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The book is set in beautiful Italy and it makes you want to visit there. I think the "villans" in this piece didn't get their comeuppance and I think that was the only mistake. Traitors should be shot,’ he spat, his eyes glittering dangerously in the moonlight. He raised the gun and took aim. You might be writing a book, are you?" Carol replied: "I am, yes. My third one." Carol giggled as Jon said: "Are you writing through the weekend? Are you still writing?" The parallels between Phillipa and Carina’s lives are interesting. Though it doesn’t do justice to their ‘intelligence’, it offers a little something to ponder about in a mother-daughter relationship. (Not sure if this was intended, but anyhoo).
Do you have to go?’ Carina murmured, wrapping her arms around her fiancé as she gazed up at his handsome face.Carina had a sharp business brain too, and her father had rewarded her devotion to the company by making her brand director of Casa di Russo. She’d more than risen to the challenge, recently overseeing an international campaign with Brad Pitt to raise the company’s profile in the US. It had been a huge investment, but Carina had convinced her father it would pay off in terms of brand awareness and sales. Now it seemed she’d been proved right, and she was thrilled. The writing style is easy, almost too easy, and highly simplified. While this adds to the pace, it doesn’t evoke enough emotions to connect with the characters. Still, I wanted Giorgio to get his due for being an absolute douchebag, so one character did inspire strong emotions in me. Rafaella kept her gaze on the table as she cleaned, taking a moment to reply. ‘All relationships are different. You and Salvatore were vortice, a whirlwind, it’s harder for you to understand that, for some couples, it plays out differently. This marriage will be advantageous for everyone. Stop fretting.’ The multiple third-person POV works to an extent in providing their thoughts, but the voice shifts repeatedly from one person to another. At the same time, it’s not omnipresent narration either. This makes it hard to connect with the characters.
Wait! the young man wanted to shout, but knowing it was futile the word died on his lips. He nodded as their eyes met for a split second. There was a tussle in the darkness and blows were exchanged, fists flying as pent-up fear and anger found a release. The mood changed rapidly when one of the soldiers drew his weapon. They emerged onto the deserted street. The breeze was warm but carried the acrid smell of smoke and the stench of diesel from the ships in the harbour. There was a palpable sense of tension in the air. They’d already lived through three years of war, and it seemed it was far from over yet. Carol explained: "I have just finished one. I was reading a trilogy by Heather Norris which is really good. The last one was called Three Sisters. A very good book - I'd recommend it."Salerno had been heavily bombed in recent weeks, the scene of fierce fighting. Italy had withdrawn its support for Germany, and the Allies had landed in Sicily before making their way to the mainland. Now the country had been split in two, with Mussolini’s supporters in the north and those loyal to King Victor Emmanuel in the south, effectively a state of civil war.
His friend looked at him, terror in his eyes, but resolution too. ‘Yes. We must run. But not together . . . alone.’ During her chat with Tom, the mother of meteorology gave listeners an insight into why the weather has been a bit rubbish lately. “Basically, the jet stream for us in the summer months is normally to the north of us. And that allows high pressures to travel across us, and the high pressure brings settled weather for us, especially in the summer. Speaking about what her latest offering is about, Carol told Tom Allen, who has been covering for Chris over the past fortnight: “It's set on the beautiful Amalfi Coast, and the story follows two families who are wine producing families. One is more successful than the other, and their lives have been intertwined for generations. And it's expected that the siblings from each family will marry in what promises to be the wedding of the year. Carol replied: "Yes." Nina said: "Are you reading a book at the moment Carol? What are you reading?" The meteorologist replied: "More or less," after Nina quizzed her on whether she "always had a book on the go." The younger nodded and they drained their amaro, a locally produced, bitter-tasting herbal liqueur. They swayed unsteadily as they stood up from their wooden stools – this was far from their first drink of the evening – pushing their way through the throng of uniformed men, all yelling and singing and carousing.It’s Bianca,’ she explained, naming Carina’s wedding planner. ‘You need to decide about the stemware for the champagne reception. Flutes or coupes?’ The actual story is set in 2005. While books set in the past only recreate a similar setting, this one feels like it was written at the same time but dusted and edited for publishing in 2023. Not sure I can explain it right, but I wouldn’t be surprised if the book is an old manuscript. Then he was gone, and Carina was left fighting a whirl of emotions: frustration, confusion, disappointment. The main and side characters could have been much better but end up as cardboard cutouts. Also, a major development made me roll my eyes at the FMC. This could have been achieved in better ways. I have read a couple of Carol's books before and I really enjoyed this one. There were bits that I found a bit disappointing but it didn't spoil my enjoyment of the book.
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