A holiday with a past…

Synopsis

Escape to a beautiful Italian island with this wonderfully romantic story, threaded with secrets and intrigue.

It’s time to return to Ischia…

Alessia knows her grandmother grew up on the beautiful Italian island off the coast from Naples. But Ornella seldom talks about her life there – or why she never went back.

So Alessia is amazed when Ornella reveals that, in the months before she left Ischia, she had worked on the set of a famous 1950s movie filmed on the island. Is there a link between the film set and the tragic death of Ornella’s teenage sister?

Ornella has kept her past – and the heart-wrenching promise she made – a secret for over sixty years. She has tried not to think about the love she gave up. But now, perhaps the truth should finally be revealed…

Travelling to Ischia together, Alessia falls in love with the utterly captivating island. Meeting handsome journalist Roberto helps her dig deeper into her family’s past, too. Just what happened to Ornella’s sister? What heart-wrenching secret is her grandmother hiding?

This summer, can Alessia and Ornella put the past to rest and find the happy ending they both deserve?

A wonderfully escapist, romantic and compelling story of secrets and sacrifice, love and loyalty, that is perfect for fans of Karen Swan, Louise Douglas and Rosanna Ley.

My review

Alessia always knew that her lovely grandmother Ornella grew up on the Italian island of Ischia, until Ornella and her husband left the island for England. Now that Alessia’s relationship ended, and she no longer has a job, perhaps is now the perfect time to return to the place that Ornella called home. Yet Nonna Ornella is still able surprise Alessia with revealing that in the 1950’s, she worked on the set of a famous movie filmed on Ischia. Yet Ornella’s reluctance of speaking about that time, makes Alessia wonder if there is a link between the film and her aunt’s, Ornella’s younger sister, tragic death. Because it’s clear that Ornella is keeping more secrets, secrets that she has kept over sixty years. But could it be that returning to Ischia is also the perfect opportunity to open up about what happened to Ornella and her sister? And with Alessia’s encounter with a handsome journalist on a mission of his own, Roberto, Alessa has an ally in discovering the truth. But will there more be found by Alessia on this beautiful island than just the truth?

As an Italian, I may be a little biased when a story takes place in this beautiful country. As an Italian from the south, perhaps I am a little bit more biased. As an Italian that has visited and fallen in love with Ischia, I am perhaps a little bit a lot biased… But honestly, can you blame me? and after all, even if a story is set in the most beautiful place, but the story is not that great, even the best setting cannot fix that…

Luckily for us (and for the author, otherwise she would have to answer to me personally 😊  this is an amazing story, that for sure kept surprising me!Nobody ever needs to find a reason to go to Ischia, as it’s a wonderful place. But the fact that there is an actual link between the place and the main characters, for sure is a nice extra. It means that Ischia is of real importance, and it’s not just a ‘random’ place chosen by cheer chance, or luck.

Right from the start, I liked Alessia. She feels like a real person, someone that could actual live in our real lives. But I also liked her bond with her nonna, Ornella. With there being a generation gap, it would be normal if there would be some friction between the women. And of course not everything goes smoothly all the time, yet the genuine love and care for each other is so palpable from each page.

With Ornella’s reluctance of returning to Ischia, of course Alessia’s curiosity grows. And of course mine grew too! Not only did I wanted to see how Ornella would be returning home, but I was also eager to discover what exactly happened all those years ago to Ornella and her sister. And I have to say, my mind and imagination went wild!

Especially the fact that a famous movie was made when Ornella was young, added extra mystery (and extra plots) to the story. What exactly happened back there? And how could it be that it still had an effect on Ornella as it clearly still haunts her…

Of course there has to be somehow a love interest for Alessia, as let’s not forget that she is also a main character in this book. I liked it how she connects with Roberto, even if they have just met. You would think that him being a journalist, it would be only about getting his story, but that is not Roberto. Yes, his story matters to him, but seeing him with Alessia, makes it clear that these two people, helping each other out, start to feel more and more for each other. And that Roberto’s story starts to fade a little bit.

There are several side characters in this book, that initially don’t seem connected to the greater picture. Yet slowly I was able to connect the dots, and seeing my suspicions finally being right after many attempts, it felt satisfying. And not only for my sake, but also for the characters in the book.

Taking about side characters, it has to be said that I loved seeing how Ornella and Alessia were welcomed (back) to Ischia. The Italians in this book for sure show how open and accepting they can be. 

Of course there is an initial wariness, and here and there someone has to be a d*ckhead, but in general all the people in this book are just warm and kind people, with their hearts at the right place.

This book for sure takes its characters on a journey, together with its readers. Characters that have to discover their roots, characters that have to face their past, characters that have to stop hiding. Characters that somehow are all connected.

And as a reader, I found myself having the urgent need to read more, because those dots needed to be connected asap. Because Victoria Springfield just captures your attention and won’t let you go until you reached the end. And with such a beautiful setting, wonderful, realistic and altruistic characters, why would I just think of putting the book away? 😊