I really enjoyed this sweet little romance by Rebecca Serle. This was my second book of hers and it was just as lovely.

I wasn't sure what to expect at first with this one as it edges on the side of make believe which is normally not my style. Katys mother dies before they are able to go on their long awaited trip to Italy. In the end Katy decides to go by herself in hope of finding herself again and reigniting her marriage.

Katy is really struggling with her emotions and finds a man in Italy that she begins to spend time with. The way Rebecca writes completely transports you to the beautiful little village in Italy. I was completely immersed in the surroundings and I felt like I was there soaking ups the sun, drinking cocktails in this romantic little village.

Once becoming immersed in this beautiful town, Katy realises everyone remembers her mother from when she visited many years ago. But strangely enough Katy believes she has met her mother, but her mother at the age when she went travelling, the same age as Katy. But now Katy is realising that her mother has kept many secrets over the years and may not have had the happy family that she always portrayed to her growing up.

I can't say I was Katys biggest fan throughout the book though. I wasn't able to completely share her grief and became quite annoyed at he way she treated her husband and her self pity. The saving grace for this one was the romantic feeling it portrayed and the way to transported me to the beautiful village of Positano.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the ARC in return for an honest review. 3.5 star.

I love Italy which was why I requested this title, although I have seen this author all over social media and her books are always recommended.
This was an emotional and moving read for me - the setting just was sublime - I felt I was there and the food, the smells and the sunshine came right off the pages.
I loved the characters - I did find some of the thoughts around her mother difficult but overall a great book if you want to travel to the Amalfi Coast without getting on an aeroplane.
Such a wonderful read
Thanks to the author and publisher for this ARC in return for an honest review

Rebecca Serle did it again — wowed me from the start from the beautiful writing, the atmospheric scenery and vibe of the Italian land! This is the perfect summer read filled with heartwarming romance, but also seep conversations about life.

Could not put it down! I believe that every book the author publishes will land on my instant buy and to read list !

Okay so, here is what I thought was going to happen in this book….Katy heads off the the Amalfi Coast, finds comfort in being somewhere that meant a lot to her mother. She loves the place, the people and everything about the Italian coastline. Then, she meets a guy and they fall in love. Happily Ever After. That is the assumption that I had going into this book and maybe, it is my fault that I guessed it would go the way and didn’t understand properly what this book is but that certainly didn’t happen. It is really hard to review this book because I don’t want to spoil it but, we end up with more of a contemporary novel with a fantasy element rather than a romance novel. If you go in expecting a romance novel, then you will be disappointed. In a lot of ways, this book reminded me of Space Hopper by Helen Fisher which I have a review of HERE. I had mixed feelings about that book too but, at least I kind of new what I was getting myself in for with this one. The way that the plot went in One Italian Summer was something that I’m not sure works for me. I know this is very vague because, it is a major plot spoiler to tell you what happens but, I didn’t like it.

However, I think I could have got passed the unusual plot, had I enjoyed the characterisation more. Katy is not an all that likeable character. It feels a little harsh to call someone who has just lost their mother pathetic but, you would think she was a young adult, 18-22 maybe, just getting to grips with life and needing her mother to show her how to do things. But instead, we have a 30 something who can’t do anything for herself because she has always relied on her mother. I think what was supposed to be an incredible relationship becomes too dependent and, is a detriment to the novel rather than the heartwarming aspect it was supposed to be. Perhaps because Carol is already dead when this novel begins, their relationship becomes more unbelievable.

I was also expecting more character development. Katy goes on this trip of a lifetime and doesn’t appear to learn all that much. I liked that she realised that her mother wasn’t the perfect person she thought she was as I think children often believe their parents to be gods-gift and not make mistakes whereas this acted as a reminder that they are human too. Note however, that I said children there and again…..Katy is 30. The character development I believe, was supposed to be the main purpose of this book to see Katy come into her own and start making decisions for herself but instead, she seems to make no major changes to her life at the end of the novel. I’m not convinced that the trip really taught her all that much. I was much more invested in the romance in Italy than with her husband, but even this is ruined by the plot point I was discussing earlier.

It wasn’t all bad though. One Italian Summer does a beautiful job in its depictions of Italy. I was expecting it to be quite a romanticised view and while that is the case in a lot of ways, it also acknowledges the poverty and struggles of some areas of Italy too which I appreciated. The descriptions of the Amalfi Coast were just incredible, you could really picture how beautiful it is. I have visited the Coastline myself and I think Serle did a great job of capturing the magic of it. She also did a great job at describing the food. Damn, the food. I don’t think a book has ever made me feel hungry like this one did so hats off for that. The vivid setting was the crown of this novel and its saving grace for me.

I do think other people may enjoy this book more than I did but, the concept just wasn’t for me. If you go in expecting a contemporary with a time-travel element, not a romance, then I think you will be in better stead to enjoy this one. It’s just not my favourite plot device. Overall, I didn’t enjoy this one and gave it two stars. It was okay, and others may enjoy it, but it wasn’t for me.

This was an enjoyable read - the story begins when a daughter experiencing the grief of losing her Mother decides to take the trip they planned to Positano on the Amalfi coast. Although I found the storyline a bit unbelievable I really enjoyed the description of the beautiful country, the food and the clothes. The author really envoked some beautiful images and made me really want to visit the place. I would read this author again and would recommend this book to really get you in the mood for summer.

This was a really beautiful, comforting book to read. It does explore grief and loss but it is done a gentle way. It’s a stunning setting which is wonderfully explored. I really recommend this book, it will especially be a lovely weekend or holiday read.

A beautiful story! I loved her first book ‘In Five Years’ so much and was worried that anything else from Rebecca Serle wouldn’t live up to that first fabulous story. However ‘One Italian Summer’ has more than surpassed my high expectations. What a gorgeous love story! Looking forward to reading more from this incredible author.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for an advance copy of this book. I absolutely loved everything about it! A wonderful story in a beautiful setting but above all this is a story of coming to terms with grief which is done beautifully. Poignant and moving.

It is rare that a book makes me cry, but Rebecca Searle is now 3/3 on that front! For me, this is her best yet, combining a setting I never wanted to leave with a page turning story of love, family, regret, and seeing your parents as people. BRB, booking a trip to Positano now...

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book. I have chosen to write this honest review voluntarily.
The start of the book introduces the reader to the close relationship between Katy and her mother, Carol, who has just died after suffering cancer which was not cured by the rounds of treatment. It is clear that Katy is bereft and is unsure about continuing her life with her husband, Eric. Katy and Carol had planned to visit Italy, following in Carol's footsteps from thirty years earlier, and Katy decides to go anyway. The descriptions of the areas evoke delightful images and the foods made me feel hungry.
However I found the story a little bizarre: Katy is convinced she finds Carol and regularly spends time with her, as we read about the many glasses of wine she drinks and hangovers she suffers leading us to wonder if Katy is hallucinating. Katy reveals more about her relationship with Carol, making it sound as though she was smothered and controlled rather than supported to develop into adulthood so that I ended up feeling sorry for Eric.
The book is well-written and I'm sure some readers will enjoy it but it wasn't for me.

Thank you NetGalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Such a lovely story about self growth, dreams, regrets, friendship and family.

Katy has just lost her mom who she describes as her everything, and must come to terms with life without her guidance, as a result she questions every decision she has made and who she wants to become now.

Rebecca is able to write such an idyllic setting and build a community you wish you could be part of.

ONE ITALIAN SUMMER - REBECCA SERLE

Thank you to NetGalley for the reviewing opportunity.

I heard a lot about Rebecca Serle, her previous book, In Five Years seems to be a fan favourite on bookstagram, so it is needless to say I was quite excited to get the opportunity to read her new book.
The premise of the story follows Katy, who is in her late twenties, living a quite established life in America. However, all things go sour, when her beloved mother - who was her best friend and the glue that stuck her whole family together- dies after a couple of months battling a disease.
Katy is left reeling, her life as it is seemingly out of her comfort zone - so she goes for a 180 degrees change - much to the dismay of her husband.
Needing some kind of peace and an option to re-discover herself in the world without her mother, she travels to Positano, Italy - to fulfill a life-long dream of hers and her mother's.

I won't spoil the story further, but sadly,I wasn't able to connect to the main character after a while. I very much understood her initiative to find some kind of comfort and brave the unknown, as someone who grieved a loved one will know, you do want to do something actively to ease the pain away, her actions were a bit out of left field.
I didn't know the plot twist would entail the things it did, and it became quite the downhill from then on.
Luckily, the last few chapters were a bit of a saving grace.

I am slightly torn here as I did enjoy the story, but I found the premise of the time travelling didn't really work. The setting was great and I think the story of self discovery in Italy would have worked without having to bring a younger mother into the story.

I enjoyed this, but not as much as In Five Years, which was outstanding. While the premise was good and I loved all the descriptions of Positano and all the delicious Italian food, I just didn't warm to the characters fully and thought Katy's relationship with her mum was quite strange and very intense. I will still look forward to reading Rebecca Serle's next book!
Thanks to atria Books and NetGalley for this arc in exchange for an honest review.

I feel a bit mean giving a three star rating but after finishing this I really couldnt decide just what I thought...The story travelled along nicely, I found the characters all quite interesting, and the setting of Positano sounded so amazing, it made me want to visit.

But I didnt like the relationship between Katy and her mother, I found it too overbearing and all consuming. I know the grief of her mothers death is what spurs Katy on the journey of self descovery but even that is taken over by her.

I also didnt like the unexplained presence of a younger Carol on the trip? Maybe I am the sort of person who likes everything tied up nicely but this just left me with more questions than answers? Did she time travel, was she just dreaming, why was there such an emphasis on the story of Adam wanting to buy the hotel when it was never really relevent?

I think on reflection 3 stars is a fair review and although I enjoyed this book it did not blow me away.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for giving me an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

3.5 stars rounded up.

This was a really easy read, and I was surprised by how much I enjoyed it. The premise didn't resonate with me - I found it hard to relate to the main character's close relationship with her mother and how it dominates her life. Even after finishing the book, I'm not sure about the characters or how the story developed. Regardless, the story was well written to the point where I found myself enjoying the journey, and I am now really craving a trip to the Amalfi coast, or at the very least some Italian food.

I really wanted to enjoy this but sadly I didn't.

The Italian backdrop has you wanting more and to explore the Amalfi coast yourself but the storyline seemed to miss the mark. The plot didn't feel clear and I'm still not sure what the main aim of it was. I'll still pick up Rebecca Serle's next book because I enjoyed In Five Years so I've got hope that her next one will be a better fit for me.

This book took a turn I could never have expected, but delighted in all the same. The 'return' of Katy's mother, as a 30 year old woman to the windy streets along the Amalfi coast was both haunting, and beautiful, and Serle's writing is spectacularly transporting.

It's a book that leaves you asking questions (between sittings), and stays with you days after you've finished it.

Just brilliant.

ONE ITALIAN SUMMER - REBECCA SERLE

⭐⭐⭐.5/5

This was a different genre to my usual but it was such a good read and palette cleanser between thrillers.

"When Katy’s mother dies, she is left reeling. Carol wasn’t just Katy’s mom, but her best friend and first phone call. She had all the answers and now, when Katy needs her the most, she is gone. To make matters worse, their planned mother-daughter trip of a lifetime looms: to Positano, the magical town where Carol spent the summer right before she met Katy’s father. Katy has been waiting years for Carol to take her, and now she is faced with embarking on the adventure alone."

A thirty year old version of Carol appears in Italy and Katy gets to experience one Italian summer with her 30 year old mum.

The story was heart breaking in some parts and with so much happiness in others.

Would definitely recommend this beautiful read

Thank you so much for @netgalley
& @rebecca_serle for this ARC

I absolutely loved In Five Years, when I saw Rebecca Serle had a new book coming out I automatically requested it without reading the description. The story was so unexpected, it was beautiful and really emotional and lovely to read book that explored the relationship between a mother and daughter for a change. I loved how atmospheric this book was, the descriptions of the food and the location won me over. That being said I found the main character not very likeable and I didn't like the dynamic of the relationship between her and her husband. I also found the storyline of the time travel/meeting her mum in Italy a little bit strange, it took me a while to work out what was going on. All in all it was an enjoyable book with a heartfelt storyline and I felt like it transported me to the stunning Amalfi Coast for a few hours. It didn't quite live up to my expectations but I will definitely read the authors next book.