When I think of an idyllic setting, Tuscany easily takes one of the top spots. Perfectly prepared lasagne on a table under a large chestnut tree, a bottle of wine to share, goats (just roll with that one) grazing in the field beyond, a house called Casa Luna to retreat to...

That's not a bad place to be for now, Thea reasons as she packs up her two young children to venture to the only thing that can turn their lives around: a Tuscan villa purchased on a whim 2 years ago by her late husband Marco, one day before he suddenly died. Having lost her love, their restaurant and their home in Cardiff, Thea is determined to sell the house Marco envisioned would be their eventual forever home, and start over back in the UK. Marco, whose head was often in the clouds, didn't mention that Casa Luna is a fixer-upper with a costly and fast approaching deadline. When the roof literally & figuratively collapses in on Thea, she reluctantly takes down some of her own walls, realizing she needs to rely on the small community for help and trust herself to be relied on by its kind-hearted people in turn.

A Place in the Sun is what I'd hoped it would be: a breezy story transporting its reader to a wonderful little Tuscan town, while still gently handling dramatic themes in an uplifting manner. When I finished, I felt all gooey. First and foremost, I was moved by the sense of community. The community of Città del Castagni is small but fierce; Jo Thomas stuck with a few characters and just wrote them with such warmth that (imagining) being in the town itself felt like being wrapped in a big hug. I loved the side plot with the three rivaling Nonnas and their lasagne-packed backstory, and melted at Giovanni's entire...

...well, everything. We don't find out one vital detail about the man until 93%-ish in, but I will gladly spoil this for you: this most perfect man that has ever perfected. Also. Owns. A. Motorcycle. You're welcome.

Giovanni is also a former chef turned construction worker, who (in between fixing whatever needs upping) runs La Tavola, a community kitchen striving to welcome anyone in their time of need or want for company – residents and passers-by alike. He reminds Thea of Marco in the best and worst way possible. Still struggling with the loss of Marco, Thea feels an instant attraction to Giovanni, forcing her to face the final stage of grief. Conversely, Giovanni also reignites the passion she once shared with Marco regarding their work in hospitality – before all it became to her was representative of pain, stress and loss.

Thomas builds up this no-spice romance by offering us a visualization of how Thea processes having lost Marco (with Marco being a very integral part of the story), and by showing us through Thea's sensations and conflicting emotions just how she comes to develop feelings for someone new. There is a small amount of angst, just enough to keep me (even more) invested in their love story while staying low on actual drama.

At times I felt the book is a little too fast-paced; the story spans around 6 weeks, and when Thomas “skips” over a week for a mini time-jump, that's when I perhaps would have preferred a longer read if it meant more scenes between the romantic leads, or more development of lovely side characters and interpersonal relationships. A friendship between Thea and Catarina (another young mother; she'd left an abusive husband) could have been explored more. A few more scenes with just Thea and her adorable kids (11 year-old Luca and 7 year-old Aimee).

...Giovanni riding that surprise motorcycle of his in the Crete Senesi... two or three times... Ah well. I'll just let that image live rent-free in my head instead. It's fine.

A Place in the Sun is a sweet novel with beautiful, multi-layered arcs for both main characters; the story is emotional but never too heavy overall. Bickering side characters and the community's antics have made me laugh out loud a bunch of times, but the feel-good factor is most convincingly found in a few important takeaways: home is about the people you're with... and it's not the food that matters, but the love (and thus also the company) that goes with it.

**Thank you NetGalley and Random House UK / Transworld Publishers / Penguin for generously providing me with a copy of this book; all opinions expressed are honest, voluntary and 100% my own.**

I enjoyed this book it really had my taste buds tingling, the characters are really well written and very likeable,, the “Nonnas” were very funny, grab this read for your summer holiday

I loved this book. Thea arrives in Italy with her children to visit the house her late husband bought. The story brings together, food, feuds, new family and love. Expect to fancy lasagna after reading this.

Whenever I open a Jo Thomas book I know I am going to be transported to somewhere wonderful, read about mouth-watering food and follow her characters on the road to romance. When we meet Thea and her family though, romance couldn’t be further from her mind. Her husband Marco had died suddenly a couple of years before but just before he died, he had bought a holiday home for the family in a small village in Italy. Arriving there for the first time to spend the school holidays with Luca and Aimee, Thea finds the house in a sad state of repair. It’s not the idyllic place in the sun to relax and recharge she had thought it would be. There’s a very amusing scene early on involving a case of mistaken identity. Poor Thea was mortified but it did make me smile!

Food is always central to a Jo Thomas book and that’s no exception here. Whether it’s the restaurants that Thea and Marco used to run, the community kitchen La Tavola, the lasagnes cooked and shared by the three Nonnas, a cook school weekend or Thea cooking for her own family, you’re never more than a few pages away from reading about some delicious sounding food. Lasagne is a very important dish in this book. It’s a dish that caused a huge family rift and it’s a dish that heals that rift too. If you don’t crave lasagne by the time you have finished this book, I’ll be very surprised. It’s certainly on my menu for this weekend!

As one of the characters says, “food is so much more than cooking something to eat… It’s about the experience, company, conversation, laughter, debate. It’s about inclusion. It’s about feeling part of something.”. In her writing, Jo Thomas creates that wonderful sense of community and family coming together, chatting, laughing and sharing over food.

The characters in the book are fantastic too. Special mention has to be made of the three Nonnas: two sisters and their sister-in-law. They are always bickering and, as I alluded to above, fell out over lasagne! They were such fun to read about with their rivalry and their sharp tongues. I’d love to try any of their lasagnes. The spirit of Marco is ever-present throughout the book which is a comfort to Thea. I particularly liked her son Luca who seemed to have a wise head on his young shoulders. Jo Thomas has filled the whole community with wonderful characters and I enjoyed meeting them all and finding out their stories.

A Place in the Sun is a brilliant story about new beginnings and second chances in a wonderfully sunny location, with family, food, friendship and, of course, love at its heart. A real summer treat from Jo Thomas: don’t miss it!

Let Jo Thomas take you on another Mediterranean adventure: this time to Tuscany where Thea and her children are heading to this holiday house purchased by her late husband Marco. She’s not expecting it to be in pristine condition, but what she does find is worse than she thought. With only six weeks to fix the property up, both time and money are against her so she needs to ask the close knit Italian community for help. In return for their neighbours help, Thea and her children end up working in the community kitchen alongside handsome Giovanni and three fabulous Nonnas. An enjoyable story set against a gorgeous Italian background with some fabulous characters. Thank you to NetGalley, Random House UK and the author for the chance to review.

A lovely story set in Tuscany. Great characters and the description of the Italian cuisine made me want to visit. Highly recommended.

Thea and her family and the family they make are truly a gem to witness. i feel lucky to get to read books like this. i also feel certain books you almost want to hold to your chest at the feelings they evoke in you. and i have to say i find myself doing this over every books of Jo Thomas. she is a talent i feel lucky we get to hear from. her books all gather me in,gather me up and warm me through. i know it sounds sappy, i know it sound "soft" but truly books are such beautiful things. and im in awe of the talents that write them.
i sat and read this book and stopped only to sleep( dam you bodily needs)
thea and her family take a trip to Italy. she has been left the house her husband bought before he died. but this house isnt exactly up to parr. and it will need an awful lot of determination and work to get it done to sell.
the food, the place, the people all make up this book into a sunshine joyous read. each characters adds to it, each character create a whole. each character makes it better.
i love how Thea and her children go to Italy with one thing in mind. but the place, the togetherness and people all make it so much more. so so so much more than they thought possible. turns out this could be exactly where they are meant to be with exactly the people who are meant to be there for them and with them at this time.
this book finds me at exactly the moment i needed it. i recommend this book to anyone and everyone. if once read go and read any others you can find of this authors.

What a delightful trip to Tuscany!
This was my perfect read whilst having a lazy day around the pool on holiday.
Losing her husband was a huge blow for Thea, but losing their restaurant and only source of income only a year later left her and her family with only one option: renovate Marco’s final purchase, the proposed holiday home in a remote village in Tuscany.
Hoping that after renovation she could sell the property and return to the uk Thea loaded up all their possessions and made the car journey with Luca ans Aimee.
Food, family and friendship are at the heart of this story. Thea tries to resist the pull of the village and the villagers but somethings and some people are hard to resist. Getting everyone on board to save the community becomes a quest Thea cannot resist.
I laughed at and with the three Nonna’s and loved the impossible storyline .

Another fantastic captivating read from Jo Thomas. A pure escapism uplifting read which I found hard to put down.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC. It was an absolute pleasure.

Thea and her children, Luca and Aimee arrive at Casa Luna, the Tuscan Villa that her husband purchased just before his death, 2 years ago.
She discovers that she has only 6 weeks to finished renovating the Villa before the full price is required to be paid.

Thea needs help so she asks Giovanni, who runs the local community kitchen. She offers to look after the kitchen in exchange for his help with the renovations.

When the kitchen looks like it will close, Thea has a thought about opening it up for cookery classes with the assistance of the three local Nonna's, each teaching a their speciality dish.

Old wounds heal, love and family come together to make this little village in Tuscany a very special place for all to come and enjoy a meal together.

A wonderful feel good read!

This is a perfect holiday read from Jo Thomas. Thea is grieving her husband when she ends up in Italy to sort our a house she doesn't want! What follows is a heartwarming tale of friendship and community spirit.
I lived it!

as always a brilliant book to read telling the story of thea and her two children and her late husband marco who bought a run down home in italy this is all she as now left of him after losing their business in cardiff this story is full of emotion happiness and plenty of lasagne and tiramiso its a story telling how thea found happiness again and a joy to read

This didn't quite hit the spot for me as previous books by Jo have. I think part of the issue was with Thea, the main character. I couldn't warm to her really, certainly not in the first half of the book. I am wondering what on earth Marco saw in her. The last minute love triangle was unnecessary. The last part of the book was so rushed. Not enough time was spent on the romance. I also question how plausible it was for Thea to get her house done up in such a quick time frame. Loved the side characters, loved the foodie element and the cookery school. Lots to like, but Thea was far too defensive at times (rude actually), that I wasn't really rooting for her, more for her kids and Marco. With thanks to NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

A really lovely and uplifting story. The only thing I will say is that I don’t feel there was enough of a relationship build up between the two characters. They just sort of got together. I did like the community feel of the story however and it was a good read overall.

This is a heartwarming and uplifting story about love, loss, and finding home in unexpected places. The novel follows Thea and her two children, Luca and Aimee, as they travel to Tuscany in the wake of her husband Marco’s death. Nearly two years on, they arrive at Casa Luna—a crumbling property Marco purchased before he passed away, and a place Thea has only just found the courage to face. What unfolds is a touching journey of healing, as Thea begins to rediscover herself while restoring the house and finding her place in a close-knit Italian village. Along the way, she’s supported by a cast of vibrant characters, each bringing charm and richness to the story. The three wonderful nonnas are especially memorable, adding warmth, wisdom, and more than a few laughs. This is a lovely, feel-good read about second chances, resilience, and the bonds that hold us together.

If you want to escape into some Tuscan sunshine, food and hospitality then this is a good place to start. Initially I felt I was a bit unsure of the storyline or a connection with the characters, then about half way in I started to feel more involved and enjoying the twists and developments. I just felt at the end that I'd have enjoyed more romantic development and depth to some of the plot, things felt rushed towards the end but I did enjoy the conclusion.

This is a hug in a book, a completely lovely story set in a sunny Mediterranean location with a beautiful storyline and well thought out characters.

Thea is in Italy with her children after the death of her husband needing to repair and sell a house he has bought for their future. Being run down and needing help Thea meets some of the local community who help her with the house and at the same time heal her heart.

A lovely book that was perfect for a summers day or a holiday setting. It oozed sunshine, good food and great characters.

Thanks to Netgalley, the publisher and the author for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

I know it’s a work of fiction but who moves to Italy and gets someone to renovate their dilapidated house for free in 4 weeks?! It is a great bit of escapism, if unbelievable, but I wish there was more of a chance to get to know the local area and really feel like I was there. The side characters were really good and brought a much needed lift to the story. It is great for an easy holiday read by the pool.

A fresh chance after tragedy. After her husband dies suddenly, Thea takes her two children to their dilapidated holiday home in Italy with a view to renovating and selling it. The locals are welcoming, there’s a helpful, handsome neighbour called Giovanni and she begins to enjoy life there, but does she have enough reason to stay? Then her son has a great idea. Love the Lady and the Tramp moment at the end.

Thank you to NetGalley and Transworld Digital for my copy of A Place in the Sun by Jo Thomas.
It’s been two years since Thea’s husband died and the only thing keeping going are her two children
They’ve lost everything back home in England and have come to Italy for the summer to see what they can salvage from an old house Marco had purchased just before he died. The house was a disaster but Italy wove its magic.
A lovely summer beach read.