I had such high hopes for this book. I love stories set in Italy, plus the cover is gorgeous. Unfortunately, I just wasn't able to get into it. There was too much unnecessary and uninteresting pre-amble and it was taking ages for anything to actually happen. It wasn't holding my interest, so I decided to set it aside.

This was a good, enjoyable read. I loved the Tuscan setting! It was just so perfect for this type of book.

Really enjoyable read. Good characters and a Good story. Well worth a read. Think others will enjoy.

A lovely story by Karen Aldous. Really well written, great plot and characters that touch your heart. Brilliant!!

Found the main character hard to warm to - seemed very immature for someone supposed to be around 40..

I’m not sure how I feel about this book. I enjoyed reading about Italy. The premise was good. But some of the storyline was not realistic. For a successful businesswoman, the main character seemed childish & immature. Some of the dialogue was rough. Just disappointed.

Not impressed. Olivia's grandparents have passed away and she has inherited the Italy villa. She breaks up with her boyfriend of 3 years and she decides she is going to make some changes in her life. Shes on the way and she "falls in love" with the first guy she sees. Then she meets another guy and thinks she is in love with him but she stays with Alberto (the first guy) both men are very rich but after Alberto meets Oliva he pretty much asks her to marry him. Olivia finds a suprise family and Hugh is the one that she asks not Alberto. It was so lame.

This book was not what I was expecting. The story didn't take the direction I would have thought it went and to be honest, I'm a little disappointed. I didn't really like any of the characters, especially the main character Olivia. I just didn't click with her, didn't like how she came across or how she tackled her problems. I liked the writing style of the book, and the storyline was entertaining but I just couldn't get past the charactersI'm afraid.

Olivia needs a change so she ditches her long-time boyfriend and heads for Tuscany where she has inherited her grandparent's villa and property. On the plane ride there she meets Alberto, a sexy Italian man who shows an interest in her. She was determined to close her heart off to love and relationships and prove that she can do this on her own. But, Alberto begins to get under her skin.

Olivia also meets Hugh St. James from England. He is an antiques dealer from England who is in Tuscany shopping for antiques, as he is an antiques dealer. He is even more handsome than Alberto and while he wants to buy Olivia's villa, he also shows compassion and concern for Olivia and she challenges and questions that she faces. Now Olivia has two handsome men vying for her attention. Can she remain closed off to love?

There is a lot of backstory with her mom and grandparents and secrets that come to light and Olivia has a hard time dealing with them. I had a hard time getting into this book. Olivia seemed whiney and childish for a women who is 40 years old. I wasn't rushing to finish it.

I was given an arc copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I enjoyed this book. Want to go visit there myself. Glad things turned around for her and I liked Hugh best.

An addictive page-turner that is simply perfect for the summer season, Under a Tuscan Sky is the latest first rate tale from the hugely talented Karen Aldous.

Olivia Montague realises that the time has come for her to make some much-needed changes to her life. After the death of her Nonna, Olivia decides that she wants to inject some excitement into her mundane existence, so she breaks up with her boyfriend after their relationship had stalled and decides to embark on a journey to Tuscany to Nonna’s beautiful house. Romance is certainly not on the cards for Olivia. Having been abandoned as a baby by her parents, Olivia has always believed that love is not something she’s capable of nor is it something that she particularly needs in her life. But will her sojourn in the rolling Italian hills end up changing her mind?

With handsome antiques dealer Hugh St James and charismatic Italian Alberto vying for attention, Olivia begins to wonder whether she had been too hasty in erecting walls around her heart. Will Olivia succeed in finding the happiness and contentment which she has been searching for all her life? Is true love finally within reach? Or will Olivia continue to spend her life merely settling for second best?

Karen Aldous writes wonderfully lyrical, escapist and atmospheric contemporary novels that sweep readers off to exotic locations and keep them entertained and engrossed from the first page till the very last. A terrific tale about self-discovery, redemption and unexpected twists of fate, Under a Tuscan Sky is a gorgeous contemporary tale that effortlessly and deftly combines vivid descriptions of Italy with superb characterization, believable and moving pathos and heart-warming romance.

Karen Aldous can always be relied upon to deliver an engaging and enthralling read and Under a Tuscan Sky is certainly no exception! Wonderfully written, hugely enjoyable and moving, Under a Tuscan Sky should not be missed!

Really enjoyed this book. Perfect summer read. Enchanting locataion and great mix of characters,. The setting sucked me in and i love that in a book. Highly recommend this book

Having just visited Tuscany, I was in the mood to read this story and it certainly transported me back to that beautiful countryside.

We first meet the central character, Olivia when she is at a crossroads in her life. Her Grandmother has died and she has the task of sorting out her estate in Italy. At the same time, she is dissatisfied with her life with Will. We sense from the beginning that she is a bit of an idealist, bowled over at the thought of her grandparents' seemingly perfect love. She decides to break off her relationship with Will and to try to be more self-reliant. Although she is forty, she has leaned on others for support all her life and seems a little immature and unsure.

In Olivia, Karen Aldous has created an interesting and essentially likeable central character, as you watch her attempts to overcome her own feelings of insecurity. It is great to see a character develop as the story unfolds. You can sense her potential as after all she has established a business in the UK with her lifelong friend but her relationship with her mother has left her very unsure about her own capacity to love.


The story carried me along and I read it in one sitting in an afternoon. Primarily a romance featuring a love triangle, there was nevertheless more to discover about family ties and relationships as secrets from the past came to light. This is a warm and self-affirming story- just right for a holiday read.

In short: an Italian romantic interlude- great for a summer read.

It always sounds just a little rude to say “a great read for the holidays”, but in this instance I mean it only as a compliment: I read this book in an afternoon on the terrace of my Madeira apartment, and it was just the perfect choice. I also read it when my mind was full of issues and worries, but the style, content and gorgeous descriptions swept me away to the hills of Tuscany and the twists and turns of Olivia’s relationships, as she finds herself and makes her choices.

The reading is easy – Karen Aldous has a light, free-flowing style, with natural dialogue and a deft touch with background and setting. As Olivia unravels her Nonna’s affairs and decides what she should do with the home and business, she jumps rather recklessly into one relationship (mmm, I wasn’t keen on him to be honest…) only to find another option waiting in the wings. The family complications added a little depth and intrigue: the story overall was light enough to pick up and put down, but sufficiently involved to keep you reading to discover the outcome. I haven’t read anything by this author before, and I’ll look forward to trying her books again. A lovely uplifting story all about finding yourself and finding love, and a really enjoyable read.

When her Italian Nonna dies Olivia decides it is time for a change in her life - her relationship with Will is going nowhere and she realises she doesn't care so she dumps him and heads for Tuscany to sort out her inheritance.

Deciding that she is definitely off men of course they come along like buses, she meets the gorgeous Alberto on the flight on the way out there on the plane and can't resist his offer to show her around Tuscany and then when she puts her Nonna's estate on the market Hugh turns up as a prospective buyer along with his lovely dog.........she is not capable of loving anyone so how come she suddenly has feelings for two men at once!

When clearing out the house ready for the sale though she uncovers a secret that totally throws her - is this the reason that her mother abandoned her as a baby and left her with her English Grandparents? Determined to get to the bottom of this she sets out to pin down her mother once and for all!

A lovely light hearted read that draws you in from the beginning, great descriptions of Tuscany an area of Italy that I love and plenty of romance and intrigue

*Book provided by the publisher on NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*

The title of this book just screamed out to me! I’m 3/8 Italian and I used to spend two weeks in wonderful Tuscany every year when I was a child. Naturally, I was really excited about this book.

When Olivia Montague steps of the plane in Tuscany, I felt at home from the start. Of course that’s also thanks to Karen Aldous and her lovely description of the scenery, I fell in love with the area all over again.

Let go back to the start though: When Olivia’s grandmother dies she is devastated. She wants to change something in her life, so she breaks up with her current boyfriend and goes to see her Nonna’s home in Tuscany. She spends time at her grandmother’s house and discovers a lot about her family. She believes, she was abandoned by her parents as a child and now learns the truth, it’s a big shock to her! She actually has more family in beautiful Tuscany.

On the flight down she meets Alberto and the like each other from the start. However, there is also the antiques dealer Hugh St. James. Both men are really handsome and Olivia is very confused. That’s actually the part of the book I didn’t really like. I felt like her feelings developed way to quickly, in a non authentic way and also her relationship with both men didn’t develop in the right pace. That disturbed me a bit, because I actually really liked Olivia as a character.

She is full of passion and love and I loved following her around. She was finally able to discover the truth about her past and her family and that was very fascinating and interesting. Karen Aldous captured that tension beautifully, I was hooked!

The book has great messages about second chances, family and love and the were all wonderfully integrated in this storyline. This is a great summer book and I enjoyed every second of this story!

Rating: 4.5/5

I really need to give Olivia Montague a big round of applause! GIRL POWER!! Nothing like a sassy, confident, independent woman to get a storyline going, right? I genuinely thought to myself 'wowza, she could teach me a thing or two!'. I admired the characters flair 100%, as it was great to see a character taking charge of their own life. 

The way that Olivia was portrayed at the start was youthful, she was described as such a bubbly sort of person with such a young sounding ideology. I honestly thought she was in her late twenties/early thirties! Some of her choices were a bit questionable, I'll admit. So, when I found out that Olivia was a lot older than she came across as; my whole opinion of her changed. Olivia's personality didn't seem consistent to the age that she was given. Don't get me wrong, I know that age is irrelevant as it's only a number, but for me, Olivia was being portrayed as one character, yet acting like someone different. I hoped that in the latter part of the storyline, Olivia would have grown into her personality and become a teeny bit more consistent.

Did she? YES! I thoroughly enjoyed the second half of the novel as the storyline had warmed up, inconsistencies seemed to have disappeared, and things start becoming beautiful. Don't get me wrong, me and Olivia weren't bosom buddies and I couldn't quite warm to her, yet her antics made me laugh.

I have never been to Tuscany, yet after reading Karen Aldous' descriptions, I felt as though I was right there, soaking up the sunshine and gazing at the spectacular views. If I'm honest, the authors portrayal of Tuscany and the surrounding areas, were my favourite parts of the book. It was as though I had been put under a spell, such a surreal feeling.

As for Olivia's love life, it seems to be the main focus of the story (apart from Tuscany itself, naturally). She dumped one boyfriend because there was no spark, but then she meets an OTT Italian, Alberto, who wants to give her anything and everything...right there and then. If a guy came onto me like that in a plane, two seconds after meeting him, I would have gone 'uhhhhh BUHBYE', yet Olivia was completely infatuated! Her reaction to Alberto, was quite surprising I'm not going to lie, but I couldn't help but giggle. I would have loved to get inside her head and find out what on Earth goes through it! As the story progresses, Olivia meets guy number three. I really liked Hugh! He came across as such a gentleman, I just wanted to give him a big cuddle and a slice of battenburg cake, whilst letting him talk to me about his family history! Sooooo cute!

Despite my opinion of Olivia, her antics kept me thoroughly entertained, and somewhat agog, throughout the entire novel. I cannot fault the author on her enchanting writing style, and beautiful descriptions. I could tell that those moments were written from the heart.

Under a Tuscan Sky is ideal for a summer holiday read as it isn't too heavy, too complex, nor does it require much sussing out. Instead it's a lighthearted, romantic novel, which is set in such a mesmerising and beautiful country.

Thanks HQ Digital/NeverlandBT.

Olivia's list making did make me smile as I also always seem to be making various to do lists mainly to do with my blog. Although maybe not as many as Olivia makes she really does seem to have a list for everything! Olivia is quite complex and has almost lost sight of who she is mainly because she has in a way always been sheltered by other people making decisions for her. Then add in a strained relationship with her mother which makes things all the more difficult for her to cope. I did feel for Olivia's character at times and I was hoping for her to maybe stand up for herself more and try to be a little bit more decisive. I do have to admit to shaking my head at some of the things that she did or allowed to happen though. These personality traits made her flawed but in a way all the more real for it too. I guess I really hoped that everything would turn out ok in the end for her because of everything she has been through. I was definitely intrigued by Olivia's family dynamic and of course there are secrets there that I couldn't wait to find out. Then add Alberto and Hugh into the story and things will never be the same again for Olivia.

Karen Aldous has done a fantastic job of describing Italy and has expertly wove it into this story. It is always a plus point when I feel as if I have been transported to the wonderful destinations via a book. Olivia goes on a journey to discover hidden family secrets and there is also the hope that she will find herself along the way too. This makes for a charming story that I'm sure will leave you with a smile just as it did for me. The story moves smoothly and managed to keep my attention especially with the lovely descriptions of Italy. Then you get the addition of Olivia's pretty complicated life all in all making an entertaining story come to life even more.

With plenty of charm and a dash of romance Under a Tuscan Sky is a gorgeous summer read!

Thank you to Neverland Blog Tours, HQ Digital & Netgalley for my copy. This is my honest and unbiased opinion.

This is the story of Oliva, who leaves her British home to take care of her family's estate in Tuscany.

I was expecting a love story but it is rather a story of Olivia's family history. And sadly, the story failed to draw me in.

The book wasn't for me, but I don't want to discourage anyone to give it a go.

Thank you Netgalley and the Publisher. Need to go to Tuscany from the descriptions in this book. Nice easy summer read