I loved this book! I loved that you knew that something had happened but you didn't know what until the story unfolded. I liked our main character Catie, she's likeable and you really feel for her at times.

I liked how the story went back to her teenage years to really build up that picture of what happened back then as well as her travelling now in Taormina in Sicily. The book seemed to gather pace and I just couldn't put it down as I was so engrossed in Catie's life.

There are plenty of twists and unexpected things that popped up in this book and I loved the fact that it has so many emotions in it; love, heartbreak, joy, tragedy and much more. It's definitely one that I will be recommending to others to read!

The book is gripping, emotional and unputdownable. The book has both mystery and romance. It does have the second chance at love trope.

I felt so deeply for Catie. She is a jazz musician and her character is relatable, realistic and flawed. There were also mean and cruel characters too. The secrets and truth broken her marriage and all remained was the baggage of past and betrayals received from someone she loved in the past. She needed an escape to heal herself, so she go to sicily and there she meets Giancarlo, she feels the man can mend her heart, she only needs to give another chance. She definitely follow her heart. The ending was so good.

Many Thanks to Publisher

I love opening up a new novel from Susan Lewis, I know the writing will be excellent, the characters believable, the setting beautifully described and I am sure to run through a whole load of emotions from joy through to despair and back again. What more can you want from a novel. This latest novel lives up to all that and more.
Catie Mac has lived a life and in her early sixties she decides to walk away from her life and travel somewhere random, to stop a moment and process all that has come before. As the reader learns Catie has led an eventful and unique life. The story is told from Catie’s perspective and in some ways it did feel like a story within a story. The timeline moves between the past and the present as Catie begins to write down her story as a way to reflect and to move on. Simultaneously she is enjoying her time in Sicily and meets a handsome Italian Giancarlo.
A romance novel with intrigue and pathos and it had me captured from the beginning.

Another fantastic Susan Lewis, been reading Susan's book for many years and they never ever disappoint, a great storyline with great charecters

Susan Lewis has done it again - another wonderful escapism book set in the wonderful setting of Sicily.

Catie Mac is a very likeable character, and you find yourself swept along, rooting for things to turn out right for her.

Very hard to put down, a great read!

My thanks to NetGalley and HarperCollins UK for giving me the opportunity to read an advanced digital copy in return for an honest review.

Following Catie Mac’s journey on a break to Sicily where she’s hoping by putting down in words what has happened in recent years, this will help her get through some challenging times. On this trip she meets Giancarlo where a romance slowly seems to begin, but what will he think when he knows her story?…

A family drama that keeps you engrossed in the story, from present day to Catie taking us back in time. Another great read from Susan Lewis.

Another compelling 5* read from one of my all time favourite authors - to be fair you can’t ever go wrong with Susan Lewis book!

An emotional story of Catie's life told in the then and now.. Susan develops such great character description and this book is a great example. I desperately wanted a good outcome for Catie, but you would have to read the book to find out if my wish came true. No problem at all to give this great book five stars. I loved it.
Many thanks to Netgalley for the opportunity to read this ARC in return for an honest review

A great read, it starts off a bit slow but then picks up and takes hold of you. Hard to put down once you start.

Romance is not my usual genre of reading but this book by Susan Lewis is gripping.
Catie Mac is a retired jazz singer and the story begins as she is locking up her house and leaving for Sicily. We learn early on that she has recently been released from prison but it takes a good three quarters of the story to find out why. In Sicily she stays in the village of Taormina where she meets and falls in love with Giancarlo. Through the medium of writing about her life and telling it to Giancarlo we learn how she has got to this point.
This is a story of intense family relations and at some points it seems that nothing else can be thrown at Catie. It tells us we can't always rely on those we think we can and not everyone is as they seem. The story and Catie's life are an emotional rollercoaster for the reader and you can't help but root for her to come out the other side. The writing is slick and makes easy reading and the settings, especially in Sicily are wonderful.
Very enjoyable. With thanks to Netgalley and Harper Fiction for an early copy in return for an honest review.

"A Sicilian Affair" is another spellbinding family drama from Susan Lewis. In this book we learn about the troubled life and loves of Catie Mac, a singer from Bristol. The locations, especially Sicily, are described in a really atmospheric way such that you can feel the heat and the possible threat of the Mafia. Catie is one of those people for whom fame did not always bring happiness, but help and support come from unexpected quarters. This is a great read which will have you forgetting what time it is as you keep reading to discover what happens next.

Thanks to Net Galley and the publishers for the opportunity to review this book.

We first meet Catie MacAllister as she locks up a house and appears to be running away to beautiful Taormina, Sicily. We soon discover that she has recently been released from prison and now needs to reassess her life and recuperate. Her story is related in an easy to follow dual timeline told from the age of 18 to the present day aged 63. In Taormina Catie meets the charming, handsome Giancarlo who also has secrets and their friendship gradually progresses into a blossoming romantic relationship. Her therapist has advised her to write down her story to help her heal and as she does this she slowly allows Giancarlo to read each chapter revealing her shocking, complex past. Catie is a well known jazz singer and her love of music is an endearing theme of the story. This is an absorbing novel covering every possible emotion. Catie has endured heartbreaking tragedies, loss and betrayals. Horrific incidents that truly shock to the core. It’s intense, mysterious, romantic with so many surprising twists and turns. Susan Lewis develops believable characters that you just want to get to know. She is one of my favourite authors so I was delighted to be invited to read and review. My thanks to Netgalley and HarperFiction for an E-arc. Highly recommended!

I received this as a pre approved because it is probably not my normal kind of book - I am normally a thriller and crime kind of reader but I have read some Susan Lewis previously so was happy to give it a go.
I have to say that once I got into it I was hooked. Catie Mac is a retired jazz singer and we find her travelling to Sicily for a break or a clean start without knowing why she is telling nobody where she is going, or why she has been in prison.
The fact that she stays in Taormina was lovely as I have visited it previously and could visualise where she was going as I was reading. We learn through flashbacks the story of Catie's life - beginning her career singing in her Dad's band, meeting her husband who she thought was the love of her life, a career in America, a difficult family, her post natal depression after the birth of her children and a really challenging time when she finds herself on her own after her husband begins a new life under shocking circumstances.
In Sicily, she meets Giancarlo who she falls for - I did find this aspect quite difficult to "get", how quickly they because so closely entwined and I was sure there was something he was hiding to do with Catie.
No spoilers, but it was not what I was expecting and I found myself smiling through the resolution of the story.
Love Susan's style of retelling Catie's life story through flashbacks and I found myself desperate to find out the next part of Catie's life.
A really lovely read in the end, gentle, emotional, heartfelt and full of mystery,

Not the suspense that I usually have with a. Susan Lewis book; but thoroughly enjoyable. We begin as Catie is locking up her home and leaving for Sicily. She has clearly been in prison but it’s really unsure what has gone on. Throughout the story we learn what has happened in her past; and how she is hoping to learn to live with herself again. She never expected to find love; but does; and this is the story of her revealing her past to her new love.

As usual in my reviews I won't rehash the plot (plenty of other reviews like that, best to read it for yourself though :)

I've read and enjoyed many books by Susan Lewis, so was delighted to be invited to read this! I was not disappointed- though I would class this as a family drama, rather than a thriller.

As usual, the plot is well thought out, and the settings and characters beautifully described. I liked the switching between timelines and locations as we discovered Catie's story. The character developments held several surprises which I won't divulge - I was genuinely startled by the discoveries about one of the key characters!

Susan Lewis writes so vividly that you care about her characters and empathise with their ups and downs. Really enjoyed this novel despite being moved to tears during one section.

Looking forward to the next novel already!

My thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for an ARC. All opinions my own.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the e-ARC. I loved this emotional page turner set in Sicily full of intrigue and secrets with a protagonist you root for.

I have read most of Susan Lewis’s books and as always, this one does not disappoint. The setting is stunning, particularly as I visited Taormina last autumn and absolutely loved the place. The characters are well written and the story a real page turner. I can’t wait for the next book to come along!

Susan Lewis just gets better. A family drama with wonderful (mostly) characters and beautiful descriptions of Sicily that make me really want to visit there.. A perfect summer read.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for an ARC in exchange for my honest review

Ive read all the authors books.

They all been brilliant. There nothing she can't write.

Once again I can't wait for the next book.

What an amazing story, beautiful and heart wrenching, expertly written, absolutely loved this book as many of Susan’s others I have read! what a journey for Catie