Set in a picturesque Italian setting, this intriguing family mystery has drama, romance and secrets. Zia no longer has any close family and wants to discover her roots. Her friendship with Ursula sustains her, but Ursula has her own relationship problems. Then there's Piero, an attractive neighbour, who is torn between family loyalty, and self-preservation.

A multilayered plot keeps the reader engaged and subject to a myriad of emotions. The characters are as vibrant as the vivid setting, not everyone is likeable, but all add to the story's ambience and authenticity.

This is a detailed and well-paced story. It allows the reader to immerse themselves in the characters' lives and the Italian ethos. If you want to escape from reality or even the rainy weather, this is the perfect solution.

I received a copy of this book from Avon Books UK via NetGalley in return for an honest review.

Zia is a complex mix of reserved and insular, yet emotional and vulnerable. She loves strongly and fiercely, is strong and independent, and, despite the discoveries she makes, knows her value and worth.

There are many complex issues, situations and characters in this story, set mainly against the backdrop of an Italian vineyard. The setting is perfect, the insight into Italian life and community draws the reader in, and the mystery behind Zia's parentage drives the story forward equally as much as the romance between her and Pietro.

This book is a real page turner, and is up there as one of Ms. Moorcroft's best.

An addictive book that had me stuck to my cozy place to bed to finish it. Reading a book by author Sue Moorcroft after a long time, I was completely immersed in Zia’s life, wanting to know the truth about her family.

Zia captured my interest from the first page when she wanted to travel to Italy to find her family with hardly any clues. Zia was courageous and determined. I loved her friendship with Ursula. They had the perfect bond, garnering my envy.

But later it was Piero who made me swoon. He seemed the man of my dreams. His chemistry with Zia had me longing for my own sparks in life. But he had his own problems, and the author made his life situations quite realistic. Why are the perfect men found in books and not in real life?

The story had everything from new start in life to love to friendship along with mystery. The other characters provided the right support to make this book a page turner. The description of food and wine and locale made me believe I was with Zia soaking up the love and happiness.

There was so much beauty in this book, an oasis to escape into, especially when my side of the globe has been ravaged by the dreadful pandemic. The book gave me hope and a few hours of respite from my ongoing stress.

I was happy that it was not just a routine formula for romance, but the underlying mystery which captured my attention, compelling me to read the book at one go. A vividly descriptive read filled with emotions and love.

If I were writing a postcard home about my wonderful trip Under the Italian Sun, I'd say I thoroughly enjoyed my whole holiday. I met several charismatic and vibrant characters, especially Zia and Pietro, who let me into their lives and carried me with them on their exciting journey. The food was great too, and the wine flowed freely. The hot Italian sun shone brightly on a stunning location. Zia's poignant quest to discover the truth about her real family made for an engaging and heart-warming story. It was tied together neatly by the ever-skilful pen of Sue Moorcroft.
Highly recommended to Romance readers everywhere. Thanks to NetGalley and Avon Books UK for letting me see a copy. Also posted on Amazon.

This book combined a few different story aspects to create a well rounded, easy to read book. While I enjoyed some of the story lines more than others, I believe the book boiled down to one basic thought. The heart yearns for family and for connections. It doesn't matter if it is family by blood or family of the heart, the relationships will always be complicated yet rewarding, and in the end, they are always worth fighting for.

I am an armchair adventurer and loved visiting Italy with Zia and drinking in the rich descriptions of the country and it's wines.

*there are a few sex scenes that are easily skipped over and didn't impact my understanding of the story/plot.

With armchair travelling being the only option for me this year, it was a delight to go to Italy and in particular to the fictitious town of Montelibertà in Umbria. The story actually starts in Brighton with Zia-Lucia Costa Chalmers making a shocking discovery about her background from some family papers and letters that she had stored in her attic. Zia has been made redundant from her job, she can speak some Italian and has an idea to spend some time working and eventually hopefully living in Italy. She would also like to find answers to some questions. She packs the car and takes off to Montelibertà with her best friend Ursula, herself having a break away from some marital difficulties.

Where to begin with this lovely story. Well for starters there is the vividly described landscape that brings Umbria to life. Sue has previously said that the setting of Montelibertà (previously used for One Summer in Italy) is based on the real life medieval town of Orvieto; you have the backdrop of the mountains, the cobbled streets with piazzas offering space to sit with a coffee or a beer, the starlit sky at night. The vineyards of the Domenicali family providing the delicious wine and the subject of much angst and family battlelines. But the book is so much more. It has characters with heart and a story of light and shade that kept me wondering what will happen next.

Zia knows that she has some Italian heritage – which is how she came to have such a mouthful of a name but whilst she sets out to find the answers to one question, more information comes to light which makes her question everything she has been told.

There is a wonderful supporting cast of characters – including the kindly and welcoming Lucia and Durante Costa, Piero Domenicali, their handsome friend and neighbour who has his own struggles in trying to keep his home and his family intact and Zia’s bestie, tattoo artist Ursula. Her marriage to Stephan being the cause of much friction one way or another! Not everyone was an engaging character however. I can think of three that deserved all the curses.

Of course there is also romance. A slow build up with the chemistry and sparks leading to something much more to get some 🔥 and passion into the story but also alas the inevitable misunderstandings and soul searching that accompanies it.

This is more than just a light summer read with so many layers and complications to the story. As ever, Sue Moorcroft doesn’t shy away from including the darker side of life and incorporates a story line that touches on such things as mental health issues, corporate bullying, greed and manipulation, residency complications caused by Brexit as well as marital problems.

I thoroughly enjoyed Under the Italian Sun and really didn’t want the story to end. It brought some much needed sunshine and escapism into some rainy days. Written with Sue’s trademark warmth and sensitivity, you can’t really go wrong with this one. Definitely recommended.

Purchase Link: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Under-Italian-Sun-Sue-Moorcroft-ebook/dp/B08L5RPD2W
An intriguing story, set in the most beautiful location. The language is such that you can almost smell and touch the surroundings, as if you’d been transported to Italy yourself. I felt instant chemistry between Piero and Zia, and just hoped that they didn’t turn out to be long lost cousins! I felt so intrigued by the unanswered questions in Zia’s life, that I found myself rooting for her to find out all she needed to know. The start of the book made me genuinely care about Zia and her solving the jigsaw that is her life.

Zia is endeavouring to become an Italian citizen and finds herself searching through old papers belonging to her late Mother. She is mystified to find the birth and death certificates of a woman with the same name as her mother. She searches through the papers with her good friend Ursula. The letters also make mention of a woman called Lucia Costa and Zia’s Mother driving to Italy to fetch Zia from her. Zia is curious about her Mother’s connection to Lucia Costa is and wonders whether Lucia would be able to explain about the mysterious young woman who had the same name as Zia’s Mother. It seems that Lucia could be the only person still alive, to provide any answers.

Fast forward and with no answers to any mystery, the action moves to Italy, with Zia and Ursula renting the mysterious Lucia Costa’s holiday villa. Lucia’s home is on land adjacent to a vineyard and its estate. Piero, the Son of the vineyard owner is under pressure from his Father and his Father’s girlfriend, to sell his share of the vineyard. Piero is conscious that if his family sell their estate, Lucia and her Husband will be forced to sell their home and holiday homes too, due to access issues. Zia has some knowledge of property law, and thinks Lucia, her Husband Durante, and Piero are being misinformed. The question is whether this is an innocent mistake, or whether there are underhand dealings going on? Salvatore’s (Piero’s Father) Girlfriend certainly isn’t helping matters, as she clearly wants the whole family to sell up – but is that out of innocent concern for Salvatore or does she have some kind of ulterior motive? Zia is happy to help with the legal issues but seems less keen to come straight out and ask Lucia about her past and in particular any dealings she may have had with Zia’s Mother.

Ursula has her own concerns – alternating between worrying about her fragile relationship with her Husband, and fretting about Zia seeming a bit too much at home in Italy. The last thing she wants us to lose her Husband over a misunderstanding, and her best friend to another country.

Lucia’s reaction when she catches sight of a copy of Zia’s passport, makes it seem pretty clear that they do have some kind of past connection, but it wouldn’t be fair for me to spill the beans on the nature of that connection, although it would be fair to say that I shared Zia’s joy at the thought there was some kind of history between them.

It’s fair to say that the truth about Lucia and Zia’s history does come to the fore, but I won’t give to many spoilers about it. It is also true that mystery abounds in this book. The characters almost seem to almost take on the beauty of their location, if that’s possible! Read for yourself and you will find out the answers to so many questions; will the vineyard and it’s properties be sold? Will Piero and Lucia be able to overcome legal hurdles and remain in their homes without having to sell? Will there be more than a hint of romance between Piero and Zia? Is Harry still alive and what light can he throw on Zia’s early years? Will any progress be made in either Ursula or Zia’s love life at home?

Regardless of all the mystery, this book is worth reading for the spectacular descriptions of the countryside. If you have never been to Italy, this book will make you want to visit, in the hope of replicating some of the beauty and joy within the pages of this book.

Sue Moorcroft has gone and done it again. This has been a really beautiful read. It was eloquently written with warmth and love. Set in the beautiful country, Italy, you can imagine looking over the vineyards, seeing the mountains in the distance, feel the heat of the summer sun and the noise of the cicadas. It is quite heart-breaking in places and did make me reach for my tissue a few times. The characters are believable. Zia-Lucia Costa Chalmers finds out that there have been secrets hidden from her as she was growing up. Upon her mother’s death she started to realise I'm l this out. Zia-Lucia needs to find out who she really is. To find the missing links of her family, she has to travel to Italy. As Zia-Lucia starts the search for her family she finds the next-door neighbour, Piero, a rather handsome hunk. I also thought he sounded rather wonderful. Do join Zia-Lucia on her fantastic journey to find her family and see how she tackles the situation. Maybe she might find romance. You certainly will not regret reading this amazing poignant summer novel. Thank you, Sue, for another fantastic book. I wish you the best of luck.

Zia-Lucia Costa Chalmers is on a mission to find out why she has such a name, especially as Zia is Italian for ‘aunt’ ! She travels from Brighton to Italy and back to Brighton in her quest to make sense of her family background. This enjoyable story transported me to the Italian sunshine, vineyards and villages, during a very unseasonable cold April/May in Scotland, which was a very welcome escape.
The story of Zia’s background has plenty of interesting twists and turns as the story progresses, and there is romantic interest added in the person of handsome Piero. Along the way there are descriptions of mouth watering food and wines, which add very nicely to the narrative. I also learned a little about the intricacies of wine growing in a small family- run winery, which is very interesting.
The story touches on overly controlling partners, and the value of true friendships. The heartbreak of postnatal depression in a new mother, back when it went largely unrecognised, forms a thread of the story that is sensitively handled by the author.
Excellent characterisation of all the main players in the story, and skilful writing, makes for a completely immersive narrative. I was very sad to leave Zia and the warm Italian sunshine behind.
My thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for my advance copy of this title.

Zia-Lucia never really bothered about who her father was or why she had never met him. Her mum died when she was 10 and she was brought up by her grandparents. A few years after they passed away Zia finds a suitcase containing documents and letters that she has never seen before. What she reads leads her to believe that she may have family in Italy.
Deciding that she needs to find out more about her mother’s past, Zia and her friend Ursula travel to Umbria to see if they can uncover anything that might help Zia fill in the missing parts of her past.
Once there they stay in a cabin owned by Lucia and her husband Durante. The couple are welcoming, not realising initially, this isn’t the first time they have met Zia. Their neighbour Piero catches Zia’s eye but she is in Italy for a purpose and, still smarting from the betrayal of her ex, is determined not to get distracted no matter how gorgeous Piero is.
Over the summer Zia discovers more than she ever expected about her mother and herself.
A lovely story of friendship, family and love.

I have been a fan of Sue’s work for a while now. I haven’t quite caught up with everything that she has written but I am getting there. I read the synopsis for ‘Under The Italian Sun’ and it certainly sounded like the sort of light hearted, feel good, heart warming book that I have come to associate with Sue. I was spot on too. I thoroughly enjoyed ‘Under The Italian Sun’ but more about that in a bit.
This book developed a hold over me from the moment I first picked it up and it was a hold that I wasn’t willing to break. To say that reading ‘Under The Italian Sun’ became addictive is a bit like me saying that I like to eat cake- in other words a massive understatement. I picked the book up only intending to read a couple of chapters but I became so wrapped up in the story that I was still sat there reading over two hours and many chapters later. I just couldn’t bear to miss a single second of the story. This book left me feeling a bit torn in the sense that I was desperate to finish the book because I needed to know how the story ended but I was enjoying the book so much that I just didn’t want it to end. I found ‘Under The Italian Sun’ to be a gripping read, which held my attention throughout.
‘Under The Italian Sun’ is superbly written but then I think that to be true of all of Sue’s books that I have had the pleasure of reading and reviewing. I love the very vivid and realistic way in which Sue describes Italy. She describes it so well that if I was to shut my eyes then it would be easy to believe that I was in Italy myself with the sun beating down on my face. Sue has the knack of being able to make the reader feel as though they are part of the story themselves and at the centre of the action. That’s how I felt at any rate. ‘Under The Italian Sun’ has a bit of everything- there’s drama, romance and humour with a definite feel good factor. ‘Under The Italian Sun’ left me with a smile on my face.
In short, I thoroughly enjoyed reading ‘Under The Italian Sun’ and I would recommend it to other readers. I will certainly be reading more of Sue’s work in the future. The score on the Ginger Book Geek board is a very well deserved 5* out of 5*.

⭐️⭐️⭐️

Under the Italian Sun by Sue Moorcroft

Thank you @netgalley and @avonbooksuk for this Advanced Readers Copy. This adventure in Italy publishes today, 5/13. I absolutely loved the setting of this book and it took me back to amazing memories of trips to Italy. This story is about 30-something Zia-Lucia Costa Chalmers who finds a letter after the death of her grandparents that leads her to finally seeking the truth about the identity of her parents. Zia heads to Italy and finds answers to lifelong mysteries. Essentially, this is a story about identity and truth.

I found this book to be a little over ambitious, with far too many characters introduced too quickly. The selfishness and jealousy of the men in this book also drove me crazy! Without giving too much away, I am SO glad Zia didn’t end up with a certain Englishman.

Overall, I found this story to have a fun premise in a beautiful setting, but executed in a clunky way 🤷‍♀️

Enjoyable read by Sue Moorcroft. The style of writing is very warm and descriptive, you very much wanted to be in the beautiful Italian vineyards. This is a story where Zia-Lucia goes to Italy to find out more about her family after finding letters written to her deceased mother, who never told her who her father was.
When she visits Italy she finds family she never knew about, and also falls in love with a handsome Italian.

The love scenes are quite passionate, but are sensual without being too explicit. That being said if you prefer your romances to be more chaste, you might want to give this book a miss!

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for giving me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for my review.

3.5

This latest book from this fabulous author whisked you off to an Italian vineyard. The main character Zia-Lucia is on a mission to find out the truth about her Italian heritage.
This was a delightful read that with it's clever writing transported me to Italy.
Highly recommended as a lively summer read.

Have you ever read a book that makes you question yourself?
This book has me questioning why I don't live on a vineyard in Italy and what I can do to get to live that beautiful life. (I even tried to get my husband on board)
Under the Italian Sun was a beautiful travel romance novel that would be the perfect summer read!
The first chapter had me hooked. This story doesn't only have romance and drama, it includes a little mystery that gives you that burning desire to find out answers with our main character. This is a slower burn story with lots of little parts that keep the book moving. About half way through, I was rushing to find out what would happen.
This was my first book by this author and it won't be my last.

Just a beautiful book! I have never been to Italy, but Sue sets this book in a lovely way with superb descriptions. Zia sets out to discover secrets about her family that she has read in some letters. She discovers family members that she never knew she had as well as meeting other people. Truly stunning like many of Sue's books.

I absolutely loved the setting of the setting of this book. Thr author's descriptions made me want to book a trip to Italy as soon as possible. I had a hard time keep track of everything going on in this story; sometimes it just felt like too much.

I’m pleased to say that this is another enjoyable book by Sue Moorcroft. Zia is aware that her dad was Italian, but it is only now that she is starting to look for clues. She finds a number of mysteries amongst the letters her mum and grandparents kept, so sets off to visit Italy with her best friend Ursula, looking for answers.

Out in Montelibertà Zia meets her hosts Lucia and Durante, and their handsome neighbour, Piero. How is Lucia linked to Zia’s past? Zia is also trying to escape her ex-boyfriend, who is a friend of Ursula’s husband.

I enjoyed how the story evolved, as Zia discovered more about her family history and got to know the area she had visited briefly as a baby. There are some unpleasant characters in this story, so it is not a ‘light and fluffy’ read, but covers important topics about trust and controlling behaviours.

I’m happy to recommend this book for a virtual escape to Italy, a story about the importance of family, trust, romance and good food.

I always love a romance – but the other thing I might enjoy even more is a setting that comes to life on the pages, the opportunity to travel and experience everything together with a book’s characters. Much of this lovely book is set in Umbria, among the vineyards outside Montelibertà – if you’re a fan like me, you might just remember visiting the area before, for Sofia’s story in One Summer in Italy. The descriptions are just so wonderful – you can feel the heat of the sun as you look out over the rows of vines, a rose bush at the end of every line, stretching into the distance towards the shimmering mountains in the background. Imagine lying there under that clear night sky, every star clearly defined, a chilled glass of Orvieto at your side… that travel element is something we all need so very badly after such a long confinement, and this book delivered absolutely everything I hoped for.

But then there’s Zia’s story – and that drew me in from the opening pages. There’s not much doubt that she has Italian heritage – the name her mother gave her made that fairly clear – but she was brought up by her grandparents after the loss of her mother, and she knows nothing about her father or any other Italian family she may have. She looks Italian, she’s kept up the language, and now that she’s been made redundant and her latest relationship ended rather horribly, she’d rather like to live and work in Italy – but that’s far from easy in these post-Brexit times (a nice contemporary touch) unless she can prove that family connection. A suitcase of letters retrieved from the attic raises more questions than answers – and they prove to be rather bigger questions than just those about her father, casting doubts over everything she’d understood and believed about her identity. So, accompanied by her friend Ursula – who’s keen to leave her own marriage problems behind for a while – they head for an extended break in Umbria to try and uncover some of the answers.

In Umbria, we find a parallel story – a family seriously at odds with each other when the patriarch decides to retire, the planned sale of the family vineyard to a large corporation having life-changing implications for a number of people. The stories converge – Zia begins to uncover a personal family history that she could never have imagined, and struggles with the impact of what she discovers on everyone around her. And, at the same time, she’s becoming ever closer to Piero, one of the winemaking family whose home and future is being threatened by the impending sale of the vineyard.

Goodness, that’s such a poor attempt at setting the scene – there are far more layers to both stories, which twist and turn in ways you could never expect. There’s a really well developed theme of both corporate and personal greed, with particularly complex legal issues that need to be disentangled: and that storyline sits very comfortably alongside Zia’s journey of personal discovery and the many family secrets she uncovers. And as you come to expect in a book from Sue Moorcroft, there are a number of well-handled issues that accompany the story – mental health, traditional values, the whole question of parenthood and what it means – including the intrusion of some residual problems from relationships at home. This is such a difficult book to review without revealing far more of the story than I want to – but it was a superb read, I loved the way it developed, but I really, really mustn’t say any more.

So, instead, let me tell you about the romance – because I entirely loved that too. It’s one of those relationships that begins slowly, falters frequently, at times looks entirely impossible – but the attraction between the pair has a quite perfect sizzle, a well-developed chemistry, with a satisfying amount of heat as the relationship develops that really makes your heart beat faster. But what I loved about it was that it felt so very real, as they both deal with their own issues and concerns, feel their way past all the imagined wrongs and misunderstandings – this was one where I really yearned for a happy ending. The author always has the most perfect emotional touch – and there are so many moments in this book, not just within the romantic relationship, where every response is perfectly judged in a way that would have been beyond the reach of a lesser author.

I really loved this book – for its compelling and multi-layered story, the strength of the writing, its complex characters, the wonderfully drawn setting, the emotional impact, and for the moving and believable central romance. If you’re looking for a book that’s more than just a read, a book that makes you feel … I really do recommend it most highly.

(Review copied to Amazon UK, but link not yet available)

Zia Chalmers lives in Brighton and is sharing her flat with her oldest friend Ursula while she sorts our her marriage and Zia recovers from her own break up with Brendon. After finding letters belonging to her mum in her attic she discovers she’s not who she thought she was.
Zia and Ursula travel to Italy to see if Zia can uncover the secrets of her birth. Zia soon meets Piero who lives and works next door to the cottage they are staying in.
This book made me feel the Italian Sun beating down on my skin and taste the wine they shared. It’s a lovely story of friendship and family loyalty.
Thanks you Avon Books UK and NetGalley for the early download of Sue Moorcrofts great new book.