This book completely swept me away. The characters were unforgettable, the plot was gripping, and the writing was beautiful. I laughed, I cried, and I didn’t want it to end. It’s one of those rare reads that stays with you long after the final page. Highly recommend to anyone looking for their next favorite.

I really like the author, and I was in the mood for a "feel-good novel" with guaranteed romance, humor, and a Mediterranean setting. So, here goes Ms. Springfield's new release!
First of all, I wasn't disappointed :-). We have a thrilling, vividly and fluently written story, authentic characters, heartbreak, romance, love, and all of it on Ischia—what more could I want :-).

The whole thing is written on two time levels. On the one hand, we are in the here and now, traveling with Alessia, around 30, and her grandmother Ornella, around 80, from London to Ischia. Ornella grew up on Ischia, where her roots lie, but she left quite hastily in her 20s to start a new life in England with her husband and daughter.

Daughter Silvana recently died, granddaughter Alessia just lost her job, and more or less spontaneously, grandmother and granddaughter decide to spend a summer on Ischia. Ornella hadn't been there since emigrating in the 1950s, and for her, it was a journey into her past...and the author takes us readers along on the second timeline, into Ornella's past. A number of dramatic events happened back then, events that Ornella kept secret for decades. And so, across both timelines, we approach a catharsis that was long overdue...We witness exciting scenes from Ornella's life. As a young hairdresser on Ischia, she was offered a dream job as a stylist on an international film set—a job that would change her life and that of her sister forever. And in the here and now, we follow Alessia, who, along with journalist Roberto, is researching the great Italian film stars of the 1950s – and of course, there are various overlaps here...

The setting and atmosphere of this novel are not just Italian dolce vita, but also full of reminiscences of the great days of Italian cinema and the stars of that time. That's what makes the book very special, I think; it has a bit of nostalgic flair and Hollywood charm.

So, I don't want to spoil too much, but we have a thrilling story here, lots of drama and action, lots of emotion, and, interestingly, a rather deep narrative subplot that deals with body shaming. And I have to mention that again briefly; one of the supporting characters in the story, Alessia's friend Cristina, is repeatedly presented to us readers as beautiful and, above all, slender, and I was a little annoyed at first – I mean, isn't there anything better to describe someone in 2025 than constantly saying, "Here comes the slimmest person in the village, oh, how great is that?" But far from it; Cristina has even more to offer, and at the end, there's a lot of drama surrounding Cristina as well, and the realization: true love and friendship don't care about looks, but about inner values. I liked that; and the way it's told is really striking. But definitely food for thought.

What can I say? Great book. Warm-hearted, amusing, with more depth than expected, and simply beautiful. Please read it!

Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the review copy!

Alessia is at loose end when she looses her job, When she learns that her grandmother Ornella has never returned to the island of Ischia where she grew up, nor does she talk about it. Alessia instantaneously falls in love with the island, she also meets a handsome journalist Roberto, can he help solve the family secret?? Loved reading this book. Felt like I was on Ischia. Perfect holiday read

A beautiful setting with a tragic tale, can secrets of the past be shared with the hope of healing hearts?
The characters have depth and strength with real emotions pouring from the pages, Alessia and her grandmother Ornella go on a journey of discovery and exploration.
Alessia finds out about happenings in the past as promises and love lessons unite and truths make a way to the future.
The storyline takes us through Italy and unravels the mystery of the past while soaking up memories and history. This moving story will keep you wondering and hoping!
Thanks to Boldwood Books, NetGalley and the author for the opportunity to read and review this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I very much enjoyed this book. It was cozy and beautiful and had lovely character development. As someone with an affinity for Italy, I highly recommend it!

An engaging set of characters and a beautiful setting.

Dual timelines were well crafted, and interwoven meaningfully. I joined the dots before the reveal but this didn’t detract from the story. Multi layered and more complex than meets the eye - this would be a good Bookclub read as covers appearances, gilded lives/ celebrity, small town feel, and family secrets.

4* an enjoyable read

First, the cover is stunning and really drew me to the book. Then the details!!! Victoria did a fantastic job building a beautiful picture, I couldn't put it down! As for the story, it completely gripped me. I stayed up all night just to finish this!

An Italian Island Secret is a captivating, atmospheric read filled with family mysteries, romance, and the breathtaking beauty of Ischia.

Alessia’s journey to uncover her grandmother Ornella’s long-buried past is both emotional and intriguing. The dual timelines—mixing 1950s Hollywood glamour with present-day discoveries—create a rich, immersive story that kept me hooked. The mystery surrounding Ornella’s sister adds a compelling layer, while Alessia’s budding romance with journalist Roberto brings warmth and charm.

The descriptions of the Italian island are stunning, making this book a true escapist delight.

If you love historical secrets, multi-generational family drama, and sun-soaked romance, An Italian Island Secret is the perfect summer read! 🇮🇹☀️💛

In this fun and fascinating dual-timeline historical fiction novel, readers follow Alessia as she discovers her grandmother Ornella’s past and secrets about her life on Ischia and what happened to her sister over the course of a beautiful Italian summer. Returning to the island and discovering her family’s secrets, Alessia meets a handsome journalist named Roberto who might be able to help them discover what happened to Ornella’s sister and see if these two women can find their happy ending and put the past to bed. With a host of fantastic characters and a fun historical fiction backdrop, the emotional core of the story and the grandmother-granddaughter relationship is absolutely the star of this novel, and both Ornella and Alessia are wonderful, complex, and excellent protagonists. The historical details are unique and interesting, adding to the drama and intrigue surrounding the novel’s mystery, and readers will enjoy the depth of detail and worldbuilding present in both timelines. Deeply enjoyable and immersive with a surprisingly complex mystery at its core, this is a fantastic and exciting new historical fiction novel with two detailed timelines that readers will love. Victoria Springfield’s novel has all of the Italian summer charm and historical detail that readers of both romance and historical fiction novels will love.

When Alessia loses her job as a seamstress, she decides to travel to the Italian island of Ischia with her Nonna, Ornella, to visit the area where Ornella grew up. Alessia knows that since leaving the island, Ornella has barely spoken of her life there but doesn't know why. When a mix up with their accommodation leads to a chance encounter with an old friend and with a reporter, Alessia and Ornella become swept up in life on the island. Alessia's budding friendship with Roberto, the reporter, leads her to uncover details of movies that were filmed on the island together with Ornella's involvement with the films.

This was a delightful read, filled with great characters and beautiful scenery; it really felt like your were transported to the island. Alessia, Ornella and their friends on the island were well developed characters who you got to know throughout the book.

The story moved at a good pace. Although there were some parts that were fairly obvious, there was enough intrigue and extra elements to keep the story interesting.

This is a charming escapist novel set in beautiful Italy. I enjoyed the cast of characters and the way the story unfolded. Would recommend.

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I enjoyed this book a lot. It was great escapist novel!

An Italian Island Secret by Victoria Springfield

One part romance, one part mystery and one part travelogue - all ingredients that make this such a pleasurable read!

After a disappointing breakup and then job loss, Alessia and her grandmother decide to spend the summer in Ischia, Italy. It is a delight to be transported to the real-life island of Ischia, Italy where Alessia’s grandmother grew up, but never spoke of. It’s here where Alessia, with the help of an attractive journalist, discover the tragic reason why her grandmother has never spoken of her past.

The story and characters draw you in while the detailed descriptions of the local landscape and traditions leave you with a feeling like you've just been on a holiday to the island of Ischia! (Lesli Christianson-Kellow, writer)

Unfortunately I could not get into this book. It did not grab my attention and it was a bit confusing with the narration with the past, present, and movie scripts. I did not finish this book.

A little slow going at first but somewhere around the 30% mark it really picks up. The vivid imagery the author paints makes the reader feel as if they are actually there! I loved the story. It is beautifully written and the reader goes through the full range of emotions. This story left my heart feeling full and happy at everyone’s happily ever after.

Secrets, even those from long ago, can catch up with you. This book is full of old glamour and contemporary emotions, with an Italian romance woven into the mix. A real page turner with a surprising twist.

Chase the winter blues away with this dreamy and engaging new novel by Victoria Springfield, An Italian Island Secret.

Alessia knows that her grandmother grew up on the beautiful island of Ischia, but she has always been puzzled by the fact that Ornella never makes mention of her life in Italy – or why she has never returned. Ornella has always refused to speak about her past, so she stuns her granddaughter when she mentions the fact that as a young woman she had worked on a film set back in Italy. Could the reason for her reluctance to mention the past be because of a connection between the film set and the tragic death of her teenage sister?

Ornella had made a promise decades ago – a promise she has never once broken. But perhaps the time has now come to pry open the door to her past and to think again about the love she had given up and the secret she had been forced to keep. Travelling back to Ischia with her granddaughter, Ornella is determined to find out the truth about what happened to her sister and to lay old ghosts to rest.

In Italy, Alessia finds herself drawn into this mystery from decades ago. As she meets a handsome Italian journalist willing to help her find she the answers she seeks, will the happiness that Alessia has been searching for for so long be found in Ischia? And can Ornella finally find the closure she is desperate for?

Victoria Springfield’s An Italian Island Secret is a sun-drenched, escapist and moving tale full of mystery, romance and drama that sweeps readers off to Ischia and will keep them entertained and engrossed from beginning to end. Victoria Springfield is a talented writer who makes her setting and her characters come to stunning life and readers are sure to be completely enthralled by her latest novel, An Italian Island Secret.

This was a delightful read about Alessia and her grandmother Ornella as they journey to the Italian island of Ischia, where Ornella grew up. There's mystery and romance as the book moves from trying to discover the mysteries of Ornella's past and the potential romance of Alessia's present.

There's intrigue surrounding the glamour of the film industry from the 1950s, but Alessia's grandmother is extremely tightlipped about what really happened and Alessia yearns to know more about her family's past. This was an enjoyable book that's great for a bit of escapism into a delicious Italian getaway. It moved at a good pace, the characters were fun and not total caricatures, and it kept me interested the entire time.

I received a complimentary copy of this book via NetGalley.

Set on a gorgeous Greek island this is a story of love, secrets, history, heart break and more. I love the relationship between Alessia and her grandmother. This book lets you escape to an Italian island, the descriptions are perfect and you can definitely imagine the Italian island of Ischia. Although I enjoyed this book I also found it a bit slow and it took time for exciting things to happen in the book. This would be a great summer read and I would recommend it.
Thank you to Netgalley for an advanced copy of this book

Alessia's gran, Ornella, has been reluctant to share
Why she left her Italian island home, never returning there.
So when she suggests the two of them go
Alessia wonders what she'll get to know.

The start of revelations from Ornella's past
Include secrets that she's sharing at long last.
Including a movie filmed on the island before she left there
And the death of her younger sister for whom she'd care.

Travelling to the island, feels like coming home once more
And with a handsome journalist, Alessia the island explores.
He's looking into the era when her gran lived there
And searching for information about folks for whom she'd cared.

With conflicting feelings and lots to discover
Will the past secrets help bring them closer to each other?
Or will the past and what happened back then
Drive folks apart, never to meet again?

A story with #MeToo and so many revelations, too,
Along with surprises all the way through.
There's mystery, history, lasting friendships and romance,
Making this a delightful read - I hope you'll give it a chance.

For my copy of this book I say thank you
As I share with you this, my honest review.