Victoria Springfield's An Italian Island Secret is a beautiful mix of romance, mystery, and historical fiction set against the picturesque backdrop of Ischia, a beautiful Italian island off the coast of Naples. The story follows Alessia as she discovers her grandmother Ornella's long-held secrets, which lead her on a journey of self-discovery and love.

Alessia knows very little about her grandmother Ornella's past, except that she grew up on the enchanting island of Ischia. When Ornella reveals that she once worked on the set of a famous 1950s movie filmed on the island, Alessia is intrigued. As they travel to Ischia together, Alessia falls in love with the island and meets Roberto, a handsome journalist who helps her dig deeper into her family's history. The journey uncovers secrets about Ornella's sister's tragic death and a life-changing promise Ornella made decades ago. Alessia and Ornella must work their way through the past to find that happy ending they so desire.

The novel talks about family secrets, love, sacrifice, and new beginnings. It emphasizes the importance of unearthing the truth and reconciling with the past to move forward. Romantic elements add warmth and depth to the story, making it an interesting read.

In such a way, Springfield develops good-rounded characters for readers to be able to identify with. From curiosity to determination, Alessia's journey is compelling, as she explores her relationship with Ornella and Roberto. In particular, the character of Ornella is poignantly portrayed by the gradual unveiling of her past and the secrets that she keeps as layers to her personality.

The writing is evocative and immersive, bringing the beauty of Ischia to life. Her descriptions of the island, its culture, and its people are vivid and captivating. The pacing of the story is well-balanced, with moments of tension and romance that keep the reader engaged.

The mystery of Ornella's past and that of the secrets hidden on Ischia keeps the reader hooked from the start to the finish. Alessia and Roberto's blossoming romance gives a sweet and hopeful dimension to the story. The descriptions of Ischia are so rich and vivid that, at times, the island feels like a character itself that improves the overall reading experience. Exploring family dynamics and the impact of secrets on the heart had emotional resonance to the novel.

Some readers may find the plot twists a bit predictable, but that does not greatly detract from the overall enjoyment of the story. The pacing is generally well-balanced, but some parts of the story may feel slower than others.

An Italian Island Secret is a novel that beautifully fuses romance, mystery, and historical fiction to create an enjoyable read. Evocative writing from Victoria Springfield with well-developed characters make it a perfect read for summer. Whether one has a preference for romance or mystery, this is a perfect escapade into the beautiful island of Ischia.

I highly recommend An Italian Island Secret to anyone who's eager to read an interesting story with some romance and mystery. Well-placed, beautiful scenes, an intriguing plot, and deep emotional bases are what create such a necessity for reading this book among fans of historical fiction and contemporary romance.

I'm reviewing this via NetGalley, for a tour with Rachel's Random Resources.

This book was a delightful escape. At the beginning, I wanted to know more about the characters, and the general tone of the writing was warm and lighthearted. I appreciated the close bond between the protagonist, Alessia, and her grandmother, Ornella.

Part of the book takes place in the 1950s, and I enjoyed that element of the story. I also appreciated the film references throughout.

This book was heartwarming, nostalgic and romantic. I enjoyed following these characters, and I found this to be a heartfelt story that speaks to the importance of family, and knowing where you belong. I think this would also be a great choice as a summer read. If you're planning a trip to Italy anytime soon, you could take this book with you.

Thank you to NetGalley, Rachel's Random Resources, Boldwood Books, and to the author, for the opportunity to read and review this.

CW: death, death of a parent, death of a child, fire, trauma, injury, car accident, implied su!cide, implied SA

Alessia's grandmother, Ornella, rarely talks about her youth, growing up on the Italian island of Ischia. In fact, she doesn't discuss many difficult topics, including the death of her own daughter - Alessia's mother. But when they hear the news of the death of a Golden Age actress with whom Ornella once worked, the pair take a trip back to the island, to mend old wounds and heal the past.

Alessia, meanwhile, is reeling from the death of her mother and a bad breakup AND the loss of her job. With nothing to tie her to England, she leaps at the chance for an island getaway. A chance meeting with an Italian journalist and some old friends of Ornella's soon prove to be balm to Alessia's aching heart.

Secrets start unravelling as Ornella confronts her past and learns to both forgive and open up about the decisions made way back when.

This was an interesting book - there were so many plotlines and characters it was challenging to keep track of them all at once point! We have the main plot of Ornella's secrets; then we have Alessia's romance with the journalist; then we have his investigations into older film starts which is tangential to Ornella's story; then we have Alesia's friend Cristina's forthcoming wedding and her turbulent relationship with her fiancé; then we have the side story of Anna, local island recluse; THEN we have the plans for the local festival. Add in some flashbacks for Ornella, and there is a LOT going on.

Despite the many plotlines, this was an entertaining and engaging story that left the reader guessing, with a good balance of heartbreaking and heartwarming moments.

A delightful summer read.

~ Many thanks to NetGalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review~

Alessia knows where her grandmother comes from but has never been to the island. After finding out her grandmother worked with stars while filming on the island, she would love to know more. But her grandmother knows how to keep secrets. They finally visit the island and she learns so much more than expected. Family secrets are revealed in bits and pieces. You do not mind waiting for the secrets to be revealed because so much happens in between. This book was full of beautiful descriptions, I feel I have visited this place. The storyline is so captivating. This is a fabulous read!

A reader who craves a romantic, escapist tale with a strong focus on family secrets, historical intrigue, and the power of love and loyalty will adore this story

Dual timeline and perspectives story in an Italian setting.
The book started off very slow and I struggled to keep going. It wasn’t the sort of story and writing that grabbed my attention as some books do. I wanted to lose myself in Italy but that didn’t happen.
It had a good and sweet ending!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this arc.

Set between two timelines, this haunting story includes Hollywood glamour and a mystery that is crying out to be uncovered. I have never visited Italy but have heard of Ischia and its long-standing relationship with the film industry and have it in my mind a little like the Italian equivalent of Cannes.
Alessia is a beautiful character and a devoted granddaughter. Having lost her job in London, she is determined to find a new path while she accompanies her grandmother on her trip back to the Island of her youth. Her character and disposition enable her to make friends easily. I enjoyed following her story and seeing how her decisions would unfold.
Ornella, on the other hand, guards her memories closely and refuses to reveal much of her past. Each time the book returned us to the 1950s, I felt that I was actually there, rubbing shoulders with the stars of the day. The loss of her sister and the mystery surrounding the missing nanny drove the story at a steady speed, gradually gaining momentum with each chapter.
There’s a fabulous cast which incorporates characters from the earlier years alongside the friends Alessia makes in the contemporary story, helping to stitch the threads of the two timelines together. With the explanations of the parade for Saint Cornelius’s Day, it was clear that the community had always been tight-knit, and the residents supported each other without exception. I would hate to include any spoilers, but as he’s included in the synopsis, a special mention has to be given to the simply gorgeous Roberto.
With a reader's heart and mind, I tried to guess the overall outcome of this story and waited for Roberto’s true colours to be revealed, as he certainly seemed too good to be true. Whether he’s genuine will be revealed when you read it for yourself.
Escape to Ischia and enjoy the golden age of film.

While Alessia knows that her grandmother Ornella grew up on Ischia, an island off the coast of Naples, she knows little else. Ornella rarely talks about her life there and why she never went back. So, when Ornella reveals that, as a young woman, she had worked on the set of a famous 1950s movie filmed on the island, Alessia wonders if there is a link between the film set and the tragic death of Ornella’s teenage sister, Maria. Yet another secret that Ornella is hiding is of past love. Travelling to Ischia together, Alessia falls in love with the captivating island. Meeting handsome journalist Roberto helps her dig deeper into her family’s past, too.
I quite enjoyed the beautiful atmosphere of the island, which helps bring the characters to life. I also felt some sense of connection to the characters as the story unfolded and found the alternating storyline well integrated. While the story was slow to start and Ornella not as endearing a character, I enjoyed Alessia’s story and sweet romance with Roberto.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book from NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

What a delightful story this was! I was pulled in right from the start!

Alessia's grandmother Ornella never really talks about her life in Italy. All Alessia knows is that they left suddenly not long after Ornella's loses her sister Maria. During a movie marathon, Ornella opens up a bit about her family, but closes when news is disclosed about an Italian movie star's passing. Intrigued, Alessia looks up the star and discovers it was entirely possible her grandmother knew the star.

After losing her job as seamstress, Alessia and Ornella decide to go on a trip to the Italian island where Ornella is from. Now Ornella has to decide if she is ready to tell her story about the past...

Alessia meets handsome reporter Roberto while on the island. He is working on the movie star's story and helps Alessia uncover the past...

This book is so well written and mesmerizing! The story is written in both the past and present and is captivating. I highly recommend this book!

An Italian Island Secret caught my attention due to the dual timeline, where one of the characters tells the story of her earlier life in the 1950s when numerous Hollywood stars were filming a movie on the island of Ischia. And indeed, the 'past' parts of the storyline were indeed my favourite.
In the contemporary storyline, Ornella and her granddaughter Alessia are visiting Ischia and this is Ornella's first time to return since she fled several decades previously; and her secrets are finally about to be revealed.I did find this contemporary storyline to be rather predictable, but enjoyed the journey and the glamour of the 1950s.

Everyone knows I love a good summer romance story set in Italy! So when this book tour came up I just couldn’t say no!

It took me a little while to get into the story, maybe about 15% or so. Once it started to pick up though I started to fall in love with the storyline and the characters. I enjoyed the scenery that the author gave us of Italy and how it comes to life.

This book read like a hallmark movie to me (again, I love that about romance books!). I loved the flashbacks throughout the book, which were some of my favorite parts. It read sort of like Mamma Mia to me, and who doesn’t love Mamma Mia!

I enjoyed learning and learning from the past with the characters. It did remind me of a few other books that I have read before with someone having to leave the lovely country of Italy and a family member trying to find out the past. I think that was my main problem with the book as sometimes I felt myself getting confused with the other book. But that was my main concern, but all around I really enjoyed this light read!

Thank you NetGalley for the eARC. This book was super cute! I got even more into it because I am a lover of old movies so the entire old Hollywood scene spoke to me and the intrigue of it all. Oh, so good!

Recently I was watching one of Joanna Lumley's shows, Great Cities of the World, where she visited Rome. One of the segments in the show was about the 1950's when Hollywood came to Rome. She interviewed Gina Lollobridgida, and talked about Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton and other big stars. In this book, a lot of the action centres around the same time period, when big name Italian film stars came to film their movies on the small island of Ischia, which is just off the coast of Naples.

When Ornella moved to England from Ischia, she knew she was leaving her previous life behind. She didn't want to talk about her life before the UK, about her family or the experiences that caused her to move away.

One day Ornella and her granddaughter Alessia see something celebrating the life of a famous, glamourous movie star from the 1950s, Alessia is surprised when her grandmother starts taking about her previous life. She is even more surprised when they decide to visit Ischia. Given that Alessia has had her heartbroken and lost her job recently, there's no reason not to go! The plan is to go to the island, stay for a couple of weeks and then return. However, plans have a funny way of not working as expected, and Ornella runs into one of her best friends not long after landing.

When Alessia meets a handsome journalist named Roberto, she doesn't realise that their paths are going to interconnect. Roberto is writing a piece about a reclusive famous film star whose beautiful wife and daughter were killed in a tragic car accident. It turns out that Ornella worked on the film set of his last hit film, and her own family's fate was intertwined with that of the star.

We get to see the stories unfold and Alessia and Roberto visit various landmarks and uncover some of the story, plus we see some of Ornella's story in flashback scenes. There are many secrets, twists and turns, until the truth is finally revealed. There are a lot of threads running through the book and the author does a great job of bringing them all together.

The last book I read by Victoria Springfield was set on the nearby island of Procida. Once again, the author does a great job of bringing the island culture to life on the page. I am not sure that we will ever get back to Naples, but if we did, I would like to visit Ischia and Procida!

I am sharing this review with the New Release Challenge hosted by The Chocolate Lady's Book Reviews, and the Historical Fiction Reading Challenge which I host. Be sure to check out other stops on the tour shown below. Thanks to the publisher, Netgalley and Rachel's Random Resources for the review copy.

Rating 4/5

What a fabulous book! It’s a riveting read. Thoroughly enjoyed it. I was totally engrossed. There’s so much life between these pages. Loss, heartache and sadness. Joy, warmth, family. Raw and emotional. Love, second chances and new beginnings. Many secrets from such a long time ago, long buried, resurface. Wonderful characters with interesting tales. Highly recommend

A dual time line, multi point of view story with a wonderful sense of place. As the story unfolds secrets and lies emerge from the past. Poignant and emotional, the blend of romance and Italian lifestyle is just the thing for a cold winters day.

Recently dumped and out of work, Alessia travels with her grandmother Ornella from England to Ornella’s birthplace of Ischia, Italy. While Alessia explores living on the island, takes stock of what matters and learns how to slow down, the death of a classic Italian actress opens old wounds and threatens to expose Ornella’s past secrets.

An Italian Island Secret is sweet story, in which you’ll come to care about the characters and want to hop the next plane to Italy. If you can get past unnecessary verbiage that adds nothing to the story, the author’s fantastic imagery puts you right there in town. I’ve never been to Italy and felt like I knew each road and place the characters visited. And the food descriptions! My mouth was watering and I could almost taste the dishes.

I enjoyed getting to know Alessia and Ornella, and was equally interested in the supporting characters. There were some smart subplots that could absolutely make for sequels!

The book has an interesting storyline but unfortunately was scattered and, at times, confusing. Still, I was able to push through and overall enjoyed the book. I haven’t read from this author before but would definitely be willing to read from her again.

I was given a digital ARC of this book by Boldwood Books in exchange for my review. All opinions are my own.

Well, that’s another destination added to my “must visit” list – as always in the author’s books, the setting is far more than a mere backdrop, described in such wonderful detail, infused with sunshine, rich in history. And Ischia’s past as a favourite location for the burgeoning film industry – until then, it was an island touched by poverty, sustained only by its agriculture – adds a touch of real glamour and intrigue to this very engaging story.

Grandmother Ornella has never spoken about her past, although Alessia knows she left the island sixty years before and has never returned. But when Alessia unexpectedly loses her job as a seamstress, and is at a loose end for a while, they decide to travel to Ischia together for a holiday. When things go wrong with their booking, they find themselves staying with a former friend and her family – and as painful memories are revisited, long hidden events of the past slowly begin to emerge. In the 1950s, Ornella worked as a hairdresser on a film set – her story partly told in flashback – becoming embroiled in the lives of the rich and famous, but it was a time that ended in tragedy with the untimely death of her starstruck sister.

Amid the present day drama surrounding an upcoming marriage, deeply hidden secrets begin to emerge – including the promise Ornella made when forced to leave the island. Alessia finds romance through a chance meeting at the quayside – but Roberto’s also a journalist, digging into the past of the film’s stars, and that adds an intriguing extra dimension to the story. And there’s another thread to the story too, an enigmatic character choosing a solitary life because of her disfigurement, whose own story becomes entwined with theirs.

The whole story had me entirely gripped throughout, with so many well-handled twists and turns as we gradually discover the full and particularly emotional story of Ornella’s past. And the modern day story provides a nice counterpoint – things going badly wrong with the plans for the local wedding, but also the developing relationship between Alessia and Roberto – with the transitions to past events very smoothly done, the stories unspooling in parallel. All the individuals who play their part in the story, both past and present, are beautifully drawn and well developed, with more than a touch of well-written drama – and the author has a very sure emotional touch with the content, with the events of the past proving particularly heartbreaking. And the drawing together of all the threads at the end? That was so perfectly done, with both Alessia and Ornella looking forward to whatever the future may bring – the secrets of the past finally laid to rest.

The whole story is told with real warmth, matching the sunshine of its gorgeous and vividly drawn setting – very much my kind of read, and one I very much enjoyed.

The story is told from different perspectives, and on a dual timeline. Loved the setting. Though I struggled a first as the book started off slow. Good ending, I didn't feel gripped by the story. Thanks to Victoria and her publisher. Thanks also to NetGalley.

This is captivating story that effortlessly blends romance, family secrets, and the allure of Italy. The narrative takes you to the stunning island of Ischia, and the descriptions are so vivid and lush that I could almost feel the warm sun on my skin.

The plot revolves around Alessia’s journey with her grandmother, Ornella, who finally opens up about the secrets she’s been keeping for over sixty years.

This is a lovely read that’s perfect for summer, and while it didn’t completely blow me away, it was still a perfectly fun and enjoyable story.

Thank you to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for this ARC.

This story takes place on the Italian island of Ischia near Naples and has a confusing amount of characters which I won't all name.

Ornella, 83, left Ischia with husband Gennaro and daughter Silvana for England when she was in her twenties. She has never talked about her time there with granddaughter Alessia, 34, but suddenly she is keen to return for a month long holiday. The "everything was better then and people dressed properly" nostalgia was a bit much at first especially because it isn't true, but thankfully that died down a bit the more we delved into that era and its sexism.

What follows is a reunion with old friends and the making of new ones. In 1957, the island was used as a film set, and there seems to be a link between a famous film star couple and Ornella's family. Secrets and lies are exposed, family history is discovered and romance blooms. There are flashbacks, but not too many, and the story is well-rounded, capturing the warm island feel and delectable Italian food.

This is well-written and interesting and will warm you on a cold winter's day, though the twists are easy to guess. Read if you like family drama and Italian film stars.