Rebecca did it again! I loved In Five Years and I couldn’t wait to read this.

It’s still a love story, but a family story. What happens when you lose one of your parents?
Rebecca goes on a journey, not only a physical one to the beautiful Amalfi coast, but a self discovery one after the loss of her mother Carol.

As an Italian 👀😎 I found myself transported to Positano, Ravello and Capri. The writing is magical and evocative, you would really see yourself at the hotel with Katy, drinking white wine and savouring delicious Italian food 🍕.

I enjoyed that One Italian Summer is not just your normal love story. It’s a story about loving your mother and always wanting to have her by your side, even when this is not possible anymore.

The book is pure escapism, but Katy faces grief and loss and she wonders if she really knew her mum.

A wonderful read, a perfect beach book (even if you are not in Capri). One can dream, right?

This was a beautifully written but heartbreaking book. At times it was a tough read but it has a heartfelt warmth right at its core

I was very happy to be invited by the lovely Milly at Quercus to be a part of the blog blast buzz for this latest release from Rebecca Serle. I loved In Five Years, so I was delighted to dive into her latest.

Katy is still reeling from the loss of her beloved mother, when she decides to take their planned trip to Positano on the Amalfi coast alone. She isn’t sure where her marriage is going or how to navigate life without the mother who was also her best friend. But could discovering the place that her mother loved the most provide some clarity?

Carol and Katy appear to have had an unusually close relationship for a mother and daughter. On the face of things, it appears very lovely and wholesome but something about it was quite unsettling for me. I always think it’s quite unhealthy for an adult to have a best friend type relationship with one of their parents and I could definitely see that in Katy and Carol. There is a possessiveness within both of them and I hoped that the book would eventually address this.

Katy is struggling to connect with her husband Eric and she doesn’t really know why. I put it down to her deep-set grief but I really hated the way she treated her very loving, present husband for most of the book. I couldn’t get on board with the romance that dominates the majority of the book because of this, so unfortunately some of the more romantic scenes lacked a lot of heat and excitement due to an overwhelming sense of discomfort. Katy does eventually realise how kind and caring Eric is and I got a huge sense of relief from the ending.

Positano is clearly a very beautiful, unforgettable place. I had never heard of it before and I’ve never had the pleasure of visiting Italy in real life but Rebecca Serle definitely took me there. The descriptions of the town of Positano and the stunning scenery around it were so vivid and they really did take my breath away.

One Italian Summer is a very transporting book with a twist thrown in towards the end. It added a different perspective on the novel’s main events and the whole trip took on a different meaning. It’s very cleverly written and I fell in love with Positano. With themes of grief, love and self-discovery, One Italian Summer is a lovely, heady trip to a beautiful pocket of the world.

When Katy’s mother dies, she is left reeling. Carol wasn’t just Katy’s mom, but her best friend and first phone call. She had all the answers and now, when Katy needs her the most, she is gone. To make matters worse, their planned mother-daughter trip of a lifetime looms: two weeks in Positano, the magical town Carol spent the summer right before she met Katy’s father. Katy has been waiting years for Carol to take her, and now she is faced with embarking on this adventure alone.

But as soon as she steps foot on the Amalfi coast, Katy begins to feel her mother’s spirit. Buoyed by the stunning waters, beautiful cliff sides, delightful residents, and , of course delectable food. Katy feels herself coming back to life. And then Carol appears - in the flesh, healthy, sun-tanned, and thirty years old. Katy doesn’t understand what is happening, or how - all she can focus on is that she has somehow, impossibly gotten her mother back.
Over the course of one Italian summer, Katy gets to know Carol, not as her mother, but as the young woman who came before.

Thoughts -

One Italian Summer is a story about the love between a mother and daughter. I love the way the author captures the the bond between them.
Whilst the story is about healing, discovering who you are and what you truly want in life it also had some uplifting and heart warming moments.
The writing is beautiful and the description of the Amalfi coast and the Italian food was just wonderful.
Now, I’m not sure if it is just me but I found the whole meeting Carol (her mum) in Italy a little confusing, was it all a dream? Time travelling? Seeing things?
I feel like I’ve been left with more questions than answers at the end of this book.
That being said it was an enjoyable read, that flowed easy with the description making me want to take a visit back to the Amalfi coast.

I am very much looking forward to reading In Five Years now 💗

This book is released today - 1st March 2022!

Will you be adding this to your TBR?

Thank you to @netgalley for this ARC copy.

Happy publication day, #OneItalianSummer ☀️

One Italian Summer is a story about a Katy who takes a solo trip to Positano following the death of her mother. Whilst there, Katy goes on a process of self-discovery and evaluation of what she wants in life.

My thoughts: This immediately had me hooked as it was such an immersive storyline. It was an usual start to the novel and I felt really drawn to the location and scenery. Throughout the book, there was such beautiful imagery of the Italian seaside and Italian food, it was a wonderful form of escapism.

Whilst I didn’t personally connect to the main character, in fact at times I would go as far as saying I was frustrated by the decisions she was making, this didn’t ruin any enjoyment of the book. Katy did come across as quite a fickle character, whose relationship with her mother definitely felt a bit *much* at times.

The writing throughout was rather whimsical and easy to read, but it was a very interesting discussion of grief and how it’s manifested. At points, I was confused at the narrative but the conclusion helped to clarify things but also add a new and exciting twist.

Now I just need a trip to Positano myself, to see those sights and eat all the glorious food!

Thank you to @netgalley and @quercusbooks for providing me with this e-ARC IN exchange for an honest review ✨ @RebeccaASerle

Katy was supposed to be visiting Positano with her mother Carol. A trip of a life time for Kathy to show her daughter all the spots she visited the summer before she met her Dad. When Carol dies, Katy makes the hard decision to face this trip alone. As she’s on the Amalfi Coast she sees her mother, but not as she knows her, as her 30 year old self instead. ✈️

This book was such an escapism! I read ‘In Five Years’ last year and loved it so was eagerly awaiting this one! I’ve visited Positano myself and Rebecca’s vivid descriptions took me straight back there. This was a mother-daughter trip but not as I expected it and definitely opens up the question of do we really know our own parents? I adored reading about their relationship and my own heart broke when Carol passed. Watching Katy subsequently find herself on a journey of self discovery was empowering and emotional. Another amazing book by Rebecca Serle and I already can’t wait for her next one! 🏖

I definitely recommend everyone picks it up this summer for their own little taste of Italy. 🇮🇹

A lovely story about Katy, who is grieving from the loss of her mother Carol, going alone on the holiday that they had planned together to Positano and Katy "finding" her mother there. Great characters and storyline in a perfect setting with twists along the way making this a perfect beach read

I was a big fan of In Five Years so was thrilled to be accepted for One Italian Summer. It's hard to say I enjoyed this book as it really does hit you in the feels especially if you have a really close relationship with your own parents. However it was beautifully written and the descriptions of Italy were just outstanding, I felt invested in Katy's journey and it was hard to put the book down even though it made me shed a tear or two on a few occasions.
Another fab book from Rebecca,

This book described everything in Italy the way I’ve always imagined it. The story was beautiful and magical. It was like a whole escape in Katy’s story. A lovely twist with a good ending. It’s a great read for a one sitting or even a beach read!

Thank you so much netgalley and Quercus Books for the gifted digital ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Read this book if you:

-Have lost someone close to you and would give anything for one more day with that person.
-Call your best friend "mom" or if you would have loved such a tight relationship.
-Would love to travel to Italy (especially to the Amalfi Coast)
-Enjoy the books with time traveling themes
-Would like to watch a special episode of Gilmore Girls where Lorelai and Emily are having a wonderful mother-daughter relationship.

My Thoughts:

I loved loved loved this book! Every little bit of it felt heartwarming and magical!

I think that the author did a great job in highlighting the grief process through which a person goes after losing someone very close. Even though what the main character experienced is not realistic, I loved the way Katy was given another chance to see her loved one and how this experience made it easier for her to move forward.

I loved the setting! The description of Positano was soo well done that now it has become one of the top destinations on my list!

I loved how much the main character grew throughout the novel. I think that, besides the grief process, she also needed to discover her true self so that she would be able to make the best decisions regarding her future.

I loved the ending! There is a surprise element there which combines the two different timelines and which makes Katy’s whole experience seem even more real. So well written!

Overall, a very enjoyable and lighthearted read with a gorgeous setting and well developed MC! Highly recommend!

Well sjeesj, talk about a book that kind of hits you in the stomach and then leaves you stranded… One Italian Summer – let’s just say it wasn’t quite the fluffy read I had kind of been counting on!

I was offered an ARC by Netgalley in exchange for a review. All opinions are strictly my own.

The story
When Katy’s mother dies, she is left reeling. Carol wasn’t just Katy’s mom, but her best friend and first phone call. She had all the answers and now, when Katy needs her the most, she is gone. To make matters worse, their planned mother-daughter trip of a lifetime looms: two weeks in Positano, the magical town Carol spent the summer right before she met Katy’s father. Katy has been waiting years for Carol to take her, and now she is faced with embarking on the adventure alone.

But as soon as she steps foot on the Amalfi Coast, Katy begins to feel her mother’s spirit. Buoyed by the stunning waters, beautiful cliffsides, delightful residents, and, of course, delectable food, Katy feels herself coming back to life.

And then Carol appears—in the flesh, healthy, sun-tanned, and thirty years old. Katy doesn’t understand what is happening, or how—all she can focus on is that she has somehow, impossibly, gotten her mother back. Over the course of one Italian summer, Katy gets to know Carol, not as her mother, but as the young woman before her. She is not exactly who Katy imagined she might be, however, and soon Katy must reconcile the mother who knew everything with the young woman who does not yet have a clue.

The opinion
Here’s the thing : grief makes you do weird things. So does depression. It’s isolating. And reading about someone going through all that isn’t always necessarily the easiest thing to do. As a matter of fact, it made One Italian Summer a bit of a struggle, sometimes, to get through.

However, it’s exactly that which made it such a captivating read as well. Well – I say captivating… I did glance at the ending as soon as a certain thing happened. And even when struggling there are certain things I would rather not have seen the main character do. What struck me most about this book, though, was how true it rang. Sure, it, was at times frustrating, sad, or just “making me not want to continue reading”…

But all in all? One Italian Summer did what it was supposed to do. It just wasn’t really for me…

The rating: 2.5/5
If you’re currently going through grief, or you’ve done so recently, One Italian Summer might be slightly triggering – exactly because of how true it rings. However, if you feel the need to process those kinds of emotions through someone else’s story? Then this is exactly the book for you!

-Saar

This story methodically works through a woman's grief after losing her mother. Katy goes on the holiday to a special place without Carol.She is mixed up and feels completely lost. The bottom has dropped out of her world. The only reason she has gone, is because they both made plans and an itinerary for each day, so Carol could show Katy where she felt really alive as a young woman. Katy meets two people on this break, one of which is her mother, or rather how her mother would have been. She sees her in a different light. So this story continues on steadily until the end.
I'm afraid to say this story didn't grab me and suck me in like some stories can, but it was ok. As I said earlier, it was steady.... If you like the sound of this story, you won't be disappointed. If you're looking for a great story full of suspense, I'm afraid it isn't this.!
Many thanks to Netgalley for the free ARC book for an honest review.
#Netgalley, #quercusbooks, #rebecca_serle

This sun-drenched novel was the perfect antidote to the howling storm outside my living room window. Katy Silver is grieving the loss of her Mother when she decides to take the trip to Italy which they’d planned to take together. As I was transported to Positano I thought this would be a nice, predictable romance. But things took an interesting twist and I really enjoyed how the book explored what it means to make your own decisions in life.

As Katy discovers more about her mother’s summer on the Amalfi Coast a couple of decades earlier, she discovers there was more to her mother than she realised, and that has a knock-on effect to her own identity. I particularly liked how One Italian Summer applies the sliding doors theory to the generation before the main character, showing how her life could have changed dramatically depending on what her mother did.

Spoiler: I did question how out of character Katy acts just a day or two into her holiday. We are painted a picture of her being incredibly sensible, reliable, loyal, and yet after a few glasses of house red she’s willing to throw caution to the wind and embark on an affair. End of spoiler.

Overall, this was an enjoyable easy read which does a great job of making you feel like you’ve got the sun on your face and a plate of pasta in front of you.

Thank you to NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Beautiful book and well written. It's very hard when you lose a parent especially your mother and for me this helped with the grieving process.
I felt transported to Italy which in these uncertain times has been a great escape.
This book will appeal to all age brackets. Loved it.

Following the death of her mother, who was also her best friend, Katy is at a loss. The pair were due to embark on a long-awaited mother-daughter trip to Positano, the place where Carol spent the summer prior to meeting Katy's father. After waiting years to journey there together, the trip looms but now Katy faces making the trip alone.

Upon arriving on the Amalfi Coast, Katie is emerged in the world of her mum from all those years ago, and it's a heartbreaking reminder of what she has lost. Until by some unexpected force, Katy comes face to face with her mother – alive, healthy, and thirty years old. For the course of one Italian summer, Katy has her mother back and she's determined to make the most of it.

One Italian Summer is a magical read - not simply because Katy's mother Carol is back as a prior version of herself, but because the beautiful, picturesque Amalfi Coast of Italy is brought to life so wonderfully. The experiences and sights and foods are tangible and believable, and it's as though you too are accompanying Katy and Carol on this unexpected adventure they're having. It's pure escapism in literary form.

Also disclaimer, this is a tearjerker, as it charts Katy's experiences of grief and loss, while also delving into the themes of regret and forgotten dreams, and even life's purpose. It's an incredibly perceptive story that challenges the way you may look at your own life and your priorities. It's sweet and heartfelt at times, then full of wonder and anticipation the next, before you're plunged into emotional turmoil. It's a story that, like the waves of the Amalfi Coast, keeps rolling and changing. Sentimental, sweet and with a summery setting - this one is a remarkable story that will stay with me for a long time.

One italian summer follows Katy who takes a trip to Italy following her mothers death - a trip they should have taken together, Everything about the descriptions used to describe Positano honestly had me wanting to book a flight there and then!

I actually found the book quite difficult in that I found I was carrying a lot from Katys grief, and the 'magical realism' threw me off a bit. I think the Adam situation was unrequired and she'd have been better placed maybe running two storylines - Katys trip and her mums trip, back when she was Katys age. I feel this would have been an easier one to manage from a readers perspective as it almost had a "and it was all a dream" element which I wasn't wild about.

Thanks to Rebecca, Netgalley & Quercus Books for this ARC!

I first fell in love with Rebecca Serle after reading 'In Five Years' & that the love has only grown with 'One Italian Summer'. It was gorgeous in every way.

This book connected with me on a deep level. Not only am I super close with my own Mum, Italy is one of my favourite places in the world! It was easy to get lost in & fly through the pages, making it the ideal, holiday-dreaming read for winter.

The novel follows Katy, in the wake of her mother's death, on a trip to Positano which they should have taken together. Only for her to find her mother there & on her infamous summer in Italy, which she took when she was around Katy's age. The story that unfolds is heart-warming, delightful & meaningful as it explores the depths of grief, love & the wonders of the Amalfi Coast.

Rebecca Serle has a very creative writing style that has the ability to transport you in to the narrative & boy, did she do a good job with this one! With every page, I was delving deeper in to Italy & the streets of Positano or that I was drinking in the views from the path of the Gods or that I was biting down on ripe, juicy tomatoes. Not only did she do a brilliant job with the travel front, the portrayal of Katy's grief & confusion was also raw & heart-breaking & hit right in the gut.

'One Italian Summer' was a truly great read. It's also made me desperately want to be soaking up the sunshine whilst sipping rosé wine on a balcony overlooking Positano; one day…

Rebecca Serle can surely writes stories that features unusual love stories but also characters who are going to change their life.
I don't know if it's correct to define her books as "magic realism" as there's always a paranormal event that plays a relevant role as in this book.
One Italian Summer is an interesting book, a book about a mother-daughter relationship and the impact of the mother's death, a daughter who must face the loss but also the changes in her life.
I didn't like Katy: I found her a woman who is facing an adult crisis, like the death of a parent, and act like a child. The travel, the discoveries made her more "adulting" and I think there's hope at the end of the travel.
Young Carol is a well-rounded and fascinating character. She's alive and lively, a woman who's not afraid of the future.
The author did a good job in developing the characters and her storytelling is as good as it was in "In Five Years".
The descriptions of Position are well done and realistic. LA Costiera Amalfitana is a sort of character, the setting for changes and discoveries.
It's a compelling and moving read, recommended.
Many thanks to Quercus and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine

First off I want to thank Millie from Quercus Books for allowing me a place on this blog tour. I was so excited as One Italian Summer was one of my anticipated reads. Well what can I say about the book. If you are a big contemporary reader and love all the usual tropes you will not find any in this book but I would encourage you to give it a shot as it may surprise you. As I had already read In five years I was aware of the kind of stories Rebecca writes but she still even managed to shock and amaze me with her little twists and turns and the last twist just totally gobsmacked me. I looked like a fish with it's mouth open. Rebecca has surpassed herself and made Positano a real character. I even googled to see what it was like. I do have a bone to pick with Rebecca which is every time the wonderful Italian food was described I felt perpetually hungry and one evening I raided the freezer so I could put some garlic bread in the oven. Joking aside Rebecca made me think about my own relationships and how life should be enjoyed and not squandered. For all these reasons One Italian Summer is a five star read and Rebecca Serle is now officially an auto buy author for me and I can't wait to see what book she brings out next.

2.5⭐️

Thank you NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book!

It wasn’t bad. But it wasn’t great. I was really sold on the synopsis and concept and the beginning really sucked me in. However, after the halfway point, the focus seemed to shift drastically and everything started to happen at an insane pace without much time for Katy (MC) to reflect on anything.

The relationship between mother-daughter was so touching and the whole concept of Katy being able to meet her mother when she was young in the town she loved so much was just so beautiful! Unfortunately, the focus shifter from her reunion with the younger version of her mom, to some kind of weird love/lust interest, which didn’t make much sense. She was questioning her marriage but I really thought that this could have been explored through her mother’s experiences and stories instead of adding another character to spike her interest. It just took away from the real reflective potential of the whole story and made it into a poorly done chick lit. I just wished the focus did not shifted as it made the rest of the story less impactful.

Katy’s actions also seemed to have no consequences and a lot of the conflict blew up and was resolved in the last 20 pages…

I don’t think the ending made much sense with how her feelings towards her marriage and her mom evolved over the course of the book.

The depiction of food and Italy was wonderful and I was definitely transported there! I also loved the question of identity within a family and grief, however it took too much of a backseat for me and I think that if it was the main focus, it would have made me more connected to the story.

Overall, it’s not bad but it’s not great. If you want a quick read that will transport you to Italy, then you could have a go, but it’s definitely not as reflective and focused on grief as the synopsis makes it seem to be.