Romance in Napoli

Still reeling from the death of her mother, Katherine Castino is shocked to discover that she has inherited a villa in Italy from a father she's never met. Her newfound fortune includes money, several businesses and a handsome business partner named Dante Batelli. Unsure of what to make of all the changes, or her developing attraction to Dante, Katherine settles into her home. Complicating matters is the rumor that some of her late father's money was stolen from the mob. When Katherine begins receiving threats she doesn't know if the messages are coming from the mob, or some other unknown enemy. Determined that nothing and no one will ruin her new life, Katherine and Dante race to uncover the real enemy.

“Romance in Napoli” is sweet and charming. Ms. Robins' well-done characterization and detailed descriptions of the surroundings go a long way towards appeasing the reader. The relationship between Kat and Dante progresses extremely fast. After one day together and a week of phone conversations, Dante proclaims his love!  Needless to say, some may be put off by the insta-love between the main characters. Readers will enjoy the mother/daughter-feel of Kat and her housekeeper Josie's relationship. Though moderately clichéd and formulaic, where this book really struggles is with poor dialogue and odd sentence structure. The mystery sub-plot tries and fails to build suspense. As a result, there are no real surprises to the story. All things considered, with a thorough edit, this cozy tale could become a more enjoyable read.

Chantel Hardge