Search This Blog







2025 Cover Lovers Reading Challenge (hosted by Yours Truly)

2025 Literary Escapes Challenge
- Alabama
- Alaska
- Arizona (2)
- Arkansas
- California (6)
- Colorado (3)
- Connecticut
- Delaware (1)
- Florida (1)
- Georgia (1)
- Hawaii (1)
- Idaho
- Illinois (1)
- Indiana (1)
- Iowa (3)
- Kansas
- Kentucky (1)
- Louisiana
- Maine (3)
- Maryland (1)
- Massachusetts (1)
- Michigan (2)
- Minnesota (2)
- Mississippi (1)
- Missouri
- Montana (1)
- Nebraska
- Nevada
- New Hampshire
- New Jersey (1)
- New Mexico
- New York (7)
- North Carolina (3)
- North Dakota (1)
- Ohio (1)
- Oklahoma (2)
- Oregon (2)
- Pennsylvania (1)
- Rhode Island (1)
- South Carolina (1)
- South Dakota
- Tennessee (1)
- Texas (1)
- Utah (1)
- Vermont (3)
- Virginia (2)
- Washington (3)
- West Virginia
- Wisconsin (1)
- Wyoming (1)
- Washington, D.C.* (1)
International:
- Australia (3)
- Canada (3)
- England (14)
- France (2)
- Italy (1)
- Japan (1)
- Norway (1)
- Puerto Rico (1)
- Scotland (1)


2025 POPSUGAR Reading Challenge



2025 Build Your Library Reading Challenge









Saturday, May 09, 2020
Summery Friendship/Secrets Novel Gets a Meh From Me
8:33 PM
(Image from Barnes & Noble)
Six years ago, three strangers flew to Italy to enjoy a surprise vacation on the stunning Amalfi Coast. Each of the women expected to soak in the picture-perfect scenery, dine on delectable cuisine, and relax on the sparkling beach. None of them foresaw meeting the others at a ramshackle villa and becoming instant, lifelong friends. What Kim, Colette, and Annie experienced in Italy—from friendship to romance to the start of a successful business—changed their lives.
Now, Kim is bringing them back to Italy for the grand re-opening of the villa that started it all. A well-known wellness guru, she's had the place renovated and turned into a health spa. She can't wait for her old friends to join celebrities, investors, and other influencers at what will certainly be the most glamorous event of the season. It soon becomes apparent, however, that someone is out to sabotage Kim by exposing a ruinous secret she thought no one knew about. She's not the only one worried about what could happen in Italy. Annie has her own secret to hide. She's also got her own reasons for needing to be at Kim's fancy party—and it's not to pat Kim on the back for a job well done. Then there's Colette, who fell madly in love with a local while in Italy and subsequently had her heart dashed into a million pieces. Although she's been happily married to another man for five years, she can't help but wonder what happened to the one that got away. Luca will no doubt be at Kim's party. What will happen when she sees him again?
When the three women reunite on the Amalfi Coast, shocking secrets will out, old resentments will flare, and, once again, the friends' lives will be forever changed by what happens in Italy ...
Old-friends-coming-back-together-to-deal-with-past-secrets-that-are-threatening-to-come-to-light is one of my favorite mystery/thriller tropes. I figured I'd dig it in a contemporary romance/women's novel as well. Unfortunately, The Summer Villa by Melissa Hill didn't pull me in like such thrillers usually do. The story started slowly and took its time getting to the juicy parts. As much as I loved the book's sparkling setting, I found the characters, the prose, and the plot pretty meh. All of the starring women irritated me with their immaturity—even their adult selves were childish and petty. Even though I saw the plot twists coming, I did want to know what was going to happen in the story, so I finished it. In the end, though, The Summer Villa was just an average read for me. Nothing special.
(Readalikes: Reminds me of other summer friendship novels, but no specific titles are coming to mind. You?)
Grade:
If this were a movie, it would be rated:
for language (a few F-bombs, plus milder expletives) and sexual content
To the FTC, with love: I received an e-ARC of The Summer Villa from the generous folks at HarperCollins. Thank you!
Subscribe to:
Posts
(Atom)


Reading
Rabbit Rabbit by Dori Hillestad Butler and Sunshine Bacon

Listening
The Morning House by Maureen Johnson


Followin' with Bloglovin'

-
C Is for Courting (Amish ABCs)2 hours ago
-
You're Safe Here by Leslie Stephens4 hours ago
-
-
-
Keeping the Countess by Lille Moore8 hours ago
-
-
Top 5 Tuesday ~ Times of Day11 hours ago
-
-
-
-
-
Top Ten Tuesday...13 hours ago
-
A Royal Family Found in Book Titles14 hours ago
-
-
TTT – Its An Honor-ific16 hours ago
-
-
-
-
-
-
Week in Review #283 days ago
-
-
Clean teen books for Summer2 weeks ago
-
Books read in June2 weeks ago
-
-
-
-
No Roundup this month2 months ago
-
-
Sunday Post #5682 months ago
-
-
February 2025 Reading Wrap Up4 months ago
-
One Big Happy Family by Susan Mallery4 months ago
-
-
-
I'm Still Reading - This Was My October7 months ago
-
Review: The Duke and I10 months ago
-
Girl Plus Books: On Hiatus11 months ago
-
-
-
What Happened to Summer?1 year ago
-
6/25/23 Extra Ezra2 years ago
-
-
-
-
-
Are you looking for Pretty Books?2 years ago
-
-
-
-
-
-

Grab my Button!


Blog Archive
- ► 2021 (159)
- ▼ 2020 (205)
- ► 2019 (197)
- ► 2018 (223)
- ► 2017 (157)
- ► 2016 (157)
- ► 2015 (188)
- ► 2014 (133)
- ► 2013 (183)
- ► 2012 (193)
- ► 2011 (232)
- ► 2010 (257)
- ► 2009 (211)
- ► 2008 (192)


2025 Goodreads Reading Challenge
2024 - Elementary/Middle Grade Nonfiction
2023 - Middle Grade Fiction
2022 - Middle Grade Fiction
2021 - Middle Grade Fiction

2020 - Middle Grade Fiction
