Julie Caplin fans, it's time to dive into her latest escape read. No suitcase is required f0r a trip to Positano where Lia Bathurst sets her sights on connecting with her birth father. Learning the secret, rocks Lia's world and while on shaky ground with her mother, she travels to the Amalfi Coast to meet him.

Unfortunately Ernesto's stepson, Raph Knight is gatekeeping Lia from her father. Fearing that she's a gold digger, Raph and Lia remain at an impasse each steadfast in their beliefs. When a photo reveals the truth, a villa with a view is within Lia's sights. Will she be able to put the past behind to forge a relationship with her father or is the tide still out if the reunion?

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the early edition of "A Villa with a View" in exchange for an honest review. I've been a fan of Caplin's cheeky characters since the Little Brooklyn Bakery's release. I discovered that book while living in London and had it almost finished leaving the Tube..

In full transparency, I had a harder time getting into this storyline than her other romantic escape reads. Instead of embracing the protagonist, I felt held at a distance from Lia. I soon realized that both Lia and Raph struggle with trust issues and that early uncertainty may have been a stylized choice. Whatever the reason, I soon developed a connection to the characters and loved Caplin's quirky way with words.

Loved the setting! As soon as I saw that the book was set in Amalfi Coast I knew i had to request it and i'm so glad I did! very endearing story

Sweet story about finding family and yourself, set on the picturesque Amalfi Coast of Italy. The descriptions of places, food and senses were often lovely; you could really picture the scene. I enjoyed the meddling family members and the scenes with the fun extended family.

I found the characters a bit flat though, and the writing a bit fluffy and cliche. The feelings of the main characters were up and down, and the writing was often choppy - labouring one point, then skimming over the next. Because of this, for me it wasnt a comfortable reading experience, but it was still a nice story to read.

Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins One More Chaptero for allowing me to read it.

I am not sure what a "proper" book is. As an avid reader I have read many and to me they are all "proper" books. This was a truly wonderful read. I was captivated from the very beginning following Emily's journey with her cafe in Essendale in Yorkshire. Beautifully written story of love and friendship.

I really enjoyed this book. I started it on a lunchtime and i couldnt put it down. Its the story of Lia, who finds out that her dad is not her biological father and that her bio dad is a famous italian actor. She travels to Italy in the hopes of meeting him, but his ferocious manager Raphael keeps getting in her way.

I enjoyed every second of this book, it made me all warm and fuzzy, and just a little note to Julie herself. At the end of the book you wrote that people keep going on at you to write a proper book, well in my opinion you do write proper books. The purpose of literature is to make people happy, to transport them somewhere away from their dark gloomy lives, and thats exactly what you do, you take people away to other worlds where its sunny, happy and fun. Keep it up!!

Add this to the list of Julie Caplin novels I blazed through in a day!

Loved this new story and the cast of characters. The cozy crazy dynamic of a big loving family. The sense of guilt and loss when we're at odds with our own family.

The beautiful setting on the Amalfi coast... Caplin once again transports us to the beautiful beaches, luscious markets, bustling ports and if you're not craving a pizza, fresh pasta or a scoop of straccciatella by the end of this novel then are you even human?!?

Is it slightly formulaic? Yes. But aren't most romance novels?? It's nice when you know from the get go what you're getting yourself into.

Lovely, easygoing read. Great for the poolside or fireside, though the descriptions will have you longing for the beach, if only for an aperol spritz!


**Many thanks to the publishers for the invitation to read the ARC. And to Netgalley for hosting. All opinions are my own.

A brilliant, read it in one go without taking a break, kind of book. The warmth and colours leap off the page to quite literally dance in front of me. Cold, rich ice cream, home made pasta and beautiful textiles, patterns and material. The relationship between Lia and Raph is bumpy, he struggles with trust and Lia’s ever sunny nature. Lia’s charm and goodwill can’t last forever though and I loved the whole family community supporting them.

Thank you Netgalley and the Publisher. I have loved everything that this author has written and this was no exception, great storyline, great location and great characters. Would recommend.

Cover is stunning and the author writing was great. First read by the author and did not realize it was part of a series.

I will definitely start reading the rest of the series because even though i hadn't read any in the series it was a fast easy read. Will be looking for more from the author.

Her book made me want to go travel to where this book takes place! The writing was captivating.

I will recommend this book and the Romantic Escapes series!

Thanks so much for introducing me to this author. Thanks NetGalley for letting me read and review.

This is a brilliant read. One of Julie Caplin’s best. Set in Italy. Fantastic food descriptions . Made you think fame is not all we think it is We do judge people. Read on a a cold grey day and it made you think of summer and lemons. It is a love story but also about family and secrets and being talented . The bit at the back that Julie Caplin said she wrote love stories , I think travel books with a love element . Ace read and ending.

Another lovely book from Julie Caplin - I can’t wait for another one! Easy to read but kept me captivated the whole way through.

A wonderfully descriptive story of following your heart even though you know that things won’t necessarily go your way and you could be left disappointed. Glorious surroundings and some quirky yet lovable characters, this book warmed my heart.

I loved the sweet romance with nods to Amalfi and the coast. I genuinely enjoyed the meddling family and thought the author did a wonderful job capturing them.

Thank you Net Galley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you #NetGalley and #HarperCollinsUK for letting me read and review this book.This is a delightful story with well executed characters.

Lia discovers that everything she believes about her father was wrong. She goes to Italy to try to work things out and hopes it will also help with her work

A Villa with a View is the eleventh book in Julie Caplin’s Romantic Escapes series, and I’m delighted to say I’ve read them all but two on my tbr list. Julie’s books are absolutely delightful and I get to travel to wonderful places if only through books. This book is part of a series but each book can be easily read as a standalone.

Lia is a textile artist, which was fascinating, who suddenly learns that the father she has grown up with is not her biological father. Lia travels to Italy, to meet her biological father, Ernesto, a famous Italian actor and to work on her art. Raphael is Ernesto’s business manager and does everything he can to prevent this meeting, believing Lia is only out for money. Sparks began to fly under the Italian sky as Julie sweeps you away to the gorgeous Almalfi Coast, delicious food, fantastic characters and a oh so swoon worthy Raphael.

Highly recommend this fantastic book and the Romantic Escapes series!

Thank you to Netgalley and Harper Collin’s One More Chapter for the advanced copy to read and review. All opinions are my own.

Another brilliant book by Julie Caplin, she really never fails to disappoint and I read this at every opportunity I had. One of the things I love about Julie’s writing is how descriptive she is and carries me to whichever country the book is set in. Things like ‘down towards the water, an azure blue that merged with the seamless edge where sky and sea met took me to the beach in Italy where this book is set (Italy not a beach!) and absorbing me into the culture with descriptions of lemons and pasta dishes and as normal with Julie’s books mouthwatering food.
Amongst this however is the story of Lia who suddenly finds out the person who she calls Dad is not her biological Dad. Lia is angry and hurt and unsure where she truly belongs so goes to Italy not only to seek inspiration for her art work but to also meet her biological Dad, who is a famous Actor. Her motives are questioned by her Dad Ernesto’s step son Raph who doesn’t trust Lia as he is used to people making the claims of this nature however he is also attracted to Lia and soon the sparks fly between them.
All of the characters belonged in the book and had a part to play and I felt I was part of the Salvatore family, being welcomed into their home with good food, warmth and humour.
Food, romance and stunning coastline of Italy, my favourite things brought together as part of a fantastic story which is a great read for anyone wanting a proper book with pure escapism.
Thank you to Netgalley and HarperCollins for a free copy of this book, with all opinions completely my own.

Julie Caplin has written a wonderful story about Lia Bathurst, a young woman who discovers at age 30 that her dad is not her biological father. It helps that most of the action takes place around Positano on the Amalfi coast of Italy. You can feel the summer heat, see the glorious colours and smell the rich aromas of the local foods. There are plenty of larger than life characters, some misunderstandings and lots of wit and humour. A great holiday read.

Thanks to Net Galley and the publishers for the opportunity to review this book.

Every once in a while the cover of a book, the pull of a new-to-me author, and the setting have me dipping my toes into the romance genre.

I was so excited to have found a great read and then chapters 25 and 26 happened. For those like me who don’t like reading spicy novels, this was a huge letdown.

Let me set aside my disappointments and tell you about why I enjoyed all but two chapters of this book.

Things that worked FOR ME:
✔️Positano setting
✔️fantastic cover
✔️enemies to lovers trope
✔️grumpy sunshine trope
✔️tenacious main character
✔️theme of the importance of family and the love of a parent
✔️theme of keeping secrets and ulterior motives
✔️theme of trust
✔️food uniting people
✔️warning about jumping to conclusions
✔️message about forgiving oneself
✔️characters in their thirties


Things that didn’t work FOR ME:
✔️reading about spontaneously combusting nickers, hardened nipples, throbbing members, moaning pleasure, swelling breasts, and languorous desires

If the spice was removed from chapters 25 and 26, this would be a 5-star novel FOR ME.

If you are not bothered by spice, you’ll enjoy this novel that promises to sweep you away to the Amalfi coast to enjoy time with Lia Bathurst and the Salvatore family.

I was gifted this copy by Harper Collins UK, One More Chapter and NetGalley and was under no obligation to provide a review.

A Villa with a View by Julie Caplin will take you on a picturesque journey through the stunning landscapes of Italy. The author effortlessly combines romance, humor, and a beautiful setting in this heartwarming tale. There is a delightful cast of characters and vivid descriptions, making this the perfect book for those seeking a sweet and uplifting read.