Lovely book about loss and friendship. I liked the way each person's story was individual and to their own. The Italian setting was lovely and you could feel the sunshine as you read. All the characters were well developed and opinions changed throughout the book. I liked Ginny and her "work" was agony aunt but she ended up listening to advice of others. Uplifting read for any time.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review

Ginny Splinter, acclaimed radio host and relationship expert tries to dish out the best advice possible.
For her & her husband’s 25th wedding anniversary she books a surprise Italian getaway, only he surprises her by asking for a divorce!

Ginny goes live on radio to invite 4 heartbroken listeners to join her instead.

Following the journey of getting to know one another, what each of their stories are to enjoyable adventures together hiking the hills of Bologna to sharing a gondola in Venice and dancing until dawn, becoming friends and sharing their losses to learning to live again.

I cried, laughed and felt a happy warmth at the end.

The Little Italian Hotel is a lovely read that is perfect for summer or will make you yearn for summer and booking a holiday.
Heartwarming and well paced it sweeps the reader away to warmer climates with a story that unfolds gently like the sea hitting the beach.

This was a fabulous uplifting and heartwarming read and told the story of one woman being put back together again by the power of going on holiday with a group of strangers who soon became friends and helped her to heal. This is story of friendship relationships and marriage and of how things don’t always turn out as planned and how not to give up on things when they don’t turn out as expected

Loved the descriptions of the city and the hotel and would love to visit hotel splendido if it existing as it sounds like the perfect place to go when needing a pick me up.

A lovely, gentle read about five strangers who holiday together in a rundown Italian hotel whilst recovering from individual heartbreak. The setting was beautiful and the characters well written.

I loved visiting Italy in real life and it was such a pleasure to be able to visit again with this book. Wonderful characters helped to make the book an enjoyable read. I could almost feel and see the hotel, it was a pleasure to read. Thank you.

This is the second book I have read by this author and I can’t wait to enjoy many more.

The setting, the characters, the individual stories all make this a lovely heart warming read.

Thank you NetGalley and publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This one just wasn't quite for me. The writing was good, the story line was good but I don't often read this genre and although I have read one of Phaedra's books in the past and enjoyed it this one just fell a little for me. But that is entirely me and doesn't say anything about the book. I know plenty who would enjoy it.

Thank you for the opportunity to read it.

What a salve for the soul this gorgeous book is.

Ginny works as a presenter on a radio show, a show that helps the broken hearted. But when her own world implodes she realizes she's spent her whole life taking care of others, forgetting about herself.

Unable to cancel her wedding vow renewal holiday, she downsizes and takes four other heartbroken souls with her. At Hotel Splendido, these unlikely souls become close friends and this friendship heals some wounds. Meanwhile, Ginny has to figure out what she wants, and how she wants to live her life.

This book is about self-care, compassion, honesty, friendship. It's moving and funny and sweet and made me want to go to Italy immediately.

I really enjoyed this book although I found the conclusion a little confusing.

Radio host, Ginny was having issues with her relationship with her husband after one of her callers dropped doubt in her mind. This led to a separation period and Ginny taking a holiday, supposed to be with her husband, with 5 complete strangers who were also heart-broken like herself.

I found it very interesting how the heartbreak in its various forms was brought about to the group, and how different the heartbreak was... some being seemingly more than others. The relationship between the characters who was on their holiday and the hoteliers at the hotel where they stayed was incredible... and healing took place in the most unlikely ways.

I loved how each character was brought to life with the activity they chose to share with the group, and not necessarily what you expect.

Five strangers, one holiday and a chance to heal heartbreak.
The story explores love and the importance of friendship.
There are a number of stories within the story - each of the strangers has a reason to escape to Italy.
There are sad and joyful moments as the strangers become friends.
I enjoyed meeting all of them.
An enjoyable, tender, uplifting read and the food and culture helped set the tone to the novel.
The perfect summer holiday read.
Thanks @phaedrapatrick @hqstories & @netgalley for the eARC

A beautiful setting for a lovely read. I liked Ginny and enjoyed the concept of her turning her heartbreak into healing for strangers. It was a great group of characters and their development and their relationships were a pleasure to read.

Agony aunt, Ginny plans an Italian silver wedding holiday for herself and her husband, but she ends up going with 4 strangers all of whom have suffered heartbreak. As each story unravels, the hotel becomes a place of healing .An ideal holiday read .

Nice description of Italian locations.

I mostly enjoyed this story about Ginny and her quest to mend not only her broken heart but those of a random bunch of strangers brought together for a holiday, as an alternative for Ginny's planned silver anniversary celebrations.

One thing irritated me intensely though - the repeated use of the word "towards" far too often, made even worse by each time being spelled with two ss!!!

The Little Italian Hotel by Phaedra Patrick is a poignant but uplifting story of friendship and connection. Ginny Splinter, radio host and relationship expert, ends up inviting four listeners to join her on her holiday. They find themselves in a small hotel full of hope and in need of a renewed purpose. I loved the character detail in this book - fans of the author won't be disappointed - and the engaging storyline is a joy to read.
With thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review,

"Hi, It's Ginny Splinter, I'm listening. Tell me your worries."

I loved The Book Share By Phaedra Patrick so this played a large part in my deciding to request to review The Little Italian Hotel. I wasn't totally convinced from the blurb that this would be the book for me, but I am pleased I let me previous experiences sway me because this author is very good at creating engaging characters.

Ginny is a natural at solving problems for her viewers, a seasoned agony aunt on a radio show, she describes empathy as her superpower. Ginny prides herself at having it all together..until she doesn't.

"I need to get away from here, from you. I feel like I'm suffocating, being analysed and told what to do all the time."

She surprises her husband with anniversary tickets to a swanky hotel in Italy...and he tells her he has been thinking of geting a divorce. Ginny is hurt, bewildered and angry, not least when he suggests he takes someone else on their anniversary holiday. Ginny decides to shatter her public image and goes live with her her marital problems before iniviting four strangers to come and holiday with her in Italy.

Ginny arrives at her holiday destination minus her luggage and feeling a little bruised. In an attempt to fix things she suggests that she and her guests take part in activies over the course of the trip and rate their heartbreak score before and after each activity. As the holiday progresses Ginny grows closer to her companions and she begins to evaluate her marriage to her Adrian.

Nico, their host is beyond thrilled to have a booking. His little hotel needs updating and is a little on the shabby side but he is reluctant to betray his dead mother's wishes by making too many changes.

Heather is a schoolteacher who is struggling to cope with her mother's dementia, Eric is grieving the loss of his beloved dog, Edna is missing her family, and Curtis is keeping his heartache hidden from the others.

There were many times I wanted to shake Ginny and pull her head out of the sand. I have to admit to not being wholly satisfied by the ending as well .However, I did enjoy meeting the little group of travellers and Nico.

A nice summery read.

Ginny is an agony art on the radio and has the answers for everything, or so she thinks. Until one day a certain caller queries whether she knows what's happening in her own life. Her life spins out of kilter as she had arranged a surprise Italian holiday for their 25th wedding anniversary and now he wants a divorce. It seems like the listener did know more about her life than she does!

Determined not to waste a 3 week holiday, Ginny downgrades and invites four heartbroken listeners to accompany her for the holiday, who are chosen by her producer. She has no idea what to expect until she meets them all and then maybe she wishes she had stayed home.

What follows is a charming, if not sad in places, account of each of the listeners lives and why they are in Italy with Ginny. The owner of the hotel and his daughter also have their own story to tell and the rivalry between them and the more expensive hotel Ginny was originally to have stayed in. The descriptions of the beautiful Italian countryside and cities was wonderful and I was keen to read on to find out how everyone's story would end.

Isn’t that cover just gorgeous? Usually an evocative cover like that makes me want to visit the setting but with the heat Italy has been experiencing the past few weeks, I was quite happy to enjoy this one from the relative cool of a Scottish summer.

This latest novel from Phaedra Patrick is a light and entertaining read. The main character is Ginny, a radio show agony aunt. When her husband surprises her with the news that he thinks they should divorce rather than celebrate their Silver Wedding, it would be hard not to feel sympathy for her. Her impulsive decision to go on the holiday they planned but take four other heart-broken strangers with her changes all their lives.

I really enjoyed getting to know all the other characters and their reasons for being there. It was easier to warm to some more than others although, of course, once you know everyone’s story, you come to like them all. All have a poignant tale to tell.

I really liked the setting of the Hotel Splendido. It sounds just my kind of place. A small, family run, traditional hotel with the personal touch sounds like a perfect place to relax and certainly that was the case for Ginny and her fellow holiday-makers. This diverse group made for an unlikely group of friends but they all learned from each other and all found a way to begin to move on from their varying difficult situations.

Of course, Ginny being the main character, she is the one who you hear from the most and it’s interesting to see how she approaches her own problems, having always been the one to be the problem solver. Her dilemmas and decisions aren’t cut and dried and I liked that you don’t quite know what she is going to do. It made her feel thoughts and actions feel very realistic

The Little Italian Hotel is heart-warming and uplifting, a charming story to read on your summer holidays.

A really pleasant book, which I did enjoy. I love Italy and this was set in such a lovely location; it took me back to some wonderful holidays there. Quite a different premise for a story but one which explored some interesting and thought provoking topics. How does one deal with grief and how many different types are there? This story shows how a group of strangers help and support each other to work through their own personal circumstances.. Lifelong friendships are forged and Ginny, who brought them all together, starts to realise exactly what it is that she wants in life.

Although it might seem like a depressing story due to the theme, it was in fact a lovely book, which I got through pretty quickly as I was keen to find out what was going to happen next. I would recommend this book, which I think would make a great beach read.

Agony aunt Ginny Splinter loves helping people work out their issues on her radio programme, drawing on experience from her own marriage to give them advice about creating a happy home life. However, Ginny is forced to rethink her seemingly picture-perfect existence when she surprises her husband with the holiday plans she has made for their 25th wedding anniversary... and rather than being delighted, he tells her that he wants a divorce.

Ginny is devastated, and at a loss to explain how her marriage could have broken down without her noticing, especially as she is supposed to be a relationship expert. On impulse, she confesses her heartache live on air, and invites four heartbroken listeners to share her holiday instead. Ginny and her eccentric group of guests settle into the shabby Hotel Splendido in the hills of Bologna to embark on three weeks of shared activites to help them all work through their heartache. Can their time at The Little Italian Hotel help them find a way to heal?

Phaedra Patrick takes us to the beautiful Bologna hills for a touching story about love, friendship, and finding a way forward when life gives you lemons, that curiously blends the concepts of Deborah Moggach's The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel with Willy Russell's Shirley Valentine.

Radio relationship guru, Ginny Splinter is in for a shock when she realises that her marriage is not quite as perfect as she thought. Unable to cancel the dream holiday she planned with her husband, she ends up in Italy with four strangers: elderly Edna, cheery teacher Heather, awkward carpenter Eric, and businessman Curtis. At first it is not easy to tell what has brought them on this holiday, but over the course of the story they open up to share their poignant tales of tragedy and loss, which tug mercilessly on your heartstrings. With a heartwarming twist or two, Patrick uses their developing friendship to help them to accept their situations and move forward. Interestingly, this healing also extends to the owner of Hotel Spendido himself, who it turns out has significant worries of his own.

I did find Ginny a tricky character at times, and am in two minds about the direction in which her story ultimately goes, but I enjoyed how her journey combines with those of Enid, Heather, Eric and Curtis - and the way this tale pokes fun at the smugness of the celebrity self-help set is amusing. There are lots of touching and humorous moments, and Patrick brings in many different facets of loss, heartache, and expectation through the stories of the characters. This makes their heartache widely relatable, and I shed more than a few tears as they each told their stories. The simple moments of friendship and fun they spend with each other are really lovely, and the locations are simply beautiful.

I came to this book expecting a story full of romantic suspense, and although there is an element of that here, this really is more about friendship and acceptance. Patrick throws in quite a few knotty issues to add depth, which makes this a good option for a book club read - as an added bonus there are some questions at the end of the book to provoke discussion about many of the themes that arise too. There is hope and an uplifting vibe, but be prepared for bitter-sweet feelings amongst the warm and fuzzies.