This big ok was a very easy read. Kept my interest the whole way through and then some. I loved the setting of the book, the food the friendships. Everything is so high class in this novel.

Three women. One summer reunion. Secrets will be revealed…

The Summer Villa is told in alternating timelines, the present and six years ago.
Each woman has secrets to hide which creates a compelling story!! I enjoyed reading about their relationships, and imagine how it would feel when very relatable problems could break everything apart.
The Summer Villa was a really enjoyable story to read, and I thoroughly enjoyed it.

The Summer Villa by Melissa Hill was just the book to whisk me away to one of the most beautiful places on earth, Italy. We are introduced to three women who became friends one summer and upon their reunion discover some secrets that affect all of their lives.

Told from their experience that summer alternating with their current life, we meet three women who desperately needed some time to get away from their lives. An unlikely trio, they developed a beautiful friendship one summer in Italy that had continued once they returned to their lives. They experienced highs and lows but ultimately supported and had each others back no matter what.

Kim was brought up with everything handed to her. Upon the realization of her mother setting her up to get married for status, she wanted her own life. Bold and adventurous, she finds herself on the coast of Italy at the Villa Dolce Vita. Life couldn’t get any better. After a chance meeting with a friend, she is introduced to a new life that she never imagined could be possible.

Collette, is one that you really want to root for. She has a big heart and you want to see her happy. Gifted this trip, she absorbs all that life has to offer. She gets swept away from one of the locals but finds her heart at the fork in the road.

Annie was the party girl. On the surface was one way but deep down, she wanted more but life kept throwing her the same thing. With dreams of opening up her own salon, she is also gifted not just this trip of a lifetime but a chance to start the life she’s always wanted. Little did she know that the decisions that she made on her trip would change her life forever.

Fast forward, years later, they have an opportunity to reunite when Kim renovates the villa where it all began. Once arriving on shore, the memories hit all the women and remind them of what was. Blending their current lives with reminiscing with the past, one night changed everything when secrets from their past made them confront their destinies.

Overall, I really enjoyed the book. What I loved was seeing three different women find strength through their obstacles. I don’t want to share the future because I want you to appreciate where the character’s journey takes them. This is the perfect read that puts us right in a place that is beautiful full of promise and life. Each woman represents someone you can relate to and connect with. A wonderful plot that wraps up real nicely, characters that you can invest and get lost in, and just overall an enjoyable read that you can sit back and relax. Add this one to the tbr.

The perfect summer romcomish kind of read. I flew though this one and enjoyed it tremendously. 4 stars.

Six years ago Kim, Collette, and Annie ran away from their lives and ended up in the same villa in Italy. They didn’t know each other and came from different countries: the U.S., England, and Ireland. Though they had different backgrounds and different reasons for wanting to escape their lives for a few weeks, they all connected that summer. Now it is six years later and Kim is hosting a grand reopening of the same villa, which she has transformed into a wellness retreat. It seems like the perfect time for the three women to reunite, but they each bring their own personal problems back to Italy, where it all began.

This story alternated perspectives between then, six years ago, and now in the present. It also alternated between each of the three women. Things were slowly revealed in each timeline, but some details were held until the end, which built up the tension and surprise. I was shocked at some of the twists that I didn’t see coming.

One thing that this story demonstrated is how things in life can change so quickly. The women were struggling with life before they went to Italy the first time, but they each had life changing events happen there. These events changed the course of their lives in ways that didn’t seem possible at the beginning. This shows that even if you think you’re going through a difficult time in the present, there is no way to predict how your life will change years from now.

I really loved this story!

Thank you HarperCollins for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

The Summer Villa is a refreshing summer getaway to the Italian coast. It was slightly reminesent of Mama Mia to me. Three girls go off to Italy to find themselves, escape their life, fill a dream and end up staying together at the same rundown villa and become lifelong friends. Love, drama, and a beautiful setting made this a perfect escape read!

“An epic summer read about food, friendship and the magic of Italy, perfect for fans of Mary Kay Andrews and Susan Mallery.” This was the perfect description of this book.

This is my first Melissa Hill novel and I thoroughly enjoyed it. There was romance, drama, laughs, tears, everything that comes in a women’s fiction / contemporary romance novel. I will say, I thought that the romance and drama in this book was written spectacularly.

One of the things I liked the most about this book was the two separate timelines. This novel is set six years ago and in present day. I’m not usually a fan of that type of book, but Melissa Hill did a great job writing it the way she did. I was entranced by the timeline almost. I was waiting to find out what happened then and what was going to happen throughout the story.

The characters were awesome. Simply awesome. When there are too many characters in a novel, I get confused. However, I loved learning about Kim, Colette and Annie. I loved each one of their stories. I really appreciated a woman turning a crumbling house into a luxury business. This book was very big on female empowerment for me and I like that.

There were a lot of secrets revealed in this book. A lot of them. I got a little confused sometimes through the characters, which I mentioned earlier that happens sometimes when there’s too many things going on. However, it was easy to catch back up and realize who’s drama was with who.

Overall, I really enjoyed this Italian women’s fiction novel from Melissa Hill. She really captured my attention with her writing and I cannot wait to read another one by her!

"The Summer Villa" tells the story of friendship among three women over time. The thread tying them together is the villa in Italy where they first met. The action alternates between "then" and "now" which I found somewhat confusing. The characters are interesting and described well, with their quite contrasting personalities. The ending wraps things up nicely, for a fun and light beach read.

I received this book from the publisher and from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. The opinions expressed here are entirely my own.

This is the perfect summer read ! Thank you with gratitude to the publisher and to Net Galley for the opportunity. My review opinion is my own.

Melissa Hill is a award winning author . I was so pleased to receive this for review as I am a fan of her prior work. This is the perfect escape from the harsh world we are living in. I love the setting of Positano Italy along the gorgeous Amlifi coast and how the author brings it to life for her readers. She has described the culture , the food and the setting to perfection.

This is the story of three women, all from different backgrounds and social standings. They rent a villa for the summer in Positano with the hopes for each they will improve their lives. They quickly become close friends and as the summer progresses their friendships, insights and experiences lead them each in new life directions. One women stays on and develops the villa into a B& B . Years later the three friends meet again at the villa to rekindle their friendships and share their lives with one another.

The charcters are wonderfully drawn, the setting is sublime and I loved the strong friendships that endured the test of time. This is your feel good book of the summer that I highly recommend for your reading enjoyment. Well done to the author !

I was part of the Harlequin blog tour for this book. I think that the book has such a beautiful cover and I was happy to share it with my readers.

Thank you so much for the copy. I tried to pick this one up but it did not work for me. Thank you for the opportunity to be an early reader.

The Summer Villa is a book about friendship and redemption all set in the magical Italian coastline. With its idyllic setting, it's easy to get lost in the pages of this book, but it's the characters that really keep the reader hooked.

This story is told from three parts, and I didn't realize where it was headed until it was almost completely on top of me. These three women, Collette, Kim, and Annie, come from completely different places and life journeys but somehow find themselves in the same physical, mental, and emotional place while staying at La Dolce Vita. Though they have admittedly disparate personalities, they all bond over their shared experiences.

But once the trip is over, their paths diverge once again, but fate is not quit done with these three friends.

I wanted so much for all of these women and really enjoyed reading about their struggles and successes. Melissa Hill deals with some pretty heavy topics in what would otherwise be viewed as Chick Lit. One woman is dealing with infertility, one with single motherhood, and one is trying to balance having a career with being a mother. All dealing with feelings lots of women can relate to.

There is one scene that really sticks out. Colette is attempting to get pregnant with her husband but hasn't been able to conceive. After missing her period for a month, she is convinced she is pregnant and takes a test. When the results come back negative, the resulting emotional scene is so poignant, I found myself in tears. All of the things Colette felt and said, I found myself saying and feeling while i dealt with my own infertility. So beautifully written.

All I can say is that anyone can like this book if they try it.

I fell in love with the lovely cover and then I liked this poignant and engrossing story.
This story made me travel to Amalfi and enjoy the see and the amazing scenery. I liked how the descriptions as they are both realistic and vivid making me wish to be there.
This was the first book I read by this author as I think it won't be the last as she's a good storyteller and how liked how she developed the plot and the characters.
The characters are interesting, well thought, and you cannot help rooting for them and hoping they will solve their issues and keep on being friend.
Friendship and secrets are at the core of this story and it was interesting to read how they affected the plot and made it evolve.
It was an engrossing and entertaining story, full of emotions.
I recommend it.
Many thanks to MIRA and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.

High quality women’s fiction does not get any better than Melissa Hill’s latest novel of friendship, secrets and food set against the majestic backdrop of Italy: The Summer Villa. The next best thing to a luxury trip away, The Summer Villa is an addictive, indulgent and wholly captivating read.

Kim, Colette and Annie were three women who couldn’t be more different. They had come to the picturesque Villa Dolce, a beautiful stone house which sits above the Gulf of Naples, in desperate need of escape and of a place of refuge. Villa Dolce had soon cast its spell upon the three women and they each found that elusive something that had been missing from their lives in the villa. The three of them soon found themselves bonding with one another and a friendship had quickly been forged. Although they had parted at the end of their sojourn at the Villa Dolce, the three friends had stayed close and kept in touch. Having seen and experienced first hand the restorative power of the villa, Kim had transformed it into a luxury retreat and had invited Colette and Annie along to help her celebrate this important milestone.

As the three women find themselves under the same roof again, it quickly transpires that it’s not all wine, gossip and Limoncello. Long-buried secrets soon come to light and clearly somebody is not exactly thrilled that the three women have reunited at Villa Dolce. As Kim, Colette and Annie find themselves at a crossroads, they realize that they need to stop running away from the past and face the obstacles in their way if they are ever to be truly happy and fulfilled. But do they have the strength and the courage to tackle their demons head on? The life they have always wanted to live is within reach, but only if they have it within themselves to take a leap of faith and fight for the future they have always dreamed of.

Melissa Hill’s The Summer Villa is a wonderful read sprinkled with warmth, humor, drama, emotion and heart. Melissa Hill creates fantastic characters that are strong, kind-hearted, generous, frustrating, but always real and believable. Kim, Colette and Annie could well be friends or family members readers will know and they come to such vivid life that it’s a wrench to say goodbye to them at the end of the novel. These three women go through experiences we have all faced and the joys, sadness and fears they endure are explored with compassion and nuance without the need for sentimentality.

A fabulous read that is perfect for losing oneself in, The Summer Villa is a poignant, captivating and engrossing read that should not be missed.

This is the story of three very different women who unexpectedly become close friends during a holiday in Italy. Six years later, after their lives have changed, they return to the place where their friendship began. Kim is a socialite in Manhattan who is tired of having to do what her parents tell her to even though she's thirty. Annie has been on her own since she was 17 and works in a hair salon while getting drunk and sleeping around most nights when an older woman recognizes herself in Annie and sends her life on a very different course. Colette is a dutiful daughter who gave up her dreams to care for her cancer-stricken mother and run the family business. All three women find themselves heading for the Amalfi Coast, to Villa Dolce Vita, and straight into a future none of them had imagined ever having. Six years later, though, old secrets are bursting at the seams, and none of the three women are quite the same.

The Characters: Three Different Women Becoming Friends

My favorite part of this book is that it follows the lives of three women who are in their late twenties and early thirties when the story starts six years before. That means they're all in their mid- to late-thirties by the time the present rolls around. I'm used to books seemingly going no further than late-twenties, so, as a reader in her early thirties, I really felt like I could identify with these ladies, especially the ones with a kid.

Now, when the women meet, none of them are attached and are still finding themselves and looking for a good time, which, as a married mother of 2, I am not. But it was still refreshing to read about women who are about my age and are feeling it. They're ready to settle down in life and put partying behind them, and what better place than the lovely Amalfi Coast?

I adored Kim, Annie, and Colette. I found them to be charming in their own ways, and loved that they had their own secrets and troubles. They were such different women from different parts of the world and walks of life, but they still managed to find common ground and create a lovely friendship. The loyalty and love and understanding they extended to each other was simply beautiful.

And then there's the men. They were there to create tension, but, gosh, were they gorgeous! Most of them were exceedingly fine specimen of the male variety, not just in looks, but in character. I mean, Luca made me swoon every time he walked onto the pages. But there was one male character who really made a mess of things, which really helped to move the story along. I had a feeling I knew what was going on, but wanted to be wrong so badly. I think my main motivation to rush through this book was to see if I was right or wrong.

The Setting: Italy

Italy. Need I say more? During a time when travel is not really possible, it was amazing to be able to travel to Italy via book. Since this book mostly takes place in Italy, it was such a joy to read and escape from life for a bit. Everything about it just screamed Italy to me, but, having never been to the Amalfi Coast, I just have to take the author's word for it. Still, I adored it and dearly wish to visit one day.

I loved that, since the three ladies are tourists, the reader also gets to explore Italy. These excursions weren't a focus of the story, so the details were light, but still provided a really nice Italian atmosphere. What the book did put an emphasis on, though, was the food. I can't tell you how many times I was tempted to make Italian dishes for dinner the entire time I was reading this. And then I would wish I had Luca to cook for me.

While the setting gave the book a definite feel of being in Italy, I think the food did a better job of it. That, and the beautifully run down villa that felt so inviting and homey. I wouldn't mind visiting a villa one day.

The Plot: Women's Fiction With a Touch of Mystery

This is the story of three women meeting at a turning point in their lives, which will impact them for the next 6 years. I loved that it focused on women in their late twenties and early thirties and showcased how anyone at any age can feel lost.

I was a little confused at first when the story started switching between present day and six years ago. It was a little difficult at first to adjust to and be able to switch my brain back and forth, but I quickly picked up a pattern of sorts and was able to anticipate when it would switch (always at a most inconvenient time, but at least it kept me reading!). I did feel that more of the book took place six years ago and not enough seemed to come from present day, but the past was a lot more exciting. I was disappointed that there didn't seem to be too much happening in the present day.

This isn't really a fast paced novel. It felt like a nice summer read, one that meandered through time, but still managed to stay on course. It was fun and light, but there were pieces of tension and a bit of a mystery woven in.

Overall: A Nice Summer Read

Overall, this was a nice, light read that gave me the opportunity to travel to Italy. I loved the three ladies and found pieces of myself in them. Their friendship was not without problems, but I really liked how they were always looking out for each other, even across time and distance. They're also from different walks of life, so it was fun to read about their friendship and how who they were impacted the story. The mystery felt a little drawn out, but, when it exploded at the end, I was completely riveted. Not only did I want to know how it turned out, but I wanted to know how it would change the women.


Thank you to Justine Sha from Harlequin for a free e-copy. All opinions expressed are my own.

Kim is an American who feels dictated to by her parents and who wants out from being manipulated by them and sucked into their way of life.

Annie has had a difficult past. She’s from Ireland. Bubbly and outgoing, she doesn’t hold back. She finds herself in Italy quite by chance after a surprise she didn’t expect.

Colette is from England and is worn down after caring for her mum for years. She wants a change of scene.
The story alternates between the past (“then”) and present (“now”) chapters which is a simple strategy but very effective and helps the pacing which is already fast but the book is very engaging.

6 years after the three met in Positano, they ar thrown together again when Kim, who has bought a villa called La Dolce Vita, invites them to the opening of what was then a rundown ramshackle place. She now has a family. Colette’s an Annie’s lives have changed too.

That summer 6 years ago, the friends shared experiences and secrets that they have never forgotten.

How have things changed since they were first in Italy?

As to be expected there’s plenty of sun, fun laughs, good food and sun-drenched beaches and towns. Everywhere is very atmospheric.

Melissa Hill transported me to Italy and I loved how all the characters were so different. I felt their backstories were real and was rooting for all of them.

Book #1 Dewey’s 24 Hour Readathon April 2020.

Thanks to Melissa Hill and HQ for my ARC in exchange for an honest and voluntary review.

5 stars,

Favorite Quotes:

Abandoned in the toilets at Connolly train station in the center of Dublin almost thirty years ago, she’d barely been breathing when she was found by a curious Irish Rail cleaner, who heard a noise from inside the ladies. There he found an infant, scarcely a few hours old, and had called for an ambulance. Even before she had a name, Annie was making headlines for all the wrong reasons.

She sighed inwardly. You could get lost in the guy’s accent, never mind his arms. It was like condensed milk— thick and sweet.

She smiled to herself in the darkness. This was obviously what people were talking about when they joked about Italian men… She’d had no idea what she’d been missing.


My Review:

This book had a bit of everything - women’s fiction, romance, family drama, and several mysteries. The premise and storylines were interesting and well nuanced with plenty of red herrings and misdirections to keep me guessing.

The characters were international and an odd lot of personalities, rich and poor, all attempting to run away from or avoid what their lives had become. And while a few of them were too good to be true, most were guilty of being selfish, less than honorable, hiding several uncomfortable or juicy secrets, and being more than a bit annoying and unlikable – in other words – like most people I know. Except for Colette who was a sweetie pie, her only flaw was being overly gullible, a problem I was once plagued with before I knew better and blossomed into the lovely shade of jaded cynic.

The featured locale was one of the most lovely places on earth, the Amalfi coast of Italy, and as the only safe and screaming baby-free mode of travel currently seems to be digitally provided or on the pages of a book, I was eager to utilize my Kindle as my passport.

I really enjoyed this story as it slowly unwound to reveal the different timelines for the three women featured. There were some moments that were perhaps predictable and the beginning did take a little getting time to really get invested, but as it continues on you get sucked into the three women and their respective stories. The descriptions of the Amalfi coast are vibrant and wonderful, really painting a picture of what the setting is.

I did really enjoy as things got more and more intense, what with the teasing of secrets and the feeling that something was coming. It was that fact that kept the story going and really picked up the pace of the book.

Disclaimer: I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Thank you to Harlequin Trade Publishing, Netgalley and Mira Books for this free copy. All quotes in this review are taken from the Advanced Reader Copy and may change in final publication.

Yet another book that is trying to convince me to travel to Italy as soon as possible! I love that this one dealt with female friendships, something that I feel can be totally underrated sometimes in novels compared to romance. In this novel we get to see the reunion of three women that became friends during their initial stay in the Villa Dolce Vita years ago. They were able to rebuild the magic that this villa once had, and now that they are coming back together in Italy, there seems to be some secrets that may be uncovered.

I absolutely adored that Kim, Colette, and Annie were able to build such a strong friendship when that wasn’t their primary goal the first time they went to Villa Dolce Vita all those years ago. Even though they were there to just relax and escape from their everyday lives, they were able to find such strength in one another that stood the test of time. I love friendships that are able to do that, and they don’t even need to be perfect and happy all the time! They just were strong enough because these women cared about each other so much.

This was just a great feel good kind of book that even though it did not stay that way throughout all of the dramatic parts. I enjoyed it.

The Summer Villa, by Melissa Hill, became available on 4-28-2020. Villa is my first look at Ms Hills work. It’s always a treat for me to discover a new author and expand my list of must reads. I found it to be an interesting mix of emotions that covered a to z. Love, heartbreak, loss, deception, freedom, guilt. Villa had it all.

The plot of three women meeting on vacation & staying in touch through the years made me wistful. I’ve never managed to keep in touch like that & lost contact with many friends. Ms Hill made it sound so natural and easy. Each of the ladies has her own story, then and now. They’re as different as night and day but in 3 weeks managed to become true friends. Men come and go but a good friend is always there for you. I daydreamed about this villa & the Amalfi coast. The descriptions were compelling & made me want to travel there. It’s on my wish list. I’ll not give away too much of the plot, I’m leaving that for you to discover.

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