The writing was just okay, but I really enjoyed the story. ( )

** spoiler alert ** I liked Lizzy. I was proud of her for going on her 20th Anniversary trip without Ty, when he cancelled at the last minute. I liked Ren with Lizzy, but not sure that I liked him on his own. I loved that they rescued little Sophia. I like Lizzy's reliable best friend Winn. I did not like Ty, Lizzy's husband, although I think that is the point. I didn't mind the chapters for Lizzy and Ren being written in the 1st person, but I didn't understand why Ty or Kylie's chapters also couldn't be written that way. I did not like Kylie's storyline AT ALL. For this being a "romance", I didn't feel that Kylie's abduction fit into this book. The author eluded that she and Erin were to be sold or trafficked. Kylie's storyline seemed thrown together, as a desperate way to get Ty and Lizzy back together. The storyline didn't seem finished to me at all. Was Erin aware of Kylie's plan to escape? What happened to Erin? I realize in the real world, Kylie would not ever know but the whole abduction just seemed off. Lizzy and Ren running away from Ty seemed immature. I realize this was supposed to be something out of character for Lizzie, but I wish she would have stood up to Ty. Overall, the book left me wishing for something a little more. ( )

blah. I did like how it was brought out that even a rich rock star may not be happy. He had everything that money could buy, but he was not happy. I liked that message. Dog was fun. Rest of story not too exciting. Clean story, not raunchy at least ( )

I just finished Inglath Cooper’s fabulous book and am left breathless. I could feel the pain of both Ren and Lizzy, and could sense the hope they both felt when they were together. Sometimes the unpleasant side life gets in the way and we are left with a choice – walk away from that ray of happiness we’ve found, or walk toward it with anticipation of what love and joy can be. Cooper’s descriptive style of Tuscany is breathtaking and you can feel the same sense of peace deep within that Ren and Lizzy find with each other. Horrible things can, and often do, occur, but That Month in Tuscany proves to us that we can overcome the horrid and find true happiness if we just open that door and let it happen. This is one of those rare books that I will re-read and I will be gifting copies to friends. ( )

I usually read crime fiction, spy fiction, history, and memoirs. It had been a long time since I read a romance and I was hoping that the genre had evolved somewhat . Surfing through some random tiles on Amazon, my eyes caught that magical word "Tuscany" and I was hooked. And then disappointed. Actually, I was OK with the first half of "That Month in Tuscany" by Inglath Cooper though it was clear I had set my expectations too high once again. Then everything went south.

Some examples - A reaction to a first kiss: "....touch tender in a way that breaks something inside me. I change the tone of the kiss to reflect that same tenderness." And that's a guy speaking! Really?!

And of course there's a crisis involving a young woman in the middle to bring everything to a crashing halt, and somehow you just know that the victim will get out of it without getting permanently scarred.

And there's the evil, now "reformed" husband, and the surprise visitor to his office and guess what is discovered. Yes, the story gets rather predictable....

There's also the separation. Why? why? why? Because a romance with this storyline must have one so that you can have the big.....you know.

As for Tuscany, well this ain't the Diane Lane movie. The limited scenes here felt to me like they were researched from Google Maps instead of sore feet. Don't rely on the descriptions here if you're in Florence and expect to walk up to the Uffizi ticket window and waltz right in. And the location for "David", well check that out too..

So based on a sample of one book, it doesn't seem to me that the romance genre has changed much in the last X years. But if you're even the least bit interested in what might be a bit more realistic and less fantasy, try some Young Adult (YA). Hats off to the writers there....many are contributing to better reading year after year, and some have been recognized by "best fiction" nods from prestigious organizations. Check out Rainbow Rowell's "Eleanor and Park". ( )