Blog Tour: The Lost Garden by Angela Petch

Ernestina has lived a comfortable if sheltered life as the only daughter of an Italian count. Tina's parent's story was like a fairytale. She was a poor girl who caught the rich count's eye and they married quickly. After some disappointments finally Tina was born but the cost was high as her mother died in childbirth. 

Tina's father has always been very strict and distant with his daughter although he himself is something of a philanderer. Thank goodness for Allegra who was her mother's best friend and has practically raised Tina, showing her love and teaching her many skills. The one thing that Allegra won't do is talk about Tina's mother.

One day Tina finds a hidden path which leads to an overgrown garden. Tina can't believe that she has never known about the garden and soon she is inspired to try and coax the garden back to life. It turns out that the garden was her mother's passion and refuge from an unhappy marriage. Allegra warns Tina not to ever mention the garden to her father and warns her to stay away but Tina can't help herself. Soon she is weeding, pruning and reinstating many of the beautiful features

Whilst Tina has lived a very sheltered life, it is not possible for her to remain sequestered away forever. It is, after all, 1930's Italy and Mussolini's particular brand of fascism is forcing the poor to become poorer, and other people, like Tina's father, to grow wealthier. And even worse, war is coming.

One day Tina meets a group of young people who are around her age, her first friends. Among  them are Olivio, Luisa and Sergio. With the arrival of war the friends need to make choices about which side they are going to be on, and whether they can trust each other. After all, Tina's father is an influential fascist. Can Tina prove useful in the resistance movement? Can their friendships survive betrayal and tragedy? And how will they and their town all be changed by the events during the war? 

I have read several of Angela Petch's books now, and her love of Italy has shone through each of the books. This was an interesting read and featured a technique I haven't seen in the author's previous books. Whilst Tina's mother died in childbirth, she still managed to be a presence in the book and to influence the events. 

I am sharing this review with the New Release Challenge hosted at The Chocolate Lady's Book Reviews and with the Historical Fiction Reading Challenge which I host. Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the review copy. Check out the other stops on the blog tour as well!

Rating 4/5

Buy Link: https://geni.us/B0FHBH86K4social

About the Book:

It hides a family secret that could change the course of the war.

Italy, 1930s. Tina lives in the crumbling castle of Montesecco with only her strict father and their maid, Allegra, for company. She’s never been allowed to ask questions about her mother, who died in childbirth. But the day Tina discovers a hidden, crumbling door, everything changes.


Inside is an overgrown garden. Ivy and roses adorn the stone walls. Fresh water springs from a fountain and the scent of wild herbs fills the air. How did she never know this beautiful place existed? Excitedly begging Allegra for answers, the elderly woman’s face turns pale. ‘You must never mention this to your father. It’s not safe. You’ve found your mamma’s garden.’

The Count believes Tina’s mother died because of the garden: but Allegra refuses to say more. Certain she can feel her mother watching over her, Tina secretly tends to the garden herself. And when war breaks out, Tina’s encounters with local resistance fighters mean the garden becomes a place of refuge, a place of hope – and a place of great danger when Tina must prove where her loyalties lie once and for all…

Will Tina ever discover the truth about her mother? Or was the garden, with all its secrets, never meant to be disturbed?

An absolutely breathtaking and stunning historical novel about the incredible risks people took in wartime, family secrets, loss and love. Perfect for fans of Fiona Valpy and Santa Montefiore.

 About the author

Angela Petch is an award winning writer of fiction – and the occasional poem.
Every summer she moves to Tuscany for six months where her and her husband own a renovated watermill which they let out. When not exploring their unspoilt corner of the Apennines, Angela disappears to her writing desk at the top of her converted stable.


In her Italian handbag or hiking rucksack she always makes sure to store a notebook and pen to jot down ideas.


The winter months are spent in Sussex where most of her family live. When she's not helping out with grandchildren, she catches up with writer friends.


Social Media

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AngelaJaneClarePetch/
Website: https://angelapetchsblogsite.wordpress.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/angela_maurice/
Bookouture email signup: https://www.bookouture.com/angela-petch

Blog Tour: A Place in the Sun by Jo Thomas

 

When Thea and her two children Luca and Aimee arrive in the small hill top town of Citta dei Castagni in Tuscany, they are exhausted from the long drive from the UK. Thea's plan is to clean up the house that her husband bought on a whim nearly two years ago as part of a regeneration scheme for a really cheap price and then sell it quickly. She's got six weeks to sort it all out, so that they can start their life again. Since her husband died soon after signing the contract for the house, Thea has done her best to keep going but she has lost the restaurant that they ran together and the family home. Whatever she can get for this house is what she has to build her future life upon.

What she doesn't know is that the old house is still full of possessions from the previous owner and it looks like maybe someone has been staying there without Thea's knowing. From the minute they arrive and there are problems with the electricity it becomes clear that it is going to take a lot of effort to get the house ready. Then the mayor arrives with the news that under the terms of the contract the house must be habitable within two years or else the owners must pay the penalty clause which is the full value of the house. Thea doesn't have any money so the pressure is really on. She's got six weeks to sort it all out.

This is a really small town, with not a lot in the way of shops and restaurants, but what there is a community kitchen which is run by a former chef named Giovanni. On her first night in town, Giovanni fed Thea and the kids, and soon he is helping her navigate life in the small town where everybody knows everyone's business. 

Giovanni does try to warn her about the three feuding nonna's but still Thea isn't prepared when all three of them turn up at her place with a beautifully made lasagne, made to each of their own recipes, and each demanding to know which is her favourite. The three women, two sisters and their sister-in-law have been feuding for years over whose lasagne is best and they bicker constantly about everything. Or maybe the feud started about a couple of men. No one is really sure any more. 

Soon Thea finds herself getting involved at the community kitchen, but the last thing she wants is to get too involved in either hospitality or in the town itself given that she is going back to the UK at the end of the summer. And when there are a couple of unexpected visitors, one of which changes her family dynamic completely and the other a blast from the past, Thea needs time and space to come up with a plan of what her family's future might look like. 

What everyone in the town knows is that they also need to come up with a plan for the future of the community kitchen, as there just isn't enough funding to keep it running as it is. It is going to take the whole town, even feuding nonnas, to work together!

I have read a few books by Jo Thomas now, and I always really enjoy them. This book was no exception. I loved the way that we were immersed into this hilltop Tuscan town in summer. I could feel the heat, and the relief of sitting outside in the evening as the sun sets. I love that Thomas's book settings are quite varied. So far I have read a book about a trip to the German Christmas markets, one set at a French farmhouse, and another Christmas book which featured a character learning to make fancy chocolates at a school in Switzerland

All of the books I have read so far by Jo Thomas are very foodie focussed, and this book was absolutely full of references to delicious sounding Italian food, including but not limited to the infamous lasagne. Reading this book made me crave lasagne and I ended up having to make it for dinner last week in order to satisfy that craving!

I already know that I am looking forward to this author's next book, whereever it is set. I am also going to start working my way through her backlist as her books are my kind of reads!

I am sharing this review with the New Release Challenge hosted at The Chocolate Lady's Book Reviews, with Foodie Reads hosted at Based on a True Story and with Weekend Cooking which I host here. Thanks to the publisher and Zooloo's Book Tours for the review copy. Be sure to check out other stops on the tour shown below. 

Rating 4/5

About the book

It's never too late to find where you belong...

Thea knew the holiday house her late husband Marco bought in Tuscany wasn't pristine. But when she relocates to Italy for the summer with her children, she's shocked by how much work Casa Luna needs. And she only has six weeks to fix it up ready to sell! Her only option is to ask the tight-knit Italian community for help.

In return, Thea and her children become involved in the community kitchen, working alongside handsome chef Giovanni and three very competitive nonnas. Gradually, Thea begins to open up to the people around her for the first time in a long while. But just as she's beginning to wonder whether this small Tuscan town could become a new place to call home, a surprise visitor turns everything on its head . . .

Book Links

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/229351090-a-place-in-the-sun

Purchase Link: https://mybook.to/aplaceinthesun-zbt

About the author

Jo Thomas worked for many years as a reporter and producer, including time at Radio 4's Woman's Hour and Radio 2's The Steve Wright Show.

Jo's debut novel, The Oyster Catcher, was a runaway bestseller and won both the RNA Joan Hessayon Award and the Festival of Romance Best eBook Award. Her book Escape to the French Farmhouse was a #1 bestselling eBook. Jo loves to explore new countries and discover the food produced there, both of which she thoroughly enjoys researching. Jo lives in Pembrokeshire with her husband and three children, where cooking and gathering around the kitchen table are a hugely important and fun part of their family life.

Social Media Links

Facebook https://www.facebook.com/JoThomasAuthor/

Instagram https://www.instagram.com/jothomasauthor/

X (formerly Twitter) https://x.com/jo_thomas01

Website https://jothomasauthor.com/

Blog Tour: The Island of Hope and Dreams by Kate Frost

 

Lola Wild has just come out of a really bad relationship so spending time with her friends on a hen's weekend is exactly what she needs. However, she also knows that this is the beginning of more change. Her best friend, Mirabel, is getting married in Sardinia and then she is staying there permanently. All of her other friends have established lives, married, with or without children as per their own choices. And here is Lola, with a great job in the music industry, but single. She hasn't really even shared what really happened with her ex, Jarek with any of them. They know bits and pieces but not the whole story.

What she probably doesn't really need is their friendly encouragement to hook up with someone while they are at the wedding destination. The last time that happened it was a disaster, and Lola doesn't need any more stories. It's a funny story now, but it definitely wasn't at the time.

By the time everyone arrives in Sardinia a month later she is ready, or at least she thinks she is. Everyone has come together to spend some time with the happy couple in the days leading up to the wedding. There is drama, of course, especially between the parents of the happy couple who aren't really getting along that well. 

When she meets the groom's friend Rhys, she sees an opportunity to protect herself from the interference of her well-meaning friends. If she and Rhys can pretend that they have hooked up, there will be no more in appropriate suggestions. Rhys has his own reasons for agreeing to the arrangement. His ex has now coupled up with one of his old mates, and they are very much rubbing it in his face. It's just an uncomfortable situation all round.

Rhys isn't Lola's normal type. She normally goes for the really good looking, buff guys. Not that Rhys isn't good looking. He's just quiet, a man who loves crafting things out of wood, and a teacher. He is, however, also trying to figure out what he wants from life. Does he want to continue teaching or is there something else in his future?

When Lola receives texts from an unknown number and messages, she starts to get concerned that maybe Jarek knows where she is. She is, however, determined to have a great time and focus on her time in Sardinia and her best friend's wedding.

I have read a number of Kate Frost books now, and I really love how she includes the destination in her books. Sardinia is front and centre here, and had me wishing that I could go and spend time on the island.

I also loved the friendship dynamics, particularly among Lola's friends. It was more complicated with Rhys's group but they still found a way to support each other. I loved seeing how everyone came together to support and protect Lola when she needed it.

I wanted to specifically mention the ending of this book, although no spoilers. Before he met Lola, Rhys had made some plans of what he was going to be doing for the next few months. I really liked that those plans weren't changed just because he had now met Lola. They had to work to build their budding relationship. It wasn't just...and now they live happily ever after. At least not straight away.

I am sharing this review with the New Release Challenge hosted at The Chocolate Lady's Book Reviews. Be sure to check out other stops on the tour shown below. Thanks to the publisher, Netgalley and Rachel's Random Resources for the review copy. 

Rating 4/5

About the book

The Island of Hopes and Dreams

When the beginning of the end is just the start…

Newly single Lola Wild has had her fill of well-intentioned matchmaking friends. Her best friend Mirabel’s hen weekend highlights all that’s wrong with Lola’s life and she knows something has to change.

With Mirabel’s luxurious wedding in Sardinia fast approaching, Lola is looking forward to switching off, spending time with her friends and keeping her non-existent love life off everyone’s agenda.

Meanwhile, fellow wedding guest Rhys Strickland has his own problems. So when a chance encounter brings Rhys and Lola together they decide to help each other out.

To the idyllic backdrop of white sand beaches and azure bays, they bond over shared heartache, and friendship blossoms as they attempt to navigate the hurt and hard truths of past relationships.

Opening up their hearts and embracing change might be the last thing they expected, but what if a holiday of make-believe can turn into something real?

A heart-warming and uplifting story of vulnerability, self-renewal and finding love when you least expect to.

 Purchase Link - https://mybook.to/TheIslandof

About the Author

Kate Frost is the author of several bestselling romantic escape novels including A Greek Island Escape, and An Island in the Sun. She lives in Bristol and is the Director of Storytale Festival, a book festival for children and teens she co-founded in 2019.

Social Media Links –

Facebook: @katefrostauthor

Twitter: @katefrostauthor

Instagram: @katefrostauthor

Newsletter Sign Up:

https://bit.ly/KateFrostNewsletter

Bookbub profile: @KateFrost

Weekend Cooking: Tucci in Italy and Nonnas - Italian Food!

I have a bit of a problem at the moment in that I have more Weekend Cooking posts than I have Saturdays available to post them on. I do, however, have a spare Sunday so today I am going to share another food related post, just because I can. That does make three for this weekend but that's okay

Tucci in Italy

In the last few years, I have become a big fan of Stanley Tucci. I have watched both of TV series, watched movies, and he personally read both of his audiobooks directly to me (or at least it fell to me). In his most recent book, What I Ate in One Year, there was a running joke through it about whether his TV series where he features the food and regions of Italy would find a new home, and if so what would it be called. 

It turns out that the series would be called Tucci in Italy and it would be shown on the National Geographic channel, and we binge watched it recently! 

It is very similar in concept to Searching for Italy which was originally shown on CNN. Stanley goes to a particular region of Italy, talks to them about their food, history and customs. Everyone he meets falls under his spell (I mean, I would too) and he loves everything that he eats, and then he moves onto the next place. 

Stanley visits five regions in Tucci in Italy.  Some of them are places he has been before, and others are new. The places are Tuscany, Lombardy, Trentino-Alto Adige, Abruzzo and Lazio. I was particularly interrested in the Trentino-Alto Adige which is a region in the very north of Italy. Some parts of the region are also called South Tyrol. Over the years it has sometimes been part of Austria and sometimes Italy, so it has a very particular language, food and style that it different to the rest of Italy. I had recently read a book that was set there so I think that was part of why it interested me so much!

I think the production values for this series are probably a bit more restricted than they were for the CNN show. The sound isn't quite as full, the subtitles are more obvious...just small things. For the most part though, it is more of the same captivating TV.

I guess the big difference for this series compared to the other show is that in order to watch it again I will need to go search it out specifically.  For the original series, it is shown repeatedly on one of our cable channels and if I see that the show is on then I will often start watching it, no matter which episode it is and what part of the episode we are at.

Now, we wait to see if there will be more episodes of Tucci in Italy. I really hope so.

Coincidentally, as I was writing this post I found a video of Stanley Tucci hosting a dinner with F1 Carlos Sainz, presenter Tan France and Spice Girl Melanie C, all answering questions about their lives and food including a crisp sandwich.  It was a lot of fun! Check it out here! The series is called Cards on the Table and I am looking forward to watching more episodes. It looks like there are a few episodes available everywhere.

Nonnas

A recent Netflix movie release, Nonnas stars Vince Vaughan, Susan Sarandon, Lorraine Bracco and Linda Cardenelli amongst others. It tells the story of a man named Joe Scaravella who inherits some money following the death of his mother. He reminisces about the great Italian food of his childhood, and decides to use his money to open a restaurant, despite the fact that he has no experience whatsoever. He is also trying to figure out what some of the ingredients are in some of the dishes he remembers like Sunday Gravy.

He finds an empty restaurant for sale on Staten Island and sets about refurbishing the restaurant with help from some very good friends. What he hadn't counted on was opposition from the locals who had fond memories of the previous restaurant that was there and didn't want it reopened. That doesn't really make sense as it was an empty building otherwise but people are sometimes strange, right? Thanks to support from good friends, Joe gets the restaurant ready despite some unexpected setbacks along the way.

Joe's plan is to have Italian Nonna's cook their specialities and so he puts an ad in Craigslist and his first three women come to apply. However, things don't quite go to plan when two of the nonna's don't get along due to the fact that one is from Bologna and the other from Sicily

It is touch and go as to whether the restaurant will even get off the ground, but Joe's persistence and determination mean that he is going to give it the best shot he can.

I love a movie that is based on a true story, which this one. The Staten Island restaurant which is called Enoteca Maria is still running, and there are still nonnas doing all the cooking, although these days they are from all around the world!

With humour, a touch of romance, and plenty of Italian food porn, this was a very pleasant way to pass a couple of hours.

An Italian Wedding Adventure by Leonie Mack

 

Sophie is a wedding planner who goes above and beyond for her clients, so if they want to have a wedding that includes climbing mountains in Italy, then she can make that happen. Given that more couples are wanting adventure/destination weddings she flippantly suggests to her boss that maybe they should join forces with an adventure company. She is still a bit shocked when her boss announces that they are merging with one. Of course it happens to be the company where her ex,  Andreas, works.

Eight years previously Sophie and Andreas had a brief but very deep relationship. On February 29th she proposed to him, but he said no, leaving a heartbroken Sophie behind to pick up the pieces. She moved on, married and then divorced, but Andreas has always had a bit of her heart.

Having to spend time in Italy scouting for the ideal wedding location, Sophie and Andreas are forced to spend time together, and they are both still very attracted to each other. Andreas avoids any kind of emotional attachment, mainly because he knows how dangerous it is when he goes climbing on some of the biggest mountains in the world, and he also knows how traumatic it is for those that are left behind when something goes wrong. He has seen it in his own world when his best friend died during a climb. 

There are times when Andreas is a bit frustrating. He is so closed off to the idea of allowing himself to even be open to have a relationship, despite the pressure he is getting from his family. 

Part of the charm of this book lies in it's setting in Northern Italy, close to the German border. Historically the border has moved many times over the centuries, with the area sometimes being German and other times Italian, and this is reflected in the language, food and characters. Coincidentally, I was watching the new Tucci in Italy series, and Stanley Tucci visited this area in one of the episodes. I love that Leonie Mack takes us to Italy, but not just Tuscany or the Amalfi coast. She takes us to the lesser visited parts of Italy and makes me wish that we were going back to visit some of these fantastic locations.

Bearing in mind that the most climbing I do is off the couch or occasionally out of the bath, the adventure stuff is not really my jam, but the idea of seeing all that gorgeous scenery overlooking the lake - that I would love. There were times that the technical terms got a bit draggy for me, but I do think it was great that they were there, and it is clear that the author has done a lot of the things that she is talking about. 

We did, however, have a location wedding. Ours was just the two of us on a beach in Vanuatu, so a little less strenous!

This is the first in a series, and we have already met some of the people who are going to feature in the future books! The next one is due to be released in September and I am already looking forward to reading it

I am sharing this review with the New Release Challenge hosted by The Chocolate Lady's Book Reviews. Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the review copy.

Rating 4.5/5

Blog Tour: One Summer in Italy by Victoria Springfield

 

Three people are connected to a Venice at a single place and time which has left them with lasting impacts on their lives. When they all have to go back to Venice, will it be a chance for healing and forgiveness, or cause their lives to implode....again.

Natalie was once a presenter on a children's TV show, but these days she is happier behind the camera working as a freelancer in TV production. A job is a job, and so when she is offered a last minute role to present a high end house swap series called Luxe Life Swap, she accepts even though it means going back to Venice. The last time she was there, on a school trip, her life was changed when something happened and she also lost her best friend.

Cate and Phil are the wealthy homeowners who are swapping their lives to go and spend time living in a Venetian palazzo. Cate first laid eyes on Phil on that same school trip, when she was still known as Cathy. They got together four years later at university, and together have built a successful life together. But both Cate and Phil have some secrets about what happened on that first trip to Venice that they haven't told each other, even after all these years.

Phil was happy to do the house swap, but ever since he found out that they are going to Venice he has been acting strangely, to the point that he is finding it difficult to get on the plane. Cate is not sure what is going on, but she does need to find out.

It is quite a shock for Cate and Natalie when they realise that they are going to be forced into spending some time together. Even the glorious sites of Venice can only help so much. It is only as some truths of what really happened come out that there is any hope of reconciliation, but along the way there may well be some collateral damage.

This is the third Victoria Springfield book I have read. The first two were set on the islands of Procida and Ischia. This time the setting is Venice. The canals of Venice come alive in the pages of this book. It's not only the touristy places that we visit, but also little known areas off the track. Along the way, we get to hear about some of the crafts and trades that are being lost in Venice as they are replaced with cheap tourist knock-offs and as the locals are priced out of living in the famous city. 

I have been to Venice once a very long time ago and I would love to go again. This book is first and foremost about the lost friendship, the secrets and starting over, but it is also about the place. Within it's pages there is also a request of visitors to the city. Come, see the sights, marvel at the glass blowing, the lace, the carnival masks and more, but please support the genuine makers and the people who live in the city.

I visited the the islands of Murano and Burano and where I had a very fish forward lunch on one of them. We also visited a glassblowers, and I bought these glass lollies that I have carried around with me for the thirty years since. They were probably the least expensive thing that you could buy, but I have enjoyed getting them back down off the shelf and looking at them again! I do have some kind of paperweight as well, but these are the things that bring me joy when I look at them!

I am sharing this review with the New Release Challenge hosted by The Chocolate Lady's Book Reviews. Be sure to check out other stops on the tour shown below. Thanks to the publisher, Netgalley and Rachel's Random Resources for the review copy.

Rating 4/5

About the Book

One Summer in Italy

A return to Venice. A friendship rekindled. A time for romance.

Natalie’s landed the opportunity of a lifetime hosting television show 'Luxe Life Swap', but she’s dreading going back to Venice, scene of the school trip that changed her life. The beauty of the floating city and handsome watch restorer Eraldo begin to win her over, however. But then glamorous contestant Cate arrives, the girl who was once plain, ordinary Cathy – the ex-best friend Natalie blames for the night that wrecked her life.

Cate’s swapping The Old Vicarage for two weeks in a Venetian palazzo, hoping she might pluck up the courage to go on the quest she’s been putting off for more than twenty years. Forced to spend time with Natalie, Cate hopes to rebuild their friendship – until Natalie makes a shocking accusation against Cate’s husband. Cate needs to find out the truth but how can she expect Phil to be honest when she’s keeping secrets of her own?

Purchase Link - https://mybook.to/SummerinItaly

About the Author  –

Victoria Springfield writes contemporary ‘wish you were here’ evocative women’s fiction set in Italy. Her feel-good books follow unforgettable characters of all ages as they deal with love, loss, friendship and family secrets. Readers can feel the sunshine!

Social Media Links –

Facebook: @VictoriaSpringfieldAuthor
Twitter: @VictoriaSwrites
Instagram: @victoriaswrites
Newsletter Sign Up: https://bit.ly/VictoriaSpringfieldNews
Bookbub profile: @VictoriaSWrites

Blog Tour: The Girl from Sicily by Siobhan Daiko

 

When Jess find out that she has received an inheritance from her grandmother, she is most surprised. She had never met or even spoken to her grandmother. There was a big rift between her mother and grandmother and it is something that was not ever spoken about, so Jess has no idea what caused the rift.

The inheritance is a baglio, a farmhouse on the island of Sicily. Jess does have the option to refuse the inheritance, but she does need to visit the small town before making that decision. There she meets some family who are pleasant enough, but it is clear that there is some kind of weird vibe. And then there are some threats. Jess has no idea what any of that is about. She also meets Piero, a local man with a couple of kids. Whilst there is an attraction between them Jess is not in any hurry to pursue a relationship for a number of reasons. She doesn't know if she is going to accept the inheritance, she has a career in the UK and he lives in Sicily, and she is still going through a painful divorce.

Alternating with Jess' story, we learn about her grandmother's story. Lucia was originally raised in America but her family returned to Sicily and now that is home. She is surprised when one of her childhood friends turns up. Gero is helping the US Army by building relationships with influential business leaders and families in the area. At first, Lucia resists Gero's charms, but soon she needs his assistance to avoid a nasty situation. In the meantime, Lucia's twin brother Dinu, has been trying to get an in with the local mafioso, leading him down a path that has long term consequences for his extended family including Lucia and even Jess.

I have read a few books by this author now, and I have liked them all. I think the strength of this one is in the choice of subject matter. It was really interesting to read the history of the Sicilian mafia, and especially how the Allies used them for assistance during WWII. A lot of the characters in the book are based on real life stories, even the one that seems the most fictional!

The author also did a really good job at bringing the town to life, along with the food and drink culture of the area. When we visited Italy a couple of years ago, we were originally planning to go to Sicily, but we couldn't make it work! Maybe next time!

This is the fourth book in what is being called the Girls of the Italian Resistance series. I have read the first and fourth books, but not the two in the middle. I wouldn't let the fact that this is the fourth book in the series put you off if you haven't read the previous ones. The only connection really is that the books are set in different parts of Italy and are set in WWII. As far as I can tell, there is no other connection between the books. I do have the two that I haven't read yet so I will try to read them at some point.

I am sharing this review with the New Release Challenge hosted by The Chocolate Lady's Book Reviews, and the Historical Fiction Reading Challenge when I host here. Be sure to check out other stops on the tour shown below. Thanks to the publisher, Netgalley and Rachel's Random Resources for the review copy. 

Rating 4/5

About the Book

The Girl From Sicily

Lucia loved her brother Dinu to the depths of her soul, but she also worried about him. He was intelligent yet ambitious, resilient yet hot-headed, and there was a dark side to him that could lead him into terrible trouble one day.

Sicily, 1943: Lucia and her twin brother Dinu have always been inseparable, but their bond is threatened when Gero, the son of close family friends in America, arrives in their village. Although she finds herself developing feelings for him, Lucia worries about Gero’s dangerous connections and their influence on her brother.

As the chaos of World War II closes in, Lucia must navigate love and loyalty to make a difficult choice. Will she risk that the consequences of her decision could bring untold horrors and affect her family for decades to come?

2005: When Jess inherits a baglio, an ancient feudal farmhouse in Sicily, from the grandmother she never knew, she’s determined to uncover the truth about her family’s hidden past. Following the death of her parents and on the brink of divorce, Jess travels to the island alone. There, with the help of a charming Sicilian, she embarks on a quest to unearth a web of long-buried secrets.

But answers come at a price, and Jess must decide if she’s ready to confront a truth that could change everything…

Purchase Link - https://mybook.to/GirlfromSicily

About the Author

Siobhan Daiko is a British historical fiction author. A lover of all things Italian, she lives in the Veneto region of northern Italy with her husband, a Havanese dog and a Siberian cat. Siobhan was born of English parents in Hong Kong, attended boarding school in Australia, and then moved to the UK — where she taught modern foreign languages in a Welsh high school. She now spends her time writing page-turners and living the dolce vita sweet life near Venice. Her novels are compelling, poignant, and deeply moving, with strong characters and evocative settings, but always with romance at their heart.

Social Media Links –

Facebook: @SiobhanDaiko

Twitter: @siobhandaiko

Instagram: @siobhandaiko_books

Newsletter Sign Up: https://bit.ly/SiobhanDaikoNews

Bookbub profile: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/siobhan-daiko

Blog tour: An Italian Island Secret by Victoria Springfield

 

Recently I was watching one of Joanna Lumley's shows, Great Cities of the World, where she visited Rome. One of the segments in the show was about the 1950's when Hollywood came to Rome. She interviewed Gina Lollobridgida, and talked about Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton and other big stars. In this book, a lot of the action centres around the same time period, when big name Italian film stars came to film their movies on the small island of Ischia, which is just off the coast of Naples.

When Ornella moved to England from Ischia, she knew she was leaving her previous life behind. She didn't want to talk about her life before the UK, about her family or the experiences that caused her to move away.

One day Ornella and her granddaughter Alessia see something celebrating the life of a famous, glamourous movie star from the 1950s, Alessia is surprised when her grandmother starts taking about her previous life. She is even more surprised when they decide to visit Ischia. Given that Alessia has had her heartbroken and lost her job recently, there's no reason not to go! The plan is to go to the island, stay for a couple of weeks and then return. However, plans have a funny way of not working as expected, and Ornella runs into one of her best friends not long after landing.

When Alessia meets a handsome journalist named Roberto, she doesn't realise that their paths are going to interconnect. Roberto is writing a piece about a reclusive famous film star whose beautiful wife and daughter were killed in a tragic car accident. It turns out that Ornella worked on the film set of his last hit film, and her own family's fate was intertwined with that of the star.

We get to see the stories unfold and Alessia and Roberto visit various landmarks and uncover some of the story, plus we see some of Ornella's story in flashback scenes. There are many secrets, twists and turns, until the truth is finally revealed. There are a lot of threads running through the book and the author does a great job of bringing them all together.

The last book I read by Victoria Springfield was set on the nearby island of Procida. Once again, the author does a great job of bringing the island culture to life on the page. I am not sure that we will ever get back to Naples, but if we did, I would like to visit Ischia and Procida!

I am sharing this review with the New Release Challenge hosted by The Chocolate Lady's Book Reviews. Be sure to check out other stops on the tour shown below. Thanks to the publisher, Netgalley and Rachel's Random Resources for the review copy. 

Rating 4/5

About the book

An Italian Island Secret

Escape to a beautiful Italian island with this wonderfully romantic story, threaded with secrets and intrigue.

It’s time to return to Ischia…

Alessia knows her grandmother grew up on the beautiful Italian island off the coast from Naples. But Ornella seldom talks about her life there – or why she never went back.

So Alessia is amazed when Ornella reveals that, in the months before she left Ischia, she had worked on the set of a famous 1950s movie filmed on the island. Is there a link between the film set and the tragic death of Ornella’s teenage sister?

Ornella has kept her past – and the heart-wrenching promise she made – a secret for over sixty years. She has tried not to think about the love she gave up. But now, perhaps the truth should finally be revealed…

Travelling to Ischia together, Alessia falls in love with the utterly captivating island. Meeting handsome journalist Roberto helps her dig deeper into her family’s past, too. Just what happened to Ornella’s sister? What heart-wrenching secret is her grandmother hiding?

This summer, can Alessia and Ornella put the past to rest and find the happy ending they both deserve?

A wonderfully escapist, romantic and compelling story of secrets and sacrifice, love and loyalty, that is perfect for fans of Karen Swan, Louise Douglas and Rosanna Ley.

Purchase Link - https://mybook.to/anitalianislandsecret

About the Author

Victoria Springfield writes contemporary ‘wish you were here’ evocative women’s fiction set in Italy. Her feel-good books follow unforgettable characters of all

ages as they deal with love, loss, friendship and family secrets. Readers can feel the sunshine!

Social Media Links –

Facebook: VictoriaSpringfieldAuthor
Twitter: @VictoriaSwrites
Instagram: @victoriaswrites

Blog Tour: Casa Paradiso by Francesca Scanacapra

This is the fourth book in the Paradiso series  by Francesca Scanacapra Now, I haven't read the first three, which tell the story of a family starting in WWII, then in the 1950s and then 1960s. Normally, I wouldn't read a series out of order, but this book takes place before the first book so I thought I would give it a chance.

I love it when a house plays a pivotal role in a book, to the point of being one of the characters. In this case it is not so much one of the characters but rather the main event! This book is almost a series of vignettes telling the story of the house itself, Paradiso, and its various owners through the years.  This starts with the man who built the house in 1637, Cristo Lovetta, who moves into the village of Pieve Santa Clara and falls in love with the location. He is a stonemason who builds a house where he raises his family. The main feature of the house are huge fireplaces and an impressive cantilevered staircase which show his skills as a stonemason. From there, we witness his children and their children as they live in the house. We read about tragedies, some fun stories, the changes in society such as the coming of trains, and more. Through each individual story, we see the house as it is changes hands, as it deteriorates over the centuries, falls into a state of disrepair, and is bought back to life. It is interesting to see that many of the chapters are focussed on the stories of the women who own the house.

We also see how several families in the town are tied together, and I suspect if I had read the first three books, these would all be very familiar names to me. I guess the question is, whether having now read about the house, am I interested in reading the rest of the series. And the answer is yes! I am looking forward to doing so.

It is amazing to me that you could follow a house's history for nearly 500 years. Bear in mind that I am Australian and therefore the oldest buildings you would see in my city would be late 19th century. One of the reasons I love to visit Europe is to see the history that is just visible everywhere. Walk down a street in Paris and there are houses from the 13th century. Head to London and see buildings that have been around for hundreds of years. Amazing!

I am sharing this review with the New Release Challenge hosted by The Chocolate Lady's Book Reviews and with the Historical Fiction Reading Challenge hosted by me on this blog.  Be sure to check out other stops on the tour shown below. Thanks to the publisher and Rachel's Random Resources for the review copy.

About the book

Lombardy, Northern Italy, 1637

Cristó Lovetta, a skilled stonemason, arrives in the rural village of Pieve Santa Clara to work on a nobleman’s house.

Haunted by a tragic past, Cristó wonders if he will ever find happiness again. However, as he immerses himself in his work, the warmth of the community and the beauty of the landscape convince him to begin a new life there.

Cristó designs and builds his own house, which he names Casa Paradiso. Over the centuries, Casa Paradiso becomes home to many generations, standing testament to lives beginning and ending, and witnessing the everyday challenges and triumphs of its inhabitants – from love lost and found, to the tragedies of war, the far-reaching consequences of political decisions made by powerful men and the evolving role of women in Italian society.

Casa Paradiso – the fourth instalment of the Paradiso Novels – is a shining, evocative saga spanning three hundred years in the life of a very special house, and a book that explores the enduring strength of the human spirit, contrasted with the transient nature of life itself.

About the author



Francesca Scanacapra was born in Italy to an English mother and Italian father, and her childhood was spent living between England and Italy. Her adult life has been somewhat nomadic with periods spent living in Italy, England, France, Senegal and Spain. She describes herself as 'unconventional' and has pursued an eclectic mixture of career paths – from working in translation, the fitness industry, education and even several years as a builder. In 2021 she returned to her native country and back to her earliest roots to pursue her writing career full time. Francesca now resides permanently in rural Lombardy in the house built by her great-grandfather which was the inspiration for her Paradiso Novels: Paradiso, Return to Paradiso, The Daughter of Paradiso and Casa Paradiso. Her novel The Lost Boy of Bologna was also published by Silvertail Books.



​Social media links

Twitter @francescascana2
Insta @francescascana2

Blog Tour: In Italy for Love by Leonie Mack

 

Aussie Jules Volpe moved to Italy for love, however it has turned into a disaster. When she broke up with her ex-partner Luca, it made sense for them to still share the B&B that they were running together. At least it seemed like a good idea at the time, but now the only the only thing that she wants is to go home. However, that isn't really possible given that she is broke, having spent her savings on the B&B and she doesn't have a valid passport. And there is the small matter of her dog Arco. She can't possibly leave him behind.

Jules is determined not to have to ask her parents for help, so she needs to come up with a plan B. Obviously she can't leave Italy so she goes to the furthest point north she can get to a small town called Cividale del Friuli, right on the border between Slovenia, Austria and Italy.

While standing on the ancient bridge over the Natisone river, she hears an accordion player. The player is handsome but Jules is not interested in men, especially broody men. However, she decides on a whim to ask Alex to dinner. After all, she is leaving the town to go and work on an olive farm. She will never see him again.

Unfortunately for Jules, when she arrives at the farm, there has been an incident which means that she can't stay in the room that was meant to be provided in exchange for working. The farm owner has an idea for lodgings though. It just happens to be in Alex's house. Awkward!

Alex is a man who has cut himself off from the world. He has his job, his very aloof cat and his hobby of repairing accordions late at night and that is all that he thinks he needs. The people who love him think that he needs more, and they are willing to plot and scheme to make it happen, whatever it takes. 

Slowly Alex begins to let down his guard, and his admiration for Jules grows as he sees how hard she works on the olive farm. But for as long as they are both still determined that there future lies in different directions, there's only so much that the matchmakers can do!

Apart from the first book I read from Leonie Mack, which was set in Paris, all her books have been set in smaller European locations from the French mountain town of Chamonix to this time where the setting is the small town of Cividale del Friuli in the Lombardy region. The area comes to life in the pages, and the autumnal setting only enhances this! I also enjoyed the unique culture which reflects the location of the town.

So I only have one question now. Where to next Leonie Mack? Wherever it is I will be joining you!

I am sharing this review with the New Release Challenge hosted by The Chocolate Lady's Book Reviews and the Bookish Books Challenge hosted at Bloggin' Bout Books. Be sure to check out other stops on the tour shown below. Thanks to the publisher, Netgalley  and Rachel's Random Resources for the review copy.

Rating 4.5/5

About the book

In Italy For Love

Julia Volpe’s Italian dream has turned into a nightmare.

Still living with her ex, Luca, a year after they’ve broken up, desperate to sell the dilapidated B&B that was meant to be their future, Jules knows she needs to leave. There are just two problems. Her passport has expired and she’s broke.

Not quite ready to ask her parents for help – at the ripe old age of twenty-seven – Jules decides to head as far away from Luca as she can to work on an olive farm until she has enough money to pay for her passport and a ticket back home.

Jules has sworn off love, but she hadn’t bargained on the beauty of Cividale del Friuli, the ancient Italian town on the banks of the gloriously blue Natisone river. As the community of farmers, neighbours and locals generously welcome her into their lives, Jules can feel her defences crumbling. But it’s when she meets Alex, broodingly handsome yet charmingly gallant, that Jules truly knows she’s in trouble. Because Alex has sworn off love too, and his reasons run deep enough for him to keep his word just as Jules is starting to reconsider her resistance to romance.

Live your very own Italian dream and let Leonie Mack whisk you away. Romantic, spell-binding, truly touching and perfect for all fans of Jill Mansell, Mandy Baggot and Sarah Morgan.

Purchase Link - https://mybook.to/initalyforlove

About the Author –

Leonie Mack is the bestselling author of romantic novels including My Christmas Number One and Italy Ever After. Having lived in London for many years her home is now in Germany with her husband and three children. Leonie loves train travel, medieval towns, hiking and happy endings!

Social Media Links –

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LeonieJMack

Twitter: https://twitter.com/LeonieMAuthor

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/leoniejmack/

Newsletter Sign Up: https://bit.ly/LeonieMackNews

Bookbub profile: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/leonie-mack

This week....

Life


We took advantage of the beautiful weather on the public holiday and went for a drive in the country to a garden where there were both cherry blossoms and tulips in bloom! All the way through the gardens there were these inviting benches to just sit a while.

On Sunday afternoon, we went and had high tea at Koi Dessert Bar. We have been to the Sydney restaurant years ago, but this is the first time we have been since they opened in Melbourne

I'm reading

It's been a busy reviewing week for me. I finished reading The Resistance Bakery by Siobhan Curham and then read both  A New Dawn in Pelican Crossing by Maggie Christensen and Christmas at the Little Paris Hotel by Rebecca Raisin.

I also finished listening to The Yellow Wood by Minnie Darke. I started listening to it a couple of months ago but I didn't listen while we were away and so it has taken me a long time to get through, especially considering that it is only 4 hours long. 

I started listening to The Lost Bookstore by Evie Woods. I also started reading The Last List of Mabel Beaumont by Laura Pearson after loving her latest book, The Beforelife of Eliza Valentine. Yes, I am still gushing about this book!

I mentioned last week that my next book club theme is Going Back. So far I could choose from The Resistance Bakery, A New Dawn in Pelican Crossing,  The Yellow Wood and presumably Mabel Beaumont as well as options and I still have another 4 weeks before the meeting!



I'm watching

It was the AFL grand final on Saturday  so we had a long weekend (I know, odd reason but still). In addition to watching some of the final we watched some of the Americas Cup sailing, and started a new cooking show called The World Cook

On Friday night, we went to movies and watched an Italian movie called Comandante. It's a WWII move, based on a true story about a submarine commander who sinks a merchant navy ship and then picks up the survivors and is trying to get them to a safe port.

Here's the trailer

Posts from the last week


Top Ten Tuesday: Books on my Spring 2024 To Read List

Blog Tour: The Beforelife of Eliza Valentine by Laura Pearson
Blog Tour: Falling for Provence by Alison Roberts
Blog Tour/Weekend Cooking: The Resistance Bakery by Siobhan Curham
Blog Tour: A New Dawn in Pelican Crossing by Maggie Christensen

Blog Tour: Christmas at the Little Paris Hotel by Rebecca Raisin

I've linked this post to It's Monday, what are you reading? as hosted by Book Date

Blog Tour: Daughters of Tuscany by Siobhan Daiko

 

Yes, it is Paris in July time, but I am taking a quick detour to Italy for this post. Never fear, I will be back in France again tomorrow.

I have read a number of Siobhan Daiko's books, and so when I saw that there was an upcoming blog tour, of course I am going to volunteer. My first book by this author was set in the Pacific theatre of WWII, but the rest have been set in Italy, which is where she lives, although she is British originally.

What I like about her books is that she takes lesser known stories from WWII and fictionalises them to share with her readers. With a title like Daughters of Tuscany, it will be no surprise that this story is set in Tuscany, but it is in a small valley called. Initially, the war is not that near to Emma and Rosa, our two main characters. The main impact is in the loss of the men who help run the estate owned by Emma's father, Marchese Ginori. Rosa's family are tenants of the Marchese. 

The Marchese is able to get some POWs to help with the farm, which brings Rosa into contact with a Scottish soldier named Tom. Rosa is determined that she is going to stay away from Tom. She has already suffered great loss thanks to the war, which has left her to raise her daughter alone, and she is determined not to risk heartbreak again. 

Meanwhile, Emma and her father walk a fine line in trying to navigate dealing with the German's, helping their people to survive, and helping the resistance fighters who hide in the nearby forests and mountains.

However, with the Allies advancing from the south of Italy and the Germans moving northwards, the fighting gets closer and closer, bring different types of danger for each of them with it.

Recently, I was at an author event where a publisher speaking about the fact that we seem to be moving away from WWII fiction. I still love WWII fiction, but it has to be something different, something exceptional. I liked this book, although I do feel like the premise is kind of safe, by which I mean it isn't anything I haven't really read before. I do also feel like there were times when I could see the editor, particularly in the early parts of the book. That aside, the story was engaging, there were strong female characters, and it does tell an interesting story.

Thanks to Netgalley, the publisher and Rachel's Random Resources for the review copy. I am sharing this review with the New Release Challenge hosted at The Chocolate Lady's Book Review Blog and with the Historical Fiction Reading Challenge which I host.

About the Book

Daughters of Tuscany

Two women, one community, everyone’s war…

With the arrival of English prisoners of war on Marchese Ginori’s farmhouse estate, Rosa is immediately wary. Her husband was killed by the Allies and she will not trust any inglesi around her daughter.

The marchese’s daughter, Emma, is thankful for the extra help. Especially when Italian soldiers are forced into hiding, fleeing the Nazis. Emma vows to protect her childhood best friend, Marco, at any cost.

It’s a dangerous time to be harbouring fugitives, and as the POWs prove their allegiance in helping the Italian men, Rosa begins to become close to one in particular – an alluring Scotsman named Tom.

Both women will do what it takes to protect their loved ones, but daring to hope for a better future in wartime is a dangerous dream. And what starts as a quest to keep their men safe soon turns into a mission to save their whole community…

A sweeping tale of love, loss and hope in times of strife, perfect for fans of Fiona Valpy, Rhys Bowen and Kristin Hannah

 

Purchase Link - https://mybook.to/daughterssocial

About the author:

Siobhan Daiko is a British historical fiction author. A lover of all things Italian, she lives in the Veneto region of northern Italy with her husband, a Havanese dog and a Siberian cat. Siobhan was born of English parents in Hong Kong, attended boarding school in Australia, and then moved to the UK — where she taught modern foreign languages in a Welsh high school. She now spends her time writing page-turners and living the dolce vita sweet life near Venice. Her novels are compelling, poignant, and deeply moving, with strong characters and evocative settings, but always with romance at their heart. You can find more about her books on her website www.siobhandaiko.org

Social Media Links –  

Facebook https://www.facebook.com/siobhan.daiko.author

Twitter https://twitter.com/siobhandaiko

Instagram https://www.instagram.com/siobhandaiko_asolandobooks/

Newsletter Sign Up: https://bit.ly/SiobhanDaikoNews

Bookbub profile: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/siobhan-daiko