I really enjoyed this book. It was the perfect holiday read.

Ursula, the main character was easy to relate to and I loved following her story which took her to Italy.

This was yet another book by the author that I enjoyed and I devoured this in a matter of days.

Thanks for the opportunity to read.

Ursula is offered a job in Sicily where she’s my needed for the morning which leaves her afternoons free for exploring and working on her love of ceramics, she finds Fabio an older gentleman with his own workshop to teach her everything he knows! – he’s a bit hesitant at first but they both soon become fond of each other.

Alfio is the son of Agata (the owner of the hotel) he’s grumpy, standoffish and doesn’t really understand why Ursula is there and is nose is out of joint.

The reason as to why Ursula is there and the connection between Agata and Ursula's dad came as a surprise. I do like the change in the relationship between Alfio and Ursula.

I'm probably biased as I do love Sue Moorcrofts stories.

Sue Moorcroft is a master writer of books that feel a friend is telling you a story. The Italian Summer is another adventure that is guaranteed to have you drooling in anticipation of what Ursula will do, how she balances her feeling about a relationship lost and the tenses building with Alfio. We are driven to wonder if his intentions are friendly or if he has a plan to send her back to England.
A throughly wonderful read that I read in one sitting! Sue Moorcroft never lets me down!
Thanks to #netgalley for the chance to read this book. #SueMoorcroft #AnItalianIslandSummer

I love this author. She always has great books. But this book was by far the best I’ve read. Lovely plot that played out well. It was well written. The use of descriptive language really brings it to life. Beautiful location that made you feel like you were right there

A lovely. warm story from Sue Moor croft. I love her books and always enjoy them. Set in Italy the descriptions were spot on and conjured up vivid pictures in my head. I didn't want to finish this one and was sad when I did. My thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for giving me the opportunity to read this book in return for an honest review.

Summertime simply wouldn’t be complete without a new Sue Moorcroft novel and this much-loved best-selling author is back with a fabulous new novel that is simply sensational: An Italian Island Summer.

Ursula Quinn is in dire need of a fresh start. Her marriage has fallen apart and she is craving adventure and excitement, so when she is offered the chance of a summer working at a beautiful hotel on a picturesque island off the coast of Sicily, Ursula jumps at the opportunity. Setting off to the majestic Italian island almost immediately, Ursula is determined to make the most of this unexpected stroke of luck, however, little does she realise that this summer at the Residenza dei Tringali is going to be memorable for all sorts of reasons…

Ursula is welcomed with open arms by everyone at the hotel – everybody except for Alfio, the son of the Tringali family. Alfio is arrogant, aloof and always ready to shoot down any suggestion which Ursula makes to improve the hotel – which is not exactly flourishing at the moment. Ursula soon learns that Alfio had been forced to give up his life in Barcelona to help his mother Agata with the business. Could this be the reason for his surly attitude? Could Alfio have hidden depths Ursula simply isn’t seeing? And will spending more time with him help Ursula to see Alfio in a completely different light?

Ursula’s new beginning is hampered by an ex-husband she simply cannot shake off, shocking family secrets that come to terrifying light and an unexpected offer Alfio receives that has him revaluating his entire life. Ursula hasn’t been this happy in years, but will the Residenza dei Tringali ever be a place she can call home? Or will everything she has come to care about be snatched away just when she had found somewhere she belongs?

Sue Moorcroft hits the jackpot yet again with a terrific slice of sun-soaked summertime escapism that will leave readers everywhere with a huge smile on their face. Warm-hearted, charming, witty and wonderfully romantic, An Italian Island Summer is a brilliant read about taking chances, steeping out of the shadows and falling in love that will keep readers glued to its pages.

With a delightful heroine, a gorgeous hero, delightful humour, intense emotion and nail-biting romantic drama, Sue Moorcroft’s An Italian Island Summer needs to be in every reader’s beach bag.

Ursula is such a great thought-out character. We see her at her lowest, we see her escape an awful marriage and take a chance on herself Sicily. We also see her start to really look into herself in order to give herself a chance at a new life.

We see an unlikely pairing find their footing together and really sees each other for who they are their whole life gets turned upside down. Between Ursula's ex-husband coming back and some family issues that come up it seems that Ursula can't catch a break.

The setting of this book was just amazing. I could clearly picture all the places that they went (it definitely helped that I was also experiencing Italy for my first time). I felt that all the characters were flushed out so well that they all had unique character qualities and were just so fun to read.

This is a book that you can completely get lost in and find yourself really diving into the story as well as the scenery.

I loved the setting of this ;atest romance by Sue Moorcroft. Sicily shimmered in the sunshine and the offshore island stood apart as a distinctive place, full of beautiful scenery and delicious food. Ursula is aconvincing central figure. In many ways, her Irish heritage mirrors that of the Sicilians with a huge emphasis on family and friendships. Ursula's marriage has left her with a profound distrust of men and their morives and a traumatic event has left her suspicious and protective of herself. She is such an individual but has struggled to be regarded as strong by her family,

Alfio stands in contrast to Ursula's ex-husband. He is loyal to his family and puts their interests before his own. As he proves to be a sympathetic character, you find yourself rooting for him and hoping that he will realise what is before his eyes, in Ursula. This is a well paced story which looks for the positive in most people and shows you both sides of a situation. It was great to meet up with Zia and to find out how her life has been moving forward. You can read my review of her novel here: Under an Italian Sun

In short: Sicily sparkles in the sunshine

A perfect summer read which has added Sicily to the list of places I’d like to visit. Ursula is a young Irish woman who takes the chance of working abroad for the summer helping out at a family run hotel and where she can also study new pottery techniques at a studio but there is a lot in her past that she still needs to deal with.

Aglio feels he has to come home to help his family and here he meets Ursula doing what he thought they needed him to do.

This was a lovely story of new chances, secrets and taking control. I really felt like I was enjoying the Italian summer and discovering Ortigia with Ursula.

I really enjoyed this escape to the sunshine. The book was well written and the setting described so well I could imagine myself staying in the hotel. A great summer read.

Ah bring back the sunshine! It’s been absolutely miserable here so it was great to escape to sunny Sicily with Ursula and the Tringalis. I’ve always wanted to visit Italy but books like this just fuel the desire even more, especially with the late night walks and little streets to get lost in.

I really liked seeing how things progressed between Ursula and Alfio, despite the tensions when they first met you could just feel something bubbling away - although there’s always that moment when secrets are being kept where you’re just waiting for it to go wrong 🫣

There were a few hiccups along the way which added to the tension and just made you want to keep on reading to see if everyone would be able to put the past into the past and move onto a happier and brighter future.

A lovely read that bought some sunshine to some grey and miserable days

An Italian Island Summer is my ideal summer read from one of my favourite Authors!

I didn’t want to put this book down as I loved my escape to the picturesque setting of Sicily.

I absolutely love Sue Moorcroft books and it would not be the summer without one, I especially loved this return trip to Italy and the popping up of characters from “Under the Italian Sun” 🇮🇹

My Top 5 things from this book:

•Italian Setting
•Italian Language
•Return of Zia & Piero
•Perfect Summer Read
•Plenty of Romance

If you’re looking for the perfect summer escapism, then Ursula’s trip to Sicily needs to be on your reading pile!

Author Sue Moorcroft describes Ortigia in such detail, the reader feels transported to Italy within the pages and the interspersed Italian phrases and descriptions of some of the local food and wine in the area adds a real authenticity to the narrative.

While this could easily be billed as a summer romance novel, the plot is more complex than that as past history and family complications threaten Ursula and Alfio’s budding relationship.

A thoroughly enjoyable read!

With thanks to the author and Rachel at Random Resources for the opportunity to participate in the tour.

I always enjoy the lighthearted books by Sue Moorcroft. Set in Italy and Ireland Ursula starts a new life for herself trying to mend her broken heart after the breakdown of her marriage.
When she arrives in Sicily to work in a hotel to pay her way to learning a new skill she becomes part of the family.
When Alfio returns from Barcelona unexpectedly everything changes.
A beautifully written story which describes Italy so well making me want to visit.
Thank you NetGalley for an ARC of this lovely book.

I really like Sue Moorcrofts books, they're always full of fun, a bit of drama and a lot of romance. This book is no exception.

I've only been to Italy once and it was a travel change on the way to Croatia but I would love to go, even more so after this book.

I love the descriptions and the dramas that come and go throughout the book. I am guilty of not thinking before I speak sometimes and I think Ursula has done this on a couple of occasions.

Alfio sounds like a similar character to Ursula in that they are both a wee bit stubborn to start with, whether they warm up to each other or not is something you'll have discover for yourself.

Absolutely loved this book, I didn't want it to end.

If you need a Summer pick-me-up then this is absolutely the book to choose. The beautiful town of Ortigia is the setting for her latest book and we are transported through the gift of Sue’s storytelling and extensive research. If it’s written by Sue Moorcroft then you just know that thought, care and a research trip or two, will have gone into the book.

Sue puts her characters in difficult settings, and the slow burn to romance and success is what makes her books warm, captivating and feel good. We’ve all been knocked down, we can all relate to one or more of the characters situations at some stages in our lives, and we love to see them rise and get back up again.

Endearing characters, a beautiful setting, some interesting history and complicated dilemmas to unravel - the perfect ingredients for a Summer escapism read.

One of the great selling points of Sue Moorcroft’s books is that there is usually a character link or two but these books aren’t a series that you need to follow completely. It’s always a treat to see a minor character from one of Sue’s previous books become a major one and have their own story told through her latest.

My Thoughts: I really love a Sue Moorcroft book, her writing just has the ability to take you away from real life and transport you and this one was no different.

Ursula is offered a job in Sicily where she’s o my needed for the morning which leaves her afternoons free for exploring and working on her love of ceramics, she finds Fabio an older gentleman with his own workshop to teach her everything he knows! – he’s a bit hesitant at first but they both soon find their feet with each other, seeing their friendship blossom was beautiful.

Then we have Alfio the son of Agata (the owner of the hotel) he’s grumpy, standoffish and doesn’t really understand why Ursula is there.. but he’ll get there 🤣

So many feelings about this book, it was heartbreaking and full of characters that left you frustrated, but it was also everything you need from a summer romance and created the perfect escape!

I loved the fact that it wasn’t easy & never straight forward, but ir brought 2 family’s together and dealt with some tough topics in a really sensitive way.

Definitely one I recommend moving up your tbr!!

The download date was unfortunately missed, I would be happy to re-review if it became available again. I have awarded stars for the book cover and description as they both appeal to me. I would be more than happy to re-read and review if a download becomes available. If you would like me to re-review please feel free to contact me at thesecretbookreview@gmail.com or via social media The_secret_bookreview (Instagram) or Secret_bookblog (Twitter). Thank you.

Just the sort of book I love to pick up in the summer. Fantastic location setting that has you believing you are part of the story. Loved it and I love the author.

Ursula is given the chance to work at a hotel during the summer at an island just off Sicily. After recently splitting from her husband she can’t wait to go.
She receives a warm welcome from everyone except Alfio. He gave up his job and his life to come back to help his mother Agata with the running of the hotel. As the two of them spend more and more time together they begin to see each other differently and get quite close.
A family secret surfaces and Ursula’s husband tries to get in contact with her. How will this affect them all?

I really enjoyed this book and couldn’t put it down.