Review: The Italian Dream – Jo Thomas
In a drunken stupor, Ruthie made an offer on an Italian farm. To her shock, the offer is accepted! Ruthie just ended her relationship and doesn’t have a new house yet. After deliberation, Ruthie decides to take a chance and heads to her farm in Italy to make a fresh start. Once there, the farm appears to be a bit dilapidated and the Italian Marco and his family, who live next to the house, do not make it easy for her. Still, she wants to prove herself and decides to start renovating her house.
Author Jo Thomas creates in The Italian dream a romantic Italian setting with olive trees, old-fashioned trulli houses and delicious Italian food. Then the main character also meets the perfect Italian man and then the feel-good setting is complete. Here and there the author loses himself in some implausibility, but that also fits the genre and you can enjoy being carried away by the story.
Ruthie is an appealing character. She is full of courage, has perseverance, is cheerful and does not let herself be fooled. At times she doubts whether she should return to England, but time and time again she manages to pull herself together. In addition, she knows how to win over the residents of the Italian village, which gives her a lot of help. The story is largely written from Ruthie’s perspective, supplemented here and there by pieces from the perspective of the Italian Marco.
The Scottish author Jo Thomas has already written many summer and winter feel-good novels. Her books can be found on the bestseller lists. Since 2022, her books have also been published in Dutch. Previously published: Escape to Provence and Once upon a time there was a reindeer. The Italian dream was translated by Charlotte Bakker. The book is written smoothly, without difficult words, making the book easy to read.
This book is ideal for fans of Jill Mansell, Katie Fforde and Charlotte de Monchy. The story fits perfectly with the title of the book: The Italian dream. A wonderfully romantic feel-good story set in beautiful southern Italy with a beautiful happy ending, which will make you close the book with satisfaction.
