A gorgeous and dramatic novel that makes the reader truly invested the outcome of the heroine’s story! Loved every page!

I have been a fan of Susan Lewis for years and this book was certainly one of her best. This is Catie’s story. The book opens in the present day with Catie, who is 65 years old, leaving England to escape to Sicily. She has completed a prison sentence and, after being encouraged by her therapist, is going to try and write her life story. When in Taormina she unexpectedly meets up with Giancarlo and finds herself confiding in him. But is he concealing his own secrets? We then learn all about Catie’s life. From her childhood in Bristol, her meeting with Laurence, their subsequent marriage and her postnatal depression after having her children. Tensions between Catie and Giancarlo begin to grow and past events are revealed. This book had me totally hooked. I loved all the characters and their relationships. It is a story of lies, secrets and reconciliation. An emotional read.
Thanks to Netgalley and Harper Collins for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book.

Absolutely cracking book. lots of drama to keep you on the edge of your seat and keeps giving you more! The plot is fabulous, the betrayal you just would not of got.... honestly Susan Lewis is the best at coming up with drama that makes you keep turning the page.

A really lovely story about Catie who is in Sicily and through the backdrop of Italy we hear her story about her past and how she came to be there. Fab characters and very easy reading

This is a difficult one for me.. I absolutely LOVE Susan Lewis and devoured the majority of her books over the years BUT (hiding my face) I just didn't like this one.

The writing style felt different, like something was lacking but I couldn't put my finger on what it was. I was waiting for it to build up to that 'edge of the seat stuff that I've grown accustomed to but it just never happened.

I found it was overly predictable and was left a tad disappointed.

In all honesty, if you had handed me this book without the cover I'd have ever have guessed it was by SL, it feels like a different author completely.

Now don't get me wrong, it definitely won't put me off reading this author, as I've said, I absolutely love her books BUT this one just wasn't for me.

With thanks to Netgalley and Harper Collins UK for the ARC.

Susan Lewis delivers a captivating emotional thriller in her latest novel, where the promise of a fresh start clashes with the haunting shadows of the past. Catie, seeking solace in picturesque Sicily, where she hopes to reinvent herself and escape the burdens of her broken marriage. The island’s vibrant atmosphere and the allure of the charming Giancarlo offer her a tantalizing glimpse of happiness.

Lewis masterfully builds tension as Catie navigates her budding romance while grappling with deeply buried secrets. Her characters are always relatable and complex, embodying the struggle between the desire for love and the fear of vulnerability. Susan deftly interweaves themes of betrayal, healing, and the impact of family dynamics. Which you see throughout Catie’s journey which is both gripping and poignant.

The stunning Sicilian countryside serves as a beautiful backdrop enhancing the narrative with its beauty and warmth, contrasting sharply with Catie’s inner turmoil. Lewis’s vivid descriptions immerses you in the setting, making it a vital part of Catie's transformation.

The pacing of the story is expertly handled, with twists that keep you on edge as layers of Catie’s past are gradually revealed. The tension builds to a satisfying climax, leaving readers both shocked and contemplative.

Overall, this novel is a compelling exploration of love, trust, and the courage it takes to confront one’s past. Susan Lewis has once again proven her ability to weave an emotionally charged narrative that resonates long after the final page. Fans of psychological thrillers and heartfelt romances will find this book hard to put down.

a family drama that keeps you hooked, it’s full of intrigue and twists and emotions.
a bit different to the authors normal books but still a page turner

Having read a few of a Susan Lewis’s books I found this one an unexpected but welcome change of genre and throughly enjoyed it.
There is so much to love in the story with a central character Cathie who in her 65 years has experienced great love, sadness, grief and anger.
The story begins as she leaves the UK for Taormina where she begins to write her life story. Once there she meets and slowly falls in love with Giancarlo who encourages the writing and subsequently reads the unfolding chapters of Catie’s life. This is also the way the reader begins to understand Catie’s past.
The story has a big focus on Blues and Jazz as Catie is a singer. This is music which I know little about and do at times I found this too much. However the story offers much more and I really enjoyed building a picture of the characters and the relationships.
I particularly enjoyed the second half of the book where Catie and Giancarlo fall in love.

Another fabulous book by Susan.She never fails to disappoint.I think I have read all her books and this one is one of my favourites.

Wouldn’t necessarily categorise this as a mystery / thriller novel but had an interesting storyline with caties past revealed in real time

This book had a somewhat different feel to usual and I can’t quite put my finger on why.

The story is told from Catie’s POV and overtime her history is revealed. Reading this book is like peeling back the layers of an onion…slowly we find out more and more until all is laid bare.

Catie’s story is full of love, heart break, betrayal and forgiveness. As much of the story is takes place in the past and we learn it via Catie writing and talking to Giancarlo, there is a bit of separation from the emotion at times.

There is complexity in the story as we deal with Catie’s emotions past and present.

I loved the sections with Mac in the best, I feel there was the real connection and emotion here and the storytelling I expect from Susan Lewis. I felt some of the other revelations were brushed over a bit and maybe there were too many tragedies rolled into one to make it believable?

That said overall the book was a good read.

For me as an avid reader of her books, this novel deviated a little from Susan Lewis’s previous releases in that its subject matter was deeper and its evocation of iconic places even stronger. It centres on talented singer Cathie Mac, who has been through some hard times and has just served out a prison sentence when she decides to settle down somewhere to write her compelling life story as her way of working through her guilt and regrets. The place she chooses is the Sicilian town of Taormina, where she is befriended by the impenetrable Giancarlo. But what secrets does this charming man harbour? Spanning forty-five years of Cathie’s life and blending in several types of love, music, food, landscapes, immorality and good deeds, this novel makes a wonderful summer read. My thanks go to the publishers and to NetGalley for the opportunity to read this novel early by way of an ARC.

#ASicilianAffair #NetGalley
Boring.
Singer Catie Mac, is a middle aged woman who is trying to escape the past and flees to Sicily and the town of Taormina, against the conditions she’s been given after committing a crime. Encouraged by her therapist to write down her life story, she is looking for the head space to do that and be somehere no one knows her name. However when she meets a handsome and enigmatic man called Giancarlo she finds herself sharing that story and making an unexpected connection. The story is told completely through Catie’s perspective encompassing the present in Sicily and the past in Bristol where she grew up. We hear the past from Catie’s journal and as she tells it to Giancarlo. The past narrative is totally chronological, starting with her childhood in Bristol and her strong relationship with her father Mac. Mac is a talented musician with his own band and the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree because Catie has a beautiful voice, perfect for the jazz and soul numbers the band are known for. She’s soon in demand for weddings and gigs around Bristol and it’s at one of these gigs that fate brings her to the attention of Laurence. Laurence is here with his mother and a family friend who has had designs on him for a long time, despite him making it clear they’re not an item. Laurence is from a better part of town and the family have a small estate, there’s no way that mum or the friend are going to be happy with a singer from the wrong part of the city. For Laurence it’s love at first sight and he has to speak to Catie. Something clicks between them and young love blossoms, despite the disapproving comments from his mother. The flashbacks follow key points in the couple’s relationship, from carefree young love to marriage and children. However tensions grow within the marriage and as Catie refers to her remorse for something she did, we’re unravelling a mystery that can only be solved as Catie keeps talking.
It was so so boring. I was feeling fatigue when I finished it. I can't believe that Susan has written it.
Thanks to NetGalley and Harper Collins UK Harper Fiction for giving me an advance copy.

I struggled because I appreciated the past but the present was confusing and a required a huge extension of my suspension of belief.
Interesting characters but not my cup of tea
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine

I enjoyed this read. A lovely story about a girl who becomes a singer and travels the world. She meets Lawrence and the marry and have two boys. She has a great relationship with her father though with her mother. The story moves back and forward from the 80s to the present day in Italy. It was a different book from Susan. I did think it was bit long and predictable.

The Sicilian Affair by Susan Lewis

Singer Catie Mac, is a middle aged woman who is trying to escape the past and flees to Sicily and the town of Taormina, against the conditions she’s been given after committing a crime. Encouraged by her therapist to write down her life story, she is looking for the head space to do that and be somehere no one knows her name. However when she meets a handsome and enigmatic man called Giancarlo she finds herself sharing that story and making an unexpected connection. The story is told completely through Catie’s perspective encompassing the present in Sicily and the past in Bristol where she grew up. We hear the past from Catie’s journal and as she tells it to Giancarlo. The past narrative is totally chronological, starting with her childhood in Bristol and her strong relationship with her father Mac. Mac is a talented musician with his own band and the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree because Catie has a beautiful voice, perfect for the jazz and soul numbers the band are known for. She’s soon in demand for weddings and gigs around Bristol and it’s at one of these gigs that fate brings her to the attention of Laurence. Laurence is here with his mother and a family friend who has had designs on him for a long time, despite him making it clear they’re not an item. Laurence is from a better part of town and the family have a small estate, there’s no way that mum or the friend are going to be happy with a singer from the wrong part of the city. For Laurence it’s love at first sight and he has to speak to Catie. Something clicks between them and young love blossoms, despite the disapproving comments from his mother. The flashbacks follow key points in the couple’s relationship, from carefree young love to marriage and children. However tensions grow within the marriage and as Catie refers to her remorse for something she did, we’re unravelling a mystery that can only be solved as Catie keeps talking.

I found this novel from Susan Lewis a bit of a mixed bag to be honest and my main problem was that the present day narrative in Italy didn’t really stand up to the huge amount of drama in the past. While I don’t want to divulge too much of the past, it really is a catalogue of love, rivalry, dysfunctional family dynamics and betrayal. Catie doesn’t hold back when recounting her history and is brutally honest, even when discussing her own behaviour and things she now knows she handled badly. One thing I did find inexplicable was the breakdown of her relationship with her mother which really seemed unjust and out of character. While Laurence was charming and did truly love Catie, he wasn’t all that good at dealing with the realities of a long term relationship and starting a family. He never seemed to establish himself in a career, forcing Catie to take more international work but then resenting her for taking it. This resentment also spilled over to her sons, especially her eldest. When he was born she suffered with post-natal depression, which was so severe that Laurence called her best friend Lola to stay with them and help out. Catie struggles to connect with her eldest son, an estrangement that causes problems for their whole lives. Laurence starts to drink and accuse Catie of choosing to be away, of not loving them and of infidelity. It’s clear this is a powder keg and with her mother-in-law living in a cottage next to them and Laurence’s admirer popping in and out with her own children while Catie is abroad, so many things could go wrong. When Catie’s world does blow up, it’s from such an unexpected source I hadn’t seen it coming.

All of this drama is gripping and did pull me towards Catie’s perspective because I felt she was shouldering a lot of blame for things totally outside her control. It was the past that kept me reading because I didn’t connect with the trip to Sicily. Catie notices Giancarlo straight away, while wandering in the piazza. She thinks he looks like a musician. They are introduced through Catie’s guide and Giancarlo offers to show her around the following day. I felt like their conversations were very uneven; Catie is talking to him as frankly as if he’s her journal and her story is a lot! Yet he doesn’t seem fazed, but nor does he offer much in return. He’s more like a counsellor, offering active listening without judgement or comment. In real life, I think if a man of his age was bombarded with Catie’s story he would run a mile! Yet for a very long time we learn very little about him. He’s like a blank page that she writes on. It doesn’t feel like a natural conversation. When people are clicking and connecting, I expect conversation to zing back and forth as they get to know each other. We’re told they are falling in love with each other but I didn’t feel it sadly and therefore wasn’t invested in their relationship. This left the book feeling lopsided to me. The setting is absolutely beautiful, described as the place where they filmed the TV series The White Lotus, I could imagine it perfectly and feel the sultry heat. The food sounded incredible too and I could see how someone would fall in love with the town and the anonymity it offers. There’s stuff to like in this story, but I might have enjoyed it more if we’d had a more complex structure or perhaps multiple perspectives that would have kept us guessing about our narrator a little. However, the central mystery of what Catie did is a well disguised secret and an absolute bombshell when it is revealed. So although I’m unsure of one or two aspects, I can imagine other readers really enjoying this story of one woman’s rather extraordinary life.

In A Sicilian affair we follow Catie Mac as she revisits her past to lay her ghosts to rest.
Catie travels to Sicily to the town of Toarmina as she tries to put to rest her past mistakes and forgive herself and others for their part in it.
Catie made a decision to go away and clear her head, she chose a random place and sets off alone. While there she begins to write her life story in a bid to release herself from the pain and guilt she has carried for many years.
During her stay she meets a handsome stranger and after spending time together they begin to fall for one another. He reads her newly written stories and helps her to heal. But what secrets is he keeping?

This was a slightly different Susan Lewis book to others I’ve read. It was a love story, and slowly unfolded

I enjoyed reading this and learning more about Catie and what happened to her. It was a little slow at times and slightly predictable.

Thanks to Netgalley for the opportunity to read this title

Thanks NetGalley for the opportunity of reading the latest Susan Lewis book which I really enjoyed. I liked the setting of Sicily/Bristol and the flitting backwards and forwards to understand what had happened to Catie and see how she was able to move forward with her life.

I absolutely love the author and her effortless writing style, intricate storylines and unique characters. But that said this wasn't my favourite by her primarily I think because I struggled to connect with the main character Catie.

I found this novel to be a well written, intriguing storyline. It took me a little while to really get into it but when I did, it was very absorbing. The characters were well described and believable. A great read, describing the beautiful Sicilian island. Wonderful for holiday reading.