The Secret of Villa Serena
escape to the Italian sun with this romantic feel-good read
Published on 18. October 2018
Book
Paperback/Softback
432 pages
978-1-78648-436-9 (ISBN)
Description
A gorgeous, sun-filled novel following one woman's journey from heartbreak to adventure, for fans of Santa Montefiore. An irresistible read that will transport you straight to Tuscany...
Emily looks like she has it all
Living the dream
There's the lovingly restored Tuscan farmhouse, the three beautiful children, the successful husband, the newspaper column detailing her glamorous expat life. But when Emily's husband dumps her by text message, she has to face up to some stark home truths.
The nightmare reality
She has no money, her cleaner hates her, her eldest girl is out of her depth with the local seducer, her middle daughter is dangerously underweight, and her darling baby is fast becoming a brat. She doesn't even have any Italian friends.
But there's hope
Even as Emily admits that she's not living the Tuscan dream, she finds herself drawn into the village of Monte Albano and discovers the genuine Italy, darker and more intriguing than she had ever imagined. If she can get over a lingering obsession with her youthful first love, an attractive stranger might be about to show her the time of her life...
Emily looks like she has it all
Living the dream
There's the lovingly restored Tuscan farmhouse, the three beautiful children, the successful husband, the newspaper column detailing her glamorous expat life. But when Emily's husband dumps her by text message, she has to face up to some stark home truths.
The nightmare reality
She has no money, her cleaner hates her, her eldest girl is out of her depth with the local seducer, her middle daughter is dangerously underweight, and her darling baby is fast becoming a brat. She doesn't even have any Italian friends.
But there's hope
Even as Emily admits that she's not living the Tuscan dream, she finds herself drawn into the village of Monte Albano and discovers the genuine Italy, darker and more intriguing than she had ever imagined. If she can get over a lingering obsession with her youthful first love, an attractive stranger might be about to show her the time of her life...
Reviews / Votes
A fascinating account of Italian life, written with skill and insight -- Katie Fforde on The Italian Quarter A fascinating story vividly told, this is a classic page-turner * Italia magazine on The Italian Quarter * Witty and light as a tiramisu but with tart insight * Nottingham Evening Post on The Eternal City *More details
Language
English
Place of publication
London
United Kingdom
Product notice
Paperback (UK-B)
Dimensions
Height: 196 mm
Width: 128 mm
Thickness: 30 mm
Weight
300 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-78648-436-9 (9781786484369)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Person
Domenica de Rosa started her career working at the Bookseller, and went on to work in children's publishing. She is now a full time writer and, under the name Elly Griffiths, is the author of the bestselling Dr Ruth Galloway mysteries and the Brighton mysteries. Domenica is half-Italian and loves the Tuscan coast. She has two grown-up children and lives in Brighton with her archaeologist husband and their cat, Pip.