Title: Our Italian Summer
Author: Jennifer Probst
Publisher: Berkley Books
Release Date: January 12, 2021
From New York Times bestselling author Jennifer Probst comes a new women's fiction novel featuring three generations of Ferrari women who need to heal the broken pieces of their lives...and one trip of a lifetime through Italy.
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.
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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