Thank you NetGalley for a chance to preview One Italian Summer by Rebecca Serve. While I enjoyed the vivid description about Italy's Amalfi Coast, I did not at all like the main character, Katy. I found it a little weird how dependent she is (was) on her mother and how little respect she has for her husband who appears to be a standup person. I also didn't like the flashback in time. I didn't understand how Katy was able to live in the past and spend time with her mother from 30 years ago and have an affair in this flashback. I kept expecting the author to wrap it up by explaining how this was possible. The book didn't drag, but I am disappointed in it.

When Katy’s mom died, her world fell apart. To help with her grief, she takes the trip to Italy she had planned to take with her mom. While Katy accomplishes some of their itinerary, she sees her mom. Katy and Carol become friends, and as Katy learns about her mother as a young woman, she learns about herself as well. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to be an early reader in exchange for my review.

I first want to thank Netgalley and Atria Books for an advanced copy of One Italian Summer. I was so excited to see a new story written by one of my favorite authors from 2020, In Five Years' Rebecca Serle. Somewhere along the way this book fell flat for me and I hope I'm in the minority about my feelings because I want nothing but success for Rebecca and this book! I had a problem with the main character's strong dependency on her mother even in the wake of her passing. Along the way of her upbringing I feel like it would have been beneficial for the mom to tell her daughter to spread her wings, but instead leaves her child without essential lessons in their adult lives. I also had issues with the way the main character treats her husband after her mother dies. It honestly reminded me of Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life where Rory Gilmore always comically forgot she had a boyfriend and would hook up with someone while still in that relationship. I think the author took too much inspiration from that Netflix special. And don't get me started on the weird unexplained time travel that goes on in this story, it was not cohesive and didn't benefit the happy ending the author paints for us. I will give this a very generous three stars and hope for more promising stories from Rebecca in the future.

QUICK TAKE: I cried a bunch. A really sweet mother/daughter story with some great escapism. Probably my favorite of Serle's after THE DINNER LIST.

My Mom passed away in April of 2021 and it seems like a lot of books I've been gravitating to lately are about Mother/Daughter relationships. This one hit a little close to home and I loved it. This was a moving book that lifted me up during a really sad time.
I loved Rebecca Serles "In Five Years". I think "One Italian Summer" was wonderful!

I recently finished this one and let’s just say she does it again.

Grab your tissues because this navigates you a story of loss, grief and navigating your life back to yourself.

One Italian Summer follows Katy as she travels to Positano, Italy following her mothers death. She ends up meeting the 30 year old version of her mother and learning about her mother as a young woman. I am continually amazed by Rebecca Serle’s ability to create unrealistic storylines and keep them grounded. While time travel is usually difficult for me to believe and go with, Rebecca weaves it into the story almost like it’s a background detail. I would definitely recommend to friends.

One last book for 2021 - the perfect way to end the year.
Five big ole stars for this book!!
I absolutely loved the story and the characters.
I’m ready to get on a plane and hug my momma.

This one just didn't work for me. I loved the descriptions of Positano as it brought me back to my own visit there five years ago. But the characters did not behave in ways that made sense to me at times so I found it hard to relate or have empathy.

I adored this story. It was well written and I felt like I was walking the paths of Italy with Katy. I loved the story of her reconnecting with her mother in Italy; it was beautiful. I liked watching Katy explore the world around her while learning about herself in the process. I’m so glad this copy was gifted to my by the publisher. I will be recommending this story to all.

Positano is the impossibly perfect setting for this story of love lost and found. The location is practically one of the main characters, and the paeans to delectable Italian food soak up as much of the word count as a subplot. Katy is an appealing heroine, and the young Carol is ripped from the Mamma Mia! songbook. Overall it’s a lovely escape with some pleasant people to an ideal location, with a last-minute plot twist that elevates it.

Tina's Reviews > One Italian Summer
One Italian Summer by Rebecca Serle
One Italian Summer
by Rebecca Serle (Goodreads Author)
13328947
Tina's reviewDec 28, 2021 · edit
liked it

This isn't labeled as a fantasy genre but there is an element of unintentional time travel in the plot. Sounds weird, right? What attracted me to this story was a chance to go back in time and meet your mother again when she was young.

Katy is very devoted to her mother Carol and the feeling is mutual. They are like best friends and so very close. The story begins with Carol's death and Katy grieving. At the same time Katy was questioning if her marriage to Eric was over so there is a lot of emotional turmoil in her life.

Katy and Carol were meant to take a trip to Italy, the tickets had been purchased months before. When the tickets arrive Katy decides to go on the trip alone and think about her marriage as well as deal with the grief of losing her mother.

Something strange happens once she arrives at the hotel. After awakening from a nap, she comes upon her mother in the hotel lobby. Carol is 30 years younger and Katy thinks she's lost her mind. Well, wouldn't you?
They strike up a friendship and Katy learns more about her mother and her past, making her evaluate her life a bit differently.

This is the second book I have read by this author and I liked In Five Years a bit more than this one. I would read more by Rebecca Serle. 3 1/2 Stars.

Publication date March 1, 2022 by Atria Books. Genre: Women's Fiction.

Thank you to Netgalley for the advanced reader's copy of this book. I was not compensated for the review, all opinions are mine.

Thank you for the advanced copy of this book! I will be posting my review on social media, to include Instagram, Amazon, Goodreads, and Instagram!

This one hit me with all the feels. I'm an only child and my mom is my best friend. The first couple of chapters were nearly unbearable for me to read because I can't even imagine Katy's grief over losing her mom. It broke my heart until a million pieces.

While it starts out sad, One Italian Summer became more about healing, discovering who you truly are and what you really want in life. As with In Five Years, this was incredibly moving, powerful and beautifully written. The characters were deep and I felt like I was in Positano alongside them with the beautiful description.

Read this. It's not to be missed. Certainly one of my favorite books of 2021.

5/5 stars.

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for the digital ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This was not what I was expecting when I requested this book. I’m didn’t realize it was going to have any type of magic/magic realism. That being said it is a very good book that stirs the emotions. Beautifully written. It was a pleasant but unexpected surprise. I will most certainly give this author another read.

I just love everything Rebecca Serle writes. I’m generally not a huge fan of magical realism, but she does it so beautifully. I truly felt like I was in Positano with Katy and Carol. I will say this was maybe a tiny bit predictable compared to her other books. I figured out pretty much right away that Katy was the one who time skipped, but the book was still very enjoyable even with that knowledge so early on. Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the advance copy.

This is my new all time favorite book. As a thriller junkie I am shocked that I loved this book so much that I can call it my favorite. I cannot say enough good things about this book. I want to buy 100 copies and give everyone I know one. I was hooked instantly. I am extremely close with my mom so I absolutely loved reading about a story with such a close mother/daughter duo. The writing in this book was so good that I didn’t spend any time question or caring about anything that wasn’t realistic. It just felt like magic. Like everything I needed to read. I was so invested in this story, I cried multiple times. I, like anyone, love a good vacation but I’ve never cared much if I never leave the country. I’ve always been happy to just check all the states off my adventure list but this book has me dreaming of Italy. Like I’ve actually already mapped out what hotels and flights would cost. Rebecca did an amazing job of painting a picture of Italy and the magic of the Amalfi Coast. Thank you to Atria Books and Netgalley for the ARC. Thank you 1,000 times to Rebecca Serle for writing this story, I loved it so much. I will post this review to goodreads, Amazon and Instagram!

Fans of Rebecca Serle will absolutely love this. I really did enjoy it as well- there was an element of magical realism that I don't particularly love. However, her writing, character development, etc. was wonderful. Her characters are definitely relatable and you will enjoy this book!

A beautifully written story of love between a mother and daughter and second chances we all wished we had. Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher.

Wow!! Colorfully descriptive and evocative writing! One Italian Summer immersed me into the scenery and I felt I was in and experiencing Italy directly through these words. The subtly of the story unfolding kept me flipping the pages and on the edge of my seat until the end! Lots of twists and turns that will pull the reader along for the ride! Buy this book and pick up your ticket to spending a summer in Italy!!