Guest Review: One Summer in Italy by Sue Moorcroft

When Sofia Bianchi’s father Aldo dies, it makes her stop and look at things afresh. Having been his carer for so many years, she knows it’s time for her to live her own life – and to fulfil some promises she made to Aldo in his final days.

So there’s nothing for it but to escape to Italy’s Umbrian mountains where, tucked away in a sleepy Italian village, lie plenty of family secrets waiting to be discovered. There, Sofia also finds Amy who is desperately trying to find her way in life after discovering her dad isn’t her biological father.

Sofia sets about helping Amy through this difficult time, but it’s the handsome Levi who proves to be the biggest distraction for Sofia, as her new life starts to take off…

Review: A book with such an enticing title and such an eye-catching cover is bound to attract attention. Of course, I have yet to read a Sue Moorcroft novel that I didn't enjoy, so I was always going to pick this one up anyway. From the very start, I was drawn in by its interesting characters and storyline. 

The central character in this story is Sofia Bianchi. Her mother having died when Sofia was young, it is left to her to care for her ailing father, Aldo. Sofia has made him several promises in his last days, and we see her setting about fulfilling some of these. Many of the promises involve her visiting Aldo's homeland, which is how she comes to be working in a small Umbrian village for the summer. As well as learning some surprising and, at times shocking, family secrets, she discovers the beauty of this part of Italy. Through her work, Sofia meets a young girl, Amy, who seems a little lost and in need of her care. The mysterious and handsome Levi is suddenly on the scene and taking an interest in both of them, but what is his motivation? 

I absolutely loved this book, infused as it is with the taste and atmosphere of Italy. Sofia and her dad are such strong and likeable characters; I very much enjoyed the relationship between them. Sofia's caring nature is brought to the fore once more by Amy's predicament and she finds herself almost in the role of career again. Although Amy is admittedly young, she seems especially immature. Levi's appearance on the scene seems somewhat strange to start with, but as his tale unfolds, so does his character to reveal another kind person caught in a difficult position. I could highly recommend this book to anyone. It has a wonderful setting and a cast of interesting people. 

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