Cover Image: The Summer Villa

The Summer Villa

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Member Reviews

A book about friendship although I am not sure about the loyalty aspect! An easy summer read.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher
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Nope not for me at all, very cheesy, bit like I'd imagine a Mills and Boon would be written, I found the 3 girls in the story all rather whiny and pathetic and just got cross with them! There seems to be lots of "His eyes were like deep pools that she wanted to dive right into’ type sentences going on throughout.   Having said that I did read it to the end, it did give me some feelings of sunshine on the Amalfi coast and it was easy to follow the plot, no real surprises and would make a nice beach read.

thank you to the publishers and NetGalley for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.
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Brilliant summer read just right for a stay cation. Lovely story about friendship love and loyalty.
Set mainly on the Amalfi Coast it just made up for what we can’t have at the moment.
Just loved it.
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A lovely summer read, enjoyed during Lockdown and made me yearn for my next holiday in the sun.... 

Annie, Colette and Kim meet randomly when staying at Villa Dolce Vita on the Amalfi Coast and strike up an unlikely friendship while all are at a turning point in their lives.

Six years later they return to the Villa, which has been bought and developed by Kim, for a reunion....where many secrets are revealed.

An enjoyable read with more twists and turns than the Amalfi coastline.
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Loved this book. Great characters, easy read, uplifting, funny, romantic and charming. 
It is based on the story of 3 women, Collete, Annie and Kim, all 3 are from different countries, and all 3 have different back stories. 
They meet at Villa Dolce Vita for 3 weeks, have a good time and all go off to live their lives, however, their lives are very much linked in ways that they dont all know about. 
A really nice story that is the perfect escapist read.
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What a lovely book about friendship.  I have not read Melissa Hill's books before but will definitely be reading her back catalogue.  This was a lovely summer read, perfect for relaxing on a nice sunny day.
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I would like to thank HQ for asking me to review this book and to be apart of the blog tour. I have been a fan of Melissa Hill for quite a few years so was really excited to read The Summer Villa.
The Summer Villa is a beautiful book inside and out. The cover is gorgeous and Italy comes to life as you read. The story is told from three views points from the past and the present. We get to find out about the adventures that Kim, Colette and Annie have when they first arrived in Italy and why they were there and then what happened years later. All three girls have difficulties in their lives in different ways and these influence the decisions they make while in Italy that then impact them and others later on. 
Melissa has written an incredible story that is full of life's emotions and issues. The chapters were short but moved the story on and made for quick reading.  Each characters was very real and so relatable. As for the setting, it was captured amazingly and you could actually pictures yourself there. The ending was not what I was expecting but was brilliant, there were hints when you think back but the story had been written in a very clever way that I felt surprised and excited by the events. 
I totally loved The Summer Villa and has made me want to go back a reread some of Melissa Hills past books.
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The Summer Villa by Melissa Hill is a most delightful contemporary novel that will have your pulse racing as you read towards the conclusion, anticipating what is to come.
The novel has two time periods – ‘then’ (five years earlier) and ‘now.’ The action alternates between the two.
Three strangers meet at crossroads in their lives – all have needs to be met and their own destinies to fulfil. Their lives entwine down the years.
There is the theme of family. Our families are all different – some stifling, some resentful, some loving – our upbringing helps to shape the adults we become. But we are not our mothers and history does not have to repeat itself.
We all have dreams. We should pursue our dreams. Sometimes life throws us a curve ball and we need a helping hand.
The novel is set on the Amalfi coast in summer. Due to Melissa Hill’s artistry with words, the reader can picture the scenes as we journey through the sunshine and the heat, sampling the food along the way.
All the characters were well drawn. I particularly loved the three leading ladies. I did have a favourite, with whom I really connected to. See if you have one too.
Melissa Hill is a ‘new’ author to me. I absolutely loved The Summer Villa and will be hunting out much more by Melissa Hill.
I received this book for free. A favourable review was not required and all views expressed are my own.
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Past events are seen seamlessly with present events with the past explaining the present and the present explaining the past. The characters are likeable but halfway through your perceptions about them change. Perhaps all is not what it seems at first. Surprising events at the end make a dramatic twist and the happy ending matches the happy friendships as established in the beginning. A novel that is easy to read and relaxing in these strange times. Well worth a read
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I loved this book. It's a perfect summer read. The three main female characters have very different personalities but the author fits them all together very well. The only character I couldn't figure out was Luca. It was difficult to tell if he was genuine or not. I certainly didn't expect the twist towards the end and overall thought it a very good storyline.
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The Summer Villa was a great read to escape from what’s happening out in the world at present time. I felt I was in Italy with the characters and loved this book. It switches between the past (then) and present (now) which was in no way off putting. A fab book.
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The beautiful bougainvillea cover reminds me of my summer holidays and this is a perfect poolside read.

Kim, Colette and Annie find themselves forming a unlikely friendship at the Villa Dolce Vita. 6 years later the reunite when Kim has brought the hotel and they are invited to the grand launch.

What happened on that holiday 6 years ago and what secrets are ready to burst!

I read this in 3 sunny sittings in the garden a wonderful read that had me guessing right to the end.

This had everything you want in a book love friendship and dramas. I loved it!

Thank you netgalley and HQ for this wonderful ARC
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I really enjoyed this book. Kim, Colette and Annie all find themselves staying at the Villa Dolce Vita, a ramshackle place overlooking the bay of Naples. They forge a friendship, and keep in touch. Now, 6 years later, Kim has bought the villa and transformed it in to a spa and wellness centre. She has invited her 2 friends to the launch party. Told from the two time frames, this is a story of secrets, lies and friendship. Thanks to NetGalley for a preview copy.
Copied to Goodreads.
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Kim goes to Italy to set up a villa into a country retreat and spa and escape her overbearing parents. The book goes back to then and now following the three female characters: Kim, Colette and Annie. A light read about friendship and the trials we face in life i.e cancer, motherhood etc. Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for letting me review this book.
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Kim has spent her life among the rich and wealthy with her parents paying for her every want and need. However, they expect her to pay her dues and when those include an arranged marriage she decides she has had enough of living under their thumb and escapes to Italy.

Colette had to put her life on hold when her mother became sick with cancer. After four years her mum is in remission and as a thank you, Colette's mum sends her on an Italian escape to reclaim her freedom.

Annie works in blue-rinse hairdressers and has filled her life with wild nights easy flings. When she wakes up in her early 30's with and has to evict another stranger from her bed she decides she needs to change. One of her regulars at the salon has been watching her and sees her potential. She leaves Annie a fortune in her will so that Annie can open her own salon and a trip to Italy before she gets started.

After the three forms a friendship with each other they go home and go their separate ways. Years later they meet again in Italy at very different stages in their life. Will secrets from their previous Italian escape stay buried or will they embrace The Sweet Life?

This book reads a bit like Mama Mia. It's not life-altering but it's not bad. I found it entirely predictable and mapped the entire plot out in my head before I was even halfway through. There were a couple of twists at the end which I spotted coming a mile away.

This book would make a nice, easy summer beach read. It's the sort of book I imagine as a battered paperback on the 'library' shelf in a hotel, where books people leave behind end up.

I got my copy of #TheSummerVilla by Melissa Hill for free from #NetGalley in exchange for a free review. Published by #HQ  an imprint of #HarperCollinsUK this book is available now.
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Excellent book, full of sunshine, glamour, and suspense. Great summer or lockdown read. Thoroughly enjoyed it , thank you Net Galley for my preview copy .
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A story set in the gorgeous Italy with it's stunning views and beautiful villas. This is a story about friendship and how these lovely ladies found themselves whilst on a trip to Italy.

Told over a dual timeline 6 years apart, you get insight from all of them as to where they were in their lives when they first arrived in Italy and the point they are at when they return in present day.

I enjoyed getting to know these ladies  through their highs and lows and how no-one really quite knows everything that happened during their visit where they all became friends.
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A beautiful Mediterranean setting which is so easy to fall in love with.  This book is cleverly set over 6 years (Now & Then) The writing is of an easy style yet descriptive enough to enjoy. Three women end up in Italy for one summer. An array of men are obviously thrown into the mix too.  Readers will fall in love with these independent, feisty young women  who each have their own faults.  There is so much more to this book then just a summer beach read.
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This book was easy to read and would be a great holiday book. The descriptions of the setting took me to Positano and Sorrento and the characters were easy to get to know. The book pulls at the heart strings in many ways, making me smile but also sad at times and it also has a bit of a mystery.  This book is recommended.
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A feel good factor book of romance, love and the relationships of three friends who first met in Italy. All from different walks of life their friendship, although somewhat turbulent at times, shines through when they most need it.
A few twists along the way, true love never is easy, definitely a read for these troubled times
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