Flirting In Italian by Lauren Henderson

Genre: Young Adult-Contemporary

Source: Publisher 

Series: Yes, #1 in a series of companion novels

Buy It: The Dolphin Bookshop (Shop Indie!

Challenge: Free Reads


Four girls. One magical, and possibly dangerous Italian summer. Family mysteries, ancient castles, long hot nights of dancing under the stars . . . and, of course, plenty of gorgeous Italian boys!

     I requested Flirting in Italian by Lauren Henderson from Delacourte and was extremely pleased when that request was fulfilled.  I imagined it being the perfect summer read that I would really enjoy.  I was really disappointed when the book let me down.
     The first problem with Flirting in Italian is its misleading qualities.  The summary, title, and cover would lead the average reader to believe that it's about four girls who journey to Italy and have an amazing summer filled with Italian boys and romance.  Once you start reading, however, you are lead to believe that the book will be about Violet, who goes to Italy to solve the mystery of why an 18th century Italian painting features a girl who looks exactly like her.  I was actually more excited to read the story once the painting was brought into the equation but, the book didn't deliver.  The painting is first mentioned in the begining pages of the book but, isn't mentioned again till about 150 pages into the story.  The mystery behind the painting is really never solved at the end of the story which really upset me.  How could you have an unsolved mystery?  Another misleading aspect of this book is that it appears to be a Standalone novel but, you reach the end and it says that the story is continued in a "Companion Novel."  The next book is obviously not a companion because none of the loose ends in the book were tied up and the end.  The summary also says that the book is about 4 girls but, Violet is really the main focus of the entire book.
     Another pet peeve of mine in Flirting in Italian was the constant comparison of English boys to Italian boys.  Violet lives in England and is completely shocked at the behavior of the boys in Italy.  Apparently, English boys are rude and standoffish.  Her shock itself didn't bother me but, she was constantly saying "Oh but, the boys in England do this...." or "Italian boys are so much better because..." and it just became annoying.  Violet's character was also a bit annoying.  She was so fickle and had inconsistent personality traits.  Her mother was also really bothersome and unrealistic.
     One of the things I actually enjoyed about Flirting in Italian was the relationship between Luca and Violet.  It was such a roller coaster and I really enjoyed reading about it because it wasn't predictable.  I also liked all the Italian culture and the guys.  I've always found Italy fascinating and really would love to visit the country.
     Overall, Flirting in Italian was a bit of a disappointment.  I really wished I would've enjoyed it more but, it just didn't deliver.  It was a slow read that made me keep losing interest.  Lauren Henderson did do a great job with the romance and culture in the book, though.

Final Grade: