| Title | : | Our Italian Summer |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | 0593098463 |
| ISBN-10 | : | 9780593098462 |
| Language | : | English |
| Format Type | : | Paperback |
| Number of Pages | : | 384 |
| Publication | : | First published January 12, 2021 |
Workaholic, career-obsessed Francesca is fiercely independent and successful in all areas of life except one: family. She struggles to make time for her relationship with her teenage daughter, Allegra, and the two have become practically strangers to each other. When Allegra hangs out with a new crowd and is arrested for drug possession, Francesca gives in to her mother's wish that they take one epic summer vacation to trace their family roots in Italy. What she never expected was to be faced with the choice of a lifetime. . . .
Allegra wants to make her grandmother happy, but she hates the idea of forced time with her mother and vows to fight every step of the ridiculous tour, until a young man on the verge of priesthood begins to show her the power of acceptance, healing, and the heartbreaking complications of love.
Sophia knows her girls are in trouble. A summer filled with the possibility for change is what they all desperately need. Among the ruins of ancient Rome, the small churches of Assisi, and the rolling hills of Tuscany, Sophia hopes to show her girls that the bonds of family are everything, and to remind them that they can always lean on one another, before it's too late.
Our Italian Summer Reviews
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Three generations of Ferrari women taking a fabulous trip around Italy to trace their family roots and rekindle the connection between each other.
Va bene! My soul wanted this book! It truly needed! And thankfully the publishers gave me the arc urgently requested!
Let’s take a look to the storyline and meet with 3 generations of amazing Ferraris!
Francesca is independent, single mother, workaholic, disciplined, buried her head into her work, forgetting real human connection, getting estranged with her own daughter Allegra who needs her attention, getting bored from her inner circle of school friends, looking for a thrill by befriending wrong kind of crowd which resulted with her arrest for drug possession. Of course Francesca gets pissed a lot, loses it, suffering from panic attacks, barely keeping together.
Thankfully Sophia, grandmother who is also suffering from deadly illness insists (keeping this secret from them)to show her ancestors to both of them, wanting to bring peace between Francesca and Allegra.
As Sophia does everything she can to bring smile on her granddaughter’s face, Allegra is adamant to make her own mother’s life miserable.
But they finally start to rediscover themselves at the magical, historical beauties of magnificent Italian cities, meeting new people, resonating with their stories, finding a way to make peace each other and learn to look at the things from different perspectives.
It’s heartwarming, soul searching and healing, uplifting, extremely beautiful feel-good novel about life, missed opportunities, second chances, dysfunctional relationships, resentments and forgiving.
I’m giving my four blazing Ferrari girls stars!
This was kind of noon should be prescribed by your doctors to brighten your mood and heal your mental state.
And if you’re so obsessed with beautiful Italian sightseeings, this is a great fit for your appetite.
Special thanks to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing for sharing this remarkable arc with me in exchange my honest review. -
I have always liked Jennifer Probst's romance novels but this one feels more like a women's fiction. Yes, there is romance but the most important part is the relationship between the 3 women.
Three generations of women decided to take a trip to Italy for the summer for different reasons.
Francesca has a successful business. She is a workaholic and puts her job first. She has missed so many events her daughter has participated in and her daughter is starting to resent her for it. She also doesn't have a great relationship with her mother, Sophia since her mother only wanted to be a stay-at-home mom and her father who passed away was just like Francesca. Taking a trip to Europe is the last thing she wants to do but maybe she might not have a choice.
Allegra is eighteen. She has one more year of high school and then she wants to do anything but what her mother wants her to do. She is tired of her mother making excuses for never being present. She's tired of feeling like she's second-best. On the other hand, she loves her grandmother. Sophia has always been there for her and they shared their love for cooking. After Allegra gets in trouble with the law, she doesn't have a choice in taking the trio.
Sophia can see how Francesca and Allegra are becoming strangers. She knows Allegra is unhappy with her mother and how much hurt she carries with her. She knows Francesca needs to put Allegra first and she thinks the trip to Italy can bring them all together. She's also keeping a secret from both and she wants to see the place where her parents were born. She has always dreamed of this trip and she finally has a chance to do it.
The story is told from Francesca, Allegra, and Sophia's points of view. Is a great way to get to know them better and in my case to like all three of them.
Our Italian Summer was the best escape I needed. I love traveling to Italy through their eyes. I've been to Italy a few times and I was lucky to recognize almost all the places they visit. Although, my favorite place remains the south of Italy. I'd go back to Positano in a second.
Cliffhanger: No
4/5 Fangs
A complimentary copy was provided by Berkley via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
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A grandmother, mother, and daughter all travel to Italy for a summer vacation after being worried about a pending medical diagnosis, burning out on work, and being busted for weed as a rising senior in high school. Time away together may be just what the 3 of them need to reconnect and refocus on what’s important.
Our Italian Summer follows the Ferrari women as they take in the sights and food of Italy, trying to work on themselves and address long, underlying issues impacting their relationships with one another.
I was frustrated by each of them at times, but also felt for each of them at other points — Probst did a great job creating authentic characters. I enjoyed the descriptions of Italy throughout the story too, a place still high on my To Travel list! -
What a realistic yet dreamy story. Trip of a lifetime.
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There’s no perfect family. Every family is loaded with trials and tribulations and the family in this story is particularly unique.
We have a single mother of an almost 18-year-old. Along with her aging mother, the dynamics are what you would expect in an all-female layout. One’s a workaholic. One is insecure and wants the love and attention that she so desperately needs. And the other is dedicated to her granddaughter and tries to take care of everyone.
Needless to say, tense situations arise until it is almost a requirement to take a much-needed vacation. And what better place than to travel to beautiful Italy.
It’s a destination full of amazing works of art, fabulous farmland, and beautiful cities. The women finally start relaxing and learning about each other.
Meeting other people and discovering love in unexpected places is a wonderful part of the story. Probst tells a beautiful tale which brings healing, tender hearts, and best of all, acknowledgment for the depth of love and the strength of women.
This bookish trip to Italy leaves you with the warmth and understanding of family connections, love and first crushes, learning to let go, and acceptance of others. A beautiful story that makes you want to book your own trip and just believe in a happily ever after.
Probst is a go-to queen of sweeping women’s fiction abundant with romance and family ties. What a realistic yet dreamy story.
* copy received for review consideration
Full Review -
https://amidlifewife.com/our-italian-... -
Thank you to Netgalley and Berkley Books for my digital copy in exchange for an honest review.
And honestly? From the second I saw this cover, I knew I was going to love this book. Sometimes I choose a book by it's cover and I am disappointed but not in this case. I 100% loved this book just as much as I thought I would. Essentially it is about 3 generations of women in one family...who all have mother/daughter issues. The matriarch has cancer and doesn't want to tell anybody and also wants to live out her dream of visiting the part of Italy her ancestors came from. HER daughter owns her own company and is much too busy to take that much time off of work to go on a tour of Italy with her mother. And HER daughter is bored with school and bored with her friends and wants to spend the summer traveling with some new friends. Once she gets into trouble and her Mom starts having panic attacks, it is pretty much a given. Italy is going to happen. Their time in Italy is so full of growth, both individually and as a family, that if you don't laugh and cry while reading it, there might be something wrong with you.:) Loved it all the way through. I am ready to sell everything I own and head on over there now :) -
This is the book version of a “motivational” Instagram account
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This is the story of three ladies.
Grandma Sophia. Daughter Francesca. And her daughter Allegra.
75, 48 & almost 18 years old.
Francesca is a very busy and successful owner of an ad company. Way too busy to ever make it to any of her daughter's sports events. That's why the girl spends most of her time with grandma.
But now grandma wants all three of them to go to Italy for the summer. It might be Sophia's last summer - she's afraid she's really sick - too afraid to go to a doctor.
But the girls don't want to leave for the whole summer. Francesca is too busy at work and Allegra was planning on going on a road trip with some new friends.
But due to some events in Allegra & Frannie's lives, it's decided that it's high time for a vacation!
Off to Italy we go ... to find ourselves, to learn about love and life and forgiveness and so much more ...
WHAT WILL HAPPEN WITH OUR THREE GIRLS?
WILL THERE BE A HEA??
READ THE BOOK TO FIND OUT ☺
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I really enjoyed reading this.
I was afraid I wasn't going to like it. It sounded like too much Women's Fiction for my tastes - I'm more of a sexy or funny romance person.
But it was so good! Sweet, sad, heartbreaking.
But also so full of love and hope and family and food and Italy and we even get some Romance.
I just adored those three women. All three are not really happy in their lives. They're all a bit lost. Francesca seems to only live for her job. Allegra seems to live to hate her mom. Or rather resent her for never being there and for dismissing all her dreams and wishes for the future. And grandma just wants everybody to be happy and at peace with each other.
And all that resentment and anger and love is happening on this beautiful Italy trip. We hear so much about the places and art and food and also ... a tiny bit too much about religion for my tastes. But still. I loved reading this.
I just adored the tour guide Enzo! And Irish Ian and the other co-travelers. Such a great cast of people!
I really want to see this on Netflix one day. Like a Love, Eat, Pray meets Jamie Oliver cooking in Italy thing - lol!
OUR ITALIAN SUMMER was such a beautiful & emotional story about three women fighting for their hopes and dreams and family and future on a beautiful trip through Italy with all its amazing food and art. I just adored it - I loved that they took me on that trip with them. Just beautiful!
SPOILER-ish idea:
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This book surprised me. Why do you ask? First of all, I thought this would be the typical romance novel with a girl going to Italy and finding the love of her life. Going into books blind sometimes can be a like a gift you didn't expect. Now, let me start and tell you that this is so much more and I would call this book woman's fiction or just a contemporary novel.
We follow the story of three women, three generations of women, Allegra who is the teen right before she gets into college, Francesca who's her workaholic single mother and Sophia who's the dotting grandmother and not long ago lost her husband. Their relationships are not the best. The book examines the relationships between mother and daughter, since they're nit ideal and how they both have to change ways to find a common ground and find each other in the middle.
I really enjoyed it and the new friendships and relationships they had created in this trip, but also the changes they went through. This book had an amazing setting / background with the Italian scenery prominent in every chapter. This was something that made me feel nostalgia , since I lived in Italy for a while and this book travelled me there. I love when books succeed to do that.
The book has a deep and emotional impact and I loved how each of these characters showed growth and there was character development and how these relationships flowered in this storyline. I don't know if this is going to be continued, but I really enjoyed it and I definately recommend it! -
WARNING: This book should not be attempted on an empty stomach. I may have ingested multiple bowls of pasta and several ̶g̶l̶a̶s̶s̶s̶e̶s̶ ̶ bottles of red wine during the reading of this novel.
Our Italian Summer follows the three Ferrari women - workaholic single-mom Francesca, her resentful teenaged daughter Allegra and Francesca's aging, widowed mother, Sophia - on a family trip to Italy. Sophia has long wanted to see her parents' homeland but her husband died before they had a chance to go so when Allegra starts acting out and Francesca's work stress begins causing panic attacks, she insists they get away in the hopes that they can all relax and reconnect before it's too late to repair their fracturing relationships with each other.
The story is told from each of the women's POVs and I liked getting their different perspectives on what was happening. You will totally be transported to Italy along with Francesca, Sophia and Allegra - I could almost taste the pasta they ate and see the sights they were visiting. It's like taking the vacation we all wish we could right now and I dare you not to bust out some prosciutto and a class of Chianti while you're reading.
Aspects of the plot are a bit predictable but Our Italian Summer is a great escape and I appreciated that the men the women get involved with don't take over the story - Probst keeps the focus on the Ferraris where it should be.
3.5 stars
Thanks to Berkley Publishing, NetGalley and the author for an advanced copy to review. -
❤️
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There’s just something about books with a travel theme and family at the heart of it that makes me swoon.
I loved taking a trip to Italy with the Mother/Daughter/Grandmother trio of career obsessed Francesca, her teenage daughter Allegra, and widowed Mother, Sophia.
The food descriptions, the romances, taking in the sights and all the feels made this story so sweet!
*many thanks to Berkley/Netgalley for the gifted copy for review -
Our Italian Summer is a story about three generations of women who take a trip through Italy for separate reasons but towards the end they all find love, healing and forgiveness.
Francesca is a workaholic successful business woman who sees this trip as a chance to spend more time with her teenage daughter Allegra who will go off to college soon. Allegra has never received her mother's love and attention and now she tries and pretends she doesn't care. She also wants nothing to do with her mother's decisions for her, she'd rather do the opposite. After she gets in trouble with the law, she has no choice but to say yes to this trip to Italy. However she's consoled by the fact that her grandmother Sophia will accompany them. Allegra loves Sophia with all her heart and also shares everything with her, because every time her mother was absent her grandmother was there. Sophia has just received some heartbreaking news and wants to spend time with her daughter and granddaughter away from all distractions. She's the one who comes up with the idea of this trip to Italy.
Our Italian Summer is essentially an examination of the relationship between these three women with the background of stunning Italian cities, food, wine and art. Between sightseeing, meeting new people and making new friends, all three women do their own soul searching and talk through things they'd never imagined ever uttering. They let go of years of resentment and forgive each other and themselves. It's all pretty realistic, the emotions, the conversations, the almost fights and not once I felt it to be a one trip fixes all kind of thing. The story is emotional, realistic and wraps up perfectly.
So, why the three stars you ask. Well, mostly my expectations are to blame. I was hoping for a typical Jennifer Probst romance and while there is a slight whiff of that, this story is mostly about the relationship dynamics between the three women. I would have probably enjoyed it more had I picked it up without my pre-formed expectations.
Although, I would certainly recommend it to readers looking for a heartwarming story about the complicated mother/daughter relationship with an extensive trip through Italy in the background.
**A free e-ARC was provided by Berkley via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own. ** -
I didn't enjoy this one so it's better to save my time on something better!
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‘Life is too short to skip the fries.’
Okay, I’m one of those weird readers who looks for the, what I call, ‘Easter eggs’ while reading a book. The one or possibly two, if not more, random sentences that sum up most of the story and for Our Italian Summer, my first by Jennifer Probst- life is too short to skip the fries- was it.
In this book we take a much needed trip to Italy with 3 generations of women; career obsessed Francesca, her teen daughter Allegra and her mother, Sophia. The relationship between Francesca and her mother is a little estranged but nowhere near how crazy stupid complicated things are with her own daughter Allegra.
All three ladies needed this getaway. They needed situations to happen to test their relationships and finally set things straight. They needed new adventures and meeting new faces. Needed to slow down. What I love about the quote I shared is that this story, ESPECIALLY through the actions of Francesca reminded me that it’s moments that matter. Don’t skip out on the good stuff. I love that she was a career woman, financially holding it down for her and her daughter..and trust me! Usually when I know there is a snobby teenager in a book, I dread reading it BUT Allegra just wanted her mom to SHOW UP! To be present! Stop skipping the good stuff. -
I feel that this book accomplished what it set out to do and was a chill beach read where not much happened.
However, the characters were very 2 dimensional and could have been pushed or more dynamic to a improve the story. Characters often relied on 1 or 2 character traits as their motivation for the whole story.
In addition the daughter didn’t seem authentically written as an 18 year old, taking me out of the story using descriptive words such as icky and epic to describe things she didn’t and did like.
To end on a positive note loved the setting of Italy and how it was written and how it was personified to be almost be a character on its own. -
A big thank you to Valentine PR and Berkley for sending me Our Italian Summer by Jennifer Probst.
Three women, on a journey to reconnect with themselves and each other. Francesca and her daughter Allegra have a difficult relationship and when things start to go seriously off the rails Francesca's mom, Sophia, convinces them to come on a trip through Italy with her. She hopes to show them their roots, and help them repair their relationship before it's too late.
The story is at once heartbreaking and uplifting. Anyone who's ever struggled with their own familial relationships will be able to see some of themselves in each of the characters at one point or another, and probably be frustrated by them at other times—because they're real, and flawed, and human.
This book has a great message of acceptance and the importance of good communication and seeing things from new perspectives.
And touring through Italy, via the pages of this book, was just what I needed right now. Especially as I sit and stare and the non-stop Seattle rain we've been having this week! It's been a few years since I was last in Italy and this book took me right back. -
3.5 rounded up.
A heartfelt story of three generations of Italian American women navigating the tricky mother-daughter bonds while embarking on a two week Italy vacation. I really loved the alternating POVS of this story and the strong-minded Italian women who didn't bend to other's whims. Highly recommended for fans of books like The star-crossed sisters of Tuscany and great on audio. -
I really enjoyed this one. It is definitely more women’s fiction than romance, but that’s okay. I loved the relationship between the three women. Jennifer wrote it beautifully, as always. Thanks to Jennifer and Valentine PR for the ARC!
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Pefect escapist read for armchair travelers!
With individual reasons for wanting or not wanting this trip, a grandmother, her daughter, and her granddaughter travel to Italy for a month’s summer vacation. Sophia, the grandmother, feels that this might be her last chance to visit her homeland and also hopes it will be an opportunity for her daughter and granddaughter to heal their relationship; Francesca, her daughter, is a workaholic and a single mom (by choice) and is suddenly having difficulty with Allegra, her teenage daughter. It’s the trouble that Allegra gets into that finally convinces Francesca that a trip to Italy might be the best option for them even though it will be difficult to extract herself from work. Although Sophia and Allegra are close and share a love of cooking, tensions run high for both of them when Francesca is around. Will this trip to Italy be Sophia’s dream of a lifetime? Most important, will this trip help heal relationships?
Our Italian Summer is told from three perspectives and I enjoyed each one equally. We hear from Sophia as she worries about her family and her health and grieves the loss of her husband; we hear from Francesca as she shares the burdens of having a high pressure career as a single mother, her efforts to connect with her daughter, and her surprise at considering a romantic relationship; and we hear from Allegra as she finds her voice, ponders her college goals, and rebuilds a trusting relationship with her mother.
What’s not to love about Italy? So many lovely locations and food experiences are described! If you’ve been to Italy or have always wanted to go, you will thoroughly enjoy the setting and vivid descriptive details.
Thoughtful themes in Our Italian Summer include second chances, mother/daughter relationships, finding your voice, trust, and intergenerational relationships.
I’m warmly recommending Our Italian Summer for fans of multigenerational family stories, for readers who love mother/daughter themes, for those who are looking for a light and entertaining vacation or weekend read, and for bookclubs. Perfect escapist read for armchair travelers!
For more reviews visit my blog
www.readingladies.com where this review first appeared. -
I enjoyed this contemporary chick-lit book about a family of 3 generations of women (grandmother, mother, and daughter), whose relationships are fraught with misunderstandings and hurt. The grandmother, Sophia, has always wanted to visit the birthplace of her parents in Italy, but never could. Once she starts having some troubling health issues, she feels compelled that now is the time, and once her granddaughter starts being rebellious to get her work-aholic mother's attention, Sophia feels that to go there is imperative as a way for all 3 of them to reconnect before it is too late. It was good for them to work everything out, and there was some romance thrown in too for good measure.
I received this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review-- thank you. -
ALL THE FEELS!
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Thank you so much to Berkley for this arc for review - I really enjoyed Our Italian Summer.
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Mother/daughter relationships are complicated but important, and that's the main theme of this lovely little book. A grandmother, Sophia, is concerned about her daughter and her granddaughter and their ever-tense relationship and decides that what they all need is a summer away together - preferably in Italy which has been her life-long dream.
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This book explores the ideas of slowing down, appreciating the beauty in life, communicating effectively, and focusing on the things in life that are truly the most important. In addition to the resonating themes of the story, I loved the romp through Italy. We explore Rome, Naples, Capri, Pompeii, Florence, Sienna, and Lucca. These are places I have been fortunate to travel to and I really enjoyed reliving them through Probst's descriptions.
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For a fun little story that will give you so many feels and remind you of what is important in life, I recommend Our Italian Summer. -
I had such high expectations for this one, and even thought I’d end up writing a biased review because I’m a sucker for books set in Italy. However, this book fell way flat for me and ultimately wasn’t my cup of tea.
Pros:
-the overarching themes of family and forgiveness, and second chances.
-Sophia and Allegra were likeable characters, for the most part.
-I did get some travel fever, which I was hoping for.
Cons:
-Can we talk about how utterly self-centered and annoying Francesca is? While she does somewhat redeem herself at the end by sacrificing a huge work client for time with her family, her actions leading up to that point (constantly choosing work over family, and her inability to establish any boundaries whatsoever with her job while on vacation) were so blatantly selfish that it was hard to like her or relate.
-This may be more of a personal preference, but I couldn’t get behind Francesca’s and Allegra’s summer romances that, despite being admittedly temporary or the “we’ll see what happens” type, escalated to sex after only a few weeks. Francesca falls for the Italian tour guide and they end up staying in touch, but there’s no real commitment to work things out in the long run. Then there’s Allegra who falls for an Irish boy who feels that his calling is to become a priest, so they can’t be together. Does that stop them from giving their virginity in a moment of hormonal teenage passion? Nope, and after Allegra gets home, she promptly agrees to date her first love interest from the beginning of the book.
All in all, while it had some solid themes woven in, it was way more of a raging hormonal romance than I typically gravitate toward, and the ending was unsatisfactory for me. -
Our Italian Summer is a moving, relatable women’s fiction novel which gives us a peak into the lives of three women, from three generations: grandmother, mother and teen daughter. As they traverse the Italian countryside on an unexpected, but much needed trip, they begin to slowly and haltingly address the issues that have fractured their relationships for years.
This novel explores the problems many relationships face, with insights gleaned from age and hindsight, as well as generational perspectives. It explores modern day topics and concerns, all while touring the the rich, vibrant Italian country, culture and customs. Their relationships are frustrating, touching, heartbreaking and hopeful. And the added romance and transportive, descriptive quality makes this a sensational story.
Our Italian Summer is a really different offering from Jennifer Probst, who typically writes more steamy romance, but this new venture is an absolute success and I hope she continues to write more stories like this one. -
They say that reading is one of the cheapest ways to travel. With Our Italian Summer you can escape to Italy and experience a fabulous trip to the other side of the world with its vivid imagery and delicious food descriptions that will have the reader craving the real thing.
This character driven story about a three generations of Ferrari women is easy to read with the very relateable and charming ladies who travel to trace their family roots and reconnect with each other.
Told from Francesca, Allegra and Sofia’s perspective, this moving story about family, forgiveness and second chance Is heartwarmingly uplifting.
Amazon ->
https://amzn.to/391Zr3t
* I was given an ARC of this book courtesy of the author via Valentine PR. The excerpts are from that copy. I am voluntarily reviewing this title. *
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This was a feel good book. A Woman (Sophia) takes her daughter and granddaughter on a one month trip to Italy so they can all reconnect with one another. The grandmother wants her daughter and granddaughter to spend more time together and bond. The daughter and granddaughter fall in love while there. The mother (Frannie) falls in love with the tour guide and her daughter (Allegra) falls for an Irish boy who has other plans that keep them from being together. I wish their was more to the ending when they got back home but it ended quickly but still a nice little read.
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4 stars because of the three generational story plot and the vivid descriptions of some of my favourite places in Italy.
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I picked this book out to read because I wanted to read something cute and the cover was pretty 😂
I really enjoyed the story with the grandma, mum and daughter!
This was a cute read 😌
I really need to get back to reading, I haven’t been reading as much lately and I’m missing my books💛 -
Our Italian Summer heart-warming story of family, second chances, and learning to forgive.
Our Italian Summer follows the story of three generations of Ferrari women. Francesca is the quintessential workaholic that has let her work consume her and leaves little room for much else. She struggles desperately for a relationship with her daughter but isn’t ready to make the necessary changes. Allegra struggles to be the person her mother wants her to be. She’s frustrated with her mom and her current state of life. Her struggles lead her to hanging out with the wrong crowd and making risky decisions. Sophia’s life is in its own state of chaos. She sees her daughter and granddaughter struggling and wants nothing more to make things right. However, Sophia is keeping a secret of her own. But before she reveals her truth, she tries to convince her family that a trip to Italy is exactly what they all need. Follow these three women on their journey as they face what life throws them and takes them on an adventure of a lifetime…
Our Italian Summer captivated me from the very first page. I was intrigued by the Ferrari women and found each of their stories relatable. In a way, this book isn’t just a story about their journeys, but also a love letter to Italy. The beauty and history of the city are immersed in the pages and brings the culture to life. You learn more about these women and the choices they are faced with. You learn what is important in life and the changes that must be made, no matter how hard it may seem. I for one couldn’t wait to see which direction their stories would take them.
Our Italian Summer is a story of hope and forgiveness. It’s a story of pain and difficult choices. It’s a story of second chances and first love. Most importantly, it’s a story of family and the bonds that we make. This story was rich, beautiful, and will certainly tug at the reader’s heartstrings. It was unexpected in the best way possible and I couldn’t help but devour it. I enjoyed every moment of this story from beginning to end and hope that I too, one day, will be able to take a trip to Italy…
*I was provided an ARC copy of this book, via the publisher & NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review* -
A Review of “Our Italian Summer” by Jennifer Probst, Berkley Publishing, January 2021, by Linda Zagon
Jennifer Probst, the author of “Our Italian Summer” has written a delightful, entertaining, and memorable novel. The genres for this novel are family fiction, and romantic fiction. The timeline for the story is set in the present and goes to the past when it pertains to the characters or events.. The author describes her characters as flawed, likable,complex and complicated. Most of the story is set in parts of Italy. I love the way Jennifer Probst vividly describes the food, the scenery and the events in Italy.
This is a novel with three generations of women in the same family. Sophia has a feeling that her daughter and grand daughter need some intervention, and plans a trip to Italy to enjoy the sights, and bond the family. Francesca, her daughter is a workaholic and single mother that often forgets to attend important meetings for her daughter Allegra. Allegra’s feelings have been hurt by her mother, and she starts to hang out with a different crowd.
This special summer trip to Italy is wonderful to read, and I wish I could purchase a ticket and head there now. I enjoyed the family dynamics, and I highly recommend this wonderful book for others.
