A new job, a new chance, a rivalry lasting for ages

Synopsis

Two families at war and Alice finds herself caught in the middle. Can she re-write a story as old as time?

When cutbacks force Alice out of her assistant manager role at a Devonshire stately home, she turns her sights elsewhere: the picturesque hills above the historic city of Parma. An aristocratic Italian family are looking to open their medieval castle to the public, and Alice is just the woman for the job.

Four years ago, a life-changing accident pushed Alice into depression, but the beauty and charm of the Italian countryside works its magic in brightening her days. Especially when she keeps bumping into handsome Luca… But rivalries run deep in the town, and Alice’s work – not to mention her potential love life – are caught in the middle of a long-standing feud between two families.

With her job and future happiness in peril, can Alice save the future of the castle, and bring two warring families together?

My review

When cutbacks strikes at a Devonshire stately home, it’s Alice’s job as an assistant manager that is on the line.
With some help of her friends, she finds herself a new job, and this one will take her to the picturesque hills just above Parma. As Alice has already spent time in Italy previously, and knows the language, she is the right person to help with opening a medieval castle to the public.
Even if Italy may seem a dream location, Alice has learned the hard way that it’s a place that indeed gives a lot, but can also take a lot, as four years ago Alice was involved in a life – changing accident.
But Italy wouldn’t be Italy if it wouldn’t work its magic again, and show Alice its charm, and all the beauty it has. Even if an old feud between the aristocratic family who own the castle and the mayor may seem to complicate things. And to complicate things even further, Alice cannot stop bumping into Luca, which may add only even more fuel to that feud… 

T.A. Williams writes amazing book, no matter if he writes a cozy mystery or a romance. Whatever genre I am reading, I know I will be captivated whenever I have one of this author’s books in my hand. And this one wasn’t that unlucky one to be the exception! 

Those who have read my reviews, know that I am Italian (and Belgian too 😊) and that I am absolutely not biased at all (yeah suuuure… 😊).
But from the moment I read a book taking place in Italy and it’s a place I have been myself once or even more often, it always feel like reading about home. And with T.A. Williams managing the words, well, it makes me feel all warm on the inside. 

I have read several books, and I don’t know exactly why, but this book felt the most genuine one.
Because from the first instance, I absolutely liked Alice, even before I knew about her accident and how it changed her.
She has worked hard to get the role of assistant manager in the Devonshire estate, and she has proven her worth more than once.
Even getting the job in Parma was thanks to her work ethics and her visions, and not because she knew someone that knew someone. Even if she perhaps got the interview that way, the job was handled to her based on actual facts and her honesty. 

But not only her focus on the job was admirable, but also how she has been able to pick herself up after that accident. Although she has been through a lot, she isn’t there yet completely, and she has still so many insecurities, which are unfounded.
I liked to see how Alice wasn’t presented as a Miss Perfect, but with human flaws we all have. And while that accident has caused her permanent ‘damage’, and it limits Alice at moments, I didn’t feel that the author used it as a way to gain pity. On the contrary, we can see how determination can overcome those limitations. 

I loved reading Alice settling in Parma, and found it funny to read how she keeps on meeting the same stranger in several occasions. I found it sweet to see how, eve without sharing one word with him, it ignited something back to life in Alice, and how she started to see and believe that life truly does go on, and that even a terrible accident cannot stop some feelings. 

Yet we also see Alice’s loyalty towards her new friends, when she thinks she knows who that stranger is. And while initially I was a bit afraid that the story would take a turn I wouldn’t like, I was absolutely pleased to learn that Alice was wrong in her perception, even if her conclusions were understandable! 

The fact that there is a longstanding feud, that may cause problems in opening the castle to public may be an overreaction for non – Italians. But believe me, Italians can hold grudges for a very long time.
Yet it saddened me to see how it affected people I started to care about, and how unpredictable outbursts could be and turn out… 

A feud that also involves Luca, Alice’s love interest… and my heart broke reading how that feud, and Luca’s father erratic behaviour split a family and caused and still was causing a lot of pain…
Even if it was difficult to understand any of it, I was somehow glad to get an actual reason and that there was more to it than just a character being a terrible person… 

But I absolutely loved reading how Alice in Parma, with Luca and all her new friends, starts to believe in herself and in love again. We see her going from a perhaps fearful little animal, to a strong and confident person, ready to tackle any challenge on her path. And seeing that strength and confidence growing is the real power of this book. Because no matter how much life knocks us down, it also can raise you to the highest (Italian) hills. 

This author took me once again to a wonderful journey to a place that I truly love, with characters that are just as human as we are, but are also able to grow stronger on each page. T.A. Williams has the marvellous talent of telling beautiful stories with putting the right picture of the setting in your mind and with characters that you cannot not love…