Booktok Italia Novels & Stories

"Nonno, meet Bella Ferrari, my fiance and your granddaughter-in-law," Giovanni looked at Aaron questionably. "Your Italian fiance?" He whispered. Aaron nodded. "Her surname is Ferrari, Nonno. That won't leave any place to question. But to answer your question, she is from Cervo, Liguria basically but came to the USA for her studies. Her father was a pastor in the local church there."

Chapter 19: Like a Slave Mari’s POV As Ben held open the heavy, dark wood door and we stepped into DeLuca’s, the rich, intoxicating scent of baking bread, roasting garlic, and slow-simmered ragù instantly enveloped my senses. My mouth literally watered. It had been a very, very long time since I’d been in a proper, sit-down Italian restaurant. The kind that didn't hand out wax crayons and a children’s menu the second you walked through the door.

The restaurant Mia chooses is tucked away in the back half of Little Italy, far beyond the tourist traps with their flickering candles and English menus. This place is narrow, smelling of dried bird's-eye chilis and fermented citrus—a room that feels like a secret. Calabria is the toe of the Italian boot, a region that met the challenge of a harsh sun by infusing every bite with fire. "This is the spicy part of Italy," Mia says, her eyes dancing with a wicked sort of mischief as she watches him settle into the wooden chair.

There was no chaos, no gossip, no shadows of the past, just him, me, and the kind of quiet that felt like peace. On Sunday, I visited Julien with Oliver. The morning light was soft. Oliver ran off almost immediately to play with the little model jets Julien kept on a shelf, while Julien stood waiting with a mysterious bag in his hand. “It was delivered this morning,” he said, eyes glinting with that boyish secret he could barely hide. “What is it?” I asked, taking the bag. “Open it.” I lifted out a stack of seven hardcover books, sleek, matte, and beautifully bound. Each had a country’s name embossed on the front in gold letters: Tokyo. Italy. Egypt. Cape Town. Dubai. Maldives. Paris.