Just pretend

A ribbon of asphalt winding through the Tuscan hills and a red light that suddenly rekindles a never-forgotten past.

"I didn't come back for him." I stare at the ceiling in the pitch darkness, convincing myself that Rome is my only reality, that work and the studio apartment are all I need. The problem is that the town has decided to remember everything for me..."

Emma, ​​an established graphic designer in Rome, returns to San Verano after eight years for her cousin Chiara's wedding. She's a master escapee, having fled to protect herself from the pain of an unconfessed love and the burning rejection of always feeling like a second choice. But awaiting her is her childhood garden and, above all, Manuel, the dark-eyed neighbor who once knew how to read her soul with a glance. To protect himself from the return of a manipulative ex-girlfriend, Manuel asks her a crazy favor: to pretend to be his girlfriend for the duration of the celebrations. Forced to share the same space, exchanging knowing glances, and acting out a comedy before the eyes of an entire town, the line between fiction and reality becomes increasingly blurred. Between buried memories, stolen kisses in the rain, and deep wounds that resurface, Emma and Manuel must decide whether to continue running away for fear of getting burned or find the courage to stay.

"It's Only Fiction" by Marina Iuliano is an intimate and captivating contemporary novel, centered on the power of second chances, the search for identity, and the rediscovery of one's roots. A romantic and psychological story between past and present, perfect for those who love to lose themselves in visceral connections, in silences that speak, and in the emotional realism of those who learn to love themselves. A passionate journey that invites you to stop running away and finally start living again.