The Summer Villa – Book Review

Three women. One summer reunion. Secrets will be revealed… 

Villa Dolce Vita, a rambling stone house on the Amalfi Coast, sits high above the Gulf of Naples amidst dappled lemon groves and the fragrant, tumbling bougainvillea. Kim, Colette and Annie all came to the villa in need of escape and in the process forged an unlikely friendship. 

Now, years later, Kim has transformed the crumbling house into a luxury retreat and has invited her friends back for the summer to celebrate. 

But as friendships are rekindled under the Italian sun, secrets buried in the past will come to light, and not everyone is happy that the three friends are reuniting… Each woman will have things to face up to if they are all to find true happiness and fully embrace the sweet life. 

An epic summer read about food, friendship and the magic of Italy, perfect for fans of Jill Mansell and Sheila O’Flanagan.

No. of pages:- 383 pages

Date published:- August 8th 2019

Format – Audiobook

Genre:- Romance/Friendship

Rating:- 4/ 5

Any romance book set in Greece or Italy will be my favorite–I have never been to Europe but reading these types of books will give me a glimpse about Europe and make me feel like I am in Europe with the characters.

And so this book, the story based in a scenic and beautiful villa in Italy and is based on three friends–Kim from U.S. Annie from Ireland and Colette from England. The story divides between the present day when Kim buys the villa from the owner and renovates it and the past, based six years ago when the three women meet in the villa and become close friends. The descriptions and surroundings in the book made me feel like I am in Italy with the characters and the narrator did a good job switching the accents from American to British, as the story is told from the perspectives of these three women. Initially, the first part of the book was a bit boring but gradually, towards the end, it got interesting particularly an unknown love triangle between Annie, Colette and Ed. I also like how Kim seems to be the one in the middle who didn’t get involved in any love drama while in Italy. Overall, it was actually a cozy romantic holiday book.

Worth four stars!

Melissa Hill is a USA Today and international bestselling author living in Ireland’s beautiful County Wicklow. Her page-turning contemporary novels of families, friendship and romance are published worldwide and have been translated into twenty-five languages.

She is the author of Irish Times bestsellers The Summer Villa, The Charm Bracelet, Something from Tiffany’s & more.
Her novel A Gift to Remember has been adapted for TV by Hallmark Channel USA, along with a sequel, Cherished Memories.
The Charm Bracelet has also been made into a film in the USA and multiple other titles are in development for movies and TV.

For more info, visit her website at http://www.melissahill.ie

Facebook: facebook.com/melissahillbooks
Instagram: @melissahillbooks