Member Reviews
Wonderfully written with engaging characters. Set in Italy which is always a romantic setting for me.
This was an enjoyable book set in a gorgeous Italian town. Plus it included an adorable dog!
Louise gets a new assignment in Italy after a breakup. She meets mysterious Vito, who is grieving his own loss. The two become closer, while other suitors pop up in Louise’s life. Will she and Vito overcome their hesitations to end up together?
I would’ve liked to have seen a bit more romance & chemistry between Louise and Vito. I also wish the author would’ve described some of the supporting characters in more detail. Overall this book was a good read.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for a free copy in exchange for an honest review.
I always enjoy a T. A. Williams book, and this one was no exception. I like the fact that nothing particularly stressful occurred, yet the plot was sufficient to hold my interest. As always, the sense of place was amazing. I liked all the characters, especially Leo! I though there perhaps could have been a little more in the way of romance, and I would have liked a little more at the end, but all in all a good read. With thanks to NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Easily one of my favourite authors, any book by T A Williams is guaranteed to transport you to its location, in this case, the hills just outside of Turin.
As always, the novel captures the Italian countryside perfectly, with the sights, sounds and delicious delicacies of the region exquisitely described and certainly enticing you to add it to your must-visit list!
Add in a touch of romance and the trademark Labrador with his infectious character and you have the perfect summer read!
In this tale, it’s central character Louise who is charmed by mysterious local Vito, although both are carrying baggage from previous relationships which threatens to prevent the undeniable spark between them from developing further.
With likeable characters and an entrancing location, it’s easy to fall under this book’s spell. Grab yourself a copy today!
With thanks to the author, Rachel at Random Resources, NetGalley and Canelo publishing for the ARC.
This is my second book in Love from Italy. Louise loves her job and she’s always on the go because of that job, flying to various companies to help get hotels in shape. It doesn’t leave her much time to spend with a boyfriend, but after a painful breakup, a job in her old stomping grounds of Italy seems like the perfect solution to her broken heart. The Grand Hotel del Monferrato is staffed with some wonderful people that Louise will call friends and a place to call home, at least temporarily. She’s even made friends with the former owner, Vito, because of his past and he’s not into dating. Both Louise and Vito are reacting to their past experiences with love. Louise worries that her prior relationship ended due to not being around enough. Although he was the one who didn’t respect what they had, she feels responsible since her job often sends her to remote locations, as though she drove him into the arms of another woman. Vito was all in with his romance in the past, but it backfired in the most tragic of ways, lending into his need to seclude himself and keep from allowing himself to ever fall in love with anyone else ever again. I wondered if they could ever get over their hurdles, or if Louise and Vito would go their separate ways.
I loved this book! I loved the setting, the characters, the writing. Everything about it was great. Would love to read more by the author!
The writing is as beautiful as the Italian setting… This book transported me to another world… A beautifully written page-turner ... When you've finished reading you'll be desperate to pass it on…..
A really great story, charming, atmospheric, great characters. Filled me with warmth and spirit. Well written and flowed nicely, was romantic and funny, charming and full of fun. A great read, i really enjoyed it.
It’s not usual for male writers to write romance (at least I don’t know many), but T.A. Williams does and with An Escape To Remember he proves once again that he does it really well. Prepare yourself to be transported to the gorgeous hills of Turin where you will fall in love not only with the setting but with a cast of lovable characters. And the food! Let’s not forget about the food! 😄
After a shocking surprise when coming home from her last work trip, Louise vows to stay away from men and travels to Italy to get an old hotel up and running, but her new mysterious neighbor will put to the test her no-romance policy.
No one makes me wanna move to Italy as much as T.A. Williams. He really brings to life the Italian countryside with fantastic scenery descriptions that make you wish you were right there along the characters having some ice cream. Or a pizza. Or Luigino’s half and hour worth of antipasti! Once again…chef’s kiss! (pun intended) 👨🍳
Louise was a wonderful lead. She was kind and had warmth and despite her obvious attraction to certain reclusive neighbor she didn’t force anything and let the slow burning romance flow. Well, she had the help of gorgeous Leo, a black Labrador that, if you’ve read some of the author’s previous work, you’ll have learn to expect. I love how he always includes a dog in his books, not just as a useless element, but as another character in the story.
The rest of the cast was also great. Domenica, Luigino, Calogero…made my heart warm. And Vito! He certainly sounded dreamy even despite his initial detachment. It was cute seeing how Louise’s presence slowly made him come out of his shell.
The ending felt a bit abrupt and quick, but could that mean a sequel is in the future? 🤞🏻
Fantastic escapist read with beautiful writing, magnificent locations and delightful characters that will whisk you away to Italy for a few dreamy hours.
Thanks to NetGalley and Canelo for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review and to Rachel’s Random Resources for my spot in the blog tour.
An Escape to Remember by T.A. Williams is a glorious romance, set in the hills of Turin.... happy escapism, with beautiful landscapes and gorgeous food. And though I'm not a dog person, I couldn't but smile at the antics of the impulsive and uninhibited Leo. He is such a character that he often steals the scenes.
The Italian setting is so vividly described, you feel transported to Italy. The author has an impressive knowledge of the Italian cuisine too. I kept nodding my head at the food descriptions, yes, I'd be happy to eat that, and that, and that. Bravo for all the Italian food desciptions, totally spot on!
Fabulous escapism with oodles of atmosphere and romance. Made me want to re-visit Italy straight away.
An Escape to Remember by T. A. Williams
MY REVIEW
Back home early from ten weeks in Antigua on business, 32-year-old Louise Rhodes finds her partner Tommy in bed with another woman. After moving her things back to her parents’ house, she gets a phonecall from her boss Joseph who asks her to go to Italy for some months to sort out a hotel there, which needs some revamping.
She flies to Turin then is driven to the Grand Hotel del Monferrato by the elderly Luigino in an old Rolls Royce. She meets the rest of the staff, most of them being in their sixties including Domenica Albese, the assistant manager.
The staff soon prove themselves more than capable though and Louise sets about organising improvements to the parts of the hotel that need it, including the drainage system and some of the décor.
In the middle of all the work, Louise has a few men in her life to sort out. There’s Tommy her recent ex, Paolo (her old flame), Joseph her boss and the enigmatic Vito (who was due to inherit the hotel, but instead became a professor at Turin University). She has sworn off men, but will romance make its way back into her life anyway?
I loved the writing style of this book and all the wonderful characters, especially the hotel staff and the gorgeous dog! I was surprised to discover the author was a man, as it’s quite rare for this genre, but he writes romance beautifully – and it is romance, exactly as I like it. I’m not one who wants to read about “bedroom antics” in great detail, but this book is perfectly pitched.
I got into the book straight away and wanted to know what would happen to Louise. The setting is authentic and evocative and I enjoyed walking round the hotel’s estate and surroundings with Louise. Vito’s cottage is lovely too, I could picture it all so clearly. And who doesn’t need a virtual trip to an idyllic part of Italy right now?
The characters come across as very real because no-one is perfect and they all have issues and baggage. I’m not interested in reading about perfect characters, because we know that isn’t real. I want them to have flaws and idiosyncrasies and quirks, or how can we believe in them? T A Williams gets this right too.
A delightful book and I will be happy to read more of his novels.
9 out of 10
I normally read gruesome and gory crime novels, so I enjoyed the chance to read something a little lighter. Williams transports us expertly to Italy, describing everything in brilliant detail so that I could really feel as though I was there with Louise.
An Escape To Remember begins with a rather unpleasant experience for Louise, but I loved seeing how she recovered from it and immersed herself in life in Italy. She is an intelligent, compassionate and down to earth lady and I really enjoyed spending time with her and rooting for her throughout the novel. There are also lots of wonderful supporting characters who each have interesting back stories and I also became involved in their lives as the novel progressed.
Although An Escape To Remember is a very easy, lighthearted read, Williams does explore some more serious themes. In particular, I felt he took us through Vito's grief in a touching way which really allowed me to sympathise with him. Vito is also interested in environmental issues and this gives Williams the opportunity to raise issues that are relevant to our every day lives.
I was sad to leave these characters behind but I look forward to seeing what Williams does next!
Louise is career-driven but is ready to make changes so she can commit to her partner, but her surprise homecoming reveals he has moved on without her, and she is glad that work offers her an escape to heal and move forward with her life.
The wine-growing Northern Italian hills vibrantly brought to life in this story are a sensory delight. Despite avoiding romance, Lousie finds she has many romantic suitors and following her romantic adventures makes this an engaging read.
A multigenerational story full of lovely relatable characters determined to make Louise's renovation of the rundown hotel succeed. They are quintessentially Italian and give the reader an excellent sense of place. Of course, the exuberant Labrador character is present, and Leo is a delight and perfectly captures the antics of a boisterous young dog.
The sensory imagery conjures up the Italian setting in an immersive way. The simple plot with character development and romantic choices for Louise, the main protagonist, makes this an uplifting read.
I received a copy of this book from Canelo Escape via NetGalley in return for an honest review.
Louise loves her job. Unfortunately, she’s always on the go because of that job, flying to various companies to help get hotels in ship-shape. It doesn’t leave her much time to spend with a significant other. But after a painful breakup, a job in her old stomping grounds in Italy seems like the perfect distraction. The Grand Hotel del Monferrato is staffed with some fantastic people. People that Louise will call friends and a place to call home, at least temporarily. She’s even made friends with the former owner, Vito, sort of. Because of his past, he’s not into dating. It’s a good thing Louise isn’t either.
This is my second book by Williams, and the thing I’ve come to know through his writing is that he writes wonderfully rich settings with in-depth, kind, and compassionate characters. The food description in An Escape to Remember had me in a constant state of hunger. Williams takes the readers into an emotional journey, where they can feel what the characters are going through and see the lush descriptions of the environment. Overall, this is an immersive and enjoyable read.
My thanks to Rachel of Rachel’s Random Resources for the place on the tour. I’ve long seen many good reviews of this author’s books and have bought some of them but this is the first I’ve actually settled down to read…and I can only ask why did it take me so long! I’m delighted to share my review on publication day.
Louise has the most wonderful sounding job, on paper anyway. A troubleshooter for a luxury hotel brand, she gets to travel all over the world. Unfortunately it doesn’t bode so well for her love life. When she discovers that her long term boyfriend has betrayed her, in the most brutal and hurtful way, she resolves to put her career first and stay away from men for a while. This is when her next assignment takes her to Northern Italy and to the run down and struggling Grand Hotel del Monferrato near Turin, purely kept alive by its loyal staff.
Louise is excellent at her job and soon throws herself into the task. But you know what they say about best laid plans and all that…for various reasons, Louise finds herself having to make serious decisions about her future life and career – but which way will she turn. In addition to the male human love interest(s), there is also a canine one – a gorgeous playful and loveable labrador called Leo.
I very much enjoyed my first outing with this author’s writing. The characters are engaging, (for the most part!) believable and with a narrative that touches not only on relationships but on topical matters such as conservation and climate change. This is Italy, so there will be delicious sounding food; all this and a deftly written romance strand that was neither too heavy nor wholly predictable – the teasing storyline kept me wondering. I really did like Louise although she frustrated me at times too, more so when I thought she was about to sabotage her own happiness. The setting is superb, I adore Italy anyway and I could easily visualise the Italian landscape that included vineyards, historic old towns and views to die for. The author’s knowledge of the location and language comes through clearly and the vivid descriptions makes the hotel and its setting a character in itself.
This is a lovely read and I very much enjoyed my escape to Italy and the hotel world for a few hours. I shall definitely be catching up with my other T.A. Williams’ books.
Once again, we’re travelling to Italy, courtesy of T. A. Williams, and his latest Italian romatic adventure, An Escape to Remember.
This time, we follow Louise who is reeling from the abrupt end to her relationship and finds a place to soothe her soul with a job in in the Italian hills.
I loved the setting for this book – the fading grandeur of an Italian country hotel, set against rolling hills and vineyards, descriptions of which are expertly woven into the text. Being set in a hotel also leads to plenty of passages about the delectable food and wine of the region – from the whole thing, you can tell that T. A. Williams has a love of Italy and this region, which makes it easy to see why Louise might be tempted to rebuild her life there.
Although Louise’s relationship has ended and she swears to herself that she’ll steer clear of entanglements, things might not be so easy for her in that regard, as there are several men on her horizon that might tug at her heartstrings – has she inadvertently found her soul mate in the Italian hills?
I very much enjoyed this book – in fact, I don’t think T. A. Williams has had a dud as yet – it is another dose of escapism, where nice things happen to nice people and I’m definitely here for that!
Louise’s job with a small international hotel chain is certainly partly to blame for the end of her current relationship – but when she finds out it’s over in a particularly horrible way, it proves to be her refuge too when she travels to the newly-acquired Grand Hotel del Monferrato, with a brief to update it and bring it in line with the other hotels in the chain. Once there she becomes immersed in the lives of the team running the hotel, their friends and families – and sets about commissioning all the work the hotel needs in advance of the planned spectacular launch party. And, although she doesn’t really feel ready for a new relationship, there are plenty of possibilities – the millionaire owner of the chain seems interested, there’s an ex-boyfriend (her first love) who’s being particularly persistent, and a rather intriguing professore at Turin University (and a Count, no less – and the hotel’s former owner) who she’d like to get to know rather better.
The story plays out against the wonderfully drawn backdrop I’ve come to expect from the author – this time the wine-making hill country of north-west Italy, near Turin. The countryside is vividly and lovingly described – I loved the walks through the vineyards, the collecting of mushrooms, the enticing cold water of the streams. The food and drink has all the same wonderful attention to detail – there’s an undiscovered world-class chef at the rundown hotel, and there were plenty of occasions when his food really made my mouth water. I very much enjoyed following the story of the hotel’s refurbishment and transformation, and there’s a particular warmth about this book – Louise’s romantic journey is only enhanced by a wonderful cast of well-drawn local characters who become her friends and family, with their own challenges and romantic entanglements. And the book’s central romance was everything I wanted it to be – although it would be very wrong of me to tell you where Louise’s choice of possibilities lead her. And, of course, the book wouldn’t be complete without a wonderful black labrador in the mix – the energetic and over-enthusiastic Leo, knocking you off your feet and smothering you with love.
This really was the most perfect summer read – an opportunity to travel from the comfort of your armchair, a slow-burn romance with plenty of intriguing complications, and a story that entirely engaged me from beginning to end. Highly recommended.
Trevor's books always ofer a welcome escape and what could be better than a few hours spent with some amazing characters in a delightful location? Descriptions of wonderful Italian delicacies perhaps? Tick. A slow-burning romance? Tick. A dark, moody hero with a hidden past? Tick. This book is a feast for the eyes and the tastebuds, limited only by your imagination. Thank you for transporting me to the hills of Turin; a destination that will hopefully become a reality before too long.
I really enjoyed this latest offering from Williams. Several books down the line and I have to agree, this writer has got the right formula once again. Truth be told, this is not an author whom I could read several books in close succession (and, let’s face it, there are few authors that you can read their novels one after another), but when I do pick up a William narrative, I know I am in for a summery treat.
Set in the beautiful Italian countryside, once again, Williams’ vivid descriptions create a lush setting that readers will want to jump into straight away. Despite the failing hotel, the surroundings appear idyllic and peaceful; it’s the perfect place for a retreat and you know that Louise is going to make it a success. Starting this project, Louise is romantically wounded after catching her long-term boyfriend cheating on her. Determined to use this new project as an opportunity for a fresh start, she is plagued by no less than four romantic opportunities (what a lucky girl!). Therefore, not only do readers witness Louise’s work at turning the hotel around, we also see how she deals with these various romantic interests.
Whilst the basic plot is quite similar to the other books I have read by this author, I still could not exactly foresee how the story would develop. I liked that there were some curve balls thrown into the plot, making it as refreshing as the beautiful weather. Each of the male characters are quite contrasting and reflect Louise at different stages of her life. I think this is quite symbolic as it represents the changes that Louise undergoes as she falls in love with the Italian countryside.
Despite being a cat lover, my favourite character was undoubtedly Leo the Labrador! His enthusiasm at greeting friends did make me chuckle and I loved how this added personality to the pet. He becomes a major part of the story, in my opinion, and it was great to see Louise establish such a close connection with this loveable pooch. Indeed, without Leo, I don’t think things would have progressed with Vito in the same way.
A fresh, easy story, I liked the feelings of summer that this book provoked. It certainly was a contrast to the weather outside! I enjoyed the uncomplicated plot and, for me, it is always the detailed setting (and food) that defines Williams’ writing. I am curious to know what this writer releases next as I do wonder whether this is a formula that could ever grow stale…
With thanks to Canelo, NetGalley and Rachel’s Random Resources for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
I have read several books by this author and have loved each and every one of them.
This one is set near Turin, Italy and has the most delicious food descriptions that literally had my mouth watering the entire read. It has the setting of an old hotel that is in need of updating and a main character that is a hard worker with a great attitude.
It has a sweet romance and is a perfect feel good book.
The main character, Louise, travels the world getting hotels that her boss purchased up and running efficiently. After catching her boyfriend in bed with someone else, Louise has sworn off men.
When her next assignment takes her to a grand old hotel outside of Turin, Louise finds a connection with the dedicated staff. She is also intrigued by the hotel’s previous owner, Vito, who is a college professor and lives down the road from the hotel.
He has a a deep sadness about him yet Louise can’t seem to stop thinking about him.
Food, wine, love, and a sweet dog named Leo all make for a perfect rainy day/escape the daily grind read.