‘The Italian Job’ – written by Kathryn Freeman #BookReview @KathrynFreeman1 @rararesources

The things we would do for our dreams

Synopsis

Dream job. Dream house. Fake fiancé.

A year in a gorgeous Italian castle…

When Anna Roberts’ life implodes, an online search leads her to an ad for the ultimate dream job – management of a gorgeous castle on the shores of Lake Como, accommodation included. The only catch? Anna can’t do it alone…

…With the last man on earth she’d choose!

The castle owners will only accept a couple as caretakers, which means Anna needs a man on her arm at the interview. Enter her neighbour, Jake Tucker. Though Anna and Jake have never seen eye-to-eye, Jake’s had a rough few years and an escape to Italy sounds ideal. Yet, when they get the job and jet off, Anna and Jake face an unexpected challenge. Pretending to be a couple is difficult … but pretending the tension simmering between them doesn’t exist is quickly proving impossible!

My review

Anna Roberts feels her world crashing down after not only her boyfriend cheats on her, but as being also her boss, she is also without a job.
After a period of wallowing in misery, with the gentle push of her father, Anna is determined to now find her dream job far away from her home.
And how improbable it may seem, she finds it! Managing a gorgeous castle on the shores of Lake Como, board and lodging included. Could this be even more perfect?
Only there is one catch… the job is only for couples…
Anna thus needs to find someone who would be also perfect for the job, and pretend to be her better half and needs to get away from everything.
There is only one person she knows that ticks all the boxes and that is her neighbour Jake Tucker.
If he would be the friendly kind of neighbour, she wouldn’t hesitate to ask him, but Anna and Jake are like chalk and cheese… While Anna is a list – person, Jake is more laidback. And ‘Saint Anna’ couldn’t be more different than Jake, who has had a few rough years…
Can they get away with pretending of being a loving couple? Or will their charade be quickly discovered?

Even before I started reading one word of this book, I knew it would be just perfect. Why? Well, first of all, LAKE COMO! Then we have main characters that are closing to hate each other than love each other, next to being total opposites.
And if that isn’t good enough yet, it’s written by Kathryn Freeman, an author I just adore!

While Anna may seem like a tight, strict and prejudiced person (especially towards Jake), the more we got to know her, the more I understood where she came from and how she got to become the person she is now.
Being the daughter of the Chief Superintendent, made her always follow the rules. And being alone with her father, made her want to be in control in every possible situation.
Even if sometimes I found her too strict, I could understand her point of view. And let’s be honest, if she wouldn’t be like she is, the story would lose a lot of its charm!

So when Anna finds her dream job, I was a bit surprised that she decided that she would do anything to get the job, even if that means lying during her interview and hide Jake’s past. But again, all part of the wonderful charm!

Now that I started to talk about Jake… He is the epitome of Bad Boy Vibes. He did some time in prison for assaulting a person, and he is provocative.
But I was very pleased to see that there was so much more to him than just being a bad boy. He is very protective towards his family and there isn’t a thing he wouldn’t do for them.
And I totally comprehended why he decided to help Anna to get her dream job. Because he, just like Anna, needs a way out.

Obviously, being total opposites, it’s a certainty Anna and Jake would more clash than agree. But slowly we also start to see how they FINALLY get to know the real Anna and Jake. And while I first thought it would be a case of only two people living in a castle alone, thus something will happen between them, it was more a case of finally truly understanding each other.

The misunderstandings, the pretending of being a loving couple, the sudden realization of feeling more than just ‘repulsion’, all set in a wonderful castle, made this a great reading session (yes, singular!).

There is also the mandatory blast from the past, the miscommunication, but also so many heart-warming moments.
And I’ll admit, reading how Jake is being a lifesaver, was a huge turn – on for me!

I loved reading this book, fulfilling my expectations I always for this author, finding myself being ecstatic with the discovery that Kathryn Freeman gave me everything I needed from this book, and even more.
I totally fell in love with Anna and Jake, and even the side characters and their tales stole a piece f my heart.
I laughed, I got angry, I swooned and I even wanted to punch a few characters, but in the end I felt overjoyed with the thought that two lovely characters, who deserved better from life, found each other unexpectedly and proving that being opposites only mean that they complete each other. A wonder story that you cannot not love!