a short story. The word "wonderment" was used twice, and that's twice too many. Several characters' jaws dropped more than once (probably ever other page.) Everyone, including the men, murmured, smirked, and blushed. The main character is supposed to be mature and someone who's always had to take care of her family since her mother left, and then came back, and then died, but she has no faith in herself, and while she always martyrs herself and says it's because she has always been the dependable one (which I actually empathize with, but not in the way she goes on and on), she never says until the end of the book that it's because she always felt as if she had to be perfect or someone else would leave her, too, which makes her a lot more sympathetic. I think the short story version could have cut out a lot of the lengthy hemming and hawing of the main character (whom I hated, even at the end), and just let her have fun in Rome. She is a boring accountant in NY, but mentions constantly out of context how more in control of her life she feels when she's behind a camera, but she insists when people start lavishing her with compliments about her art and great talent that photography's just a hobby. She always thinks before someone praises her that they are about to either walk away without saying anything or else will tell her she sucks. It just got old. And the Roman Holiday parallels... enough already! Although now I do want to see the movie again. So at least there's that. :P
I think I'm just tired of typical chick lit, and that's not the author's fault. All in all, she had a good idea, but I doubt I'll read anything else by her unless someone else who didn't like this book thinks she improved later in her writing.
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Turns out, that old memories better stay memories so that they don't get spoiled by the new light of da More than 10 years ago, Cat spent a wonderful summer in Rome, Italy. Mostly thanks to her handsome Italian lover. Now she is 35 and has a somewhat boring life in New York City, at least that's what everyone is telling her. After a disappointing date with a man she initially thought she could fall for, she acts on a whim and contacts her ex-lover Francesco and plans a one-month vacation in Rome.
Turns out, that old memories better stay memories so that they don't get spoiled by the new light of day. But Cat soon finds new friends and gets to have a real "Roman Holiday". And she also faces up to another ghost from her past.
It was nice to accompany Cat to Rome. The setting was really a nice change from many other Chick-lit novels. The rest was just average, and I have to say that in the end I didn't really care if Cat ends up with a man and who it will be. She was nice, alright, but I just didn't feel emotionally connected.
At least it made me want to watch "Roman Holiday" with Gregory Peck and Audrey Hepburn again. One of my favorites of the classic black-and-white romantic movies. I haven't watched it for probably 20 years or so, but thankfully I had it already on DVD and now finally a good reason to watch it.
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As the novel opens, Cat is a bridesmaid at her young sister's wedding. Their grandmother (seemingly in early stages o
This is one of the few books where the cover truly tells a part of the story. The young woman with her dark bobbed hair, the handsome man with a chiseled jaw, and a Vespa are instantly enough to bring to mind the famous Audrey Hepburn film Roman Holiday. That's actually a good thing, as the film plays an important role in the story--one that I found both unexpected and delightful.As the novel opens, Cat is a bridesmaid at her young sister's wedding. Their grandmother (seemingly in early stages of Alzheimer's) causes a ruckus, asking Cat in the middle of the ceremony why she isn't married yet. Between that public humiliation, and a divine--but then disastrous--date with a man she met at the reception, Cat realizes that something has to change in her life.
Since she was 11 years old, she's always been the responsible person in her family. That was the year her mother left them, inexplicably, and Cat found herself trying desperately to be a mother to her younger sister and keep the household functioning. Her mother returned five years later, and Cat never forgave her--which became a serious problem for her when Cat's mother died unexpectedly a few years later, leaving so much unresolved between them.
At the instigation of her family and a friendly coworker, Cat decides to return to Rome. She'd been there once before as a junior in college, and she'd fallen madly in love with an Italian named Francesco. Maybe, she reasons, the reason that she's been so unlucky in love since then is because she turned her back on it so long ago . . .
Except that Francesco isn't the man she remembered. Finding herself stuck in Rome for a month, Cat decides that she's going to stay and make the trip something to remember. And does she ever. By taking chances and opening herself to new friendships, Cat begins the slow and painful business of confronting the ghosts of her past so that she can actually have a future.
I, too, lost my mother when I was young. I don't normally enjoy books about motherless daughters, especially when that is the defining fact of their character, but this one was different. I hate to call a book "relatable," as I think that's one of the worst sorts of adjectives. Books should be considered good whether or not a reader can relate to the characters. But I did see parts of myself in Cat, which causes a bit of a dilemma for me. So, instead of saying that I enjoyed this book because I found Cat to be relatable, I'll simply say that Harmel's characters are psychologically real and complicated, with uncertain motivations and desires.
I loved this title. I don't know if I'll read Harmel's other books, but Italian for Beginners spoke to me, and I recommend it highly.
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After her little sister ties the knot, Cat knows she needs to change something in her life. After much debate, she decides to go to Rome, where she spent a semester as a college student. She e-mails her o
Italian for Beginners by Kristin Harmel tells the story of Cat Connelly, a New York City accountant. Cat's life is not very exciting- she goes to work and spends time with her father and her sister with a few not so hot relationships thrown in here and there. She is the definition of dependable.After her little sister ties the knot, Cat knows she needs to change something in her life. After much debate, she decides to go to Rome, where she spent a semester as a college student. She e-mails her old Italian fling Francesco and goes to Italy to see if what they had was real.
When she arrives in Rome, she learns that Francesco certainly isn't the same charming Italian man that she remembered. Feeling defeated she almost books a flight home, but decides to stay and finish the adventure she set up to begin.
I knew I'd love this book solely based on the fact that it takes place in Rome and is called Italian for Beginners. I studied abroad in Rome this past summer and I had the time of my life. This book brought me back to all those places I'd grown to love.
Cat is definitely a relateable character though there were more than a few times I wanted to scream at her to just sit down and think a situation through before making snap judgments. I had a hard time believing that she was so completely stubborn at some points throughout the book regarding a certain man.
I loved all of the side characters who quickly became a huge part of the story. You'll quickly find yourself falling love with the people Cat meets on her journey throughout Rome and you'll feel like you're traveling right along with her.
Ever wanted to travel to Rome but couldn't? The fabulous description of the cobblestone streets of Rome and the quaint shops and piazza's will make you feel like you've been there all your life. Harmel does an excellent job with description and painting a beautiful picture for the reader.
...more Not the worst book I've ever read, but I probably wouldn't have bothered with it if I had picked it up in a bookstore instead of coming across it online, where I couldn't read a few pages. Live and learn -- and put this one in the give-away bag right away.
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In Italian for Beginners, our protagonist Cat Connelly goes from a timid and semi-depressed caretaker of sorts, to a more confident and fun version of herself. All because of Rome and the unique personalities she meets on her 1 month trip. Karina, the hardened waitress who rents her a room, her son Nico, her aunt Gina, and Marco... t
Aww I loved this book! It was so sweet and heart warming, and full of so many things that make me happy... All things Italian, food, family. What could be better?!?In Italian for Beginners, our protagonist Cat Connelly goes from a timid and semi-depressed caretaker of sorts, to a more confident and fun version of herself. All because of Rome and the unique personalities she meets on her 1 month trip. Karina, the hardened waitress who rents her a room, her son Nico, her aunt Gina, and Marco... the swoon worthy Italian guy that finds her sleeping on a bench after taking a sleeping pill. (Funny!) From the back of Marco's Vespa, camera in hand, and with Karina cheering her on, Cat cautiously transforms into what we hoped for!
I can't get enough of Kristin Harmel, love her! This book was no exception to the greatness I've come to expect from her. It was kinda predictable, it so well written and it finished perfectly. Bravo!
****~*~* MY OWN NOTES, SPOILERS*~*~****
At sister Becky's wedding, Cat is humiliated by gma. Hides out in receptions kitchen, Michael is the owner and they flirt. They go on a date and Cat thinks he is married. Runs from him, but really likes him. (Cat also running from the demons of her mom leaving the family then dying left in her)
She decides to go to Italy to see Francesco- met him 13 years earlier on study abroad program, thought she loved him. Emails him and he tells her to come. She arrives- he's a pig- thought she was someone else. Heart broken but unwilling to give up on finding herself emotionally - she meets a wonderful cast of Italians that become family to her.
She leaves Italy a photographer, Karina and Nico come to NYC to visit, Michael had bought C's pics in a gallery not knowing it was C bc she was going by Audrey H. Vertidiccio- her mom's name. (Roman holiday movie w AH, her gparents were extras years ago in the movie and named their child AH. Marco also uses the movie references with Cat, and makes a date replaying the movie. Awwww!) So the book ends with C and M agreeing to date again. Super cute and not too mushy or predictable.
A side note: on page 41 Kristin Harmel mentions Guillaume Riche the French singer, rock star, from her book "The Art of French Kissing." I went to google to see if this is an actual person. To my and Kristin surprised, there is a French singer with that name. Kristin Harmel did write that book in 2008, and this artist wasn't around then. We laughed about this when I told her this over zoom.
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I really enjoyed this book. Going on an impulse trip to Rome is definitely not something I would ever do, but it was neat to step into someone else's shoes for a while. I appreciated how Cat found and dealt with her ghost
DISCLAIMER: I feel like I should start here. There are two bedroom scenes in this book, and so that will be a turn off to some of my friends. However, this is the equivalent of fast forwarding the movie for 30 seconds and nobody sees anything, so if that's ok with you, read on.I really enjoyed this book. Going on an impulse trip to Rome is definitely not something I would ever do, but it was neat to step into someone else's shoes for a while. I appreciated how Cat found and dealt with her ghosts with a little help from her new friends. The renewal process she went through was inspiring. It was nice to have the book revolve around her rather than a developing relationship. And the guy she starts talking to at the end was my favorite anyway. It was neat to see the healing she went through and realizing how her whole life was built on faulty assumptions and how facing those changed things for the better.
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In the last few months I've read many of Harmel's novels; and there are several that are well worth reading and others that fall flat. For me, this one fell flat. Harmel does a great job of evoking the world of Rome, and the stories connection to Roman Holiday was a delight.
However, the same old plot twist of a 30+ woman who has lost herself, spends too much time thinking of others and needs I love Italy; I love a good romance; I love Audrey Hepburn and Roman Holiday. I did not LOVE this book.
In the last few months I've read many of Harmel's novels; and there are several that are well worth reading and others that fall flat. For me, this one fell flat. Harmel does a great job of evoking the world of Rome, and the stories connection to Roman Holiday was a delight.
However, the same old plot twist of a 30+ woman who has lost herself, spends too much time thinking of others and needs a getaway felt contrived. From the beginning when the heroine is ridiculed by her grandmother at her sisters wedding I felt myself rolling my eyes. Constantly challenged to find a mate, to settle and just get married because she isn't any younger was just ridiculous.
Predictably, she goes off to Rome and through her relationships and mistakes she discovers her true purpose and ultimately finds the love she was waiting for. The ending is sweet, but the journey isnt worth it. ...more
A former reporter for PEOPLE magazine, Kristin has been writing professionally since the age of 16, when she began her career as a sportswriter, covering Major
Kristin Harmel is the New York Times bestselling and #1 international bestselling author of THE BOOK OF LOST NAMES, THE WINEMAKER'S WIFE, and a dozen other novels that have been translated into numerous languages and sold all over the world.A former reporter for PEOPLE magazine, Kristin has been writing professionally since the age of 16, when she began her career as a sportswriter, covering Major League Baseball and NHL hockey for a local magazine in Tampa Bay, Florida in the late 1990s. After stints covering health and lifestyle for American Baby, Men's Health, and Woman's Day, she became a reporter for PEOPLE and spent more than a decade working for the publication, covering everything from the Super Bowl to high-profile murders to celebrity interviews with the likes of Ben Affleck, Matthew McConaughey, OutKast, Justin Timberlake, and Patrick Dempsey. Her favorite stories at PEOPLE, however, were the "Heroes Among Us" features—tales of ordinary people doing extraordinary things. One of those features—the story of Holocaust-survivor-turned-philanthropist Henri Landwirth (whom both Walter Cronkite and John Glenn told Kristin was the most amazing person they'd ever known)—partially inspired Kristin's 2012 novel, The Sweetness of Forgetting, which was a bestseller all over the world.
In addition to a long magazine writing career (which also included articles published in Travel + Leisure, Glamour, Ladies' Home Journal, Every Day with Rachael Ray, and more), Kristin was also a frequent contributor to the national television morning show The Daily Buzz—where her assignments included flying to London three times to interview the cast of the Harry Potter films. She has appeared on Good Morning America and numerous local television morning shows--and even stumbled into a role as an extra in the 2003 American Idol movie while awaiting an interview with Kelly Clarkson.
Kristin was born just outside Boston, Massachusetts and spent her childhood there, as well as in Columbus, Ohio, and St. Petersburg, Florida. After graduating with a degree in journalism (with a minor in Spanish) from the University of Florida, she spent time living in Paris and Los Angeles and now lives in Orlando, with her husband and young son. She travels frequently to France for book research (and—let's be honest—for the pastries and wine) and writes a book a year for Gallery Books/Simon & Schuster.
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And the, one day, she did. But not the way I thought.
She died. A massive heart attack at the age of forty-nine.
And for the second time in my life, I'd been left by mu mother. But this time, it was for good. And it wasn't her fault, which was the hardest part of it to wrap my mind around. I couldn't hate her for leaving this time. But I could hate myself a little for failing to let her back in when I still had the chance."
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