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

Gina runs a B&B and she lost her husband years ago. She gets to know Fabio, a charming Italian, who needs help turning his family’s guesthouse into a beautiful hotel. It’s a fresh start for Gina and she and Fabio hit it off from the start.

I was actually a but surprised with the book and the storyline, mostly because I expected something else. The title sounds very promising, but half the book actually plays in England, which is a bit of a shame, because the setting at Lake Como is beautiful and Sue Roberts did a great job describing the area and the food. Gina only goes to Italy half way through the book, that took quite a while.

The rest of the story felt a bit rushed for me though. There was too much going on at times, too many characters at once and I couldn’t relate to any of them.

I really wanted to like this book more, but the spark didn’t fly. It’s a cute story, very funny and heart-warming.

After having read Sue Roberts' other summer offering (My Big Greek Summer) not too long ago...I wasn't sure I was read for more...I am glad I took the chance! A solid, Chick Lit, summer ride :c) Lovely!

My review has been posted to Goodreads.

Review has also been tweeted as usual.

Thank you! :c)

After having lost her husband a few years ago, people start pushing Gina to date again. And along comes Fabio. And one thing leads to another. It’s a nice book for the summer.

4 Shining Stars 🌟🌟🌟🌟

This was an absolutely delightful book full of fabulous characters... BUT after reading the blurb, looking at that Beautiful cover and judging by the title I thought this was going to be all about an Italian vacation.... so when at 50% we were still in England, I was slightly confused! That is not to say I wasn’t thoroughly enjoying this book, it was a wonderful story, just really not about a vacation... also was expecting a summer read, but they celebrate Christmas in this book... again not a bad thing and I really loved some of the parts that focused on Christmas... I guess what I’m trying to say is a huge 4 stars for the book and a measly 1 Star for the blurb... so I’d strongly encourage you to pick this book up without reading that blurb, do not want your expectations to be misled!

This really is a book about family, friends, second chances,moving on, and of course love.... Gina is slowly getting over the untimely death of her husband Adam.... she has also started a successful business in the Lake District.... Gina was a tremendously likable character, she had a great head on her shoulders and a enviable strength of mind and Spirit... but what I loved most was her tremendous bond with her sister Hannah...

There was also a romance in this book between Gina and Fabio... and this is what led Gina finally to head to Italy... I found the romance sweet, however it did move a little fast... but then again my own parents were engaged after two weeks and they have been married over 50 years, so who’s to say! Although I do think the quickness of their relationship lead to some miscommunication, but every book needs a little angst, right?

So even though this wasn’t the book I was expecting, it still was really good! I loved these characters... I loved the small town vibe in the Lake District... I loved Italy when we finally got there... I loved the sister bond between Gina and Hannah....

Absolutely recommend when you’re in the mood for a fun lighthearted read with some pretty darn fabulous characters...

*** many thanks to Bookouture for my copy of this book ***

A very heartwarming and lovely book. It's funny and moving at the same time
I enjoyed the characters, the descriptions of the Lake Districts and found the plot engaging and pleasant.
I love Sue Roberts books and this one was no exception.
A great summer read
Recommended!
Many thanks to Bookouture and Netgalley for this ARC

2.5 stars

Gina has been widowed for a few years and is now running a successful B&B that she's renovated with her husband before the tragic accident happened. Now she works with her sister Hannah and they both enjoy their job and the different variety of guests visiting. One guest, especially, in Gina's case. Fabio is visiting his uncle and staying in Gina's B&B. He's just inherited his own B&B at Lake Como and they quickly find common ground. But Fabio lives in Italy, and Gina in England, and is Gina looking for a new man in her life at all?

I've requested this book because this beautiful cover hollers "holidays", and well, the title as well, but I must probably stop doing it. I mean, requesting books because I love the covers. But that's me, a total cover - sucker. The synopsis was also promising, let's be honest, however the first grinding occurred when Italy appeared on the pages somewhere in the middle of the book. I don't mean it's wrong, Lake District is also a brilliant setting, and the descriptions of it were lovely, but then the holidays were not too very Italian, right.

I'd call this book chick - lit for beginners. I couldn't connect with the characters too much, not as much as I'd like, they were not too very well developed to be honest. The chapters were very short, which is good, as it usually make reading easier and faster, however some of them I could, well, live without, as they rather didn't bring anything significant to the story. I missed depth in this book, to be honest: the writing style was lovely but very simple, the narration told us the characters went to the bathroom and in the next paragraph that they left the bathroom. They went to bed and they woke up. The plot was not over - lapping, the things happened one after another: one situation ended, then came another that was solved at the end of the chapter. The banter between the characters was easy to follow as it was not too complex.

Sure, the book had its strong points as well, and those were the descriptions of the food for example, and there were some funny moments and situations, but altogether it just didn't work for me. It felt too forced and too artificial. It was too predictable and there were moments that were too dramatic to be true. But it was also a quick and easy read and there was for sure an idea there and potential. I still have the author's debut novel on my kindle, waiting patiently to be read, and I'll do this as soon as possible. I would recommend "My Very Italian Holiday" to those who are looking for a quick, summery and not too demanding book.

Know and appreciate up front that much of this is set in the Lake District, where Gina, a widow, and her sister Hannah are running a bed and breakfast. Roberts gives a good cast of characters as always and a warm family. Then, just when you think things are spending too long in England, Fabio appears. He's inherited a B&B in Lake Como (!). Of course, Gina must go. OF course there's some tension (and Fabio has a smalls secret) and of course, there's some humor. That's the charm of a Sue Roberts book and if you haven't read her, this is a fine place to start. Thanks to net galley for the ARC.

You’re definitely guaranteed a good read with any Sue Roberts book and My Very Italian Holiday is a great read. Set in both the beautiful Lake District and Italy, Sue’s descriptive prose instantly transports you there.

Featuring romance, food (warning this book will make you hungry) and fresh starts it’s a book that I literally flew through in a couple of days. Gorgeous characters and a great story, I can definitely recommend this book.

Thanks to NetGalley, Bookouture and the author for the chance to review.

Gina has been widowed for two years now and is running a successful B&B in the Lake District. She is running her small hotel with her sister Hannah, although that was not her original plan, which was a dream she shared with her husband. She enjoys a variety of pleasant guests, but one guest, in just one short week, has truly touched her heart. Fabio stays at the guesthouse while visiting his uncle. She is surprised to hear that he himself has inherited a B&B of his own at his home in Italy. They communicate from time-to-time upon Fabio's return home, and eventually Gina decides to visit him.

I was quite touched by Gina's memories of her husband Adam, while allowing her heart to make room for Fabio. Her marriage was too short, but she has so much more life to live. She is rather surprised by her attraction to Fabio, well, except for the fact that he is drop-dead gorgeous. Fabio may be a bit of a flirt, but he knows what he wants, and that is Gina. Aside from the feelings the two are developing for one another, the fact they both own B&B's gives them a firmer foundation. From the Lake District in England to Lake Como in Italy, both locales provide beautiful pictures.

My Very Italian Holiday was a very engaging read, one that I devoured in just one sitting, as I truly enjoyed watching Gina and Fabio's relationship blossom. This delightful story had me laughing at times and also experiencing moments of sadness There was a wonderful sense of coming home in this story, for more than just Gina and Fabio, giving a sense of rightness to this sweet romance. I so love happy endings and was certainly not disappointed. For a quick, summer read, definitely pick this one up! I definitely look forward to reading much more from Sue Roberts.

Many thanks to Bookoture and to NetGalley for this ARC to review in exchange for my honest opinion.

Gina runs a charming B & B in the Lake District after the death of her husband Adam. It had originally been their idea to run it together however after the tragic events her sister Hannah stepped in and helped build the business into a success. The B & B is set in a lovely village with a close knit community. Although everyone seems to know each other’s business, they are also there in times of need.
I really liked the relationship between Gina and her sister. They clearly love working and living together, often teasing each other in only a way two sisters can. They are also very proud of the business and will go that extra bit further to make each stay a success…. Nothing is too much, not even the odd bit of babysitting. You have to love Gina’s friend Katy, a bit of a live wire she will quite often say what she is thinking (usually when there is a little help from alcohol) but no one stays mad at her for long.
When Fabio comes to visit his uncle who runs the local Italian restaurant he ends up having to stay at the B & B due to some flooding in the village. Initially he is a bit standoffish but eventually he warms to Gina and even shares his hopes and plans for the B & B he inherited back home in Italy. They soon become firm friends but Gina seems to be fighting the possibility of it becoming anything more, not because of her husband but more out of a sense of duty to her family.
Despite getting through nearly half the book before Gina actually visits Italy I found that I was enjoying the descriptions of the Lake District and the lives of the residents. Sue Roberts manages to describe the surroundings in such a way that makes you want to go and visit. When Gina goes to visit Fabio in Italy once again she sets the scene of Lake Como that has you believing you are there.
My Very Italian Holiday is a wonderful story of family and second chances at love that will also have you laughing along the way. One of my favourite parts involved a bucking bronco and some flying false teeth. This is definitely one to be packed to enjoy while on holiday.

Enjoyable summer read.

Gina runs a B&B in the lake district, and has been on her own since her huisband died in an accident. Her sister Hannah helps out with the B&B.
Everything changes one winter, when Greg comes to stay at the B&B, Hannah falls for him and they get together. Around the same time Fabio is visiting from Italy and strikes up a friendship with Gina. But she needs to let go of the past and try to move on with her life. Starting with a trip to Italy.....

When life treats you badly, you have two choices : you can keep on wallowing in your sorrows or you can take some time to grief and move on. You never know what the future has in store for you and sometimes you have to take a plunge ...

This is such a gorgeous cover. I can almost feel the sun on my skin by just watching it. The story takes us to Italy and I felt like I was travelling with Gina. I saw the streets and shops, I smelt the delicious food that was being described and when she was at home in England, I enjoyed the love of her family and friends.

It a very nice feel good story where everybody's path of life goes towards a happy ending. This is why the book results a fabulous (Italian) beach read.

Thank you, Sue Roberts, Bookouture and Netgalley

The cover really attracted me to this book along with the author and it didn't disappoint at all full of fun, romance and beautiful scenery really made you laugh out loud and shows how you need to think about your life and move forward after hard times. Full of families and how they pull together and of course love it when you hear all about lake como. Very heartwarming and didn't want to put it down at all. Worth far more than the five stars I gave it.
Gina owns a guesthouse in the Lake District and she sadly lost her husband and wonders if she will be ever happy again but she loves meeting people who come and stay. She has an Italian come and stay with her and she starts to fall for him but does she think it's right after loosing her husband. She decides to go on holiday to lake como and stays with Fabio and she gets to know him more but she learns he has a difficult past two and can they work through this or not. Fabio has a sister she says he is still in love with his ex so Gina comes straight home but has she made the right decision or can they work through the problems and be happy. Fabio is opening a guest house back at home and she enjoys helping him with advice but does her life belong home in England or in the sun with someone she loves can she make her mind up.
Well worth reading so beautiful.

My Very Italian Holiday by Sue Roberts is a contemporary romance that does have a touch of comedy to it although I wouldn’t completely label it a rom/com. This title too is another that seems the book blurb doesn’t really match the advance reading copy that I read as the story doesn’t get near Italy at all until well past halfway.

The book actually begins with Gina running her own bed and breakfast in England that still sounded like a lovely area to be but it certainly wasn’t Italy yet. Gina had lost her husband a couple of years before and with the help of her sister she had managed to keep her B&B running and quite the success.

As the book goes on Gina does eventually meet Fabio and of course everyone is pushing Gina that it’s time she think about romance again. Gina and Fabio do hit it off and Fabio is in the middle of making plans for his own hotel and asks Gina for advice and if she’s willing to help. After that long beginning eventually the story makes it to Italy.

Now, I know my rating is a little low on this one but there were a couple of specific reasons why. The story got off to a wonderful start with a nice setting despite it not being Italy quite yet but while I did find myself laughing quite often a few of the jokes that came to me were just kind of mean spirited… for instance Gina’s sister complaining about karaoke singers, that kind of brought it down a bit for me.

But also, for some reason Fabio seemed a bit older and not quite what I would have expected too for some reason. Plus the idea of Gina leaving her own successful business also wasn’t that appealing to root for after spending so much time getting to know it. But I’m sure that while this one wasn’t a total favorite of mine a lot will love the story.

I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.

This is a lovely story about a second chance at falling in love. Gina was widowed years ago and since then has put her heart into her Lake District B&B.

She has the support of her family, and some good friends and is slowly starting to realise she needs to be more social and starting getting out and about a bit more, which leads to some wonderful girls night out at the local pub with assorted theme nights which are hilarious.

I loved the sense of community in the Lake District and also meeting the assorted guests that Gina and sister Hannah had staying with them. I loved the scenery of the Lake District, and getting to know all of Gina's friends and family and their assorted characteristics and relationships.

Now you may be wondering why I am chatting about the Lake District about a book called A Very Italian Holiday - well for a fair bit of the book I was wondering that myself, as it took a while for an Italian man to even appear, let alone a trip to Lake Como.

Once we get to Italy I did in fact that love that part of the book two, especially the descriptions of Italian food and there are some incredibly funny scenes on Gina's busman's holiday. What dd surprise me was given the absolute gorgeousness of the summery cover for this book, that the main trip to Italy was in the winter, and it just didn't feel like the sort of poolside / garden read I was hoping for.

If anything I think this a book that will warm you up on an autumns day when you are reminiscing of sunlight, and wishing you were abroad.

My Very Italian Holiday is a good book, which I enjoyed a great deal, but I feel it suffers from second book syndrome, and I far preferred the authors first book. I am looking forward to seeing what she writes next as there is definitely a very good writer, with some great ideas present, so will be interesting to see how that develops.

Thank you to Netgalley and Bookouture for this copy which I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book by Sue Roberts, it had me hooked from the start and loads of likable characters i hope there is a follow up.

Feel good chick-lit of a fairly superior kind, but maybe a little cosy and predictable. Good holiday reading.

Thanks to Bookouture for this cute book, and what a lovely cover design.

I love the description. I simply love it because I am totally into an easy going women's fiction. And I got this book on a perfect time for weekend.

This is for Sophie Kinsella fans.

I was so looking forward to reading this novel! I really enjoyed Sue's other novel so was hoping I would love this one just as much. The cover is absolutely stunning and just draws you straight to it! The bright colours, the shimmering sea and of course the cocktails just make for such a pretty cover and I wish I could go somewhere hot right now!

I will say now though, that I was surprised at how much of this book was set in England. What with the cover, the title and even the blurb I expected most of the novel to be set in Italy, so was shocked when I was more than half way through and not only were we still in England but it was Christmas as well! Don't get me wrong, the novel was so easy to read and I flew through the pages - it wasn't as though it was boring when it was set in England - it just wasn't what I was expecting to be honest. I actually really enjoyed reading about the Christmas Nativity play and Bonfire Night though! It got me a little excited about all that's to come!

Main character Gina was so relatable and I really felt for her throughout the novel as she tried her hardest to get over Adam. I loved Gina's sister Hannah and her dad was soooo cute! Actually I probably would have liked it even if the whole book was set in England! I felt like we were introduced to so many characters from the off that at first I was worried I wouldn't be able to keep up and didn't know why they were all mentioned (like Paul and his dad?!) but it had such a lovely community feel to it. I also felt that Fabio and Gina's relationship felt a little rushed and we were literally running through the months! However, I just could not put this book down.

Overall, it was different to what I expected but was still a really lovely read all the same. I do really enjoy Sue Roberts style of writing, it's easy to read, lighthearted and just overall really enjoyable. Thank you to the publisher for a chance to read this novel, which I have reviewed honestly.

I found myself quickly involved with these characters. At first I thought Fabio was a little too formal in the relationship with Gina, but came to love how thoughtful he was. I was glad to see the relationship work out in end. Parallel to the two main characters, I liked how Gina’s parents were able to reconcile and gave each other a second chance. I thought this was a heartfelt romance novel that was well written and enjoyable to read!
*I received a free copy of this book via NetGalley and am voluntarily leaving a review.*