Book Description:
Art restorer Emily Price has never
encountered anything she can’t fix—until she meets Ben, an Italian chef,
who seems just right. But when Emily follows Ben home to Italy, she
learns that his family is another matter . . .
Emily Price—fix-it girl extraordinaire and would-be artist—dreams of having a gallery show of her own. There is no time for distractions, especially not the ultimate distraction of falling in love.
But Chef Benito Vassallo’s relentless pursuit proves hard to resist. Visiting from Italy, Ben works to breathe new life into his aunt and uncle’s faded restaurant, Piccollo. Soon after their first meeting, he works to win Emily as well—inviting her into his world and into his heart.
Emily astonishes everyone when she accepts Ben’s proposal and follows him home. But instead of allowing the land, culture, and people of Monterello to transform her, Emily interferes with everyone and everything around her, alienating Ben’s tightly knit family. Only Ben’s father, Lucio, gives Emily the understanding she needs to lay down her guard. Soon, Emily’s life and art begin to blossom, and Italy’s beauty and rhythm take hold of her spirit.
Yet when she unearths long-buried family secrets, Emily wonders if she really fits into Ben’s world. Will the joys of Italy become just a memory, or will Emily share in the freedom and grace that her life with Ben has shown her are possible?
My Thoughts:
A Portrait of Emily Price is Katherine Reay's latest book and WOW it is fantastic. I am a huge fan of Katharine Reay and I was so excited to have this opportunity to read and review this book. Katherine Reay writes with authority about Italy, The United States especially Atlanta, The Art world and how it works, restoration art, Italian culture and family dynamics, reading, and restaurants especially Italian. This book completely grabbed a hold of me, I found myself sad to have to put it down for the evening. I love Katherine Reay's style of writing, she writes so vividly that I feel like I am right there while everything unfolds. I found the characters to be well written. The cast of characters had imperfections and life was messy. I could relate to them. It is very hard to choose a favorite one but I would have to say it's Lucio, Ben's Father. Lucio is a wonderful husband and father. He is very wise and sees people for who they are, even if they don't. He uses literature , especially The Bible to help the other characters understand. Lucio's faith was deep and he shared it with everyone. I found him to remind me of my Grandpa, who was Italian. Coming from an Italian family it was easy to relate to the family dynamics in this book. All the food, loud, and the closeness. I loved being able to watch Emily's transformation in herself, her art, and her faith. Besides relating to the Italian family dynamics, there were quite a few things I could relate to. I can't really get into those without giving away key parts of the book but to say that I found myself laughing in places and heartbroken and crying in others. This book really touched me, and will stay with me for a long time. Such a fantastic book. I HIGHLY recommend this book and this author to anyone who enjoys Christian Fiction, you will NOT be disappointed. I am so thankful to have had the opportunity to read this book. I cannot wait to read more from Katherine Reay, she is one of my top 10 must read authors!
I give this book 5+ STARS.
Emily Price—fix-it girl extraordinaire and would-be artist—dreams of having a gallery show of her own. There is no time for distractions, especially not the ultimate distraction of falling in love.
But Chef Benito Vassallo’s relentless pursuit proves hard to resist. Visiting from Italy, Ben works to breathe new life into his aunt and uncle’s faded restaurant, Piccollo. Soon after their first meeting, he works to win Emily as well—inviting her into his world and into his heart.
Emily astonishes everyone when she accepts Ben’s proposal and follows him home. But instead of allowing the land, culture, and people of Monterello to transform her, Emily interferes with everyone and everything around her, alienating Ben’s tightly knit family. Only Ben’s father, Lucio, gives Emily the understanding she needs to lay down her guard. Soon, Emily’s life and art begin to blossom, and Italy’s beauty and rhythm take hold of her spirit.
Yet when she unearths long-buried family secrets, Emily wonders if she really fits into Ben’s world. Will the joys of Italy become just a memory, or will Emily share in the freedom and grace that her life with Ben has shown her are possible?
My Thoughts:
A Portrait of Emily Price is Katherine Reay's latest book and WOW it is fantastic. I am a huge fan of Katharine Reay and I was so excited to have this opportunity to read and review this book. Katherine Reay writes with authority about Italy, The United States especially Atlanta, The Art world and how it works, restoration art, Italian culture and family dynamics, reading, and restaurants especially Italian. This book completely grabbed a hold of me, I found myself sad to have to put it down for the evening. I love Katherine Reay's style of writing, she writes so vividly that I feel like I am right there while everything unfolds. I found the characters to be well written. The cast of characters had imperfections and life was messy. I could relate to them. It is very hard to choose a favorite one but I would have to say it's Lucio, Ben's Father. Lucio is a wonderful husband and father. He is very wise and sees people for who they are, even if they don't. He uses literature , especially The Bible to help the other characters understand. Lucio's faith was deep and he shared it with everyone. I found him to remind me of my Grandpa, who was Italian. Coming from an Italian family it was easy to relate to the family dynamics in this book. All the food, loud, and the closeness. I loved being able to watch Emily's transformation in herself, her art, and her faith. Besides relating to the Italian family dynamics, there were quite a few things I could relate to. I can't really get into those without giving away key parts of the book but to say that I found myself laughing in places and heartbroken and crying in others. This book really touched me, and will stay with me for a long time. Such a fantastic book. I HIGHLY recommend this book and this author to anyone who enjoys Christian Fiction, you will NOT be disappointed. I am so thankful to have had the opportunity to read this book. I cannot wait to read more from Katherine Reay, she is one of my top 10 must read authors!
I give this book 5+ STARS.
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