Review copy was received from NetGalley. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
An Italian Island Summer by Sue Moorcroft
Published by Avon on May 25, 2023
Genres: Life Fiction
Pages: 352
Format: eARC
Source: NetGalley
Goodreads
Amazon, Audible
After her marriage falls apart, Ursula Quinn is offered the chance to spend the summer working at a hotel on a beautiful island off the coast of Sicily, Italy. Excited by a new adventure, she sets off at once.
At Residenza dei Tringali, Ursula receives a warm welcome from everyone except Alfio, son of the Tringali family. He gave up his life in Barcelona to help his mother Agata with the ailing business, and is frustrated with Ursula’s interference – and she in turn is less than impressed with his attitude. As they spend more time together, though, they begin to see each other in a different light.
But what with Ursula’s ex-husband on her tail, family secrets surfacing and an unexpected offer that makes Alfio question his whole life, there’s plenty to distract them from one another.
A warm and picturesque little island off the coast of Sicily is the destination for an Irish woman needing the chance to take stock of her life after a recent spate of difficult, live-changing circumstances. Sue Moorcroft is a new to me author of British Chicklit who specializes in warm feelgoods in a holiday setting. I love following characters who start out low and come into their own so I settled in to venture across the seas to travel to sunny Sicily right from my comfy chair.
Starting slow and setting up Ursula Quinn’s complicated background of a trauma experienced in her youth, a recent mental health crisis after the difficult end of her marriage and divorce, her parents long-time volatile marriage, her boss selling up and closing down, and now a chance to launch her life into a new direction studying ceramic art which has long-been an interest through all the tattoo shop years that wasn’t the exciting job people make it out to be. Her uncle nudges her to take up work for a small family-owned Sicilian hotel where she can work part-time and study from a true ceramics artist in a nearby town for the rest of the time.
Alfio comes home from Barcelona minus his girlfriend and his excellent job to do his duty toward his mother, sister, and the family hotel only to find Ursula already installed and doing what he thought to be his responsibility. They get off to a rough start as a result, but soon learn to work together and even feel some attraction, though neither are really in a place to jump into a new relationship. The hits just keep coming to their fledgling chance together when Ursula’s ex shows up and family secrets pop up, too.
The drama was there and so were the emotions, but this was also very much a holiday vacation atmosphere destination story with Sicily just as big a star character as Ursula or Alfio. I felt the balance of food, art, and Sicilian landscape and sea with slow burn romance, character growth and family conflict needing sorting was done well. My heart went out to Ursula and Alfio when the secrets from their family came out. I suspected some of it and I was right.
I learned afterward that this is something of a standalone sequel with Ursula’s best friend Zia having had her story in a previous book, Under the Italian Sun. More fun in the Italian sun, it seems to me.
All in all, I enjoyed Sue Moorcroft’s writing and the story. Chicklit is not generally my go-to genre, but for some reason I am most drawn to it in the summer and when a travel destination is involved. I can definitely recommend An Italian Island Summer for your beach bag or armchair travel stack.
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Great review Sophia Rose, I love Brit-chick-lit those writers can teach of few of our Yank rom-com authors a thing or two they just really get the perfect mix of drama, comedy and romance. Thanks for sharing I will be looking into this she sounds a little like maybe Sarah Morgan.
Good catch, Debbie! There were definitely some similar vibes to Sarah Morgan and yes, a fab blend that hit all the emotions.
Thanks so much Sophia, for your review and for participating in the blog tour. I’m so glad that you enjoyed An Italian Island Summer! Sicily is a beautiful place.
Thanks also to Debbie for your comment. I like Sarah Morgan books, too. 🙂
A pleasure, Sue! I will definitely be hitting your backlist after this my first outing. 🙂 I would love to experience Sicily for real. 🙂
Oh it looks really nice! It’s the first time I hear about this one
Yes, this was my first, too, Melliane. I loved the summer atmosphere and emphasis on relationships.
It only came out a week ago, Melliane. 🙂 If you give it a try, I hope you like it.
Beautiful cover, the story sounds just as lovely. I am not familiar with the author’s work, so thanks for putting it on my radar.
Oh yes, this one was a perfect vacation read and hit the spot. I’m glad to tempt you with it, Nadene. 🙂
I hope you enjoy any you might try, Nadene.
Thanks for the great review. I’ve never been to Italy but it always sounds like a nice place to visit. This sounds like a good book.
I would love to see it in real life, too. But, this book carried me right over the sea so nicely for the mean time, Mary. 🙂
I love Italy! This is the third book of mine that is set there, and I don’t think it will be the last.
The setting alone makes me want to read this one! 😀
That’s exactly how I felt about it.
This sounds exactly like my kind of story! I love the setting and these characters coming from a low point, discovery, and then progress to HEA. I’m looking this one up. Wonderful review, Sophia!
I love stories in far off settings for summer reads. Glad to catch your eye with the plot and setting, too, Rachel.
Sometimes it can really be good to step out of the normal genres we read. From your review ,sounds like it ended up working so well for you. And what a fun summer read this one sounds like!
Lovely review and Happy June!
I agree. I tend to be more in the mood for chick lit and travel stories during this time of the year and this was a good one.
I feel like I’ve been seeing this one around maybe? I used to read mostly chicklit, but now I’m more into just straight romance. Great review!
I haven’t read as many and my mood for this is typically in the summer. Thanks, this was a good one, Lisa!
Summer is good for a nice chick lit
That’s what I say, Carole! 🙂
I don’t pick this genre up often, but it sounds like you made a good choice.
I don’t read it often, either, but yes, this was a great pick for me. 🙂
It’s nice to pick up these kinds of stories when the mood is right! Glad you enjoyed this. This makes me miss the trip we went on to Italy not too long ago! 😀
I agree, Lashaan! Wow, you’ve been! I’m jealous. 🙂 Maybe someday…