Read it in norwegian and enjoyed it very much.
it was good, and reminded me of the usuall chick-lit, though i missed some things here and there.

**I received an e-ARC from the publisher and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review**

This novel explores the relationship between 3 women who run a hotel in Cinque Terra. The author does a great job of describing the scenery and it made me wish I was back in Italy. All of the women have distinctive personalities and it was interesting to explore their dynamics with each other as well as the other secondary characters in the book. I do think this could have been shorter. I was engaged throughout most of the book, but there were certain passages that I skimmed as they didn't serve to move the plot forward.

All in all, I liked this but it is not without its flaws.

The idea of this book was great. I was so excited to start this story. A hotel in Italy, family owned and run, with some drama added, what's not to love?

The characters of the three generations of women were interesting yet I found myself not really liking any of them. They each had their own storylines but instead of being intrigued, I found myself frustrated. Frustrated with the lack of communication, with wishy-washy passive female characters and with the little emphasis on the the beautiful surroundings.

It was just ok for me. I do think many people will like this type of 'woman's fiction'.

I wanted to love this book, but I found it hard to get into. The story is predictable, as are most books in this genre. But it is a nice easy holiday read..

The descriptions of the hotel, the village, and the food were detailed and expressive. They really brought the area to life. The crisis towards the end was even more poignant knowing that its basis was in actual events.

The main thrust of the storyline and the characterisations was duty verses love, and how both can turn lives upside down. There were also a couple of mysteries that drove the plot along.

Another great read for summer about love, families and secrets. Set in the beautiful Italian Riviera an old convent has been converted into the Lemon Tree Hotel. We meet the many guests who visit the hotel but there are two guests who feature highly - one of whom was involved with the owners past, the other who is very interested in the history of the hotel. Three generations of the family work at the hotel and throughout the book we follow their lives and loves as a mystery from the past is revealed. This is one of the best books I've read from Rosanna Ley.

Veranezza and the Lemon Tree Hotel is a beautiful story of the three women who own and run the hotel which was once a convent. The starting point of the nobel concerns the arrival of two guests who will each bring to the surface hidden secrets from the past and change each of the women getting them to question their previous beliefs. The sunshine of the Italian setting shines through the story and one is transported to Italy where the two different stories unravel with consequences for everyone. Well done with this wonderful tale.

Description
A story about love, family secrets, and a little piece of heaven . . . In the beautiful village of Vernazza, the Mazzone family have transformed an old convent overlooking the glamorous Italian Riviera into the elegant Lemon Tree Hotel. For Chiara, her daughter Elene and her granddaughter Isabella, the running of their hotel is the driving force in their lives. One day, two unexpected guests check in. The first, Dante, is a face from Chiara's past, but what exactly happened between them all those years ago, Elene wonders. Meanwhile, Isabella is preoccupied with the second guest, a mysterious young man who seems to know a lot about the history of the old convent and the people who live there. Isabella is determined to find out his true intentions and discover the secret past of the Lemon Tree Hotel.

MY REVIEW:
Wow, the description of Cinque Terre was right on point. The Lemon Tree Hotel is a story about a family and its secrets. The family transform an old convent into a stunning hotel. The characters are well written and obviously the description of the area is the most appealing to me. This was a light, easy read and I thoroughly enjoyed every bit of the novel. It definitely left me wanting to visit Cinque Terre again.

I was provided this book free of charge in exchange for my honest opinion. One thing I want to mention is that usually you do not see a review on the cover. For me, it was beautifully done and definitely grabbed my attention.

An intoxicating storyline with mouth watering descriptions.
This book was superb. Loved it from cover to cover.
The ending was perfect too.

I loved this story of the Lemon Tree Hotel and how three generations of women are connected to it. It's a lovely tale of love lost and regained, about second chances set in wonderful Italian countryside. When a German guest arrives at the hotel, it sets in motion a chain of events leading back to the German Occupation during WW2. Great characters and location make this a memorable summer read.

#TheLemonTreeHotel #NetGalley This book was set in the stunning location of the Cinque Terra and the descriptions of the hotel left me wanting to visit!! The story was about the relationships within and outside of Chiara's family and was an easy to read, lighthearted novel. For me though, unfortunately, there were too many periods of nothing much happening that seemed to be replaced by long descriptive passages that were quite repetitious at times. I did find myself skim reading in parts to get back to the action. Overall an enjoyable story that, in my opinion, would have benefitted from being 100 pages shorter with more action to keep me totally gripped.

I very much enjoyed the multi-generational aspect of this book. It was written very clearly and I was able to engage with all the characters. The setting is amazing and made me want to visit. The writing was beautiful and the author had obviously done her homework on the setting etc. Definitely a thoughtful summer read.

I was sent this book by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Fun read and lovely setting. I wasn’t totally excited by the book, but it did keep you guessing and the characters were likeable.

I have read most of Rosanna Ley's previous novels and have enjoyed them all so I was really looking forward to starting this one. I wasn't disappointed as with her previous novels, this was well written with a beautiful location, vivid descriptions which I loved.

I enjoyed all of the characters and empathised with all of them. I was drawn into the story from the start and found it difficult to put down. The food descriptions made me hungry!

I am really looking forward to the next book!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

This was an advance copy from netgalley - many thanks

I've read the author's work before so was thrilled to be able to read this as an advanced copy. The other thing that attracted me is that it is set in Italy - my favourite place

This was an absolute joy to read.

I love Rosanna Ley's writing - so well written - lush descriptions that make me want to go back to the Italian Riviera - which I have been lucky to visit before - so evocative

Didn't want the book to finish and is making me want to search out my other Rosanna Ley books and re-read - especially now the weather is becoming so nice in the UK. Perfect for a summers day, for a holiday read

Highly recommended

This story is set in Vernazza,Italy. The first chapter is in 1968 then skips to 2011. The main character Chiara is raised in the Lemon tree hotel and takes over the running of it from her parents.

Chiara has the help of her daughter Elene and her granddaughter Isabella. There are two separate love stories interwoven with a mysterious hotel guest and a history that comes full circle.

The story explores the relationships between mother and daughter and grandmother and granddaughter. I found the story rather long winded and very descriptive. The characters were not well developed and there was much to draw me back chapter after chapter.

All in all it was a good book. The light hearted escapism I was evaded me there was too much drama and excessive detail about the surroundings and Italian history to hold me interest.

Thank you #netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to review this book.

Loved the unique Italian Rivera setting. Great read!

Many thanks to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for my ARC. All opinions are my own.

The stunning Lemon Tree Hotel, once a convent, nestles elegantly overlooking the dazzling Italian Riviera - run by the Mazzone family - It's a place where dreams are made. Enjoyable family drama following lives - past and present -loves and secrets of three generations. Nicely written, this is an ideal Summer read - for the armchair traveller or otherwise - and a perfect slice of escapism. Recommended.

Great read. The author wrote a story that was interesting and moved at a pace that kept me engaged. The characters were easy to invest in.

The Lemon Tree Hotel by Rosanna Ley has a beautiful cover to match the stunning set for this new book. Set on the Italian Rivera in the Cinque Terre region, the author captures a period of time in one families life when great changes are afoot. Things have remained the same for many years but discord is stirring and long held feelings and opinions slowly begin to simmer to the surface. The past is now having a bracing impact on the present and also on which direction the future may take. It's a very character driven story, yes there are glorious and wonderful descriptions of the hotel and the surrounding areas which do really help to set the scene and aid us in getting to know the characters. But this is a slow read with the main events only really happening towards the end which just felt that little bit too late for me.

The story follows one family in which a trio of women each play very important and varied roles. They are bound by family relationships and the three generations have lots in common but they are also poles apart in many other ways each hiding secrets and viewpoints which when events take hold have nothing else to do but come to the surface. At times I found it challenging to keep track of the three main female characters. Chiara is the grandmother, her daughter Elene is a chef in the hotel kitchen and this is her domain. Her own daughter Isabella runs the front of house. Sometimes I was confusing who was who and what exactly was going on with their own story but I knew everything would ultimately combine to bring all the various strands together.

I found the book hard going at times as there was nothing really happening. I think an event or some earth shattering secret needed to be brought into the open around the halfway point to keep me engaged and reading on. I am glad I did persist with this read but it wouldn’t be my favourite of Rosanna Ley's. The love Chiara has for the hotel established by her parents is evident. She knows every nook and cranny and she welcomes the guests with open arms and sees no problems with the way it is being run. It has been the same for so many years and there is no reason to change things which have worked perfectly fine. The hotel has always been a retreat, a shelter and a spiritual haven right from the times the nuns once occupied the building as a convent. As more than one stranger arrives will the façade of comfort and happiness be shattered forever?

Elene is unhappy and feels she is never listened to. She enjoys her role as chef but wants a bigger say in what is going on. Times are a changing on the outside and with the world in general and she feels the same should occur with the hotel. Moving with the more modern times is the way to go but will she ever be listened to? Her unhappiness also stems from childhood and that has carried on right through her marriage to Silvo and the subsequent birth of Isabella. It's not that she is unhappy with her husband and daughter, it's more the relationship she has with her own mother. I really couldn't warm to Elene at all, she just seemed so grumpy and selfish and although she was a grown adult in my mind at times she acted like a child.

In her own mind she seemed beholden to her mother when I'm not sure that was always the case. I felt she was looking for sympathy and truly if she wasn't that happy shouldn't she have just admitted how she was feeling and gotten everything out in the open? She was disgruntled and very unhappy with her life but she was the one with the power to change it. She feels a chasm between herself and her mother but is it one of her own creation? She believes that she is made to feel dispensable and that if she wasn't there then things would continue to run as smoothly as normal. There was a certain action undertaken by Elene that I thought was sneaky and underhand and I desperately wished she hadn't done it as I think it would have come to light in a more smoother way. Clearly she needed to air her grievances but she had she the courage to do so in a befitting manner.

As for Isabella she was young and independent with a good business brain on her shoulders. So when a German guest arrives and starts acting suspicious her interest is aroused. As she grows closer to Ferdinand, he still remains a closed book and his actions in and around the hotel only increase her worries. Just what is he up to and what has brought him to the hotel? This aspect of the overall story I would love to have seen developed more as it became clear the past was making itself known in the present. I really love historical fiction and Elene's story really brought this element into the book but it all just seemed to rushed. I could see where this aspect of the plot was going and how important it was was in seeking resolution, acceptance and forgiveness but I thought it needed fleshing out even more. As we neared the end of the story as events took a surprising turn I wondered would everything work out or would it just all fall to pieces?

There was never a lot of interaction between the three women all at once, it was more like three separate stories running alongside each other that would then converge at a time of disaster, worry and danger. Chiara out of the three was my favourite and from fairly on the reader could see that a decision she made or rather one that was really forced upon her had a deep impact on her life. She sacrificed a deep love for the sake of her family and the hotel and now her marriage to Alonzo although long lasting is not the passion she dreams of. He is always absent from the hotel away in a big city and he remained very much on the outskirts of the story until Chiara had to face up to her situation and some confrontations ensued. Dante was the man for her but circumstances and opinions did not allow this relationship to bear fruit. This had always remained at the back of her mind and haunted her to a great extent. But without her marriage to Alonzo would she have had Elene and therefore Isabella in her life? She is grateful for her daughter and granddaughter but when Dante reappears at the hotel after an absence of decades, will the love for him which has been kept dormant for so long come erupting to the surface and if this does happen how can she deal with it?

I could see how torn Chiara was as she battled with emotions and desires that she had long tried to suppress but I felt as we got to know the intricacies of her family situation that maybe she did deserve a chance at happiness after so many years of just going through the motions. I didn't judge her for any of her thoughts or actions at any point in the story. I just wanted her to follow her heart and reach the point of acceptance and happiness. She experiences an emotional whirlwind and goes back and forth over what she should do. It was interesting to see someone go through such a major life changing decision as it wasn't just herself she had to think about. But for too long her marriage had seemed like a business arrangement with little or no mutual respect. Should someone have to exist in their life like that when a different form of happiness could be out there for the taking?

The Lemon Tree Hotel was a good read if a little slow in places with some more action needed much further on than when it occurred. New readers to Rosanna Ley will enjoy it but I'm not sure it will deeply satisfy long-term fans. I am glad I persisted with it in order to see the eventual outcome for the three women involved and I look forward to what future stories Rosanna Ley will bring us