"Three Summers" is an epic love story set in the heat of three Puglian summers. Every summer wealthy villa owners spend six weeks or so at their seaside villas on the outskirts of a small fishing port. Despite the gulf between them there are some friendships between the locals and the rich holidaymakers. This story features the Franchettis, a complex family with a politician father and 3 children. It is the youngest 2 in particular who have formed friendships with locals, particularly Rafaella and Gina.

This is a story of love across divides, and also forbidden love. There is plenty of drama, fantastic characters and gorgeous settings. A sizzling, summer read!

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

I'm not a person who regularly gives five stars to a book, but this book thoroughly deserves them. From the very beginning I was hooked and wanted to keep on reading to find out what happened next. If life hadn't intervened, I would have read it from start to finish in one go.

Set in Italy and the summers of 1957, '58 and '61, the book centres on three main characters, Rafaella Parisi, Cosimo Franchetti and Fon Gianelli and is told from their three different perspectives. It is a book covering so many human conditions: love, hate, revenge, acceptance, tragedy, loss, friendship, lust, power, fear. The finale took me by surprise; there had to be a resolution but I couldn't see how that would be achieved. Karen Swan succeeded admirably and the epilogue brought the whole book to a satisfactory conclusion.

I wasn't too sure on this book at the beginning and it took me a while to get into it but I am glad I did as it soon ramped up into a great story!! Well worth a read and a journey with Rafa

This was such an enjoyable and immersive read, and in a genre all of its own. It’s really a book of two halves, the earlier chapters set in 1950s Italy, where life is hard, unless you’re part of the landed gentry from the ‘big house’, who arrive in the small seaside village for 6 weeks every summer to escape the heat of Rome. The local young people have grown up with those from the big house. As they get older they begin to recognise the differences between them. Life is tough for the local community, working to make a living from fishing, farming, and growing olives. Romantic entanglements develop, as the young people grow up, in spite of their differences, and the idyllic summers are beautifully described.
The characters are so well drawn, and the surroundings of the seaside village are so well described, it takes the reader right into the heart of the story.
A tragedy in the second summer tears the two groups of youngsters apart, as young hearts are broken .
The second part of the story moves the time line forward another three years or so, to a different location. This part of the story is dark, gripping and unputdownable.
I loved that each chapter was narrated by a different pov, which allows the reader to really get to know their character.
As the story moved towards its very tense culmination, I was almost holding my breath, as I had no inkling of which way the story would play out. I was so sorry to come to the end of this book, I enjoyed it so much. I will look out for more of this author’s work.
My thanks to the publisher, and Netgalley for my advance copy of this book. I highly recommend it.

With "Three Summers" we stay in the past, as it's Karen Swan's another try at historical fiction. And what can I say - as usually, brilliantly researched, with details we would probably never know if she hadn't digged them out somehow and brought them to life. The setting is beautiful and I was easily transported to Tricase, with the vivid and evocative descriptions of the gorgeous summers. The characters are brilliantly written and all the complexities of their relationships are there, captured and explored. There is a great dose of romance, mystery, intrigue.

As much as it was a good, solid read Karen Swan's Wild Isle historical series was simply extraordinary. "Three Summers", a brilliant read, but didn't deliver as well as the three historical stories. The end here felt rushed and a bit convenient, and as much as I really liked it, having the feeling that the characters deserved, what has happened to them, it still left me a little insatiable. Nevertheless, I really couldn't put this book down, was desperate to know what's going to happen - it's this kind of book that you're reading keeping your breath, because you have a feeling that something really bad will happen - it kept me sucked and the story grew on me. It's multi - layered and with great depth, exploring so many levels of relationships, class differences, revenge.

I love Karen Swan books and this one certainly didn’t disappoint. As always such an amazing well laid out storyline with plenty of depth. The characters are great and engaging and the setting was lovely. Always a pleasure to read a Karen Swan book! Recommend!

A dreamy romantic story that's unmissable, set in italy with lots of characters and a lot of what ifs, the everyday becomes a joy without mundaniety. The sunshine and colourful characters bring the text to life warm heartedly.

The story begins in the 1950s, and set in Puglia, a rural fishing village in Italy, with children growing into adulthood, and richer families who visit the area every summer.
Rafaella is the main character of the story, but as a considerable number of characters are introduced in the first chapters, I found it confusing for a while. However, the area and settings are described so graphically, you soon become immersed in the story.
There are divisions and rivalry between the rich incomers and rural community, which increase as they enter their teens. The tough life of the locals is explored, and descriptions of the tuna fish netting by local fishermen is brutal, and graphically described. Dante, a local fisherman, is violent and cruel, encouraging his younger brother Fon into crime. The incomers are seen wearing their designer clothing, and idly lounging around doing nothing, and bitter rivalry consumes them.
Different characters write each chapter of the book, giving their own perspective, and giving a more rounded viewpoint. Each character is well drawn, multi dimensional, and have secrets which are explored as the story unfolds.
A passionate, compelling story about Rafaella’s enduring love for Cosimo, but also exploring a darker side of corruption, rivalry and greed. The pace increasing as the story reaches its gripping ending.

Set over three different eras and summers this is the tale of the lives, relationships, friendships and situations of Rafa, Fon & Cosimo in a beautiful Italian setting. It took me awhile to get into, but once I did I was hooked right up until the last page

Karen Swan's Three Summers is a wide-reaching and seriously romantic novel that will take readers to the sun-kissed Puglian coast in Italy. The action takes place over three critical summers, charting the life of Rafaella Parisi, a young woman from a small fishing port.

The first summer, 1957, is one of innocence as Rafaella waits for the return of the rich Franchetti family and Cosimo, their son, whom she hopes to see even though she has another boyfriend. The next year, 1958, an accident in the Franchetti villa breaks their carefree existence and makes Rafaella promise something that would change her life forever. The last summer of 1961 reunites Rafa and Cosimo's lives, forcing Rafaella to face her history and determine whether she would risk all for the love she once envisioned.

The author skillfully evokes the spirit of a different era in rich descriptions of Italy and a complex cast of characters whose lives are brought together by fate and circumstance. The novel is an enthralling combination of romance, family mystery, and the abiding power of first love. Readers of authors such as Lucinda Riley and Santa Montefiore will be utterly absorbed in this evocative and emotionally resonant tale.

I really loved the setting of this in a small Italian community in the 1950s where from the point of view of some of the younger residents especially it comes to life for a few weeks over the summer when they reconnect with their rich friends. I kind of expected this story to be split into thirds but the first summer takes up half the book with the second only meriting a few chapters and the third the rest of the book so really the main action takes over 2 summers. I found the dynamics between the different characters very interesting although I did sometimes lose track of who is who in terms of background characters. The chapters are told alternately by Rafaella, Fon and Cosimo and whilst I found Rafaella quite a engaging character I didn’t personally enjoy the Men’s chapters as much and I think that made it a harder read for me. This is very much a character story which is told at quite a languid pace so whilst there are key events it’s far more about the people and the impact on them.

Another brilliant book by Karen Swan. You follow different Italian families rich and poor and the twists and turns of their fortune. A couple of gruesome bits and some dark secrets .Wealth does not always bring happiness . Made you want to go to Italy. It does have a neat ending and you did not pre guess it. Enjoy it .

Three Summers is a gorgeously written, emotionally rich story that sweeps you away to the lemon-scented coast of Puglia, Italy. Karen Swan masterfully captures the essence of three pivotal summers—1957, 1958, and 1961—through the eyes of Rafaella Parisi, a young woman whose life is shaped by love, loss, and the weight of choices made in youth.

The setting is beautifully evocative, with Swan’s prose painting vivid scenes of sun-drenched villas, seaside villages, and the quiet ache of longing. Rafaella is a compelling protagonist—spirited, vulnerable, and deeply relatable. Her connection with Cosimo Franchetti, the son of a wealthy family, is tender and complex, unfolding across years with a bittersweet intensity.

This isn’t just a romance—it’s a story about identity, class, and the courage to chase a life that feels truly yours. The emotional depth is balanced with a sense of nostalgia and hope, making it a perfect read for fans of Lucinda Riley and Santa Montefiore.

Three Summers is escapist fiction at its finest—elegant, heartfelt, and quietly powerful. A perfect companion for a lazy afternoon or a reflective evening.

With thanks to Karen Swan, the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC.

Karen Swan never fails to deliver!

Yet again another brilliant book. No spoilers but if you want a book to disappear into, then this hits the mark.

Highly recommend.

My thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for giving me the opportunity to read an advanced digital copy in return for an honest review.

Thank you Random House and Netgalley for the advanced copy for review!

I’m really digging the historical romances Karen Swan’s been writing - her Wild Isle historical mystery/ romance series was a favourite of mine. I’ve been looking out for her next winter book release but was pleasantly surprised when she announced Three Summers as her next novel.

We’re treated to a sun-soaked coastal Italian setting. Rafa is our beautiful main lead, and like other young women in her village, is thinking about her future. Her options are: Fon, a safe pragmatic choice from her village, or Cosi, the rich family’s son who is also her childhood best friend. Like all of Karen Swan’s novels, there’s a healthy dose of intrigue, dashing figures, sinister plots, and sweeping romance.

I particularly enjoyed these themes:
❤️ friends to lovers
💫 coming of age
💕 female friendships & sisterhood
💛 found family

Our cast of supporting characters are also thoroughly fleshed out - Rafa’s best friend Gina always has her back, and the brothers of both male leads are excellent foils for them.

I couldn’t put down Three Summers once I started it, and it left me thinking long after I’d finished it. I appreciated the research that must have gone into the settings and characters!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Rating this 5 out of 5 stars for a deeply entertaining summer read!

Woven around the lives of Rafa, Fon and Cosimo, we witness how they develop and their relationships change over three separate summers. Moving, engaging and full of suspense and drama, I was hooked from the first few pages.

Many of us know this author from the captivating Christmas books she writes. Then we had the Wild Isle series of three books, set on the remote Scottish island of St Kilda, which I loved. Therefore, I was thrilled to have a review copy of ‘Three Summers’ set in Italy. This author’s skill is setting the scene- we are transported to the hot dry days of summer with a beautiful blue skies and a sparkling sea, and the characters, their likes, dislikes, appearances, relationships etc. This scene and character setting takes place in the first few chapters, but if readers can persist, they will be entranced with this well written multi layered story. It’s a hefty read to become engrossed in, and a perfect holiday read. Thank you to NetGalley, the author and the publisher for the opportunity to review another of Karen Swan’s books.

I absolutely loved this from Karen Swann - I think one of her best. The setting in beautiful Italy really drew me in with this contrasting with the dark undercurrent that ran through the book. A great story which kept momentum to the end with a joyous ending. Many thanks.

This book follows three characters in Italy in the 1950s and 60s. It was good to read a book with a proper villain. There were dark undertones which really captured the danger and shows how human nature can easily be corrupted by greed but corrected by love. A tragedy romance which I really enjoyed and would recommend. Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for letting me review this book.

I enjoyed this novel set in Puglia, Italy in the summer of 1958. Rafaela is awaiting the port’s summer visitors when she will be reunited with the Franchetti siblings. She shared a first kiss with Cosimo last summer and now is dating Fon Gianelli but really is still dreaming about what that could signify.

Feelings are intense over that summer. Come 1959 their potential relationship is overshadowed by a terrible accident and the growing reach of the Gianelli family.

Decisions are reached which separate them. Rafaela marries Fon and Cosimo joins the church.

1961 - they meet again. Can they risk all for a future together?

An atmospheric tale of two families - tense, emotional and messy!

One to be recommended.