An Italian Dream by Kate Frost

I received an advance review copy for free thanks to Rachel's Random Resources and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Best friends since childhood, Fern Chambers and Stella Shaw have been through everything together and are at a crossroads in their lives.

Carefree Stella has a monumental secret and down trodden Fern’s happy life is not all it seems.

With their 40th birthdays approaching, a luxury holiday to the island of Capri is a chance for them to reconnect, let their hair down and celebrate in style. But untold truths and frustration bubble beneath the surface, turning what should be a holiday of a lifetime into an opportunity to make life-changing decisions.

The storyline grabbed me from the very first page. This is a highly enjoyable, summer read that will whisk you away to Italy with the vivid descriptions. A novel about friendship and self-discovery.

Rating: 4/5

A weekend spa treat....
An artists' retreat....
Secrets to be revealed....
Possible romance concealed....
Family drama ...
At last, karma!!
Living the Italian dream....
Is everything as it would seem?

Best friends don't have secrets, do they?
Well, that's true for some, they say.
For Fern and Stella, lifelong friends
Is this a new start or will it be the end?

A luxury stay for a fortnight in Capri seems a great idea
Especially as her treat, Stella makes it clear.
A girls together getaway to help celebrate
Both their fortieth birthdays and a twist of fate.

However, family relationships are strained and secrets remain
Can they break the silence and make the truth plain?
Some shocking revelations, new decisions, too
A great read for me and for you!

A story of friendships, old and new,
Relationships, expectations and dreams coming true.
With great characters, mystery and angst in good measure
A story where dreams are something to treasure.

For my complementary copy, I say thank you,
As I share with you this, my honest review

Stella and Fern, longtime friends, are off on holiday with their daughters, thanks to Stella's good fortune. Capri is idyllic and full of glamourous fun, but Stella has a secret that threatens her friendship with Fern. I enjoyed the vivid descriptions of Capri, the food and the sights and adventures the women have. The characters are believably flawed, and Stella is hard to like, but this makes the story realistic and relevant.

There's conflict, forgiveness, new friendships and romance in a lovely holiday setting, the perfect beach read.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher.

Allow Kate to whisk you away to the sunny climes of Capri...

The book is beautifully written and so visually descriptive from the glorious sounding resort to the delicious dishes on offer. Holiday anyone?

The storyline sucked me in from the very first page, a lottery win, an all expenses paid holiday, and then came the secrets!

A highly enjoyable, feel good read that's the perfect summer escapism read.

Many thanks to Rachel's Random Resources for my tour spot.

Rating ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Read in one sitting. Great beach read. Fly off to Italy . There's laughter and tears. Just couldn't put this one down . Definitely had me buring the midnight oil . 5⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Kate Frost is a brilliant writer. Winning the lottery can be a dream come true, but what do you do with all of your winnings? Taking some of your favorite people on an all-expenses-paid, once-in-a-lifetime trip is one way to spend some! During the book, there is a lot of self reflection for the two main women in the book, Stella and Fern. While I may not have gone in the same direction that the storyline did, it was beautiful to read about self discovery and realizing that your dreams can change and come at all times in your life.

Thank you to Ms Frost, Boldwood Books and NetGalley for allowing me to preview this wonderful book.

This is the first Kate Frost book that I have read, and loved the story from the beginning. I was easily transported there by Kate's descriptive text. A lovely summer read.

A perfect place to escape to but within the beauty of the Island, secrets are unearthed and life changes happen. Two lifelong friends escape to the Island of Capri with their children but what happens when dreams are shattered? Time for changes to take place and what better a place than this idyllic island.

A great book to become immersed in and with a love of Italy, for me it was virtual holiday.

I enjoyed this book and the setting was stunning and very well described. I enjoyed the premise of the book; one protagonist wins big on the lottery and takes the other protagonist and their families away for their joint birthday celebrations.

Except I really did dislike Stella! And felt that all the good that happened to her was undeserved. She treated Fern like rubbish and in real life I am sure that the two would completely cut ties. On the other hand Fern made a much better main character; likeable and well written, I would much have preferred the book to have focused on her.

The book was still a nice holiday read though and I would still recommend it.

Kate Frost has done it again!. Another fantastic read, this time set in the beautiful island of Capri, Italy. Stella and Fern, lifelong friends have things in their lives that they need to face head on and deal with, and in the beautiful surroundings they start to relax and re discover themselves. There's obviously men thrown into the mix as all romance novels have, Matteo and Paul being the main characters and you're given a fantastic book that will leave you totally engrossed and feeling like you're right there in the sun too!!!.
I received a free Arc book from Netgalley for an honest review.
#bookandtonic, #Netgalley, #katefrostauthor.

This book was not for me, for me the main character was vile. She was a terrible friend and I found her cold and unfeeling. I didn't make it to the end as I was so frustrated with how she chose to behave and her cruelty

Kate Frost's books are a joy to read! Her vivid descriptions and true-to-life characters take you to exotic destinations, all through the pages of a book. From the sandy beaches and luxury villas of Capri to the fresh mountain air of Tuscany, Kate has a talent for making you feel as though you are really there, tasting the delicious meals and cool, sparkling wine.

There are two protagonists in this book, Stella and Fern, both very different yet with similar vulnerabilities. When Stella wins the lottery, she takes best friend Fern, and their two daughters, on a luxury trip to the Italian island of Capri. But as the story unfolds, secrets are revealed and their friendship is at risk.

I loved Fern, and Edith was a wonderful character who brought charm and warmth to the story. I found Stella harder to like, especially after certain revelations, but the art retreat, the villa with its pool, the Italian playboys' luxury yacht, were a great distraction!

Beautifully written, with well-thought out storylines, and a descriptive narrative that will leave you breathless. This series of books by Kate Frost are pure escapism, and in these times of uncertainty they are a wonderful way to leave the real world behind for a while. Highly recommend.

Kate Frost is one of my favorite romance authors. I’ve adored everything I’ve read from her, and An Italian Dream is no exception. Getting to know Fern and Stella was like a dream.

I will never pretend to like Stella. She deserves every lousy thing Fern can throw at her. Stella claims to be Fern’s best friend yet betrays her in the most sensitive way possible. That is not a friend.

But Stella brought out the fire in Fern, which turned this book upside down. Fern gets a second chance at life. That chance was worth sticking around for. Watching Fern come out of her shell and fall in love with Matteo was glorious. I also love how she gained a true friend in Edith.

Edith was a real head-turner. I didn’t expect her story, but it made me love her even more. Though, I wish she could have a happy ending too.

I award An Italian Dream 4 out of 5 stars. This is a great one for all my medium-steam romance lovers out there.

This is a harmless read for by the pool, or for imagining you're going to be by the pool. Stella wins big on the lottery and whisks her dearest friend Fern away to break the news of her win.....but nothing will be the same when they come back.

The book is an easy read; some parts are beautifully descriptive whereas others feel a bit overly descriptive but the essence of an Italian summer is captured well. The characters are likeable, relatable and fairly realistic but the plot felt a bit too forced to me; there's almost too many different things that happen in the twists and turns of the story. That being said, I enjoyed it. I liked what happened for the characters, and I like the inclusion of an epilogue to wrap up some of the story.

An Italian Dream is a perfect bit of escapism following lifelong friends Fern and Stella set against the backdrop of beautiful Capri as they head there to celebrate their fortieth birthdays. Stella has recently come into some money so is treating Fern to this holiday. Although it seems Stella is keeping quite a few secrets from her best friend. I really enjoyed this book. O was instantly drawn in and captivated by the plot. Great characters, I would rate it 4 stars. Thank you to NetGalley, Boldwood Books and the author for the chance to review.

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for an early review copy.

I absolutely loved reading about the island of Capri.
Fern and Stella have known each other for a long time, when Stella wins on the lottery she wants to treat the families to a holiday and celebrate their 40th birthdays at the same time.

But, Stella is keeping secrets, that Amber, who’s Fern’s daughter may also be aware of, something that when Fern finds out, may jeopardise their friendship.

The food descriptions made my mouth water and felt like I was in Capri as it was described, the trips the friends took and the places Fern visited.

The story was about how Fern and Stella changed their lives, that brought them happiness from their current situations.

Highly recommend this book.

Feel good pure escapism!!!
Best friends Fern and Stella have their 40th birthdays approaching this year, when Stella offers her friend Fern a holiday of dreams on the island of Capri!!! There is luxury, living the dream, secrets, romance, family, and friends!!!! All is not what it seems!
Really enjoyed all the twists and turns of this story, the characters with their flaws were very real.
Soooo want an Italian holiday now!!!
Warm, wise and a great fun read!! Perfect summer reading for the beach!!
Thank you NetGalley for the early read!!

Beautifully descriptive book transporting you to Capri. Nicely written but characters not really my idea of nice people. Good summer read. Thank you netgalley for the advanced copy.

This really was a dream to read. I have visited Capri and I was instantly transported back there with this book.

It's a light hearted, easy read which let's face it everyone needs every now and then.

I did think the end of the book finished quite quickly, it would have been nice to hear more about how things ended for Stella.

Thanks for the ARC for an honest review

It was a real pleasure to be transported to two of the most iconic locations in beautiful Italy: Capri and Tuscany. Perfect backdrops for a love story beset with problems and intrigue.
Fern and Stella have been friends since forever. They both fell pregnant in their teens and so are still young as their fortieth birthdays approach.
But both women are unhappy, at changing points in their lives and in this sense, the book is a coming-of-age story, albeit a little late. In stunning, romantic Italy, a secret will be revealed which both cranks up the unhappiness and unravels it at the same time. It is very cleverly written and played out.
The two women are very different in character. I loved Fern and was irritated by Stella - more shallow, interested in glitz and wealth. But this is a clever device on the part of Frost - the two opposing characterisations enrich each other.
If you want to escape with huge servings of passion and BEAUTIFUL descriptions of Italy (one of the author's strengths is the way she paints her scenes), then I recommend this book. curl up with a glass or two of rich Chianti or Limoncello, some slabs of good, dark Italian chocolate, and escape for a few hours.
4/5 stars from me. I was sent this book by the publishers and this is my unbiased and honest opinion.