I loved 𝗜𝗻 𝗙𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗬𝗲𝗮𝗿𝘀. It made me ugly cry, and even though there was a time travel element that was a little out there, the plot sucked me in enough for me to suspend my disbelief. When I saw the author's latest book, 𝗢𝗡𝗘 𝗜𝗧𝗔𝗟𝗜𝗔𝗡 𝗦𝗨𝗠𝗠𝗘𝗥, shared some of the same DNA as her previous one, I was ready to be wowed again. I wasn't.

I know this is going to be a very unpopular opinion but from the start, I found Katy, the main character, really unlikable. Yes, she's grieving the loss of her mother but her attachment to her borders on unhealthy, and the way she treats her also grieving husband is kind of heartless. When Katy arrives in Italy, she's surprised to meet a younger version of her mother and this gimmick didn't work for me. Was it time travel? Did Katy hit her head and hallucinate the whole thing? Was she having a breakdown? Unlike when I read 𝗜𝗻 𝗙𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗬𝗲𝗮𝗿𝘀, this time I didn't care enough about the characters to just go with it.

This isn't a bad book by any means. I enjoyed the descriptions of the picturesque Amalfi coast, the characters' pretty clothes and the area's delicious food. Serle's writing is beautiful, and it's a quick read that's hard to put down. But where I should have been emotional over Katy's journey, I felt nothing. I do know where I'm planning my next vacation, though...

Thanks to Atria Books and NetGalley for a copy to review.

What a beautiful love letter to mother and daughter relationships. As someone that lost their mother far too soon, this story really hit home and allowed me to recapture moments with my mother. Katy is lost after her mother passes away. They were a pair with her mother always having the right advice or item, no matter the situation. They had planned a trip to Positano, a place her mother visited before becoming a mother that captured her heart, something she wanted to share with Katy. When Katy gets there, she is shocked to find her mother, but not the one she lost, the one that is 30 years old, visiting Positano for the first time. Katy gets to experience and be with her young mother, learning things she never asked and maybe revealing truths that may shake the foundation of what she knew. Through it all, Katy gets the chance to figure out, who is Katy? Something she had lost sight of over the years but also, a chance for one final goodbye. I found myself wishing I could have the same opportunity with my mother. Thank you for this beautiful journey. I voluntarily read an ARC of this book and this is my honest review.

This was a great book! A very quick read, too. I almost didn’t want it to end. It was such a lovely story about a woman grieving her mothers death. It had the serle vibe that everyone has grown to love. Although the ending was good, not predictable, I wanted MORE from it. I wanted the “but what’s next?” from every character.

I’m a Rebecca Serle fan. I will read every one of her books. They all provide a unique perspective and give the reader a bit of nostalgia.

Thank you!

✨𝐑 𝐄 𝐕 𝐈 𝐄 𝐖✨

𝐎𝐧𝐞 𝐈𝐭𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐚𝐧 𝐒𝐮𝐦𝐦𝐞𝐫 𝐛𝐲 𝐑𝐞𝐛𝐞𝐜𝐜𝐚 𝐒𝐞𝐫𝐥𝐞

I couldn’t wait to read this one after loving “In Five Years” a while back. This story had me looking up flights to Italy every time I picked it back up 😍😂

👍🏼: The beautiful, descriptive setting on the Amalfi Coast had me from the start!! What a dreamy location & based on an actually real-life hotel @hotelposeidonpositano 😍 I really enjoyed the mother/daughter bond & both the heartwarming and heartbreaking realities of grief & putting the pieces back together after the loss of a family member ❤️

👎🏼: I was familiar with the magical realism storyline based on her last novel, however, didn’t think this storyline made as much sense to me. I also didn’t love how things played out between the main character & her husband, however, I believe the main focus was supposed to be the mother/daughter bond.

Overall, I felt a sense of calm reading this story even though there were emotional moments ✨ There were parts I really enjoyed & others that didn’t make as much sense to me, but loved escaping to Italy either way 😂🤷🏼‍♀️

Thanks to @netgalley @atriabooks for the gifted e-ARC! This one is out 3/1 🙌🏼📚☀️

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Is it possible? Katy is gobsmacked when while on a long planned trip to Italy, she meets her mother- her mother who just died but here and now she's 30 years old. The same age as Katy. Katy and her mom had been BFFs to the extent that frankly Katy is emotionally immature. Carol's death left her adrift, unhappy, and she makes the decision to tell her husband Eric that she's not sure she wants to be married anymore and she takes off on what was meant to be a mother daughter journey. The Italian parts of this are gorgeous, replete with food and scenery but the focus is on the back and forth between Carol and Katy. And on Katy's new relationship with Adam, a handsome man. This is one where the reader has to go with the conceit and appreciate that there's a point being made that might not be obvious at the outset. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. An emotional read.

This book made me feel like I was in Positano, and honestly, I wish more than anything that I was! I wasn't sure how this one was going to play out, but it was so good! I love how Serle writes, she makes the characters come to life and I felt like I was inside of this story. This book made me hungry for Italian food and travel!
Thank you to NetGalley & Atria Books for an advanced copy of One Italian Summer in exchange for an honest review!

A moving look at loss and grieving, an armchair travel exploration of Italy, and a reflection on mothers and daughters, this is a quick read that's affecting in many ways, but is hampered by a major plot point -- spending time 30 years in the past with a younger version of the main character's mother -- that is never explained. I wasn't able to suspend my disbelief enough to really just go with it.

One Italian Summer by Rebecca Serle ☀️

Official rating: 4 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Page turner rating: 5 stars 📄📄📄📄📄

Katy and her mom slash best friend have been planning a trip to Italy for what seems like forever, and they finally have tickets and itinerary. After losing her mom, Katy is devastated but still embarks on the journey alone not knowing what’s in store but hoping to find something there.

This book was super cute and absolutely picturesque. I wanted to be in Italy the entire time with Katy. There’s definitely an element of magical realism in the book that caught me a little off guard but it was well pulled off! Minus said magical element, the story felt real in terms of feelings and the hardship that Katy was experiencing. Definitely a great quick read for a heartfelt story and out mother and daughter.

Read if you:
🇮🇹 Like Firefly Lane by Kristin Hannah
🇮🇹 Would love to travel to Italy
🇮🇹 Are looking for a short book

Thanks to NetGalley for an early copy of this book. It’s come out THIS Tuesday, March 1! 🎉

One Italian Summer by Rebecca Serle takes it's reader in a magical adventure of rediscovering oneself, loss, mother-daughter bond, and family all the way to Italy.

Katy goes through a heart-wrenching loss when her best friend—her mom—passes away after a long fight with an illness. Because her mom was her everything—the person she went to for questions, answers, ideas, advice—she's suddenly confused and wondering what to do next. They had already planned on going to Italy as a mother-daughter trip. While Katy is unsure about going by herself, her husband pushes her in the right direction.

Positano, Italy is the place where Carol had thrived in right before meeting Katy's dad. Naturally, Katy wants to see what had her mother falling in love with the place. And she totally gets it! Italy is beautiful with its culture, the people, the food! She's realizing why her mother loved this place so much. What she doesn't expect is to encounter her mother, who's dead, right in the hotel she's staying at.

I honestly had no idea what to expect with this story. On one hand, I was absolutely enamored with the setting! The author used such brilliant imagery that it had me feeling as if I were right alongside Katy experiencing every magical moment she was living. When it came to her mom seemingly not being dead, it threw me for a loop! What was reality?

“It would be a shame if you kept doing something only because you've done it before.”

Katy ends up embarking on a journey and getting to know her mom all over again; this time, in a new light. Their connection still felt so profound and beautiful and never-changing. I can't say more without spoiling, because you truly have to go in completely blind to get the full experience. I will say this story made me appreciate the moments I have with my own mom and to never take them for granted.

I do not belong to anyone. Not in that way, not any longer. I am my own, just as she was hers.

Even days later, I'm still processing and contemplating this story. One Italian Summer left a major impact in my life. The writing mixed with the magical setting is timeless and unforgettable. I found this story to be wonderful, remarkable, heartwarming, unique, profound, emotional, surprising, and extraordinary.

I will end this review with a quote I found in the acknowledgements that I just have to share with you. It just goes to show how breathtaking of an author is Rebecca Serle:

One of life's most important challenges is determining what to hold on to and what to let go of. Do not be fooled into believing that you do not know which is which. Follow the feeling, follow it all the way home.

Katy takes a trip to Italy in the midst of mourning the loss of her mother. It is a healing vacation in a stunning location, the Amalfi Coast. Somehow Katy’s mother shows up, young and very much alive. She and Katy bond as friends instead of mother and daughter but it’s a whole new version of the woman Katy has known her whole life. The setting is truly the third main character and will transport you instantly.

This book is beautiful and sad and very touching. It is described in the book description as a love story between a mother and daughter and that feels like a very accurate summary. Obviously this book requires a suspension of disbelief and it is a wonderful break in reality. Also, as someone who recently lost her mother, this book was a very emotional read (readers should be aware if that is a topic that touches you in a difficult way). Rebecca Serle knows how to write an emotionally powerful story!

Thank you to Rebecca Serle, Atria Books, and NetGalley for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Wow I loved this book. So so good. Very emotional and scenic. I loved the relationship between Katy and Carol, but I also loved how much Katy grew throughout the story. I loved the traveling and hotel aspect and am dying to go to Italy now!!

3.5/5



If ever a book has made me feel like I’ve actually taken a vacation it’s this one. I’ve never been to Italy but damn this one truly made me feel like I had been, the descriptions of the towns, landscapes and delicious sounding food were very well drawn here. It was actually my favorite aspect of the book and what truly captivated me here. The author has a magical writing style for sure and there were parts of this that felt special. The plot itself was just fine for me but nothing amazing, I didn’t love Katy and kinda thought she was an awful person but this was quick and engaging enough in the end. Again, the food and scenic locale really made this one for me, really beautiful and well described but the story itself left me wanting a bit more. I would recommend as a vacation read as it’s so quick and easy though

As always with Rebecca Serle, but book is heavy but hopeful. I didn't love Katy at first but I enjoyed watching her come to terms with her grief. More than anything though I enjoyed exploring Positano through this book and adding another place to my travel bucket list. ⭐⭐⭐⭐ check this out if you like you like you travel through books and wouldn't mind to shed a few tears.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Atria Books for gifting me a digital copy of the latest novel by Rebecca Serle - 4.5 stars!

Katy is reeling from losing her mom and best friend, Carol, after she passed from a battle with cancer. Katy had put her life on hold to take care of her mom and she now feels unmoored. She's not sure if she wants to stay married to Eric or continue in her copywriting job. What's worse is that Katy and Carol had planned the trip of a lifetime - a visit to the Amalfi coast of Italy where Carol went when she was younger. Katy decides to take the trip by herself. As soon as she arrives, she feels Carol there with her and then she sees the 30-year-old version of Carol in the flesh.

With her trademark touch of magical realism, Rebecca Serle has created a wonderful look into a close mother/daughter relationship. As children, it's easy to think of our parents as formed humans just there for us. We tend to forget that they had lives before us. Katy is allowed to glimpse that and to also explore the relationship she had with her mom in a different light. One of the best parts of this book was getting to virtually visit this corner of the world - from the views, to the food and wine, to the people - it was a delight!

This book, first off, how do you not love a book that quotes Lorelai Gilmore from one of the best scenes of the entire series of the Gilmore Girls. Next. you add Rebecca Serle’s magnificent creativity to write a beautiful, heart wrenching love story and then set the story on the Amalfi Coast.

Katy, grieving the loss of her mom, not sure if she still wants to be married, unsure of life itself, decides to go on a trip to Positano, one she was supposed to go on with her Mom, Carol. Once in Italy, Katy feels connected to her Mom so much that she believes her Mom is in Positano with her.

This story caught my interest immediately, I devoured this book in under 24 hours, it was that good! Katy and Carol’s journey throughout this book is an emotional and beautiful experience.

Serle’s creativity draws you in and holds your attention. Her characters all have a purpose and they are placed perfectly throughout the story. The description of the Amalfi Coast is detailed with the decadence it deserves.

Serle has written another beautiful, soul searching, heart breaking novel that I highly recommend.

(3.5⭐️) An emotionally raw jaunt through grief and picturesque Italy.

Katy’s mother has just died, leaving Katy in a downward spiral. The life she’s lived for 30 years now feels foreign, and nothing in her life make sense without the connection to her mother.

In a depth of grief, she ventures off to Italy hoping to get a sense of the place her mother once loved. But magically…impossibly, Katy finds her 30 year old mother… fully alive and youthful again.

Serle made me love the Amalfi Coast all over. She perfectly captures the ambiance of the region… from the delectable food to the pace of life and the enchantment you feel when visiting. She brings the area to life in vivid detail, and I felt as though I was there in person once again.

The journey to healing after grief is one I know deeply. And while I couldn’t connect with Katy’s complete obsession over this loss (it’s a lot), I did appreciate her journey of self-discovery at the end. The lessons she learns make it worth sticking through her continual ruminations over the (potentially unhealthy) relationship she once had with her mother.

This one is best partnered with a full glass of wine and a full plate of pasta!

Many thanks to Rebecca Serle, Atria Books, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review an advanced copy of this book.

An entertaining trip through Italy. While enjoyable, it’s missing the emotional punch I expected.

Katy’s mother has recently passed away, and she is in grief mode. Before her mom, Carol, died, they planned a trip to Italy. That was Carol’s trip of a lifetime, and she wanted her daughter to experience it too. Unfortunately, Carol passes away a few weeks before their vacation.

Katy makes a rare, bold decision. She is going to take the trip on her own. Just as she’s enjoying the food, the view, the ambiance…she meets her mother! The younger version of Carol at 30 years old.

The plot transpires.

I really enjoyed this one for the most part. The scenery of Italy was amazing, the description of food kept me hungry, and the plot kept me itching to read more. I was compelled.

However, I never really felt an emotional connection to the main theme (loss of a parental figure). I assumed I’d be crying my eyes out the whole time. There were some touching moments, and I have to admit…I couldn’t put it down. Yet, it almost ended too early and with little emotion and reflection. It was a tad too perfect when it should have been a bit more of a rough ride.

I’m glad I didn’t pass on this, but I’m also not sure how long it will stay with me. I have mixed feelings over the character of Katy. I could sympathize…but distantly. Overall, I’m sure I was meant to feel something more, but I’m not exactly sure what that deep feeling was supposed to be.

3.5 stars.

Thank you to Atria Books and NetGalley for a widget of the ARC in exchange for an honest review: Publication Date: 3/1/22.

Review also posted at: https://bonkersforthebooks.wordpress.com

One Italian Summer by Rebecca Serle

Thanks to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for the chance to read One Italian Summer by Rebecca Serle. Rebecca is a master at heartfelt stories with her previous books The Dinner List and In Five Years, and this book fits right into this genre. I love how her books get you thinking along the way as you are reading.
Katy and her mom were planning a trip to Italy to the Amalfi Coast for years. Katy’s mom spent an unforgettable summer there when she was younger and wants to take Katy there to experience all the wonderful foods and places that she fell in love with. When Katy’s mother dies before she can go on the trip, she is devastated. They were best friends in all they did. Katy decides to go on this magical trip by herself, hoping to heal the pain she feels with the loss of her mother.
While in Postitano on the Amalfi coast, she meets a woman named Carol who Katy feels is the younger version of her mother. She is so much like her mother that she almost feels that she has her mother back.
Is Katy in a dream? Has she invented this person to deal with her grief and pain?
Carol answers a lot of unanswered questions for Katy (and for the reader) as you come to realize who Katy’s mother really was. As Carol tells Katy - “Everything is going to be all right. You’re okay. I’ve got you.”
While a bit confusing at times as to who Carol is, the author wraps everything up nicely at the end. The book is easy to read, with beautiful descriptions of the coast of Italy as well as delicious descriptions of the food.

Out March 1, 2022 [Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with a free eARC in exchange for an honest review!]

Rating: 5/5 stars

When Katy’s beloved mother passes away, she decides to go alone on their planned trip to Positano, Italy—and promptly runs into the thirty-year-old version of her mother, very much alive and not exactly the woman Katy knows and loves.

I’ll be completely honest, I hit the Request button on NetGalley for this one because I was seeing everyone talk about it and I wanted to be in the loop. Then I almost immediately regretted it because it sounded ridiculously sad and the last thing I needed for the headspace I’ve been in lately. I went in with low expectations—honestly, if I made it through without upsetting myself, I figured it would be a win.

FOMO-induced requesting paid off this time. I am so so so glad I read this, because I have a feeling it is one of those books I won’t stop talking about or thinking about for years. As I expected, it is definitely sad (I was near tears by the middle of chapter one) but it is also gorgeous, and brilliant, and clever, and luxurious, and somehow, some way, it is FUN. The characters and the setting leapt off the page and I found myself racing to a picture perfect ending and a plot and character arc that was all I could ask for and more. Truly, ONE ITALIAN SUMMER is a delight, and one that will stick with me for many many seasons to come.

Recommended for anyone, but especially those who like: mother/daughter stories; magical realism; luxurious beach aesthetics.

CW: Illness/death of a parent; abandonment; brief discussion of suicidal thoughts.

This one didn't have a lot going for me EXCEPT for the gorgeous, descriptive scenery. I didn't understand the time travel aspect and it just didn't capture my attention. But I definitely want to travel to Positano!