Mia was very young when her mother died and has not seen any of her mothers Italian family since, so when her father is dying of cancer and wants her to go to the island of Ischia to meet them she is very reluctant. Once there though the warmth of the welcome from the family members starts to win through and of course there had to be a fit Italian man!

A lovely book, definitely made me want to go to Ischia, and perfect for the beach

I chose this book as I thought it would be light, funny and easy to read. It didn’t disappoint and it was exactly what I was looking for read at that moment. The characters were believable and the plot was lovely albeit predictable at times but that was exactly how you wanted it to flow so all was good.
My only negative is the book cover and even title really, the story deserves more. The book cover let’s the story down as it is much more than the simple design. Prosecco didn’t feature much in the story and even the word promises wasn’t mentioned as much as I thought it would be seeing as both were the title. The title and cover gave me a different expectation but happily the story was much more than I thought it was so it didn’t disappoint in any level within the plot.

I hadn’t realised this was the second title in the Martini Club series when I started reading it, but I’ll definitely be seeking out the first book. The beginning of this story was unexpected, but so beautifully written it had me in tears and I was invested in Mia’s happiness right from the start. I loved the location of the island of Ischia and it was wonderful to be transported to somewhere so warm and inviting. Although Mia’s grief is ever present in the background, this is not a depressing read. There are certainly poignant moments, but they are all part of Mia’s rich experience tentatively forging a new path for herself as she heads towards acceptance of losing her Dad, but gains a little more about the mother whom she has so many questions about . It’s hard not to get caught up in the romance and enjoy being invited in by Mia’s large, loving Italian family. A wonderful bit of escapism with a life-affirming message.

A lovely light read, perfect for a holiday, especially if you are off to Italy or any of the Med islands.

Absolutely bloody loved it! loved this book, I loved the whole idea of a summer romance in Italy just jumping on a plane, away from all of life's responsibilities and into the bosom of a family to look after me. Only with Prosecco and Promises, Mia isn't running away, she has been sent away by her father to await his death and the family she's staying with are her Mum's relations whom she only remembers because the last time she saw them was when her Mum sadly died. So not quite the idyllic summer holiday you first think of. Mia at first hates her father for sending her away to somewhere with bad memories but as time goes on, the love for her family grows, Mia starts to feel comforted by them and understand why her father didn't want her around while he was dying. Oh and she also has a romance with Salvatore, the last guy she ever thought of being involved with but you just know they're going to end up together!

I just loved how well this was written, the descriptions of Ischia so vivid it felt like I was there. It helped that A.L. Michael has travelled to Italy 6 times, she was able to bring it to life for me and I definitely felt like I had travelled along with Mia to this remote Italian island. I love how books can transport you to a different place without having to leave the sofa. This is one of those books and if you have ever wanted to visit then I can recommend starting with A.L. Michael's book. I can highly recommend Prosecco and Promises and I give it 5/5!

A lovely story with an interesting insight into life in a different culture. Recommended.

Very cute, short, romance read that will leave readers longing for Italy and big families. Not to mention a hot Italian. It's emotional as it is lovely. Now excuse me while I pack my bags for Italy!!!

This is a wonderful tale of grief, friendship and family set in Italy and with all the beauty of a sunshine island, Ischia, which is beautifully described.

It's a romantic story (not my preferred genre) but with a difference, Mia's father is dying and his wish is that she take a trip back to her family home of Ischia and the book tells of how she deals with meeting family she's not seen since she was small and how she comes to terms with the loss of both her mother (when she was little) and the impending death of her father, whilst getting to know her family home and individuals within it.

Mia is a complex character, frustrating and irritating at times, but, interesting throughout and this is a good holiday read.

Thanks to netgalley, Canelo Digital Publishing and the author for the opportunity to preview this book.

This book focuses on Mia as she follows her dads last wishes and travels to Italy to meet family she doesn't know from her mothers side and falls in love while she is there.

This is a very sweet emotional story and I loved the themes of love and loss weaved into it. Mia is an easy character to like and I found myself really feeling for her as the story progressed. I found it to be an easy but heartfelt read.

This was a lovely read.
Mia’s Mother died when she was younger and her Dad is now dying from cancer. He doesn’t want her to watch him die so sends her to Italy so she can reconnect with her Mother’s family.

I haven’t read the first book in this series but you don’t need to as it works well as a standalone.

It is the character of Mia herself which makes this such an enjoyable read. Hurting because of her Dad's illness, dreading the next phone call, she doesn't waste time on pretence. She acts before she thinks sometimes and at others, wears her heart on her sleeve. A little bit spikey and vulnerable, she takes us with her.

There are some difficult moments in this story but there are also some uplifting moments. The setting is fabulous, you can really visualise the island of Ischia with its sunshine and stunning scenery. It is a perfect place for Mia to be. It seems to envelop her, blotting out what may be happening back in London. The more you find out about Mia's history, the more you empathise with her. Her Italian family add to the colour and feeling of warmth and acceptance. I also enjoyed revisiting The Martini Club back in London and look forward to the next in the series.

In short: an emotional but uplifting read.

Thanks to the author for a copy of the book.

Mia has been sent away while her father dies...such a strange premise of a story, but it worked well.
I don’t read a lot of romances, but I loved this one - the most romantic story I’ve read in years! But with a shade and depth about it that’s takes it out of the lightweight bracket. It made me laugh, it made me cry, a thoroughly good read.

A.L. Michael continues to write such lovely, moving and atmospheric books. I loved the setting of this one and got totally swept away. I can’t wait to read the next one in this series!

Feel-good reading as its best

This is a fairly fast-paced romantic almost-comedy that will let you pleasantly while away a cozy afternoon. Likeable characters and an engaging plot will keep you turning the pages. I was given a free copy by netgalley / publisher Canelo in return for an honest review.

I loved Cocktails and Dreams, so I jumped at the chance to read the next in the series. Fiction like this sometimes gets lumped in as 'frothy fiction', and an 'easy read' and I really hate this tags, especially when they don't fit the bill. The writing flows easily yes, and that's the sign of good writing. Straight away on the first page, you are there. Involved. Invested. Mia is a great character, and the storyline with her dad broke my heart. Their love and relationship was beautiful to read, and the story zipped along from there. It's really heartfelt, funny in places, and a great way to spend an afternoon. Especially in this cold weather, the setting was an added warm bonus. This book is part of a series, but if you haven't read Savvy's story (why haven't you?) then you lose nothing from this story. Now, where did I put my prosecco?

I loved this and thoroughly enjoyed every minute of Mia’s Italian adventure. I loved getting to know her and her Italian relatives, seeing her hard exterior slowly change as she spent time with them. The banter between her and Salvatore was great fun and felt very real.

It wasn’t all romance and fun though, there was some very poignant moments when Mia was thinking about her Dad back home, as well as early memories of her late mother. Having seen my Dad lose his battle with cancer, I really felt for Mia. I could imagine feeling the exactly same way as she did about leaving him and going to visit a family she didn’t even know.

This is my first book by A.L. Michael but definitely won’t be my last as I loved her writing style and characters. I thoroughly recommend this book, especially if you enjoy a romantic but poignant read set on an Italian island. A must read for this summer!

I haven't yet had the chance to read book one in the Martini Club series but I honestly felt that Prosecco and Promises could easily be read as a standalone.  However, after learning about the characters and their friendships around the Martini Club I'm hoping to read Cocktails and Dreams (book one) soon.

From the highly emotive first chapter that draws you in to Mia's life and sets up this beautiful heartrending story I was captivated.  You can physically feel the pain that Mia is feeling with accepting her father's wishes to visit Ischia in Italy where her late mother was born and her Italian family live.  That moment when Mia closes her father's front door knowing that the next time she opens it will be when her life as she knows it now would have changed considerably and an emptiness will be felt.  Mia's father expressed his wishes for her to experience the beautiful village her mother was born in and he wanted Mia to get to know her long lost family.  Mia hasn't been to Italy since her mother passed away many years ago and it still holds many sad memories for her.

Going to stay with family that Mia hasn't seen for a long time was very daunting for her but the Italian love of families and their generous spirit was evident when Mia entered her aunt's home.  Trying to put the emotion of why she was in Italy behind her Mia was hoping for distractions and she got this from a very grouchy but rather handsome Italian man who was the grandson to the local antique shop owner.

This antique shop brought back a fond memory to Mia, a memory that at the time had brought a glimmer of brightness to a very sad, dark time.  Mia's interest and her university degree was in archaeology and she was fascinated with the history surrounding many of the objects in the antique shop that held many stories from long ago to the historical Mediterranean area.

Although there is sadness in this story there is a real sense of inspiration, warmth and feel-good factor enveloping you.  During Mia's time of exploring Italy and getting to know her family and making new friends Mia starts to feel like she is making positive memories and a sense of home.

A beautiful, poignant and gorgeously romantic read.

This a light and pleasant story which I found entertaining to read. Great for holiday reading on a sunny beach.