Absolutely GORGEOUS cover!! Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for an advanced copy of the audiobook.
As the synopsis claims, it is perfect for fans of Downton Abbey and The Crown:
Hotel Portofino has been open for only a few weeks, but already the problems are mounting for its owner Bella Ainsworth. Her high-class guests are demanding and hard to please. And she’s being targeted by a scheming and corrupt local politician, who threatens to drag her into the red-hot cauldron of Mussolini’s Italy.
Not really character driven or much dialog in the storyline. It was hard at time to keep track of the characters and what was happening with the story. It was contained to one place which granted sounds exquisite, I wished that more was going on to grab me into the setting of the hotel life.

Thank you to the publisher and to NetGalley for an ARC of this book.

Bella ,her husband , and family go to Italy to open a hotel in 1926. This story is about the family, guest and staff. i really wanted to like this one, but the characters were pretty under developed for me. I had a hard time keeping track of who was who ( there were a lot of people). In short this book was just ok for me. I would probably try another book by this author. This book is really good for fans of Downton Abbey or The Crown. I really liked the narrator. I thought she did a wonderful job, and her voice was very pleasing to listen too.

First thanks to #Netgalley and the publisher for this audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

Oh how I wanted to love this book. Bella Ainsworth - a British woman with two adult children and a pill for a husband opens an inn in post WWI Italy. Yes, Mullolini's Italy. The guests roll in with lots of subplots.

I am sure there are many who are fans of this book but I just didn't connect well enough with the characters. Well, except for Bella. There was just too much going on with each character. Once I barely got to know one - and I won't give any spoilers- it seemed I was off to another storyline.

The narration was spot on.

If you like the television series Downton Abbey, you will enjoy Hotel Portofino. Even though the hotel on the Italian coast has been open for just a few weeks, problems abound. Bella Ainsworth, who has opened the hotel on the Italian Riviera, welcomes a variety of well-heeled English people. Its during the rise of Mussolini after the First World War. Her son, Lucian, suffers PTSD, and is looking for his way in the world, while being ridiculed by his father. This is stressing for Bella as is the slow crumbling to her husband, an upper crust Englishman, who thinks money his wife wants to use to improve the hotel is for him. The setting is lush. And just like Downton Alley the strength of the story relies on the strength of the characters, both the wealthy and the servants. The audio version, narrated by Esther Wane, is well done. Wane has the ability of portray a variety of female, male and Italian voices. I really look forward to the TV series.

The cover stunning! Overall, this was a decently paced read and had some characters that were likable. The plot was a little slow and the narration was a little off for me but I was able to take breaks and finish. I recommend reading the physical book because, for me, the narration is what seemed to throw off the characters voices and plot.

I listen to this book and keep telling myself, "what's the point". 39% into it and the story isn't going anywhere. Too many characters, nothing to latch on. I simply give up. I was seduced by its cover and title but there is nothing behind it.

The book felt a little too broad, with too many undeveloped or stereotypical characters. I was very excited since I knew it was going to be a PBS series, but I was also let down by the story. I pushed my way through since I always like to finish my books. but was also disappointed when I realized none of the issues with the characters would be resolved since the ending clearly indicates that this will be book one of series. I don't even want to bother reading the next one to find out what happens.

As much as I wanted to love Hotel Portofino I must say for me it was just an average read. I neither liked nor disliked it. Despite multiple story lines ranging from young love to blackmail it just never seemed to catch and keep my attention.
It’s the mid 1920’s. The Great War has been over for 8 years and life in Britain is returning to normal. For the English with money trips “abroad “ have resumed. For Bella Ainsworth the owner of the Hotel Portofino this means her new hotel could become “the” destination for visitors, moneyed visitors that is, if she can keep it open. The hotel is Bella’s baby every stick of furniture and color of paint picked out by her. To help with the hotel Bella’s family and trusted servants have come. There is Cecil her husband a ne’er do well Aristocrat who despite being penny less spends his time gambling and racking up debt. Her children have also come. Lucien is Bella’s son who was injured severely during the war and still carries the physical and emotional scars of his wounds. Then there is Alice a war widow and her young daughter Lotie. Add a host of hotel servants and guests including but not limited to, aristocratic women on Holliday, an Italian count and his son, and a black American jazz singer and her tycoon lover and you get a very eclectic mix of personalities.
Despite having a vast cast of characters the author has done an admirable job defining and giving depth to each one. This is true even for the large host of secondary characters. Each character comes with their own personality quirks, secrets and storyline. Hence my problem with the novel. There isn’t one main plot that is explored deeply but a large number of story arcs that come and go quickly throughout. Though each story gets resolved I felt there was just too little time spent on any of them to truly understand and connect with the characters involved. For instance, When I read the blurb for the book it seemed that a focus of the novel would be the rise of Mussolini and the presence of a corrupt public official who used the dreaded Black Shirts to impose his will. This official is blackmailing Bella. I thought I would get to see life in Italy at the beginning Of Mussolini’s reign. What changes occurred when he took over. Were a lot of new restrictions placed on the populace? None of this is even mentioned in the book. Instead I felt the official bothersome at best, a caricature at worst, and the black shirts simple street thugs that beat up people who disagreed with them. I never felt either was truly menacing or threatening. Feeling nothing was a drawback for me.. A book needs to elicit some emotion in order for the reader to feel a connection to it’s characters or care what happens in the story.
I chose the audiobook of this novel.. I often felt it was what kept me going back to the book. The narrator did a great job using her voice to delineate each character and her expertise with various accents (English, Italian and American) was spot on. Even though I felt the prose was lacking tension she worked hard to add it by vocally modulating her tone and inflection. If you do read thee book this is the version I recommend.
All in all the book was just interesting enough to finish without truly enjoying it. I know i’m in the minority with this review so if you have been interested in reading it please do pick it up, your opinion may be totally different.

I received an ARC of this book from the publisher, Blackstone Publishing and NetGalley. This fact in no way influenced my review.

Overall the book is a lovely audio book. The narrator has a lovely voice and it’s story flows. It’s historical fiction but deals with a hotel. It’s good but not great

This had a great premise (a cast of characters staying in a British hotel on the Italian Riviera during the 1920s), but the book never quite lived up to the story and didn't quite know what it was (a mystery? political commentary? romance?) There's a great sense of scenery (both the time and the place), but the characters lack depth and the story meandered for a long time and then ended abruptly. I am still planning on watching the show as I think seeing the scenery come to life will be worth it--I'll be in it for the costumes and the panoramic views...maybe the show will do more with the characters and the plot.

From my blog: Always With a Book

As soon as I saw this was being comped to Downton Abbey and The Crown, I knew I had to read it…and I’m so glad I did. I really enjoyed it and now I’ll be all set to watch this when it comes to PBS as a series.

I loved the setting of this one as much as the drama that unfolded. I was at once drawn into these characters’ lives as well as the hotel itself – oh how I would love to stay there for a while! I really feel the author did such a great job in bringing the life of a hotelier alive as well as all the ins and outs that go on inside the hotel.

This is very much a character-driven narrative and I was completely there for it. Yes, there are quite a few characters, but they each have such distinct qualities about them that I really had no trouble keeping track of who was who. I enjoyed them all for their own personalities and quirks and found myself swept up in the drama that was happening with the love match and the missing money and the blackmail. It really kept me engaged and intrigued as to what would happen next.

I very much enjoyed this one and cannot wait to see how it all plays out in a TV series – as I was listening I had my own movie playing out in my head. Can’t wait to see how they compare!



Audio thoughts:

This book is just made for audio and the narrator, Esther Wane, does a fantastic job. She really makes this story come alive, giving all the characters their own unique voices and personalities. I found myself completely captivated by this narrative and enjoyed it so much.

(3.5)
This book is definitely one for historical fiction fans. It takes place on the Italian Riviera during the 1920’s.
Hotel Portofino is only open a few weeks before it begins to have problems for its owner Bella Ainsworth. She has some very high-class guests and they are demanding and very difficult to please. She’s also being targeted by a corrupt scheming politician who is threatening to drag her into the middle of the political times of Mussolini.
Now, to make everything that much worse,her marriage is having problems and her children are dealing with the fall outs of the Great War. Now,all eyes and a lot of hopes are on a love match for her son Lucian. However, things don’t go according to expectations. Leading to some repercussions that I never could have seen coming at the beginning of the book!
This is a very good story and I just can’t seem to put it into words as well as I’d like to. There are a lot of characters, but not so many you get too lost, and the setting is absolutely fantastic. I definitely recommend that you give this book a chance, just don’t read most of my review because I didn’t do it justice at all.

This book had such promise. Who doesn’t dream of living on the Italian Riviera? The issue became that it was set at a hotel and was about ALL the guests. There were so many of them that it was hard to keep track. And after a while, they all blended together rather than becoming more distinct in their own stories. I can see this being a great miniseries but as a book, it was too much all at one time and I couldn’t keep up.

The narration was well done, no issues.

🇮🇹ARC Review🛏
Hotel Portofino by JR O'Connell
Pairs well with: Prosecco and charcuterie🥂🧀
Thank you @netgalley & @blackstonepublishing for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I have previously reviewed this book but this time will include about the audio.

First and foremost, I think everyone can gather this much from the cover, but the setting is stunning. The way the hotel and landscape is described is magical and I could envision the details down to the wallpaper in the hotel rooms. While third person narration is not my favorite, I do think the author did a great job especially with so many characters. Speaking of characters.. these people are a hot mess! Bella is probably one of my favorite MC's I have been introduced to in awhile! That being said.. she is surrounded by idiots😂. Her husband is all the vulgar words I can think of but won't say, and her (grown) kids don't seem to understand boundaries with other humans or have any perspective on how their behavior affects those around them. That is not even getting into the guests and their issues. Talk about drama! I do wish we saw more of the side characters such as Melissa and Betty. I enjoyed the use of several Italian words throughout the book and found myself using google and learning about the culture. I am looking forward to the show that will air on PBS and will be thinking of Bella for awhile!

The narrator of the audiobook has a beautiful clean distinct voice with a voice that was easy to listen too and helped the story flow.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I am so thankful to NetGalley and Blackstone Publishing for allowing me to access the audiobook prior to the publication date.
I really loved the Narrator, Ester Wane. The narration was very clear, anytime the POV changed it was easy to tell and to comprehend between thoughts and dialogue.
The novel follows the British Family, Ainsworth in the twenties as they open a high-class hotel in Portofino, Italy. Bella Ainsworth, the owner, and manager is realizing this dream isn't as easy as it seems. When she opened the hotel, she promised herself she would stay out of the politics of Italy but this is harder than it seems. When she is blackmailed by local authorities who are loyal to Mussolini, she isn't sure she will be able to keep the hotel open.
To make matters worse her marriage is barely holding on by a thread. Her son has still not recovered from the war eight years previously, and his father is determined to marry him off to the daughter of his first love. And their daughter feels stuck and alone from the loss of her husband during the war, things are complicated for the family.
I loved the audiobook. I really enjoyed all the POVs the book followed but I felt with the multiple POVs I did not get attached to any of the characters. The book never followed anyone long enough to have felt like the inner conflicts was not explored thoroughly enough. The ending also felt rushed and unsatisfying. It felt like nothing had been concluded. While I did really enjoy the setting in Italy, I couldn't help but want a little bit more from the story.

I will update the links as soon as my reviews are posted on my socials.

Hotel Portofino
By JP O'Connell
Audio Narration by: Esther Wane

The narration by Esther Wane was absolutely divine. I loved her voice and her storytelling transported me to the Italian Riviera. I was so delighted as her voice really matched Bella and the other voices of even the male characters of the story.

Hotel Portofino is about an English family trying to make a fresh start in Italy set just after the Great War - 1920's. The boutique Hotel Portofino is a dream come true for Bella Ainsworth, but it seems that since the doors have opened to welcome guests, it also welcomed trouble for Bella. Her husband Cecil is not much of a help, guests are overly demanding, and a local politician seems to have built a grudge on Bella.

I love the narrative of this delightful read as the wonderful story is told even to its minute detail of the way the food is prepared, the comings and goings of a hotelier's life, and of course the guests, food, and wine. This was the perfect book for me and brought me so much joy while reading and listening to this beautiful story.

Also, the book is simply exquisite. The cover, the jacket, and the pages are so luxurious, It is definitely a collector's book for me and one I will treasure for many years to come.

Bella and her family leave England and open a hotel on the coast of Italy after the Great War. While the novel is centered mostly on Bella, her husband Cecil, and her two grown children (her son having fought in the war and daughter widowed due to the war), it also follows many of the guests of the hotel and weaves in Italy’s political turmoil. Among the guests of the hotel are a young woman that Cecil has chosen to be the future wife of his son and her difficult mother, a tennis star and his wife, a Count and his son, as well as several others. The hotel staff also have story lines.

The number of characters and their role was a bit difficult to keep up with, especially in the beginning, but I also enjoyed the multiple story lines and how the author wove the stories together. I listened to the audio version of this book which was read by a single narrator.

This was a fast paced and fun historical fiction in a stunning setting.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced audio copy. This is my honest review.

The cover drew me in on this one (so pretty!) and while I found the story to be charming (and the writing beautiful), I anticipate I will enjoy this even more as a television series. Because: oh my gosh, the drama and intricacies of the plot!

The characters are deep and the setting beautiful. Overall, this was an enjoyable read. I am very excited to see how PBS translates it to the screen! Some writing is easy to translate in ones imagination but this was a bit difficult for me at times but I feel that way about historical fiction overall.

Now BRB ... I need to book a trip to the Italian Riviera ... :D

Thank you, NetGalley, for the advance audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

I don’t think I will do this book Justice because it just wasn’t my thing. The narrator was actually quite terrific, and her performance was energetic and entertaining. I think she did a great job and brought flavor to the characters.

Ah the characters . . . So many! I needed to write it down to keep it straight it seemed like. I think that’s partly because none of the characters grabbed me and really got to me on an emotional level. So I just wasn’t as interested in telling them apart and remembering their backstories and quirks. I just didn’t care.

Overall it was kind of ehh for me. I didn’t find myself listening in the car after already arriving at my destination. I had no problem just turning this audiobook off, which is not typical for me. But I think it’s the type of book that others may really get a lot out of. Just not me.

I requested this book because the cover is stunning. However, that's the best part. The book is slow and characters did not come to life for me. I was bored, the dialogue was excruciating at some points, and it just did not work for me.