Italy

Bookouture Blog Tour for: A Very Italian Wedding by Donna Ashcroft

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I’m happy to be here today to promote this new title from Donna Ashcroft. I don’t read too many rom-coms, but this was a good one, with multi-dimensional characters and a wedding at its center. Plus it takes place in one of my very favorite places: Italy! This is the perfect summer treat. Thank you for my copy and having me as past of the tour.

Book:  A Very Italian Wedding 

Author: Donna Ashcroft 

Pub Day:  June 5th 2025

Buy Link (not affiliated with BBNB):   https://geni.us/B0DZHTFLRXsocial

About the Book: 

Escape to Italy, to golden sand and a glittering sea, to wedding bells chiming in a tiny hilltop town… Can Rose heal the heartbreak from her past, and take a chance on love?As the sun sets over a villa in Tuscany, an engagement party is in full swing. The bride-to-be gazes up at her groom, her glass of prosecco glinting in the evening light as she toasts their happy future; but as Rose watches her best friend Luna swoon over her handsome new fiancé, she can’t help feeling worried. Life has taught Rose that love ends in heartbreak, and all she wants is to protect herself and Luna. That’s why she came up with her Rules for Love: follow these and happiness is guaranteed.

Only Luna is breaking all the rules. She only met Marco a month ago. Rose is sure that love at first sight isn’t real… until she sets eyes on Ben, the best man. Towering above her, with tousled blonde hair and wide, powerful shoulders, he’s irritatingly charming, relentlessly positive and insists that love really can conquer all. Rose’s head is in a spin.

She has learned to never open her heart, never to trust, but Ben is becoming harder to resist…
Will breaking the rules end with Rose breaking her heart? Or will the magic of Italy bring her the happy ending she’s always dreamed of?

Author Bio

Copyright VanessaChampion.co.uk

Donna wanted to be an author from the age of twelve when reading and writing were her first loves. In 2018 her first book, Summer at the Castle Cafe was published and her dream came true.

She’s had fourteen books published. Seven of Donna’s books have been in the Amazon top 100 (a cause for immense celebrations in her house), one made it to number seven in the UK and US Kindle charts and Summer in the Scottish Highlands made it to number 1 in the UK, US and AU free ebook charts. She was also shortlisted for the RNA Debut Romantic Novel of the Year in 2019.

Donna lives in Hertfordshire, with her own romantic hero, two grown up kids (who aren’t always home) and two very grumpy cats. She loves a happy ending and is never happier than when she’s escaping into a romance novel or movie.

Social Media

Facebook: https://www. facebook.com/ DonnaAshcroftAuthor/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/ Donnashc

Website: http://donna-writes. co.uk/

Instagram:  https://www. instagram.com/ donnaashcroftauthor/

Harper- Collins HTP Books Blog Tour for Their Monstrous Hearts by Yigit Turhan

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Wow – this was a story that was a bit different from what I was expecting. I was expecting magical realism – which there is – but it also is gothic horror and creepy and gave me nightmares! There is a slow burn to this story, which is beautifully written. It starts slow – almost too slow for me (I kept putting it down and reading something else) but then it picks up in the last half and is sort of like an out of control roller coaster. There is a story within a story here, and I can see that this might not be a title for everyone (but what is??), but it definitely is not a book that you will soon forget once you finish it!

Thank you for my copy and for making me part of the tour!

THEIR MONSTROUS HEARTS

Author: Yigit Turhan

Publication Date: April 8, 2025

ISBN: 9780778368274

Format: Hardcover

Publisher: Harlequin Trade Publishing / MIRA

Price $28.99

Buy Links: Not affiliated with BBNB

HarperCollins: https://www.harpercollins.com/products/their-monstrous-hearts-yigit-turhan 

BookShop.org: https://bookshop.org/p/books/their-monstrous-hearts-original-yigit-turhan/21435391

Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/their-monstrous-hearts-yigit-turhan/1145530543 

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Their-Monstrous-Hearts-timeline-suspenseful/dp/0778368270 

Social Links:

GoodReads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/list/13825951.Yi_it_Turhan 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yigit/?hl=en 

Book Summary: 

A haunting novel about the boundaries people will cross to keep their dreams alive.

A mysterious stranger shows up at Riccardo’s apartment with some news: his grandmother Perihan has died, and Riccardo has inherited her villa in Milan along with her famed butterfly collection.

The struggling writer is out of options. He’s hoping the change of scenery in Milan will inspire him, and maybe there will be some money to keep him afloat. But Perihan’s house isn’t as opulent as he remembers. The butterflies pinned in their glass cases seem more ominous than artful. Perihan’s group of mysterious old friends is constantly lurking. And there’s something wrong in the greenhouse.

As Riccardo explores the decrepit estate, he stumbles upon Perihan’s diary, which might hold the key to her mysterious death. Or at least give him the inspiration he needs to finish his manuscript.

But he might not survive long enough to write it.

Author Bio:

Yigit Turhan was born in Ankara, Turkey. A lifelong reader, he owes his love of horror to his grandmother and the films she shared with him. He has previously published a horror novel in Turkish. He lives in Milan, Italy, where he holds a C-suite role at a renowned fashion house. This is his English-language debut.

Double Murder at the Grand Hotel Miramare by Elena and Michela Martignoni

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I received an e-copy of this book to review from Kazabo Publishing. It was a quick and engaging read. I really liked the main character, Luigi Berté. He is the protagonist of several cozy mysteries and this is the first title to be translated from Italian into English. It has that beautiful flow of Italian still!

I enjoyed this one and I think you will, too.

Thank you for my review copy!

“Double Murder at the Grand Hotel Miramare” by Elena and Michela Martignoni

Length: 180 pages/67,000 words

Genre: Mystery / Cozy Mystery

Release Date: 7/11/23

Print ISBN: 978-1-948104-24-1

Price: $12.99

Ebook 978-1-948104-25-8

Price: $7.99

Description:

Ever since his punitive transfer to Lungariva, the sleepy village has quickly become the Cabot Cove of the Italian Riviera.

This time, Deputy Assistant Chief of Police Luigi Berté has to investigate a double murder in the Grand Hotel Miramare, Lungariva’s historic luxury hotel, playground for old nobility, international business tycoons, and polo players. But one of the guests is not what they seem and Berté has to work quickly before his suspects scatter to the four corners of the earth – with deadly results.

Set in the very real Grand Hotel Miramare in the village of Santa Margherita Ligure, this novel features Luigi Berté, one of the best-known characters in modern Italian fiction. Appearing in a dozen murder mysteries and counting, Berté, a truly unique Italian creation, is beloved for his quirky approach to solving crimes, his kibitzing conscience, and his love for good food. Double Murder at the Grand Hotel Miramare is the first of Berté’s adventures to be translated into English.

ABOUT THE AUTHORS: Sisters Elena and Michela Martignoni, who also write under the pen name Emilio Martini, have published a dozen novels featuring Deputy Assistant Chief of Police Luigi Berté as well as several historical novels. Their works have been translated into English, Spanish and German.

BOOK TRAILER: https://youtu.be/XMN5pe24hi0

Amazon link:  Not affiliated with BBNB

Reviews:

“Berté is not a genius, like Poirot. He is a bloodhound. He digs the dirt and immerses himself in the murder he is investigating.” Il Corriere della Sera

“An apparently perfect murder.” Milano Nera

“Luigi Berté is rationality forged with passion.”

  Sugar Pulp

“Luigi Berté is one of the most beloved protagonists in Italian noir.” Thriller Nord

“Filled with irony.” Mangia Libri

Harper-Collins Blog Tour for THE LITTLE ITALIAN HOTEL by Phaedra Patrick

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I’m so happy that I chose to be part of this blog tour as this book was the PERFECT novel to kick off my summer reads! It is an easy read but deep in substance. When advice expert Ginny finds her own life in flux, she heads to Italy (one of my favorite places), bringing along some listeners (strangers) as they are all seeking to heal their broken hearts. I loved the ending particularly, but I won’t spoil it for you!

Thank you for my copy and for having me as part of the tour!

Here’s the scoop:

The Little Italian Hotel

Author: Phaedra Patrick 

On Sale June 6, 2023

Park Row Books

Paperback Original

ISBN 9780778387121

Price: $18.99

Buy Links: NOT affiliated with BBNB

HarperCollins: https://www.harpercollins.com/products/the-little-italian-hotel-phaedra-patrick?variant=40799581339682 

BookShop.org: https://bookshop.org/p/books/the-little-italian-hotel-phaedra-patrick/18772980?ean=9780778387121 

Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-little-italian-hotel-phaedra-patrick/1141998435 

Amazon:  https://www.amazon.com/dp/0778387127  

Social Links:

Author Website: https://www.phaedra-patrick.com/ 

Twitter: https://twitter.com/phaedrapatrick 

Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/phaedrapatrick/   

GoodReads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/14203653.Phaedra_Patrick 

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/phaedrapatrick 

Author Bio: 

Phaedra Patrick is the bestselling author of several novels, including The Curious Charms of Arthur Pepper, which has been translated into twenty-five languages worldwide. Her second novel, Rise and Shine Benedict Stone, was made into a Hallmark movie. An award-winning short story writer, she previously studied art and marketing and has worked as a stained glass artist, film festival organizer and communications manager. Phaedra lives in Saddleworth, UK, with her family. 

Book Summary: 

When a relationship expert’s own marriage falls apart, she invites four strangers to Italy for a vacation of healing and second chances in this uplifting new novel from the author of The Messy Lives of Book People.

Ginny Splinter, acclaimed radio host and advice expert, prides herself on knowing what’s best for others. So she’s sure her husband, Adrian, will love the special trip to Italy she’s planned for their twenty-fifth wedding anniversary. But when Ginny presents the gift to Adrian, he surprises her with his own very different plan—a divorce.

Beside herself with heartache, Ginny impulsively invites four heartbroken listeners to join her in Italy instead while live on air. From hiking the hills of Bologna to riding a gondola in Venice to sharing stories around the dining table of the little Italian hotel, Ginny and her newfound company embark on a vacation of healing.

However, when Adrian starts to rethink their relationship, Ginny must decide whether to commit to her marriage or start afresh, alone. And an unexpected stranger may hold the key to a very different future… Sunny, tender and brimming with charm, The Little Italian Hotel explores marriage, identity and reclaiming the present moment—even if it means leaving the past behind. 

PRAISE:

““The Little Italian Hotel is a charming story about healing, new friendships, and second chances at life.” -BOOKLIST

“A story about broken hearts meeting and mending. With its intriguing premise, colorful mix of characters and gorgeous setting, it was a real treat to read. Phaedra Patrick always writes so beautifully and this book is like a burst of sunshine.” –Hazel Prior, author of  HOW THE PENGUINS SAVED VERONICA

“The perfect balm for an aching heart, The Little Italian Hotel is an entrancing journey from unexpected (and unwelcome) life events to healing and found family. You’ll wish you could join this delightful cast of characters in the cozy, welcoming Splendido hotel.” —Amy E. Reichert, author of The Kindred Spirits Supper Club

“Phaedra Patrick has done it again with this absolute charmer of a novel. With keenly observed characters and Patrick’s signature wit, The Little Italian Hotel celebrates the healing power of community and insists that it’s never too late to bet on yourself. I loved this transportive, life-affirming novel.” —Amy Meyerson, bestselling author of The Bookshop of Yesterdays

“A heart-warming and life-affirming story of five heartbroken strangers trying to wade through on their own—and learning that sometimes all we need is each other. Throw in a charming Italian hotel, a handsome proprietor and Patrick’s perceptive wisdom and witticisms, and you’ve got the perfect summer read.” —Colleen Oakley, USA Today bestselling author of The Mostly True Story of Tanner & Louise

For My Ears: The Lying Life of Adults by Elena Ferrante – narrated by Marisa Tomei

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Soon to be a Netflix original series.

A powerful new novel set in a divided Naples by Elena Ferrante, the New York Times best-selling author of My Brilliant Friend and The Lost Daughter.

“There’s no doubt [the publication of The Lying Life of Adults] will be the literary event of the year.” (Elle) 

Giovanna’s pretty face is changing, turning ugly, at least so her father thinks. Giovanna, he says, looks more like her Aunt Vittoria every day. But can it be true? Is she really changing? Is she turning into Aunt Vittoria, a woman she hardly knows but whom her mother and father clearly despise? Surely there is a mirror somewhere in which she can see herself as she truly is. 

Giovanna is searching for her reflection in two kindred cities that fear and detest one another: a Naples of the heights, which assumes a mask of refinement, and a Naples of the depths, a place of excess and vulgarity. She moves between both in search of the truth, but neither city seems to offer answers or escape. 

Named one of 2016’s most influential people by Time Magazine and frequently touted as a future Nobel Prize winner, Elena Ferrante has become one of the world’s most read and beloved writers. With this novel about the transition from childhood to adolescence to adulthood, Ferrante proves once again that she deserves her many accolades. 

In The Lying Life of Adults, listeners will discover another gripping, highly addictive, and totally unforgettable Neapolitan story.

A Most Anticipated Book of 2020

  • The New York Times Book Review
  • Vogue
  • Entertainment Weekly
  • Elle Magazine
  • BuzzFeed
  • The Millions
  • The Seattle Times
  • USA Today
  • Town & Country
  • Thrillist 
  • Publishers Weekly
  • Library Journal
  • Harper’s Bazaar
  • BookPage
  • Literary Hub
  • BBC Culture

I recently had the opportunity to listen to the amazing Elena Ferrante’s latest novel. Similar to her Neopolitan novels, but unique and a stand-alone, The Lying Life of Adults follows the coming of age events of Giovanna and the forces that shape her. Aptly read by Marisa Tomei, I enjoyed this story and look forward to what I assume will be a sequel!

I got mine with an Audible credit via Amazon!

The Lost Village by Daniela Sacerdoti

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Description

1945: Two sisters give birth to two little girls on the same night, huddled under blankets, deep in the black woods that surround their village. They hold their babies close as footsteps approach. If they make even the slightest sound, the German soldiers will find them…

2006: Luce Nardini clutches a plane ticket to Italy in her trembling hands. Since her only child left home, and with her estranged husband more distant than ever, she’s been overwhelmed with loneliness. She never knew her father, or the reason why her mother cut all contact with her family in the little village of Bosconero. Lost and unravelling fast, uncovering her roots feels like Luce’s last and only hope.

As Luce searches the maze of cobbled streets, a house with a faded blue door draped in perfect white roses stops her in her tracks. Inside is the grandmother she never knew, who – with a longing look at an ornate wooden box on her nightstand – begins to tell the heart-wrenching story of a little village ravaged by war, and why Luce’s mother fled home and swore never to return.

Surrounded by new friends and faded frescoes of saints, Luce is just starting to feel like she belongs when the unthinkable happens: an earth-shattering disaster that shakes the little village of Bosconero to its core. Could it be that the secrets of Luce’s past have been buried forever?

Frightened, hopeless and feeling more alone than ever before, will the surprise arrival of the husband she thought she’d lost help sew Luce’s family back together, or tear it apart for good? One thing is certain: she must find the little wooden box amongst the rubble of the village and return it to her grandmother. But nothing will have prepared Luce for the devastating betrayal she finds inside…

An unputdownable historical romance about the secrets we keep to protect the ones we love by the author of million-copy Amazon No 1. bestseller, Watch Over Me. Perfect for anyone who loves Fiona Valpy, Lily Graham or The Letter by Kathryn Hughes.

As you know, I LOVE books from this time period and this one was quite suspenseful and exciting. At the same time, it was a bit heart-breaking. I really connected with the character Luce and her search for her past while she was going through an identity crisis of her own. Would I have made the ending different? Probably. But overall, it was a satisfying read.

Highly recommended if you like WWII period historical fiction and romance that toggles from the past to the present.

I also did a little research and you really can buy a house in some parts of Italy for 1 Euro!!

Thank you, Net Galley, for my copy!

2 for My Ears: Those Who Leave and Those Who Stay and The Story of the Lost Child by Elena Ferrante

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I love, love, love the Neopolitan novels by Elena Ferrante. I also loved the HBO series. I have gotten all four for my commute via audible (using credits) and they hold my attention. Hillary Huber is a beautiful narrator and I can see her in my mind’s eye as if she is Elena Greco from the HBO series.

These last two installments are the final chapters in the very large story of Elena and Lila. I like how each book ends and the next one picks up immediately. And they are long! Like 700+ pages long, so it’s impressive that they can keep me enthralled during my Boston drive.

Why do I love these stories? Honestly, I cannot tell you. They are about two girls growing up in a lower middle class neighborhood of Naples in the 1950’s. The writing is beautiful. It’s real, if that makes sense. Ferrante crafts a sentence that has you nodding your head and saying, yes, that’s right, and you’re thinking about love, friendship, betrayal, family – the ordinary stuff of life. These novels aren’t fraught with danger or mystery. Two girls grow up, one goes to school, they have friends, marry, have love affairs, have children, make a living, deal with life in the 1960’s and 70’s. But they are SO good and honest and true that honestly, it can hurt to read them (is that weird?). And at the end, I’m left feeling a little broken.

The Orphan of Florence by Jeanne Kalogridis

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If you read me, you know I adore historical fiction, and one of my favorite places is Florence, Italy! I’ve been there several times and last year spent a wonderful vacation with my husband there, exploring and walking around this fascinating, beautiful, and historical place. No one can visit Florence without hearing about the Medici, and their family history is the subject of many wonderful historical novels.

This  story focuses on a street urchin, Guilia, a young girl who poses as a boy to enhance her safety and the safety of the little boy she cares for. She is quick, smart, and plucky. Through a series of events, she is taken in by the “Magician of Florence”, and begins to learn his magic, especially ciphers and codes, and how it ties in to the Medici family. A series of violent and incredible events takes place, and Guilia finds herself running for her life.

I loved this story, and especially liked how it evoked vivid images of Florence/Firenze. This was a lively and intriguing read that fans of historical fiction of this period should enjoy.

Thank you for my review e-copy!

Description

THE TUSCAN CHILD by Rhys Bowen

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If you read me, you know I love Rhys Bowen’s mystery series (Molly Murphy and Royal Spyness, to name two of them). Every now and then she steps out and writes a stand alone (e.g. In Farleigh Field). THE TUSCAN CHILD is just that – a stand alone novel that tells the story of a WWII lost love, a young woman looking for part of her past, and the beautiful Tuscan countryside that is the setting for it all.

Here’s the scoop:

Description

A Note From the Publisher

 **************************************************************************
I really enjoyed this one (no surprise), and I think readers who enjoy mystery and family relationships and WWII will connect with this novel.
I received this e-copy via Ms. Bowen’s publicist and Net Galley – thank you!!

BENEATH A SCARLET SKY by Mark Sullivan

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Description

A Note From the Publisher

So – now I think: “this reminds me of a Mark Sullivan novel!”
I think this novel would appeal to many, and I particularly liked the afterword where Sullivan follows up on Pino and the other characters in how they lived the rest of their lives.