I know I will like a book when it starts with a Lorelai Gilmore quote.

Katy Silver is lost. She's young, not yet 30, married to her college sweetheart. He's a Disney exec, and she has a dream copywriting job at an advertising agency. But Katy lost her mom, who also happened to be her best friend, to cancer. This loss occurs on the eve of a trip to Italy; the two were planning a trip for years to return to the village her mom visited as a young woman. Unsure of moving forward with her life, she tells her husband she needs a break and goes on the mother-daughter dream vacation alone. Or so Katy thinks. On her first day in Positano, she meets a 30-year-old Carole Silver.

An elevated beach read, Rebecca Serle transports the reader to the Italian seaside. This book was incredibly easy to get into. I read almost half the book in one sitting because I couldn't put it down. Who is this woman Katy met who looks exactly like her mom's younger version? The hotel staff seems a little magical. But is this her mother from the past, or is there a perfectly rational explanation for this woman?

The imagery and adventures Katy and Carol's experience make this book fly by. Well, it would have gone faster if I didn't stop every other chapter to Google a location. Beautifully written, I highly recommend this book. It will make you treasure your mother-daughter relationship as you experience Katy and Carol's ups and downs. One Italian summer would make a great gift for mothers day.

Superb setting, Serle's storytelling is so masterful the mother-daughter tale reads like a fast thriller. The attention to detail gives this book an added charm.

3.5 stars rounded up to 4.

The book starts out with describing the relationship between Katy and her mother Carol and it is a bit unhealthy. Katy seems to have a weird obsession with her mother, one where she prefers her mother over her husband even. I felt like the author spent a lot of time explaining this obsessive relationship instead of moving on with the storyline.

The author does a great job with describing Italy and all the food and I felt liked I had been whisked away to a sunny Italian village.

Overall, I enjoyed the storyline, but I feel like there was something missing with the flow of the story and linking what happened in Italy. I do not want to give any spoilers so I won’t go into much detail. Basically, there is an event that happens in Italy and then it’s over but the transition is lacking.

This book will have you questioning dreams, purpose in life, and regrets. Upon the death of her mother Katy questions her life, purpose, and even her marriage. Her mother Carol faces regrets and what her true life purpose is. This book reminded me that life is about letting go of the ones you love and letting them find their own way.

NetGalley Advanced Review Copy | I love Rebecca Serle, and In Five Years was one of my all-time favorite books.

With that said, I had high expectations for One Italian Summer. They weren't quite met -- but you cannot win them all.

However, I loved how much Positano dripped off of those pages (and yes, we've been; this book made me so nostalgic).

Unfortunately, I wasn't wowed by the plot. Katy's character felt one-dimensional and annoyingly flat.

Even though the topic is heavy -- the death of a parent -- the story lacked substance and depth. Maybe because of its short length? Nothing felt fleshed out or developed with meaning.

One Italian Summer is more of a fluffy novel. I still ate up the Italy setting (as a traveler), and if you want a short, time-travely read set in Positano, it's worth a quick read.

You can find our full review on The Uncorked Librarian here: https://www.theuncorkedlibrarian.com/upcoming-new-book-releases-2022/

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for a free advanced copy in exchange for a fair and honest review.

I absolutely love the dreamy writing style Serle captures in all of her books. The romance is strong, but definitely takes more of a backseat to the main character's own development and personal journey, which I prefer. The setting was fabulous and the magical realism elements made me lose track of time and completely engross myself in the novel. I will be recommending this one all summer! 5 stars.

Rebecca Serle had me at hello with her latest novel One Italian Summer! I love novels that center around mother/daughter relationships and this one is officially one of my favorites! In the wake of her beloved mother’s passing, Katy decides to go ahead with a much anticipated Italian getaway. Katy’s mom, Carol, was so incredibly passionate about the time she spent in Italy when she was younger, so going solo seems the only option for Katy to find more connection to her. From that point, I literally found this 5 star novel unputdownable! It’s not very often a novel grabs me by the heart, but One Italian Summer will definitely be a book that stays with me! This novel would make a fantastic book club selection! I can’t wait until my friends and family read this gem because I NEED to discuss it! If you haven’t had the opportunity to read Rebecca yet, I highly recommend you start with One Italian Summer!

Rebecca Serle writes the most magical book.
One Italian Summer is about Katy who is struggling to deal with her mother's death. She ends up taking the dream vacation that she and her mother had already planned. Katy leaves her husband behind because she is not sure she wants to be married. During the summer, Katy tours the Italian cost and makes plenty of new friends including her 30 year old mother who visited Italy when she was young.
I love how these books add this fantasy and magical elements without it taking over the whole book. No explanation is given and none is needed.

The Good:
▫️Gorgeous scenery
▫️Complex mother/daughter relationships
▫️Relatable characters. Especially if you are a mother, or have ever questioned if you’re on the right path in life.
▫️Italy my love.
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The Bad:
▫️That I am not in Positano enjoying this gorgeous place!
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Overall:
This book hit home for me. First off thank you so much to Atria books for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book. This was my first ARC and it did not disappoint.
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At the heels of her mother’s death, Katy Silver takes a summer trip to Italy. A trip she was supposed to go on with her mother. Katy decides to leave everything behind and take the trip solo. Once she arrives she will discover more about herself in 2 weeks, than in her entire lifetime.
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I related to both female characters Katy and Carol. While at very different places in their life, I felt parallels between their reality and my own. Katy and Carol are complex characters who are both at a crossroads in their life. If you have ever questioned whether you are on the right path in life I think you will relate to this story. I don’t want to share too much more with risk of giving away spoilers.
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Italy is a true love of mine. I had the pleasure of going the year I turned 21 and it was the trip of a lifetime. We stayed a few days in Positano and it felt like a place right out of a movie. Completely breathtaking. This book brought me back, and made me yearn to go again.
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I loved everything about this book. I hope you do too. I pre ordered a hard copy once and I encourage you to do the same. And thank you to Netgalley and Atria books for giving me the chance to read this book early in exchange for an honest review.

This wouldn’t be great for young adults (although seniors in high school or those interested in travel would enjoy). However as an adult educator I loved it! The setting was amazing and I felt like I was there. I loved the twists and magical element. It is a love story for mothers and daughters and I would highly recommend!

One Italian Summer by Rebecca Serle

TW:
Death of a parent
Mother/Daughter Relationship

Synopsis: Katy and Carol are more than just mother and daughter; they are best friends. They had a trip planned to Positano, Italy for two weeks, just the two of them. The perfect mother daughter getaway. But with the horrific passing of Carol, Katy decides to go by herself. Striving to find answers to the questions in her life Carol can no longer answer for her, Katy sets out for the adventure of her life. The minute Katy gets to Positano, she can’t help but feel her mothers presence wherever she goes. Throughout her journey she finds the answers to questions she didn’t even know she needed.

Rebecca Serle really outdid herself with this novel. If you love Gilmore Girls, you will LOVE One Italian Summer. Rebecca Serle illustrates a unique and special bond between Katy and Carol. The bond between daughters and mothers is very unique and this one really paralleled the relationship I have with my mom. The way Rebecca Serle describes Katy’s grief is gut wrenching, but true. I could literally feel her devastation, confusion, and anger. What would her life become now that her mother is gone? I cried on the second page of this book, and sobbed during the last thirty pages. This is even a difficult review to write because I am finding it hard to put into words. This novel has seriously left me speechless.

Not only was this about the relationship between Katy and her mom, but also between Katy and her Husband Eric. This novel surrounds itself in love. Love for a parent, love for a partner, and ultimately love for yourself.

10/5 Stars- This is definitely my favorite book so far this year!

There are so many quotes that struck me to my core, that I will share over the next few weeks until it is published. One Italian Summer will be published on March 1, 2022. You can pre-order it today on Amazon. I also encourage you to follow Rebecca Serle on Instagram as she will have tour dates soon for this new novel! Thank you to NetGalley, Atria books, and Rebecca Serle for allowing me the opportunity to read this novel.

I really like In Five Years by Rebecca Serle so I was super excited when I was given an advanced copy of her latest book, One Italian Summer!

Katy is grieving the recent loss of her mother, Carol, when she decides to take the mother-daughter trip they had planned to Italy by herself. Carol had spent time in Positano as a young woman and always wanted to go back. Katy packs her bags and leaves her husband, who she's not sure she still wants to be married to, behind. As soon as she steps foot in the hotel she's blown away by the beauty of Italy and starts exploring on her own. One day when returns to the hotel she sees a familiar young woman at the front desk and realizes it's her own mother. Carol is 30 years old and doesn't know who Katy but strikes but a friendship with Katy. The pair explore Positano and Katy learns so much about her mother that she never knew.

I really enjoyed it but the explanation for the time jumping isn't much of an explanation at all. I'm almost wondering if the whole thing was a strange dream Katy had after spending too long in the Italian sun. Weird time jumps aside this was a fun read. I was transported to the Amalfi Coast when reading this and could almost smell the ocean the scene descriptions were so vivid. It's a short book but I liked how the book allowed Katy to spend some extra time with her mother while she also figures out what she wants from life. Katy does a lot of self reflecting and thinking about she's been living her life for others. One Italian Summer centered on a difficult topic but it was still a light and fun story. The mother-daughter relationship was the main plot point but there was some romance on the side that was a nice addition. I'd recommend this if you're looking for a beach read or something to escape cold weather.

Thank you to Netgalley and Atria Books for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

In Five Years was a gut punch of a read and I hoped (?) suspected (?) that One Italian Summer would also serve up some serious emotional damage, especially after reading the synopsis. And yes, there were definitely some highs and lows, but for me it felt more like an exploration and a chance for discovery that Italy offered Katy. She was so lost and flailing that having this completely magical opportunity to learn a little more about her mother and herself gave her a view of things that staying stateside would have never given her.



While One Italian Summer wasn't exactly what I anticipated, I really liked what it offered. Not only did I get to read about a deep and abiding love between a mother and a daughter, which isn't something I come across very often, but I also got to ponder the big questions Katy worked through while doing it all in the most divine location (one I'm hoping to see soon).

I absolutely loved this book. It hit so many notes with me- it was poignant, a little painful, real, reflective, and a very relatable look at loss, love, and how a woman defines herself first as a daughter. Katy's grief and struggle to see herself and her future without her mother thrusts her onto a path of exploration and a magical trip to the Amalfi Coast where the sun, the food and the people begin to awaken the parts of her that died with her mother. I was so pleasantly surprised with the friendship she makes with Carol and feel lucky that I didn't know too much about the book before sitting down with this, the journey was a magical one. I have been to this part of Italy and Rebecca Serle captured the unmistakable beauty and richness on the page. I was ridiculously hungry and left longing for my own escape to this place of wondrous beauty and dreams. The story was so enjoyable and rewarding and full of surprises. For anyone who has suffered a loss and said goodbye to a parent, this book can be a healing balm on a heart in need of sunshine (and pizza.)

This was a fun read! Well written and paced, with good character development and a fun story. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher!

When you cant travel internationally, there is nothing like a book to sweep you off to the Amalfi Coast. One Italian Summer is the sweet story of loss, love, finding yourself and amazing food.

I really enjoyed this book and love getting wrapped up in Rebecca Serle's writing. There are emotional ups and downs - reveals that make you realize you never know the full story and surprising parts that make you swoon.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC!

I read this gorgeous book in one sitting - and I am so glad I did. Part love letter to Italy. Part exploration of grief. And part ode to mother/daughter relationships and the secrets women keep.

Rebecca Serle continues to have a way to both wreck me and put me back together; her written is so evocative of whatever emotion she is trying to portray and I could not love it more.

And the descriptions of the settings? I felt myself falling in love with Positano and day dreaming about an international vacay soon; Serle really did an excellent job at capturing the Italian culture and way of life - leisure, wine and love.

Thanks to NetGalley, Atria Books and Rebecca Serle for allowing me an early peek at One Italian Summer with an eARC

I am now totally head over heels in love with Positano.

Time travel is tough to write in a way that readers will find it believable enough to stick with it. I think Ms. Serle got it just right.

I read the first 10%. This is a first-person story that kicks off with depression and grieving, and it is really well written. Great picture into the head of our lead, who is about to embark on a journey that will change her life. If it continues as is, an easy four stars.

Thank you NetGalley and Atria for the ARC.

2.5/5

When Katy’s mom dies right before their planned mother-daughter vacation to Positano, she decides to go on the trip herself - leaving her husband and job behind in limbo. Once in Italy, somehow her mom appears - healthy and in the flesh- as a thirty year old woman.

Reading this made me want to travel to the Amalfi Coast. The food, the wine, the people, the beaches. Officially added to my list of places I want to visit.

But this book just did not doing for me. If you have read my previous review, you know that I didn’t love IN FIVE YEARS because I could not connect with the MC. I felt that again with this book.

Katy’s relationship with her mom is extremely idealized. The reasons she seemed to love her mom were this one dimensional idealized notion of a mother and a wife which felt superficial to me at times. Also, despite being an adult, Katy relies on her mother to make every decision for her.

I understand that Katy is grieving and as someone who has lost their mother as a young adult I know that it can turn your world upside down. But it is unfair to her husband to pick up and leave with the only description being “I’m not sure that I can stay married to you.” If that is your coping mechanism when you come upon difficult emotions, that is a red flag our MC needed better communication skills.

ALSO why is Katy not more freaked out about seeing her mom? Not once does she question that it can’t be real that she is seeing her mother at thirty years old!

Thank you @netgalley and @atriabooks for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Katy's mother was more than just her mother, she was her best friend and her everything. Now that she is gone Katy is lost and does not know what to do. She goes on the trip to Italy she was supposed to take with her mother and against all odds finds her mother as she was one her first trip to Italy. As Katy gets to know Carol she learns more about herself and what she wants out of life. A story of finding yourself.

I loved The Dinner Party and the Last Five Years but this one fell flat for me. Katy’s grief is paramount but her codependency on her mother got old very fast. The amount of times she mentioned the things she didn’t know how to do because her mother always did them felt odd - she didn’t seem to have any friends outside her mom, felt love only from her mom, though she had a loving husband and father. Just felt a bit too much for me. The writing was fantastic and I felt like I was in Italy, but Katy was not a protagonist I loved.