Letty and Alf meet in Rome at an Italian class. Alf is immediately bewitched and intrigued by Letty. She is quiet and reserved, but as they begin to spend time with one another they find for the first time that they can be unashamedly themselves with one another. As they dance the Viennese Waltz on the Piazza Novona, Letty feels that this is the best moment of her life. But she is keeping a tragic secret to herself, and he too, has a complicated past. Not to mention a girlfriend. And when they come face to face with their past and present secrets, it seems that it is over for Letty and Alf before it really began. As they both return to England and lead their separate lives, they are grieving for what might have been. Letty loves Alf, but feels that if he knew her secret, he wouldn't want her anymore. And Alf hates himself for not being honest about having a girlfriend. He emails her to explain everything but in the end it is Letty's Mum who plays Cupid.. They do meet again, but will they ever dance together again? Can they move from the past to live in the moment? Described as 'charming, tender, funny and sweet' this is a touching story about bravery and hope, and daring to love again after betrayal and heartbreak.

A sweet, charming and funny romantic fiction. Kate Eberlen’s previous book, Miss You, was a bestseller and Only You is equally as good. The description of Rome and its famous landmarks are magical. This is truly a love story with a difference, very touching following the story of young love. Letty and Alf are true star-crossed lovers and their profound love for each other hits obstacles which seem like they wont overcome. The caracters and their relationships are a great reflection of currentl real-life problems and written in such a beautiful way. This was a great read, a proper page turner just wanting to know what happened at each stage through the book. I think the front cover of this book could be alot more exciting, a silhouette of Rome... something more romantic and fitting.

I thought that this was a really interesting and sweet book. It started off a little slow for but I liked that about it as it gave me more time to get to know the characters and the setting. The two main characters - Letty and Alf - were great to read about and I enjoyed reading about them. They are complex characters with interesting pasts and I loved reading as more bits of information were revealed. It was great to read about their blossoming relationship. I found the plot to be interesting and I had not read another like it. It was written well and I was rooting for their relationship early one. I enjoyed that there were multiple narrative, as it gave more of an insight into the characters. I will definitely read more of Kate Eberlen’s books in the future.

I wasn’t quite sure what to expect from this book because, judging it by the cover, it would be easy to make an assumption that it’s a rather lightweight, chick-lit story. However, although it does have a good-feel factor to it (something very welcome during this time of lockdown restrictions!), I found that the storyline was very well-paced and had an impressive (and, dare I admit, surprising!) depth. There were also moments of profound sadness and darkness as Lett’s and Alf’s secrets and vulnerabilities were exposed. The events in their lives which had led each of them to living in Rome were gradually revealed as the narrative alternated between their different perspectives. This allowed the author to create characters who became convincingly multi-dimensional, recognisable and very easy to feel some empathy with. The final section of the story also includes the voice of Letty’s mother Frances, and I found that her perspective added an unexpected depth and richness to the story. This is a very well-written, and surprisingly thought-provoking novel, which explores many important themes, including eating disorders, mental health, grief and loss. A thread which runs through the story is an exploration of the powerful and enduring effects family life, of previous relationships, and how unresolved issues can unconsciously influence subsequent relationships, often in a self-destructive way. However, it also showed that change is possible if people are prepared to be brave enough to confront what has gone wrong in the past, to make changes and then to take the risk of trusting in a new relationship. One of the reasons that I found this story so much more satisfying than a conventional romance (a genre I usually avoid!) was its lack of sentimentality and the recognition that no relationship can flourish, or last, if it harbours secrets. I first visited Rome in the early 1970s and, as someone who has an almost visceral dislike of most large cities, I immediately fell under the spell of this wonderful place – a “love-affair” which has never lost its sparkle! The highly-evocative nature of the author’s descriptions transported me back to all the places Letty and Alf discovered and explored, making me feel that I was there with them, rediscovering the magic of each of the locations. I think she captured the juxtaposition of the city’s massive grandeur and its sense of comfortable intimacy, in a very impressive way, succeeding in making it a character in its own right. However, although Rome is central to the story (and where else can “compete” with the rich history of this wonderful city!) Blackpool is also beautifully evoked by the author … from the grandeur of the Tower Ballroom, to the impressive sandy beach, the smell of candyfloss, the drama of the illuminations and the ever-present, ever-changing seascape. It wouldn’t feel right to end this review without mentioning the love of dancing which Letty and Alf share. I have two left feet, have never watched (or even been tempted to watch!) Strictly Come Dancing (although I do love watching ballet!) but even I felt entranced by their waltz around the Piazza Navona … my favourite square, in my favourite city! With my thanks to Pan Books and Readers First for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This book is such a lovely read, based in part in Rome it is very evocative of the city and its romance and beauty. The two main characters, Alf and Letty meet in a language class, both with secrets in their past, they are drawn to each other by a shared love of dancing. Alf a former ballroom dancing champion and Letty with her love of ballet set out to explore the city and gradually fall in love. Alas their secret pasts end up causing them to separate and it appears that the romance is finished. I don't want to spoil the story by giving away much more but it is a lovely story, beautifully written, with great characters which is the perfect summer holiday read! I really enjoyed reading it.