Flirting in Italian

Gr 8 Up—After seeing an 18th-century painting of an Italian aristocrat who could pass for her twin, Violet Routledge convinces her mother to send her to a study course in Tuscany. She has to find out if there's any connection between her and the girl in the painting, and in the meantime, she can get to know some of those famously handsome Italian boys. Violet stays in a villa with three other students and the family of Elisa, the woman who runs the program. It's a beautiful home but her experience is tarnished a bit by the nastiness of Elisa's daughter. Violet is feeling a little uncertain of her decision to spend time abroad until she encounters dark, mysterious, and downright hot Luca. He just so happens to be the heir to a nearby castle that just so happens to be the castle featured in the painting that Violet is dying to know more about. Flirting stays true to its title: Henderson delivers lots of crushing and a bit of mystery with a dash of Italian 101. Although the romance is appropriate for teens, the book has more of an adult chick-lit feel. The story stops without resolution and although a follow-up is planned, the abrupt ending breeds a bit more disappointment than anticipation. Readers who enjoyed Stephanie Perkins's Anna and the French Kiss (Dutton, 2010) will be interested in Henderson's tale of European romance.—Emily Chornomaz, Camden County Library System, NJ