A review by beccarwolf
Hotel Portofino by J.P. O'Connell

emotional mysterious medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.0

The lives of strangers and friends intertwine when they enter the Hotel Portofino. O’Connell skillfully maneuvers multiple storylines while maintaining entertaining prose and vibrant imagery. With so many characters the author takes the opportunity to shed light on topics relevant today (racism, classism, sexuality, domestic abuse, etc), and takes care to do so without it coming across as excessive tokenism. Most of the characters are distinguishable from each other and are well developed, allowing the reader to emotionally connect with their journeys in the plot. 
This isn’t a story that I see myself rereading in the future, but would gladly recommend it to readers looking to entertain themselves with the convoluted lives of 1920s tourists and hoteliers on the Italian coast. 

*I was gifted a digital copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.*
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