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.

A place in the sun follows Thea, as she and her two children travel to Tuscany to spruce up the holiday home her late husband Marco had purchased, only to find more than she bargained for . It's going to take more than a lick of paint and a herd of goats to get Casa Luna into a sellable condition. Can local Chef and pillar of the community Giovanni, rally the small Italian community to help? And will a face from the past throw Theas journey of healing upside down?

A lovely read that touches on the difficulties of grief in a delicate manner. The focus was more on Thea and her healing process, with just a dash of romance included. Another great read from Jo Thomas.

2.8 Stars
One Liner: Good premise; rushed writing

Thea didn’t realize the holiday house in Italy would need so much work! Her late husband Marco had bought it for them, but now Thea has six weeks to repair and sell it. She and her children move to the region to get things started. Soon, they are welcomed by the local community, which gives them love, support, and a found family.
The story comes in Thea’s first-person POV.

My Thoughts:
2025 is my year of Italy. This is yet another story set in the country, this time in a cutesy Tuscan village. Given the lovely cover and the author’s vast writing experience, I was hopeful for another heartwarming book about life, love, and second chances.
There’s no denying the beauty of the premise. It has everything you need to make a solid escapist women’s fiction despite heavy themes like the death of a spouse and grief.
However, the writing is so rushed and choppy! While I appreciate the fast-paced narration, it feels like the story just drifted on high tide like a helpless basket carried by the strong current. The reader is left to catch up or watch it happen from a distance with no involvement.
Still, I might have enjoyed it a little more if I could feel something other than mild irritation for the FMC. Sure, she is burned out, still grieving her dead husband, has two kids to care for, and is an independent woman. But… she’s prickly for no reason. Runs away when she should have stood and apologized, and just feels like someone I wouldn’t bother helping. As you can guess, this made it harder to connect with the plot or the supposed romance that’s barely there.
That said, I liked the kids a lot. They were such darlings (and luckily, the FMC was a good mom), and sometimes reminded their mother to be courteous. The kids made the book much better.
It’s the same with the side characters like the three nonnas who seem to have a feud going on. In fact, the supporting characters shine a lot more than the FMC. I wonder if this is due to rushed narration or a gap between the idea and the execution.
The last quarter had more drama, and I couldn’t resist rolling my eyes. It could have worked well if there had been enough space for everything to unfold at a slower pace. Apart from the benefit of saving a reading day (for me), the pace didn’t do the book any favors.
This is my first book by the author, but I think I made the wrong choice. It reads like it was written on a tight deadline and a handful of pages. I’ll check out the previous releases first.

To summarize, A Place in the Sun has a good premise but a hurried execution with little character development. The side characters are great, though!
Thank you, NetGalley and Transworld Publishers (Penguin), for the eARC. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.

Thea, a young widow, goes to Italy with her children to work on a house purchased by her late husband.
Stumbling on La Tavolo, her journey back into food and moving on from her grief begins.
This is a light, summer read.

Come with Thea to Tuscany to try and bring closure after the death of her husband and losing their business. Meet the three duelling ‘nonnas’ in the idyllic village in need of rejuvenation. A cosy life reaffirming story as you soak up the atmosphere and smell the aromas .

A lovely summer read set in beautiful rural Tuscany away from the tourist hot spots where village life is now precarious. Recently widowed Thea arrives with her children to sell the property bought by her late husband and gradually fall in love with village life. The three nonnas were a special treat! A real heart warming read. Recommended.

A beautiful written Jo Thomas book you are almost transported to Tuscany yoursef
It follows the story of a widow Thea and her two young children obviously adorable! They have lost everything in uk and all they have is this house in Italy that her husband bought and told them they would love it
She has packed their worldly goods in car an driven down eventually found this tiny village with this ramshackle house in it worse to come the mayor arrives following morning to tell her if the building work isn’t complete by a certain date she has to pay a huge sum of money to the village and then live in or give keys to village
Double whammy! Two days later the whole ceiling falls in can any more go wrong?
The only good thing is the tiny little kit h he that has been feeding her and the children for free thanks to the kindness of its owner Giovani
What is she going to do?

Nice, cosy, feel good story with the added dimension of a family dealing with grief and a widow trying to move on. Perfect for a sunny afternoon. Love those nonnas!

Enjoyed my visit to Italy to meet the three nonna’s and the other residents of the small town in Tuscany. Full of delicious sounding food, family secrets and possible new beginnings.

When Thea’s husband Marco dies suddenly she is left bereft and alone to bring up their two children and run their restaurant. When the business fails Thea has no option but to close up, sell her home and take her children to Tuscany. Marco bought a run-down property there just before he died and now Thea has no choice but to make it habitable and sell it.
Casa Luna is in need of more work than Thea expected and she only has six weeks to do it.
Thea knows she will need help from the villagers, but she will need to give something in return.
Can Thea open herself and her heart and maybe find a new place for her family to belong.
If you like a story full of warmth, family and friends you need to read this. It’s funny, moving and would make the perfect holiday read.

This book has everything you need for your holiday read. Hot Tuscan sunshine, the smell of good local food and wine, a fantastic village community, a tragic family picking themselves up and a hint of romance. What more could you want. The writing is pretty good too!

Another lovely read from the amazing Jo Thomas, I have read all her books and this one didn’t disappoint . The story is about Thea and her two children Luca, Aimee and Casa Luna. After tragically losing her husband Marco the 3 of them com to Tuscany to the home that Marco bought before he died nearly two years ago. Can Thea refund herself and can she and her children make a home at Casa Luna ? A lovely read, 3 amazing nonna’s a beautiful Tuscan village and lovely characters.
My thanks as always to NetGalley and Publisher Random House UK, Transworld Publishers | Penguin for the early read

One for the holiday book pile. Set in Tuscany, it made you want to explore the off the track villages and see if they are like the book. A community pulling together and helping each other was a beautiful story and hopefully it does still happen. Lovely characters and captured the essence of Italy.

Another great read form Jo Thomas .Thea goes to Tuscany to renovate and sell the house her late husband bought . She and her family become involved in the community kitchen helping chef Giovanni. Will Thea be able to leave when the house is finished? Perfect holiday reading .

This was the perfect read with the gorgeous weather we've been getting recently. The setting was dreamy and the perfect escape, the characters were exceptionally quirky which made me love them even more and the food was as delicious as always. I definitely had a craving for lasagne after this one! Thea's story was heart-breaking and beautiful all in the same breath. The story captured the heaviness and heartfelt moments of grief, community, friendship and finding a new place in the world. The only reason this book isn't a 5 stars for me is because I found the addition of Thea's ex-boyfriend a little unnecessary and thought that Thea could've realised that she was meant to be there in a much more special way like the children did. Other than that it was a warm and cosy hug as usual and I loved it!

If you are a cat named Garfield, then you will be salivating at this novel, and in fact pawing your way through the pages, hoping the descriptions will be coming to life and giving you your favourite food!

For at the heart of this book is Lasagne, proper Tuscan lasagne, with three nonnas all thinking their recipe is the best and all determined to welcome Thea to Tuscany and to Casa Luna with Lasagnes.

In fact there are a few scenes in this clearly written with the humour of the The Vicar of Dibley's 3 Christmases episode in mind. At least that's what I was reminded of, while Thea knows she needs to be polite, while really not being able to eat any more!

It's not just lasagne though, there is a whole of of Italian food in this that will have your mouth watering, and leave you feeling very hungry the entire time you are reading.

This is Jo Thomas at her destination and foodie romance best. This book is filled with humour, evocative descriptions of food and also the small village that Thea has a house to do up in, and their community.

The three Nonnas are a comedy triple act that had me laughing the entire time. Starting the book as rivals, it's interesting to see the effect Thea (and her kids) have on them.

Thea is a widow, and this house in Italy as her husband Marco's purchase, and they were going to restore it together. But life changes and now she is trying to do her best by him, while keeping her children happy and wondering whether it may be time to move on too.

This is a delicious book to devour, its easy to read and made my train journey melt into oblivion of background movement, while I was totally between the pages and living life alongside Thea.

I absolutely loved every second of this book, it's another winner for me from Jo Thomas, an author that never lets me down. Just exquisite.

Thank you to Transworld Digital and Netgalley for this copy which I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily.

What an absolutely delicious book to read. I loved all the characters and wanted to go to their village and meet them all.
What is not to love about a story based in Tuscany, with sunshine and amazing rustic food, made with love,.

Made me laugh out loud, particularly the Nonnas.
5 star review from me- you will love this one- I did

This book felt like a warm hug wrapped in golden sunlight and the scent of fresh basil. The setting was dreamy without being overdone. You could feel the dust on the floorboards, the heat in the air, and the rhythm of community life pulsing around Thea. The bond she slowly forms with the locals, and the utterly delightful nonnas, felt so natural and earned. And I loved the way the romance was subtle, nurturing, full of longing but also grounded in reality. It’s warm, wise, and full of gentle surprises. A perfect read if you’re craving a hopeful story with soul.

What an enjoyable easy read book, lovely setting in a remote Tuscan village with all the characters you would expect. Waring nonnas, helpful locals and surprise visitors. Trigger warning for death in the story but handled beautifully. Thank you netgalley for the advanced copy