Customer Reviews

Summer in Tuscany

5 star:		(13)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Leave it to Elizabeth Adler to write one of the best books I've read in the past few weeks. Then again from my earliest days of reading this author with books like Leonie, Peach, The Rich Shall Inherit and The Property of a Lady, Ms. Adler has never failed to entertain me, educate me and even introduce to me to some of the most unforgettable characters. Recently the author has written a couple of books in the romantic suspense genre but it is Summer in Tuscany which is perhaps her most intriguing book recently which blends romance, a bit of mystery and the description of a country I now hope to visit.

Gemma is a 40 year old emergency room doctor concerned about both her rebellious 15 year old daughter Livia and her 60 year old widowed mother Nonna. Exhausted from her intense life at the hospital, Gemma has little time for a social life other than the traditional Italian Sunday afternoon feast at her mother's house with their small family and a few friends. While Gemma daydreams about changing her life, she feels stuck with her life and finds she has little to look forward to. But then at Sunday dinner, Nonna announces that she has inherited a villa in the town of her birthplace located in Tuscany.
The deceased Count of the villa has left the estate to the surviving family member of a man who saved him from downing many years before. Nonna who left Italy with her parents many years before can't wait to return to her village and take possession of the villa. But first she must convince both Gemma and Livia to make the trip with her. At first Gemma won't even consider the idea but then thinks a summer away from New York may be the perfect opportunity for Livia, Nonna and herself to bond.

Arriving first in Rome, Gemma makes the acquaintance of a gentleman and hois young daughter. Almost immediately, Gemma feels something for this man. These are feelings she has long denied herself. But when she meets up with this man a few days later in Tuscany, he claims that he purchased Nonna's villa and he is now the rightful owner. Now while Gemma's relationship is heating up with this gentelman, the search is on for the owner or the villa or the heir to it.

While I loved the plot and many colorful characters, I think it was the description of Rome, Florence but most of all, the Tuscan region that found me reading late into the night. And when I wasn't picturing the Ponte Vecchio, Colosseum or the streets of a Tuscan village, my mouth was watering from the many wonderful homegrown foods and restaurant meals. There is even the appearance of Luchay, a bejeweled parrot with a wonderful history whom readers of Elizabeth Adler's previous book the Rich Shall Inherit will remember along with his owner Poppy Mallory.

It has been many years since I read my first book by Elizabeth Adler. But now having read and loved Summer in Tuscany I have this great desire to reread all of the books I previously read by this author. And if that isn't enough, I am seriously considering a trip to Tuscany this summer. Where else would I go after falling madly in love with this place after reading this book which takes place there.

If you long for the charm of the Italian countryside and revel in quaint shops and romantic cafes with a foreign flavor, pick up a copy of "Summer in Tuscany." Travel with harried New York physician Gemma Jericho, her Italian-born mother Nonna, and her punk but mannerly daughter to the romantic Bella Piacere when they discover Nonna has inherited an Italian villa. When things seem too good to be true they most often are, and the ownership of the villa seems to be in grave dispute. A hunky Long Island artist appears to have purchased it legally and as the mostly predictable plot unfolds you'll feel Gemma's pain as she loses her heart and soul to the artist while mainly behaving as a lovesick teenager. There is so much local color you'll be reaching for juicy olives and sun-dried tomatoes, deciding to have a grappa with your dinner, and maybe even scouring the stores for the latest Italian import. There's also enough steamy romance to satisfy the passionate soul, but it is Gemma's secret past that really warms the reader to this slightly ditzy American in Florence. It may not be great literature, but it is an entertaining read with charm, romance, and a multi-generational bonding experience to savor.

I normally don't go out of my way for romance~fiction, even though a plot around a love story appeals to me. In this story (an Italian adventure) you will meet Nonna, Gemma (her daughter) and Oliva (Gemma's teenage daughter). Nonna receives a mysterious letter beckoning her to Italy because she has inherited a villa. The journey begins and it is a lavish trip. Entertaining writing ~ too romancey in parts ~ wonderful ending.

While looking for books on CD for my husband to listen to while working, I stumbled on "Summer in Tuscany" and kept it for myself. What a lovely story! Elizabeth Adler's rich prose had me in Italy with Gemma and her family, enjoying the sights, sounds, smells and tastes as if I were part of the Jericho family. The romance in the novel is just as appealing.

Elizabeth Adler's writing is so delicious, it's prompted me to make a visit to the Amalfi Coast to work on my next novel which will be set there.

Thank you, Ms. Adler for this lovely read.... I am currently devouring more of your fabulous novels.

Looking for something to read the other night, I found this on my bookcase and thought, it'd be a nice pace from the other books I've been reading lately. It is. It is fun, delightful and dreamy. After all, with summer almost here, who wouldn't like to go to Italy and spend the summer there?

It is a typical love story ~~ where woman meets guy, woman scorns the guy and soon, they fall in love together, but something tragic has happen in the woman's past keeping them apart till love is too great and conquers all. However, it's written in a delightful and witty way, with lush descriptions of the Italian countryside, the delightful relationships between mother and daughter, grandma and granddaughter, between man and woman, between Italy and the land, sky and sea. It is a dreamy book and very romantic. I actually found myself sighing over several chapters in this book ~~ which I haven't done in a long time.

If you're looking for a dreamy book to while away those lazy summer afternoons, I highly suggest this one. It's not classical literature by any means, but it's one of the better ways to escape reality for a few hours and fall in love with reading and Italy all over again.

5-24-07

.... or as I learned - a "beautiful love story'! My constant daydreams of traveling to Italy (and/or Greece) were temporarily satisfied by this lovely book. Ms. Adler's descriptive writing made me feel as if I were in the quaint Tuscan Village watching from the sidelines, could feel the hot sun, see the bougainvilla flourishing, taste the fresh fruit, good cheeses & meats & excellent wines. I blushed with the strong felt love between the 'afraid to love' Gemma & the handsome, loving Ben Raphael and his persistence not to let her go. And I beamed with happiness for Momma Sophia Maria for making her decision to live life to the fullest day to day. I will be sure to check our Ms. Adler's 'House in Amalfi' so I can continue my 'visit' of Italy without ever leaving my seat!

SUMMER IN TUSCANY........ what a pleasure to pick up a book and simply fall into its pages, and into its character and the wonderful Tuscan village Elizabeth Adler has created.... I was right there with the Jericho family, in the little inn with the brass beds and the wobbly shower....... I could even feel the heat of the sun on the rampant zucchini, and on the tomato plants climbing up the old stone wall... and taste them with basil and mozzarella later...... This author knows how to bring you into her world with a love story that you envy, a teenager whose moods you recognize and an Italian grandmother who runs everybody's lives. Vivid, colorful, fun - and touching.

I liked this even more than Last Time I Saw Paris.... I'm a big Elizabeth Adler fan and have read all her books and she always surprises me with a new style, or a new twist on life. Currently she;s into a travelling mode and I love being taken along with her - and the eccentric Jericho family to Tuscany, and to Positano, Rome, and Florence.......it's not a guided tour, it's just written with love.

I always expect Adler to send out all kinds of tentacles in her books and at the end, tie everything together. This is not a typical Adler book. I enjoyed the descriptions of Italy, the plot was weak, but was fun to read, put down and not think about again.
I always call these kind of books "Visa paying books." By that, I mean its a short, quick, nothing book that everyone will buy because it has an author's name on it that you like and then the author can pay their monthly Visa bill. A no-effort book. Instead of buying, go to the library.

After reading Summer in Tuscany, I want to hop on a plane and go there myself. Elizabeth Adler's descriptions of the Tuscan countryside and the wonderful restaurants made it all come alive for me. Add to that an exciting romance and you have one great read.