A wonderful contemporary novel that gives all of the summer feels! The perfect read for those less than sunny days to help whisk you away to the streets of Rome. An emotional, heartfelt story.

AMAZING!! Loved this book so much, was such a nice pleasant surprise. Constantly go back to it when I need a bit of comfort.

Milly, Elyse, and Leonie are sisters, and close in age. They’ve had to become emotionally a lot closer too since the death of their father a year ago.

It’s also been a year since the family were all together in Italy and determined to help their mum slow down her work commitments and begin to properly grieve for her husband, they set off for Rome.

This really is a make or break for the family and I felt that the way the author delved into the experience of grief, especially at the character’s young ages, was both realistic and sensitively done.
There’s also romance built in there, but for me the real joy of this book is the relationship between the sisters, and of course, the beauty of Italy! This is probably my third book I’ve read by this author and I’ve loved them all.

With thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to read One Italian Summer. Review originally posted on Goodreads.

I read this book back in 2017....and I really don't remember much about it. It was a fast read and I gave it 3 stars on goodreads but I didn't leave any feedback or reactions for it.

One Italian Summer was a sweet and for the most part dreamy romance that we can all dream of. Especially those of us who grew up watching the Lizzie Maguire movie. It was fun to go along the journey and adventures of the characters throughout Italy and falling in love in the summertime.

I reviewed this book over on Pretty Books.

One Italian summer is a beautiful quick read that takes you on a journey to Italy.It's not your classic summer romance it's so much more.

I fell head over heels for the Italian setting. Keris makes you feel like your're right there with the characters and it's wonderful. One Italian Summer portrays grief in such a way that makes it so easy to feel the characters pain and may or may not make you cry along with the characters.

The book also has a stunning portrayal of sisterhood, romance and family. Each sister was completely different and had me loving each of them and loving their discussions.

A perfect book to read while on holiday but also any time in your life!

I’m not going to lie, I absolutely adore Keris Stainton‘s books. I love her writing and the subject matter that she tackles. Her books are always quick, easy to read and still feel my soul with many emotions. This is no different to One Italian Summer but I honestly think this is probably her best book yet. I was instantly transported into this story and from the very first few chapters I was already crying. Keris has created a novel that really makes you feel but as well as hitting you in the heart, it is also full of fun, hope and happiness. Reading it was like watching a wonderfully moving film in the cinema that leaves you feeling raw but hopeful.

One Italian Summer follows Milly, her two sisters and her mum as they go on their annual family holiday to Italy, for the very first time without their father who suddenly passed away. At the start of the novel, the family and Milly especially, are not dealing with this too well – as you would expect. The book shows how they work their way through many issues and it is executed exceptionally well. I felt for every single character in the story and loved how everything was separate but also interlinked at the same time. Also, can I please just take a moment to gush about how amazing the sisters in this family were? They were as close as best friends and I absolutely loved that. It’s so refreshing to read about such a close family unit. Not all sisters are enemies!

My favourite character by far was Milly but it was always going to be, I seem to have an affliction for falling in love with the protagonists in books! Milly was not coping very well at all but she was also caring and loyal, she was funny and strong underneath it all. Basically, everything that I love in a protagonist. She went on a really heart-warming journey and I just connected with her so much. But while Milly was an incredible character to read about, she fortunately didn’t overshadow the other characters. I absolutely adored Leonie. She was so confident and vibrant. She was also rebellious and stressed. A wonderful balance – as all humans are. Of course, another reason to read this book is Luke. He is a wonderful character. Funny, charming and totally lovely. He was protective and sensitive and he was absolutely lovely to read.

Overall this book was a fascinating, heart-warming and heart-breaking read that is literally the perfect summer read. It’s a dose of Italy but it’s also a dose of family, friendship, love and hope. It is a book that deals with so many issues, and big ones such as greif and coming out of the closet, and it does it with sensitivity and compassion but also realistically too. Not everything goes to plan and we say things we don’t mean and this is shown so honestly in this book. Honestly, I could gush about this book all day. It was truly wonderful and a book that I would probably read over and over again. If you’re a fan of Sarah Dessen or Morgan Matson, definitely make sure you add this book to your reading pile this summer!

ONE ITALIAN SUMMER took us on a beautiful trip throughout Rome while exploring the realistic family dynamics and grief of Milly’s family. I just wish there was smoother transition between the romance and grief and Milly wasn’t as distracted to Luke as she was. If you’re looking for a really good portrayal of grief and to be taken away to Rome, this book is your champion.

“One Italian Summer” is a light ya romance that reads quickly but lacks much substance.

While there was an attempt at making the characters developed, I still felt somewhat removed from them, especially the love interest, Luke. There was little to no explanation of exactly why Milly was so interested in him, aside from a rather alarming amount of wanting to lick his muscles. Not going to lie, the amount of times a phrase like that was thought by her was a bit unsettling. I know this complaint may be nitpicky, but the author seems to lose track of what her characters were doing quite a bit. Characters would stand up twice in one page without sitting down, be in a car one second and in a parking lot walking to the car the next, etc. It kept pulling me out of the story.

That being said, “One Italian Summer” is still a cute romance if you’re looking for a beach read that doesn’t require much from you.

This book was absolutely gorgeous. I went in expecting to be swept away by swoony, summery romantic goodness, and instead I got so much more out of it. It is a novel of grief, loss, love and family. And of course with a dash of romance for good measure! But I really felt like this was brimming with heart and emotion, and it is a special special book.

The perfect summer read..I read it really quickly, it had me hooked! I loved how this fit at the top end of the YA scale, and the way the family's grief was handled. It was cute, fun, and just so enjoyable.. Full review to come on the blog soon!

I adore Keris' writing style, it is always so easy to read and fall in love with. Her latest instalment follows Milly, the middle sister of three, as her family still struggle with the sudden death of her dad and the prospect of going to Italy for the first time without him.

Right from the off, it is evident that everyone has changed after their dad died, Milly in particular has retreated into herself. Their mum doesn't like to talk to them about it, Elyse the eldest is determined to pick up the pieces, and Leonie the youngest is getting more confident without Milly really noticing. It is strange how grief, especially long term, affects everyone differently but I think Keris did a wonderful job of sorting through everything and everyone's wavering emotions, especially in such a big family.

So, they went to Italy for their aunt's wedding and they met up with their favourite cousin and his best friend aka Milly's crush. I thought this delicate balance between remembering their dad and having a nice holiday worked; I got the message about learning to get on with life, celebrate the good things, and how it's ok to start new things and move on without feeling guilty. Even a year after he died, their dad was clearly still around them and going to Italy, their regular holiday, meant that they could all remember him in a place that they loved and simultaneously get out of their holding pattern at home.

There was lots of really important and touching things about sisterhood, support and grief but also fun contemporary romance stuff about holidaying in Italy and growing up. Milly had lots of learn about finally confronting her fears and getting into a good place with Luke. All in all, a very sweet and moving story, equal parts funny and sad, cute and heavy.

One year after their father's sudden death, Milly and her sisters (Elyse & Leonie) find themselves back in Rome for their aunt's wedding. Their family is still very much struggling and grieving. This jaunt from their London home is bringing issues to the surface that they have to face. Everyone here is coping in their own way. Milly has become withdrawn and even more nervous than she was. Leonie has become even more ebullient. Elyse is trying to fill the void left by her father, And their mother has become a workaholic. In addition to their grief, Milly is navigating her unrequited love for Luke, her cousin Toby's best friend. Readers who love romance or Aimee Friedman's Two Summers will enjoy this quick read.

Review: this was such a sweet and lovely read. The main thing that has stayed with me about this book is the setting. The very beginning of this book is set in the UK and then we travel over to Italy to enjoy a fabulous summer holiday, some Italian food and drink and an Italian wedding-I just loved it. The way that Stainton describes these Italian scenes, you can feel the heat of the pavement, the sun on your face and the gentle breeze coming in from the Med! I loved her descriptions of the food and the coffee too of course and I just really wish I was sitting in a Piazza right now with an espresso, a glass of wine and some little Italian snacks!

Of course this book isn't just about Italy, it also features gorgeous family relationships between sisters Milly, Leonie and Elyse, as well as their mum and their family in Italy. I loved reading about the dynamic between these sisters, not having any siblings of my own, I always love when a book features this kind of relationship. Since losing their Dad, things have been a little strained between the women and they all have burdens, and secrets, of their own to bear. The story is told through Milly and I really enjoyed her as a character, I could relate to her fears and insecurities and I liked watching grow over the course of the novel.

There is also a little romance in this novel, and not just for one of the characters. The romance isn't a key features but carries a few of the lovely secondary story lines. This is definitely a warm and fuzzy feeling, but of course not everything runs smoothly for everyone involved. This was a great read and I loved getting to know these sisters and their family and spending the summer in Italy with them. As I said, this is a great book for escapism and it's no co-incidence that I'm making pasta right now. This is definitely a summery book and something which fans of Keris Stainton or other contemporary YA romance writers are sure to enjoy!

This was such a wonderful book. The writing from Keris was so fantastic as always and the story was so emotional and beautiful. I put up a full review of the book here on my blog http://www.isthisreallife.co.uk/2017/05/book-round-up-5.html

What I thought was going to just be a cute summer romance turned into a story of family and loss, with a lot better writing than I would have given in credit for. I liked this a lot. The only part that really irritated me was the main character's struggle with love. I get tired of reading the same love story where the guy is all over the place with different girls, and the girl is just inexperienced and is all sad that she can't have the guy she wants, and is surprised when the guy she likes likes her back. BUT ANYWAY. That was only a small part of the book, and wasn't enough to make me not like this book. It was good.

Everyone's right about this book - it's the perfect summer read, full of sunshine, descriptions of Rome and Italy and its beautiful nature, adventures and lightness. But of course, there's also some dark aspect here - a loss and how to cope.

Actually, there are three voices in this book - Milly's, Leonie's and Elyse's. Although the book's written in Milly's point of view only, her sisters aren't just side characters either, they all got a story. I'm glad the author didn't decide to write this in three different point of views, because everything more than two's is too much for me, yet Keris Stainton still managed to give the other two sisters their own voice, their own life. And while I wasn't exactly a fan of Milly's older sister, Leonie grew on me, especially when it was about her life choices toward the end of the book.

They always went to Rome together - the three sisters and their parents. But now that their father is dead, things have changed. However, when their aunt announces her wedding, the now four of them still decide to go there, although their mother isn't easy to convince. And when they finally get to Rome, things aren't getting any easier - their mother seems to be a shell of what she used to be and the boy Milly lost her heart to - Luke - seems to have forgotten about her, enjoying his time kissing other girls. Was it really a good idea to come back here?

There are hundreds of books about losing someone you love and every author writes about it in a different way. Some choose this depressive style and other choose another one. I think Keris Stainton managed to find a perfect way. I mean, for this book and the story, at least. The way the sisters talk about memories they share of their dad, the way they remember him and visit the places he used to go, it all makes you think like you're a part of this family, one of Milly's sisters maybe and discover all their truths. I liked that a lot. Their father's death is tragic, yes, but the writing isn't heavy and boring, dragging and annoying. The author manages to give the reader a lightful insight to the character's minds. The story focuses on that and not that typical grieving state of lying and bed and refusing to come out (though that's basically what their mom is like).

There's also sweet, light romance included. Aww, how I love those. Even though you really try in the beginning, you can't hate Luke. It's impossible. He's such a cute guy on the inside and it's super sweet reading about the way he treats Milly, what he thinks. I think my favorite scene might be their road trip, because that's when despite the connection that has always been there between the two, you get the feeling they are one. They're one of my favorites. Ever!

And I think (back again on the losing a parent part), the three different voices of the sisters really showed the importance of support during overcoming such a loss like theirs. They have their backs, no matter what, and they all learn how to cope, how to move on that One Italian Summer. Even the tough one (and I think we can all agree that Leonie, the youngest, is the toughest), shows her soft side and Elyse isn't as sure of herself as everyone always thought. So, they also get to know each other better.

The only thing I didn't like too much, was the I-always-have-to-control-everything part about Milly. It started at the airport, in the beginning of the book, but it was only much later, when the characters actually said it out loud, that I noticed this part of her. And to me, it kinda felt forced, like something had to be added in order for Milly to have a rough edge to her, something that makes her a little less perfect. But still... This is the perfect summer read. It truly is.

One Italian Summer was mostly a fun, quick read, that immediately made me wish I was in Rome eating ice cream and pushing through the crowds of tourists at the Trevi Fountain too. There was an undercurrent though, a constant theme throughout the story, of the overwhelming grief this family is feeling in this beautiful place that meant so much to Milly's dad. The fun parts of the book felt bubbly and alive, and the parts about their grief winded me and at times made me shed real tears.

There are a lot of different threads going on in this novel and, honestly, at times it did start to feel a little much for such a short book. Milly has a lot going on and it did leave me feeling that there were certain aspects of her life I would have liked to have seen more of or that I could have done without.

For example, Milly used to be in a band but since her father died she no longer talks to those friends. This was so briefly touched upon, however, that I often completely forgot about it until the next time it was mentioned. On the other hand I really enjoyed the way that the novel deals with Milly's growing sense of her own sexuality. One of the story lines in the novel involves Milly and a boy she has fancied for many years and who she had an embarrassing experience with after her father's funeral. Milly's interactions with him and their history felt very realistic, particularly because Stainton doesn't shy away from Milly's sexuality. That was refreshing to read. And, as I touched on above, I felt that Milly's grief was beautifully handled throughout the novel.

All in all, One Italian Summer is something a little different and, although I had my small complaints, I would still absolutely recommend it for all its positive aspects.

This was a good story but there just wasn't much to grip me and make me want to read on. I liked the way it addressed grief and mourning and the effects it can have on people, but that's all it was. A journey of characters and how they recover. And for me, those books just aren't really enough.

The three sisters were really interesting and I liked the way that they were different from each other. I also liked the descriptions of Rome. It made me really want to go on holiday, so I think the best time to read this is when you're on holiday. It would make a really great beach read.

This is all I really have to say on it. Like I said, it's a good story, but it just wasn't for me.

It would make a great beach read though