Our Italian Summer heart-warming story of family, second chances, and learning to forgive. 

Our Italian Summer follows the story of three generations of Ferrari women. Francesca is the quintessential workaholic that has let her work consume her and leaves little room for much else. She struggles desperately for a relationship with her daughter but isn't ready to make the necessary changes. Allegra struggles to be the person her mother wants her to be. She's frustrated with her mom and her current state of life. Her struggles lead her to hanging out with the wrong crowd and making risky decisions. Sophia's life is in its own state of chaos. She sees her daughter and granddaughter struggling and wants nothing more to make things right. However, Sophia is keeping a secret of her own. But before she reveals her truth, she tries to convince her family that a trip to Italy is exactly what they all need. Follow these three women on their journey as they face what life throws them and takes them on an adventure of a lifetime...

Our Italian Summer captivated me from the very first page. I was intrigued by the Ferrari women and found each of their stories relatable. In a way, this book isn't just a story about their journeys, but also a love letter to Italy. The beauty and history of the city are immersed in the pages and brings the culture to life. You learn more about these women and the choices they are faced with. You learn what is important in life and the changes that must be made, no matter how hard it may seem. I for one couldn't wait to see which direction their stories would take them.

Our Italian Summer is a story of hope and forgiveness. It's a story of pain and difficult choices. It's a story of second chances and first love. Most importantly, it's a story of family and the bonds that we make. This story was rich, beautiful, and will certainly tug at the reader's heartstrings. It was unexpected in the best way possible and I couldn't help but devour it.  I enjoyed every moment of this story from beginning to end and hope that I too, one day, will be able to take a trip to Italy...

Good characters, charting their development and growth through their relationships. Book has a nice rhythm and an easy flow.

Three generations of the Ferrari family to Italy to try to fix their relationships. Frances is career obsessed, Allegra wants to make her grandmother happy and Sophia wants to help her girls. Family and relationships.

Three generations of women, all with differing personal challenges, as well as challenges relating to one another travel together to Italy at the grandmother's request. The growing understanding of personal and the growing relationships between each other carry this fascinating read along with some really great food and scenery. Pair with The Star-Crossed Sisters of Tuscany by Lori Nelson Spielman.

During a year where I was home bound more than I was planning trips, going to dinner, or seeing friends- this is exactly what I need.

When I was a preteen I used to wallpaper my walls with magazine clippings of cobblestone streets lined with cafes and dapper looking gentlemen smoking cigars along the waterfronts of Europe. I would watch "Under the Tuscan Sun" on repeat as Diane Lane reassembled her life in a chateau while making fresh pasta in the italian countryside.

Fast forward to now, 30 years old and still reading every book I can get my hands on that transports me to the tables of Sicilian grandmothers, enjoying fresh bruschetta and praying to the saints. Whisk me away to the historic churches and plazas filled with hundreds of year old fountains. Let me order gelato from a street vendor who inherited his cart from his great grandfather and watch table side fish deboning while I sip a glass of chardonnay.

This is all I want people. And "Our Italian Summer" gave me that. And more.

I am so happy I took a chance on this book. It gave me escapism, characters with heart and depth, and romance without the sap. This book is of a mother, daughter, and grandmother who all need to get away and push refresh on their everyday lives. The mother is a workaholic, the daughter finding her way with only one year left in high school, and the grandmother has her own secrets but they all have one thing in common. They need to bond. They need to start over together and only a trip to Italy, where their family is from, can accomplish that.

I was sad when this book ended. I have really came to care about the characters and their lives. I will be thinking about all the women for years to come and hoping that I have, in some small way, become more like them.

*Thank you to Netgalley and Berkley Publishing for this advanced copy for my honest review.* #Ouritaliansummer #netgalley

OUR ITALIAN SUMMER was an absolute joy to read. The family dynamics were organic and easy to relate to, the descriptions of towns and cities in Italy transported this reader across the ocean, and the food (THE FOOD!!) was a character in of itself.

Truly, there is much to love about OUR ITALIAN SUMMER. It's an easy read, but character-driven which sometimes added a bit of heaviness to the story. Three generations of Italian women will do that (said comfortably by this Italian woman, lol). There was something about each character that I could relate to, from first love to questioning our choices as we look back in our lives. It was poignant and beautiful.

Probst's descriptions of Italy pulled me in, making me yearn to return to Rome and, even better, take the time for a trip to Tuscany. I could easily see the rolling hills and the streets of Rome. And then there was the food. And the wine. And the Limoncello. You get the picture.

I absolutely recommend OUR ITALIAN SUMMER! 4/5 stars. Thank you to Berkley for the advance copy in exchange for honest feedback.

Our Italian Summer is the story of three generations of Italian-American women. The workaholic mother and searching teenage daughter reluctantly agree to accompany the grandmother on a month-long Italian vacation, ostensibly to reconnect with their Italian heritage. But even more than that, they struggle to reconnect with each other. They achieve this, though not without missteps, which is what kept me reading till the end.

The descriptions of Italy and all things Italian, including tours and tour groups, rings true and makes you feel like you are there with them. The three women all find someone of the opposite sex to connect with as well, and the romances are sweet and believable. Though the women are not all totally likeable in the beginning, as the book goes on you begin to root for them and hope they succeed most of all at their own reconnection, and second in love.

It's a book about letting go of what you think is working but in the end is chaining you to the present. Making changes is difficult but the characters discover that relationships give you the purpose you are looking for in life. Who you are defines you more than what you do, or have done. It has a sweet ending - not every loose end is wrapped up, but it leaves you with the feeling that everything will be okay, no matter what comes next for these three women.

I was interested in this title because I'd read and adored Probst's romance, and it delivered! This is a gorgeously written tale of three generations of women who are struggling with their connections to each other. Part of their issues are misunderstandings and the rest is unmet, uncommunicated expectations, but mostly typical family drama. These women are strong, yet very different from each other, and each takes turns as the narrator, which was a fun way to experience their trip to Italy that is meant to reconnect them. Each woman is a three-dimensional character with her flaws and shining moments, which feels like a feat in the page count. The backdrop of most of the book is a group tour through Italy. It was beautifully described (read the author's notes for details on how), and I would have been delighted to be on tour with these women, and their group which was a lively supporting cast. It's a family drama with a side of romance. I did want a bit more of an epilogue (specifically with Allegra and Sophia), but that's typical for me.

This was a nice enough book to read. While I enjoyed the book enough, I was not captivated or felt the need to 'pick it up and keep going'. It was fine, just not great. I do like the travel that the 3 ladies embark on and their willingness to travel together, not just for the sake of seeing Italy, but for the 'together' time and experiences. It was a nice read but not one that will stick in my mind.

Absolutely brilliant!!! I want to go to Italy and discover all the beauty in the people, the food, the wine, the art. I loved this story of three generations of woman exploring want they want and need.

This heart-warming tale of love, bonds, and the trials and tribulations of female relationships is one that I will not soon forget. The story of this touching family stayed with me days after I finished reading. I enjoyed the vacation described throughout and this complimented the plot in an endearing yet exciting manner. This multigenerational family tale is one that should be read and loved by readers of all ages. I found it delightful throughout!

I don't know if I can find the right words to do this story justice! Jennifer Probst wrote a heart warming story about three generations of women, Sophia(the mom/grandma) Francesca(the daughter & mom) and the fresh eighteen year old daughter/granddaughter Allegra. Read along as these three women embark on the trip of a lifetime, at a time where they need it most. Can these women repair the damage that's happened over the years?
This book has become one I will treasure and always go back and read time and time again! 5 Italian stars for this one, it deserves so much more though!
** I don't want to give any more of the story away, this is one you need to read and experience all the emotions as you go along! Enjoy it!**

Grandma Sophia knows there is something terribly wrong with the relationship between her daughter Francesca and her granddaughter Allegra and even between her and her daughter. So she takes her stash money and plans a trip to Italy as a summer surprise. However, the surprise is that her highly driven daughter ends up in the hospital with an anxiety attack. Her doctor suggests that taking a vacation would be good for her. The story is well-written and the three points of view move the story forward without overlapping. I empathized with the grandma and the teenager, but Francesco left me cold through most of the book. It does bring up questions of family relations and may stimulate discussion.

I may have loved this book strictly because we took virtually the same tour of Italy a few years ago, but I think I loved it for the theme of family and how keeping one's own counsel can cause misunderstandings. The descriptions of the Italian cities and countryside are beautiful and really capture the essence of Rome, Venice, and Tuscany. I was transported back to the wonderful summer we spent there. But the really captivating parts of this book are the characters and how they relate to each other.

Sophia, the grandmother, who is experiencing odd symptoms that she suspects are the signs of something awful. Francesca, who is so obsessed with building a successful business she can't trust her co-workers and she's ignoring the needs of her daughter. Allegra, the daughter who is coming up to her senior year and trying her "wings". Sophia plans a summer in Italy for the three of them and when Allegra gets arrested with pot, it seems like the perfect time to leave the country for a little while. Through the course of the trip, they discover things about themselves and each other and mend and strengthen their relationships.

This is a wonderful mother/daughter story that should appeal to women of any age. The beautiful setting is a bonus. A bit predictable, but who cares?

Overall, this was a quick read that kept me wanting to finish it. My issue is really with the writing - two of the main characters said virtually word for word “I’ve never been like other girls” which would have read like intentional lack of self awareness if not for The rest of the book. It seems like EVERYTHING was turned into a lecture. A fluffy book about three women in Italy was jarringly interrupted by throwaway lines about the evils of cell phones, social media, processes food, certain jobs, pretty much any life choice (stay at home mom versus business mom apparently were all monsters?) But not in an interesting way. In a way that the character narrating uses those throwaway topics to demonstrate a smug superiority that I don’t think was intentional - I think it was the authors opinions bleeding through. It was literally so distracting I can’t remember much about the actual plot. Aside from the utter irony of a book that spent a good time talking about how much of a bad influence “public school” kids were, and how the main teenage character is pretty much perfect, somehow I’m supposed to believe a grown man who wants to be a catholic priest having sex with a 17 year old is romantic and not disgusting. Very strange reading experience.

A good story of mothers and daughters and the ties that bind them all together. Can Italy connect this trio of women again? Probst takes on a journey through Italy and weaves in the personal dramas of mothers, daughters, granddaughters and romance.

I had never read this author but this "travelogue" through Italy was a wonderful respite from the pandemic and uncivility of the summer. I couldn't put this book down. Thanks to the author for her understanding of family and togetherness.

This is the story of three generations of strong women. Francesa is the hard-driving workaholic who owns her own successful advertising agency, but can't seem to draw boundaries between work and her family. Allegra, her high school-aged daughter, resents her for that and is starting to act out in ways that are getting her into trouble. Sophia, Francesca's mother and Allegra's grandmother, sees it all with sadness and wants to make things right. She's secretly suffering from an as-yet undiagnosed health problem, and decides that all three of them need to get away for a 3-week trip to Italy. It takes some convincing, but they make the trip. While away from their daily, regular lives, they start to work things out both within themselves and in their relationships with one another. This is a beautiful story with engaging, relatable characters. Makes me want to book a trip to Italy, pronto!

In a trip to Italy can Francesca, Allegra, and Sophia find their way back to each other. This multigenerational book takes us on a vacation that fills the senses. Trek along Italy with this family of women as they find themselves, push the boundaries of their relationships, and eventually find peace. This was an enjoyable read and I iked it very much.

This book was amazing. I felt like I took my own trip to Italy to experience all the activities, tastes, and textures with each character, and I’m ready to go back! Heart-wrenching and heartwarming. Francesca, frustrating at times because she didn’t see how putting her work before her family was hurting her daughter and, at times, saw it but just didn’t do anything about it. Her character arc was so interesting and so realistic as she realized the things she was doing and the things she needed to change. Eighteen-old Allegra, a bit of a rebel but so very mature and likable. I loved watching her grow into the woman she wanted to be. And then Sophia, the matriarch who longed for her daughter and granddaughter to find their way back to each other. She believes a trip to Italy will do it, and she had her own story to learn and grow from. I could see and feel the emotion, the characters, the setting, and did not want this book to end.