Book Synopsis:
The heartbreaking new novel from the author of the international bestseller In Five YearsWhen Katy’s mother dies, she is left reeling. Carol wasn’t just Katy’s mum, but her best friend and first phone call. She had all the answers and now, when Katy needs her the most, she is gone. To make matters worse, the mother-daughter trip of a lifetime looms: two weeks in Positano, the magical town where Carol spent the summer before she met Katy’s father. Katy has been waiting years for Carol to take her, and now she is faced with embarking on the adventure alone.But as soon as she steps foot on the Amalfi Coast, Katy begins to feel her mother’s spirit. Buoyed by the stunning waters, beautiful cliffsides, delightful residents, and – of course – delectable food, Katy feels herself coming back to life.And then Carol appears, healthy and sun-tanned… and thirty years old. Katy doesn’t understand what is happening, or how – all she can focus on is that somehow, impossibly, she has her mother back. Over the course of one Italian summer, Katy gets to know Carol, not as her mother, but as the young woman who came before.But can we ever truly know our parents? Soon Katy must reconcile the mother who knew everything with the young woman who does not yet have a clue.Rebecca Serle’s next great love story is here, and this time it’s between a mother and daughter. With her signature ‘heartbreaking and poignant’ (Glamour) prose, Serle has crafted a transcendent novel about how we move on after loss, and how the people we love never truly leave us.
One Italian Summer is available in ebook and hardback now. You can pre-order your copy using the links below.
My Review:
One Italian Summer is a beautiful, emotional and heartwarming read that would make a great holiday read.
Firstly i loved the author’s fantastically vivid descriptions of the Amalfi coast and the beautiful town of Postitano. I felt like I’d been transported there and was experiencing everything alongside the characters. I eagerly drank in all the wonderful descriptions and spent far to long googling it. It’s definitely a place I’d love to visit in the future.
The story follows Katy who, after her mother’s death, decided to go on the dream holiday they had planned. It was heartbreaking and very emotional to see her trying to work through her grief over her mother and my heart went out to her as I read. Once there she learns a bit more about her mother and discovers why she made some of the decisions she did.
Katy was an interesting main character and it took me a while to warm to her as I thought some of her actions were quite selfish. The plot is very absorbing and I soon felt submerged in Katy’s world. It’s not particularly fast paced at times but I didn’t care as I was enjoying learning a little bit more about Katy’s mum’s life.
Overall i liked this wonderful, escapist read which was great for reading in the storms that were battering the UK at the time.
Huge thanks to Milly Reid from Quercus for inviting me onto the blog tour and to Quercus for my copy of this book via netgalley.
About The Author:
Rebecca Serle is an author and television writer who lives between NYC and LA. Serle most recently co-developed the television adaptation of her YA series FAMOUS IN LOVE for Freeform and Warner Brothers Television. She is a graduate of the University of Southern California. Her bestselling US debut adult novel DINNER LIST was a Book of the Month club pick, Costco bookclub pick, and Bustle Bookclub selection.
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