Gelato at the Villa

Suitcase Sisters #2

by Robin Jones Gunn

Chi trova un amico trova un tesoro.
"Whoever finds a friend finds a treasure ."
Italian saying

Grace and Claire have formed a close friendship over their love of reading. After many years and many books that provided armchair adventures, the time has come for them to go somewhere instead of only dreaming of someday.

Traveling to Venice, Florence, and Bellagio, the Suitcase Sisters find themselves immersed in the magnificent works of art, scrumptious gelato flavors, and endless pasta variations of Italy. And they discover a vulnerability to disclose their struggles in ways they never did at home. As Grace experiences a newfound freedom and confidence in who she is, Claire wrestles with painful memories of her teen years.

A special dinner party brings unexpected revelations about faith and God's nearness. Then a life-changing moment on the shores of Lake Lugano causes Grace and Claire to discover they are not just tourists but pilgrims on a path to becoming all God created them to be.

Robin Jones Gunn whisks you away to experience the incredible culture of Northern Italy in this inspiring, faith-based contemporary fiction with themes of European travel, midlife adventures, and lifelong friendships, making this a perfect book club selection.

Genres: Christian Fiction, Fiction, Christian, Contemporary, Summer, Travel, Italy

290 pages, Kindle Edition

Published August 19, 2025

About the author

ROBIN JONES GUNN has written more than 100 books with over 6.5 million copies sold worldwide. Her Father Christmas books have been made into three Hallmark Christmas movies. The timeless Christy Miller series now continues in Christy & Todd: The College Years, Married Years, Baby Years, and the Haven Maker series. Robin's novels and non-fiction works include Before Your Tween Daughter Becomes a Woman, Victim of Grace, Praying for Your Future Husband, and Before You Meet Your Future Husband co-authored with Tricia Goyer. Her books have received multiple awards and are a favorite with book clubs and study groups. Many of Robin's books are in eBook, audiobook, large print, and foreign editions. Robin does a weekly Podcast called "Women Worth Knowing" with Cheryl Brodersen. Robin and her husband have a grown son and daughter and live in California.

Reviews

[BookLoverAmanda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Book Review: Gelato at the Villa - Robin Jones Gunn
5 Stars - A Favorite Book of 2025
Blog Post with quote graphics: https://bookloveramanda.blogspot.com/...

Have you ever had a friend that you were praying would return to the Lord after hurt from the past? Have you been the friend that turned back to the Lord after His constant pursuit? This book is one you don't want to miss.

This book was SO impactful for me. I laughed. I cried. I can't recommend it enough!

We need more friendship stories in books and I loved this one! In this book, we follow Grace and Claire. Told from Grace's POV, we see our best friends travel to Italy, making stops in Venice, Florence and Bellagio. The girls enjoy art, cooking, AMAZING food, gelato (of course!), museums and the LORD truly works on this trip. I also LOVED the people they met along the way and all the travel details.

I have a full YouTube reading vlog coming out on August 25th with ALL the tears and thoughts, but all I can say is this book is one I needed!

Seeing Grace's POV praying for her friend who had been running from the Lord for so long after being hurt by people in the church years ago was powerful. She was patient with Claire. She honored her requests. She let the Lord lead her in the conversations, even when she didn't know what to say. Grace also encountered the Lord's peace when things aren't going great at her job.

Yes, this book brings Italy to life and makes you really want some good Italian food and Gelato, but it also had the Lord front and center in their trip and by the end, we really see forgiveness, a prodigal daughter moment and good friendship on display. This is how you tell a beautiful, in depth story under 300 pages! :)

The Lord is always pursuing us. Draw near to Him and He will draw near to you. See my blog post for my favorite quotes as well in the graphics!

Thank you to TLC Book Tours, Revell and Robin Jones Gunn for a complimentary copy of this book to honestly read and review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

*trigger warning for mentions of past abuse as a child but not graphically detailed.

[Keisha | A Book Like You · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh, man, what a beautiful ride! 🥹🩷 This standalone series is a favorite for me - you heard that right, you don’t have to read these in order. No overlap! Just different suitcase sisters. 🧳

Grace and Claire’s story is one of my favorites. I loved seeing a friendship where one friend was interceding for another to come back to God after being hurt by Christians. God’s relentless pursuit was so beautifully portrayed through the girls’ journey through Italy.

I just can’t get enough of the faith, friendship, and the absolutely wanderlust Robin’s books give me! I don’t want these books to ever end. And I’m so happy to be able to read them alongside one of my best friends, too. Just makes the experience even better! Love you, Kaitlin! 🥰

[Grandma Susan · Rating 5 out of 5]

What an awesome series. I also loved Tea with Elephants, the first in the series. These are stand alone books. The title of the series sums it up well, The Suitcase Sisters. This story is about two best friends, Grace and Claire. They both share a love of reading. They go to Italy together and have marvelous experiences. This author creates wonderfully vivid scenes and lovely dialogue. I also loved the faith element. Outstanding narration. Highly recommend, if you’re in the mood for something light and heartwarming.

[theliterateleprechaun · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 ⭐

I was thankful for the opportunity to join the Suitcase Sisters again on their trip. I reminisced about great vacations I’ve had in Italy and was left with a craving for Italian food for dinner.

I appreciated Gunn’s spotlight on friendship, faith, and healing and was most interested in the dynamics between two friends with dissimilar spiritual relationships. While disappointed that this was so different from Tea With Elephants, I could appreciate the highlighting of friendships that changed as a result of travel.

I was gifted this copy and was under no obligation to provide a review.

[Amy Hagberg]

I made it to 25% but found it to be unengaging.

[Cathryn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Italy has been a dream for me since I was teen who found opera and art. This book took me on that pilgrimage with its pages filled with food, friendship, and faith. It is difficult to describe the beauty spoken in the story. Real truths of living the Christian life were displayed. The visits to churches were most impactful to me as the frescos helped both characters to hear from the Lord. Jesus is amazing like that to keep pursuing us despite our hurts and hangups. I also enjoyed all the side characters, their stories, and how they ministered to both Grace and Claire. This was delightful and brought joy to my soul.

[Bree · Rating 4 out of 5]

"𝑺𝒕𝒐𝒓𝒊𝒆𝒔 𝒔𝒉𝒐𝒘 𝒖𝒔 𝒕𝒓𝒖𝒕𝒉, 𝒃𝒆𝒂𝒖𝒕𝒚, 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒉𝒐𝒑𝒆. 𝑺𝒕𝒐𝒓𝒊𝒆𝒔 𝒂𝒓𝒆 𝒂 𝒈𝒊𝒇𝒕. 𝑻𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒊𝒔 𝒘𝒉𝒚 𝒘𝒆 𝒎𝒖𝒔𝒕 𝒂𝒍𝒘𝒂𝒚𝒔 𝒈𝒊𝒗𝒆 𝒐𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒔 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒈𝒊𝒇𝒕 𝒐𝒇 𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒔𝒕𝒐𝒓𝒊𝒆𝒔."

I adore the way Robin Jones Gunn describes the kaleidoscope of new experiences in her traveling books—especially in the Suitcase Sisters series. The descriptive scenes of architecture and landscapes positively leap off the pages, while the tastes and smells are divine and make me feel as though I’m right there enjoying them with the characters! I’m not much of one for traveling, but her writing makes me want to embark on my own journey to discover the hidden beauties the world holds!

𝚂𝚒𝚖𝚙𝚕𝚎 𝚓𝚘𝚢𝚜 𝚊𝚛𝚎 𝚑𝚘𝚕𝚢.

I found myself relating so much to Grace’s struggles to let loose on her trip. I too find it much too easy to get caught up in worrying what others—complete strangers I’ll never see again—think of me rather than letting go of my concerns and just enjoying myself. It was healing to watch Grace learn to overcome her struggles, face her fears, and experience the freedom that comes from letting loose.

“𝙵𝚘𝚛 𝙶𝚘𝚍 𝚑𝚊𝚜 𝚗𝚘𝚝 𝚐𝚒𝚟𝚎𝚗 𝚞𝚜 𝚊 𝚜𝚙𝚒𝚛𝚒𝚝 𝚘𝚏 𝚏𝚎𝚊𝚛 𝚋𝚞𝚝 𝚘𝚏 𝚙𝚘𝚠𝚎𝚛 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚕𝚘𝚟𝚎 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚊 𝚜𝚘𝚞𝚗𝚍 𝚖𝚒𝚗𝚍.”

The dynamic between Grace and Claire was so heartwarming, while also being quite relatable with the way they didn’t always get along perfectly. I think it’s very natural for friends to have off moments—especially when spending so much time in each other’s company—so I really appreciated the way Robin Jones Gunn portrayed their friendship ♥️ The deep moments between the two friends were incredibly touching and beautiful! I really enjoyed watching Claire’s story play out as she found her way back into the loving embrace of her Lord and Savior.

𝙰 𝚏𝚛𝚒𝚎𝚗𝚍 𝚠𝚑𝚘 𝚔𝚗𝚘𝚠𝚜 𝚠𝚑𝚊𝚝 𝚖𝚊𝚔𝚎𝚜 𝚢𝚘𝚞𝚛 𝚑𝚎𝚊𝚛𝚝 𝚑𝚊𝚙𝚙𝚢 𝚒𝚜 𝚊 𝚝𝚛𝚞𝚎 𝚝𝚛𝚎𝚊𝚜𝚞𝚛𝚎.

There were a few moments in this story that felt a bit rushed, and other times when I felt not quite so much time was needed in certain scenes. This book was definitely different from Tea With Elephants in these aspects, because I felt book 1 was done perfectly. Overall, I really enjoyed this story—just not as much as I might have, had it been written a bit differently.

Quotes:

“𝚆𝚎 𝚍𝚒𝚜𝚌𝚘𝚟𝚎𝚛𝚎𝚍 𝚝𝚑𝚊𝚝 𝚊 𝚝𝚘𝚞𝚛𝚒𝚜𝚝 𝚝𝚛𝚊𝚟𝚎𝚕𝚜 𝚝𝚘 𝚜𝚎𝚎𝚔 𝚜𝚘𝚖𝚎𝚝𝚑𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚗𝚎𝚠 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚌𝚞𝚛𝚒𝚘𝚜𝚒𝚝𝚢-𝚜𝚊𝚝𝚒𝚜𝚏𝚢𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚒𝚗 𝚊 𝚏𝚊𝚛𝚊𝚠𝚊𝚢 𝚙𝚕𝚊𝚌𝚎. 𝙰 𝚙𝚒𝚕𝚐𝚛𝚒𝚖 𝚝𝚛𝚊𝚟𝚎𝚕𝚜 𝚝𝚘 𝚜𝚎𝚎𝚔 𝚊 𝚜𝚎𝚗𝚜𝚎 𝚘𝚏 𝚋𝚎𝚕𝚘𝚗𝚐𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚜𝚘𝚖𝚎𝚝𝚑𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚜𝚘𝚞𝚕-𝚜𝚊𝚝𝚒𝚜𝚏𝚢𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚒𝚗 𝚊 𝚏𝚊𝚛𝚊𝚠𝚊𝚢 𝚙𝚕𝚊𝚌𝚎. 𝙲𝚕𝚊𝚒𝚛𝚎 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝙸 𝚙𝚕𝚊𝚗𝚗𝚎𝚍 𝚘𝚞𝚛 𝚝𝚛𝚒𝚙 𝚊𝚜 𝚝𝚘𝚞𝚛𝚒𝚜𝚝𝚜. 𝚆𝚎 𝚛𝚎𝚝𝚞𝚛𝚗𝚎𝚍 𝚑𝚘𝚖𝚎 𝚊𝚜 𝚙𝚒𝚕𝚐𝚛𝚒𝚖𝚜.”

𝙸𝚝'𝚜 𝙶𝚘𝚍. 𝙸𝚝'𝚜 𝚊𝚕𝚠𝚊𝚢𝚜 𝙶𝚘𝚍 𝚠𝚑𝚎𝚗 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚌𝚘𝚒𝚗𝚌𝚒𝚍𝚎𝚗𝚌𝚎 𝚒𝚜 𝚝𝚘𝚘 𝚖𝚞𝚌𝚑 𝚘𝚏 𝚊 ... 𝚠𝚎𝚕𝚕, 𝚌𝚘𝚒𝚗𝚌𝚒𝚍𝚎𝚗𝚌𝚎.

𝙼𝚊𝚢𝚋𝚎 𝚑𝚞𝚖𝚊𝚗𝚜 𝚊𝚛𝚎𝚗'𝚝 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚘𝚗𝚕𝚢 𝚘𝚗𝚎𝚜 𝚠𝚑𝚘 𝚠𝚊𝚗𝚍𝚎𝚛. 𝙼𝚊𝚢𝚋𝚎 𝚗𝚘𝚗𝚎 𝚘𝚏 𝚞𝚜 𝚊𝚛𝚎 𝚎𝚟𝚎𝚛 𝚛𝚎𝚊𝚕𝚕𝚢 𝚕𝚘𝚜𝚝.

𝙿𝚞𝚛𝚎 𝚐𝚛𝚊𝚝𝚒𝚝𝚞𝚍𝚎 𝚒𝚜 𝚛𝚎𝚌𝚘𝚐𝚗𝚒𝚣𝚊𝚋𝚕𝚎 𝚒𝚗 𝚊𝚗𝚢 𝚕𝚊𝚗𝚐𝚞𝚊𝚐𝚎.

𝙰𝚕𝚕 𝚘𝚏 𝚞𝚜 𝚠𝚎𝚛𝚎 𝚘𝚗 𝚊 𝚓𝚘𝚞𝚛𝚗𝚎𝚢. 𝙴𝚟𝚎𝚛𝚢 𝚜𝚒𝚗𝚐𝚕𝚎 𝚕𝚒𝚏𝚎 𝚠𝚊𝚜 𝚘𝚏 𝚒𝚖𝚖𝚎𝚊𝚜𝚞𝚛𝚊𝚋𝚕𝚎 𝚟𝚊𝚕𝚞𝚎. 𝙴𝚟𝚎𝚛𝚢 𝚜𝚘𝚞𝚕 𝚠𝚊𝚜 𝚕𝚘𝚟𝚎𝚍 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚜𝚘𝚞𝚐𝚑𝚝 𝚊𝚏𝚝𝚎𝚛 𝚋𝚢 𝚘𝚞𝚛 𝚑𝚎𝚊𝚟𝚎𝚗𝚕𝚢 𝙵𝚊𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚛.

[Sam (The Favorites Shelf) · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 stars

(Suitcase Sisters: book 2)

This story feels like the ultimate Italian vacation! The main characters travel to SO MANY beautiful, colorful tourist locations. The food-related moments are great too (including some lovely cooking scenes at the villa), and the gelato theme is very sweet! (Pun totally intended; I just couldn't help myself... But really, this book made me CRAVE sweet treats in the best way!)

The character development is paced a little slower than I would've preferred, especially in the first half of the story. The ladies' supportive friendship is great, though, and certain scenes toward the end are quite powerful (particularly in relation to the prominent Christian faith content... but I can't say much more about that because of spoilers). I also really liked the side characters at the villa! They add so much depth to the story as well!

If you're looking for a grand travel adventure to add to your spring/summer reading list, I'd definitely recommend this! (Also, while it's the second book in a series, it can definitely be read as a standalone!)

*Content to note*
....May contain spoilers.....
Character briefly discusses traumas from teen years (bullying and incident of s*xual abuse - handled tactfully without excessive/explicit detail). Brief historical legend told involving a mermaid.

[Yash · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNFed at 24%. I started this because i enjoyed tea with elephants but this did not meet the expectations. Though it explains places and foods nicely, the descriptions felt too long and the characters are not interesting enough to hold my attention. The plot is pretty slow developing and sorta boring as well. I didn’t feel any depth to characters.

[Finding Faith in Fiction (Chrissy) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow! I wasn't sure if Robin Jones Gunn could top Tea With Elephants, but alas, she has! This book was AMAZING.

Two new Suitcase Sisters, Grace and Claire, set out on an adventure to Italy! As they explore Venice, Tuscany, and Florence, they learn more about themselves and each other. Like in Book 1, each woman carries their own baggage throughout the trip, but learn from each other, and people they meet along the way, that help them work through their issues and go home with a new found sense of freedom. I loved the emphasis on new friendships, and how God brought these people into their journey for a reason. The underlying theme throughout the book was "Simple joys are holy", which I really loved!

I took a week long trip to Italy with my mom, and we explored Venice and Tuscany, this book (Like Book 1 with Kenya) was so nostalgic for me! It was like being right back in Italy, trying the many gelato flavors, eating fresh handmade pasta in Tuscany, and dining along the Grand Canal in Venice. Robin has such a beautiful writing style, providing vivid and immersive description without feeling overly wordy or inaccessible. Her writing is simple but beautiful, and allows you to be pulled right into the story and setting. I could almost taste the food!

The faith content in this book was strong. In this series, there is usually one friend is strong in their faith, and another who is struggling and maybe seeking. The friend with strong faith never pushes, but gently encourages, while God does the heavy lifting to bring the other friend back to him. It's a great example of how to be a loving friend, without pushing your faith on others; instead taking them to God in prayer, and allowing him to work. There was a moment at the end, where they wind up at a lake and literally jump into a special moment...it had me in tears! Again, as with Book 1, I left this story with strong faith takeaways to apply to my own life and personal situations, which I love in a Christian fiction story!

What I enjoyed:
🍝 Strong friendships
🍝 Redemptive faith
🍝 Immersive Italian settings
🍝 The foods!
🍝 How the friends balanced their sightseeing for each other's preferences
🍝 How both friends learned something from their trip
🍝 The moment near the end at the lake...I cried! 😭

⚠️ Content Warnings:
- Church hurt
- Overcoming perfectionism & fears (heights, making mistakes, generational traumas)
- Mild harassment by a man moment

My Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 5.0 Stars
Writing: 5.0
Characters & Plot: 5.0
Faith & Content: 5.0
Enjoyability: 5.0

I continue to love this series, and can't wait to pick up Book 3 (just released in June 2026) in the fall for those great autumnal Scotland vibes! If you are a Christian woman, I highly recommend this book and series...it's such a great romance-free book that focuses on faith and friendship. You'll leave the story feeling uplifted and filled with hope that God can work in your life in amazing ways!

[Carly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Just like in the first book in the Suitcase Sisters series, Robin Jones Gunn whisks the travel-hungry reader to another place with a pair of friends who have a lot of discovery to make in a new destination and in their hearts.
This time, friends Grace and Claire take a fun vacation to one of a kind Italy, and oh my goodness, the way the author brought in the sites, smells, sounds, and picturesque beauty of Italy was so delightful and breathtaking to read, especially if you are fascinated and interested in travel to Italy, but lack the resources to vacation right now. While there, the women learn more about each other and themselves and realize that they have been letting fear, bitterness, and the unknown hold them back from God's best for their lives. What ensues is a gorgeous tale of renwed faith, heartfelt transformation, and determination to live out God's adventure for them everyday. Truly so good, convicting, and hope giving, and the writing style perfectly captured the gorgeous Italian culture.

[Maddie Harms · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this book so much 💛

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a beautiful story about friendship ❤️ makes me want to go to Italy 🇮🇹 😊
Oh.....and eat Gelato 😋

[brazenandbookish · Rating 5 out of 5]

This story was absolutely beautiful 😭 I love how this series focuses on friendship. The exploration of faith, losing faith, and coming back to faith was done perfect. It showed the gospel in such a beautiful way.

[Lydia Bindon · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not much of a plot line but RJG is always comfort food reading (and way cheaper than a trip to Italy)

[Maggie Carr · Rating 3 out of 5]

With so many flavors mentioned it was hard to decide which to make for our book club gathering but I had never heard of pear gelato before so that won out. My ice cream tumbler wasn't frozen enough to do the job but it made a decent pear milkshake 🙃 will have to do a doover soon.

I felt like the ending, where the big character development is, was too rushed and then over. I would have liked to get to know the characters more. I did feel like I was there traveling with Grace & Claire though as the setting and sensory descriptions are very thorough.

[Ellie Hollows]

Get ready for the trip of your lives. This book gives you not only a taste, but sight adventure in beloved Italy. You feel like you are right alongside Grace and Claire every mile of the journey. And truth be told, I didn't even want to leave Venice, but that was just the wonderful beginning of this second novel in the Suitcase Sisters.

Stories with friendship are my absolute favorites. I definitely connected with Grace the most throughout the story. She's definitely a woman after my own heart with her hunger to find a good lasagna ;). I love her faith and that she recognizes that nothing happens by chance "It's always God when the coincidence is too much of a ... well coincidence. I loved seeing her grown from self-consciousness to almost fearless. I know from experience that when we get to focused on ourselves or what others might think, we miss out on what we might have enjoyed. I also saw the change through her eyes to not phone/photo everything, but to live in the moment. And last, but not least, Her realization that fear doesn't come from God was what my heart needed to hear just as much as she did.

There were so many creative/artist quotes that remind me of one of the whys behind why we write, which I sorely needed! Such as "We're made in His image, and we are made to create beauty." and the lady in the lace shop (super cute folktale there too;) "Stories show us truth, beauty, and hope. Stories are a gift. This is why we must always give others the gift of our stories.

Okay, a whole paragraph has to be dedicated to the food and gelato. I really connected with Claire over the cooking classes with Amelia. And the gelato fiasco was funny and cute. The strawberry sounded so worth it though. And I definitely have to try making the lemony bussoli- my mouth was watering the entire time (I probably would have grabbed ten bags too, lol).

The paper shop and the gondola ride also deserve honorable mentions.

Note the only thing I really disagreed with was them drinking wine as Christians (but that's me). The book was a little fuzzy on a few doctrinal points, but the main messages were spot on and lovely. There also was mention of sexual abuse in the past which I don't normal tend to read nor recommend, but I very much appreciated how the author didn't go into any details, keeping the book clean.

CW: wine (not presented in much of a negative light), mention of artwork with limited clothing (no details though thank goodness), sexual abuse (in the past no details were gone into), blending of religions

My Rating/Age Recommendation:
5 out of 5 Stars/ 21+ at the very least just because of those more sensitive topics :)

Now I want to indulge my desire to travel to Italy. Maybe someday. But I surely enjoyed experiencing it through this book.

[Kathryn · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed this, as I have enjoyed all the RJG books I have read, but I did not enjoy it as much as Tea With Elephants. The travel details were wonderful – this was an excellent armchair sojourn through Italy - you could taste the food and see the sights. But I did not feel like I knew or connected with Grace or Claire, not the way I did with Fern and Lily in book one. Even though she was the narrator, I felt like we didn’t know Grace and most of what we knew about Claire centered around her past trauma. I did appreciate the deft hand with which the author handled the details of said trauma. Nothing exploitative or graphic here. The spiritual message was poignant, as always. But for more than half of the book I kept confusing which woman was which because their personalities felt interchangeable. One liked to cook and one liked to garden, both like to read. Both were married with one child.

Still, an enjoyable installment and I look forward to continuing the series. RJG excels at writing friendship and travel.

[Jeanette Durkin · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an extraordinary book! Oh my goodness. I laughed and cried. Each page took me on a new adventure through Italy.

The characters are written brilliantly! I felt as if I were on the trip with them, experiencing everything through Claire and Grace's eyes. Their friendship is amazing and true. Paulina is awesome! She knows the true meaning of hospitality. Amelia, Gio, and Rosie are wonderful too!

I really liked all of the spiritual aspects in the book. My favorite quote is: "He's pursuing you. You gave your life to Him long ago. You told me you meant it. I know something happened that hurt you and pushed you away. But He's still in you and with you and you're still His first love...Claire, He wants you back." I admired Grace and the others for not pushing their faith on Claire. Instead, they loved her and modeled Christ's love to her.

I was provided a complimentary copy of the book from Revell via Netgalley through Interviews and Reviews. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

[Camille Mosemann · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book made me hungry! Seriously don’t read it if you are hungry cause it’ll make it so much worse! But in all seriousness, I love this story.

The low stakes and vivid details of Italy made me feel as though I was walking through Venice right beside Grace and Claire. I love how the author transports you to Italy and allows you to experience it with all of your senses.

I loved Grace and Claire’s sweet friendship and the way that they walked through some hard things together. It truly touched my heart and I savored this book as much as the women savored their gelato. I’m really looking forward to where the suitcase sisters end up next!!

[Kit Tosello]

Thoughtful, transporting, and as refreshing as gelato on a hot summer day. Small but surprising events (“Is it odd or is it God?”) inspire growth in both Claire and Grace, reminding me to slow down and cultivate space for meaningful interactions with everyone I meet.

[Nikki Akerson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved the food descriptions and the faith journey

[Kriste · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great descriptions of the food and sights!

[Samantha Mendell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reading this was like a warm hug from an old friend.🩵 It’s been twenty years since I read my first Robin Jones Gunn novel and once again, the Lord used Gunn’s rich storytelling to communicate His heart and remind of His truth. Read this in an afternoon; couldn’t put it down!

[Holly · Rating 4 out of 5]

As I begin this book journey I had mixed feelings. I wasn’t sure that it was going to be my favorite Robin adventure/travel story. The story didn’t grab me right away and to be fair a lot of it also reminded me of my own Italy trip with my grandparents which is bittersweet as my grandfather went to be with Jesus last October. We definitely had our share of gelato and saw many beautiful places like Claire and Grace did in the book. About half way through, I was enjoying it but was feeling this was more of a 3 star for me. But then, like He does, the Lord subtly started to speak to my heart, particularly on loving the people He has placed in my life during this season. So many of the Italian people they met in this book exuded a distinct kind of openness and welcome that was quite frankly contagious and rare. There were so many quotes about life being lived around the table and with others. One character even defined hospitality as “showing love to strangers.” I had to stop and ask myself, in what ways am I being hospitable in my life? As I read on, I felt an invitation to give of myself in ways I haven’t in a while. It was a stark reminder to not be so focused on me and my life but instead to love those around me that God has placed in my path even if I might not have chosen them. A simple phrase rose to the top of my thoughts: find the beauty within. Within people. Within stories. Within the things that make up my life. And so…Gelato at the Villa inspired me to slow down, invite people to the table, be present in the moment, to savor the simple joys, to find ways to love others and to practice hospitality…and to find a way to get some gelato because seriously you can only read about it so many times before you have to partake yourself. ;) This still wasn’t my favorite Robin story ever but it elevated to four stars because of the way it challenged my heart and taught me the hospitable Italian way. Or as some might say- the Jesus way. #thebeautywithinthestory

[Susan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book grew better and better the more I got into it. The characters growth and their courage were inspiring. I related to Grace especially. Her struggles with fear and the discovery that living in fear is not from God has had me thinking for days. Actually have said it to myself and out loud when I feel dread or worry creep up. Claire’s journey to forgiveness was powerful and reading how a patient and kind friend can have such an impact on getting someone ready to come back to God or want to meet Him for the first time was beautiful. There are just wonderful moments throughout this book. Reading about Italy and the sights and the food very enjoyable!

[Amanda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well, I want to go to Italy now. And stay in a villa. And take cooking classes and ride a Vespa. And of course, eat gelato.

But what RJG always makes me want to do is see and know God more. I cried through the ending of this book. So beautiful. This book is the story of 2 friends going to Italy but it’s really a romance—of a Hero who never stops pursuing the one He loves.

[Abby Novak · Rating 4 out of 5]

loved exploring Italy and can't wait to go someday. loved that God and christianity was such a focus in the book. not a super exciting plot but it's definitely a great book for christian readers who have or who want to travel to Italy.

[Nicole Magolan · Rating 1 out of 5]

I wanted to love this, I really did. But this is a novel without a story. It's a series of nice travel scenes. It does have a soothing quality to it, with its conflictlessness, dwelling in the simple pleasures of being a tourist in Italy. But. It's boring, unengaging, and disappointing.

[Maria · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really enjoyed this novel of friendship and faith set in Italy.