Signor Speranza is in big trouble. Unless he pays the water board 70,000 euros, they will cut off the water supply to the village. Approaching the problem left field, he starts a rumour that the famous Dante Rinaldi will be filming nearby. This galvanises the entire village into action as they all want a piece of the action. As Speranza gets deeper and deeper into the lie, the chances of raising the 70,000 euros seems to get further away from him. How is he going to disentangle himself from this mess and pay the bill before the whole village is without water?
This is a light hearted, bonkers book in which you have to suspend your disbelief a lot. I loved it because there was nothing offensive in it, and it was full of slapstick humour. I am really looking forward to the author's future publications.

Thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this light, uplifting book. A welcome relief from recent dark thrillers this was warm, fun and engaging. Well written, with good characters I would recommend as a good read!

I really enjoyed this book, it was well written with a fast paced and gripping storyline and well developed characters that were relatable and likeable. It was uplift and funny and I couldn't put ti down. I will definitely be looking for more from this author.

I laughed a lot and couldn't stop reading this highly entertaining story. It you think it's over the top or unrealistic please don't because that's something that could happend.
I loved the storytelling, the characters and had a lot of fun.
Heartwarming, compelling, and highly entertaining
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine

A light, easy to read, fun romantic book. With great characters and a stunning backdrop that makes you feel like you are there alongside the characters.

A gentle comedy set in a small Italian village that feels like a nostalgic revisit to a simpler time. The author acknowledges debts to The Little World of Don Camillo by Giovannino Guareshi and it reminds me of the 80s tv adaptation and similar small village comedies like Mapp and Lucia.
It’s not saying anything about the world but revels in human character and interactions, sparking off self-aggrandisement, vanity and community spirit.

Gloriously Endearing…
Nino Speranza has dug himself a very large hole indeed. As he tries to dig himself out, he only manages to dig deeper. Nevertheless, readers will most definitely be rooting, with wide open arms, for the hapless Speranza in this delightfully comic and endearing tale. A rather glorious, warm hearted romp which cannot fail to bring a smile to any readers face. Wonderful.

I had a good time with this book, although it wasn't exactly what I expected. Granted, I'm not sure exactly what I *had* been expecting; sufficient time elapsed between requesting it and reading it that I'd forgotten what originally caught my eye.

Although initially struggling to keep all the character names straight in my head (a frequent problem of mine, since I have a terrible memory for names), I quickly became invested in Speranza's crisis. Trying to keep the bad news of his small town's possible lack of a future from the ears of its residents, he attempts to single-handedly revitalise its economy by spreading rumours that a film star is thinking of making a film there. The rumour is more convincing than he expected, and to keep up the ruse, he ends up undertaking to make a film himself. Misadventures follow, featuring extremely awkward auditions, a tangled web of lies and misdirection, and an unlikely leading man, not to mention the occasional strategically-placed cardboard cutout.

It was hard not to root for Speranza, even though a great deal of his mess was of his own making. Whenever I stopped reading, I found myself drawn back to the book, needing to know how on earth he was going to get himself out of this particular mess. I thought I could see where the story was going, but the resolution managed to surprise me, taking a slightly less predictable path to arrive at a more realistic and heartwarming ending.

I wasn't super invested in any of the secondary characters, beyond feeling sorry for Speranza's assistant-turned-scriptwriter-turned-leading-man, and I think part of me had hoped for more irreverent saint-based shenanigans than actually featured, based on the title. However, overall I found this a compelling read for something slightly outside my usual genre, and I enjoyed the well-meaning chaos the characters kept creating for themselves.

After stacks of books on serious subjects, I was ready for some lighter fare and came across “The Patron Saint of Second Chances” by Christine Simon.
Mayor Nino Scarpetta is in big doodahs. His failure to collect water rates from his fellow villagers - albeit meticulously documented in a myriad of post-it stickers - has left a gaping €70,000 hole in the village’s coffers. The water board is now threatening to cut off the water supply to the village. What to do *dramatic imploring gestures and hand-wringing*? Without water, the villagers will have to move and his beloved village will fall apart like a piece of pannettone in the rain. The shame! Brutta figura! Neither his saints that he calls upon nor the wisdom of his father, brought to him in flashbacks, can help him now.
In his mind, there is only one solution: He just makes up a story that a famous movie star will be shooting his next film in their village. Money will start to flow in, people will pay their taxes, he will pay the water board and they will live happily ever after. Simples!
The movie rumour hits the village like a fat rock lobbed in a tranquil pond and the reader watches the ever-increasing ripples.
A charming portraiture of small-town Italy with idiosynchratic characters galore, sometimes with lengths and clichés, but very enjoyable nonetheless.