One Italian Summer: A Novel Hardcover – March 1, 2022

It was a fun and easy read. Relatable in many ways for me.

Books that involve some kind of time traveling element that make a character examine their lives in a new way are probably my favorite kind of books. This one had the added fun of the magical setting of Positano, which I have now added to my travel wish list. I enjoyed the setting, the whimsy, and the main character's interaction with another version of her mother as the main character process her own grief. I saw one twist coming but not all of them. All good stuff.The ending and one of the twists I did not see coming are what prevent me from giving this book 5-stars. I felt that the main character's self-evaluation wrapped up a little too conveniently. I can't say much more without spoilers, which I will detail below....SEMI-SPOILERSAfter all of her pondering about how she just drifted through life, let things happen rather than making things happen, including her own relationship, I was disappointed that she then....went back to her same relationship. It was a little too convenient that oh hai this was good after all. was it, though? Or was she just vulnerable and looking for something familiar?Also - the plotline of a woman leaving her underage children in pursuit of self-fulfillment is one that pops up periodically in fiction. The unstated (or sometimes stated) point is that hey, men having been doing this for years and everyone's fine with it, why is it not ok when women do with it? People: it's not okay for ANYONE of any gender to peace out on their underage children in pursuit of self-fulfillment. Yes, it's hard and it sucks, but it sucks ever so much worse for your confused underage child(ren) for whom you are the entire world. If my husband had peaced out to find himself when I had a six month old at home, I don't think I would have been waiting for him when he came back.So, a good read, and clearly made me think even if I disagreed with the conclusions.

Okay, first, I have to say that I didn’t choose this book; it was for my Book Club & it wasn’t my choice of book. I don’t really like magical realism, in general. Okay, that way of the way, I was really excited to get to read this book because I heard of Rebecca Serle before & knew she was supposed to be really good (& also because the audiobook is read by one Lorelai Gilmore herself of the show Gilmore Girls; LOVED that show when I was younger)! HOWEVER, unfortunately, I had a problem with the main character, Katy. I found her to be really unlikeable; she’s very selfish & very whiny! First of all, she leaves her ENTIRE grieving family & goes off to Italy, a trip that she was supposed to take with her mother before she (the mom) died. She doesn’t EVEN consider taking her dad on the extra plane ticket (her mom’s ticket); she actually doesn’t even asked him if he’ll like to go in the first place—let alone also leaving behind her lovingly & supportive husband who is the SWEETEST guy, it seems, (& who also didn’t do ANYTHING wrong, either) just because she’s “bored” of him—or @ least that was just the impression I got. Like she never really loved him; she just married him cause it was the “right answer” to the “Will you marry me?” question. So, then she gets to Italy & she meets her dead mom—but just 30 years younger (not a spoiler; this was in the little “summary” for the book) & a man called Adam … oh, Adam, you really didn’t need to be there … That’s the “romance” part of the book, I guess, if you can call it that …. 😒 Honestly, Adam came off as creepy & a little stalker-y to tell you the truth … I got the impression that he just wanted to sleep with Katy (which Spoiler Alert: he does! Totally not caring that she’s MARRIED & neither does Katy, it seems)!! I didn’t really FEEL the attraction between these two @ ALL!! It was just like “Oh, she’s cute, never mind that she’s married. Oh, he’s handsome, never mind that I’M married … ” , so they sleep together. That’s it … 😒 Where’s all the chemistry that usually comes with a romance?? Where’s that initial first spark?? (Even in the enemies-to-lovers trope, there’s usually that first “spark” … You can probably tell I read A LOT of Romances … 😅) And when they did sleep together, it was kinda … blah … No fireworks 🎆 , if you know what I mean … 😉 Like honestly, Adam didn’t have to be in the story at all … This could have been a lovely story about grief & coming to terms with losing your mother & then coming back to your husband … with NO Adam @ all ANYWHERE!! And that’s another thing: Katy’s relationship with her mother seemed REALLY unhealthy & co-dependent for a 30-year-old woman, even if you ARE really close to your mother. Like seriously, Katy asked her mother if she thinks it’s okay to start having KIDS!! Like, c’mon!! No, woman!! That’s not something you discuss with your MOTHER—even if you are close with her!! I’m siding with poor Eric (her husband) on this one!! (I sorta get “I broke his heart cause he was nice” (I’m a BIG Swiftie) vibe with their whole marriage.) Okay, now, for the BIG * Spoiler Alert * : we find out, towards the end of the book, that WHOLE time Katy sees her 30-year-old mom in Italy is because she’s gone back IN TIME to the 90’s!! Yep, time travel … Now, in general, I don’t like time travel books (unless they involve saving a hippogriff & a man who’s been wrongfully in prisoned for 12 years 😉; sorry, not sorry, I’m a HUGE Potterhead). Think ‘Back to the Future’ or like “Manifest”, the TV show, back in reverse, instead of 5 years in the future, Katy goes BACK 30 years in the PAST & the whole time she doesn’t REALIZE it!! I’m sorry, but HOW can you not realize it’s the 90’s!! Hello!! NO cell phones, big bulky computers, instead of iPads, the fact that EVERYONE has cash, not credit cards … !! 😒 I don’t care that everyone reacts to grief differently, but still … I would DEFINITELY notice if my iPhone wasn’t working … And that’s another thing: What 30-year-old doesn’t check her phone @ least once a day, even if she IS “trying to escape” her life back home (even just to take pictures; she IS in ITALY, after all! C’mon … !! 😒)!! This also means that Adam, the guy she CHEATED on her husband with, would be in his 60’s in the “real world” when Katy sleeps with him!! I’m sorry, WHAT?!?! And Katy doesn’t EVER question ANY of this or freaked out, either!! In fact, we (the reader) don’t ANY explanation for the time travel @ ALL!! Was it all just a crazy dream, alternative reality, a complete mental breakdown as a result of grief, what?! And that’s ANOTHER thing: we (again, the reader) never really FEEL Katy’s grief, either—@ least that’s the impression I got—we are TOLD (by Katy herself) that she was EXTREMELY (again to the point of it being unhealthy) close to her mom. We don’t get to see like a flashback—other than 30-year-old mom in the weird time travel thing—or something to when her mom WAS alive. Maybe if we got flashbacks, I would have FELT Katy’s grief better, instead of just being TOLD it by Katy herself … But, anyway, I gave it 3 stars ⭐️ because, in the end, I DID like the ending. 😊 Also, really liked the descriptions of Italy & Italian food … made me really want to visit Italy & try all the delicious Italian food that was mentioned! 👍🏻

Happy Pub Day!One Italian Summer has been my favorite read of 2022 thus far. This story will whisk you away to Italy and is sure to capture your heart. It’s a book about living your most authentic life, self discovery, and taking chances. I’m so grateful for the opportunity to have read this one early. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did! It’s now available anywhere you purchase books. It’s also a Book of the Month Option for March. Below is my original review.•You guys…this book hit home for me. First off thank you so much to Atria books for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book. This was my first ARC and it did not disappoint.•At the heels of her mother’s death, Katy Silver takes a summer trip to Italy. A trip she was supposed to go on with her mother. Katy decides to leave everything behind and take the trip solo. Once she arrives she will discover more about herself in 2 weeks, than in her entire lifetime.•I related to both female characters Katy and Carol. While at very different places in their life, I felt parallels between their reality and my own. Katy and Carol are complex characters who are both at a crossroads in their life. These women didn’t always make the best decisions, but they are human after all. If you have ever questioned whether you are on the right path in life I think you will relate to this story. I don’t want to share too much more with risk of giving away spoilers.•Italy is a true love of mine. I had the pleasure of going the year I turned 21 and it was the trip of a lifetime. We stayed a few days in Positano and it felt like a place right out of a movie. Completely breathtaking. This book brought me back, and made me yearn to go again.•I loved everything about this book, I hope you do too. Thank you to Netgalley and Atria books for giving me the chance to read this book early in exchange for an honest review.This book is out now. Grab your copy today.

Reading this book while in Positano was perfection

The way she transports you to Positano, the streets, the restaurants, the views! I loved this book. 100% recommend

Appassionante storia raccontata nella bellissima cornice di Positano.

„history, memory is by definition fiction. once an event is no longer present, but remembered, it is narrative. and we can choose the narrative we tell - about our own lives, our own stories, our own relationships. we can choose the chapters we give meaning.“ (quote)this was wonderfuldifferent than expected -i didn’t know it involved some form of time travel- but great.honestly the only thing i disliked was the cheating.but that was thankfully a very short moment in the book.but i absolutely loved the mother/daughter relationship.how the daughter learns to understand not only herself but also that her mother (her parents overall) are not just her parents but their own people, with their own struggles and history. that they had their own dreams and ambitions and that while as a child your life and their life with you might seem perfect - maybe your parents wanted something else too. not because they are disappointed with what they have or gave up to raise t he r child but just cause they are human beings on their own beside being parents.this was fun and sad but also brilliant and entertaining.it shows the love for italy, how vibrant and life changing that country can be to anyone visiting and that it’s always a good idea to travel and trying to fin yourself first and foremost.can’t wait to read more by this author!

But the story about the mother daughter symbiotic relationship was over the topI would not recommend this light weight novel