***** BLOG TOUR *****

The Little Italian Hotel by Phaedra Patrick is a story of loss and grief and finding the strength and courage to go on. This book is also about the lesson that when you have helping hands along the way, the journey of grief becomes perhaps just the tiniest bit easier. As with The Secrets of Love Story Bridge, this story starts in sadness and a crisis but ends up a sweet, feel-good read with characters who make me smile.

Read my complete review at http://www.memoriesfrombooks.com/2023/07/the-little-italian-hotel.html

Reviewed for NetGalley and a publisher’s blog tour.

This is a feel good story about a radio advice host who realizes sometimes you need to take care your own advice & get away for awhile to sort your life out. Ginny planned a fun trip to Italy with her husband, but when he tells her he wants a divorce, her life gets thrown off balance. She decides to go to Italy anyway & invites some listeners who are also down on their luck. Can new friends and the beauty of Italy heal this disillusioned bunch? How will this break impact their lives back home? An enjoyable quick read that underscores the values of self-care & friendship.
Thanks to Park Row Publishing & NetGalley for this ARC. This is my honest review.

Rather than going on her silver anniversary trip with her husband, advice-giving radio host finds her husband was unfaithful and requesting a divorce so she takes 5 strangers with her on vacation instead. Working through their own heartbreaks led to some beautiful conversations and fun adventures.

Cute story with the usual Patrick weaving of people. Took me a bit to get beyond the first layer pf the mc to get to the interesting but it was a good read

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I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I enjoyed this book. It made me feel like I was on vacation!

Patrick is a writer always showing empathy and heart, as she does in this lovely novel. Ginny has a radio show dispensing advice for people’s problems, while ignoring many of her own. Thinking her marriage is ideal, she is shocked when Adrian walks out prior to the 25th anniversary trip Ginny booked at a luxurious hotel in Italy. Unable to cancel, she moves the reservation to a smaller, rustic hotel and invites four of her listeners to share the time with her. Their stories, of heartbreak and loss, finds them all working together to cope. I loved the story and the characters, like Edna, the 80 year old who lost her daughter, and Heather, who is coping with her mother’s dementia. Highly recommend. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

Ginny is a radio host who offers advice to her listeners. As her wedding anniversary approaches she plans a surprise trip to Italy for her and her husband. But, when her marriage implodes she instead takes four strangers who have called her show and want to mend their broken hearts.

The characters that are portrayed in The Little Italian Hotel are well-defined and varied, and the premise is interesting and quite unique. It’s emotional (but not over the top), at times quirky, and there are some sweet moments. The location of the story is ideal and the hotel is quaint. The description of the Italian countryside as well as the places they visit is charming, although I spotted some inaccuracies.

The main character, Ginny, was not as appealing as I would have liked and some of the events are somewhat awkward, while others seem fairly unrealistic. Finally, the conclusion wasn’t very satisfying for me and I would have liked more resolution. Nevertheless, The Little Italian Hotel is a good book for a summer read (and the cover is simply stunning). NetGalley provided an advance copy.

Phaedra Patrick has a wonderful talent for weaving together engaging stories with relatable characters and the Little Italian Hotel is no exception. The eclectic group of guests that gather together to heal their heart breaks was quirky and there truly is something for everyone. Most importantly, it's never to late to find what you need. I loved everything about this book and I didn't want it to end. Thanks#NetGalley

Thank you so much to Net Galley, the publisher, and author for providing this book for my review. This was my second book by this author. I loved this one just as much as her last novel. It’s character driven and I enjoyed getting to experience each and every character in this book. It is such a beautifully written book about living life to the fullest and seeing the beauty in the world. While this book will make you cry and is certainly emotional, it is also very inspirational. I highly recommend this book if you love women’s fiction, books that involve multiple characters, and of course anyone who loves Italy! What a setting! Thank you again for such a wonderful read.

Great summer read! I felt like I was on vacation in Italy! Definitely inspired some wander lust. I would recommend to anyone looking to escape for a bit!

A beautiful novel of place and healing. A vacation in a book.

I adore Phaedra Patrick, she is wonder at making a setting come alive and revealing the many hurts of her characters.

A broken hearted bunch finds themselves in Italy for some much needed peace. Jenny is compelled to heal all their broken hearts when she really should be focussing on her own. By the end of the trip the really were a close knit group. I fell in love with Nico and Loretta and their little Splendido. I would recommend looking up photos of the places mentioned--wow, they are stunning--it really adds to the virtual vacation.

*Content warning for marriage in trouble, greif of adult child, parent with dementia, loss of pet and marital affairs.*

Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins for my ARC.

Ginny is an advice radio host who seemingly has everything together. She is about to renew her vows to Adrian, her husband of 25 years, her daughter is soon to be married, and everything is perfect. That is until she gets a call from a listener, who claims her marriage and husband are not exactly as they seem. She goes home and surprises Adrian with a romantic 3 week anniversary trip in the Italian countryside, but it does not go as planned, and Adrian asks for time apart and maybe a divorce. She changes her trip plans and offers 4 heartbroken listeners to go with her to heal their broken hearts.

This was very sweet and heartwarming. I love a book on self discovery and healing. The reminder that you don't know what anyone is struggling with or going through is always needed. I throughly enjoyed myself and everything just felt so human. It was nothing groundbreaking but it was an enjoyable time.

What would you do if you found out your husband was on a dating site? That’s what happens to Ginny when she’s doing her radio show giving advice. She goes ahead with her surprise for their 25th anniversary: a three week holiday to Italy. Instead, Adrian leaves home, Ginny downgrades her vacation to a more budget friendly hotel, and takes four lonely listeners.
I thought this was really cute. Five strangers head to Italy, all with unique problems, and end up as dear friends. It’s a heartwarming book that made me (even more) desperate to visit Italy. It will make a perfect book to take along when you’re out doing summery things with your kids. 😉
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A very eclectic group of five arrive at the Hotel Splendido in Bologna, Italy, thanks to Ginny Splinter inviting them to spend time there. Each one of them is hurting and in need of healing - each endeavouring to hide the hurt in their hearts.

Through group events suggested by each they come to new understandings of themselves, in bumpy steps. Ginny as mentioned in the blurb has a marriage that is struggling and her relationship with her husband appears to be at a possible end.

Eric has lost a greatly beloved dog, Edna an 80 year old - her husband and daughter, Daisy. Heather a teacher is struggling with a mother who has had to go into care and no longer remembers things or people. Curtis is an enigma who eventually cracks and shares what is in his mind and heart.   As they level with each other a friendship develops that makes the group very important to each of them.

So whereto now as the three week holiday ends? For sure, each of them is changed in some way.

This book is filled with Italian food and scenery and the development of warm and caring friendships. How does each character come to resolve their heartache? Read the book to discover how it all works out for each of them.  I enjoyed the journey.

Cute little book about dealing with grief in all forms and moving on, finding support in unexpected places. A group of strangers winds up bonding over heartache and trying to help each other heal. The book was OK, light, but having gone through deep grief myself, this book still seemed too light and people got past things absurdly quickly. That left the characters unbelievable and the story not quite relatable. I did enjoy the blossoming friendships and some of the character quirks. The book was fine.

Phaedra Patrick has been a favorite since I read her debut book, The Curious Charms of Arthur Pepper. Focusing on ordinary people and their lives, her stories are engaging, heartwarming, and insightful into the human condition. I was eager to read about a middle-aged woman who knows all the answers and has the perfect life learn what a charade that truly is before she embarks on a soul-searching trip to Italy to share a small, faded hotel with five strangers.

Ginny has always had the gift of empathy and married her high school sweetie. But the years have brought her to a crisis point with her husband. They are practically strangers and now he wants a separation for them both to figure out if there is anything worth saving. Ginny is shocked and completely unsettled. She chooses to use the trip that was meant for an anniversary gift to Italy with four struggling strangers like herself. Forced to evaluate her entire life, Ginny is on even footing with her fellow guests and their host.

I loved seeing the magic of shared experiences and life stories get each of this odd assortment of people to open up with each other and start to heal a little. Ginny might have gotten complacent with her life back in England, but she truly does have a gift of empathy for others and each of those others has a gift to contribute to the group, too. It was neat discovering what lay behind the façade of each. The hotel proprietor and his daughter are also part of the healing group.

This is all about people and their relationships, but it is not romance. There are romantic moments, but the focus is Ginny and the others healing and able to find a measure of joy and peace with what life through at them. The gentle pace and tone of the character-driven story set against a beautiful Italian village and tourist locales all came together to make a satisfying read. Contemporary Fiction and Women’s Fictions fans would most appreciate The Little Italian Hotel.

I’m so happy that I chose to be part of this blog tour as this book was the PERFECT novel to kick off my summer reads! It is an easy read but deep in substance. When advice expert Ginny finds her own life in flux, she heads to Italy (one of my favorite places), bringing along some listeners (strangers) as they are all seeking to heal their broken hearts. I loved the ending particularly, but I won’t spoil it for you!

Thank you for my copy and for having me as part of the tour!

This was my first Phaedra Patrick book, but most definitely not my last. Charming, heart warming, emotional and full of quirky characters, I loved the themes of self discovery and overcoming heartache. Set amidst an Italian landscape, it made me want to seek out my own trip to a little Italian hotel.

Patrick’s writing is so picturesque, and I could clearly envision both the setting and this down-on-your-luck cast of characters who helped build each other back up during the time spent together. If you are a fan of One Italian Summer, Happiness for Beginners and Love Your Life, you are sure to enjoy this one as well.

Read if you like:
•found family
•self discovery trope
•quirky, lovable characters
•ensemble casts

Thank you {partners} HTP Books and Harper Audio for my gifted copies.

Ginny Splinter is a well known radio host and advice expert, who prides herself on her advice to others. She gets a call from an anonymous person one day asking if she knows her husband as well as she thinks. When she shares her gift for her husband with him, she is surprised at his response. For their twenty-fifth anniversary, she has purchased a special three week trip to Italy to renew their vows. She's shocked to find out that Adrian has other plans, he moves out and wants a divorce. She finds out he has been active on a dating site, and is extremely hurt. When she can't get a refund for the trip, she downgrades to a cheaper hotel and invites four heartbroken listeners to join her in Italy as long as they can pay for their flight. A gentleman grieving the loss of his only companion, his dog, a woman grieving the loss of her child, another who is dealing with her mother and her terminal illness and a gentleman who has secrets join her for a three week holiday. From hiking the hills of Bologna to riding a gondola in Venice to sharing stories around the dining table of the little Italian hotel, Ginny and her newfound company embark on a vacation of healing. With Ginny falling for the owner of the hotel, Adrian suddenly shows up in Italy having a change of heart. Ginny has to decide if she is going to go back to her old life, or learn to live independently now that she has realized that she really wasn't all that happy in her old life.

I really liked the characters in this book, well, most of them. The little group that were together in Italy didn't hit it off at first, but I loved seeing them share their stories and get to know one another. As their friendship grew, they also began to heal. I loved how a quilt they were making played into that healing and growth. As many people know, you can love a person, but not be able to live together, and that is something Ginny found out. She learned through a secret way that what she and Adrien used to share might still be possible, but as she grew stronger, she began to doubt that they would be able to reconcile. All their stories were heartbreaking, but it was nice to see them begin to heal and become friends as they moved forward. This is a story filled with love, friendship, hope, heartbreak and moving forward. This found family who would probably never have met or become friends if this trip hadn't happened, have become lifelong friends. I recommend this wonderful, hopeful, heartwarming, up-lit story to those who enjoy stories of friendship, new beginnings, and family.

I loved the author’s book “The Curious Charms of Arthur Pepper” so I was looking forward to her latest novel. I truly enjoyed the descriptions of all the places in Italy, but I didn’t really care for the main character Ginny. She came across as being rather whiny and for this reason I didn’t like the book as much as I wanted to. This was a quick read and I am sure there will be readers who love this book.

This was a charming and thoughtful read and you know I love an ensemble cast!
The Little Italian Hotel reminded me a bit of the movie Under the Tuscan Sun mixed with Eat Pray Love and I read this book in a day!
I loved Ginny, Erica, Edna, Heather, and Curtis and devoured their journey to friendship, hope, and healing. This is definitely a feel good story with themes of self discovery and finding the meaning of true love. If you're looking for a heartwarming story with Italy as your scenery, definitely grab this one!

4 stars

Thank you @netgalley and @htpbooks for the early copy!

Grab your copy out tomorrow!

How was your weekend? Did you do anything fun? Read anything amazing??

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