Review: Flirting In Italian by Lauren Henderson

Title:  Flirting in Italian (Flirting in Italian #1) 
Author:  Lauren Henderson
Format:  Ebook
Genre:  Contemporary YA
Source:  Netgalley
Published:  June 12th 2012 by Delacorte Books for Young Readers
My Rating: ♥ ♥ ♥

From Goodreads.com

Four girls. One magical, and possibly dangerous Italian summer. Family mysteries, ancient castles, long hot nights of dancing under the stars . . . and, of course, plenty of gorgeous Italian boys!

When I saw the cover for Flirting In Italian, I knew I needed to read this book!  I was in the mood for a contemporary romance, and a summer in Italy would be the perfect way to fill that need!!

Unfortunately, I think the blurb could have been a bit more in depth because I wasn’t really sure what I was getting into. This book was mostly about a mystery and the friendship between Violet and the girls she is living with for a summer “Learn Italian and Crafts” program that she’s enrolled in. Sure, there are boys – although only one that we really see much of, and at that? Luca, Violet’s love interest, is mysterious and at times quite the jerk. And unfortunately, there’s the whole Insta-Love with a potentially creepy twist thrown in.

I enjoyed the story, the idea of this mystery. (Although it reminds me of The Fine Art of Truth or Dare, with the obsession with the painting.) Unfortunately, I don’t feel like Lauren Henderson expanded well enough on the actual mystery and at the end I found myself wondering how the heck she filled so many pages of the book when seemingly nothing happened.

I know this sounds like I didn’t really care for this one, but I did. I liked Violet a lot, and I even fount myself intrigued by Luca. I really liked the girls that Violet was living with, and the mystery had great potential that I can only hope is expanded upon in the next book in this series.