Thanks to Atria Books, I was provided an ARC of One Italian Summer by Rebecca Serle via Netgalley in exchange for an honest

***** Coming out March 1, 2022*****

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Katy’s mother, Carol, was everything to her, so she when passes away from cancer, her life comes crashing down. It makes Katy rethink her own marriage on what she wants in life. Katy and Carol were supposed to take a trip to Italy when she recovered from her Cancer, which never happened. So Katy decides to take the trip on her own, which her husband agrees. He feels it will be a trip to help her grieve. Katy doesn’t expect to run into a younger version of her mother in Italy. This brings a little confusion to Katy on why this can be? She hangs out with her and even dines with her. Will this this trip bring clarity to her life that she desperately needs?

A unique and entertaining story that will keep you turning the pages to find out Katy’s fate! I loved the ending! I felt that even though this story was a bit unrealistic, it was still an entertaining book that takes you to the Amalfi coast. I could see this book made into a mini-series! This would make a perfect beach read!

This book was not a winner for me. While I enjoyed the descriptions of southern Italy (particularly the food and scenery!), the plot was a bit "meh." The fantastical element didn't really land, and I didn't always find Katy likable as a character. For example, the fact that she had to take certain steps to become more confident in her marriage bothered me. I just don't think that the message of "you can leave your loved ones at home, explore, be impulsive, etc. and then you'll figure out what you really value" is a great one.

An enjoyable novel with a great little twist and a few secrets that keep the story line flowing from beginning to end.

One Italian Summer was my 2nd read by this author, and while I loved In Five Years more, this one was still fun! It was a great story of grief, love, and finding oneself. The escapism in this one was also amazing - the scenic backdrop of Italy, the food and wine, etc all made me NEED to get to Italy asap!! I felt like I was challenged in connecting with the main character herself, but still felt able to connect to her story. Overall, definitely worth picking up!

I received an eARC of ONE ITALIAN SUMMER by Rebecca Serle – thank you to Atria Books and Netgalley for the chance to read and review!

ONE ITALIAN SUMMER begins with Katy grieving the death of her mother Carol. Her mother was her best friend and she doesn’t know how to move on with her life without her mother in it. In the days following her death, tickets show up in the mail, a reminder that the mother-daughter trip to Positano they had planned for her mother’s birthday would have been happening soon. Katy’s mother spent time there when she was younger and always spoke so highly of that trip, so Katy decides to use their vacation plans to take a break from her marriage and her work to figure out where her life is headed.

When Katy arrives in Italy, it is everything she had dreamed of and more. It’s a place full of beautiful settings and fantastic food and friendly people. The biggest surprise comes when she meets Carol – her mother – young and very much alive. She doesn’t know how this is happening, but she’s taking full advantage of the opportunity to spend time with the mother she loved and to get to know the woman she was before Katy remembers her.

This book was so easy to settle into, even as it does deal with some heavy topics of grief. Katy is reeling at the beginning of the book, unsure how she fits into her own life. She’s not sure if her marriage is what she wants anymore and she isn’t sure how to handle the grief of her father or her husband. Taking off for Italy makes the most sense, and what a vacation it is!

This book made me so wish I could just jet off to the Amalfi coast or at least to a local Italian restaurant. The author has an amazing way of describing the food, the people, and the sights of Italy. I think the portrayal of grief and the way people change over the different stages of their life is also very well done.

Don’t read this book hungry, but DO read this book! It was beautiful, sad, and uplifting!

One Italian Summer is my favorite Rebecca Serle story thus far! Her writing is poetic and character development is so in depth, I'm always surprised that her books are as short as they are! I enjoyed the mystery entwined in the plot line along with Katy's journey to self-discovery outside of her marriage in a world without her mother. Her story of loss becomes one of growth, and all set in the beautiful Positano, Italy. I will be purchasing this one for my shelves to read again and again, and will be recommending this to many friends and family as a go-to summer read.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the e-arc!

One Italian Summer definitely fit the description, Italian Summer! I loved that I felt like I was back in Italy just having a great time.

However, I did not have a great time reading this book. The main character, Katy, is probably one of the most selfish characters ever, it was really hard to get into the atmosphere when for half the book Katy will complain about something, or talk about her mom, again.

I really did wish that I liked this more, but please take my review with a grain of salt, this is definitely not for everyone.

This book was fun, heartbreaking and drool worthy from cover to cover. The immense emotions it was able to depict and the relationships to the characters set this book apart. The landscapes and views make you want to pick up this book and read it all over again. But the food! The mouthwatering meals, always accompanied by wine have me ready to book a flight to Positano. As someone who has spent time on the Amalfi Coast, I found this to be one of the most accurate and artistic portrayals. Absolutely loved this book!

I loved this story. I have only dreamed of Italy, but the descriptions completely transport you there. Serle introduces a magical element to the story, and I loved how Katy was able to have her trip with her mother, and get to know her at a younger age. If you like reading about dreamy vacation settings and a journey of self-discovery, I definitely recommend this one. Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for this e-ARC for my honest review.

Date reviewed: February 12, 2022
Publication date: March 1, 2022

This books is magical and emotional. You follow a story of a grieving woman who, after losing her mother, take a trip to Italy to learn more about her mother’s past and to rediscover herself. The author did an amazing job “taking” us to Italy to experience the beautiful landscape, food and people.

I took one star off my rating due to the main character. I just couldn’t connect with her and like her. Katy seemed very self centered and selfish.

Overall I think this is a great read. It’s fast, easy and can be finished in one sitting. Great beach, vacation book.

Thank you NetGalley, Atria Books and the author for a free ARC copy in exchange for my honers review. Pub

This book takes you to Italy, the sights, smells, and tastes through its vivid descriptions. This however, was the only thing I liked about this book. The magical realism did not work for me in this amd I personally did not like the main character. Beginning was slow and I found myself just wanting it to be over.

“There us more to life than continuing to just do what we know. What got you here won’t get you there”

I really liked Rebecca Serle’s In Five Years and feel the same about this one. This will absolutely transport you both geographically and emotionally. Traveling to Italy has always been on my bucket list and reading this made me feel like I feel like I was there…instead of cold gray Michigan. I went into this one blind and was a little thrown by the magical realism element but it worked! In addition, the mother daughter relationship is something really near and dear to my heart right now

As somebody who is very close to my mother who has a degenerative disease, I was excited to read this to feel some catharsis, perhaps acceptance, and the feel-good feelings of a close mother-daughter relationship.

Unfortunately, I found this book to be more triggering for me than good for me. This isn't to the fault of the book, but it just wasn't a good fit for me as I am in this particular moment in my life.

Thank you so much for the ARC. I can definitely see myself returning to this book eventually, but not anytime soon. Leaving a 4 star rating so I don't mess with the average rating of the book.

What a compelling and magical story!

Katy and her mom, Carol, are best friends. When Carol dies, Katy has lost a piece of herself. They had planned to take a mother/daughter trip to Positano, a place near and dear to Carol's heart, but never got the chance. To help herself try to come to terms with her grief and failing marriage, Katy decides to take the trip alone.

As Katy eats and drinks her way through the Positano, Capri and Naples she learns more and more about Carol's life 30 years ago and about herself.

This is a quick, emotional read with realistic descriptions will make you actually think you're right there in Italy, floating in the ocean right under the rocks of Faraglioni.

*Thanks to Netgalley, Atria Books and Rebecca Serle for the ARC copy. I am voluntarily leaving my honest review*

❤️ I enjoyed the themes of family and the idea that the small moments in life often stick with us the most. I like how the story ended and I loved the quote “the present is relentless.”

❤️  the setting of this book was glorious. from the vivid imagery, to the mouthwatering food descriptions, I was transported to Italy.

💔 overall, this was just an okay read for me. I found certain elements to be bizarre and adam gave me the ick. I am extremely close to my mom so I expected this to be an emotional read, I just didn’t connect with or feel invested in the characters.

3.5/5

Rebecca Serle does it AGAIN. I have never read another author who takes such heartbreaking stories and turns them into such compelling, unexpected pageturners. I was right there with Katy and Carol the whole time, and so completely engrossed by their paths through this book. I immediately wanted to call my mom as soon as I finished the last page - what a ride. I love the love stories Serle tells that are about so much more than just romantic love. Another beautiful hit - I loved it.

I started ONE ITALIAN SUMMER on the sandy shores of Sanibel Island and it followed me home to a Michigan snowstorm. This novel was a balm that soothed my longing to return to the beach as these pages whisked me away to the Amalfi Italian coast.

After the death of her mother, grieving Katy embarks on the Italian trip of a lifetime she intended to take with her mother. Katy leaves behind a fledgling career and a marriage of comfort and convenience that she is contemplating leaving.

Positano offers Katy an opportunity to lose herself in the decadent Italian dishes, glistening waters, and abundant wine. Implausibly, Katy stumbles upon a thirty year old version of her mother and the two embark on an unforgettable trip.

If you’re willing to suspend a bit of disbelief, this story will fill your heart and leave you desperate for burrata cheese and a ripe salty tomato. The story shines in its strong sense of place; I felt like I had truly been dropped in Positano. This is the perfect escapist read but also tackles heavier themes of grief, identity, and the people we choose to keep.

This is my first novel by Rebecca Serle but surely won’t be my last. Pack this into your spring break beach bag! ONE ITALIAN SUMMER is a love letter not only to Italy, but mother-daughter relationships and the small decisions that build a beautiful life.

RATING: 4/5
PUB DATE: March 1, 2022

A big thank you to Atria books and NetGalley for the trip of a bookish lifetime in exchange for an honest review.

#OneItalianSummer #RebeccaSerle

I can honestly say that this book was unlike anything I have ever read before which is in turn making this review and rating difficult.

One Italian Summer transported me to Positano Italy, and made up my mind that I need to go and visit ASAP. Between the amazing descriptions of the landscape and architecture to the food and restaurants that almost felt real, I am 100% sold on making Positano a bucket list destination. I have never felt so transported by a book as I did in One Italian Summer.

I feel like this is a book any mother or daughter should read as a focal point is Katy’s relationship and loss of her mother. It had me thinking about my relationship with my mom and how I would love to go on a European vacation with her. The relationship between Katy and her mom makes you remember that your parents had a whole life before you were even a thought. Although at times I was feeling like their relationship was a little too much.

The aspect that I was not entirely sold on was the magical realism. I wound up liking how it ended - no spoilers - but I felt like the set up could’ve been described better to make it more understandable and easier to grasp for the reader

All thinks considered this book gets 3.5 stars from me rounded up to 4. Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for providing me this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

I’m officially a Rebecca Serle fan!

A huge thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for my advanced copy of One Italian Summer.

I absolutely loved this book!
I have read books by Rebecca Serle in the past and this is by far my favorite. I DNF’d The Dinner List and thought In Five Years was just OK.

What I Loved

*The Setting- One Italian Summer takes place in Positano. (A village on the Almalfi Coast) I’ve never really had a desire to visit Italy until now. I could vividly imagine the beautiful scenery, the sea breeze and the bright sun. It brought me joy.

*The Writing- Rebecca Serle books are easy to read and fairly short. One Italian Summer is under 300 pages.

*The Emotion- This book deals heavily in grief. As someone who has recently lost a parent I could very much relate to the main character. I loved the magical realism that was woven into the story.. I would do anything to have just a few more moments with my father and I enjoyed watching Katy reconnect with her mom in a very unique way.
I was definitely invested.

Overall- highly recommend. I can definitely see myself revisiting this book via audio in the future. I look forward to reading more by this author.

Never has a book fully gripped my attention in just the first few pages like One Italian Summer did. Katy’s experiences of grief felt like everything I felt when going through the loss of my mom, even including the solo trip to Europe just a few weeks after, except for me it was London.

I don’t think I have connected with a book this strongly in a really long time and I really encourage everyone to give this one a try! It is fast paced and heartbreaking and I am so thankful for this read!

Absolutely 5 Stars!

Many many thanks to NetGalley, Atria Books and Simon and Schuster for providing me with this advanced copy in exchange for an honest review!!