A perfect summer read: highly enjoyable, engrossing and with great descriptions of places.
I love T.A. Williams' books and this one was no exception.
A great cast of characters and a plot that kept me hooked.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.

What a dramatic and unusual opening chapter for a story of this genre - it draws the reader straight into the action and the pages kept turning and turning after that.

I always love Mr Williams' depictions of Italy and this book delivered exactly what I expected. The setting was exquisite and such a contrast to the start of the story, that it certainly made me count my blessings, even though I don't live in Siena!

As for the main reason for reading  - the romance - the author kept me wondering who Lucy's love interest was going to  be for about the first 50%. Red herrings were popping up all over the place! But when it eventually did happen, I felt Lucy had found a partner worthy of her and her ideals.

Another absorbing story from this great author.

-- Read this review, and others, on my blog at www.hookedbythatbook.com –

I quite liked this story. The prologue was quite gripping and descriptive, and I really felt Lucy and the nurses’ fear. I feel like I have a good grip on who Lucy is. She absolutely loved her job as doctor with the MSF, and it was quite a big jump for her to join the upper-class clinic in Italy. She had a very hard time reconciling the huge wealth difference between the patients in the clinic and the MSF patients. 

I had a harder time locking David down. Initially he seemed to be extremely depressed, but that changed, without too much explanation. Lucy definitely played a role in bringing David back to life. But he seemed to be mostly a prop for Lucy’s dreams.

I just couldn’t really identify with Lucy’s dilemma. Yes, as a doctor she makes an invaluable contribution, but imagine how much more she can do as a doctor with access to a lot of money. And even though she seriously contemplated accepting David’s proposal, she still saw herself as a completely separate entity, and never even considered discussing her conflicting thoughts with him. 

On a different note, I always enjoy the author’s description of Italy, it really makes me want to go there.

Thank you to Canelo and Netgalley for providing me with an ARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

What a wonderful read with some wonderful characters and stunning scenery. Dr. Lucy Young is working at the Mabenta Clinic and has to be extracted, when the fighting gets too close. Lucy ends up in Italy and will be able to attend the wedding of her friend, Daniela to Pietro. Bruno, an old friend, is at the restaurant when Daniela and Lucy arrive. Later, Bruno’s girlfriend, Virginia, joins them. Come to find out a Bruno is now a doctor working at a private hospital. Bruno asks Lucy to help him with a patient, David Lorenzo, who accidentally shot himself, while cleaning his gun. Was it an accident? David was a successful tennis pro before an injury sidelined him. Eventually, Lucy is offered a job at the hospital where Bruno works and come to find out her cheating ex, Charles, works there. I’m not going to leave any spoilers, so grab your copy and get ready to want to visit Tuscany yourself.

I received an advanced reader copy of this book from NetGalley and this is my voluntary and honest review.

This is my first book from T.A Williams and I really enjoyed this perfect summer read. 

The story is about who needs a change after a incident at her previous job. Lucy is offered a job by a friends in a clinic . There she meets ex tennis player David and so the story begins about what Lucy truly wants. 

This was a very light hearted read and I loved the way it was easy to vision the scenery and where the story was taking place. I can't wait to be able to visit Italy at some point soon. The story flowed well and I will admit I was frustrated a times with Lucy's character but I always think that makes for a good read. 

This is a perfect, light-hearted summer read. 

Thank you to Netgalley for ARC to read and review.

I just love T A Williams books and my trips to Italy. Devoured in one sitting. Love it, when you can’t get to go in holiday because of Covid 19 this is the next best thing.

I have read several of TA Williams' books now and I love his ability to take the reader to some beautiful places. Under A Siena Sun is another one of these books, and I was immediately transported to Siena. I could feel myself soaking up the sunshine, and looking at the fantastic landscapes. Lucy and her friends also spend a lot of time in local restaurants, and my mouth was watering the whole way through! I also enjoyed learning about the history of the area.

Under A Siena Sun features quite a large cast of characters and I enjoyed getting to know them. Williams does give the reader a lot of insight into the characters and why they behave in the way they do, and this helped me to work out which characters I should root for! The hero and heroine, David and Lucy, are definitely two such characters and I was hoping all the way through that they could find a way to set aside their differences.

Williams writes at the beginning of Under A Siena Sun that, in the midst of the Coronavirus pandemic, he is glad that Lucy is a doctor. It is clear from the beginning that Lucy wants to help people and finds it difficult to fit in in an affluent environment. She has reservations about private health care and is keen that everyone should be treated equally. These issues are not often explored in romantic fiction, and it was interesting to see how Lucy's political views would influence the outcome of the novel.

If you don't mind a rather goody-goody "heroine" and a slightly predictable plot then this could be for you.  The setting is idyllic and the book is well written.  Escapist romance.

Today I’m pleased to be sharing my review for Under a Siena Sun by T A Williams. Thanks to the publisher Canelo for a review copy via NetGalley and to Rachel from Rachel’s Random Resources for inviting me to join the blog tour. This is the first book I’ve read by T A Williams and I will be looking out for the previous books.

I enjoyed this book, following Lucy, an experienced surgeon, as she escaped war torn Africa and started working in a private hospital in Tuscany, an area she had visited many times before.

This is primarily a romance story, set in the stunning surroundings of Siena in Tuscany. The book is full of colourful descriptions of the area and the food (do not read whilst on a diet!). Lucy needs to decide whether she can justify working in such a beautiful part of the world for wealthy patients after working for a medical charity in Africa, where the patients had no money.

I must admit that my favourite characters were of the four legged variety, all the black labradors beginning with B. This book was a pleasant escape from the global pandemic and I enjoyed my virtual visit to Tuscany.

I love a novel by T.A. Williams. I don't think I've yet to dislike any of his books, and this one is the same. I was so excited when I read that there'd be a new series, this one being the first in the Escape to Tuscany series. The cover is especially summery and looks so beautiful. I love the two coffee cups, bright blue sky and of course the gorgeous view of the town.

This novel started in a very different way to all of T.A. Williams' other books however. We are thrown in the deep end with Lucy as she escapes from a war torn country and to read it, it sounded extremely frightening. When she goes to Italy, it starts getting really interesting and at points I loved reading about the History of the country and separate towns, but as the story went on I got a little bored of reading about it so tended to skip the chapters that was describing the history. 

I did like the character of Lucy, she seemed a really lovely and kind person. She also seemed to have a lot of suitors! And at times, it was quite difficult to figure out just whom she was going to set her eyes on and settle down with. I enjoyed reading about her time in the clinic, but most of the time this novel is set in the town she lives in and in her new home. I also loved the involvement of certain black labradors! I don't think it would be a regular novel of the authors without these loveable dogs. 

Overall, it's an easy read. Not my favourite of T.A Williams as sometimes it was a bit predictable but still enjoyable all the same. I look forward to reading more novels from this series in the future. Thank you to the publisher for a chance to read an advance copy of this novel via Netgalley, which I have reviewed honestly.

Lucy is a wonderful, kind hearted surgeon who spent the last few years working to help the poor in Africa.  When the area in the Conga became too dangerous to continue, Lucy and two nurses were air lifted out.  Lucy went to Tuscany where her best friend lives to try to rest and recuperate.  While there she was offered a surgeons job in a prestigious clinic catering to the wealthy.  She buys herself a small cottage and begins to make a life for herself when she meets superstar David, an injured tennis player hiding out in Tuscany.  The two have a whirlwind relationship,  but the fact that he is worth millions plays heavy on Lucys heart after spending so much of her life helping those less fortunate.  Can Lucy and David find a way to live together when they obviously come from two different worlds?
This was a great story, loved the characters, and all the details of Italy along with the hidden history lessons!  Overall a great, feel good read, just dragged on a bit and became repetitive during the middle at times.

I really enjoyed the premise of this book, but ultimately I didn't find the character compelling enough to stick with it.

A magnificent beginning to a delightful new series - I do so enjoy Trevor Williams' novels!

Lucy Young is not only a doctor, she is a surgeon and four the last four years she has been using her skill working for Doctors Without Borders. After a very close call in Africa, she needs to work elsewhere for a while - for the sake of her own physical and mental well-being. Her next position is working in a private clinic in the sun drenched region of Tuscany, Italy; a post she's not really comfortable in, preferring to put her talents to use helping the underprivileged, not the rich and famous. One of the first patients she meets is tennis player David, former superstar whose injury has ended his career. Lucy finds herself very attracted to him, but with millions in the bank and rich lifestyle, can she ever feel comfortable with him?

Having been an avid reader of this author's previous series, I was really looking forward to reaching this one in my list - and I was not disappointed. With a wonderful storyline which successfully encompasses both the richest and poorest of this planet, there is much to be learned. For me, part of the fun of Trevor's books is that he always includes a labrador somewhere in the story; this time round it was a veritable feast of adorable pooches with several dogs and puppies too! They are always a part of each story and I look forward to discovering their names and personalities every time. Also included is a bit of historical information on the area where the story is set, and this novel is bursting with little gems which any would-be traveller can look out for. Add in that I could almost imagine the Italian sun warming my bones (always welcome in Scotland, believe me) and I have had a super time reading this. Collectively, along with excellent writing it all adds up to a very readable and terrifically enjoyable, smooth-flowing book which I'm very happy to give both the highest recommendation and five sparkling stars!

My thanks to the publisher for my copy via NetGalley and to Rachel's Random Resources for my spot on this tour; this is - as always - my honest, original and unbiased review.

Following her dramatic escape from DRC medic Lucy needs a break.

Under a Siena Sun is a perfect example of the romantic stories I’ve come to expect from TA Williams, but this time with a slightly edgier atmosphere created partly by the dramatic opening to the narrative and partly by a clear underpinning social message of wealth versus poverty and privilege versus disadvantage so that I thoroughly appreciated the added depth and enjoyed the narrative all the more.

There’s a super story in Under a Siena Sun that entertains the reader royally. The plot is fast and interesting so that I loved being in Italy with Lucy. Her relationships with different men, her principled attitudes and the glorious Italian settings transport the reader completely. It’s unwise to read a TA Williams book when I’m hungry as his descriptions of food are so mouth-wateringly realistic that they make me desire all kinds of forbidden and out of reach food. I always finish reading TA Williams feeling as if I’ve been taken on a holiday away from the trials of my own life and Under a Siena Sun is no exception, but this time with a glorious element of extra glamour too as I visited vicariously the areas of Tuscany I’ve never been to. The sheer escapism is as much a pleasure of reading Under a Siena Sun as is the entertaining plot.

I thought Lucy’s character was extremely well crafted even if she did make me feel slightly shallow, because I’m not sure I would have maintained such a moral standpoint when faced with a gorgeous romance! Joking aside, I loved the fact that Under a Siena Sun gave me cause to think when I read Lucy’s thought processes and romantic dilemma. Indeed, it isn’t an exaggeration that Lucy, albeit a fictional person, has helped restore my faith in humanity which has been somewhat lacking of late. She is adaptive, feisty and intelligent and it’s so good to have a romantic read where a relationship with a man isn’t the be all and end all for the lead character.

Under a Siena Sun is a lovely new addition to the TA Williams canon. Familiar elements such as a black a Labrador, romance and transporting travel are there so that fans will be reassured that they are getting another super read, but there’s something a little bit more here too with reference to war and difficulty so that the writing feels deeper and more important somehow. I thoroughly enjoyed it. Just wonderful.

A brilliant summer read just right to lift your spirits and transport you to an Italian idle 
It is a story of hope and of finding ones self.
It has all the elements of a real feel good story with David a rich millionaire tennis player who has had his greatest love ripped from him by a terrible accident and  finding it difficult to come to  terms with and Lucy a doctor who has spent her working life treating underprivileged people.
When their worlds collide it is anyone’s guess where it will end up and who is willing to compromise.
One thing is for sure it’s a great read and you just can’t put it down.

I know that a T. A. Williams book is going to be a good read, and this one was no exception, except that for me the magic of some of his earlier work wasn't there. It's still a good story though, and if you're looking for a light, easy summer read, this book fits the bill. As usual Williams' descriptions of places take you to the scene. I loved Boris, a black Labrador. We've come to know and expect dogs in Williams' books. In fact, he treats us to multiple black Labradors in this book. I really liked David, the love interest, but I struggled with Lucy, the protagonist. I didn't feel any strong emotion from her, nor did I see her character evolve over time. Everything - major life changes - happened so easily for her. There was a slight bit of angst over David being a millionaire. This irritated me. I understood she felt uncomfortable surrounded by luxury, but I felt she was holding his millions against him (he earned a lot of money due to being a tennis champion). In the end, and without revealing too much, Lucy wasn't required to change at all, but  David was. I didn't think that was fair.
With thanks to NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

During lockdown, I have found escape through reading and this book took me to Tuscany and what a trip!  With the wonderful descriptions of places and food, I felt like I’d enjoyed a wonderful mini break.
Under a Siena Sun centres on the adventures of Lucy; emotionally scarred after a narrow escape whilst working for Médecins Sans Frontiers, she heads to Tuscany for her friend’s wedding.  Here she reunites with the handsome Bruno who she had a crush on but now sees purely as a friend.
It’s Lucy’s friendship with Bruno that proves to be lifechanging as she’s introduced to the lucrative world of private medicine and the lives of the rich and famous.  I steer away from spoilers but, as the blurb suggests, she does encounter the smoulderingly handsome David Lorenzo, a tennis star who is fighting to recover from injury.
T.A. Williams is a new author, to me, I enjoyed reading his style which I found to be totally satisfying.  The descriptive language made it easy to imagine sitting in the sun or enjoying the wine from the local vineyards.
A special mention has to be given to Boris, the black Labrador and his alliterative siblings.  
If you fancy an evening watching the sun set over the sea, then this is the book for you.  I will certainly be watching for the rest of this series.

“...remember, they’re still people who’re sick, who need your help. The fact that they can pay for it doesn’t reduce their need.” Under the Siena Sun by T. A. Williams

2.5, maybe almost 3 stars. The title should’ve cued me. But I liked reading about living in Tuscany, or in that part of the region. Sigh.

And that quote sums up Lucy’s dilemma.  In a rather annoying way.  She’s a doctor who cut her teeth helping out the people in Africa who don’t have medical help. After escaping from a war-torn area, she decided to recharge and take a break in Siena, Italy. Part of that is working for an upscale clinic. Her patients are no longer those who pay her in kind, but the rich and famous. Then she meets David, formerly a pro tennis star who is on rehab for an injury. They fall in love etc, but she can’t reconcile herself to living with someone who is so rich and has a different perspective, never mind he earned that wealth.

I rolled my eyes at Lucy so many many rimes. After Peter Mayle’s  Provence and that book-turned-movie Under The Tuscan Sun, this held so much promise for me. Lucy keep getting in the way. And how convenient thT David solves the problem for her.  Wait, have to say this: 🙄🙄🙄. She sure had no problem enjoying his house and it’s amenities. Anyway, Lucy is ok, except when she’s in her moments. That part got old really fast.

Thank you NetGalley abd Canelo publishing for the copy of this book.

A book for staycationers this summer.  This is an immensely readable and believable book set in rural Italy.  The countryside is portrayed beautiful, and the love story brings a happy conclusion to this light, warm story.

Thank you for the opportunity to read this book

Under a Siena Sun is like a gentle breeze. It lightens your mood, caresses your emotions, and puts a smile on your face.

What I Liked

I enjoyed the beautiful setting of Siena, Italy.  The village is described in such exquisite detail that if I closed my eyes, I found myself transported across the Atlantic.  The rolling hills, fragrant olive trees, and even the lumbering porcupine are delightfully immersive.

My favorite character is David.  He experienced significant struggles and transitions in the last few years, but he pulled them through and is ready to make a difference.  He enjoyed the glitz and glamor world in the past but realizes that’s not the type of lifestyle that feeds his soul.  He teaches Lucy to understand this fact too.  She needs to learn that just because a person is wealthy doesn’t mean they don’t help those in need - that lifestyle is a choice – to lead a superficial life of wealth or lead a philanthropic life of wealth.

The characters are well-developed, quaint, and fun, and the dialogue flows with a natural ease of a chat between friends.  The inclusion of the struggles in Africa are eye-opening and evoke so many emotions. 
The decision of medical workers to go to these war-torn areas is amazingly heroic.

What I Wish

I wish that Lucy being judgmental had been a more critical, more progressive learning lesson and that she had not gotten so preachy at times.  There is an abruptness to these thoughts that just don’t fit into the story for me.

To Read or Not to Read

If you are looking for a nice light read in a beautiful setting, then this is the story for you.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.