In this complex and emotional new novel, readers follow Natalie and Cate’s reunion in Venice after more than twenty years apart and after their fateful school trip to Venice. Natalie, in Venice to host the TV show Luxe Life Swap, has no desire to be back in the city to revisit past traumas, but the city’s beauty seems to help her heal until Cate, the show’s contestant, returns and brings back hard feelings and bad memories. Cate, on the other hand, hopes to rebuild her friendship and uncover answers to secrets she’s been holding onto, but Natalie’s accusations and questions about Cate’s husband make Cate question everything. Emotional and fraught with conflict and secrets, readers will sympathize with the characters’ difficult emotional journeys and the complex relationships and memories Cate and Natalie are reckoning with throughout the book. The setting and background characters really help flesh out the novel and add depth to their stories and conflicts. The character development and conflict resolution are well-written and should satisfy the readers, while the novel handles the emotional complexities and intensities of the storylines with care. Intense and emotional, this book has a great emotional throughline and fantastic characters that readers will really enjoy in Victoria Springfield’s latest book.

I loved this book. It's A great story that takes place in Venice with a lot of twists and turns along the way. My husband and I just got back from vacation in Venice. I loved reading about all of the places that we had just visited. Definitely a good read!

A beautiful Venetian adventure.

Definitely don’t read this on an empty stomach you’ll be ravenous by the end!

I literally could not put this down. I spent the entire day hooked on Natalie and Cates story. So much fun and friendship with a few good twists along the way!

A huge thank you for letting me read an ARC of this absolutely gorgeous book. I was totally transported to Italy and it was such a beautifully written story. Highly recommended and utterly gorgeous! Thank you.

I really enjoyed One Summer in Italy by Victoria Springfield. I had read one of her books before set near the Amalfi Coast and I loved all the descriptions as they really put me back in one of my favourite countries of all time. This book also did not disappoint on the location front. Set in Venice, it follows the story of 2 friends, Natalie and Cate renewing their friendship after years of being estranged. It deals with beautiful settings and darker themes of abuse and family dramas.
I adored the love story between Natalie and her handsome Italian Eraldo and how it was such a slow burn,
Great pacy writing and good cast of well drawn characters. Perfect summer read with an Aperol Spritz and a view of the Rialto Bridge!
Many thanks to the publishers and Netgalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This is a wonderful book. The descriptions of Italy made me feel like I was there!

I very much enjoyed this story and the author made you feel a if you were there. She pulls you in with her descriptions of Venice and the sights and sounds.
The main character is Natalie who is a freelancer but has landed a job as a host on a programme in Venice.
She has to fill the shoes of a famous host.
There are secrets and romance aplenty and the author keeps you guessing till the end.
Thanks Netgalley and the Publisher.

When one-time school friends Natalie and Cate come face-to-face again for a TV programme being filmed in Venice, can they put the past behind them?

Natalie is given the opportunity of a lifetime, presenting a Tv show being filmed in Venice. Cate is escaping her normal life and swapping it for the glamour of Venice. Yet when the former friends were last in the city, things ended badly, as did their friendship. WIll they be able to find out the truth about wha happened on that fateful night?

This was a feel-good read, perfect for summer evenings. Although Cate took a bit of warming to, both characters were realistic based on the situation they found themselves in.

A wonderful escapist read, great for a day at the beach or the pool.

Thank you to NetGalley and the Publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I had not come across this author before, but when I discovered that she writes contemporary feel good fiction set in Italy, as an Italophile I just had to read 'One Summer in Italy'

Natalie and Cate are the main protagonists of the story. Natalie is sent to Venice for a work project, a city she has unhappy memories of, from a school trip many years ago. Imagine her shock when she finds an ex school friend from the same trip is also in Venice for the same project. forced to confront the past, the story unfolds as Natalie and Cate endeavour to put things right between them.

An escapist read which felt rather predictable. However this is made up for by being set in Venice and the author has shown her love of the city in the details. Recommended to Italophiles.

Thank you NetGalley, Victoria Springfield and Boldwood Books for the opportunity to read and review.

Firstly, big thank you to the Publisher and NetGalley for the ARC and chance to review this book.

I really wanted to read this book because I love Venice and Italian and this book did not disappoint. Both well known places and lesser known not so touristy areas are beautifully described and there's plenty of references to food making me feel as though I was sitting at a cafe watching this story unfold.

This is the first Victoria Springfield book I have read and certainly wont be my last. I loved how she was able to weave so many twists and turns into the story about romance, secrets, second chances and friendships renewed and it made the book memorable and unable to be put down.

I can't wait to recommend this book to friends and fellow readers

This was going to Italy, to one of the nicest places, Venice. It is the story about Natalie who works within TV. Floella wants Natalie to stand-in for Mandy presenting Lux Life's Swap. It is a story that unravels and how Natalie does go to Venice in Italy, a place she had sworn she would never return to. It is a story linked to the past and also to people Natalie knew a long time ago. The storytelling and characters are really nice, the setting of the story is Venice amazingly beautiful. The history, the culture, the Mediterranean vibe and the new as well as old encounters of the past. The author takes us on a trip to remember and it has several twists and turns. Making up with the past and finding a way to solve mysteries and finding family and it's true meaning. In the mix of the story is Eraldo owner of a workshop and a friend of Flo's. The whole book was a pleasant read and it wasn't predictable. I can definitely recommend this book. I'm grateful for the opportunity to read and review this story.
Charlotte N

I really don't know how I feel about this book, having just finished it. I guess for me, it just 'was'. I think I had higher hopes for it, given that it was my first book based on a story with an Italian backdrop. I can't say that the depictions made me want to travel to Venice anytime soon, despite Italy being a country on my travel bucket list.

The story is based on a reality TV show called Luxe Life Swap where two well off couples swap living arrangements for the summer and is based in Venice, Italy. The co-presenter or host of the show, Natalie, and Cate- the wife in the story, knew each other when they were teens and visited Venice back in the day. There was an incident that broke apart their friendship and there is tension when they find out they are working together. Paul- Cate's husband, also has a bad connection to Venice- a bad experience from when he too, was there as a teen. Neither Cate nor Paul tell each other about these 'secrets' and both are forced to come to terms with their experiences to finally put them behind them. Additional side stories evolve to include a romance for Natalie, a mother abandonment for Cate and boarding school drama for Paul.

For me personally, I don't like when an author keeps mentioning that there are 'big secrets' and then makes you read almost to the end to reveal them. In most cases, the anticipation often falls flat when they are finally revealed- as was the case here. The story was kind of boring and predictable at times, and more and more storylines and characters were added in lengthen and keep this story going, but they were sort or disjointed and didn't really make it better.

Special thanks to NetGalley and to Boldwood Books for the ARC for my honest review of the book.

The friendship between Natalie and Cate is central to the story. When Natalie reconnects with Cate, through work, she discovers so much about how they have both developed as adults. The events of their teenage trip to Venice have had a profound effect on Natalie. Cate seems to have reinvented herself and it is through their rekindled friendship that Cate is able to face up to her feelings towards her parents. Phil, her husband, has been her protector all through their marriage but as is revealed through events, he has some deeply buried secrets from his past.

Venice is a magnificent backdrop to the story and Natalie sets out to explore it. In doing this, she makes new friendships and there is a gentle romance under the surface. You get the feeling with Natalie that she has missed her true potential and her visit to Venice opens her horizons and gives her the confidence to take a risk.

In short: second chance friendship and new romance

This was an enjoyable escapist read about friendship and romance set in wonderful Venice. A great beach read which was enhanced by its setting. Recommend.

Italy works its magic for both Natalie and Cate.
Fractured friends meet up again and discover the secrets that helped keep them apart.
I struggled to like Cate because I thought she was self absorbed and was very quick to dismiss Natalie.
I liked Natalie’s burgeoning relationship with Eraldo.
Phil was a spineless man and I thought Raj was overly generous in even talking to him.
The best part about the book were all the different locales around Venice described!

I adored this book. The story is based in Venice during the filming of a reality show.
Two childhood friends that have lost touch are accidentally thrown together and have no choice but to talk about a previous falling out and open old wounds. Along with other character's that have old secrets that threaten to derail the show, there is a nice mix of sightseeing, Italian food and a budding romance.

Venice travel romance with twists

This is a very good book to read by the pool, on the beach, or on an airplane! It is a romance with lots of twists added to the wonderful food, drink and scenery.

Thank you to the publisher who lent me a time limited e-arc via netgalley with no obligation. This review is optional and my own opinion.

This made me feel like I was in Venice, and then it made me want to immediately book a trip TO Venice! The way it all twisted together was great!

Natalie heads to Venice, Italy, to film a glamorous reality show called Luxe Life, where contestants trade lives in luxurious destinations. Unexpectedly, one of the contestants turns out to be her estranged ex-best friend, Cate, someone she hasn't spoken to since a falling out during a high school field trip. As the two reconnect in the enchanting backdrop of Venice, old wounds resurface, and hidden truths begin to unravel.

I thoroughly enjoyed this story, especially the vivid, romantic descriptions of Venice. The tangled dynamics between Natalie, Cate, and Cate’s husband, Phil, kept me turning pages, as each harbors secrets that threaten to surface. This is a beautifully layered tale of romance, second chances, and the art of starting over.

Thank you to @boldwoodbooks, @rachelsrandomresources, @netgalley, and the author for the ARC.