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The Italian Matchmaker

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Lose yourself in the sun-drenched hills of the Amalfi coast with Santa Montefiore...

Gianluca has to admit his life is empty so, in search of serenity and a deeper purpose to his existence, he flees to Italy, to the magical Palazzo Montelimone, lovingly restored by his parents, to assess his future.

But life on the sun-drenched Amalfi coast is not as peaceful as Luca anticipates. The palazzo is filled with his mother's eccentric friends and haunted by the ghosts of its murderous past.

He meets a woman whose dark eyes are heavy with sorrow and a solemn little boy with an incredible secret.

As he begins to unravel a mystery that has its roots in a long-ago act of violence, Luca is forced to face his greatest fear in exchange for the greatest truth.

384 pages, Paperback

First published March 1, 2009

163 people are currently reading
1668 people want to read

About the author

Santa Montefiore

88 books2,688 followers
Santa Montefiore is the number one bestselling author of over thirty novels and has sold over eight million copies worldwide. Her books have been translated into twenty-five languages and she won an RNA Award for The Temptation of Gracie in 2019, which is currently in development for film. Born in England in 1970, she grew up in Hampshire and now lives in London with her husband, writer Simon Sebag-Montefiore, their daughter, son, and dog Simba.

Shadows in the Moonlight is the first novel of a trilogy following the character Pixie Tate, with Secrets of the Starlit Sea following in summer 2025. Santa loves to hear from readers and you can find her at www.santamontefiore.co.uk.

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5 stars
1,057 (29%)
4 stars
1,305 (36%)
3 stars
895 (25%)
2 stars
241 (6%)
1 star
81 (2%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 214 reviews
Profile Image for Noella.
1,252 reviews78 followers
September 6, 2023
Luca is een zakenman die gescheiden is en twee dochtertjes heeft. Hij wil iets anders doen met zijn leven, en om daar over na te denken gaat hij naar Italië waar zijn ouders in een gerestaureerde mansion wonen.
In het dorpje ontmoet hij Cosima, een jonge vrouw die alleenstaande moeder was, maar wiens zoontje Francesco verdronken is. Dit is al 3 jaar geleden, maar Cosima is nog steeds in de rouw.
Luca voelt zich meteen sterk aangetrokken tot Cosima, maar het vergt hem heel wat inspanning om tot haar door te dringen en er voor te zorgen dat ze niet zo openlijk meer blijft treuren om haar zoontje. Luca kan namelijk Francesco zien! De geest van de jongen blijft nog steeds in de nabijheid van zijn moeder. Eerst kan Cosima dit niet geloven, maar toch geeft dit haar hoop en vermindert haar schuldgevoel.
In het huis van de ouders van Luca is het een zoete inval. Zijn moeder nodigt namelijk voortdurend mensen uit, die soms maanden blijven logeren! Ik vond het wel leuk om over deze karakters te lezen.
En ook de famiie van Cosima komt uitgebreid aan bod. Eigenlijk zijn de twee families verbonden door een drama dat zich lang geleden heeft afgespeeld, de originele eigenaar van de mansion is vermoord omdat hij een affaire had met Valentina, een familielid van Cosima. En dan is Valentina ook vermoord, vermoedelijk uit wraak voor de affaire die ze had.
Ik heb begrepen dat dit verhaal verteld wordt in een ander boek van deze auteur, maar het stoort niet dat ik dat boek niet gelezen heb.
Ik heb dit boek met plezier gelezen.
Profile Image for ~Sofia~.
90 reviews31 followers
May 18, 2019
I am utterly astounded at how Montefiore can transport you to a different place entirely. Reading this book I could feel the sun on my face, the fresh sea breeze filling my lungs, the strong smell of espresso’s being drunk by ageing Italian men. This was truly a lovely read and I thoroughly enjoyed it.

The novel is based around Luca, half Italian, businessman, divorcee. To which he seems to be stuck in a rut. Enter Cosima, a woman who is surrounded by misery and despair, and you’ll have to read the book to know the rest! The characters in this story a remarkable in their own way, to whom you grow ever so fond of. Montefiore is an expert at capturing each characters unique personality, which is key for a good book. This really is a joy to read, set in the Italian coast it has everything for a perfect summer read.

The only criticism I do have is that the book does have a tendency to go from one character to the next quite quickly, you’ll be reading a lovely part about one character and then in the next sentence you are on the other side of Italy with a different character without a pause. But when the story is this good I didn’t mind so much.
111 reviews1 follower
January 17, 2015
I enjoyed the story of Luca and Cosima, but was plain bored with 1) the endless repetition of what happened to Valentina and 2) the numerous flat characters residing at the Palazzo without bringing added value to the story... I definitely have read much better books of Santa Montefiore...
Profile Image for Eve.
778 reviews52 followers
Read
April 13, 2020
Luca's (41) life is unravelling -- after a painful divorce he is single again. Having quit the City after twenty years as a fund manager he is also jobless. His newfound freedom made him feel uneasy. He decides to take off for the summer to visit his parents in Italy where they have renovated an old palazzo which has mysterious and dark history. He arrives to sunny Italy and sees a woman whose eyes are filled with sorrow and a solemn little boy Luca assme is her son...

This story was okay but it dragged on at places and could have been more fast-paced.

in-Collage-20200410-154653219
79 reviews7 followers
March 3, 2019
Nice romantic story. And very nice that the story was about a man. i liked that very much. And it also helped me remember the important things in life.
Profile Image for Sven.
523 reviews65 followers
August 2, 2025
Ik ben al redelijk bekend met de boeken van Santa Montefiore. Ooit als uitdaging van mijn stiefmoeder er eentje gelezen en ben nu al aan mijn negende boek bezig. Wat wel opvalt is dat Montefiore niet altijd met een even hoog niveau haar boeken schrijft. Zo las ik De vergeet mij niet- sonate niet uit. Maar dit negende boek las ik wel uit. Het kreeg de titel In de schaduw van het palazzo.

Het verhaal gaat over Luca die zijn huwelijk op de klippen ziet lopen en daardoor zijn twee dochters bijna niet ziet. Om zichzelf terug te vinden gaat hij op bezoek bij zijn ouders die in Italië wonen, en daar een palazzo volledig gerenoveerd hebben. Het leven aan de Almafi kust is niet zo vredig als het eruit ziet. Hij ontmoet een mysterieuze vrouw en een kleine jongen met een groot geheim. Luca probeert dit geheim te ontrafelen maar moet dan zijn ergste angst onder ogen zien.

Wat mij zo aantrekt aan deze schrijfster is haar schrijfstijl. Een schrijfstijl die beeldend is, die de omgeving perfect weergeeft waardoor je jezelf een beeld kunt vormen van hoe het er effectief moet uitzien. Dit was in dit boek ook terug het geval. Op bepaalde momenten zag ik mezelf al over het strand van Incantellaria stappen. Genietend van het uitzicht.

In het verhaal verwerkt Montefiore veel gevoel. Het smachten naar een oude liefde maar ook het verdriet over het verlies van een kind. Het willen hebben van een glamoureus leven zonder te zien wat je op dit moment al van goeds in je handen hebt.

Het verhaal herbergt nog wat extra elementen. Zo is er een paranormaal luik verwerkt in het verhaal. Dit luik trekt het niveau van het boek wel nog naar boven. Het draagt bij aan het verhaal.

Ik ben wel terug fan van haar personages. Ze komen in alle leeftijden en karakters, en dragen allemaal bij aan het verhaal.

De boeken van Montefiore bevatten nooit echt grote verrassingen maar dit stoort mij nooit in haar boeken. Ik laat me meeglijden in haar verhaal, waar toch altijd wel een klein thrillergehalte aanhangt. In dit boek was dit zeker van de partij, wie sliep in het tuinhuis??

Conclusie

Terug één van de betere Montefiores die ik tot nu toe gelezen heb. Een verhaal dat mij doet verlangen om naar Italië op reis te gaan en te kijken of het palazzo echt bestaat of gewoon de fantasie is van de auteur. Terug een goeie beeldende schrijfstijl dat een verhaal tentoon stelt waarin liefde en verdriet zeer dicht op elkaar liggen, het nog steeds hunkeren naar oude liefdes en het starten van nieuwe.

Ik blijf fan van Montefiore. Haar boeken lezen ongedwongen , vlot en vol emotie. Dit boek kwam uit de eigen kast maar zal terug verhuizen naar die van stiefmoeder. Dat was de afspraak.
Profile Image for Eva.
533 reviews53 followers
February 18, 2011
So, I didn't really enjoy this book.
The story was, in some way, hard for me to follow.
I was excited about the progress between Luca and Cosima, but I couldn't care less about the whole story around Valentina and the pallazzio. It was actually just plain boring... I hope that her other books will amuse me more...
Profile Image for Corinne.
34 reviews2 followers
April 10, 2019
This book is the sequel following The Last Voyage of the Valentina. Whilst the first book did not grip me, except for the last chapters, I loved the sequel. In fact, I read it in two days. Skipping the first book would be a mistake though as although there are quite some explanations, they seem too boring or too repetitive for those who have read only the Italian Matchmaker. It's a really nice love story on a small Italian island filled with mystery and history.
Profile Image for Anne.
2,200 reviews
October 14, 2009
While it's the sequel to The Last Voyage of the Valentina, this was a lovely stand-alone story with strong characters, a heart-warming romantic storyline, the perfect setting of a palazzo on the Amalfi coast and a nice touch of the supernatural. Most enjoyable.
Profile Image for Harbir.
108 reviews4 followers
May 9, 2019
I tried so hard with this book, i listened to it on audible, i read it but i couldnt get into it! I felt like i was dragging it and dragging it and so on, it was just not enjoyable for me. Im sure for some it was enjoyable but for me, i just couldnt get into it...
Profile Image for Bookish Thais💌.
110 reviews46 followers
September 12, 2022
B O O K R E V I E W
⭐⭐⭐⭐/5
🌶️/5

description

description

"Love was the best spectator sport."

Going into this book, I had no idea what to expect. For me the blurb was a bit confusing so I though that this would be a romance between ghosts. It was not.🤡 This book had been on my physical tbr since about April so I had been meaning to read it for a while but I always chose another book instead. I'm really glad I chose to read it now.

Gianluca has just got divorced to his spoiled wife Claire and he is lost. He has everything. Money, children even an amazing apartment. He finally realizes that his bond with his 2 young girls isn't that strong. He decides to clear his mind by visiting his parents at their newly renovated palazzo in Incantellaria. There he meets the unexpected. There are multiple strangers in the palazzo that his mother know considers as family. What's shocking is that all the voices and visions of spirits that he tried so hard blocking out as a child are back. In all of this chaos a widowed woman catches his eye, her being the cousin of Rosa a waiter at the trattoria her family's restaurant. Although when Gianluca learns that she was never married he wonders who is she mourning and why is she not paying attention to her son who is always following her around?

This book was definitely a page turner for me! It was romance thriller with a bit of mystery. I loved all the characters and was not bored when the story shifted a bit from Luca to one of the side characters living in the palazzo. I loved Cosima so much! She wasn't like any other female main character I have ever read about. She was in mourning ready to leave this world but Luca gave her reasons to stay. I was a bit confused about how easily they got along after all the drama but it didn't bother me. I loved the lemons (if you haven't read the book you won't get it) it was just such a cute thing for Cosima's character. I really liked that we got to see Luca and his daughters' relationship develop from the beginning of the book to when they visited Incantellaria. I'm going to be honest, I started tearing up when Francesco was talking to her telling her how she never saw him or payed attention to him.

This book was great! It kept me on my toes wanting to know who and why. All the characters where an amazing asset to this book and I just wouldn't imagine the book without one of them.
Profile Image for Ana Rodrigues.
211 reviews7 followers
April 13, 2017
Gostei apesar de ao início ter pensado 2 ou 3 vezes se desistia ou não do livro por causa do tema dos espíritos.
Pesou muito o facto de se desenrolar em Itália para continuar a ler.
No final acabei por gostar e fiquei com curiosidade de ler mais livros desta autora, até já sei qual vai ser o próximo, "A última viagem do Valentina", que está relacionado com este livro. :)

Profile Image for Ana.
633 reviews119 followers
August 8, 2019
Uma leitura de verão levezinha e agradável, que preenche umas tardes de ócio, mas sem grande conteúdo e pouco memorável.
Muito longe de outras obras da autora que adorei como Uma Sonata de Amor ou A Árvore dos Segredos.
100 reviews2 followers
November 27, 2020
Neblogas meilės romanas, saldokas:) ir tas idealizuotas vyriškas tipažas...
Profile Image for Analia.
770 reviews
August 25, 2021
5/5 estrellas

"el amor aparece cuando creemos que no lo necesitamos. Y que cuando por fin descubrimos el verdadero amor, no podemos ni imaginar cómo fuimos capaces de vivir sin él"

¿Por qué diablos no recordaba ésta novela? En fin, releerla ha sido un autentico placer; sólo que es como una continuación de "El último viaje de Valentina" ya que aquí aparece la hija, nieta y se recuerda la historia de Valentina. Igual puede leerse porque se entiende perfectamente.
Siempre es un placer leer a Santa Montefiore porque no sólo te hace pasar un momento agradable sino que logar conmoverte y ni hablar de enamorarte con una prosa tan dulce, tan suave y tan atrapante que uno sigue y sigue pasando páginas.
Recomiendo ésta novela en plena costa italiana con cierto escenario paranormal de fondo que lejos de dar miedo, solo da ternura y lágrimas de emocion.Un libro que habla de segundas oportunidades, de un hombre como Gianluca que más allá de su riqueza y poder, decide dar un cambio en su vida y allí conocerá a una viuda y se dará una hermosa historia de amor y entre ambos un personaje muy especial, espíritual.
1 review
May 8, 2021
A muddled and poorly written storyline, with predictable characters but set in a beautiful part of Italy.
The lead characters seem to be without scruples and an obsession with sex. I found the interlinking of the various characters extremely confusing and the author kept adding more to an already overloaded cast list. I struggled to finish this very shallow novel.
Profile Image for Jurgita A..
45 reviews17 followers
May 15, 2020
Susipažinau su šios autorės kūryba skaitydama "Namies prie jūros". Patiko labai! Nesinorėjo padėt knygos į šoną. Bet.. kelios kitos knygos tiek neįtraukė. O šita truputi ir nuvylė... Nuo pirmų puslapių erzino tas Luko perspaustas kazanovos būdas. Puse knygos atrodo visi visų nori lovoje. Net susijuokiau perskaičius vieną eilutę (cit. " - Ji lyg koks gyvulys, - suburbėjo Ma. - Čiumpa viskas kas juda."), nes būtent puses knygos taip galvojau apie daugelį veikėjų! Pamato, graži(-us) ir noriu :) Tačiau skaitėsi tikrai greitai, lengvai ir neprailgo
Profile Image for Connie53.
1,233 reviews3 followers
May 27, 2018
Wat zijn de boeken van Santa Montefiore toch heerlijk om te lezen als je zin heb een romantisch boek. Op mijn leesclub noemen we dit ZZZ-boeken. (Zwoele, Zomer, Zwijmel boeken). En aangezien het weer hier uitermate geschikt is om s' avonds nog lang buiten te zitten was dit het perfecte boek. Romantische ontwikkelingen, wat spoken, een oud landgoed in Italië en een famile met veel geheimen.
Profile Image for Jessica Lawrence.
21 reviews3 followers
April 15, 2019
Lovely escape to the Amalfi coast! Nice easy read full of vibrant characters, made an interesting change for the story to be narrated mainly from a man’s perspective, and I liked the supernatural slant as well. Overall, an enjoyable read.
Profile Image for Kathryn Curran.
201 reviews4 followers
April 17, 2022
It did take me a little while to get into this book as there are a range of characters and this can often throw me for a while. Once I got to grips with who was who I really enjoyed the story. Really easy to read and makes me think of summer.
195 reviews
August 16, 2021
Disappointing. I didn’t really connect with any of the characters - found them rather shallow and the underlying story was very weak. Characters were introduced in to the story especially in the Italian family and it was confusing as there was no explanatory text as to who they were.
Profile Image for Liveta Songailė.
163 reviews
January 15, 2023
Pradžia buvo nuobodi, vis laukiau kokio veiksmo, nes paslapčių nusimato nemažai. Įdomus sprendimas pagrindinį veikėją padaryti vyrą, kuris buvo nusivylęs, ir sutiko savo gyvenimo prasmę. Taip pat veiksmas vyksta įdomioje vietoje Italijoje, pilyje. Kurioje yra nepaprasta istorija apie joje gyvenusius žmones. Luka geba matyti mirusius žmones, dvasias. Kozimai praradus sūnų, tai sukelia daug jausmų. Knyga leidžia patikėti, kad kiekvienas artimas miręs žmogus niekur nedingsta, jie šalia.
Profile Image for Louiza Egan.
38 reviews
September 20, 2013
Although it irks me I can forgive a book where the leading characters are an extremely rich devilishly handsome mid life crisis rake from the city, and an (of course blonde and willowy and still beautiful) woman likened to a sugared almond - sweet as sugar on the outside and hard as a nut on the inside. But not if by nearing the end of disc 1 I am feeling I am trapped on the 'story' page of a less imaginative magazine aimed at the older woman, and we are STILL at the dinner party we began on. Will the rake and the blonde rekindle their romance in spite of her now married status; will the rake treat the blonde better this time around; will there be further instances of clairvoyance spicing up the plot? Alas I will never know.....
Profile Image for Nicola.
91 reviews1 follower
May 18, 2019
A sweet easy to read paperback. Really made me want to get back to italia. Storyline is good, i actually felt sympathy to the main character even though he was rich, good looking and a player. I enjoyed the 'journey'. Not sure about all the 'i see dead people' bits, but interestingly the author said she sees spirits. An easy read for holidays.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 214 reviews

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