Villa Coco

by Andrew Sean Greer

A coming-of-age novel, a love story and a tale of life-enhancing Pulitzer Prize winner Andrew Sean Greer showcases his wit, sophistication and deep knowledge of focaccia in this magical tale set amidst the Tuscan hills.

Broke and directionless, our young man takes a job in the Italian countryside as the all-purpose assistant to Lisabetta, known to her friends as Coco - a strong-willed, wealthy widow of great local renown.

Trained as an archivist, he thinks he's been hired to catalogue the contents of the beautiful, crumbling mansion nestled in the green Tuscan hills... but what are his actual duties? Days are spent ridding the house of a marten - whatever that is - locating the antediluvian septic system, entertaining an endless carousel of guests (from bohemian painters to elderly princesses to unnervingly handsome nephews), attending a funeral in order to make off with the urn, and not inadvertently sabotaging Coco's great and final plan-to locate the lost love of her life and be reunited before it's too late.

As summer turns into autumn and the Italian countryside begins to work its magic on our protagonist, the secrets of Villa Coco and its inhabitants are slowly brought to light - and with them, an unforgettable story of the enduring power of friendship.

Genres: Fiction, Historical Fiction, Italy, Literary Fiction, Summer, Contemporary, Historical

288 pages, Hardcover

Expected publication June 9, 2026

About the author

Andrew Sean Greer (born 1970) is an American novelist and short story writer.

He is the bestselling author of The Story of a Marriage, which The New York Times has called an “inspired, lyrical novel,” and The Confessions of Max Tivoli, which was named one of the best books of 2004 by the San Francisco Chronicle and received a California Book Award.

The child of two scientists, Greer studied writing with Robert Coover and Edmund White at Brown University, where he was the commencement speaker at his own graduation, where his unrehearsed remarks, critiquing Brown's admissions policies, caused a semi-riot. After years in New York working as a chauffeur, theater tech, television extra and unsuccessful writer, he moved to Missoula, Montana, where he received his Master of Fine Arts from The University of Montana, from where he soon moved to Seattle and two years later to San Francisco where he now lives. He is currently a fellow at the New York Public Library Cullman Center. He is an identical twin.

While in San Francisco, he began to publish in magazines before releasing a collection of his stories, How It Was for Me. His stories have appeared in Esquire, The Paris Review, The New Yorker and other national publications, and have been anthologized most recently in The Book of Other People, and The PEN/ O. Henry Prize Stories 2009. His first novel, The Path of Minor Planets, was published in 2001.

Reviews

[Angela M · Rating 4 out of 5]

The author in a letter to his readers wonders “ whatever happened to the “charm novel” ….a world in which even the worst of circumstances could provide a funny story and a sense of hope.” So he decided to write one and he has indeed written a story with charm. A young American man is hired by a ninety two year old Italian Barroness to catalog her art and artifacts at her villa. “Our young man” as he is referred to doesn’t find the luxurious villa he imagined , nor the structured job he expected . Instead he becomes her assistant, finds a villa in need of repair, and a parade of eccentric characters . In addition to the Barronessa, there’s an aging principessa, a quirky artist, and more . An escapade to say the least, picking olives and grapes, helping with repairs, listening to the Baronessa’s stories before he can get down to the work he was hired to do. Some hilarious moments, some tender moments, some moments of awakening in this gentle, funny and entertaining novel with endearing characters . It’s full of life and love and is reflective on doing what you’re meant to do and meant to be.

I received a copy of this book from Doubleday through NetGalley.

[Nilufer Ozmekik · Rating 4 out of 5]

Some books feel like an escape. Villa Coco feels like being gently carried away on warm Tuscan air, dropped into a place where time bends, rules blur, and every strange little moment somehow adds up to something quietly profound.
Andrew Sean Greer doesn't rush to impress you. He wins you over slowly. At the center of this story is a young man without a clear direction who takes a job in Italy expecting something respectable and orderly—and gets anything but. Instead of neatly cataloging art, he finds himself pulled into the orbit of Lisabetta "Coco," a force of nature dressed in widow's black, whose villa feels less like a workplace and more like a living, breathing thing filled with secrets, memories, chaos, and longing.

What follows is part comedy, part emotional unraveling, part surreal adventure. Each day brings a new task that sounds slightly absurd but somehow matters: navigating eccentric visitors, running strange errands, becoming the accidental guardian of Coco's unfinished love story. What starts as a paycheck quietly becomes something far more intimate—a crash course in devotion, vulnerability, and what it means to let other people's lives change your own.

Greer's writing glides between playful and deeply sincere. The humor is warm rather than showy, and the emotional moments sneak up on you when you're not bracing for them. Beneath the antics and lively personalities is a tender meditation on youth brushing against mortality, on love that lingers long after time should have erased it, and on how even the most aimless seasons of life can quietly reshape who we become.

The Italian setting adds its own kind of magic. The villa, the hills, the meals, the drifting conversations—all of it creates a dreamy, sunlit haze where past and present overlap, where small choices start to feel significant. This isn't a story driven by high drama or plot twists. It's driven by atmosphere, connection, and the slow realization that sometimes the most important journeys don't look heroic at all.

Villa Coco left me smiling, slightly wistful, and unexpectedly moved. It's the kind of book that reminds you how strange and beautiful people can be, how love doesn't fade on schedule, and how growth often arrives disguised as chaos.

A heartfelt thank you to NetGalley and Doubleday Books for the digital review copy in exchange for my honest thoughts.

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[Meagan (Meagansbookclub) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’m not sure how this one would translate reading the physical but the audio made all the characters come alive! Edorado Ballerini narrating was perfection! I loved how quirky the ride was, but did feel the ending was rushed and not as wrapped up as it could have been.

[Ann]

This novel tells the story of a young American man, who is a recent college graduate (an archivist) with no clear direction in life. He takes a job making a list of art objects in a villa in Italy. The villa is owned by an imperious but very elusive baroness. The story begins as the young man shows up at the villa (Villa Coco) and, instead of beginning his listing of art pieces, he is given numerous menial tasks because “the rooms aren’t ready”. Clearly some big issue is being hidden.
The novel is full of lovely, tangible descriptions of Italy, from food to landscape to buildings. I enjoyed these descriptions a great deal, and I felt as if I had taken a little trip to Italy. The novel is also full of eccentric characters with whom I just did not fully connect. I found the baroness to be rather unlikeable and her many friends did not touch my heart. Further, and likely because I am old, I just could not get into the life issues of a 22 year old young man. Sadly, the big art secret reveal did not work well for me either. I know I am in the minority on my views, and I think I was just not the right reader for this book at this moment.

[Kim van Alkemade · Rating 5 out of 5]

This beautiful novel immersed me in the richly-drawn world of Baronessa Coco and her eclectic Italian villa stuffed with art and artifacts which a young American archivist has come to catalog. Thwarted by Coco's capricious whims and secret agendas, our archivist struggles to accomplish his task, never realizing his true vocation is less about making lists and more about embracing adventure. Mesmerizing descriptions, fully-realized characters, and hypnotically gorgeous prose drew me in and held me fast until the final lovely scene. Fabulous and affecting, I loved this novel!

[Gwen · Rating 1 out of 5]

Unfortunately, I couldn’t get into this one. I wish I did not have to DNF an ARC, and hope others like it more than I did.

Thank you very much to NetGalley and Doubleday Books for the advanced reader’s copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

[SusanTalksBooks · Rating 4 out of 5]

*** 2/17/26 ***: Thank you NetGalley for a prerelease ARC to read and review!

I've read all of Andrew Sean Greer's books and enjoyed them all. Three things jump out at me about Greer's writing: 1) He has a love of travel and strong ability to build rich and detailed descriptions of disparate geographies, using places as an attractive character in his books. 2) His protagonists are gay men, and he remains true to that model, which makes his body of work feel cohesive and comfortable for the reader. 3) He has the most incredible vocabulary of any writer I've ever read.

It is this last point, his choice of unusual/esoteric/impressively diverse language and words, literally on nearly every page of the book, that are most stunning to me. I've read probably thousands of books in my life, and consider myself to have a strong vocabulary, yet I found myself highlighting unknown words very frequently in this Kindle ARC. In this novel in particular, his use of vocabulary was extended, or complicated, depending on your POV, by the fact that it is based in Italy, and uses a lot of Italian names and words. While I love the extensive vocab, I found it a bit tiresome to read so much Italian, and even a little confusing at times, derailing me from the plot.

Other than that, I consider the book to be a coming of age story wrapped in a travel/light mystery. I found the plot a little meandering and unclear as our protagonist learns many life lessons while curating a house of art and collectables for "Coco," aka the Baronessa. He meets various people Coco knows, but the reader doesn't have the benefit of insight on what roles they all really play in the story. I enjoyed the ending of the book the most, as we began to see the puzzle come together. I love a lot about this author and will continue to read his books. 4-stars.

[Robin · Rating 5 out of 5]

A coming of age story for the ages. Our hero accepts a job as archivist and 'adjutant' to Lisabetta, or Coco, a widow living in an eccentric and art-filled villa in Tuscany. Arriving as a somewhat directionless recent graduate, the young man finds himself as he opens himself to people, tasks and experiences he certainly did not anticipate. Greer's wit and light touch, along with his big-hearted love for his characters, make this tale delightful reading.

[Karyn Silverman · Rating 4 out of 5]

What an odd little jewel box of a book, reminiscent somehow of Auntie Mame and, weirdly, A Room with a View, a love song to Italy and whimsy and the ephemeral nature of now.

[Kristina Pauls (ARC Reviewer) · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a witty and character-driven novel filled with humor, eccentric personalities, self-discovery, and heartfelt moments beneath the charm. The Italian setting added atmosphere, and the story balanced reflective themes with lighthearted moments well.

A unique and entertaining read for readers who enjoy literary fiction with humor and strong character dynamics.

PUBLISH DATE: June 9, 2026
BOOK TITLE: Villa Coco
AUTHOR: Andrew Sean Greer
PUBLISHER: Doubleday Books
FORMAT: ebook
PAGES: 288

I received a complimentary digital ARC [Advanced Readers Copy] of this book via NetGalley. Thank you to the Publisher and the Author for the opportunity to read and review this title prior to publication. As always, the opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Goodreads profile: Kristina Pauls (ARC Reviewer)

[Marianne Fuller Lamb · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was not like any other book I have read. It is filled with many characters with colorful personalities. It is focused on one character's journey to Italy and how his choices in life seem to grow into the person he always was. I did not enjoy it because there really was no actual plot. And everything is smashed together, mixed up as one meal. I hope that someone else will relate to this tale. I just could not.

Thank you to Andrew Greer and Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review this book. I am a positive person. I am also an honest person. I wish Andrew Greer much success!

[Sophie Gledstone]

Peter count your days

[PattyMacDotComma · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5★
" 'There’s a place in Italy in need of someone. Why don’t you look into that?'

These were the words of my college adviser upon our final meeting and the only actual advice he ever gave; the rest of our meetings, infrequent as they were, consisted of heavy sighs at my choice in major (Archives and Record Management) and at my amorous choice in gender (my own)
. . .
It looked both like the British Museum and like a child’s bedroom, filled with beloved trash and treasures. My heart dropped to the floor as I considered how I would ever tackle cataloging this hoard."

How indeed will this very young American man deal with this very old, eclectic collection (tongue-twister) owned by an elderly baronessa who wants everything catalogued before Christmas? Her friends call her Coco.

He arrives, telling her there's a train strike, and she is appalled.

"…'my friend Pippa comes today, and if she does not come by train she must glide here on witchcraft. She is very amusing. Always wears her hair up with an artificial flower. She’s done it since we were twelve. She is Saxe-Coburg and Gotha. Her aunts and uncles were kings and queens'"

From kings and queens we descend to the pitfalls of old dwellings (pun completely intended), when the baronessa is informed that the 'pozzo' is 'peino' which translates roughly as the cesspool is full.

With some wheeling-and-dealing, she manages to locate the man she needs to come later to attend to the problem.

"'You know,' she went on, suddenly wistful with her hands in her lap, 'queens have visited this house. Mick Jagger once came. There have been Nobel Prize winner and movie stars. This might be the most glamorous s**t in Southern Europe.'

I was shocked to hear this word come out of her elegant mouth.
. . .
'I hope the driver comes before your friend arrives.'

'What a wonderful idea!
. . .
We have solved two problems at once,' she announced. 'Pippa will arrive with the septic man.'"

When he gives the baronessa the duty-free gin she'd requested he bring, she is delighted.

"She turned to me with a grin and seemed not at all as grand as before; she looked much more like the little old lady she truly was. Good-spirited, hard of hearing, a bit wobbly getting up from a chair; as innocent as the chickens clucking down the hill. And yet I was not fooled. Shall I admit it?

She terrified me."

And so it goes. He is by turns, charmed and increasingly desperate to get to work on his cataloguing. He can see how big a job it is.

Somehow, early on, someone thought his name was Giovedi (Thursday), and although she knows it isn't, she thinks how wonderful to have her own Man Thursday, so Giovedi he is.

She insists that, as his employer, she can choose how to employ him. So he trails in her wake, carrying her little basket with her mobile phone and other necessities, or works in the garden and helps with repairs.

He is gay and has decided to swear off sex for his few months in Tuscany as a kind of respite from the opening of his high school closet, as it were, and the rather frantic college period that followed. He will be professional and abstinent, as befits someone working for a baronessa. Sure.

The baronessa, however, moves in artistic circles peopled with straights, gays, and everyone between and beyond. She likes match-making and is delighted when her employee, her American, succumbs to someone's charms. She has had a colourful life, and it becomes increasingly surprising just how colourful.

Greer introduces his wonderfully memorable characters and their kind of far-flung family in such a way that I believe they exist somewhere.

I also enjoy his descriptive writing, and in a setting like this, there is no lack of inspiration. Driving according to instructions in a broken-down little "Mitsu-bitchy", Giovedi discovers another corner of Italy.

"I am sure there is a simpler route to Ferrara, but I prefer to think of it the way we attained it: through the Baronessa’s memory, from a time before the large highways were built, which brought us not speedily through the large cities of Florence and Bologna, but through dark forests and villages so small in scale, so medieval, that it seemed sometimes I was in the back of a carriage, wandering into someone’s fairy tale."

As the weather turns cooler:

"A wild gust shook the trees and, all at once, it was like those globes of tiny landscapes where it is not snow but glitter or colored confetti, because the last leaves of autumn all flew into the air, shining, gray-brown, innumerable, swirling around us. And when someone turned on the radio to Italian pop music, and the sunlight through the leaves tatted the shadows into lace over us, and smoke from the leaf fire blew our way, there was a soothing romance to it all. I am not the first to comment on the poignant beauty of autumn, or the gold-edged pages of its days."

Greer's introduction explains how he misses the 'charm novel' like those Nancy Mitford and Gerald Durrell wrote about their families. He has his own 'baronessa' in Italy from when he was a director of a writers' residency outside Florence. Perfect place to start..

I very recently read Sarah Winman's much-loved Still Life, and this makes a worthy companion read. Villa Coco has the warmth and generosity of friendships and also the sadness of loss, but it is a bit easier on the heart, I think.

Winman said of this book “What, at first, appears to be a gloriously bonkers escapade amidst the Tuscan landscape gradually transforms into the most beautiful paean to youth, to age and to the fulfilment of love. Absolute joy."

I must add that all is not as simple as I've made it sound, and our hero learns to question everything he's told. But he'll never lose his love for these people, nor will I.

(I like to think of it as Villa Loco, but that's Spanish, not Italian. Petty detail.)

Thanks to #NetGalley and Doubleday for my copy of #VillaCoco for review. It will be published in June. Please note that what quotations may have changed in the finished product (but I like them as they are. 😊)

My review of Still Life

[Stroop · Rating 3 out of 5]

In Villa Coco, our narrator accepts a job with vague duties. His work for an eccentric widow in Italy is full of twists and turns, and it might just turn out to be the adventure of a lifetime. Recommended for readers in the mood for a zany and zippy novel.

Thank you to Doubleday and NetGalley for the opportunity to read a copy.

[Mainlinebooker · Rating 3 out of 5]

Villa Coco by Andrew Sean Greer is a buoyant, gently subversive comedy that delights in the theater of the absurd while quietly probing the tender seams of human connection. Written in Greer’s characteristically playful prose—at once nimble, ironic, and observant—the novel offers readers a sun-dappled escape into an Italy that feels both sensuous and faintly surreal.
At its center is a young gay American who arrives expecting to serve as archivist to a formidable ninety-two-year-old baroness, imagining himself amid the dignified cataloguing of aristocratic treasures. Instead, he finds himself enlisted in a far more eccentric enterprise: a kind of living archive of chaos. His duties range from dispatching a troublesome marten to repairing septic tanks, all while navigating a revolving cast of idiosyncratic guests whose emotional dramas and peculiarities threaten to eclipse any notion of orderly record-keeping. What he ultimately catalogs is not wealth, but the unpredictable messiness of human lives.

Greer’s language is a particular pleasure here—lightly mischievous, laced with dry wit, and attentive to the comic rhythms of social interaction. Scenes unfold with a theatrical immediacy, heightened by the novel’s lack of traditional chapters, which creates the sensation of inhabiting an ongoing stream of days rather than a structured narrative progression. This stylistic choice reinforces the novel’s central preoccupation with the continuous, sometimes exhausting flow of experience itself.

For many readers, this accumulation of absurd situations will prove enchanting: a series of comic tableaux stitched together by the luminous backdrop of Italy’s landscapes, meals, and cultural textures. Greer evokes place with sensory richness—the warmth of shared tables, the languor of sunlit afternoons, the musicality of local speech—drawing the reader fully into the novel’s world.

Yet the very qualities that animate the book may also, for some, induce fatigue. The relentless parade of eccentricities and episodic misadventures can begin to feel repetitive, diluting the narrative momentum. What initially sparkles with whimsical unpredictability occasionally settles into a rhythm that risks overstaying its welcome.

Still, beneath the farce lies a quieter emotional core. Greer uses comedy as a veil through which themes of vulnerability, belonging, friendship, and the fragility of love gradually emerge. The protagonist’s journey becomes less about professional purpose and more about the delicate process of learning to accept intimacy, imperfection, and the inevitability of disorder in both relationships and life itself.

Ultimately, Villa Coco is a novel that revels in its own charm—an effervescent, gently philosophical meditation disguised as a comic romp. Readers seeking a lighthearted yet thoughtful escape will likely find themselves delighted by its playful spirit, even if its whimsical excess occasionally tests their patience.

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC in return for an honest review

[Michele · Rating 5 out of 5]

Villa Coco by Andrew Sean Greer
It is an absolute delight to be completely blindsided by a book in the best possible way. Despite Andrew Sean Greer’s status as an award-winning author, Villa Coco was my very first introduction to his work, and what a spectacular introduction it turned out to be. This gem quickly captured my heart, checking every single box for my favorite kind of story: it features a richly diverse cast of characters, an evocative setting, and a narrative that builds into an utterly fantastic read.
The story follows our narrator and main character, introduced to us as Giovedì (though, as we quickly learn, that is not his real name at all). Fresh out of college and drifting through that universal, post-graduation haze of not knowing what to do with his life, Giovedì answers a seemingly straightforward advertisement. The job? An autumn stint from September through Christmas in Tuscany, serving as an archivist and all-around assistant to a local baronessa.
What follows is a beautifully chaotic plunge into Italian country life. Armed with little to no Italian language skills, Giovedì is thrown headfirst into the eccentric world of the Villa. The baronessa herself is a wonderfully frustrating force of nature, driving him (and the reader, delightfully so) half-crazy with her absolute lack of direction regarding what his actual duties are supposed to be.
But the true magic of Villa Coco lies in its mystery. The estate is a revolving door of intriguing, secretive guests who arrive and depart without explanation. The air is thick with hushed conversations just out of Giovedì's earshot, making the villa feel alive with secrets. Greer balances this light, tension-filled mystery with some wonderful reflections by Giovedi as he learns more about the lives of the people he meets and who they choose to love. The descriptions of Tuscany, the villages with their wonderful food and beautiful chapels and art, and the famous Italian cities took me away to a place I would love to visit. The vivid setting becomes a character in its own right.
For anyone who loves complex, wonderfully drawn characters, immersive world-building, and a story that perfectly captures the feeling of being young, lost, and swept up in an unexpected adventure, Villa Coco is an absolute must-read. Andrew Sean Greer has earned a spot on my permanent watch list, and I cannot wait for the rest of the world to discover this brilliant novel.

[Angie Miale · Rating 3 out of 5]

Villa Coco is exactly what Andrew Sean Greer set out to write according to his author’s note: a charming novel. And honestly, I think he succeeds.

Set in Italy sometime after World War II, the story follows a young queer man fresh out of college with a background in archives and preservation. He arrives at Villa Coco believing he’s been hired to organize and archive the estate of a 92-year-old baroness, but quickly discovers that his role is much less academic and much more “girl Friday.” Soon he’s managing household chaos, tending to the eccentricities of the villa, and slowly figuring himself out along the way.

The strongest part of this novel is absolutely the setting. If you love books that completely immerse you in Italy—the countryside, the food, the language, the atmosphere, the old villas, the glamorous decay—you will probably have a wonderful time here. Greer writes Italy so vividly that the location becomes the real main character. The cover is gorgeous, and somehow the book itself matches that exact vibe.

This is definitely more of a quiet character study than a plot-heavy novel. There are emotional arcs and moments of growth, but the story is more interested in mood, identity, loneliness, and that drifting “what am I doing with my life?” feeling that comes with your twenties. It’s very much a coming-of-age/quarter-life-crisis novel wrapped in Italian sunlight.

Will this become an all-time favorite for me? Probably not. I don’t necessarily see myself rereading it, and I’m not sure how much of the plot will stick with me long term. But I do think I’ll remember it as a sweet, easy-to-read, emotionally gentle novel that transported me somewhere beautiful for a few hours.

And did I mention Italy? Because really, that’s the selling point here.

I’d recommend it, especially for readers who enjoy atmospheric literary fiction and travel vibes more than fast-moving plots. Personally, though, this feels more like a “borrow from the library” book than a “must own” book for me. It’s charming, pleasant, and immersive—but it’s not trying to devastate you or completely rearrange your worldview.

Thanks to NetGalley and Doubleday for the ARC. Moon to be published June 8, 2026

[Donna · Rating 4 out of 5]

A young, gay recent graduate student with a degree in Archives and Records Management, is at loose ends. What does he want to do with his life? Where does he go after the regimentation of learning his specialty? His college advisor threw him a lifeline in the form of an advertisement- a woman in Tuscany required an assistant to catalog her holdings, which apparently ranged from art to literature, and beyond. He snapped it up.
Thus began his introduction to the crazy life of "his Baronessa," Lisabetta, or Coco. When he arrived at the "modest country house" of the advertisement, he couldn't find it at first, before realizing it was built into one of the mountains. When he entered, by way of Coco's neighbor, he found rooms heaped with treasures of all kinds-how would he catalog this bizarre pile of stuff by December? Estelle, the neighbor, told him that he had arrived too early, and the rooms he had to catalog were not ready yet-but she also told him that his time would not be wasted, as there was much to do. 
To say that Coco was eccentric was a large understatement. She was old, regal, and unexpectedly scatological. Her first interaction with "Giovedi" as she dubs him, ascertained that he was American and thus unsuitable-he was to leave on the first train out. However she would allow him to stay if he learned Italian, not just the language-the lifestyle. As he entered the world of the Baronessa, her friends, servants, and relatives, he began to realize that he knew nothing=but he was willing to learn.
Something was going on in the house that was certainly mysterious, but perhaps also nefarious. As Giovedi navigated Villa Coco, worked, drove the Mitsu Bitchy, and fell in love, his education plowed on. But at some point he had to make some life changing decisions based on his new-found knowledge...would he have the courage to make them?
I love books that take you to unexpected places and this is certainly one of them. The magic of Tuscany, the maturation of the main character, and the slowly revealed secrets of Villa Coco, make this novel unique. Buono!

[Susan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Choosing a new book to read is an act of faith. A crap shoot of either reward or disappointment.

Villa Coco by Andrew Sean Greer at first appeared a disappointment –- a light, gay rom/com following a 22-year-old freshly graduated American archivist through his first job. Employed by a “baronessa” to catalogue everything in her sprawling home in Tuscany, Giovedi tells of working for an eccentric 92-year-old woman and her gaggle of friends and employees, just as odd as she.

Do not give up, as I first did or the disappointment will be of your own making. The novel blooms into one of valuable insight and storytelling. It “shows”, not “tells” how Giovedi grows from a navel-gazing youth into a purposeful adult.

The book is filled with humor, quirky happenings and very charming characters. The physical descriptions of the places in Italy he visits in the course of his work and the weather illustrate a beauty the author has captured on the page. Easy to picture the “fluttering ticker tape snow” in the north and the constricted alleyways and streets of Venice.

It is a novel of life-awareness and surprise. To actually quote a paragraph from the novel (which I’m not supposed to in a review of an uncorrected proof, but I “feel” this part will remain):

"The story of Ville Coco; I understood I had it all wrong. I thought it was of a young man coming to Italy and having a fling that, during an olive harvest, turned into something more until suddenly he was offered a life in Milan. I thought I was the story. As we do when we are young."

Exactly just one of the “lessons” I learned in reading this delightful novel, which I will reread as soon as I buy a copy. To find all the "clues" I missed, to be "re-enchanted".
Reviewed for NetGalley.

[Carolyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Villa Coco is a quietly enchanting novel that follows a young American man, freshly graduated and adrift, who accepts what he believes will be a simple six‑month job in rural Italy as an archivist for a baroness. What he finds instead is a life‑altering immersion into the rhythms, mysteries, and relationships that orbit the storied Villa Coco.

Rather than relying on a traditional plot, the novel unfolds through rich conversations, intimate observations, and the protagonist’s gradual understanding of the world he’s stepped into. The beauty of the book lies in this sense of discovery—readers learn the villa’s secrets, quirks, and histories right alongside him. The language and cultural barriers he faces only deepen the charm, highlighting the humor, tenderness, and occasional chaos of life in a bustling Italian household.
Every character—from the loyal staff to the enigmatic Baroness Coco herself—feels wonderfully alive. As their stories are revealed piece by piece, they become companions you grow to care about.

The novel is filled with vivid descriptions of food, art, architecture, and the surrounding countryside, making the entire experience feel like an extended Italian holiday.
By the time the more adventurous threads of the story come to light, you’re fully invested. The ending is both surprising and emotionally satisfying, leaving you with the warm sensation of returning home after a long, unforgettable trip.
Beautifully written, unexpectedly moving, and brimming with charm, Villa Coco is a natural pick for book clubs and anyone who loves character‑driven storytelling with heart.

I am grateful to have received an advanced readers copy of this book from Doubleday through NetGalley.

[SOS · Rating 5 out of 5]

4 1/2 stars

The author refers to this as a “charm novel”, and it truly is. It follows a young man referred to as Giovedi (we never learn his real name), who upon graduating college with a degree in archival studies, agrees to take a six month long position for a nonagenarian, Baronessa Lisabetta. Most call her Coco. She’s highly eccentric and owns an estate in the Tuscan countryside. The young man is never told exactly what his job is there, beyond cataloging the contents of the estate, but that’s delayed, so he does whatever he’s told, learning Italian along the way. That’s not all he learns, for Coco has much to impart, and she tends to instruct in unusual ways.

This was a fun and interesting read; although, it was, at times, hard to understand exactly what was going on. (Some of that is revealed at the end of the book.) It’s well-written and entertaining. After a while, you begin to feel that the characters, odd as most are, are your friends, too.

This books ends in a manner that sets it up for a sequel. A series revolving around Coco and Giovedi would be a delight. They would undoubtedly get into all kinds of mischief.

While I completely enjoyed this book, I found it a rather slow read. There are a lot of characters and a good deal of description. Still enjoyable, if you like unconventional characters.

I received an advanced reader copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley. I thank all involved for their generosity, but it had no effect on this review. All opinions in this review reflect my true and honest reactions to reading this book.

[Jenn Chastka · Rating 5 out of 5]

On his academic advisor's advice to work abroad and catalog for a Baronessa, our protagonist, later introduced incorrectly as Giovedi, decides to go. He promises himself that he will accomplish everything through a strict routine and, by Christmas, return ready to be the upstanding adult he’s meant to be, swearing off love in the process. When he arrives at the beautiful but crumbling mansion, he’s introduced to others as Giovedi, the first of many steps our protagonist takes to fully immerse himself in Tuscany, Italy.

For someone who’s strict with his regimen, he finds himself spending his days spontaneously with his Baronessa, Coco. His days are spent dining with Coco’s guest (one of whom is her handsome cousin), running errands in beautiful cities, and stealing an urn during a funeral of a close friend. All these things slowly turn Giovedi from a supporting character to a main protagonist, but how will that play out when Coco is trying to find her lost love?

All the people Giovedi interacts with are one-of-a-kind and have the most heartwarming and sometimes heartwrenching impact on his development. They all have a mix of eccentrics that makes the characters quaint and unforgettable, while also tying into what Coco and Giovedi are trying to achieve. The story is entirely about growth, lasting connections, and fulfillment that both Giovedi and Coco share. Coco, of course, is Giovedi’s biggest mentor, who guides him to experience all the beautiful things that Italy has to offer. While Giovedi is immersing himself, becoming conversational in Italian, reading classic Italian literature, traveling to nearby cities, and collecting olives and grapes for olive oil and wine, Coco’s true intentions with the catalog curation slowly become part of a grander scheme that leads to the most surprising reveal in the book, and there are quite a few surprises already.

The self-discovery through travel tropes will always be heartwarming and inspiring, but it’s not as heavy-handed in Villa Coco. The author had a genius way of making me believe that being “lazy in love” meant for Giovedi to pursue his romantic interest, but it turns out to mean something entirely different that hits close to home for Giovedi. For Giovedi and Coco, it’s about pursuing life outside their perfect routine and standards and venturing into the unknown, which can be more fulfilling, no matter how terrifying it feels at first. I wish I could reveal how Giovedi comes to this realization, but you’ll just have to wait until June to find out.

[Sharon · Rating 3 out of 5]

I agree with the author, this is a charming little book, and it basically goes nowhere. Set in Italy, at some time after World War II, the residents of the Villa are still doing without so many things. The Baronessa needs an archivist. Our young American man has graduated with an archivist degree. Now he has no idea what to do with the rest of his life until he ends up in Italy at the Baronessa's villa. When he is eager to get to work, he is told the rooms are not ready. Week after week, same story. A number of people come and go at the Villa; some seem to have ties to Baronessa and others just amble through the pages. Our young man meets another young man, who just happens to be married with a child on the way, but he is interested in our young man.

Eventually our young man is allowed to start making the lists of all the items in the house. Interestingly enough, the artifacts seem to move around, vanish, be replaced by new artifacts, usually after a visit from one of Coco's oldest and dearest friends. Something is not as it seems.

The descriptions of the scenery and the meals eaten are wonderful, and even the old car which sounds like it is held together by baling wire and twine. This book isn't for everyone, only those individuals who are willing to slow down and look at the views along the way. Bon appetit!

I received an ARC from NetGalley and Doubleday Books, in exchange for a review.

[TsarinaTyna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Koo-Koo ... what a lovely and unique story! This delightful tale follows the adventure of "our young man", the story's narrator, as he comes to meet and get to know his new employer, The Baronessa, or as her friends refer to her, Coco. This young out of place American has been tasked, in his role as archivist, to catalog her collection of art, ephemera, sundries, and items uncatalogable. In the process, Geovedi, (as The Baronessa calls our young man since she considers him her "man Thursday" as Robinson Crusoe had his "girl Friday") hears the tales of how she came to be in possession of such items and the wild stories that accompany their procurement. He also gets to know the other household staff as well as the Baronessa's group of friends and even some relatives... an ecclectic and wonderful mix of individuals and personalities nearly as intriguing as The Baronessa herself. There isn't really a dull moment in the book and you can't help but love the characters and the storyline as it meanders, twists, and turns through the past and through Italy taking you to places you'll see differently after seeing them through the stories told. I enjoyed every word of the story and found myself reading slower and slower toward the end because I just wasn't ready to part ways with the characters. A lovely tale of learning about oneself, knowing oneself, being oneself, and enjoying life on your own terms.

[Kym · Rating 5 out of 5]

“I did not think another life was possible. It is always possible.”

Sometimes, you may think you’re just making a quick pit stop on the Road Of Your Life . . . only to discover that you’re actually at a crossroads -- a place where everything can change (if you let it). Such is the case for the young narrator of Andrew Sean Greer’s newest and soon-to-be-released novel, Villa Coco (Doubleday Books, June 2026).

I found this gem of a novel to be absolutely charming. Written in Andrew Sean Greer’s signature style – what I think of as “playful sincerity” – Villa Coco features brilliant writing, quirky characters that leap from the page, and a perfectly rendered Italian setting. (Greer's descriptions of the mazes that are the streets of Venice are perfection.) If the early pages have you muddled by what feels like maybe too much eccentricity and madcap misunderstanding, I implore you to continue. Because Villa Coco settles into a compelling coming-of-age tale, with characters you’ll love, stories that will make you smile, and reminders that we all should watch out for unexpected options, be open to new adventures, and taste what life has to offer.

A “charm novel” if ever there was one.

Thank you to Doubleday Books and NetGalley for providing an advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. This novel will be published June 9, 2026.

5 stars.

[Giulia]

DNF @ p.30

I couldn’t get into it, mostly because the clichés and stereotypes quickly became grating. It has the feel of the umpteenth book written by an American who’s just discovered that other countries exist. There are so many people in their 20s who move abroad nowadays that I don't understand why this particular story is written in such heavy-handed, hyperbolic language. To play devil's advocate, the story does seem to be set in the past - from his college advisor giving him an ad "clipped from the paper" to his reliance on a telegram once he's in Tuscany. It must have been hard without the internet perhaps. Still, it’s not as though he’s been asked to go to Mars.

Anyway.

On clichés:
- the main character is surprised to learn the elderly know technology (gasp!)
- the main character has to double check with the baroness when he's asked to learn Italian ("You will have to learn Italian." "I will?". Buddy, yes.)

On stereotypes:
- handymen in Montepulciano who "take their time" responding to jobs because they're always drunk (you know, because of the wine. Honestly…)
- the way the baroness speaks in general, mixing English and Italian in a way that feels artificial, very much like how foreign authors write dialogue when they don’t quite grasp how Italians actually speak English.

I would like to thank Hodder & Stoughton for providing me with an ARC.

[Pamela Lauer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Villa Coco, by Andrew Sean Greer, has the hallmarks of his other works - a protagonist who ponders what "it" all means and what their place in "it" is, surrounded by a cast of beautiful and/or quirky characters. This particular iteration tells the tale of a young American who travels to Italy shortly after his college graduation for his first real job as an archivist. He lands in the household of an eccentric elderly woman and her domestic staff. The Italian towns and countryside are beautifully rendered, and the characters are colorful and warm, if not always entirely believable. The descriptions of the food, wine, seasons, etc., are wonderfully evocative. There is a plot, but it's not all that important, to be honest.

Wryly humorous, sweet and gentle... there is absolutely nothing to make you regret spending time with this book. That being said, the book's impact is minimal and the ending felt somewhat tacked-on. I don't want to be down on this book or the author -- it is so engaging and he writes so well -- but this one fell just a little flat for me. Perhaps I was disappointed because it didn't live up to Less, which I genuinely loved. If you like Greer's style, definitely give this one a try. If you haven't tried his work before, this might not be the best one to start with.

3.5ish stars

[Genevieve Hogan · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Villa Coco” by Andrew Sean Greer stands apart because of the beauty and complexity of its language and characters. It’s funny, it’s witty, and it is deeply human. The novel is as full and layered as the Villa in which it takes place. “Villa Coco” speaks to the entire life span. It is both a coming-of-age story and a story about how to live fully having reached a “certain age”.

Reading this novel is like stepping into Wonderland. Reality bends and twists and the rules become uncertain. The narrator tells us that he is not necessarily moral, only organized. However, the things he was hired to archive are not organized. We meander along with him as he tries to figure it all out: a house full of precious junk, the Italian language and culture, a full cast of unconventional characters and situations, and who he is going to choose to become.

Throughout the journey we are gifted with beautiful language and unexpected usage. Sentences become portals of possibility. Scenes and paragraphs are ambivalent. There are stratums of things to be archived and organized, to be figured out or ignored, and, ultimately, to be held on to or cast aside. Greer gives us a world to be savored and explored.

Thank you to NetGalley and Doubleday for access to this ARC. This is my honest review.

[Marlana Pagano · Rating 4 out of 5]

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this advance copy.

I recently finished Villa Coco, and it ended up being a quietly rewarding read. One of the things that stood out to me right away was the author’s initial letter to readers, where he talks about the need for a modern “charm novel.” That framing really shaped how I experienced the story—and I found myself appreciating the intention behind it throughout.

The pacing is slow, and there’s very little drama, which I actually found refreshing. In a world that already feels overwhelming and full of tension, this book offered a gentler, more relaxed experience. It’s the kind of story you settle into rather than race through, and I liked that about it.

That said, there were moments when the narrative felt a bit disorganized and occasionally hard to follow. Some transitions weren’t as smooth as I would have liked, and I sometimes had to pause and reorient myself.

But ultimately, everything does come together. By the end, I felt that the pieces fit in a satisfying way, and I walked away having genuinely enjoyed the journey. It’s not a perfect novel, but it’s a pleasant and comforting one—and sometimes, that’s exactly what you need.

[Alysa Blum · Rating 2 out of 5]

Thank you, Netgalley for this ARC.
I really wanted to like Villa Coco, but this one just didn’t land for me.

What I expected was a charming, immersive story set in Tuscany—something atmospheric, maybe even a little whimsical but still grounded. What I got instead felt aimless and, at times, frustratingly hard to follow. The narrative wandered without a clear sense of direction, and I kept waiting for a stronger plot to emerge… but it never really did.

One of the biggest challenges for me was the structure. The lack of chapters made it feel like there was no natural place to pause, which turned reading into more of a slog than an escape. It’s a small thing, but it honestly made a big difference in how the book felt—endless rather than engaging.

There are moments of insight and some underlying themes about love and meaning, but they were buried under what felt like disjointed episodes and scattered storytelling. I’ll admit—maybe this is one of those books that resonates more if you connect with its style on a deeper level. For me, though, it just didn’t come together.

In the end, this was a book I had to push myself to finish. Instead of being transported, I felt stuck in a story that never quite found its footing.