Review

The Little Italian Hotel. Phaedra Patrick

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Published:  Park Row
Date:  6th June 2023
Source: Publicist via NetGalley

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 thirtieth 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.

A very eclectic group of five arrive at the Hotel Splendido in Bologna, Italy, thanks to Ginny Splinter inviting them to spend time there. Each one of them is hurting and in need of healing – each endeavouring to hide the hurt in their hearts.

Through group events suggested by each they come to new understandings of themselves, in bumpy steps. Ginny as mentioned in the blurb has a marriage that is struggling and her relationship with her husband appears to be at a possible end.

Eric has lost a greatly beloved dog, Edna an 80 year old – her husband and daughter, Daisy. Heather a teacher is struggling with a mother who has had to go into care and no longer remembers things or people. Curtis is an enigma who eventually cracks and shares what is in his mind and heart.   As they level with each other a friendship develops that makes the group very important to each of them.

So whereto now as the three week holiday ends? For sure, each of them is changed in some way.

This book is filled with Italian food and scenery and the development of warm and caring friendships. How does each character come to resolve their heartache? Read the book to discover how it all works out for each of them.  I enjoyed the journey.

Author Photo Phaedra Patrick credit Samral PhotographyPhaedra 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.

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It’s Monday! What Are You Reading?

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It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? a place to meet up and share what you have been, and are about to be reading over the week. It’s a great post to organise yourself. It’s an opportunity to visit and comment and er… add to your groaning TBR pile! So welcome in everyone. This meme started on J Kaye’s blog and then was hosted by Sheila from Book Journey. Sheila then passed it on to Kathryn here at The Book Date.
Jen Vincent, Teach Mentor Texts, and Kellee of Unleashing Readers decided to give It’s Monday! a kidlit focus. If you read and review books in children’s literature – picture books, chapter books, middle grade novels, young adult novels or anything in those genres – join them.

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Welcome in everyone. I had a pretty normal week, with a variety of activities, very few of them housework or anything like that! My reading was good, my admiration of Louise Penny continues to grow, and I really enjoyed the Mary Balogh audiobook.

I watched the last episode of Ted Lasso and was very sad to see it finish. Now that the nights get dark quickly with winter here, I tend to watch something. I think I might have to flick over to Netflix to catch up on a few things there.

What I read last week:

What I am reading now:

Famous in a Small Town

And I am going to start listening to…

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Up next:

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Last Week’s Posts

May Round Up of Reading

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Month in Review

May Round up of Reading

Total books read this month:  11

Book Ratings

The Money Club 4.25 stars (review book)
My Oxford Year. 4.25 stars.( audio)
Take My Hand   5 stars (library book)
The Wonderful Thing About Phoenix Rose (my own book)
Daisies and Devotion 3 stars.( audio)
The Last Lie Told. 3.25 stars. (library book)
The Little Italian Hotel. Phaedra Patrick 3.77 (review book)
Identity   4.25 stars ( my own paperback)
Atlas: The Story of Pa Salt.  4.8 stars (audio)
The Emma Project 4 stars. (my own paperback)
A Rule Against Murder.  4.25 stars (my own paperback)

Settings

South west Australia
Oxford, England
Alabama, USA
London/Somerset. England
Australia
Tennessee USA
Bologna Italy
Vermont USA
France/Germany/Norway/Scotland/England/Australia/Switzerland/Brazil/USA/Spain
California USA
Canada

New to me authors:

Dolen Perkins Valdez

Top Book for May

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A Few of the Books I look forward to seeing published in June

Linking up with Nicole from FeedYourFiction Addiction.

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#IMWAYR

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading?

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It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? a place to meet up and share what you have been, and are about to be reading over the week. It’s a great post to organise yourself. It’s an opportunity to visit and comment and er… add to your groaning TBR pile! So welcome in everyone. This meme started on J Kaye’s blog and then was hosted by Sheila from Book Journey. Sheila then passed it on to Kathryn here at The Book Date.
Jen Vincent, Teach Mentor Texts, and Kellee of Unleashing Readers decided to give It’s Monday! a kidlit focus. If you read and review books in children’s literature – picture books, chapter books, middle grade novels, young adult novels or anything in those genres – join them.

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Well hasn’t May rolled through fast. I think June counts as our first month in winter. I hope we get some really nice cold weather.

I did a lot of listening this past week or two as I sped through 20 hours of Atlas: The Story of Pa Salt which ends a series. As Lucinda Riley died her son did the last book from the notes his mother left. He did an excellent job. This book was set in a number of countries so it was quite a ride.  The Emma Project has been on my shelf for awhile so it was time and I did enjoy it.

I got hooked into watching Ted Lasso on Apple TV and now just waiting for the last one in season 3 to drop on Wednesday. I’ve loved the show and think I need to turn around at some point and watch it all again.

What I read last week:

What I am reading now:

A Rule Against Murder

And I am listening to…

Someone to Wed

Up next:

Famous in a Small Town
 

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Top Ten Tuesday

Things That Instantly Make Me Want to Read a Book

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Linking up with That Artsy Reader Girl.

So many reasons to pick up and read a book. And I miss out on some from  being human and not able to read all my eye beholds.
Yours Truly

A newly published book by a newly loved author, these days there are just about more than I can keep up with. And they keep growing, for example I think of Abby Jimenez, I totally loved The Happy Ever After Playlist so I want anything she has written.

And then of course all the old auto read authors I have on my list. Even if I might have been a bit disappointed in their last book I still want to read them.

If a book is set in Scotland I’ll certainly want to at least read it or take a really good look at it.

Or if it is set somewhere that appeals to me like Nantucket. Or any kind of beach sounding read.

Talking of settings I always fall for a book set in a bookshop or a library and will most likely want to/have to read it. Or its main character is a novelist.

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If I read a blog review of a book and it has some elements I really like then I really want to read it now even though I have so many to read.

If I know it is a HEA or a HFN well that moves it up the list. I really need to read those kind of books that have hope and positivity in them. But it does have to have a bit of meat to it and really interesting characters.

The book is part of a great series and I just have to know what is happening next. As soon as it publishes I am there for it.

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If its contemporary, about characters down in the rough, but ready to get up and fight there way back, then I am all for it.

A book that everyone is talking about, it might be a huge reader favourite and. even if it doesn’t sound like me I want to try it to see if it could be. And yes I haven’t read this one…. but I want to try it.

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#IMWAYR

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading?

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It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? a place to meet up and share what you have been, and are about to be reading over the week. It’s a great post to organise yourself. It’s an opportunity to visit and comment and er… add to your groaning TBR pile! So welcome in everyone. This meme started on J Kaye’s blog and then was hosted by Sheila from Book Journey. Sheila then passed it on to Kathryn here at The Book Date.
Jen Vincent, Teach Mentor Texts, and Kellee of Unleashing Readers decided to give It’s Monday! a kidlit focus. If you read and review books in children’s literature – picture books, chapter books, middle grade novels, young adult novels or anything in those genres – join them.

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Well one of my usual weeks with a bit of this and that. My reading slowed a bit as other things took over and I can see the coming week will be even slower but that’s okay. I am loving my audiobook and even though it started out at about 25 hours, its getting whittled down fast as I want to find out all the details.

What I read last week:

What I am reading now:

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And still listening to…

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Up next:

Not sure. Will decide a bit later down the track. 

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You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

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#IMWAYR

It’s Monday! What are You Reading?

badge
It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? a place to meet up and share what you have been, and are about to be reading over the week. It’s a great post to organise yourself. It’s an opportunity to visit and comment and er… add to your groaning TBR pile! So welcome in everyone. This meme started on J Kaye’s blog and then was hosted by Sheila from Book Journey. Sheila then passed it on to Kathryn here at The Book Date.
Jen Vincent, Teach Mentor Texts, and Kellee of Unleashing Readers decided to give It’s Monday! a kidlit focus. If you read and review books in children’s literature – picture books, chapter books, middle grade novels, young adult novels or anything in those genres – join them.

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Welcome in. Hope you’ve all had a great reading week.

The third book is The Last Lie Told by Debra Webb. Not showing up in some browsers. I have so much trouble with this image I give up!

What I read last week:

What I am reading now:

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And listening to…

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Up next:

book cover Last Week’s Posts

Books I Recommend

April Reading Round Up

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Click here to enter

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Month in Review

April Reading Round Up

Total books read this month:  13

Book Ratings

The Cruellest Month.   4.25 stars (paperback from my shelf)
Marry in Secret.  3.75 stars (from my Kindle)
The Lions of Fifth Avenue.  3.75 stars (audio)
Arabella. 4.25 stars (audio)
The Girl from Donegal.  3.5 stars (paperback from my shelf)
Paper Cuts.  4.25 stars. (review book)
The Happy Ever After. 4.75 stars. (audio)
A Hard Day for a Hangover. 5 stars (local library)
Fault Lines.  4 stars  (local library)
Accidentally on Purpose 3.75 stars. (audio)
Get a Life Chloe Brown 3. 45 stars. (local library)
The Next Best Thing 3 stars.  (local library)
Quilt or Innocence. 2.75 stars (paperback from my bookshelf)

Book Settings:

Canada.
England
New York
North Carolina
Donegal/Canada/Bahamas
LA/Minnesota
New Mexico
Japan
San Francisco

New to me authors:

Fiona Davis
Emily Itami
Talia Hibbert
Elizabeth Craig.

Top Book for April

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Looking forward to reading in May

Well listening actually. I have it pre-ordered at Autdible.  The final book in The Seven Sisters.book cover

Linking up with Nicole from FeedYourFiction Addiction.

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Top Ten Tuesday

Books I Recommend

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Linking up with That Artsy Reader Girl.

This week it’s about the top books I recommend to others. And of course that depends on the reader. A book I might recommend to one I might not recommend to another because of reading taste. But here are some that I really loved and would recommend to the right reader.

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Okay for Now. Gary D. Schmidt.  For those who love an excellent middle grade book.  It has an excellent hero Doug and heroine Lil and I just fell in love with it. About friendship  and community.  I have read it a couple of times and want to reread it.  Historical fiction.

Tell Me Three Things. Julie Buxbaum. If you are a YA reader. It is contemporary realistic fiction. The kind of book that almost reads itself. I loved Jessie and the journey she takes through grief, change, a new blended family, a new school and new friends, coping with bullies. Ethan was delightful too and SN. Some humour, some wisdom and insight. Valuing the authentic self as opposed to being popular and plastic.

The Gunckle. Steven Rowley. A gay uncle takes over care of a young niece and nephew for awhile. Full of humour and poignancy. A whole journey of loss and grief and finding a way through it, with great compassion and love.

A Thousand Roads Home. Carmel Harrington. Contemporary fiction by an Irish author. My top favourite of hers. It explores homelessness, friendship and second chances. Quirky characters and a loveable dog. It’s sad yet uplifting.

One Mountain Away.  Emilie Richards. For those who love good women’s fiction. The first in the Goddess Anonymous series, although each book is a full stand alone.  It explores issues with a lot of compassion and friendship, love and forgiveness.book cover

Ten Beach Road. Wendy Wax. Contemporary fiction about  a group of women down on their luck who pull together and renovate an historic property in Florida. Plenty of drama along the way. And if you enjoy it there is a couple of more books that follow it.

The Bookshop on the Shore. Jenny Colgan. So if you like romance set in Scotland this is for you. Plus it has Nina and a travelling bookshop. I love this kind of book magic that draws me into a story. It often surprised a laugh out of me. It often had me worrying over the outcome for characters. There are some serious issues that are explored.

First Lady. Susan Elizabeth Phillips. For. those who love a good. romance with some White House thrown in. ( I do).  Nealy is being First Lady for her father but she escapes from it and finds herself on a road trip with a father and and two girls. Has drama and humour and later on has a follow up book.

Snowed in for Christmas. Sarah Morgan. Romance – set in the Highlands. What more could you want? Well a well told story with a quirky character or two at Christmas time. It just has such a warm, cosy, family feel to it. I felt like I was there in Scotland, with snow and wonderful smells and the chaos of family interactions.

State of Affairs.  Marie Force. Romantic suspense readers will enjoy this. It is a spin off of a previous series so you may be better off reading that first but if not pick it up here where Nick and Sam find themselves in the White House. Sam retains her job with the police so of course there is mystery and crime involved. As well as that all the intrigue of politics. A very addictive series.

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