If you’ve ever dreamed of escaping to the Amalfi Coast—eating lemon pasta, sipping crisp white wine, and staring out at the sparkling sea—One Italian Summer by Rebecca Serle has your name on it. The book’s setting in Positano is downright dreamy. I loved the sensory details. The food, the wine, the charming seaside streets—I felt like I was there. On that level, the book is a five-star getaway.
Unfortunately, the plot and characters didn’t live up to the scenery. The premise—grieving daughter somehow meets her mother as a young woman—requires a huge suspension of disbelief. I’m fine with a little magical realism, but this one felt too far-fetched, even for fiction.
I also had a hard time connecting with the main character. Her treatment of her husband was awful, and her over-the-top, codependent relationship with her mother didn’t help matters. Instead of a moving journey through grief, it often read like a hall pass for bad decisions. Including adultery, which didn’t sit well with me.
That said, if you’re just looking for an armchair vacation with food, wine, and sunshine, this book does deliver. Just know going in—it’s more beautiful escape than believable story.
** Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for the opportunity to read and review this one.