A wonderful and moving story with terrific characters, romance, and a dream setting. A family destination wedding turns to a fateful crossroads in this lovely novel. Heroine Kathy has some serious headaches accommodating her partner and his demanding family. Her loyalty is tested by a fascinating world she discovers after a flight reservation mix-up and an ordeal that leaves her depending on the kindness of some Florentine strangers. Kathy was a heroine who grew on me as she took new challenges in stride, but her relationship with pompous Neil kept me asking why?

Yes, some of these characters are horrible, self-centered and hopelessly unpleasant. But they are well-drawn and make the generous Innocenti family who befriend Kathy all the nobler and engaging, right down to impish practical joker Manu and their little flatulent dog that never misses a chance to nab a meat treat!

This was the first novel I've read by this talented author but it definitely won't be the last.

I read a complimentary advance copy of the book provided through NetGalley; this is my voluntary and honest review.

I’ve loved all Chrissie Manby’s books, so I knew that this one would be a winner as well!

Kathy Courage has always wanted to visit Florence because her parents honeymooned there, so she is really pleased when she and her boyfriend, Neil, are invited to his brother’s wedding there. At the reception, Neil springs a huge surprise on her by getting down on one knee and proposing.

When there are several mix-ups with the flights, Kathy decides to stay in Florence for three days after the wedding – which Neil isn’t very happy about. Has she done the right thing in accepting Neil’s proposal? Does she really want to be stepmother to Neil’s three rude, ungrateful teenagers? Kathy ends up staying at the homely hotel belonging to the Innocenti family, and comes across the son, Henry, for the second time in her visit – something else that Neil isn’t very happy about!

A fab page-turner that had me drawn in from the beginning and left me wanting a sequel! Highly recommended.

Thank you to NetGalley and Hodder & Stoughton for an advance reader copy in return for an honest review.

I loved this romantic read set in Florence, Italy. Following Kathy who has lost confidence in her life, she finds new hope when she meets Henry at a wedding. Neil, her fiancé leaves her behind in Italy and Kathy's true adventure begins at the hotel Innocenti where she becomes a member of this warm, loving family and literally learns how to sing for her supper. A charming read with true magical musical sparks flying in a duet of love between Kathy and Henry. Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for letting me review this book.

Thanks Netgalley and the Publisher. I love this authors style of writing and this did not disappoint at all. What a wonderful light summer read.

This was a very enjoyable read!

It was funny and it had a really good storyline, the characters were good and they worked well together. I loved the setting and the author did an excellent job at brining everything to life for me.

This is the first book that I have read by this author and I will definitely be looking to get my hands on her other books now!

It is 5 stars from me for this story, I thoroughly enjoyed it from start to finish – very highly recommended!

I love books that transport you to a different place without leaving the comfort of your chair. Florence is somewhere I would love to visit and this book made me feel as if I was there. The story was slightly predictable but never the less a great read. Easy to read and loveable characters, even the little fluffy dog.
Many thanks to Netgalley and Christie Manby for the early e book release.

By Chrissie Manby

The cover and title of this novel jumped out at me as I was perusing NetGalley for my next book to review. I immediately requested to read the book as I am too taking a short trip to Florence later this year and can't wait to see how the descriptions match up to the actual place.
So, a quick low down on the book... Kathy Florence Courage has a pretty uneventful life, seemingly waiting hand and foot on her boyfriend Neil and his teenage children. Neil and Kathy are certainly not the typical type of couple and after five years of being together their relationship is what I like to call stale. They are all invited to Neil's brothers wedding set in the glorious and romantic backdrop of Florence, Kathy's namesake.
Years prior to this her parents and holidayed in Florence for their honeymoon and her mother had insisted her daughter be named after the city. It holds very special memories for her family and she has always been desperate to visit, but never had the time to go. Life has passed her by.
On her visit to Florence Kathy bumps into her own Italian stallion, Henry, and the spark between them is too hot to handle. After lots of flight mishaps Kathy ends up stranded in Florence, her bag is stolen, along with her phone and her engagement ring and she is rescued by none other than Henry's sister where she learns all about Casa Innocenti and the family history. Will Kathy find her one true love and finally be happy? Have a read to see.
The storyline to this novel is brilliant. It kept me hooked the whole way through. I was excited to find out what path Kathy was going to take and also to see through her eyes the wonders of Florence. Chrissie Manby manages to describe these perfectly and so many times throughout the narrative I felt slap bang in the centre of Florence myself, with the sights and the sounds worked through descriptive passages effortlessly.
The further Manby got into the book the better the writing became. At the start I felt as if it needed to be edited more to create crispier prose and sometimes it led to it all feeling a little 2D. Saying that Manby writes with utter sincerity at times, especially when she is dealing with grief. Roberta's tales about her husband brought tears to my eyes, and the letter from Kathy's father was heartfelt and honest.
Packed full of vibrant fun characters Manby brings the Innocenti hotel to life and I just wished it was somewhere I could visit. Manby truly brings the non-tourist part of Florence to life and it was exciting to see the quiet paths and streets packed full of imagery to, again, create an effortless way of placing the reader right there with Kathy.
I was very pleased with the ending of the novel, but again, as always, I won't spoil the surprise. Although I wish there was an Epilogue, just so we could have a small snippet to see where Kathy ends up. But then again, I've never been one for a romantic cliffhanger of sorts.
Overall, great storyline, interesting characters and a beautiful setting. It makes for a charming easy read, just enough to get you in the mood for your own summer journeys. A perfect holiday novel set in a beautiful part of the world.
Thank you to Hodder & Stoughton for the advance copy. It was well received.
On to the next one book lovers. Ciao for now

Another great Chrissy manby book!
Funny lighthearted easy read perfect for a holiday.
The reader is instantly transported to Italy, the descriptions of Florence and the delicious Italian food make you want to book a holiday.
Kathy’s tale of being in an unhappy relationship, a hasty engagement and being a reluctant step mum is told in a believable way that is easy to empathise with, and although the happy ending is predictable it’s a perfect way to end the book!
Three days in Florence is well worth a read and very enjoyable! Thank you Netgalley for this advance copy to read!

Kathy is newly engaged but she is also unexpectedly stranded in Florence. Kathy has always wanted to visit Florence and when she and boyfriend Neil are invited to a wedding she couldn’t be more delighted, but when a mix up with their flights leaves her on her own it gives her the opportunity to go exploring. As Kathy’s days in Florence come to an end she will need to decide if the life she has at the moment is the life she really wants.

A lighthearted entertaining book which was an easy and enjoyable read.

I found this to be a really enjoyable, easygoing read with a simple storyline, not much action but very character based. I liked Kathy, the main character, however her long term boyfriend Neil was a whole different matter, he’s not a likeable person and herein lies my biggest issue with this book - why is Kathy still with him? I get that she’s not confident, at the age where she feels she needs to settle but this book is told from her perspective so all the negatives about him come from Kathy so it’s clear she’s very well aware of his faults. Don’t get me wrong, his obsession with mosquitoes reminded me of my own husband and flies however my husband has many positives to balance his faults, I could see no positives about Neil merely tolerance (to a point) and excuses for his behaviour. The frustrating thing is I did actually really enjoy reading this, the other characters are well balanced with some gems thrown in, the descriptions of Florence made me want to go visit it and I enjoyed Kathy’s appreciation of it. I would have appreciated a brief chapter from Melanie, maybe even an epilogue reasoning why a super efficient secretary made that error, was it even an accident? Overall though this is another solid Chrissie Manby read which doesn’t disappoint, 7/10 from me.