"I dreamed of you again last night. It's always the same one. And not the usual memory of the night we first kissed, or the time we got caught in the rain and I lost my shoe and you carried me up all those stairs and I realized I loved you. No, it was when we met."
"...you have known my true heart and soul from the very first moment I met your gaze."

Olivia Moretti loved Rafe with her whole being. He lived a simple life in a beautiful Italian city. At 19, Olivia thought that would always be enough. Then life happened.

Priscilla, Devon and Bailey have the opportunity to get to know their mother in an entirely different light. Digging through her past is exciting, enlightening and heartbreaking.

If I could give this book 10 stars, I absolutely would. Everything about this story, these characters, hit me in all sorts of ways. The happy, the sad, the difficult, the fun - every bit of it. I will feel this book for a very long time. It's one of those books, that when you finish, you don't want it to be over.

The story and the way it is told is AMAZING. Hands down, this will be my best read of 2022, and likely the best in years. I really do not have the right words to describe how much I loved this book.

The Secret Love Letters of Olivia Moretti is such a wonderful read. Following the unexpected death of their mother, Olivia, Pris, Dev, and Bae return to their childhood home to clean out Olivia’s belonging to get them ready to put on the market. In her bedroom closet, they find a trunk that contains a love letter from R underneath a blanket along with the deed to a house in Positano, Italy. The last letter from R, has him agreeing to meet Olivia in Positano on her sixty-fifth birthday on May 25, which occurred after her February death. The sisters decide to head to Positano each for their own reasons, to look at the house with the possibility of selling it. Each sister has is so different and I love it so much. Pricilla, Bailey, and Devon will each have their own issues in their personal lives as they work to discover their mothers' secrets in Italy and grow together as siblings. Pricilla is the oldest and is going through life just content and knows things need to change in some way. She misses her old life as a talented ballet dancer and wants more now that her son is out of the house. Bailey is the youngest and the most free-spirited out of them. She is the artist and sees everything with rose-colored glasses. Devon is the middle sister and probably the most organized by the schedule and everything needs to be done a certain way. She is driven and focused on her career and has let past mistakes overtake her. During their time spent there, hard truths spill out causing each sister to take a long, hard look at their own life and relationship with their siblings.

Olivia Moretti had passed away a few months ago and her daughters are going through her things when they stumble upon a chest at the back of her closet with letters enclosed in it and a deed to a home in Positano Italy that they knew nothing about. These letters are from a mystery man that was supposed to meet their mom in Italy for her 65th Birthday in May, which she never made it to because she had passed a couple of months before.

Pris, Dev, and Bailey decide to make the trek to Positano and find out who this mysterious man is and sell the house, but as you know nothing ever goes as planned. There were so many things I loved about this story, first and foremost it was almost as if we were gifted two stories because we travel back in time and get first hand knowledge of Olivia's relationship with "R" AND we get to see how her daughters try to find who "R" is and what they uncover about their mom, and themselves along the way.

This story was a little bittersweet for me, the backdrop for this emotional read is Positano Italy and it was written in 2020 at the height of the pandemic. If you follow me on Social Media you may remember that I was scheduled to travel to Sorrento Italy in April of 2020 but everything had closed down in March and my son had returned home from attending school there, I had also come down with COVID so our travel plans never happened. But with this story and the vivid descriptions of Positano and Sorrento I felt as if I was right there with Priscilla, Devon, and Bailey. I still plan on visiting sometime in the future but for now I feel as if I know the beautiful town along the Amalfi Cost.

I highly recommend this book to anyone that enjoys Women's Fiction, Secret Romances, or Destination Romances.

Happy Reading!!!

Very thought provoking book. Three sisters inherit their mothers house in Italy, a house they knew nothing about and a life they knew nothing about. While searching for clues to their mother's secret life, they discuss secrets they didn't know about themselves. I loved this book as it lets you discover inner feelings about yourself that you may not have realized were there. Loved this book from beginning to end. Kept me guessing.

Even though I read this book, I picture it as a movie. The characters came to life for me, the setting of Italy was described in such detail that I could picture the town, the boats, and especially the town, and their story went straight to my heart making me invested in what was going to happen.

The sisters, Priscilla, Devon, and Bailey, have issues with each other. They are forced together when their mother passes away and they find out she kept a secret, a secret in Italy. Their trip to Italy brought them new emotions, new friends, and new family members. I enjoyed seeing them struggle with what they were feeling and what they were wanting in life. I enjoyed more seeing them come together and figure out what they really want from each other and how to accomplish a sisterhood that I know cannot be broken.

I am a fan of Jennifer Probst and will continue to read her books. I recommend any of her books, especially The Secret Love Letters of Olivia Moretti

This is my first read by this author and I’m angry at myself for taking so long!
I’m a fan for life and moving forward, I’ll be working my way through all her books!
That said, what an epic story to pop my new author Cherry to!
It had all the elements I love in a story! Multiple POV, a beautiful setting and romance, and a smart complex story involving family. In this story, beautiful Italy acts as the “other” character that brings this story to life. When you add all these components, and I was hooked.
This story for me was so relatable and moving. Family relations especially among siblings are always so complicated and misunderstood, so writing about them is a challenging task. This author took great care to flawlessly develop a story of 3 sisters who don’t really get along, engaged in the arduous and emotional task of cleaning out their recently deceased mother’s house.
That alone peeked my curiosity and captivated my attention! During their clean up, they come upon some letters and papers where they discover their mother had a past they never knew or imagined.

This led them to take the risk of traveling together and take a chance to visit their mom’s homeland of Italy to learn more about her secrets…

Oh my goodness, I embarked on an emotional and bittersweet journey I couldn’t put down and I’m still thinking about.
This was an intimate story that looked at family, love, and forgiveness and spun it into heartfelt passionate journey that’s a must read!

Review will be posted on 2/24/22
Pris, Devon, and Bailey's mother, Olivia, has unexpectedly died from pneumonia and left behind some juicy family secrets. For starters, the girls find out their mother had a cottage on the Amalfi Coast of Italy. Along with the deed to the house, they find love letters to her mother from "R." The letters detail their love affair as well as a promise made that on Olivia's 65th birthday, they would meet up again. Sadly, Olivia never made it. So, the three sisters, even though they aren't currently very close, decide to drop everything and go see this house and try to figure out who their mother's secret lover is. The women question how well they knew their mother; meanwhile, they have their own problems to sort out in The Secret Love Letters of Olivia Moretti by Jennifer Probst.

Each sister brings something interesting to the table in The Secret Love Letters of Olivia Moretti. The eldest sister, Priscilla, is the responsible one. A former New York City ballerina, Pris has lost her way a bit and her marriage is suffering. Her husband is married to his job as a lawyer and now that their son is grown, she is trying to figure out her next step and how to repair her marriage. Devon, a professor, has put all of her eggs in her career basket, which leaves her love life empty. Not to mention, Devon still holds a grudge towards Bailey over a guy. Then there's Bailey, a free-spirit, who goes where the wind takes her. All three women are very different and don't have a close relationship; however, this trip will force them to not only examine their sisterly relationships, but also the relationships with themselves.

Probst includes various chapters from the daughters' perspectives, and also from Olivia's too. I was actually really into Olivia's chapters in The Secret Love Letters of Olivia Moretti and couldn't wait to find out more about her past. At times, the chapters focusing on the daughters didn't seem as engaging as Olivia's. How could they compete, though? Olivia was on quite the adventure when visiting her aunt in Italy. Over a course of many summers, she meets her love and their relationship develops. If meeting up every summer on the Italian Coast and continue where they left off doesn't make you swoon, you are heartless! Both Olivia and her Italian beau both want to be together full-time, but there seems to be too much in their way. Cue the star-crossed lovers vibe.

The true star of The Secret Love Letters of Olivia Moretti is the location of the Amalfi Coast. Probst nails its depiction. I felt like I was there and this was the perfect winter escape. I mean who doesn't wish they surprisingly inherited a house on the gorgeous Italian coast?

By the time The Secret Love Letters of Olivia Moretti was over, each sister has figured out more about themselves, improved their relationships with one another, and figured out the truth surrounding their mother. While this wasn't an earth-shattering read, it was exactly the kind of book I was hoping to immerse myself in over a dreary winter weekend.

Have you read Jennifer Probst? Is this book on your TBR list? Have you visited the Amalfi Coast? Let me know your thoughts in the comments below.

5 Love, Family and Friendship Stars!!

What an amazing book Ms. Probst has given us. The story of three sisters, and their mother, through letters, takes us on a journey of discovery both at home and abroad in the beautiful town of Positano, Italy.

Priscilla, Devon and Bailey are three sisters that, over the years have grown apart not only from each other, but somewhat from their mother. But when their mom dies suddenly, these three women are tasked with the heart wrenching task of going through their childhood home and unexpectedly discover old love letters that their mother had kept and hidden from everyone for decades… here’s the rub though, the letters weren’t between their parents but a man they only know as “R” and so begins their journey to get answers.

I loved this book so much. It’s beautifully written and gives us multiple points of view, not only from Pris, Dev and Bae, but their Mom, Olivia or Livia as “R” calls her in his letters. The three of them head to Positano to see the home their mom left to them, which was another surprise, and to see if they could find the elusive “R.” When the girls are in Positano and they see the cottage their mother loved so much, they had more questions, but not sure where to get the answers. As they explored the town and met different people, some answers began to surface. What was also changing is the relationship between the three sisters. My heart felt so heavy for them as they faced their own insecurities and maybe lost dreams and aspirations. There was also a new understanding of what life really is….

“Life wasn’t a map of strict boundaries of black and white. It was a mess of gray areas that mushed together in no evident pattern.”

I was glued to this book from the moment I started it. Ms. Probst does a wonderful job of bringing Italy to my living room. Her attention to detail is phenomenal. As the story moves along and the girls start getting some answers, they also realize that as different as they all are, they’re better together and have a renewed sense of love and friendship for each other. And oh the moment that meet “R” is so beautiful it brought tears to my eyes. This man loved their mother even after all these years and for Pris, Dev and Bae to see that love in his eyes for the mother they thought they knew, but really didn’t, truly affected them in ways that were unexpected….

“Life was so much bigger than the tiny little worlds built around people’s expectations and identity.”

This book is truly a love letter on its own about how important love and family really is and that there’s so much more to a person’s story than what it appears to be on the surface. That we need to look beyond what’s in black and white to really experience what could and should be a technicolor life.

My heart is full after reading this. The blurb reeled me in and intrigued me from the beginning and then the story just kept me hooked. It's emotional, hard, raw, real, with a little of everything. I loved the sisters and what they get to discover on this journey while also discovering their mother's journey.

A wonderful story about self evaluation, family, friends and living with the choices you make. Every layer of the story was interwoven brilliantly with the next. Olivia’s love of Rafe was all encompassing, and even though I understand why they made the decision they did, it still broke my heart. Pris, Bailey and Devon each had their own journey to go on, and realized how much of their life had been dictated by their parents and past decisions.
I would love to read more about these characters and find out what their future turned into. Well developed characters and a plot that is both believable and takes you to another place. I highly recommend this book. I received an ARC in exchange for an honest, voluntary review.

Priscilla, Bailey and Devon are three sisters whose are at different points in their lives and the different directions their lives have taken have created an emotional rift between them. It is only after the death of their mother and their decision to settle their family home that they discover they didn’t really know their mother at all. Instead, they realize she owns a home in Italy, had a life they knew nothing about and from the letters they found she shared an epic love with a man who wasn’t her father.

They decide to travel to Italy and hopefully learn more about the parts of their mother they didn’t know and if they are lucky find the man who played such a starring role in their mother’s life and find out the choices their mother made which changed the course of her life.

Priscilla, Bailey and Devon take us on an emotional journey about family and love which makes you realize what and who is important in your life.

I am 100% a sucker for a book with a dual timeline, secret past and mysterious letters. I was in.
.
Priscilla, Devon and Bailey haven’t been close in recent years but after the death of their mother they discover a box of letters and a secret house in Italy. In the box of letters they find one from a man named “R” who agrees to meet their mother in Italy on her 65th birthday.
.
Shocked they decide to head to the house to find out who their mother truly was. Along the way they strengthen their relationship with each and other and find out who they really are.
.
Three things.
1. I loved this book
2. It broke me a little
3. I was so hungry reading this. The description of the food is utterly devine !

This book comes out on Tuesday!
.
Thank you @berkleypub for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review!

What a beautiful story about choice, first love and family.

I loved watching the three sisters Pricilla, Devon and Bailey reconnect throughout their trip. As an only child I love seeing the complexities of sibling relationships.

The duel timelines worked well and I loved seeing the perspective of their mothers youth.

Probst really transports you to Italy with her descriptions of the Amalfi Coast, food and wine.

Overall it’s a tale of love in its many forms, loss and family. Keep the tissues ready.

Synopsis: Priscilla, Devon, and Bailey haven't been close in years, but when the sisters are forced to come together to settle their mother's estate, they discover a secret. In an old trunk, they happen upon ownership papers for a house on the Amalfi Coast, along with a love letter to their mother from an anonymous man, promising to meet her in Italy during the summer of her sixty-fifth birthday.

Now they're questioning everything they knew about her history. In order to get answers about the woman they thought they knew, they'll have to go back to where it all started. The sisters embark on a trip to the stunning cliffside village of Positano, Italy, to track down the mysterious ex-lover, and figure out who their mother really was.

As Priscilla, Devon, and Bailey unearth the truth, they also experience the magic of Italy, the power of sisterly love, a little unexpected romance, and newfound hope for the future.

Thank you to @netgalley @valentine_pr_ and @authorjenniferprobst for my #freegift arc copy in exchange for an honest review.

The Secret Love Letters of Olivia Moretti by Jennifer Probst is a women’s fiction title that comes with some mystery, some romance and some historical time in the past. The story is also told by changing the point of view between the characters.

Priscilla, Devon, and Bailey are sisters that grew apart and now have to come together after the death of their mother. As they are going through their mother’s things the sisters find a deed to a home located on the Amalfi Coast.

Looking to learn more about their mother and her history Priscilla, Devon, and Bailey travel to Positano, Italy to find the property that they now own. The sisters all want answers to their mother’s past and why there are love letters from a man only known as R among her things too.

The Secret Love Letters of Olivia Moretti is the first book I’ve read by author Jennifer Probst so I wasn’t sure what to expect but being a fan of exotic settings I had to give this a shot. After reading I was so glad that I had taken a chance on this title as I fell immediately into the story and enjoyed my time in Italy. The mystery of the past and the secrets uncovered blended well with the familial relationship and issues in the present and the pages turned quickly as I devoured the story. Definitely would return to this author again in the future.

I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.

Another amazing family drama from Jennifer Probst!

I love Jennifer Probst’s writing style, regardless of it’s her traditional romances or these new family drama stories. Her depictions of the complexities of family, both those we are born into and those we create by choice, are so beautiful! And while this story of sisterhood may not have the same spice level of her traditional romance, it is absolutely still just as emotional, intimate, and moving!

I can’t wait to travel with JP and her characters again soon!

What an incredible story of growing from loss and rebuilding relationships. We learn so much about Olivia and her daughters in this story, that I could not stop turning pages. I laughed, cried and was immersed in the details of beautiful Italy as the girls uncovered the secrets.

The Secret Love Letters of Olivia Moretti by Jennifer Probst

Looking to escape into a romance? This book was a wonderful story about romance, family and how life can pull you in different directions.

Three sisters discover love letters while going through their late mother’s belongings. Realizing she left them a house in Italy with no explanation they leave on a trip to learn more about their mom. Told through each of the sisters perspectives as well as flashbacks to their mom’s summers in Italy.

The scenes that take place in Italy are magnificent. I really felt like I was there and it was the perfect escape from the snow we have in Calgary. I loved all the characters and really appreciated how well they all dealt with problems in their personal lives and their complex relationships.

Olivia and Rafael had an amazing love story that I really enjoyed. Reminded me a bit of Lena’s story from the Sisterhood of the Travelling Pants.

Thank you to @valentine_pr_ for the ARC! This book is out today!

#jenniferprobst #WomensFiction #TheSecretLoveLettersOfOliviaMoretti #ContemporaryRomance #SecretRomance #valentineprlm @valentine_pr_ #books #mybooks #kindle #coffeeandbooks #bookrecommendations #bookishthoughts #escapeintobooks #yyc #canadianbookstagrammer

Je remercie Netgalley.com et Jennifer Probst pour ce service presse.

Ca faisait très longtemps que je n'avais pas lu de romances de Jennifer et cette romance se rapproche du coup de coeur. C'est une romance toute en douceur où on a le point de vue de ces 4 femmes: Olivia, la mère et les 3 soeurs.

Après la mort de leur mère Olivia, Priscilla, Devon et Bailey décident de partir en Italie pour retrouver l'ancien grand amour de leur mère.
Au fil des pages, on va assister à la rencontre d'Olivia pendant ces vacances chez sa tante avec Rafe, un jeune homme italien. Olivia va découvrir l'amour avec un grand A, mais le temps des vacances est relativement court. Pourtant, elle donnerait tout pour rester avec lui. Or, Olivia doit finir ses études et obtenir son diplôme.

Les 3 soeurs vont découvrir que leur mère n'était pas la personne qu'elle pensait connaître. Olivia a surtout fait passer le bonheur de sa famille, de ses filles avant le sien, quitte à dire au revoir à cet amour. Mais durant ce périple, elles vont faire leur introspection.

Priscilla, l'ainée, ressemble un peu à sa mère. Elle a abandonné sa carrière de danseuse pour se consacrer à sa famille, mais elle s'est éloignée de son mari. Tous les deux ne communiquent plus. Ce voyage est l'occasion pour elle de découvrir ce qu'elle veut faire de sa vie, et surtout c'est l'occasion de faire le point sur son mariage. Elle ne veut pas ressembler à sa mère qui a fermé les yeux sur les infidélités de son mari.

Devon est l'enfant du milieu, celle qui est obnubilée par son travail et qui n'a pas le temps pour des relations. Elle entretient aussi une relation conflictuelle avec sa soeur Bailey. Devon va apprendre à lâcher prise et surtout apprendre à ouvrir son coeur à l'amour. Sa mère n'aurait pas souhaiter qu'elle passe à côté de l'amour. Il n'y a pas que le travail dans la vie.

Quant à la dernière Bailey, c'est un personnage un peu plus complexe, qui croque la vie à pleines dents et qui croquent les hommes aussi. Elle va apprendre qu'elle peut faire confiance aux hommes et qu'elle ne doit plus jouer un rôle. Ce voyage va aussi lui permettre de faire la paix avec Devon.

J'ai bien aimé le point de vue d'Olivia, qui même si elle a aimé son mari, même si elle a aimé ses filles, ne pouvait pas s'empêcher d'aimer Rafe. J'ai été assez triste pour elle, lorsqu'elle n'a pas pu réaliser son dernier souhait. Mais ces lettres ont permis à ses filles de la connaître mieux et ont permis de faire un long chemin intérieur. Car le plus important c'est de savoir ce qu'on veut dans la vie, sans se perdre totalement.

"And I believe there are certain people you are meant to love to get to the next phase— people who allow us to grow and become what we are meant to be—but they are never meant to be ours forever."

The Secret Love Letters of Olivia Moretti is a story that revolves around three estranged sisters (Priscilla, Devon, and Bailey) who discovered that their mother, Olivia, left an estate in Italy, (Amalfi Coast) together with secret love letters from an anonymous man that their mother has kept hidden all these years. This challenged how much they know their mother that prompted them to embark on a journey towards uncovering who the mysterious man is in an attempt to unearth a side of their mother that she kept private and close to her heart all these years.
Will their trip in Italy make or break them? Will the knowledge of their mother's past change the way they see her? The way they see life?

My thoughts:
I liked that we were given Olivia's POV instead of just letters. But I wouldn't mind if Olivia'a story is told only through the letters. I also liked the character improvement of Pris, Dev, and Bailey, how they all have different personalities and different struggles in life.

As I write this, I can't help but mourn that great love Olivia had. Those who experience this once in a lifetime love is blessed. I consider this a bittersweet but hopeful story that teaches us how our choices play a huge part on how our life will turn out and how regret can either be a friend or a foe. In the end, even though my heart aches for Olivia, it is overflowing with happiness for Pris, Dev and Bailey.

I loved this book and will definitely recommend for someone who wants a heartwarming and inspiring read.

Take away:
Choose to live life with no regrets!

*Many thanks to valentine pr for the review copy of this book.

The Secret Love Letters of Olivia Moretti is a wonderful woman's fiction story about three estranged sisters who traveled to Italy in search of more information regarding their recently deceased mother.

Jennifer Probst has a distinctive descriptive way of describing scenes that makes the reader feel part of the experience. Olivia passes away from Pneoumia when her daughters, Priscilla Hampton, Devon, and Bailey Moretti, come together to do the unthinkable go through their mom's stuff to place their childhood home on the market. The girls find a stack of hidden love letters deep within her closet in a chest. The love letters are express so much emotion but signed only with an initial, the sender's mystery begins, and the trip to the Amalfi Coast. Positano holds answers to secrets about the sister's estranged relationship with each other, stuff they never discussed or admitted to themselves, all while trying to find the mystery man.

What a fabulous gift to a reader! I loved this story.