A review by cora_hreads
One Italian Summer by Rebecca Serle

adventurous hopeful lighthearted reflective slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

One Italian Summer was a book I couldn't put down! The plot was engaging and loving, with themes of happiness and grief being explored in-depth with an amount of detail that made Katy feel real. I liked that there were different aspects of Katy's life that all supported the main theme/plot, and that they kept building her up as a character. The sensory detail -- usually describing the sunsets, restaurants, and cityscape -- was almost like an Italian retreat in itself.

I do think, however, that the time travel could've been utilized differently. When I finished, I kept thinking about how the plot could've differed had time travel been a more common feature throughout the book instead of just towards the end.

Characters like Adam, Marco, Carlo, and Carol were fun and unique, which made the Hotel Poseidon very inviting. I did realize that the book was a bit Hallmark-movies-esque -- a bit basic with the climax, specifically -- but that was my only "qualm" with this story, if you can call it a qualm. Overall, if I ever needed a comfort read, One Italian Summer would be one of my top choices. 4/5 stars.