Review: Wish You Were Italian by Kristin Rae

Title: Wish You Were Italian
Author: Kristin Rae
Publisher: Bloomsbury USA Childrens
Release date: May 6th 2014
Source: Netgalley
Format: eARC

Rating: 4.5/5

Buy on: Amazon | B&N | BookDepository

The summer before senior year of high school. It’s supposed to be one of the biggest summers of her life, but Pippa is headed to an art program she has no interest in. The one saving grace is it’s in Italy. And when the opportunity strikes, she decides to ditch the program and travel Italy accomplishing her own list of goals. Things like swimming in the Mediterranean Sea, eating a whole pizza in one sitting…and falling in love with an Italian boy!

As she explores the famous cities of Rome and Pompeii, Pippa finds herself falling for two boys: a local guy she knows is nothing but trouble and a cute American archaeology student who keeps disappearing and reappearing at the strangest moments. Will Pippa find her true love before her parents find out the truth about her summer program?

Wish You Were Italian is a perfect summer read because it´s a light, adorable, cute, with a friendship and romance that felt a little like serendipity or that was meant to happen, with a bit of adventure and a great setting because is Italy!.

The story begins with Pippa being sent by her parents to Italy, to study an art course which she didn´t want to go, because she had other plans for this summer, which now they´re ruined; so in a fit of rebellion once she´s in Italy, she decides not to go to school and explore Italy by herself. Her best friend gave her a journal, in which she was assigned tasks that she must do once in Italy and during the course of the summer. Her first task is to make a top 10 list of things she wants to do in Italy, so Pippa´s list includes: visit Pompeii, swimming in the Mediterranean Sea, having a conversation in Italian and the last thing on her list is to fall in love with an Italian boy, which she initially sees as impossible.

I loved the friendship and all encounters between Pippa and Darren, I loved everything about them! Darren is the good guy of the story, while Bruno has a bad boy vibe.

I must say that this book didn´t felt very realistic since for Pippa everything goes well and almost everything that happens is as it was destined to happen, nevertheless I loved this book!, it´s a really cute book and I had fun reading it. I highly recommend it to those looking for a light summer read.