4.25 stars--THE SECRETS LOVE LETTERS OF OLIVE MORETTI by Jennifer Probst is a contemporary,adult, stand alone story of women’s fiction focusing on three sisters: Bailey, Priscilla and Devon Clayton, who after the death of their mother, find a deed to a house in Positano Italy, and a stack of love letters addressed to their mom Olivia Moretti. As the girls go in search for the truth, Bailey, Priscilla and Devon will discover much more than they could have ever imagined.

Told from first person perspective (Olivia) and three third person points of view (Priscilla, Bailey and Devon) following two timelines, THE SECRET LOVE LETTERS OF OLIVIA MORETTI is a story of one woman who found love while on vacation in Positano Italy. Priscilla, Bailey and Devon Clayton have struggled for years with their place in the family, including their fractured relationship with one another. Having survived the divorce of their parents, the sisters never suspected their mother’s secret, a secret Olivia would take to the grave. Priscilla the eldest, is a former ballerina with the New York City Ballet, married with an adult son but her marriage has hit a rough patch; Bailey is an actress who has yet to make it big on the stage; and Devon is a professor at NYCU, passed over for tenure one more time.With the discovery of the deed and the love letters, the sisters make plans to visit the town where their mother first fell in love, hoping to find the man they know nothing about.

THE SECRET LOVE LETTERS OF OLIVIA MORETTI is a story of secrets and family, love and loss, acceptance and forgiveness. A familiar tale, one I have read many times before, THE SECRET LOVE LETTER OF OLIVIA MORETTI dwells not only on past regrets but on forgiveness and understanding. As the Clayton sisters search for the man their mother once loved, our heroines will find their way back to one another, in the face of grief and loss. The premise is strong and though provoking; the characters are struggling, stubborn, sensitive and flawed.


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I was looking forward to reading this book because I just loved Jennifer Probst, but the characters (the three sisters) sounds the same. The only characters I really liked were Olivia, Rafael, and Aunt Sylvia. Dev was just so of putting with the way she approached things, and Pris picking fights with her husband for almost no reason was just annoying. Then Bailey, was just so happy to lucky, but without goals and that made her even less interesting.

I’m sorry but unfortunately this story didn’t do it for me.

What an interesting premise! A mother has a secret life-long love of a man in Positano, Italy…along with her own house, and her 3 daughters don’t know about it!

I loved the way Probst weaves the storyline between Olivia and her story of Rafe, then also coupled with modern real-time with her daughters Dev, Pri, and Bailey.

At times I couldn’t even tell the timeline difference between Olivia and her daughters, it was so seamlessly written. Olivia and Rafe’s story is just as beautiful as the Italian countryside.

I also viscerally felt the daughters’ judgements and differences between each other, as well as the pain Olivia felt throughout her life as a woman. Oh, and Rafe. My heart broke a 1000 times for him!

Beautifully written! If you love Italian settings, dual timelines, mysterious letters, daughters on a mission to learn more about their mother…grab this one!

Thank you @authorjenniferprobst @berkleypub and @valentine_pr_ for m #gifted copy in exchange for my honest review!

Another beautiful story by this author. She never disappoints and I look forward to the next book from her.

When their mother, Olivia, dies suddenly, sisters Priscilla, Devon, and Bailey come together to sort through the memories of their childhood as they prepare her house for sale. They're surprised to find a hidden packet of letters that hint at a secret love affair in their mother's youth, as well as the deed to a house in Positano, Italy. They decide to travel to Italy to learn more about their mother's mysterious past and decide what to do with the house they've unexpectedly inherited. The trip comes at an ideal time as each of the sisters finds herself at a crossroads in her personal life, but the close proximity forces them to confront several longstanding conflicts that have caused them to grow apart over the years. Can their mother bring them together one last time?

It's an ambitious undertaking to try and tell four women's stories in a single book, but I thought the author did a wonderful job of it here. I felt like I got to know Olivia and each of her daughters quite well over the course of the story, and the challenges they faced in their personal lives were presented sympathetically. Priscilla, Devon, and Bailey were all so different, but their love for each other was apparent even when they were estranged, and I was happy that they managed to rebuild their relationship. Olivia's part of the story was bittersweet, but I liked the way it was interwoven with her daughters' stories in the present.

I enjoyed "The Secret Love Letters of Olivia Moretti" and recommend it for all contemporary women's fiction fans. I look forward to Jennifer Probst's next release.

*Review copy provided by the publisher via NetGalley. All opinions expressed are my own.

5 STARS!

I loved this book so much. There are no words I can say that will do it justice.

“𝚈𝚘𝚞 𝚌𝚊𝚗 𝚗𝚎𝚟𝚎𝚛 𝚛𝚎𝚐𝚛𝚎𝚝 𝚕𝚘𝚟𝚎. 𝙸𝚝’𝚜 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚘𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚛 𝚝𝚑𝚒𝚗𝚐𝚜 𝚝𝚑𝚊𝚝 𝚠𝚒𝚕𝚕 𝚊𝚕𝚠𝚊𝚢𝚜 𝚖𝚊𝚔𝚎 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚠𝚘𝚗𝚍𝚎𝚛.”

OMG, well, Jennifer Probst owes me for the bucket of tears I just unloaded all over my beautiful paperback copy of this book. It had been quite a few years since I last read her work, with her Marriage to a Billionaire series, which I remember really enjoying. And when I read the blurb to this book, I could not resist!

What an amazing story of lifelong love, taking risks, and overcoming regret.

When Olivia Moretti passes away, her three estranged daughters are left to go through her belongings where they find an old chest containing love letters from long ago, from a man who is not their father.

A quest for answers leads them on a journey to Positano, Italy to track down their mother’s mysterious ex-lover and to find out who she really was.

This was hands down my top read in February, if not all year so far. It’s told in alternating POVs between Olivia in the past and her daughters in the present. I was swept up into this story completely and it did not let go of me until the last word.

It’s a beautiful emotional journey about love, life, and the sacrifices we make for the people we love. It did have some lighthearted moments too. Hawke and Lucifer’s addition to the book were so needed!! I loved watching these sisters mend their relationship and reform their bond together in Positano.

I highly recommend this story to all epic romance lovers!

Jennifer Probst is a wonderful author - I have enjoyed every book she has written. While I usually read romance, I do enjoy a good women's fiction novel every once in awhile. This one was so good! I loved this story - Priscilla, Devon, and Bailey were all great characters. I felt invested immediately and couldn't put it down. I am looking forward to reading more from Jennifer!

After their mother dies, three sisters come together to clean out her room. Here they find love letters from R and a deed to a house in Italy. Reading the letters, the girls realize there is more to their mother than they knew. Her mother was supposed to meet R in Italy on her birthday, but unfortunately does not make it. The girls decide to go to Italy and find R. This was an okay read for me. The sisters are not likeable at times, and I struggled to like them at all knowing that their mother didn't pick up the phone to call any of them when she was sick. It was a slow read for me at times and I found myself skimming through to get to the end.

I loved the travel and emotional journey that estranged sisters, Priscilla, Devon and Bailey took to an estate in Italy their mother left them. They are on a path to discover a part of their mother’s past after they found some love letters their mother saved from an anonymous man.
This dual timeline with multiple point of views gives the reader an insight into each character’s reason for decisions made and their feelings. It’s a beautiful emotional story of a mother’s love, a sister’s love and family understanding. Each sister has their own magical experience as they start to uncover who “R” is. This is the kind of book to read and enjoy slowly while sippin on your favorite drink.

In this emotional story of past and present, three sisters are brought together by their recently-deceased mother, and the letters she left behind. Each is wrought with their own secrets, but they band together to uncover their mother's: why did she have a previously unmentioned house in Italy, and who was the man named R who signed deep love letters to their mother? Piece by piece, the secrets unravel from past to present, and all is fair game.

The Secret Love Letters of Olivia Moretti made me want to pack a bag and head to Positano, Italy. The title is a great descriptor of the book - Pris, Dev, and Bailey's mother Olivia has passed away unexpectedly, and as they're going through her things, they find some old love letters stashed away in a chest, along with the deed to a house in Positano. The letters are from a mysterious "R" talking about their summers in Italy. Was this a an old boyfriend? An affair? The sisters feel the need to find out, so they catch a flight. We soon find out the truth as we switch from the the sisters' POVs modern day to Olivia's POV college years (I think it was 1960s?).

During their time together, the estranged sisters not only wonder how much they really knew about their mother, but realize that their perfect sisters are having struggles of their own and strive to mend their relationship with each other.

I really liked that Probst included the letters and Olivia's POV - I'm sure I'm not the only one who forgets that mothers used to be young and and in love and have hopes and dreams, and this was a great reminder.

Jennifer Probst is an incredible writer - I could smell the lemon trees and feel the salty air on my skin.

This is a beautiful story of three estranged sisters who discover old love letters written to their mother. It is a gut-wrenching story of love and how fate sometimes plays horrible tricks on people and puts soulmates on different paths. It's an extremely emotional read that you won't be able to put down. This story will stay with you.

This was OK

A huge thank you to NetGalley and Berkley Pub for my advanced copy of The Secret Love Letters of Olivia Moretti.

I won this book in a Berkley Giveaway via Shelf Awareness and this is the second book bundle giveaway I have won from Berkley. If you are someone who doesn't enter giveaways because "you never win anything" give it a try. I was that person.

What I Enjoyed -

*The Cover- Stunning! Love!

*The Setting- Positano. I recently read Rebbeca Serle's One Italian Summer and fell in love with Positano. I was so excited to learn this book was set in the same Italian Locale.

*The Dual Timeline / Perspective- This book follows 4 women. Olivia : The mom in a 1970's timeline and her daughter in a present day timeline.

*The Audio- Audiobooks are my life these days and this was a fantastic one. Narrated by multiple people.

Why This Book Lost Stars-

I didn't feel an attachment to any of the characters.
As excited as I was to revisit the Amalfi Coast. I didn't feel like I was actually there. The author didn't really describe the setting or how beautiful it was.
The family drama didn't have the emotional impact that it should have and that circles back to my detachment to the characters.

Overall- I loved the idea of this book but the execution was lacking.

This book is from several points of view. 3 sisters who are trying to understand their mother better, while figuring out their own lives. While going though there recently passed mothers belongings they find love letters and a deed to a house in Italy. What and who will they discover? While we are learning Olivia’s story we are learning about her daughters and the journeys they are taking. I had so much hope for this book, unfortunately this book really dragged out for me and just did not deliver. I tried So hard to get excited about the story but it just didn’t happen. I normally really enjoy this author. I will definitely give her another chance.

Now that I am in my mid thirties, I like to hunker down with a good woman’s fiction book from time to time. The Secret Love Letters Of Olivia Moretti by Jennifer Probst absolutely fit the bill. I mean, I should have know to expectat that after really enjoying Our Italian Summer. This book also has a significant chunk – the vast majority 0f the story taking place in Italy. It has family secrets, a love story, and a spectacular setting — plus sisters. So you know, SOLD.

Olivia Moretti has passed away at the age of 64 from a brief illness. As her daughters are sorting her things, they come across a box. Within the box are letters and also a deed to a house in Positano, Italy. The three women – Pris, Dev, and Bailey fly to Italy together to learn more about the house as well as to unravel their mother’s story. While in Positano, the three who have been estranged reunite and rekindle their relationships with each other. It took going to a new continent to bridge that distance. They also end up really taking hard looks at what they want out of life and move toward those goals while also trying to find out who the mysterious R of Oliva’s letters is.


Jennifer Probst’s The Secret Love Letters Of Olivia Moretti was a really captivating book for me. The pacing was spot on — I never felt too bored or like the book was going too slow. The portions set in the past during Olivia’s girlhood were my favorite. I liked that there were some tough choices that had to be made. Also, I liked the three sisters and how they ended up finding their way back to each other. Family is something I really value so I appreciated seeing that within this book. Now, I do think some of the characterizations were a bit surface level – as in leaning into the archetypes. Still, I did have a tough time setting this book down. Overall, this was a great distraction for me.

Set in the idyllic city of Positano, Italy, I was hopeful & teary as this story navigates the complexities of sisterhood, family, life & love. With alternating timelines and perspectives, you’ll finish this wishing you could hug all of these characters. I loved experiencing the healing, the Italian (which I understood - very proud of this), the letters & the aching of waiting to know what was going to happen. The growth in the relationships between the sisters made me so happy too & made me so grateful I have my own sister (shout out to you, SM!)

If you don’t buy this one for the gorgeous cover, PLEASEEEE do it for the story because it completely captured my heart.

Thank you so much for blessing me with this eARC - @valentine_pr_ @netgalley @authorjenniferprobst

As usual, Jennifer Probst has another beautifully written story of family, love and acceptance. With the backdrop of fabulous Italy, The Secret Love Letters of Olivia Moretti is a real .winner.

A beautifully written women’s fiction story about family, love, loss, commitment and the struggle to make it all work.

The mystery of a mother’s lost love brings 3 sisters together to get through past hurts and figure out what is really important in life. And grow closer while doing it.

4.5 Stars

Three estranged daughters gather together to clean out their deceased mother's possessions. In a wooden chest, they discover a packet of old love letters and a deed to a home in Positano, Italy. This is quite a shock to all three of them, as they never knew their mother had loved anyone but their dad. And they certainly didn't know about a home in Italy! Naturally, they decide to investigate. This requires putting their own separate lives on hold and taking a trip to Italy.

To be honest, this story has a slow start. It takes a bit of time to get into the essence of the story. The sisters have multiple arguments about things that occurred in the past, and they each fall back into familiar patterns of negative behavior. Fortunately, they reach a point where they each start speaking their own truth, and they really start communicating about things that matter. This unfolding vulnerability is beautiful to observe as a reader. This is also where this book really shines. Ms. Probst knows how to get to the heart of the important things. She doesn't pull any punches with these protagonists. They are each on their own separate journey of introspection and discovery, and this lends a deeper sense of gravitas to the second half of this story. Their mother's story is juxtaposed within the telling of their story. It is well done!

The conflicts are defined clearly, and the ending is beautiful. This is one of those books that readers will be ruminating about long after they have finished reading it.

"I dreamed of you again last night. It's always the same one. And not the usual memory of the night we first kissed, or the time we got caught in the rain and I lost my shoe and you carried me up all those stairs and I realized I loved you. No, it was when we met."
"...you have known my true heart and soul from the very first moment I met your gaze."

Olivia Moretti loved Rafe with her whole being. He lived a simple life in a beautiful Italian city. At 19, Olivia thought that would always be enough. Then life happened.

Priscilla, Devon and Bailey have the opportunity to get to know their mother in an entirely different light. Digging through her past is exciting, enlightening and heartbreaking.

If I could give this book 10 stars, I absolutely would. Everything about this story, these characters, hit me in all sorts of ways. The happy, the sad, the difficult, the fun - every bit of it. I will feel this book for a very long time. It's one of those books, that when you finish, you don't want it to be over.

The story and the way it is told is AMAZING. Hands down, this will be my best read of 2022, and likely the best in years. I really do not have the right words to describe how much I loved this book.