The Summer Villa

By Melissa Hill

Published by HQ Stories

What’s it about?

From Goodreads:

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 amid dappled lemon groves and 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 Mary Kay Andrews and Susan Mallery.

What I think:

This is a great easy summer read with a gorgeous cover.

Kim is rich and spoiled but bored and unfulfilled. Her parents put business before everything else and she escapes their latest deal and heads to Italy while she decides what to do next.

At Villa Dolce Vita she meets Colette and Annie, two young women also looking to find themselves. Circumstances bring the women together for a few weeks of sunshine, exploring and romance.

On the surface the women have got nothing in common, but they are all seeking to find themselves and their real passions.

Six years later the women are all settled and successful but trouble is brewing. Behind the perfect social media images each of them is again troubled. And heading to Italy for a reunion means different things to each of them.

The story is split between the past holidays and the present day reunion. The events and choices made in Italy have permanently changed all three women. I won’t say more because it spoils the story!

Of the three women Colette is my favourite. She is warm and caring. People are drawn to her and she has the strongest connection with Italy.

There’s a big reveal twist at the end which I didn’t see coming and allows all three women to find happiness, albeit in a different or unexpected way, at the end.

The Summer Villa is pure fantasy escapism that will be perfect holiday reading this summer. And if you can’t get to the beach yourself this book will take you to the Amalfi Coast.

Thank you HQ Stories for inviting me to be part of the blog tour and gifting me a copy of the book. The Summer Villa is out now.