Set in 1950's-70's rural Italy, Three Summers is a coming of age story spanning three summers, full of lust, love, heartbreak, tradegy, sacrifices and fate.

Initial chapters were quite hard to follow as so many characters were introduced, and new locations, but glad I continued as the novel was really good!

Essentially a historical romance full of suspense and plot twists, Three Summers follows a group young people from the local fishing village of Puglia and an influencial wealthy family who spend the summer months in Puglia each year. The dynamics within the friendship group shifts as the young people reach adulthood and then tragedy strikes! How will each of the group overcome this adversity? What sacrifices will have to be made? Can true love conquer all?

The author really transports you into the lemon and olive groves of rural Italy with her evocative description and promises you so much more than just another forgettable summer romance novel! Thank you Karen Swan, Random House and Netgalley for the opportunity to review.

I found it hard to get into this book initially with so many characters and locations introduced all at once, but I am glad I persevered as this is a story of undying love, thwarted at every turn by hateful people. This story is cleverly woven, keeping you in suspense, wondering how matters are ever going to be resolved.

I have never read a book by this author before and I was pleasantly surprised by it.
The Italian setting was enjoyable and put across very well. The characters interested me too, and their interactions were skilfully portrayed.

This story about 1950-60 summer in Puglia takes a while to set the scene. The first half of the book spends time describing the families and their summer activities. It begins as the young people of the main families are reaching adulthood and are not free to spend the summer having fun. It explores the differences between the families of the village and the family who own the local mansion and have money.
The second half of the book looks into the aftermath of a major accident during the summer and its impact on everyone at every level. One of the village families diversifies into crime which initially seems to pay off. The end of the book describes the impact of the crimes on the wider friendships.
I enjoyed the second half after ploughing through the first scene setting chapters.
.

I have always rushed to pick up a new Karen Swan book. Lately I have found that her writing has changed considerably. I found it difficult to become immersed in this story mainly due to the seemingly long lists of names of people.. I had to keep concentrating on who was who. It didnt flow.
However, the setting of the story in the region of Puglia really brought home the feeling if rural Italy, well described. I'm sorry that I cant enthuse over he characters.
Thank you to NetGalley for the chance to read and review the book.

This book surprised me. From the title and the cover I thought I was going to read a lovely romance set in a beautiful location. It was way more messy and intense - in a very good way.
Stunning location and well written characters. Much meatier than I had thought it was going to be to be. A massive 5 stars from me and a lesson in not judging a book by its cover!!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the copy to review!

Thank you for the advance copy, however unfortunately this book wasn't for me and I didn't finish it.
The first couple of chapters put me off as I found them very heavy. There were several characters introduced at once and I found it hard to keep up with who was who. I also found the description of the surroundings too much, there is a fine line between drawing the reader in and making them feel part of the story and it becoming boring and overwhelming. Sorry!

Thanks to Netgalley and RandomHouse for a review copy of this book. Karen Swan’s books are always at the top of my list for wonderful immersive reading. The storylines are so absorbing, the settings beautifully evocative and the characters richly drawn. In this, her latest novel, all these elements are fully delivered as it took me away to another time and another place—late 1950s Puglia, Italy.

In the small village of Ticase Porto, Rafaella, daughter of the village grocer and landholder, is on the brink of womanhood when her summer friends, Roma and Cosi return to their villa for their stipulated 6 week annual holiday they’d had with their parents since childhood. But Cosi, the second son of a duke, is now a young man with all the rakish charm and recklessness of his reputation in Rome has given him. Roma, vibrant yet endearing, seems to leave her party girl reputation behind, at least initially as she commandeers, once again, the attention of Rafa and Gina, her two best friends in the village. Cosi, more reserved, holds back at first- distant and stiff, especially to Rafa, his playmate and shadow in years past. But Rafa, practical and wise despite herself, already understands, despite the summer before, the shift in dynamics now that they’re no longer children. Five months previously she’d surrendered to the inevitable and acquired a boyfriend Fon, a local young man who’d long admired Rafa. As the summer progresses, simmering emotions rise and play out under the cloud of class divisions, betrayal and danger.

Swan creates several complex and flawed characters in the novel and with three viewpoints gives each sympathetic renderings that only deepen the narrative. The story moves along at a perfect pace for savouring and connecting to all the main characters that makes the novel difficult to put down, but at the same time there’s a strong desire to delay the ending so that you can stay in this world for as long as possible. But that’s the way of it with Karen Swan’s novels. You get lost in them. There is only one solution. Read all her other novels. Again. Until the next one comes out.

ARC

I feel privileged to have been able to read this in advance of its publication.

I have very few words. Exquisite. Tense. Beautiful.

Made me feel like a child reading noughts and crosses for the first time.

I loved it and will be recommending it to everyone when it’s released!