Book Review: A Portrait of Emily Price

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. When Emily follows Ben home to Italy, she learns that his family, however, is another matter . . .
Emily Price—fix-it girl extraordinaire and would-be artist—finds herself in Atlanta, repairing objects damaged in a house fire. As she works to restore the home and dreams of one family, she strives to keep the pieces of her own life in perfect order and secure her own happy ending—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 reconnect with his brother and breathe new life into his aunt and uncle’s faded restaurant, Piccolo. And 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. Upon landing in Rome, she is enchanted with Italy. But instead of allowing the land, culture and people to transform her, Emily imposes her will upon 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?

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So I read Katherine Reay's first book, Dear Mr. Knightly.  And while I was reading it I realized that I could get her new book to review.  So I did.

This book was in all honesty, not that interesting.  There is a bit of a mystery as to why Lucio, Ben's dad is having Emily uncover a painted over painting at the church.  And why Joseph (Ben's brother) after graduating left home to come to Atlanta.  And some other things as well.  But it was not all that fascinating to me. 

Katherine Reay is a good writer, she presents things nicely and descriptively.  She does well in transforming characters throughout her books.  However, there is not a lot of "God" in the transformation, which is disappointing.  I love a radical change with a radical love for God in characters.  And hers are not like that. 

Overall this books is...ok.  I did like the ending I thought it finished nicely.  But I wish there was more Jesus in her books.  There was also a bit to much wine, if you ask me.  I understand they are "Italian,"  but I don't think it was necessary to do a wine tasting and then say that Joseph used to do it when he was a teenager.   Another thing was there was too much kissing before they got married.

Final note, this was not my favorite book.  I'll leave it with the pros, good writing, good transformation, and learning that not everything has to be "perfect".

2 out of 5 stars

*I received this book from BookLook Bloggers in exchange for my honest review.