An historical drama set on the Amalfi coast during the 1920s. Interesting premise, but so many characters to contend with. As it's now an ITV drama, I'll give that a go before reading the sequel.

This book has far too many characters and POVs. The characters were very one dimensional. The storyline was non existent. Very disappointing

The Hotel Portofino was a nice historical novel set in the 1920s with a family recovering from the impact of the Great War and opening a hotel in the beautiful Italian Riviera. I could imagine being there from the vivid descriptions. An entertaining read.

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

I enjoyed reading this book, the setting and could visualise the Italian coast, and Hotel Portofino.

I also liked the storyline, as people are getting over the Great War, there highs and lows, with the hotel giving people a life and hope.

For Bella, she has a lot to deal with, as well as her family, there are rich guests.

I would love to see a sequel to this book.

I would recommend this book.

A beautiful story set in the Italian Rivieria after the first world war. I felt like I was transported there.

I felt like it would be a book that fans of Downton Abbey would love. There are some great characters and you really feel like you are there with them in the Ialian sun.

I would recommend this book to all.

Historical novel filled with history and truth.
such a wonderful read set in beautiful Italy, with a hotel set up its not running as smooth as it should and some guests are being awkward.
Bella is a wonderful character you really feel for her and all the things she is going through.
I hope there will be more in this series.

Hotel Portofino by J. P O’Connell was a lovely story about a family from England who moved to the Italian Riviera to open a hotel, in 1926, eight years after the end of The Great War. This book had great characters with some excellent scandals that make you want to keep reading. Each character made this book and it made it fun to read.

I highly recommend this book if you loved Downton Abbey but this is based in Italy. A great read.

This is a series just starting next week on Britbox which I have started to watch and its good so far. It's due to air on ITV in 2023.

Big Thank you Netgalley and Blackstone Publishing for this arc.

A lovely historical drama of a family setting up a hotel in the beautiful Italian Riviera in the 1920s transporting you there with the lovely descriptions and the picture on the cover. Plenty of high class guests and locals make this an entertaining read and I wasn't at all surprised to find it had been made into a drama on Britbox which I really enjoyed and found it kept very closely to the book

A heady historical drama about a British family who open an upper-class hotel on the magical Italian Riviera during the ‘Roaring 20s’. The characters were easy to invest in. Atmospheric, well paced and superbly plotted.

Fancy a vacation in a very pleasant-sounding hotel in Portofino? This takes you there and really has you yearning such a break. The hotel owner’s attention to detail is reflected very accurately in O’Connell’s descriptions and our familiarity with the guests increases quite successfully as the novel develops.
I found myself settling very comfortably into one of the armchairs at the hotel, ready to pass my vacation in a relaxed manner, but increasingly couldn’t shake off the feeling something dramatic like a murder was about to happen – perhaps because this felt quite Agatha Christie-ish. That doesn’t happen but life certainly becomes more complicated for the characters and I feel many readers will be able to relate to the feelings of anguish and frustration embroiled in this.
If you’re not looking for a brutal murder or in-depth mystery but would very much like a comfortable armchair read then I would recommend this.
Thank you to Simon and Schuster and NetGalley for this copy in exchange for an honest review.

I read this ARC for an honest review
All thoughts and opinions are mine

I come from an Italian background and love anything set in the country particulary around the Amalfi coast which is where I still have family

I really enjoyed this
Wonderfuly descriptive and evocative of time and place

A delightful book that is an enjoyable read on a lazy Sunday afternoon. Lots of wonderful descriptions of the Italian Amalfi coast and great characters.

I liked this book that brought back to a different time. As I'm Italian born and bred it was like looking at a part of the history of your country through different eyes.
Bella, Cecil and the cast of characters are quite interesting and fleshed out. I liked Bella and appreciated her will to explore and try new things. Cecil was not a favorite but he's fleshed out.
The historical background is well researched and vivid, the impact of the aftermath of WWI and fascism on everyday life are well described.
I would be happy to see a series featuring these characters and Portofino, a lovely place.
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine

The very beautiful cover picture of the book draws one in immediately. Sadly however, I gave up on the story, which is not something I like to do. Although the period of history is fascinating I just found there were almost too many characters to keep up with.
Thank you for the chance to read and review this book.

I finished this but did almost give you at various points. In the main, I found the characters unlikeable but was interested by the period in history and how things might have been in Italy.

This is a beautiful evocation of a luxurious hotel on the Italian Riviera catering for the travelling British during the 1920's. It touches on some challenging themes like homosexual relationships, coercive control and the rise of Mussolini's brand of fascism, all of which added some interest to an otherwise thin plot line. However, for me this novel never really developed or went anywhere, so the ending felt inconclusive and a bit disappointing.

I was apprehensive about this book as its not what I would usually pick up and read. In my opinion it seemed to start well and I was enjoying reading it however mid way through I got bored and the story got confusing. I did finish it but I wasn’t enthralled by it.

Hotel Portofino is the newly opened hotel being run by the Ainsworth family. Bella, her husband Cecil; daughter Alice and son Lucian. We also have many other characters. Betty and her son Billy who have emigrated with the Ainsworths from England. Plus Constance joins them and she has matters from her past that she wishes to remain secret.
The first guests make a motley crew. There is Rose and her mother Julia. Julia and Cecil hope to secure an engagement between their two children. There is Lucian's friend Nish who served with him in the war. Plus the Taylors, although Claudine is not actually Mrs Taylor. Lady Latchmere and her travelling companion and niece Melissa. Plus a tennis player, Plum and his wife Lizzie.
There is signor Danioni, who makes life difficult for the Ainsworths as well.
I really enjoyed reading this book.

I approached this book not knowing what to expect as is not my usual read and very soon realised it was going to be one of my fav reads of 2021
Imagine Downton but in a hotel in Italy favoured by the roaring and regal folk of the 20’s, everything and anything can happen but it’s still a time when it is done with much pomp, excess and snobbery ( ie wonderfully )
The hotel is one of dreams, I want to go and at one point imagined ringing to book a month there, the description of it and its suites, the food, the natural beauty of the area all more than alluring and as for the staff and guests, well a cast via a fantasy league could not be better, we meet Bella, Cecil, Alice and Lucerne ( the owners and adult children ) Betty who has arrived from Yorkshire to be hotel cook and brought her no nonsense ways with her, Constance and Paulo the housemaid and nanny, both with secrets, Nish the Indian from England who is trying to quash his scary ( to him ) desires, the splendid and terrifying Lady Latchford, the ever stiffening with offence Mrs Drummond Ward, Ms Pascal with her liberal ways and older gentleman in tow and Count Albino and son, resplendent in their Italian glory and suspicious of yet in love with everything English….and these are just a few of the dream team, I honestly loved every one of them, even the ones I disliked!!
All manner of things are afoot in the hotel and some quite salacious, all exciting and written about superbly
My only criticism is that it had to end and to implore the author to please write a 2nd book asap
Just a wonderful treat of a book, perfecto in every single way

10/10
Biggest 5 Stars

Downton in Portofino…. The book started well but failed to keep my interest. Whilst I finished it I can’t say I particularly enjoyed this book.