Under A Sicilian Sky was well-written and an enjoyable read. The characters are likable with a strong story. I did feel that it could've been two book because of the different locations and how the stories were portrayed in each location. I loved the characters, and I enjoy a slow burn, but the romance between the main characters was too slow. When they finally get together, their sweet time together is immediately struck down by conflict. I would've liked their feelings to be a little more defined early on instead of everything being almost too subtle.

Lisa Hobman is an author whose work I enjoy very much, what I hadn’t realised is how many of her books I’ve actually read! Not her entire back catalogue, but certainly enough to put me in the realms of being a fan.
Under a Sicilian Sky takes us to Palermo, for a quick break, before returning to Glentorrin and some of the characters we met in her last book, Dreaming Under an Island Skye. That return visit was very welcome and the character were all as lovely as I remembered.
Ruby Locke’s character is certainly challenged by the muck that has been thrown her way and this book shows the darker side of social media and online bullying. As the blows kept falling, I found myself hoping that Ruby may find a glimpse of the happiness that had been robbed from her.
Once again, Lisa Hobman has created a host of wonderful characters and woven them together with some familiar faces. I particularly enjoyed reading that Greg still doesn’t like it when people sing along! One stand out group of characters were the Brodeur family, they didn’t feature for long, but I really loved them and their fierce loyalty to Ruby.
This story was captivating, and I found myself ignoring the clock, my need to finish this gorgeous book was stronger than my need for an early night. I urge you to read this book and to also look at the others from this author, they are all quite lovely.

Loved this book from the start and couldn’t put it down. Ruby a Yorkshire lass who has found fame on the silver screen, wakes up one day to it all falling apart. Her social media accounts have been hacked and lots of nasty, unkind and untrue things have been written. After advice from her agent to lay low and it will all disappear. This doesn’t happen and she receives death threats. A journalist friend suggests she leaves New York and stay in Italy in a friends villa which she does. But feeling lonely she meets a so called friend?? Which lead to more threats and a twilight move to Skye. As soon as Ruby arrives there she feels settled and at home. She makes friends and begins to feel happy but all is not how it seems and the crap she left behind is getting worse. So with the help of a gorgeous man he helps her to clear her name.
A fab book set in two beautiful places

Under a Sicilian Sky by Lisa Hobman
Publication date: 8th July 2021
Published by: Boldwood Books

What happens?
Ruby’s seemingly perfect life as an actress comes crashing down when she becomes the victim of online hacking. Worse still, her boyfriend, fellow actor Tyler dumps her. With Vile messages supposedly written by her, all over social media, Ruby is hounded online and in person. Unable to find out who’s behind it all she is forced to flee to the villa Vista Mare in Sicily to hide. There she meets handsome property developer Mitch. After an hilarious misunderstanding the pair get off on the wrong foot, but could that turn to friendship and possibly something more? Will Ruby ever get her perfect life back?

My thoughts
I loved the locations in this book. I was completely immersed in the sunny climes of Sicily, from the food to the beautiful scenery and then in the rugged countryside of the Isle of Skye. Ruby came across as a warm character, with a charming naivety not marred by her years of stardom. I found myself laughing out loud at one of her first encounters with love interest, Mitch. He was a thoughtful, caring, handsome leading man. Just the type of male interest I like in a rom-com. A real will they/won’t they situation developed with lots of complications. It kept me interested in their relationship until the very end.

I have to mention the characters on the Isle of Skye, where the author created a great sense of community spirit in the novel here through the friendships that Ruby made on the Island. I could really picture myself walking alongside Ruby here and hanging out with her and her new-found friends.
The mystery surrounding the hacking provided added intrigue and although I guessed who was behind it, I still stayed up late to finish it. The mark of a good book in my opinion. I also really liked the ending for Ruby.
Overall, I enjoyed armchair travelling around the world following Ruby’s adventures.
5 out of 5 stars. With thanks to Boldwood Books and Netgalley for this ARC which I received for free in exchange for an honest review.

I so enjoyed reading this book, so much so I'm going to ensure I get a couple of her other novels that are set in this same setting.
Initially you follow a betrayed and terrified Hollywood starlet Ruby fleeing from New York after a huge controversy to lie low in secret in Sicily. This introduces some important characters but also charms with the sights, smells & wonder of this amazing place. There's then a dramatic change in circumstances and things alter again for Ruby, yet along with this turmoil a stronger, more determined Ruby arises and I enjoyed this part of the book most because of this.
Altogether this was such an escapist, cheerful and entertaining book.

This book was a fun, quick read.
Plot was pretty straight forward, famous actress gets hacked, and she soon finds her world turned upside down. She goes to Sicily to hide out, and meets a very handsome man.
Author touches on cyber bullying, and the story had some wonderful details on the setting. Makes you want to run away to Italy!
I received this book in exchange for my honest review.

Famous, successful and in demand actress Ruby Locke needs a break. Out of nowhere she is suddenly accused of making inappropriate comments on social media....something she did not do. Her accounts were hacked and she has no way to prove it. Her agent tells her she will handle it, and she should take a break and vacation. Go where no one can find her and relax. So she does. Ruby flies to Italy to stay at the residence of friend and finds some unexpected benefits. Thinking she is unrecognizable she begins to venture out only to realize she is not as isolated as she imagined. Perplexed as to why things are taking so long to resolve she confronts her manager. What happens next is a surprise. This is a fun book, with beautiful scenery, the hope of love, and ultimate sad results when Ruby realizes what happened. Suspense, fun, fast paced, great story.

Not a typical romance, but a book ripe with social commentary on the pitfalls of social media. Some people seem to be obsessed with celebrity culture, and are quick to judge any perceived wrong doing. People feel free from the safety of anonymity to make death threats and spew hate to anyone they disagree with. Ruby Locke finds that her social media has been hacked and that someone has posted some vile comments as if they are from her. She is forced to flee to Sicily, and then to Scotland to avoid publicity until it can be determined who is responsible for the hacking. Some wonderful characters in this book, as well as beautiful settings. A great read for the summer!

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for an early review copy.

Ruby, who is well known globally, is far from her Yorkshire home. She’s has a fiancé heartthrob Tyler, and they’re both Hollywood’s new hot couple.

But, somehow, overnight, Ruby’s life changes when her online accounts are hacked, someone’s posted some quite vile posts and they’ve gone viral after people have shared them.

Suddenly, those fans that loved her, are now hating her and she’s turned into a global hate personality number one. Expecting her fiancé to stand by her, Tyler, does the opposite and breaks up with her.

Wondering why it’s happened, heartbroken and a hell of a lot confused, she’s told to lie low in order to let the situation calm down and for her name to be cleared. As she can’t go home, she goes to the island of Sicily

Once there, with no one around apart from a Yorkshire terrier, Ruby meets a good looking neighbour who wants to be friends with her.

Is this mystery man really who he says he is, or not?

But, somehow those that hated her and hounded her have found out where she is and again, she has to move elsewhere, now she’s gone to Isle of Skye.

Here, she’s thinking about everything that’s happened and who she can trust and not. Also, is this lifestyle really what she wants.

Who is the person whose hacked her accounts and will she clear her name?

The book is about a super celebrity that gets hacked and the whole world turns on her. She ends up hiding out, you guessed it, in Sicily where she meets a man a VERY handsome man!

I LOVED the idea behind the story, the characters, the focus on cyber bullying (although this happened more towards the end), and the author’s details about the different scenery made you feel like you were there. While at times I felt like I couldn’t read fast enough, it took a while before I got to that point. I also felt like the main character was too nice for the things that were happening to her- I was mad for her! Overall, it was a lovely book, I just wish it had a bit more sass.

Another great escape ❤️

From America to Sicily to the lovely Skye, we get to travel in this story based around Ruby a famous actor, forced to hideaway.

I really felt for Ruby, she was clearly innocent but as true to life media and social media like a good person bashing 😟.

On a plus side Ruby is whisked away to the stunning Sicily, I was quite happy with her being there and enjoying the story. Of course this is where she meets a certain man and leaves 'that note' lol, that did make me giggle.

Before we know it we're back on Skye (setting of the previous book) and some familiar faces show up which is wonderful but I was more focussed on the slow burn romance between Ruby and Mitch ❤️.

Mitch is great, I loved he was multi lingual and could cook and was caring and he just happens to be quite hot and I was desperate for them to cross the line, but I was made to wait!

I really cared about Ruby and Mitch and wanted them to have a happy ending. I also liked most of the side characters that added a warmth to their story.

I've definitely added Skye to my must visit place. I also wonder if there are enough houses on Skye as the author is selling it as the perfect place to relocate to!

#Romance #Slowburn #Mystery #greatlocations #lovablecharacters

4.5 stars

Note: I requested for and received a copy of this book on NetGalley. The below review reflects my own thoughts.

This is the second book by Lisa Hobman that I have read and I must say that I am thoroughly enjoying her books. What stands out is the setting. I am falling in love with the Isle of Skye and would love to visit someday all thanks to her vivid descriptions.

This book follows Hollywood star Ruby Locke as she navigates the world of the famous. A well loved star, she falls from grace the moment her social media accounts are hacked and nasty posts are put up in her name. From here on it is a downward spiral and she needs to get away for some time. The thing about Lisa's stories is that not all characters are bad. Some of them do bad things but can actually turn out to be quite okay. The same thing happens and Ruby finds friendship and support from unlikely sources thus enabling her to escape to Sicily to wait out the storm.

As she tries to work out how to clear her name, she also faces a moment of uncertainty about her choice of career. All things aside, we also meet some interesting men and women who bring more life to this story. As we follows Ruby, the reader is in for a delightful journey of ups and downs, secrets, truths, friendships and even love. For we cannot journey to the Isle of Skye without encountering some romance and falling in love with not just the place but the people too.

This book is a pleasant read that is perfect for the beach or a summer evening in! Either way, it is wonderful and can be finished in one sitting! Be prepared to come and fall in love all over again with this beautiful place!

I found this such a compelling read, straight away I was hooked into the drama and found myself avidly reading as I tried to work out who was behind the hacking of Ruby’s social media accounts.
Beautiful locations, wonderfully described and interesting characters also captured my imagination as I read, I particularly wanted to be under the Sicilian Sky too!
Such a fabulous book, it was a pleasure to travel with Ruby to her bolt holes, where she was able to reevaluate her life and the people in it. I do love a story where the characters discover themselves and take a chance on a different life

A perfect book to pack for your holidays as it is easy to read, engaging and has likeable characters. The plot is fairly formulaic (just had to check the spelling!), but current with the backlash of social media and perceptions of celebrity status. I enjoyed the development of friendships in a small Scottish village and the humour between Ruby and Mitch.

Love books written about and in Italy! This was a good and quick read and enjoyed it. Keeps you going and liked the writing style by the author.

Ruby is an actress whose social media accounts are hacked and nasty bigoted comments are put out in her name. After she starts to receive death threats her agent advises her to go into hiding in a villa in Sicily while they try to clear her name where she meets the mysterious owner Mitch
Ruby's agent is doing nothing to clear her name and someone finds out here she is so Mitch helps her escape again and takes her to his house in Scotland where he enlists help to clear her name
Loved this book, very apt with all the keyboard warriors today who think it's ok to ruin someone's life !
Plenty twists and turns to make you want to keep reading

I loved this book! I was reading something very heavy and needed something fun, and this was exactly what the book doctor ordered.

From the get go, this book had me hooked. To be honest, the title about Sicily was what enticed me, as I have been to Palermo and could imagine the first impressions that Ruby had of the island and what happened in that setting.

The twists and turns of this book were delicious. From different global locations, each one felt as though you were in the background somewhere. I also loved the fact that once Ruby went on her (unplanned) adventures that a dog was also a supporting role.

I can't really say more without spoiling the story, But this is a must-read...

The end of the story also needed to be said and feels like it should be shared separately to the book as a note...

A brilliant story. Made you not want to be famous. It was like two stories in some ways. As it was set in two lovely places Sky and Italy. Without spoiling it there are a couple of nasty characters. I love Ruby’s driver and her bodyguard . Kitty was a great friend. You felt for Ruby’s parents. Mitch was lovely. A good love story and made you think fame is not all it is cracked up too and true friends matter

Ruby has what seems like the perfect life but overnight it implodes when her social media accounts are hacked. She is encouraged to go into hiding until her name is cleared but as time goes bye she starts to wonder if things were as perfect as she once thought and she has some big decisions to make. The book has lots of interesting characters and is set in beautiful locations so I would recommend it as a fun, escapist summer read.

Can't say I normally enjoy books where we are meant to feel sorry for so called celebrities and I found the reaction to her so called "tweets" slightly over the top. But I did stick with it and enjoyed it in the end. The Scottish parts of the story are more realistic and enjoyable then the italian.