I listened to the audiobooks and thoroughly enjoyed the narration. The book transports the reader to an English-run hotel in Portofino, Italy after WWI. There is a large cast of guests and staff at the hotel, as well as the locals they interact with. A quirky group!

This book was an interesting read, as I think I had a very different view of it and its start and its finish. I loved the concept of it, it felt like an upstairs downstairs feel in a Portofino setting which is one of my favorite places in the world. And although the book was really enjoyable, this might be the case of too many characters and storylines and not enough actually happening. If this was a series I would definitely need a season 2. I would summarize it as lots of potential, great characters but not so great ending.

Prepare to be transported to the luxurious and captivating Hotel Portofino. The setting depictions in this book were magnificent. In J.P. O’Connell’s descriptions you could almost smell the fresh linens as the property readies itself to welcome their first guests.

In a time that so many book plots center on major, almost unbelievable events, this was a wonderful change of pace and read like a slice of life for a group of staff, guests, and towns people that come together around the hotel property. I especially enjoyed the characters of Bella as a strong woman set on opening her dream hotel despite the challenges she endures as well as her son Lucian whose coming-of-age struggles in relationship and professional expectations are relatable almost a hundred years later than the book’s time period.

The recommendations of this book to fans of The Crown and Downton Abbey are spot on. While this book was slow to begin, the romantic themes, political intrigue, blackmail, and family secrets kept the story moving nicely and was very enjoyable.

For this read, I selected the audiobook which proved to be quite rewarding. The narrator, Esther Wane, not only switched between accents of all the characters nationalities flawlessly, but her 1920s timbre was spot on.
If you are looking to escape to the Italian coast on a 1920s holiday, I recommend you book some time at Hotel Portofino.

This review is for the audiobook of Hotel Portofino.

I want to first note that I thought Esther Wane did a fantastic job narrating J.P. O'Connell's Hotel Portofino, She easily shifted between English and Italian and truly immersed me in this book.
It can be challenging to follow an audiobook that includes so many characters, but I thoroughly enjoyed Hotel Portofino. I know that the story was frequently compared to the style of Downton Abbey or Up the Down Staircase, but I think that Hotel Portofino stood out amongst these by the depth in which each character was drawn, but about halfway through, it took everything I had to not ignore the rest of the world to keep listening. This audiobook was an absolute delight.

⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️
Thank you to NetGalley and Blackstone Publishing for the ARC and early listen. What a fascinating historical fiction story. Thoroughly enjoyable listen/read! Author and narrator did a great job drawing me into the story. There are a lot of characters so was thankful I had the ebook also to help keep the characters straight while listening. All the characters were brought to life by the author's writing and the narrator's great story telling skills. Highly recommend.

I read the description that this book has Downton Abbey vibes, but placed in an Italian hotel and boy was that spot on! I loved the different storylines throughout this book, from the maids to the owners of Hotel Portofino. I found the historical fiction aspect of this book to be very intriguing and a nice backdrop to a fun read. I enjoyed listening to this book and thought the narrator did a great job encapsulating each character. Overall, this was an enjoyable read and I was captivated throughout.

Loved this! It's like if you took Downton Abbey and made the setting a hotel in Italy. This book has just about everything - Upstairs / Downstairs love triangle, shocking secrets about the various hotel guests, political intrigue and blackmail and bribery, racial tension and bigotry, adultery and forbidden love. I love the large cast of characters and would love to read a sequel / series. I did read that there is a television miniseries based on the book that released prior to the book release - I'll definitely be searching that out to watch! I listened to the audio version of this book and it was great - the narrator did a good job of capturing the emotional ups and downs of the various characters, and I found myself looking forward to chores and car rides (when I normally listen to books) so I could keep listening to the story. The narrator's American Accent was a bit off, but it somehow fit with the telling of the story and didn't bother me.

Thank you to J.P. O'Connell, Blackstone Publishing, and NetGalley for the complimentary copy of this audiobook in exchange for this honest review. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.

The newest Downton Abbey movie has the Crawleys headed to the south of France for a vacation! Which makes me thrilled to have read this charming story of a Hotel in Portofino, Italy during the years just after WW1.

We get to see the new, British owners of the Hotel Portofino settle in to running a hotel with their adult children. The guests are eccentric, there is a mystery around a piece of stolen art, and some romantic relationships coming together and falling apart.

In short, it’s a family drama perfect for fans of Downton Abbey, plus, it’s being turned into a show on PBS as well!

I usually adore historical fiction stories like this one but I really struggled to get into this story. Set on the Italian Riviera during the 1920s, I loved the tropical setting set in a world of class and privilege. Unfortunately, the plot was very slow-paced and none of the characters grabbed my attention. After about 25% I had to DNF. If you enjoy historical fiction set in places and times other than the usual WWII stories, this might be more for you. Much thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my advance review copy.

Thank you to #netgalley and #blackstonepublishing for the opportunity to review this audiobook. 🎧 It was so entertaining because of its colorful characters! Listening was just the distraction I needed this weekend!! I will say, at times, I wished I had the text in front of me to follow along. It was difficult to keep everyone straight in my mind, but really enjoyed it! I was excited to discover the TV Series will be coming to PBS in 2022!!

British expats buy a hotel in the 1920s Italian Rivera and host an eclectic mix of guests during their grand opening weekend. Most of the guests have some type of agenda or secret to hide, while the hotel owners are trying to repair their marriage and arrange their son’s marriage into another aristocratic family. There’s lots of snobbery - classism, racism, sexism, and even some fascism! Delightful for fans of Downtown Abbey, though I had trouble keeping all the names and storylines straight. The setting and characters were wonderfully developed.

Thank you to JP O'Connell, Blackstone Audio, and NetGalley for the opportunity to review this audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

Bella Ainsworth and her family (her husband Cecil and son Lucien) left the UK to run Hotel Portofino in 1926 after the Great War. Lucien, who survived WW1 after being helped his friend Nish, who is hiding his sexuality.

These are just a few of the wonderfully vibrant characters in this book. I really enjoyed this and I cannot wait to see the series based on this family and their story. The audiobook narrator, Esther Wane, was wonderful at bringing these characters to life.

I really hope this is the first in a series of stories from this world. In the lead up to WW2, I would love to hear how they navigate the changing political climate in Italy and the world.

Billed for fans of Downton Abbey, I had to give this a try and I am pleased I did! It is a historical drama centered around a British couple who buys an Italian hotel in the 1920's. There is family drama, guest drama, sociopolitical drama, and a gorgeous atmosphere!

There was a lot going on in this story. The cast of characters was large, and each had the potential for a good story, but for the sake of time/word count, those stories could not be developed as I would have liked. I think this will make for a fantastic television series where these stories can be more fleshed out. It felt like too much to pack into one book for me.

My other difficulty with this story was the complete and utter disgust all the upper crust English felt about all the "others." I understand that there may have been an effort to point out a reality, but the derogatory attitudes became arduous. I get it...Americans are loud and brash. The racism, colonialism, elitism were put on full display, but somehow it all felt cursory. While these aspects of that society may have well been this way, perhaps an uplifting of those disparaged would have been a better way to deal with it. This is one of the things that made me feel like too much was tried. Or perhaps I just missed it.

Despite those seemingly harsh criticisms, the story was a good listen. It was a little hard to keep the cast of characters straight in the audio, but once the story got going that was less an issue. The narration was really pretty good with all the voices and accents. I actually imagined watching it and I hope PBS gets my characters correct when they produce this!

If you are ready for a period drama and dream of the Italian riviera in January like I did, then grab this one and get lost in the intrigues! (Just pass over all the slights) Thank you to NetGalley for the Advance Listening Copy. This is available now.

I am sorry to say that I was sorely disappointed by the book.
A historical novel? check. In the 1920ies? check. On the italian Riviera? check. What can go wrong? everything.

One group of upper class british folks vacationing in an "English only" hotel in Portofino. I am not sure why most of the characters choose to vacation there - they appear all to be very derogatory on the country and the culture, and the idea of finding English speakers in the countryside of Ligury in the 1920ies is just delusional.
The cast of characters is diverse, and continually growing - that could make sense in a hotel environment, but it is difficult to follow how they interact. THEN we start to add Mussolini and the fascism (without much understanding of the actual historical period)...

Overall, a decent listen. I have trouble finding historical fiction incredibly interesting, but this time era kept my interest well. The story is based on a woman, Bella, who is interested in opening a hotel in Italy, with her father's money. The hotel and the descriptions the audiobook gives, is just a dream. The details of the city, the hotel and its finery, along with the characters and their expectations had me enjoying it more than I thought!

It was difficult to keep track of so many characters, it seems the author kept introducing more. I found myself having trouble remembering who we were talking about, which then I had to rewind and try to figure that out.

Thank you to NetGalley for this arc in exchange for an honest review.

When I saw Hotel Portofino was recommended for fans of Downton Abbey, I jumped on the opportunity to listen to the audiobook. Like Downton, this story has many ancillary characters, as well as the main players. Unfortunately, it was extremely difficult to keep all of them straight. Even toward the end, I heard names I couldn't remember being introduced before. It was very difficult to follow. I would, however, watch the upcoming PBS series, as I think it would make a lot more sense putting faces to each character.

A historical fiction set in Italy in 1926. A British family buys and restores a beautiful home on the Italian Rivera.
They convert it into a luxury hotel catering to upper class English tourists. There are many layers to this story. The hotel and natural beauty of the area are described in luscious detail. The guests and staff create interesting contrasts between the life of the aristocracy and the working class. Every character is presented with a credible backstory which adds depth and charm to their story. There is forbidden romance, mystery, secrets and intrigue.

Set against the rise of fascism in Italy, the story deals with the very weighty problems that led to this rise. The inequal treatment of class, race and sex is presented. Economic hardship of the working class is contrasted with the excessive luxury of the aristocracy.. The fall of colonialism and the rising nationalism of the period is also addressed. These serious issues are presented in the mundane, daily business of running a hotel. Some critiscism was given to the ending of the story which seemed abrupt with some story lines unfinished, but
that is also in tune with the running of a hotel. Not every outcome of the story of guests are ever known. A most enjoyable read.

Special thanks to NetGalley and Blackstone Publishing for a free copy in exchange for my review.

Reading this novel felt like I was watching the English tv series "Downton Abbey". Although I was a fan of the TV show - I was not a big fan of the book. This novel contains everything needed for juicy drama - secret affairs, love triangles, unexpected friendships, blackmail, pricey robbery, and all of this is taking place during the roaring '20s in the luxury hotel on the most beautiful Italian riviera.

The novel was entertaining but too romantically dramatic for my liking. And the characters - that was one fascinating set of people. And I did enjoy a little history behind the main scenes. Thank you NetGalley and Blackstone Publishing for a free and advanced copy of the novel.

Readers who are fans of Upstairs, Downstairs or Downton Abbey are almost certain to enjoy this sprawling, involving historical novel. It is already set to become a TV series on Masterpiece Theater in the U.S. and on other international networks as well.

The book has a wonderful setting in the town of Portofino on the Italian Riviera. The hotel that Bella runs is exquisitely described. (I am ready to book my room). The time period is pre-WWII and Mussolini is becoming someone with whom to reckon.

There are many characters in the story. Some are family of Bella, some are guests and some are those who work for the hotel. Readers will eagerly read all of their stories and watch to see how the characters interact with one another.

There are too many people to list here. Below are some:

Bella is the daughter of a wealthy industrialist and the owner and proprietor of the hotel. Her husband, Cedric, is from the aristocracy and does not really respect her although he enjoys her money. Bella has a connection with Henry. How will this play out?

Bella and Cedric have a daughter and granddaughter. They also have a son, Lucien. Lucien, to his father’s dismay, is a striving artist who may not want the “family pile.” Lucien has been scarred both literally and figuratively by events in WWI. A close friend of Lucien’s is Nish, a medic in the war.

Lucien’s father hopes that he will marry Rose. Rose is the daughter of a former love of Cedric. Will he? What will be the repercussions of his decision?

Some of the many guests are Rose and her mother, a querulous older woman and her niece, and an Italian count and his son.

Staff include the cook, Betty and her daughter. There is also Paola, who unlike some of the other staff, is Italian. Readers also meet Constance who arrives as a nanny.

How will all of these characters evolve over the course of the story? How will they be impacted by life at the hotel and, also, by what is happening in the world? Read this enthralling saga to find out.

I experienced a real treat with Hotel Portofino. I alternated between reading the book and listening to it when I was out and about. The audio book narration was so well done. All of the characters came to life and, as I did chores, I escaped to a fascinating place. Whether the choice is made to listen, read, or do both, give this one a place in the TBR.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher. All opinions are my own.

Hotel Portofino is a tale of a hotel on the Italian coast in the 1920's with an ensemble cast of characters, anchored by the owner, Bella Ainsworth, and her dysfunctional family consisting of her war-scarred son, bitter and widowed daughter, and rarely present husband.

The hotel guests and staff have significant roles in the narrative, and by the end of the book, many new relationships and bonds have formed. It was a little bit like an episode of Fantasy Island, some found love, some lost it, and others just found themselves. This could easily become a series with different guests in each new title with the family present and evolving. The family is left fractured, each member with their own source of disappointment and we're left wondering if they will continue on these trajectories.

A beautiful story that meanders between characters at a leisurely pace, setting scenes and revealing twists. The audio narration was delightful.