Zia-Lucia Costa Chalmers is now all alone in the world following the death of her last surviving family members, her grandparents. Never having known who her father was, or why she had such an unusual name, she heads to Italy on an emotional quest to try to discover the truth about her past.
The first few chapters of Under the Italian Sun are fairly slow as we are introduced to a large cast of characters and a complicated family situation. But bear with it and soon you will be fully immersed in the sights, sounds, tastes and aromas of the beautiful Umbrian countryside. The author clearly knows and loves this part of Italy, and the evocative descriptions are a large part of what makes this book so memorable.
The characters are fully rounded and believable, flaws and all, though I got a bit exasperated with Zia always answering calls from her manipulative ex, Brendon; she did not always make the best decisions where he was concerned. I particularly enjoyed reading about Harry, her mother’s old friend, and the unconventional life they had lived.
In the multi-layered plot, Sue Moorcroft skillfully weaves together the various strands into a fascinating tale of secrets and lies, hopes and dreams, and the importance of family. Zia’s relationship with Piero does not run smoothly as he veers between fulfilling his family obligations and following his dreams. With an attractive cover and a heartwarming ending, Under the Italian Sun is the perfect antidote to the restrictions we are currently living under.
Thanks to Avon and NetGalley for a digital copy to review.

As soon as I started reading about Zia, I got lost in her story and was desperate to unravel the mystery of her past. I gladly followed her journey from Brighton to Italy and rejoiced when she met the delectable Italian, Piero. They were made to be together but scheming ex's and shady family dealings threaten any future happiness before it can begin.

I loved the setting, the Italian family Zia is desperate to connect with and the sense of place you get in this book. On a grim, grey days in the UK, there is no better place to be than the Umbrian Mountains 'Under the Italian Sun'.

An immersive romance, with plenty of emotional impact and scorching moments that have little to do with the weather!

Highly recommended read.

Another fantastic book by Sue Moorcroft. From the beginning your aware Of what a super strong women Zia-Lucia is. She visits Italy to try and unlock secrets keep from her by her deceased mum and gran. The descriptions of the area, countryside even to the description of the smells made me want to be there myself. Just wonderful

Under the Italian Sun was a beautiful, immersive story that took me to the heart of Italy, and wine country. Filled with family, food, culture, love, heartbreak, and some drama, this story had it all. I felt transported to the vineyard, and felt like I was engaging with an Italian family. The use of actual Italian throughout the book made the story come alive. It was my favorite part. Being Italian, it was so exciting to see some phrases I knew, and to have the opportunity to learn others I did not! This book is a rare combination of fiction and education at the same time! These are my favorite types of books to read!

Zia leaves the UK in search of her Italian father hoping to claim Italian Parentage, so she can work in Italy. She finds herself falling in love, and helping her new flame save his home and his family’s vineyard. She deals with an unruly ex boyfriend, a best friend dealing with her own drama, and the hard decision to reveal herself to her fathers family or to go back to the UK.

I absolutely loved everything about this book. It was such an incredible read, I felt swept away to Italy and didn’t want to come back!

A story of relationships, friendships and eventually love. You want the best for Zia throughout the book and hope that her quest to unravel her past ends well. Many believable characters. Easy to read and perfect as a summer book on the beach.
Thank you to NetGalley and Avon books for an advance copy of this book.

Under the Italian Sun, Sue Moorcroft

Review from Jeannie Zelos book reviews

Genre: General Fiction (Adult), Romance, Women's Fiction

Sigh... Usual moan, women's fiction. 2021. not 1821. Men read and write romance. They probably did back then too!

Anyway, Sue Moorcroft, fantastic author, writes books with multi layered plots, realistic folk and situations and depth. I love all that and this story was a real treat.
I could feel poor Zia's heartbreak and I was so angry at her ex. Sadly the way he looks at his cheating isn't uncommon and I was glad Zia stuck to her guns. Cheating isn't acceptable, and he needed to e sorry, not to make excuses.
So she and bff delve off to Italy on a quest to find out more about Zia's past. She finds family there but her search isn't without problems, and of course the people she's staying with also have problems. Zia by now has made friends with them and helps out, and helping them helps her, gives her somewhere to stay and more time to decide what to do. Of course staying is also a factor in her fledgling relationship with the Delicious Piero, who also has issues with his family, and his fathers scheming girlfriend.
All these threads, problems make for such interesting reading, taking me down trails I didn't image but thoroughly enjoyed. I was shocked at the initial Vicky/Tori revelations, but they were just the start, there was lots more surprises to come.
I loved Harry and the descriptions of his time with Vicky, a real 70's feel about that, and I can imagine how Vicky's somewhat staid and conservative parents felt. They were very much like my own parents – when I told them I was pregnant mum's reaction was “ Oh no! What will the neighbours think?” and rushed to bed....Pretty average reaction for mid seventies. At one point in early 8-'s my sister in law and I toyed with the idea of renting a large house between us and combining both families, very much as Harry and Vicky did.

Stars: Five, Another fabulous read from Sue, taking the reading out of this day to day dull and into sunny Italy with a delicious romance too

ARC supplied by Netgalley and publishers

Zia-Lucia wants answers about her parentage and she travels to Italy to find them, she doesn't however expect to find a handsome distraction in the form of Piero. This book starts as a bit of a slow burner gradually drawing you in with gorgeous descriptions of hot days & nights, wonderful scenery and complex relationships.
A fabulous summer read.

I always love Sue Moorcroft's books and Under the Italian Sun was no different.

After finding out her upbringing wasn't what she thought it was, Zia visits Italy to try and discover more about the father she has never known.

We journey with Zia as she discovers who she is, who her family are - and what's important.

Thoroughly recommended.

I really liked the atmosphere of this. In both settings we got to see, the author really knew how to write in a way that made me feel like I’d been there before, it was nice. I liked the mystery, though I preferred Zia’s side of the story than Piero’s. I felt like his story was kind of the same situation with his stepmother over and over again, while in Zia’s there was always a new piece of information being revealed. The unfolding of her past was nice and I liked the way things were revealed. The romance between the main characters was nice, it happened somewhat fast for my taste, but I think it was handled well and they did have a good chemistry. I also really liked Zia’s relationship with Lucia, I love a good family connection, especially when it’s family meeting for the first time, and I just thought Lucia was a standout in this book for me.

What I didn’t really get and took away a bit of my enjoyment was Zia’s handling of her ex and his insistence to speak to her. I didn’t understand why she always answered his calls, his texts, always giving him time he absolutely did not deserve. Just… block him lol? It was clear she didn't want to get back together with him, it made no sense to me why Zia would still bother with him. It felt it only happened this way because the plot needed it to be this way.

Other than that, I really enjoyed it, and I really liked the way the story ended. It’s a very grounded romance, yet somewhat whimsical because of its lush setting.

A good read . When Zia finds herself single again after splitting from her cheating partner, she decides to go on a trip to Italy with her best friend who is also having problems in her marriage, to try and find out about her family,.After being bought up by her Grandmother who she thought was her mother, Zia discovers much about her relatives ,and also meets Piero who she is instantly attracted to. Some good characters and love the locations, but can Zia find the answers she is looking for

Loved this book. An uplifting story that made me feel that I was in Italy. Great characters and an interesting plot. A really good read, thoroughly recommended.

never before have i read anything written by sue moorcroft so i wasn’t sure what should i expect but fortunetely this books turned out to be a great introduction to this author. the story about a woman discovering her mother’s past after finding out she was not who she thought she was and getting to know her hitherto unknown family in italy : all of that was really interesting and i really wanted to see how the story will develop. romance was fine as well. even though i wasn’t that much invested in the thread of piero’s house and his business, i did like him as a character and really enjoyed his scenes with zia.

overall it was a really enjoyable read and i will definitely be thinking about reading other books by this author. 3.5/5 stars.

From the very start, I struggled to get to grips with the characters, the fact that there was both a Victoria & a Tori just seemed to confuse me & I couldn't settle into the story, so sadly had to abandon it, not something I usually do

After the initial pages, I found myself not connecting with the story or characters, so I decided to pass on this book. Did not finish.

Thank you to Avon, Netgalley, and Sue Moorcroft for a gifted copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

This story is like being on a find yourself mission and a vacation all in one!!! The setting of Italy sounds absolutely amazing and definitely made me want to be there. I think wineries are so beautiful and to be staying essentially at one would be so great!

I enjoyed following Zia on her journey to discover where she came from and all of the characters she met along the way lol. I can’t even begin to imagine discovering the things she does about her moms past and I would not handle it as well as she does.

My second book of Moorcroft’s, I didn’t love it as much as Christmas Wishes, but it was quite enjoyable, fun, interesting, and really makes you look at the people who surround you lol. Definitely worth a read!!

This is just a book about a girl named Vicky and a girl named Tori read by a girl named Victoria.
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The setting, wow, the setting really could be its own character in this book. Just truly stunning.
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Zia -Lucia Costa Chalmers doesn’t know much about her history but she goes to Italy to find out. She unravels secret upon secret. I don’t want to say much to spoil anything but with secrets to uncover and Piero as a handsome neighbor this trip will be like no other.
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Her best friend Ursula needs her own story and I hope we get that!
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Thank you to #NetGalley and #Avon for an arc in exchange for an honest review!
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This book is available May 13th!

Yet another fabulous treat from Sue Moorcroft!

Zia-Lucia Costa Chalmers wonders how she managed to land up with a long name and, years after her mother and grandparents have died, she discovers that her mother wasn’t her mother at all. They’re not around for her to ask any questions so she has to search through documents for clues. Although her background is shrouded in mystery, she finds a connection to Italy and sets off with her friend, Ursula, to Umbria to do some research ‘on the ground’.

As an adoptee myself, I found this book really interesting as well as enjoyable. I could almost feel the Italian sun on my face and was hopeful that Zia would find love as well as her birth family!

A wonderful book, published just in time to read in the summer sunshine.

Thank you to NetGalley and Avon Books UK for an advance reader copy in return for an honest review.

Under The Italian Sun is Sue Moorcroft’s latest novel. It focuses on Zia-Lucia Costa Chalmers who, following the recent deaths of her grandparents, find out her mother wasn’t who she thought she was. With the hep of best friend Ursula, she decided to find out more about her Italian family so they embark on a trip to Italy. However as she delves into secrets of her past she doesn’t bargain on having to think about her future too. Add in to the mix the gorgeous Piero who lives next door and Zia finds herself in for a very exciting summer in Italy.

I loved this book and found it hard to put down. It has some great characters and you find you are easily drawn into the storyline. Thank you to NetGalley, Avon Books and the author for the chance to review.

I have been looking forward to reading this new book from Sue Moorcroft. Its bright, sunny cover invites the reader in and promises a trip somewhere warm, picturesque and relaxing. The setting for the story is actually split between the UK and Italy, but the majority of it takes place in the little Umbrian town of Montelibertà, a location that other readers of Sue’s books may recognise from a previous novel. The story had me hooked early on, and I was quickly immersed in the characters’ world.

This is the story of Zia-Lucia Costa Chalmers who suddenly discovers that the woman she thought to be her mother was, in fact, not that at all. She makes this discovery long after her ‘mother’ and her grandparents are dead, making it difficult to find out about her family history, and the origin of her unusual name. However, some letters and papers provide her with clues regarding an Italian connection, prompting her to set off with best friend Ursula on a trip to the Umbrian town of Montelibertà where she hopes to find answers to her questions. In the course of her investigations, she not only learns about her past, but meets Piero, strikingly handsome son of a local winemaking family, who she comes to hope may have a role in her future. Unfortunately, a few complications arise in her dream to find a new life in Italy, not least of which is interference from her controlling ex, who is not about to let her go.

This is an emotional story which had my heart breaking over and over for Zia. Her whole world has been shattered by the discovery that the people who have brought her up have lied to her all her life. The search for the truth of her past turns up a whole new family, but do they want her? Then there is the ex boyfriend who doesn’t know when to take no for answer. I thought this book was excellently written, so much so that I was instantly lost in the Italian sunshine every time I sat down to read. The characters are all strong and completely believable and there are many branches to the main story involving one or other of them. I love being taken down a side road and learning a little more about a minor character in a book. The excellent descriptions of the views of the Umbrian mountains and countryside had me wishing I could book into one of the cottages where Zia and Ursula stay on their trip. I could imagine sitting in the sunshine enjoying the view of the vineyard stretching downhill towards the foot of the mountains. I can definitely recommend this summery book as one to read not just in summer but at any time of the year to anyone who fancies a trip to Italy.

Italy is my favourite country to travel to and I was thrilled to be granted the opportunity to visit the gorgeous geography of the Umbrian mountains in Moorcroft’s new piece.

This story hooked me from the start. Zia Lucia finds herself an orphan with a family mystery on her hands. She and her best friend, Ursula set out on a journey to Italy to discover the answers to Zia’s mysterious family tree.

I loved that the characters in this piece were multidimensional. Even the more minor characters had developed traits and quirks that made them interesting and unique.

This goes for the multiple conflicts in the story as well. There was so much more than just the blossoming romance between the handsome Piero and the lovely Zia to drive the plot of this novel.

This book is due to be published on May 13th, 2021, and it couldn’t be a better time. This is a great read for the beach or pool deck.

Thank you to for the ARC of this novel in exchange for an honest review.