If Only by Kate Eberlen

A special thank you to HarperCollins Canada for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

A serendipitous and modern romance.

Letty and Alf are students in an Italian class in Rome. But their connection isn't because they are the only English-speaking students, it is because of dance. Alf is a former ballroom champion that oozes confidence and charm. Letty, more serious and studious, was forced to give up on her childhood dream of becoming a ballerina.

Taking a day trip together, Alf and Letty spontaneously waltz around the Piazza Novona. They begin a passionate relationship that is ignited because of their mutual love of dance.

But both are haunted by the secrets that brought them to Italy and by the fear that these secrets will tear them apart.

If Only is the Canadian title of Only You, a love story that is told from various points of view.

The beginning of the novel is both overwhelming and underwhelming... Let me explain. There are a lot of characters thrown at the reader, some with little significance and others that were important, yet hard to keep track of. Also, Letty and Alf call their grandparents and parents by their first names, which is confusing because there was no context given. The story gets off to a slow start, almost painfully such, with a lot of mundane detail about Letty and Alf's daily routines. But there is a quiet beauty to Eberlen's writing and the story begins to build with the characters that are pivotal to the story and the noise of the other insignificant characters fades into the background.

When Eberlen tells the backstory of what brings Alf and Letty to Italy, the book takes flight. It is with your patience of slogging through the slow start. Things start slotting into place—there are so many intricacies and layers. There are twists that are executed brilliantly. And it is so much more than a romance novel and so bloody clever—the parallel between La Traviata (originally titled Violetta) was subtle and interesting. I love an injection of culture in a book.

If Only is a poignant love story that takes place in a perfect setting. This serendipitous romance will dance its way into your heart.

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KATE EBERLEN studied Classics at Oxford University before discovering she was much less interested in the world of academia then the world of work. Kate has had many jobs, from lift girl in Harrods, au pair in Rome and New York, working in theatre box office and a career in publishing, before becoming a mother, teaching English as a Foreign Language and writing novels.

Eberlen lives in London.