Made in Milan

The Sweet Nightmares Trilogy #1

by Stephanie McDonald

Set against the backdrop of one of Europe’s most fashionable places and in the not too distant future, Made in Milan is a story about finding love, passion and hope, told in dual narrative through the thoughts of two young people.

Alice D’Alessandro is an attractive financier by day; a jazz loving party girl by night. But something’s missing…Romance.

Nathan, an Englishman in Milan for the weekend has caught her eye! But why is he so reluctant to talk about his business in her city?

242 pages, Kindle Edition

Published April 7, 2020

Reviews

[Bibliophilic Richard · Rating 3 out of 5]

Actual Rating: 2.5 / 5

Review to come...

REVIEW:

A lot of things can happen during an overseas trip -- self-actualization, exposure to a new culture, and even romance. Made in Milan shows readers the serendipitous adventure that comes with a journey to a foreign place. With decade-accurate references, Stephanie McDonald’s novel brings on the atmosphere for wanderlust during a time of connection.

I received a free e-book copy of this book and am voluntarily writing a review. Made in Milan is the type of book to enjoy during and in between flights since it’s perfect for the traveling feel. There’s something about the atmosphere of the novel that brings on the wanderlust and makes readers want to explore outside their usual environment. Maybe it’s the chance to find something surprising like appreciation, understanding, or romance but something about the book screams travel. As for the story, the book is pretty much straightforward in dealing with the plot and doesn’t dwell too much on conflicts whose purpose is to lengthen the book and that’s what I like best about this tale. With regard to the pacing, I feel that the narration is a little slow for its nature when the story flows more smoothly without the reiteration of several scenes from the change in point of view. The book’s plot is linear and often provides some flashbacks in order to give more understanding about the current situation but I feel like the story deserves more exposition to create a more convincing and colorful tale that will strike straight to the reader. This is where my biggest problem of the book lies since the execution mirrors the linearity of the plot exactly that readers would feel like there’s something lacking within the story. Still, the book does a decent job of telling a romantic story with a romantic setting during a possible future that references events of the decade of publication surprisingly and amusingly. I want to say more but it’s better if readers will find out for themselves what these references are.

Many romance novels tend to dump a slew of tropes on the reader just to make the story stand out and more interesting but this book relies on its direct approach and tries to be its own self and that’s what I admire in Stephanie McDonald. To contrast, I wish that McDonald’s writing would be polished a little bit more since there are some parts that need revisiting and circumstances that deserve improvising. My biggest gripe as to the writing style is that I feel like the book was written in a rush when more tinkering could be done. Maybe it’s preferential but I like my stories smoother in terms of transition and consistent in terms of narration. Other than that, McDonald knows how to write stories that come out of the pages especially ones that involve wanderlust and foreign places.

Now, while the story and the writing style all feel just fine, the characters feel underwhelming. Yes, Nathan is a charismatic character whose actions are admirable to a certain extent but I feel like he deserves more development. His arc creates a potential for him to undergo several personal struggles throughout the book but I feel like only a few come into fruition. Likewise, Alice is a strong, independent woman who doesn’t need anyone to define her but her actions contradict her personality at some points. I wish for Alice not to be rash and impulsive but to have more internal dialogue and allowing the skeptic in her to have a day. Another thing about the characters is that the story focuses too much on these two characters that the others feel like embellishments to the story in order to provide some form of representation. I particularly like Marco’s character because he has this unspoken depth to him that begs to be explored. Also, I feel like a twist involving one of the characters was given too much attention that the focus of the story wavers in order to make way for such twists. Honestly, the characters are my least favorite part of the story and things could be better when certain aspects of their persona are revisited or approached from a different angle.

Many romance novels published the same year as this book have illustrated covers but this book, as I’ve mentioned before, does its own thing by standing out and going in its own direction. I like the cover for its symbolism and relevance to the story that involves Nathan’s profession. Also, the color combination screams differentiation as the cover pops out and captures the attention of readers with its radiance and untraditional complementation. As for the summary, I wish there are more details given to the book’s cover so that readers whose eyes have been caught by the cover would be sold on buying the book. I feel like the synopsis has more to say but is limited for fear of giving out too much and such is a big dilemma for many books. Overall, the book is glaring but pleasing and unique but not desperate. If I see a book like this during my travels, I’d be inclined to buy it as a souvenir while lost in translation.

Stephanie McDonald does a solid job with this book but Made in Milan would fare better if certain aspects are revisited. Still, it’s a good companion during travel and fuels the desire to explore more of the world.

[Calista · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved it! It was such a beautiful book, and a perfect book to read during quarantine! I loved how it was told by two different people, it was so interesting to hear both sides of the story! I definitely recommend this book!

[Nerissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you @Booktasters and Stephanie McDonald for this read.
This book is perfect for a cold rainy day and some coffee. A love story between two people who couldn't seem more different and alike at the same time. I like reading novels where we are given both sides of the story and this one does exactly that. It was informative on the wine though, actually made me wonder what it tastes like. I also learned a couple of new things which I had never even thought possible. Also, the sudden bombshells and the fact that it is set a couple of years into the future makes it all the more interesting.

[mihika · Rating 2 out of 5]

Thank you to Booktasters and Stephanie McDonald for letting me review this book.

One of the main problems I have with this book is that both characters fall in love within a day. Instalove is one of my least favourite tropes so I was not a big fan. The relationship felt rushed and I couldn’t feel any spark or chemistry between Alice and Nathan. Throughout the book, we are only told how to feel about basically everything - including Alice and Nathan’s relationship. The “show, don’t tell” rule is not employed in this book at all.

There were a few problems I found with the grammar. For example the tenses in “As his gaze moved in my direction, we have crossed paths. He has looked nervously away now and will probably not look up again.” There are also many run-on sentences that become hard to make sense of. Some of the dialogue in the beginning - especially when Alice and Nathan have just met - seems a little forced and fake. The book employs a weird narrative structure. There is a dual POV which switches between first person for Nathan and Alice but then the story is also narrated in third person at times. The two POVs also describe the same event which starts to drag and becomes boring. This does stop halfway through the book though.

Another thing I didn’t like was that there were a lot of generalising statements made about women. Also, Alice leaves her job at the end even though throughout the book she seemed to like banking. She isn’t mentioned to be doing anything else in the epilogue except accompanying Nathan everywhere and it would be quite disappointing if she left her job solely for Nathan. Nathan’s entanglement with the Catalans at the end makes no sense - it is stuffed into the last 20 pages even though it provides nothing to the plot.

What I really liked about the book was Alice’s character. She was smart and head-strong, able to stand up for herself and still be sensitive. The side characters Audrey and James were super compelling and I would have loved to read more of them. I also really liked the world-building in the book. Descriptions of the setting were so good that I could imagine myself in Milan. Adding details like the current lockdown and Brexit made it relatable. I could easily imagine myself in the 2030s with the futuristic but realistic details that were sprinkled throughout the story.

[Nzubechukwu · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you to Booktasters for sending me a copy of this book. I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review.

Think of any Hollywood romance movie where two people meet in a foreign city, spend time together and end up falling in love. That is Made in Milan.

It is a love story about two young people in post-covid 2031. Alice is this confident, independent young woman that every one aspires to be but Nathan is a shy, awkward Englishman. They meet one Friday night and then they spend the weekend getting to know each other while forming a connection over jazz music and the beetles. But Nathan has so many secrets that threaten to break their newly formed connection.

"The Beatles and jazz piano. This is my life away from work."

I have never read an book by this author. I picked it up because Milan is one of my favorite cities in the world (never been there though). A love story in the fashion capital of the world? Yes please. It wasn't what I had in mind though. I expected a love story with lots of fashion interspersed in it. There was only love and nothing else. But I enjoyed the story. First reason being that it's a love story. and I love love. It appealed to that part of me that believes in love at first sight and happily ever after. I also loved Alice. I loved her character and her confidence was arresting. She went for what she wanted and she is what kept the story going.

"You. You do not look Italian. But you do look interesting."

Then there is the music. As a lover of music I understand how it feels when you find someone who loves your favorite songs. I honestly don't know a word that can describe it but I know I'll most likely fall in love with that person too.

"He completely connects with my favourite music and in this instant, I feel love."

Something I am not completely sold on is the use of alternating perspective. It was nice to see how they both feel about each other, to see that their connection isn't a one way thing. It's between the both of them and it is deep. But I sometimes found it tedious reading the same scene multiple times.

I love love stories. I love love at first sight. I love romance. So I enjoyed this book. If you are like me then I'm sure you'll enjoy it to. But if not then you may not enjoy because the whole story is just about love at first sight.

⭐⭐⭐/5 stars.

[Angela Tiu · Rating 3 out of 5]

Actual Rating: 2.5 stars

Thank you @booktasters and the author for sending me this copy. I read it on a trip to Switzerland and found it entertaining and just the kind of light reading you want on your holiday, and the theme is certainly perfect and serendipitous as I was also on my way to a European city. Who doesn’t dream of meeting the person of their dreams while travelling?

I like the setting. Milan was very much alive and another character almost in the story. Having been there myself I really enjoyed revisiting the sights and sounds, especially the Navigli, through this book. I think Stephanie made really good use of the setting as a tool to move the story forward.

I think the pacing was a bit inconsistent, at times too slow and at times so fast it gave me a bit of whiplash. The block paragraphs could have been broken up by some dialogue. This could just be personal taste, but I prefer to not read a really long internal monologue and would rather infer things from exchanges between the characters.

On the other hand, showing us how the characters developed feelings for each other could have been done at a more leisurely pace. Again, personal taste, but not a big fan of insta-love. That being said I do get the motivation for the beginning of the story but I still prefer a more gradual build-up.

I like the characters. I liked the air of mystery and how we never quite knew the real Nathan and Alice. I think the simplicity of each character was a smokescreen, I found the more I read the more complex they seemed. Alice could easily be written off as just another perfect girl...until you get to her point of view and realised she has fears and insecurities too.

And that’s where the dual POV really plays a part in developing the story. When it worked, it really worked and gave us a better understanding and appreciation of the relationship blossoming between the two.

Overall: Solid effort, I would say!

[Ajlongenbach · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you to Booktasters and Stephanie McDonald. I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review. Looks like this is the first book for this reader that was written during the Coronavirus Pandemic of the year 2020.

Set in Milan, Italy, in the year 2031, the book is written from each of the main characters’ (Alice and Peter Scott (aka Nathaniel Scott)) viewpoint. While other authors have been able to write in this style and write it well, Ms. McDonald did not. The writing was cumbersome and slowed down the flow of the story. For instance, a scene was set and described by Peter/Nathaniel. Then the same scene started over, now from Alice’s point of view. This continued throughout the entire story. Too much backtracking.

The writing was unfocused, consisting of lots of run-on sentences and irrelevant information. If not for Booktasters, this reader would have quit reading early on.

Not sure if the author meant this book to be a satire on the use of electronic devices, but it does seem that the author was trying to prove a point or make a statement about the heavy use of mobile phones, and Amazon’s Alexa/Echo. The irony is the characters are Millennials, the generation who does not know life without cell phones and the Internet.

Despite the future date and the satire, the story is ages old. Boy meets girl, in a bar. Boy goes home with girl. Alice gives Nathaniel 60 hours to continue their fling, before they have to rejoin the real world come Monday when it’s back to business as usual. Nathaniel has a lot to contend with during that time, including his wife. If the reader can stick with it, it ultimately ended up being a good story.

[Cordelia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great. Simple. Clean.

First of all, I would like to thank Booktaster and the author, Stephanie McDonald for giving me the opportunity to read and write a review of this book. It was a pleasure to read a book that able to bring the reader across the time and place, to make the reader felt as if they were also in the book, became one of the characters. That is what Made in Milan capable of. The author had done a great job in bringing the reader to time travel in the story by perfectly describe the time, place, and characters in the book.

As great as it is, however, this book has a slow development in the beginning. But still, it made me want to read and want to know more about the story, and the story behind each of the characters. One of the good things about this book is, the author tells the story from 2 points of view which are the points of view of the main characters; Nathan, and Alice. It was great because it allows readers to learn more about the characters, and of course to learn more about what's happening inside their mind.

If you're looking for light reading during your travel, or if you just started to make reading as your new hobby, I totally suggested this book for you to read.

[J Corrigan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great read!

Maybe it's because we have all been curtailed from travelling for more than a year and we are craving a holiday somewhere beautiful but this book took me somewhere else...(well, Milan!). The author describes the city in such detail I felt I'd left the grey drudgery behind and was transported to a place of culture and style. The story is essentially a love story, two mysterious, attractive, if flawed, individuals meet and fall over heels but (and there's always a but) the road of romance is a rocky one (all in a matter of days!). The author has created two well drawn characters. They style of writing flits from the p.o.v of each character from chapter to chapter. This makes it a very easy, relaxing read. I was delighted to see that there is a sequel as I felt the story of Alice and Nathan was only just the beginning.

[June Chenger · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reading this book teleported me to 2031 and somehow while at it i couldn't believe we are still in 2020,i was so comfortable there.This is evidence of how masterfully this book is done.The personalities of the characters come out clearly from the double sided narration that is amazingly done.The plot which though slow at first, gains pace with time and i was amazed by how much can be done in 60 hours. I learnt alot about wines and i can't wait to try San Pellegrino!!Also i really want to visit Milan,i feel like i already know the streets there and could catch a metro easily. My Italian vocabulary has really improved too. All in all,this is an amazing love story that is so well done you will be lost in it.
Thank you to @booktasters and Stephanie,I'm so glad i got lost in this one.

[Gary Henson · Rating 3 out of 5]

I've never read a 'dual narrative' story before so it was a bit strange for me at first. Reliving slices of time for both sides was interesting at first. It gave me an interesting perspective on the characters thinking and feelings on the same interactions. That showed me that these characters were both more and less than their outside appearances.
Towards the end I found myself skipping over one of other of the character's narrative, since I already knew what was happening.
Romance novels are rare for me, but I'm glad I got a chance to read this one.

[Grace · Rating 3 out of 5]

The straight forwardness of both party is what captivated my interest in the novel, the ability of the writer to capture real life situations like when Alice was told about Nathan's wife by his co-producer.
This novel captures the thoughts of both people adequate although a little too repeatedly.
A nice read for whirlwind romance lovers.

[Charles Mugarura · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thanks @Booktasters and Stephanie McDonalds for the this great piece.

It’s been a perfect gift for the lockdown! It was amazingly done.

[Gracia · Rating 4 out of 5]

A different way of story telling, where one gets to follow the story from the different perspectives of the main characters. Overally I liked the way the story is told though at times It felt like repetition. I could see myself in Milan, from the way the story is told. A befitting tittle for the storyline. I loved the love @ first sight romance 😁😁😁 and the futuristic technology.

[Renata Preciado · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thanks to Stephanie McDonald and @Booktasters, to let me enjoy this book.
At first, it was a little slow because I felt it was kind of repetitive when it had both points of view, but when the story continued I was more focused on the trama than on both points of view. When I continue reading, I started to fall in love with the characters so much because all of them were different and amazing. After all the characters had a lot of diversity, like Marco and Noah, the story was so good because it shows you that love can do anything if you find the right person.
Another thing that I didn’t like a lot it was that sometimes I lost track of the storyline, and something that I was confused is when Nathan was supposed to go to a red carpet, and I didn’t know when that happened.
But something that I did like about the book was the love story because I want a love story like that. I was amazed that the characters were almost the same age as me in the future, and that left me thinking that I could be as successful as Alice.

[John Morris · Rating 5 out of 5]

An easily digestible page turner

Throughout this sub-200 page novel Stephen J Alexander keeps you engrossed in the world and engaged with the characters. Whilst a story normally outside my comfort zone (far too few aliens) I found myself glued to this tale, and left wanting more. I'd recommend