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3.16 AVERAGE
3.16 AVERAGE
British expats buy a hotel in the 1920s Italian Rivera and host an eclectic mix of guests during their grand opening weekend. Most of the guests have some type of agenda or secret to hide, while the hotel owners are trying to repair their marriage and arrange their son’s marriage into another aristocratic family. There’s lots of snobbery - classism, racism, sexism, and even some fascism! Delightful for fans of Downtown Abbey, though I had trouble keeping all the names and storylines straight. The setting and characters were wonderfully developed.
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
relaxing
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
If there were 1/2 stars I'd give the book 1-1/2.
Really kind of a stupid plot with the author (not sure it was intentional) portraying evil, selfish, personalities being unkind to others.
Thought the scenery where it took place would have compensated for any weakness in the book but sadly not.
Really kind of a stupid plot with the author (not sure it was intentional) portraying evil, selfish, personalities being unkind to others.
Thought the scenery where it took place would have compensated for any weakness in the book but sadly not.
emotional
adventurous
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
funny
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Thank you NetGalley and Blackstone Publishing for a free copy in exchange for my honest review.
This story takes place in Portofino, Italy, which was what drew me to this story, an area I have not but would like to visit. A couple, Cecil and Bella Aisworth purchases a hotel to try and make a new life for their family after the Great War. Cecil is not excited about the new adventure and is not very supportive of Bella. In the 1920’s this type of treatment of women was not uncommon and being a British aristocrat doesn’t put him in vane to be supportive either.
The book is very character driven with a multitude of various types of people staying at the hotel. This leaves the reader wanting more from the story because the characters were so numerous they lacked development and there was no real connection to any of them. Since this is going to be a tv series the screenwriter will have the opportunity to develop these characters more so the viewer might feel a stronger connection to the story.
Another drawback I had about the book was the lack of descriptions of Portofino or the surrounding areas. The reader never gets a feel for the beauty of this area of Italy. Lucian took Rose to Genoa to see the sites but the author didn’t give much detail that made the reader feel like they were there.
This story takes place in Portofino, Italy, which was what drew me to this story, an area I have not but would like to visit. A couple, Cecil and Bella Aisworth purchases a hotel to try and make a new life for their family after the Great War. Cecil is not excited about the new adventure and is not very supportive of Bella. In the 1920’s this type of treatment of women was not uncommon and being a British aristocrat doesn’t put him in vane to be supportive either.
The book is very character driven with a multitude of various types of people staying at the hotel. This leaves the reader wanting more from the story because the characters were so numerous they lacked development and there was no real connection to any of them. Since this is going to be a tv series the screenwriter will have the opportunity to develop these characters more so the viewer might feel a stronger connection to the story.
Another drawback I had about the book was the lack of descriptions of Portofino or the surrounding areas. The reader never gets a feel for the beauty of this area of Italy. Lucian took Rose to Genoa to see the sites but the author didn’t give much detail that made the reader feel like they were there.
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes