The book centres on a spoiled rich girl named Teddy who finally marries and moves to Italy from Dallas in America, due to her husband’s embassy job. Locked away, she’s obviously bored, spending her days sleeping or wandering the city. After weeks alone, she’s finally taken to a party. Naturally, she buys a new dress and gets her hair and nails done. While not entirely pleased, she goes anyway and overhears a conversation where she’s insulted for her appearance. Drunk and forgetful, she forgets the incident. However, her condescending husband, David, reveals the truth, expressing shame at her behaviour and insisting she improve if they want a family. As you read, you realise it’s actually a story being relayed to embassy officials. They’ve come to Teddy’s room to question her about the events that led them there. Their main interest lies in David’s job and who Eugene (a Russian diplomat) could be in real life, along with any secrets she’s shared about America to him. The book then takes on the form of a diary, where she meticulously recounts her experiences over the past week. Teddy attends numerous parties and lunches, encounters blackmailers, and even witnesses a shooting. This beautifully written book is a blend of espionage and romance, though not overly so. You’ll find yourself turning pages rapidly, captivated by Teddy’s struggle to keep her head above water in the enchanting city of Rome.