Finding Love, Italian Style

Last of the Summer Vines

by Romy Sommer.

I fell in love with Tuscany while reading this book. From the first page, I felt as though I was right there in Italy with Sarah Wells, tasting the wines, sampling the pasta and pastries, and experiencing everything else that life at the small vineyard near Montalcino had to offer.

When her father passes away, Sarah, a financial analyst from London, finds herself in Tuscany as the heir to the Castello di Sant’ Angelo vineyard. Except that she didn’t exactly inherit it outright. In his will, her father left the vineyard to his business partner, Tommaso di Biasi. Which meant both Sarah and Tomasso had an equal share. The problem? Sarah wants to return to her fast-paced life in England, but Tomasso doesn’t have the means to buy her out. So, they reach an agreement. Sarah can sell the villa and keep the proceeds while Tomasso retains ownership of the land and the grapes. An easy solution (right?) until Sarah discovers the house needs months of massive renovations to make it sellable, which requires her to spend the summer in this little pocket of Tuscany where the art of making wine is the soul of the countryside.

This book is one of the best romances I’ve read. It has everything: a beautiful setting, hunky Italian men, close friends, a disgruntled neighbor, seemingly insurmountable problems, sweet tender moments, small victories, and a big win—every component necessary for a very satisfying read.

Definitely a page-turner, no matter how many times you read it (this was the second time for me)!

(Published in 2018 by Harper Collins Publishers.)