This was my first time reading a book by Sue Moorcroft, and I can’t believe it’s taken me this long to read one.

I love that she is able to transport you to the country the books set in.

In this book the destination is Beautiful Sicily. Sue gives the reader an insight into the beautiful surroundings whilst taking you on Ursula’s journey. Follow Ursula and her family’s ups and downs and your pre summer visit to Sicily.

Make sure you read this book otherwise you will regret it!

I’ve never visited Sicily, but after reading this book it is on my places to visit list. Not only does Sue Moorcroft tell wonderful stories, but she also paints beautiful pictures in the mind’s eye of the reader with her vivid descriptions of the places in which the story unfolds.
Filled with friendship, family & romance, this is a great feel-good storyline set in an exquisite-sounding place.

When Ursula decides to get away from England following her divorce she ends up in Sicily working in a small family owned hotel while learning to paint ceramics. Sue Moorcroft has once again written a book full of characters we care about and with an enthralling and gripping storyline with lots of twists and turns.

A girl with a past in an island off the coast of Sicily. Mediterranean climate and way of living, a hotel which is crumbling, secrets, a past that do not want to stay in the past.
An entertaining and well plotted story, recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this arc, all opinions are mine

You can’t go wrong with a Sue Moorcroft book, they never fail to impress. This one is no exception, a great story with good strong characters and very well written. Topped off in a great location. The perfect summer read. What’s not to love!

Another fantastic read by Sue, transports me straight to sunny France. Lovely characters and story that never fail to keep your attention til the end of the book. Loved it.

I always enjoy a Sue Moorcroft book and this one did not disappoint. I loved the scenic description. I also really liked Alfio, along with his mother and his sister. I did not always like Ursula. I though she was childish at times, making it all about her. All in all though, this is a good read. With thanks to NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. The setting was well drawn, I could practically feel the summer heat, and imagine the old buildings. I loved the hotel, with its slightly faded (though still lovely) air.

The characters were also well written. I really liked Ursula, with her asymmetric hair, and resilience. I loved the Tringali family too, and the way they all helped each other through the tough times.

The plot was very enjoyable. I was very quickly sucked into the story, and couldn’t put it down. The romance was great, and I enjoyed the other subplots with the hotel, the pottery studio, and Ursula’s parents.

If you’re looking for a summery escape, full of romance and family, this book is the one for you.

I was given a copy of this book, my opinions are my own.

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for an early review copy.

In this fabulous book by Sue Moorcroft we’re off to Sicily.

After the her marriage ends, Ursula, is really upset.

She’s then given an opportunity to go to Sicily, to work in a family’s BnB and learn more about ceramics.

So having packed her things she’s off, possibly for a summer that’ll stay with her forever.

But, when the son of the owner turns up, and finds her working there, things are good to start off.

Will Ursula find happiness again? But her ex- husband also is trying his best to get her back.

I highly recommend this book.

Sometimes something bad needs to happen for something good to happen. Ursula, devastated after her marriage falls aspart, is offered the chance of a lifetime to spend a summer working on gorgeous Sicily. With her bags packed, an new adventure awaits her as she sets off for a summer that she will never forget.

Expect that is when she comes face to face with Alfo, the son of the hotel she is working at. But you know what they say, enemies turned to lovers. Maybe. I'm not about to be the one who spoils the brand new book from Sue, as she pulls you into Urusla's world. Can she find her happy ever after when her, now ex, husband is determined to win her back, can she find the courage to face her past whilst Alfo, his future?

Sue was an accidential find, but now I can't stop reading her books. I can't wait for her next one as this book is charming, romantic and most of all, it has Italy in it!

It took me a while to get into this book. I chose it because I was off to Italy on holiday!
Once I got into it, I enjoyed it. I think it could have been slightly shorter but all in all, am enjoyable summer read!!
Thanks to Netgalley & the publisher for an advanced copy. Good beach read!!

What could be nicer than escaping on a summer trip to Sicily while the snow is falling outside my window! This is what I was promised when I began this book, and it did not fail to deliver. As an added treat, I was delighted to be reacquainted with characters from Sue Moorcroft’s earlier book, Under the Italian Sun, and catch up on their lives.

This story focuses mainly on one of the central characters from the earlier novel, Ursula Quinn. Having divorced her controlling husband, sold her flat and left her job behind, she is pleased to be offered a part-time position and accommodation in a small boutique hotel on an island off the coast of Sicily, where she will also be able to follow her ambition to learn the art of ceramics painting. She soon fits in with the delightful family who own the hotel, until the arrival of their son, Alfio. He has returned to the hotel having given up his job in Barcelona to help his mother and sister, and is none too happy to find that Ursula is already doing just that. Fortunately, their initial mutual dislike soon changes to friendship and even romance. However, interference from her ex-husband and the emergence of a shocking family secret begin to spoil Ursula’s enjoyment of her new life. At the same time, Alfio finds himself having to make decisions about his future.

I enjoyed this book very much. It is full of friendship, emotion and romance, with a few family dramas thrown in of course. In her usual fashion, Sue Moorcroft transports the reader to an exotic location and makes them feel at home there; I could almost feel the Sicilian sun in my face. The family-run hotel where Ursula works sounds so warm and welcoming, just the kind of place I would like to stay. I loved meeting Ursula again and seeing her emerge from the difficult place she was in to a happier and stronger person altogether. Alfio sounded a good match for her. The one thing that I didn’t feel happy about in the story was the situation with Ursula’s parents; I personally felt uneasy about how the state of affairs was left. That aside, I would definitely recommend this book as a read that will leave many planning a trip to Sicily soon.

Ursulas' relationship has ended, and she plans to escape and learn about ceramics. When an opportunity to help out at a small hotel in a morning for free, and a ceramics class in an afternoon. She jumps at the chance.

With a great cast of characters and an absolutely stunning backdrop. I just loved being whisked away to Sicily. I loved the slow burn romance between Ursula and Alfio. It is a story of family, love, and second chances.

I really enjoyed this book. Ursula had left her Irish home at 18 to live in England. Having experienced a nasty divorce, she leaves her apartment and her tattoo business behind to return home. She plans to visit her friend in Italy whose Aunt runs classes in painting ceramics. She is unexpectedly offered a room and board in a small family run hotel in exchange for help serving breakfasts, shopping etc. She is enjoying her new life when some things from the past come back to haunt her. This is a story of families, friendships, romance and new beginnings.

Every time I start a new Sue Moorcroft book I feel a thrill of anticipation. I know the settings are going to be wonderfully evocative and the characters are going to become my friends. In this book, the main character is someone we have met in a previous book which is lovely to revisit her and her best friend, but isn't integral to the story if you haven't read the previous book.

The story is of Ursula, a lovely Irish girl, who has gone home to Ireland from Brighton, to try and get over an awful marriage break up. Her parents are trying to give their marriage another try, having previously split up for an extended period. Living at home becomes too difficult for Ursula and she is soon pining to get away, but far enough from her controlling ex husband that he won't find her. She thinks she will return to Italy, where her best friend lives, and find a good ceramics tutor. Her uncle intervenes and gets her a job in a quaint hotel that needs extra help in the mornings with the breakfasts and so on, in return for free board and food and a chance to learn ceramics in the afternoons. She initially falls foul of the son of the hotel owner Alfio, who has left a good job in Barcelona, and a girlfriend, in order to rush back to Italy to help to find he isn't needed. (Not spoilers as this is all at the very beginning).

The story is well written, in classic Ms Moorcroft style, with beautifully written descriptions of Sicily, and the two families involved. I immediately wanted to jump on a plane and fly out to Sicily and taste the fabulous gelato. There is an unusual twist so that the story isn't predictable, and I couldn't put it down.

https://www.goodreads.com/review/edit/63638704

This was a beautiful, sweet read of family, love, and second chances.
A move to Sicily seemed like the perfect, temporary solution for Ursula as she figured out her future. But, while the landscape and people were beautiful and being there seemed more than she'd hoped it would be, she soon finds out that Sicily also holds secrets. Secrets that could alter her family and the connections she has. If she lets it!
The plots leads us through the ups and downs of starting over, and facing the past in order to do that.
The characters were enjoyable, the scenery amazing, and the plot had a great ending. A wonderful beach or summer read!
I received an advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Just the kind of book I love- a lose it all, start again in an exotic location and find a more fulfilling kind of life type book. On top of this it’s set In Sicily, a beautiful place I was fortunate enough to visit last year and loved, and to top it off it’s by Sue Moorcroft - a writer I always love. What more can you ask for?
I loved the slow burn romance between Ursula and Alfo and now am thinking about learning to paint ceramics!

When I pick up a Sue Moorcroft book, I always know I’m in for a treat. An Italian Island Summer whisked me away to sunny Sicily, a place I now long to visit. Sun and sea, a beautiful old town, ancient ruins, Italian food and gelato – it all sounded blissful! The heroine Ursula has had a lot of upheaval in her life recently – her marriage failed, her boss at the tattoo parlour where she worked decided to close, and the lease on her flat in Brighton is about to expire. Tired of it all, she takes a chance on a summer job in Sicily. In exchange for room and board, she works in a boutique hotel in the mornings, while in the afternoons she is free to learn about painting ceramics. It seems like an ideal set-up, and she is happy and gets on really well with the family who owns the hotel … all except the son, Alfio.
He's given up a cushy job and his life in Barcelona in order to help his mother, who has just gone through a tough operation. His sister, who is a single parent with a sick child, also needs his help. Or so he thinks. However, when he arrives, he finds Ursula doing all the tasks he’d thought he was needed for, which irritates him no end. She, of course, is not impressed with his grumpy attitude. But slowly they get to know each other better and start to see things differently. I loved the slow-burn romance between these two – the chemistry is delicious!
But there are misunderstandings and secrets just waiting to come to light, so all is not plain sailing. Alfio has some tough decisions to make, while Ursula needs to learn to trust again, as well as to stand up for herself. The story is as warm and wonderful as an Italian summer night and I stayed up way too late in order to finish it. Loved every moment!

This book is about Ursula who is one of the minor characters from Under the Italian Sun. She has wondered what to do with herself as she emerges from a traumatic event which has ended in the breakdown of her marriage and having no place to live and no job.
Her parents and siblings live in Ireland so that's where she returns to from England. Her parents have just reunited after separating for a while and Ursula would rather not be around the newly united couple.
Her uncle suggests she go to Sicily to help out a family he knows who are having a hard time running their small hotel as the owner has been unwell. In return she can have her board and food which gives Ursula time to look for a ceramics course which she has expressed an interest in.
There's nothing more I can tell you about the story as I don't want to spoil it for you.
Needless to say it's another winner from Sue Moorcroft. Full of wonderful descriptions of Italian villages, sunsets and wonderful nights sipping wine with loved ones.
I love these books that transport me away from the rainy UK to sunny Italy or Sicily in this one.
Love, families, second chances and romances with an Italian backdrop. What more do you need. ?

I have read a few of Sue Moorcrofts books before so was looking forward to starting An Italian island summer. This book can be read as a standalone book however some of the characters have been in a previous book.
The story focuses on Ursula as she travels to Sicily to learn ceramics. She is a likeable character and has had some hard times which she has to deal with.
This was a lovely feel good summer romantic story and as with Sue’s other novels you feel like you are right there with the characters and I could almost feel the sun on my shoulders. I thoroughly enjoyed the book and would recommend reading.
Thank you to Netgalley, Avon Books Uk and Sue Moorcroft for an advance copy in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.