Love Your Life

An really charming book about a lady who decides to forgo her dating app in favor of an Italian writer's retreat and discovers that true love has its own standards

Ava may be a romantic, but she believes that true love should be sought outside of apps that match men based on their astrological sign, height, or employment. She thinks that emotions, not formulas, are real. She therefore chooses to put love on hold and flees to an isolated writers' retreat in coastal Italy following a recent breakup and dating app fiasco. She's determined to complete the novel she's been daydreaming about, even if it means parting ways with her beloved dog, Harold, and her close-knit group of pals.

She is not permitted to use her true name or divulge any personal details while at the retreat. Upon the cancellation of the nearby martial arts retreat and the enrollment of several of its participants in their tiny literary group, Ava, now going by the name "Aria," encounters "Dutch," a seemingly idealistic man. The two set out on a fast-paced, no-bags love affair, discovering the beauty of the Italian coast and cliff-jumping into Mediterranean waters hued like gems. Aria and Dutch appear to be in the best of situations.

However, Ava and Matt, who are actually themselves, have to go back to London. They realize how dissimilar their personal worlds are from one other as their illusion begins to fade. Are they compatible in anything? Anything from food preferences to bothersome habits to sauna etiquette? Additionally, Matt's ex-girlfriend presents a tense situation as she is reluctant to let him go. It appears that even though they love each other, they are unable to love each other's life as one misfortune after another occurs. Can they put aside their disagreements and live as a single unit?