An Italian Holiday: The perfect feel-good escapist read

by Maeve Haran

Sunshine, warmth, lemon blossom . . .

Springtime in glorious Southern Italy can go to your head. Especially if you are escaping an overbearing husband, the embarrassingly public loss of your company, an interfering mother who still tries to run your life or the pain of a husband's affair with a girl young enough to be his daughter.

As the Italian sun ripens the lemons in the groves that tumble down the hillsides and the Mediterranean dazzles beneath them, assertive Angela, extrovert Sylvie, unconfident Claire and mousy Monica find burgeoning friendship and begin to blossom in quite unexpected ways.

Packed with memorable characters – from the acid-tongued Grand Old Man of Modern Art who lives next door – to the aspiring gigolo who thinks nothing of a forty year age gap, Maeve Haran's An Italian Holiday is a witty and entertaining reminder of why going a little mad in the sun can sometimes be exactly what you need.

Genres: Romance, Italy, Chick Lit, Fiction, Friendship

446 pages, Kindle Edition

Published June 15, 2017

About the author

Maeve Haran is an Oxford Law graduate who worked in journalism and television before writing her first novel, Having It All, a worldwide bestseller translated into 26 languages and shortlisted for
the Romantic Novel of the Year. She wrote twelve more contemporary novels, one work of non-fiction, and two historical novels.

Her new book In the Summertime is due out on June 8.

She has grown-up three children and lives in North London.

Reviews

[Thebooktrail · Rating 5 out of 5]

A solid, heartbreaking and fascinating read..

Travel to the locations in the novel: Booktrail it to Italy



This brought sunshine and smiles into my life! A novel about a mysterious house on the Amalfi coast that four strangers are headed towards for some R and R always gets my reading radar working overtime but this was just a joy from start to finish! Ah Angela even organising the breakfast on the first day got me laughing, Sylvie with her usual dress palette of vermillion to aubergine, Claire on her search for confidence and Monica mooching around in the background at first…well these very different women truly blossomed in the story and I felt instantly one of their little group. Heck I’d even joined their famous Lanzarella Women’s Cooperative by the end of it (wait till you hear about that – that’s a chuckle)

I imagined Maeve to be chuckling and laughing drinking limoncello whilst writing this novel for the fun splashes of colour and Italian words she sprinkled in to the mix, the sights of the whitewashed houses on the hill all calm followed by one character humping her suitcase up the mountain was just the perfect mix of Italian paradise and Brits abroad. There’s certainly enought foreign flavour to get those taste buds drooling as well – I do like the sound of burrata cheese!

An Italian holiday is just that – a holiday with four new friends and some men folk drafted in for good measure. What these women find at the house they call The Siren is yours to discover but it’s a cute and funny ramble on the hillside, looking out into the lemon groves and the promise of a better tomorrow.

Best to appreciate this novel with a glass of something yourself, with a hearty Italian (make of that what you will) whilst wearing ‘ a hug in a dress’ -and have yourself that una vacanza italiana? It’s a Done Deal 😉

[Lydia Bailey · Rating 3 out of 5]

Find yourself transported back to the Gulf of Naples via a group of ‘post menopausal harpies’ all with life issues they need a very special holiday to work through. I found the start of this rather confusing & the ending a little farcical & the writing a little laboured at times but on the whole, it was a thoroughly enjoyable read & I particularly enjoyed all the evocative descriptions of Italy itself. I find myself now browsing holiday websites ;)

[Kirstie · Rating 3 out of 5]

A very light hearted read
Great to have a Book based on ladies over 60s but as with most chick lot I just feel myself being patronized by the author slightly.
As expected it ends up nice and neat but the added bonus with this book is the beautiful setting that is very well described making you want to nip off to Italy

[R S · Rating 3 out of 5]

Took a while to get into it but quite enjoyable in the end.

[Elisabeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Four very different English women find themselves thrown together in Southern Italy in a gorgeous villa just South of Naples. Tycoon Angela, caterer Claire, interior designer Sylvia and librarian Monica all have very different reasons for wanting to escape England (and it's not just the rotten English weather) all find themselves bound for ‘Le Sirenuse’ beside the dazzling Mediterranean Sea.

At first things between the four women are quite tense but as they settle down they begin to realise that they all have something to learn off each other. As their time at the villa goes on they become friends and realise that they make a good team.

Through ups and downs, disappointment and romance the women develop a strong bond between themselves and discover things about themselves that they would never have done if they had stayed in England.

A perfect beach read set in a fictional Italian town on the Amalfi coast. It certainly took me back to the place where I had recently spent an idyllic holiday.

Fans of Katie Fforde, Lucy Diamond, Carole Matthews and Milly Johnson would love this book.

[Tomer Kimchi · Rating 5 out of 5]

This isn’t the first time I read one of Maeve Haran’s books and I gotta say I’m impressed. She didn’t disappoint me even once. I had high expectations for her since I enjoyed the last book so much I had to try another one, and she didn’t let me down. She somehow manages to write simply yet interestingly, and it is absolutely a fun book to read in your spare time.
How 4 different women , that work in different jobs, have so different lives, are ‘stuck’ on a villa for a period of time and they manage turning being ‘stuck’ with each other - to the best vacation and friends they ever had (if at all)
I barely understood they were supposed to be in their sixties, since they all behave like they are way younger, and some still have their mothers alive (90 and kicking Mariella for example)
I couldn’t stop reading it for a second, and it was totally worth it.
Going to buy her next book now🧚🏻‍♀️

[Anne · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was absolutely brilliant. I loved it from the start to the end. I could relate to a few of the women involved and as I was reading it , I was THERE with them . I have been to many places in Northern Italy and I adore it there but never too the South. This area is popping up in many ways in my life at the moment . A great read.

[Tripfiction · Rating 4 out of 5]

Novel set in Southern ITALY (Love, Life and Lemons in the sun)

Four women (strangers to each other) get away from it all by accepting a holiday in their mutual friend’s beautiful villa in Italy. A warm, amusing and cheerful novel.



Four “older” women are the main characters in this wonderful book:

Claire – a caterer, not only for her business but also for her extended family

Angela – a successful business woman

Sylvie – a flamboyant house designer

Monica – a widow with an overbearing mother

They don’t know each other, but through a mutual friend, grab at the opportunity to escape their everyday lives for a holiday (wrapped up as a business trip) in an idyllic villa in Italy. They assume they will be alone, so are surprised to find each other there, and their different characters cause some amusing clashes.

As their stay lengthens, they discover that the villa staff appear to be up to something, some of their new found Italian friends appear to be not at all as they seem, but most of all they all fall in love with the villa and its ambience. Along the way they begin to like each other.

Lemons and lemon groves are central to the story, as is sunshine, friendship and an appreciation of the simple things in life. Mealtimes are mostly taken on the sunny terrace, and the appreciation of good food (and glasses of Franciacorta sparkling wine) is a recurring theme.

Set initially in London, with some interesting historical details, the story quickly moves to a fictional (I assume) place in Southern Italy. An overall glimpse of customs and ways of life is given, but this is more a book about appreciating differences and opening your eyes to what is around you, than a deep look at the Italian lifestyle.

This is quite a long book (458 pages), but it is an easy and involving read. I felt I got to know the main characters, and certainly fell in love with the villa and its surroundings. There are some wonderful surprises in the book and I enjoyed the positive, often humourous, style of the book. Lovely!

[Aija T · Rating 4 out of 5]

Patiesībā es labprāt liktu gandrīz 5, bet diemžēl tādas opcijas nav.
Četras dāmas, dažas pēc 60, katrai dzīvē kaut kas sapiņķējies, visas satiekas attāla drauga/paziņas villā Spānijas un pašas sev par pārsteigumu sadraudzējās, apliecinot, ka "vecums ir izvēle".

[Deborah Roberts · Rating 5 out of 5]

Enjoyable light hearted read with plenty of laughs"8:

[Zsuzsi · Rating 2 out of 5]

Was looking for a light-hearted beach read and can't say I was disappointed, but still can't really give more than 3-ish stars.
Let's start with the positives! I obviously loved the setting, Italy is just marvelous and I had a major case of wanderlust throughout the entire book. I also quite liked that the main characters were middle aged women, it was nice to not always only read about young, skinny and beautiful women. Monica's character was also really likeable and I loved how she evolved into a confident woman and stood up against her mother.
This brings us to the other characters who were honestly utter rubbish. Walking stereotypes, really. Angela was for example this really determined, strong and clever business woman. Why couldn't the author just leave her be? Why had she change so dramatically and confess that all her bossyness (so basically the whole of her personality) was just to hide her loneliness?! WOMEN CAN BE HAPPY WITHOUT A MAN, YA KNOW?! Also her sudden reconciliation at the end with Stephen just made me LOL. They absolutely hadn't talked about what had broke them apart, haven't even thought about the fact that they might, just might be TOTALLY different people then who they were back in Oxford. Sylvie was also quite ridiculous, without the slightest consistency in her behaviour towards Tony. But the overall winner of the shittiest character must be Claire for sure. How she treated her husband was outrageous, and he absolutely didn't deserve any of it! He was honestly just nice and caring and if they had problems it was surely because Claire did not communicate any of her problems, just expected him to magically understand her every need. Her so called romance with Luca was horrendous. (His behaviour was also quite problematic if you ask me.) They way she and Martin addressed the Luca situation was also utterly unrealistic. No matter how nice and understanding Martin was, it was just straight up unbelievable. And if you really want to portray some midlife-crisis romance then Claire changing her mind absolutely out of the blue and staying with her husband is certainly not the way to do it.
I could go on about some other minor problems (like the subtle racism, homophobia, body shaming, the totally stereotipical portrayal of Italian people, etc.) but I really think I have ranted enough about this book.
Still enjoyed some parts of it, but overall it was just irritating and a waste of time. Read a Jilly Cooper book if you want something similar, but actually well written!

[lese_inge · Rating 4 out of 5]

Meine ersten Bücher von Maeve Haran habe ich vor 20 Jahren gelesen und geliebt. Als mir jetzt "Der schönste Sommer unseres Lebens" über den Weg lief, musste ich es unbedingt haben. Allerdings sind so wie ich, auch die Protagonisten ihrer Bücher älter geworden.
Das die vier Frauen des Romans hingegen schon mindestens 60 sind, hat mich doch etwas überrascht. Wiederum wirken Angela, Claire, Sylvia und Monica deutlich jünger. Egal ob von ihrem Engagement und ihrer Kleidung oder ihrer ganzen Art her.
Davon mal abgesehen, haben die Frauen natürlich schon einiges erlebt und fragen sich nicht zu Unrecht, ob es das jetzt gewesen sein soll.
Es ist toll zu lesen, wie unter der Sonne Italiens die Probleme und Konflikte in den Hintergrund treten und plötzlich Freundschaft, Mut und Veränderung wichtiger werden.

Angela, Claire, Sylvia und Monica haben einen gemeinsamen Freund, der sie unabhängig voneinander in seine Villa an der Amalfiküste einlädt. Er möchte, dass sich die Frauen dem Zauber von Lanzarella hingeben um den Kopf wieder freizubekommen, denn ihre Gründe sind vielfältig.
Die eine flüchtet von ihrem bestimmenden Ehemann, die andere vor ihrer bevormundenden Mutter. Die dritte wird von ihrem Mann betrogen und die vierte verliert ihre Firma.
Aus den anfänglich sehr überraschten Damen, die jeweils denken allein Urlaub zum machen, wird schnell die "Lanzarella-Frauenkooperative". Jede von ihnen erhält die Chance über ihr Leben nachzudenken und Veränderungen herbeizuführen.

Bis auf ein paar Längen, hat mich das Buch gut unterhalten. Lediglich mit dem Alter der Frauen konnte ich mich nicht ganz identifizieren. Hier wäre ein kleiner Hinweis im Klappentext ganz hilfreich.
Trotzdem eine schöne Sommergeschichte mit tollem Setting und einigen sehr lustigen Stellen.

[Aimi Tedresalu · Rating 3 out of 5]

See raamat on täpselt seda, mida sisututvustus tõotab. Muinasjutulisse Itaalia villasse satuvad peremehe kutsel üheaegselt neli naist, kelle elu on erinevas mõttes ummikseisu jõudnud. Kellel on mees tiiba ripsutanud, kel on lihtsalt oma kodusest elust kõrini, kes üritab pääseda võimuka ema mõju alt jne. Villas elaminegi veeretab nende teel erinevaid proovikive, alates omavahelistest suhetest ning lõpetades järsku erineval viisil välja ilmuvate kodustega. Lisaks veel teadmine, et villa enda aiad varjavad midagi kummalist. Lõpuks aga saavad kõik olukorrad (mingis mõttes) parima lahenduse ja kõik nad elavad õnnelikult edasi. Nii et selline kergekoeline helge lugemine, kindlasti mitte "sopakas" naistekas, kuid midagi erilist selle lugemine ka mulle ei pakkunud.

[Himja · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a wonderful book. You want to go to Italy after reading this.

[Susan Hutchinson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Finished, enjoyed it, makes me want to go on holiday

[Kirsty · Rating 4 out of 5]

Perfect summer read ☀️🥂🇮🇹❤️

[Ilona Saksone · Rating 2 out of 5]

Viegla literatūra- bet saturs nekāds. Nu tik salda, tik salda. Nu nav ne dzīvē, ne pelnrušķītes stāstā, ka visiem viss beidzas labi.
Grāmata, ko lasot bieži piedomāju, kam man tā. Kāds pienesums man no šis grāmatas? Bestsellers- kas kuram ir bestsellers😊 . Stāsts par 4 angļu sieviešu dzīvēm pensijas vecumā. Viena karjeriste, otrai vīrs izmaina ar jaunāku, trešā dzīvo zem mātes spiediena un ceturtā piekususi no vīra ‘’ bubināšanas ‘’. Un Itālijas piedzīvojumi, dzīvojot cita cilvēka villā un sadIedē sevi un atrod risinajumu. Salabst ar vīru krāpnieku, bez papildus morāles skaidrojuma, vnk pēkšņi viss ok 😊 . Otra atveras mākslai, ļaujas kailam pašportretam un iespēju pārdot gleznu par naudu, kas nodrošinās atlikušās vecumdienas, nuuuu. Bezgala saldi 😊 .
Kur tur stāsts par Itāliju? Varbūt tiem, kas nav bijuši šajā valstī. Nu neredzu es tādus tos itāļu vīriešu, sieviešu pazemību utml. īsti arī galveno varoņu vecums neiet kopā ar darbiem, it kā sievietes ap 60, bet darbību apjoms 35-40 gadīgu sieviešu veidolā ☹️
Atzinums, iespējams kādam kam dzīvē ir tikai baltas līnijas liekas ka visiem paveras tik brīnišķīgas iespējas. Tiem, kas ir reālisti - izlasu, nodomāju’’not for me’’. Nu nenotiek tā! Nemānām sevi! Šī ir pirmā grāmata, kurā patiešām esmu vīlusies, nu tā pa īstam 😊 . Vārbūt pārlasīšu, ka būs man 60+.

[Patsy Bourke · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is an entertaining easy read, some enjoyable froth when in statewide pandemic lockdown. Four English women in their late middle years, not all previously known to one another are spirited away to a gorgeous Amalfi Coast villa. Some know the owner and some are there though an intermediary, but all are escaping the English weather and a personally challenging environment to the unbelievably sunny and gorgeous fictional location not so far south of Salerno.

In a time when holidaying from Australia is not possible, vicarious travel is fun and enabled retrieval of a much enjoyed time not far away in Sorrento two years ago at the end of an Italian month long jaunt.

The light hearted approach can be repetitive in stating the obvious; and inconsistent in plot and at times geography but it was a fun romp through a story of people who have travelled along life's path with inevitable issues. The 'time out' enables some reconsiderations for many characters resulting in resolutions that may not have been possible without the change to such a carefree place.

[Stephanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sunshine, warmth, the scent of lemons......

Springtime in glorious southern Italy can go to your head. Especially if your'e escaping not just miserable weather but an overbearing husband, the embarrassingly public loss of your company, an interfering mother who still tries to run your life or the pain of a husband's affair with a girl young enough to be his daughter.

As the sun ripens the lemons in the groves that tumble down the hillsides and the Mediterranean dazzles beneath them, bossy Angela, extrovert Sylvie, unconfident Claire and mousy Monica leave their trapped lives behind, and begin to blossom in quite unexpected ways.

Packed with memorable characters, AN ITALIAN HOLIDAY is a witty and entertaining reminder of why going a little mad in the sunshine can sometimes be exactly what you need.

[Liz Chapman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well done to Maeve Haran for a book with people in it who are 60+ and showing that they are not in their slippers and going gaga ! The setting in Italy is lovely and I can almost smell the flowers and lemon blossom and hear the sea. It brought back lovely memories of a holiday in Sorento . I liked the fact that sex for the over 60s came into the story and the fact that at retirement age couples do look at each other differently especially when they have been working and leading almost separate lives. The old story that the man looks for a younger model and the old harridan of a mother didn't seem to be to cliche and although the ending was predictable it was satisfying. I would read another one of Maeve's books.

[Shereen Lang · Rating 4 out of 5]

Four older women all with different makes trying to make their way in the gorgeous villa just South of Naples on what they thought was a relaxing holiday to get away from their stressful lives in England. A wonderful book:
Claire a caterer, not only a business women but having a overbearing extended family that will not help....
Angela a successful business woman Tycoon...
Sylvie a flamboyant house designer....
Monica a widow with an overbearing mother that puts her down every opportunity...
I certainly fell in love with the villa and its surroundings it opens your eyes to see what around you and appreciate it the more you look...Lemon Blossom, Would love more Italian food and drinking limoncello to feel like I was there in Italy..

[Angelica · Rating 3 out of 5]

I rather enjoyed this. A good beach read, very much in the tradition of The Wedding Officer: A Novel of Culinary Seduction or Under the Tuscan Sun or those innumerable books about women who go abroad and find themselves.

Plot wasn't great, characters were generally okay, but there was a lot of fun, vivid description, moments (that naked nymph in the fountain scene was a hoot), and a lot, a lot of heart.

[Elaine Chow · Rating 3 out of 5]

I find it quite enjoyable to read in the beginning - when all the characters are being introduced and the setting up for their Italy trip, that part is captivating. However I have a hard time to connect with the characters, may be Monica I can understand her personality slightly more than the others. I feel the characters are not that well written, there are some inconsistencies of personality throughout the books, which is quite a disappointment for me. The book is less interesting after halfway, I almost wanted to give it up. But nonetheless I enjoyed the first half so 3 stars.

[Zanda Borga · Rating 2 out of 5]

Viegls gabaliņš par Itāliju, sauli un sapratni, kas rodas šajā vietā - dzīvi vajag tvert vieglāk, mainīties ir iespējams ar uzsvaru - arī tad, ja Tev jau ir pāri 60.
Grūti ielasīties, vidus sasilida, grāmatas beigas velkas + protams grand finale ar laimīgām beigām, bet vai tad no šādām grāmatām kāds gaida kaut ko citu?
Lasīju gan latviešu valodā ar nosaukumu "Itāļu brīvdienas", kuras versija gan pagaidām šeit nav pievienota.
Grāmatas lielākais pluss - lasi un aiceļo uz saulaino Itāliju, kamēr laukā ir sniegs, auksts un tumsa :)

[Denise Hale · Rating 4 out of 5]

Four post-menopausal harpies

Once you reach your sixties your life should be settled but for these four women, it suddenly isn't. Each has their own crisis and each is offered the chance to gain a new perspective on their lives by escaping to a villa in Italy.
Maeve Harsh caught the zeitgeist with her debut novel about working mothers and does the same for the new generation of women in their sixties.

[Pippa · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is my first by Maeve Haran so I have no idea how it compares to her other works. Initially it was a pleasure to be reading good prose with a broad vocabulary but other aspects of the book didn’t really deliver. This sort of story seldom has any great plot surprises, the attraction is in the telling and although the descriptions of Italy (probably my favourite country) and its scenery, food & culture were lovely I didn’t get particularly involved with any of the characters.

[AtomicBiker · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. I got all caught up in the plot and characters lives... and the setting in Italy probably helped too! Was one of those when you are always keen to get back to it and are sad when it had ended. I have not read any of this author's work before, but based on this one, I certainly would read more

[Ariane · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5*

Definetely had a very nice time reading this book. I especially loved that the characters are not your typical chick-lit novel ones, and that they're deeped and have somehow different stories. The story is sometimes a bit boring but it's definetely a nice summery read that will leave you wanting to go to the South of Italy and surround yourself with lemon scent.

[Hayley Marsland · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have to say I did struggle a bit for the first 100 or so pages, found it all a bit confusing, but after that it was quite a good read.

Four women are thrown together, unexpectedly in southern Italy, each of them escaping, difficult situations back in England.

In a glorious setting, of lemon groves, and the Mediterranean sunshine, friendships are formed in the most unexpected ways.

[Pille Piho · Rating 5 out of 5]

Meeldis, et sümpaatsed tegelased on mu eakaaslased. Kuigi ise kellegagi otseselt ei samastunud, tuleb tunnistada, et mõned sarnased mõtted on endalgi pähe tulnud. Igatahes oli lugedes nendega tore aega veeta ja mõtetes passiivselt itaalia köögi hõrgutisi nautida.
https://pilleraamatujakassiga.blogspo...