The Summer Villa

Listeners follow the growing relationship between three young women who find themselves sharing a villa for a few weeks on Italy's Amalfi Coast. Six years later, they have a reunion. Narrator Penelope Rawlins rises to the challenge of bringing to life a cast of characters with hugely different backgrounds. She seamlessly switches between the Irish, English, and American accents of the protagonists, even in scenes with fast-moving dialogue. She successfully characterizes the various male characters, never once giving any clue as to who the villain in the story is until the very end. Rawlins's authentic-sounding pronunciation of names and places helps to create an atmosphere full of Italian charm, as well as suspense and intrigue. K.J.P. © AudioFile 2020, Portland, Maine

April 1, 2020

When she was 31, Kim Weston fled her parents' home rather than marry a man they'd picked for her. She hid at Villa Dolce Vita on Italy's Amalfi Coast, where she met and befriended Colette and Annie. Colette, from Brighton, was there after helping her mother through cancer treatments. Annie, from Dublin, came to break with her wild past before focusing on building up her own salon. Now, six years later, Kim has worked hard to make the villa into a luxury retreat and the friends are reuniting to celebrate the grand opening. But none of them have had an easy path and each has an unhappy secret that's getting harder to keep hidden. While this book might look like a breezy read, there is quite a bit going on in each character's story line and mysterious secrets sprinkled throughout. The cast is fairly large, but not all are important, and the chapters alternate between the past and the present, helping to build suspense. VERDICT Readers looking for a tale about women, with the help of their friends, overcoming obstacles to find the life they'll love will enjoy Hill's latest (after Keep You Safe).--Stacey Hayman, Rocky River P.L., OH

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