"But loving someone means deciding to let them hurt you when they leave."

If you already have read Cocktails and Dreams, you knew Mia instantly as Savannah’s best friend. She was gorgeous, tough and a very opinionated woman. She was not afraid to say what she thought even if it caused her trouble. But behind all bravado, she was broken, hurt and alone.

When Rob, her father asked her to go to her maternal family in Italy, she learned more about her mother, Isabella. She found out that her mom left with her father to be happy, to follow her dreams and live a life with the man she loved. From the stories told by Allegra, Antonio and even her Nonna, she realized that she was like her mother, impulsive, stubborn but also passionate and kind who always care for other people.

And then there she met, Salvatore — the attractive but rude and condescending lawyer who went back home to nurse his fake wounds and chose to take over his grandfather’s old antique souvenir shop. Even with a bad start, Mia and Salvatore were able to get to know each other as they work on a project at Antonio’s shop, but will Mia let him bring her coffee every morning?

I understood why Rob chose to send Mia to Italy instead of being with her on the last few moments of his life. He wanted Mia to remember him as a strong man who was always there for her and not the weak, sick and dying version of himself. Rob was the kind of father who was selfless and put his child’s interest before his own.

Mia’s character was complex yet relatable. Yes, she was cold, curt and always trying to push people away but I think she was only afraid to trust because she believe she will just end up being alone and unwanted. So, she used anger to survive, to go on every day even if it was hard. I knew that feeling and sometimes the fire that comes from is what keeps us alive.

While Mia and her Nonna have the same way of dealing pain, I know they were just putting an armor because they don't want other people to perceive them as weak. They were afraid to accept the truth that they need other people to figure out how to be happy and be forgiving.

With the closing credits nearing to an end, I love how Mia changed and opened up to her family. She finally understood Marjorie that they were not that different from each other. Her life immensely change with the death of her father but was totally filled with new people who are always there for her no matter what.

A.L. Michael has the skill to write significant, well-developed characters where they have their own story to tell and own message to give. They have this certain rare type of connection that was woven together by emotions like anger, pride, guilt, and sadness; they were able to put the missing pieces back in their lives’ puzzle.

Prosecco and Promises is a beautiful piece of tale about loss, grief and second chances. It is a story that translate history, culture and tradition into a personal, honest experience of love, new beginnings and happy endings.

I enjoyed this story by A. L. Michael. It was the first I've read by this author, but won't be the last.
Except for the part where Mia's dad is dying, it's light hearted, fun and has such vivid descriptions of Ischia, the antique store and all the people. I loved that it was so descriptive and the author's way with words made me feel like I could almost see the setting.

Mia's Italian family was just what you think an Italian family would be like ~ boisterous, loving and filled with many stories. Salvatore, oh gosh, he was something.

If you enjoy family dramas, stories set in other countries or anything Italian, this would be a good read for you. Thanks go to the publishers, Netgalley and the author for the early copy of Prosecco and Promises.

Although this is the second book in the series, it can be read as a standalone, I’ve not read the first book, Cocktails and Dreams but I will definitely be catching up.
Mia and her Dad are very close and it breaks Mia’s heart when her Dad’s cancer returns and his dying wish is for her to travel to Italy to visit long-lost family and not be home for his final days. Mia does as asked and travels to the beautiful Italian island of Ischia where her mum’s family live and she discovers connections to a part of her life that has been missing since her mum passed away.
Prosecco and Promises was such a beautiful read. Filled with stunning scenery, I could smell the sea air and feel the warmth of the sun on my skin, even as I was snuggled under a duvet in the freezing cold winter of Scotland it was easy to imagine I was there.
Mia is a great character, she’s been through a lot and has had a fair bit of sadness in her life so she’s quite stubborn and often to the point. She’s also a little bit lost which is completely understandable, but it was great getting to know her and her story. Her Italian family are fantastic and there’s a great range of characters in the story that really jump off the page, like Salvatore and his Uncle.
Filled with emotions, Prosecco and Promises had me smiling, very near to tears at some points but it left me feeling warm and cosy. It’s a story about love, grief, loss, family and friendships. It’s a story about finding yourself, taking chances and living life.
I can definitely say I will be recommending this book and I’m looking forward to reading the next instalment and also catching up with the first one I missed.

I read Cocktails and Dreams first as I wanted to start at the beginning. You don't actually need to as this is great as a standalone book. I did enjoy having the extra knowledge of the characters and had i read this one first I would definitely be buying the first book!
The story is fantastic and I love the characters. I love the diversity, the descriptions of the landscape and the complexities of the human interactions when faced with such different personalities.
Absolutely loved this book. Can't wait for the next one (I really hope it's already being written) I'd love ot explore more characters!

Uplifting, romantic, and genuinely heartfelt!

Prosecco and Promises is predominantly set on the island of Ischia in the Mediterranean and is the story of Mia, a young woman who heads to her mother’s homeland and the relatives she barely knows when the impending loss of her beloved father turns her life upside down.

The prose is expressive and effortless. The characterization is well-developed with a wonderful cast of characters that are multilayered, strong, charming, and determined. And the character-driven plot interweaves the lives of multi-generational families as they learn to cope, survive, heal, respect, support, and love each other unconditionally.

Overall Prosecco and Promises is sweet and incredibly touching with a real undercurrent of heartbreak, loss, loneliness, and grief. And even though it had me in tears more than once, it also had me smiling, laughing and completely enthralled by all the big family antics and budding romances.

An excellent read. Not as light-hearted as the title suggests, but still easy to read and fall in love with the characters.

I started to read this book whilst being stuck at work. Within minutes I was in tears although I think that has more to do with the fact that this book felt so very personal.

When Mia was young, her Italian mother died and her father took her to Italy, to the island where her mother had grown up and to meet her Italian family. 

Now, Mia is returning to the island but this time it's because her father is dying and he doesn't want her to be around for the end.  It's his dying wish. He wants Mia to say goodbye to him while he is still alive and not contact him at all.  Nothing. No letters, no emails, no text messages and certainly no phone calls.   Mia of course agrees to this.  How can you say no really, when it's what the other person really wants? 

So off she goes.  Nobody on the island knows the reason for Mia going back other than her aunt and that's how Mia wants it.  She doesn't want peoples pity. 

The feelings that Mia has are far too real. For me anyway but they're not in anyway over the top.  

A fantastic storyline with characters that I am actually interested in.  A true voyage of love, loss and everything in between. 

An absolute pleasure to read. 

Thank you Canelo and  Netgalley for my copy of Prosecco and Promises in exchange for an honest review.

When I saw this on NetGalley, and read that it was recommended for those who liked authors such as Lindsey Kelk , I requested it straight away. I was not disappointed. In fact, I held onto every word if this book! Prosecco and Promises is not the first book by A.L. Michael I had heard of. I also have the first book in the series.


28 year old Mia has lived without her mother by her side since she was little. When her dad's cancer is back she's faced with him needing to talk to her about his dying wish. He wants her to go and visit her extended family so she can learn more about them and her mother's life.

They aren't just down the road, though. And so it is that she finds herself boarding a plane to the Italian island of Ischia, where her mother grew up and where her parents met. Promises and Prosecco is a real journey of love. loss and self-discovery that captured my heart.

I loved Mia's cousin Nikki's loud, proud and funny personality and felt she was the perfect cousin. Her mother, (and Mia's aunt) Allegra, was very welcoming and homely. Then, there's Nonna, a woman who at first won't acknowledge Mia. Will things change between Mia and her?

Salvatore, who seems offish at the start isn't sure about Mia. Will love bloom for them?

His grandfather and the legacy of the shop were interesting additions to the story and put a historical touch into the story. Mia is fanatical about archaeology, but I loved how the whole story was a discovery of a different kind.

Deeply moving and personal, I couldn't stop listening to, or thinking about this book even long after I had finished it. The memories peppered here and there of Mia's experience as a young child on family holidays to the island, of ice cream and trips to various places or of just being with family. And the compass Salvatore's grandfather gave her......

I loved that through it all, Savvy, her best friend from back home in London, was there for her when needed. The book is so emotionally charged and action-packed that I felt so much at once while listening to it on my iPad. Happiness, sadness hope surprise suriosity, it was all there. That's what makes an excellent book for me.

Prosecco and Promises is an amazing tale of feeling loss and of finding yourself again. It's about the lengths some people go to to keep a family together. It's about finding support in the most unexpected people and places.

The book has the perfect pace and I really felt as a reader like I was accompanying Mia on her journey. The sights of Ischia are amazing, and the old shop and Allegra's house were beautifully described.

Thank you to A.L. Michael and Canelo for my ARC in exchange for an honest and voluntary review.

A brilliant story that keeps you engaged from the first page. The settings are described so well that you can picture it in your mind. Considering this was spread over different countries it was so easy to follow because the writing is superb.
Mia has to come to terms with a lot of things in her life and adapt to the changes they bring, will she survive? I will be looking out for more from this author in the future.

Mia's story is a good one, showing off the island of Ischia beautifully. This is not just a romance, it is a young woman learning to put herself first and take a tender step into a new life.

There is enough realism and heartbreak in this book not to make it too sweet, and happiness counts for more somehow when it follows sadness. For me, I would have liked to see Mia mix with more than the few folk that she did on the island. I thought the storyline was just a tad predictable given the limited characters but none the less enjoyable.

There is no doubt this novel has a wonderful setting, and there is plenty of tourist information included, both about Ischia and a slice of Naples. It is a good read.

My thanks to publishers Canelo for accepting my request via NetGalley. This is my honest, original and unbiased review.

Mia is giving up on love; she lost her mother when she was just a child and can hardly remember her. Now, she is losing her precious father, who has always been there for her. Determined to be strong and stay with him to the end, he makes her promise to visit her mother’s home and meet her maternal family while he lives out his remaining days without her.
Anger is Mia’s dominant emotion; she’s furious with her father, her young step mum and most of all herself. Italy proves to be just what she needs, but there is a great deal of angst, poignant discovery and forgiveness to be lived through before Mia appreciates this.
I love Mia she is such a beautiful mess, full of fear, guilt, self-reproach and the need to belong. She’s afraid to love, believing she will only experience the pain of losing again, Mia doesn’t feel she’s worth loving and so pushes everyone away. Her maternal family are loud and loving, and they slowly get under her skin. Mia learns about her mother and finally feels that she has roots. As her new family relive their memories of her mother, Mia begins to heal, and when her father dies, she finds that life does go on, even though she is devastated.
Meeting Salvatore is unexpected, and it’s not love at first sight, he is rude, and she is angry, but when they find a common goal, they each see something they like in the other and sparks of a different sort begin to glow. The love story is gentle and realistic and lovely to read. A thoughtful, memorable story which is perfectly paced and hard to put down.
I received a copy of this book from Canelo via NetGalley in return for an honest review.

I thoroughly enjoyed this story. It was beautifully written and was a lovely light hearted read. Thank you Netgalley and Canelo for giving me the chance to read this book

Mia has been sent away by her dying father in his last few weeks of life, she is angry and petulant about this but start to mellow and open up to her wonderful Italian family, she wanders into an old antique shop she remembers visiting as a girl and meets Salvatore a young Italian man just back from America nirturing a broken heart. A fantasy feel good read you will want to read again and again.

his is a sunny read but oh there are some really emotional parts! Imagine going back to where your mother is from, now that she’s dead and your father has asked you to go back - and he’s on his death bed? Oh I really felt sad as I started to read, so many emotions bubbling up inside. However the novel really shines through especially with the luscious locations and the hope and happiness which comes from the story.

If you’ve lost anyone close - especially a parent - the emotional journey Mia will take will really resonate with you. Finding yourself back to a home you barely know and one member of thee family seemingly against you.

I really enjoyed the journey over to Naples - the sights and history of this place were really neatly explored. Ischia now is also somewhere I really have to go. The sights, sounds and smells not to mention the food and the icecream...there’s just so much to this novel to enjoy and to lift the spirits. It’s a nice backdrop to an emotional story. Seeing the island through the eyes of Mia on this emotional journey is simply lovely.

The journey back to finding out about the past was what’s really shone for me - the history of the island, the journey to Mia’s past and what it all means for the future.

A warm cuddle of a book when it’s raining outside.

Mia’s mum died, when she was a child. Her dad has been her idol and best friend ever since. However, the cancer is back and he hasn’t got much time left. It’s his wish for Mia to go to Italy to see her family.

She goes to Ischia for her father, to a family she doesn’t know. And of course there is always the fear of him dying in her head as well.

She finally has the possibility to go back to her routes and discover a part of her mum. She gets to know her family and also the attractive Salvatore. Their chemistry is great and they way their relationship a developed added a lot to to the storyline.

I really liked the plot and the way it flowed. It has a lot of depth and it’s full of emotions. There are sad parts in the story, but also happy moments. A.L. Michael captured them all beautifully.

I absolutely adore the setting of this book and the way the author described it.

Another part I really liked, was the way Mia’s relationship to her step mother changed.

Rating: 4.5/5

This is a lovely summer read just right for the beach but equally great beside a roaring log fire. It radiates warmth from its very first page.
It is one of those books that you just can’t put down Infact I read it in just one day.
It is one of those books that make you feel it’s great to be alive

Martini Club #2. Mia's mother died when she was just a child and her dad has been her best friend and her idol. The cancer he survived years ago is back, and this time there is no fighting it. Her dads last request is for Mia to leave him and visit her mother's family on the island of Ischia so that she does not have to be there at the end. Mia is embreced by the warm, crazy fa ily she doesn't know. Mia desperately looks for a connection she never knew.

This is the first book I have read by this author. Normally I would read this type of book in a day but I have had a lot of personal things going on. This is a beautifully written book that emotional (so have tissues handy). A story about love, loss and family support. I'm glad this book has a happy ending.

I would like to thank NetGalley, Canelo and the author A. L. Michael for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.

If you are looking for a light, sunny read to warm you up on a cold winters day. or a nice beach read for your summer holidays, then look no further. Prosecco and Promises is a lovely story about falling in love, family relationships and loss. It is a well written enjoyable read and I recommend it!

Rating 4.5/5

This book was wonderful. It was great to get to know Mia after meeting her in Cocktails and Dreams, she was the one to tell it like it is in that book but in Prosecco and Promises, you see that there is a lot more to her. She has such a strong facade and it was really interesting how she handles being sent away and having to actually deal with the things that have happened to her.

I actually found this book really emotional, there were times that I was reduced to tears, but also strangely very uplifting, Mia’s excitement over exploring the history of the island and the treasures in the shop reached out to me and gave me that happy glow when you feel passionate about something.

It was nice to have that balance and it really added a lot of depth to the story that I wouldn’t have maybe picked up on from looking at the cover or reading the blurb.

Mia and Salvatore were amazing together, this wasn’t an instant spark and they were besotted this was more of a slow burn, an enjoyment of spending time together, that felt so natural. I loved the coffee and its symbolism! (you’ll just have to read it if you want to know what that means!)

The setting of Ischia was fantastic, I definitely wanted to be transported there and could even convince myself that I could feel the warmth even though it was wintery outside. Of course, the loud Italian family that go with it were also lovely to hear about, it was nice getting a lot of Mia’s background this way.

In the same vein as the first book there were a lot of yummy food references and also some tasty sounding drinks, I think I will definitely be giving the cocktail recipe a try.

It was nice to hear from Savvy, Jacques and Bel, who featured in Cocktails and Dreams, but you don’t really need to have read that to enjoy this one, although it is also a really good book!

Prosecco and Promises is a lovely story, with a fabulous setting and a wonderful bunch of characters and manages to pull off an emotional but hopeful tone. This is a story that you can easily get wrapped up in and I can’t wait to see what comes next.