Kim goes to Italy to set up a villa into a country retreat and spa and escape her overbearing parents. The book goes back to then and now following the three female characters: Kim, Colette and Annie. A light read about friendship and the trials we face in life i.e cancer, motherhood etc. Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for letting me review this book.

Kim has spent her life among the rich and wealthy with her parents paying for her every want and need. However, they expect her to pay her dues and when those include an arranged marriage she decides she has had enough of living under their thumb and escapes to Italy.

Colette had to put her life on hold when her mother became sick with cancer. After four years her mum is in remission and as a thank you, Colette's mum sends her on an Italian escape to reclaim her freedom.

Annie works in blue-rinse hairdressers and has filled her life with wild nights easy flings. When she wakes up in her early 30's with and has to evict another stranger from her bed she decides she needs to change. One of her regulars at the salon has been watching her and sees her potential. She leaves Annie a fortune in her will so that Annie can open her own salon and a trip to Italy before she gets started.

After the three forms a friendship with each other they go home and go their separate ways. Years later they meet again in Italy at very different stages in their life. Will secrets from their previous Italian escape stay buried or will they embrace The Sweet Life?

This book reads a bit like Mama Mia. It's not life-altering but it's not bad. I found it entirely predictable and mapped the entire plot out in my head before I was even halfway through. There were a couple of twists at the end which I spotted coming a mile away.

This book would make a nice, easy summer beach read. It's the sort of book I imagine as a battered paperback on the 'library' shelf in a hotel, where books people leave behind end up.

I got my copy of #TheSummerVilla by Melissa Hill for free from #NetGalley in exchange for a free review. Published by #HQ an imprint of #HarperCollinsUK this book is available now.

Excellent book, full of sunshine, glamour, and suspense. Great summer or lockdown read. Thoroughly enjoyed it , thank you Net Galley for my preview copy .

A story set in the gorgeous Italy with it's stunning views and beautiful villas. This is a story about friendship and how these lovely ladies found themselves whilst on a trip to Italy.

Told over a dual timeline 6 years apart, you get insight from all of them as to where they were in their lives when they first arrived in Italy and the point they are at when they return in present day.

I enjoyed getting to know these ladies through their highs and lows and how no-one really quite knows everything that happened during their visit where they all became friends.

A beautiful Mediterranean setting which is so easy to fall in love with. This book is cleverly set over 6 years (Now & Then) The writing is of an easy style yet descriptive enough to enjoy. Three women end up in Italy for one summer. An array of men are obviously thrown into the mix too. Readers will fall in love with these independent, feisty young women who each have their own faults. There is so much more to this book then just a summer beach read.

This book was easy to read and would be a great holiday book. The descriptions of the setting took me to Positano and Sorrento and the characters were easy to get to know. The book pulls at the heart strings in many ways, making me smile but also sad at times and it also has a bit of a mystery. This book is recommended.

A feel good factor book of romance, love and the relationships of three friends who first met in Italy. All from different walks of life their friendship, although somewhat turbulent at times, shines through when they most need it.
A few twists along the way, true love never is easy, definitely a read for these troubled times

It feels like it's been forever since I last read a book by Melissa Hill, so I was delighted to get the chance to read this one.

Set both 6 years ago and in the present day, we see how the lives of 3 women change, from their first summer together at the Villa Dolce Vita.

We have Kim, who is trying to escape from being a pawn in her parents empire. Annie who has had a tough time and is only in Italy thanks to an incredible gesture. And Colette who is talking a much needed holiday after helping her mum for years.

All very different but a friendship forms between them that lasts longer than the first summer.

I loved being able to sit in my garden and escape in my mind to Italy, to the Amalfi coast and had a wonderful time doing so.

This was a really enjoyable story to read, and I thoroughly enjoyed my time in the pages of it.

There is so much more to this book than meets the surface which builds up to an exciting climax.

Thanks to HQ and Netgalley for this copy which I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily.

Set in the stunning Italian Amalfi coast, this story really did conjure up the atmosphere of this beautiful Mediterranean destination. I could just about feel the heat coming off the buildings as I read. The story is too din the past and present and jumps around between the two eras giving the story some real depth.

The characters are well written and realistic. I particularly liked Collette, I loved seeing her character develop. All three girls, come from different backgrounds and different personalities and it was interesting watching them interact and help each other.

The story had some good twists at the end, although they didn't all shock me as I had seen some of them coming. For me the second half of the book dragged a little, I wanted to get on with it. However, overall it's a nice read, especially if you need a little escapism.

Three young girls meet at Villa Dolce Vita, whilst taking a holiday in Italy. The Villa has seen better days- but they make the most of their time together. They all have their reasons for escaping home.
We follow the story across two timelines, when Kim invites them back to see a transformed Villa in its new role. Will the girls agree to attend and what will we learn about their lives?
It’s a lovely story set in a wonderful location- making you want to visit and take in the sights. Italy is high on my bucket list, especially the Amalfi coast.

I enjoyed this book . Not a big fan of books going back and forward eg then and now but it did work for this book. The love theme was there. All the the three main characters were srong and interestung to follow. My only bad comment I felf the ending was rushed to get it all to tie up. I am a fan of Melissa Hill and will recomend it in August

I've just read this book from the confines of my house instead of on a beach in Barbados where I should have been .... This was a lovely book to read, set on the stunning Amalfi coast of Italy - the author really captured the essence of Italy in all of her descriptions and when this Lockdown is all over, I would love to go to Italy and explore all the things I have read about in this book! It is a definiate feel good book - something the whole world needs right now, with strong characters and a charming storyline _ I wouldnt hesitate to recommend this to anyone.. I can't wait to look up some more easy-read titles from this author! Many thanks to netgalley for an ARC in return for this honest review.

Just lovely! Set against a beautifully described backdrop, this tale of love and friendship over the years was easy to read and kept my interest. Some heart warming moments and great twists mean a book I’d recommend to others.

This book tells the story of a chance meeting between three girls, Annie, Colette and Kim one summer in Italy. Their paths take them in different directions but they are all connected by that time they spent together.
The story tells of their lives and struggles until they are reunited back in Italy when everything suddenly makes sense and the reasons for what happened become clear.

A fun summer read featuring three women who met as teenagers in Italy. The story swaps between them and now and is a light enjoyable read. Definitely made me want to go to Italy again

This is a light, gentle enjoyable book. It is undemanding of the reader but very pleasant. The characters are well drawn. The relationship between the three main characters is interesting and the story develops well. Everything is tidily finished at the end. A great book for holiday reading. Although I enjoyed it I cannot give it more than 3 stars because it is very light.

A bittersweet tale of surprise friendships set in beautiful Positano in Italy. Three women, each with their own hang ups meet one summer when escaping their everyday lives.
The story follows their lives after they leave Italy and then brings them back together with an intertwined ending.
A lovely easy read.

I did enjoy this, it was enjoyable escapism from everyday life and we all need that at the moment. Three friends and two time lines, set in a fabulous sounding Italian villa. Highly recommended.

A good lightweight summer read ideal to take on holiday and read on the beach. Interesting characters and entertaining.

The summer villa by Melissa Hill
Three young women from Ireland, London and New York all choose to escape their problems by stopping at a dilapidated villa in Italy.
Fast forward five years and the girls are reunited when the villa has been changed into a wellness centre by Kim he American one of the trio. Their partners and children will also be there. The three of them have different problems now and everything comes to a head at the open evening.
This is an entertaining story and you feel for all of them as their stories are finally told to. Friendships and relationships all shift and there is a lovely and satisfactory ending. I love this author and this is a really good addition to her books. It is told with humour and sympathy and it makes you relay want to go to Italy this summer.