There was so much of this that I loved and would have rated it a 5 star read. But sadly there were a few things I didn’t like which brought my rating down.

Firstly I loved the hero and heroine - Ursula and Alfie were well drawn, engaging and I wanted them to get their happy ending from the first time they met.

I loved the Sicilian setting - I felt like I was on holiday. Myself and I am keen now to visit Ortiegia.

I did not like the sacrificial behaviour of Ursula’s father in going back to his wife -‘“for the sake of his family.” . What? The children were all grown up and leading their own lives. That was bad enough but it meant he abandoned Agata. When they finally decided the marriage was over, Stanley’s behaviour was so utterly unbelievable - snogging Agata even though he knew of the risk of Ursula walking in. I mean - who does that? However,, it’s also a tribute to the author’s writing that I was so drawn in to the drama and wanted to shout at the characters.

But the reason I knocked off a star was the first chapter which showed Alfie still in. A relationship with Hetty after a year of being together. Going from that tomSicily and him meeting Ursula, made me uncomfortable. I would have been happy if that chapter had been deleted. We could have started in Sicily and learn that alfio’s relationship ended a while ago.

I did enjoy this book apart from that first chapter - so it’s 4 stars instead of 5..

I always adore this authors books and this one was just as fabulous as her others and ticked all my boxes. I love how this author always transports the author to sunnier climes in her summer reads and with her descriptive writing making you feel you have travelled to the location of the book in this case I felt like I had been transported to the beautiful setting of Sicily.

I loved that this book included characters we had met in the authors other book under the Italian sun and particularly focused on developing the life of Ursula who goes to Italy to further her love of ceramics and for a fresh start. The story also includes lots of relatable topics such as love, divorce and friendships brought to life by relatable characters.

I hope the author includes more books in this series as would love to here more about how Zia and Ursula and the other characters lives develop.

Sit back and get ready to dip your toes in the luscious waters of sun drenched Sicily!

Sue is like our very own Mary Poppins, she pulls the magic out the bag everytime and it's just marvellous.

Close your eyes and you'll be transported to Brighton, Ireland and Sicily, the descriptions make you want to crawl into the book, be that chips by the Sea in Brighton or sat in a cafe watching the boats in Sicily.

With the ups and downs of personal and family relationships, friendships old and new to running a hotel, tattoos, ceramics, roofying, illness, emotional abuse and a rotten old ex, it's an emotional roller coaster that will leave you wanting more!

Romance and friends with family, all involved in each others’ lives. This is a great summer read with fun characters. Love blooms. The author is talented and gifted at writing a cannot put down novel. Curl up in a cozy chair and spend an afternoon engrossed in this story.. this book was sent to me electronically by Netgalley for review. A quick fun read…

Another ace book from Sue Moorcroft . Perhaps one of her best. Set in Ireland, Sicily and Brighton and Spain. Ursula needed to escape after the end of a marriage. Enjoy discovering about why her marriage ended .You had two families connected. You had an Irish mother/ wife who was over bearing but again the more you read the more you understand. Ursula went to Sicily to help in a hotel and to learn to paint ceramics . You had love old and new. A poorly baby and it was a great great read. Loved it

An Italian Island Summer is Sue Moorcroft’s latest novel set against the beautiful back drop of Sicily. After her marriage falls apart, Ursula Quinn is offered the chance to spend the summer working at a Sicilian hotel. She’s welcomed by the whole Tringali family except son Alfio who gave up his life in Barcelona to return to his family to help them out. Ursula is less than impressed with his attitude and he’s annoyed that she’s working at the hotel. But as time passes they begin to see each other in a different light. I really enjoyed this novel. It’s warm-hearted with great characters and a plot that flows from chapter to chapter. Thank you to NetGalley, Avon Books UK and the author for the chance to review.