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, Contemporary, Christian, Summer, Travel, Friendship

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.

[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.

[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.

[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.

[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)

[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.

[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.

[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.

[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!

[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.

[Maria · Rating 4 out of 5]

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

[Ashley Jeffcoat · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book, even though I did find some parts a little slow. I love all of the descriptions of Italy- the sights, the food! It really makes me want to take a trip!

[Brittany Gillen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love, love, LOVE! The combination of travel, friendship, and the Lord stirs my soul on so many levels. I want to go to Italy, to paint, to cook Italian food, to garden, to serve in a soup kitchen, ride a vespa, eat entire batches of gelato… the book is full of joy on every page, and even the darker conversations are redeemed by the ending. Inspiring! ❤️

[Laura · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 Enjoyed this trip and the spiritual growth of the characters.

[Jennifer McClurkan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed the Suitcase Sisters travels and the food references and the faith in this book.

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

I don’t know when the last time was I read a book that so relaxed me. I tend to like mystery and suspense but I needed a light book and this was perfect.

Two friends on a European adventure that changes their lives?! Yes please!!!! This story was beautiful. I loved how Grace and Claire discovered beauty and a new pace to life, all while letting God change and heal them. I don’t know what else to say.

It’s beautiful and I would recommend this book to anyone wanting something beautiful and meaningful.


Many thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for a copy of this book. All options are my own and a favorable review was not required.

[(Katie) Paperbacks · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love this series by Robin Jones Gunn. No romance but plenty of heart and travel adventures. I call this series "escape" books. The kind of books you want to read for the sheer enjoyment of getting to travel to places in the eyes of the characters.

I really enjoyed this adventure with two friends through Italy. I loved the setting and especially the yummy Gelato. I will say their holidays are pretty much picture perfect and I wish I could experience some of what they have.

*thank you to the publisher for a complimentary copy of this book to read. All thoughts are my own.

[Heidi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very sweet tale of friendship! I loved all the descriptions and details of Italy. I felt I was right there with the characters.

[Sue Booth · Rating 2 out of 5]

Ended up skimming this to see how it ended. Not much of a plot and too religious. Not for me.

[Robin Apold · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved this sweet little book but I also read it just days before our trip to Italy!

[Joanne Sher · Rating 4 out of 5]

A delightful story about friendship, Italy, and becoming all God has made you to be. Endearing characters and a beautiful and intriguing setting kept me engaged.