Review: The Italian Job

The Italian Job by Kathryn Freeman
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Anna Roberts' life is devastated when she catches her boyfriend (and boss) cheating on her with one of the staff. Now she's not only alone but also out of a job in a small town where everyone knows your business.

Jake Tucker lives next door to Anna and her father. A rebellious teenager he has not long come out of prison after serving six months for, ironically, hitting Anna's ex-boyfriend. He's found life in a small town hard after prison, his old job as a fireman is o longer available and he has resorted to doing odd jobs for judgemental people who think they can pay him less because he's an ex-con. He's always been the sinner to Anna's saint.

When Anna finds a dream job online spending a year being the chef in an Italian castle she can't believe her luck, but the advert stipulates the owners are only seeking applications from couples - one to cook and the other to manage the grounds.

Anna persuades Jake that they should pretend to be a couple, at least for the interview, and check out the lie of the land. This could give both of them the space they need to get away from the rumour-mill. But landing the job is the least of their troubles. Anna and Jake have very different styles and Jake has a big chip on his shoulder. The owners' son wants to sell the castle to a hotel chain and he's keen to find fault with everything they do. The local barmaid keeps flirting with Jake and he doesn't speak a word of Italian!

Can this pair get on long enough to act on the chemistry between them? Will the lies they told and Jake's prior conviction blow up in their faces?

This was pleasant enough, and easy read, just very predictable.

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