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The Official Blurb
After the death of her best friend and writing partner, Grace Harper is struggling both with grief, and with her next novel, the first one she’ll have to write alone. Fortunately, her new powerhouse agent, the formidable Jana Lee, has a solution for her. She can stay at her villa in Tuscany for a month, soak in the sunshine, relax, and find her confidence again. After all, Jana has a lot riding on Grace’s next book, and the last thing she wants is for her reputation as a “super-agent” to be tarnished. At first the villa is a dream come true for Grace – that is until Claudio Romano shows up one day with his ten-year old son, Vanni, in tow. Turns out, this is Claudio’s house, and Claudio happens to be her agent’s ex-husband from long ago. Thanks to their annual father and son bonding trip being cancelled, Claudio and Vanni are here to stay. So is Grace.With the three of them sharing the same house, Grace’s writing plans are thrown out the window. But even if she’s not pounding the keyboard, she’s still finding beauty and inspiration … in none other than Claudio. He’s unlike any man Grace has met before. He’s smart, charming, and wickedly sexy, plus a great father to Vanni. He’d be the perfect summer fling – if only he wasn’t completely off-limits.But as the hot Italian summer wears on, Grace and Claudio are destined to succumb to the heat, no matter how hard they try to resist each other. One steamy encounter with Claudio could affect Grace’s chances of starting her career over. Or he could be exactly what she needs.”
One Hot Italian Summer by Karina Halle | Book Review
I wanted to love this book.
It has all the ingredients for a romance I’d normally devour: Tuscany, incredible food, flowing wine and forced proximity. On paper, it sounds like my perfect summer read.
Unfortunately, while I enjoyed parts of One Hot Italian Summer, it never completely pulled me into Grace and Claudio’s story.
Book Details
Title: One Hot Italian Summer
Author: Karina Halle
Published: Originally 2020 (Second Edition 2022)
Sub-Genre: Contemporary Romance
Tropes: Hot Single Dad, Forced Proximity, Forbidden Love
The Main Characters
Grace Harper
Grace is a Scottish author who spent years co-writing a successful mystery series with her best friend, Robyn. After Robyn is killed by a drunk driver on Christmas Eve, Grace loses not only her closest friend but also her writing partner.
She’s now working with a new lit agent, Jana, who secures Grace a new publishing contract. The problem? Grace pitched an idea she hasn’t actually written and can’t seem to find the inspiration to begin.
Claudio Romano
Claudio is an Italian sculptor living in Tuscany with his 10-year-old son, Vanni.
He’s thoughtful, patient, kind and refreshingly mature. Instead of creating unnecessary drama, Claudio communicates well, listens and genuinely cares about the people around him.
The Plot
Grace’s new literary agent wants to help her overcome writer’s block and offers the use of her villa in Tuscany for a month.
For Grace, it feels like the perfect opportunity. Leave rainy Scotland behind. Eat amazing Italian food. Drink incredible wine. Write the novel she’s been struggling to start. Simple.
Except two days after Grace arrives — while she’s enjoying a little nude sunbathing by the pool because, hey, when in Italy — Claudio and his son unexpectedly come home.
As it turns out, Jana neglected one tiny little detail.
The villa isn’t hers. It belongs to her ex-husband. Who she divorced six years earlier. Who never agreed to let Grace stay there.
Thankfully, Claudio turns out to be a genuinely decent guy. Once he understands Grace’s situation, he graciously allows her to remain at the villa for the rest of the month.
Living together under one roof naturally creates plenty of chemistry and, before long, friendship turns into attraction.
I’ll leave the rest there because I don’t want to spoil the story.
Spice Level
🌶️🌶️🌶️ Jalapeño
The romance takes a little while to heat up, with the first open-door scene arriving about halfway through the book.
There’s a touch of spanking and very light bondage but nothing particularly adventurous. Overall, the spice complements the story without overwhelming it.
What I Loved
Tuscany
Karina Halle absolutely shines when describing Italy. From long dinners and fresh pasta to Aperol spritzes, local wine and beautiful countryside views, I constantly found myself wishing I could hop on a plane. If you’re looking for escapism, this book delivers.
The Food and Drinks
There are Aperol spritzes. Wine. Cocktails. Beautiful Italian meals. Reading this book made me hungry almost as often as it made me want to book a vacation.
Challenges
Jana’s Villa Set-Up
My biggest issue was the fact Jana sent one of her professional clients halfway across Europe to stay in a villa she doesn’t own and has absolutely no legal right to offer.
When Claudio questions the arrangement, her response is essentially, “Well … you weren’t supposed to be there.”
Excuse me? No apology. No accountability. Nothing.
Grace could have arrived to find herself with nowhere to stay in a foreign country because her literary agent made promises she had no business making.
As someone who values professionalism, I struggled to move past it.
The Writing Style
There wasn’t anything technically wrong with Karina Halle’s writing. It simply wasn’t my personal style. The pacing felt slower than I prefer and I never became fully invested in the characters or their relationship. That’s completely subjective, of course, and other readers may feel differently.
Dual POV
The novel alternates between Grace and Claudio’s perspectives. I would’ve liked their narrative voices to sound a little more distinct. At times, both characters felt as though they shared the same internal voice and some dialogue didn’t quite match how I’d expect those particular characters to speak.
Falling in Love Too Quickly
This is a challenge my podcast co-host, Meghan, and I frequently have with romance novels.
Grace and Claudio fall deeply in love over the course of roughly one month. Could it happen? Sure.
Did I completely buy it? Not quite.
Ironically, I read The Catch the same month, where the relationship develops over just two weeks. Somehow, that one felt more believable because both characters openly acknowledged how little time had passed and recognized they still had plenty to learn about each other.
I appreciated that realism.
Final Thoughts
If your dream vacation includes Tuscany, delicious food, Italian wine and a handsome artist driving a Ferrari, this book may be exactly what you’re looking for.
For me, it landed somewhere in the middle.
I enjoyed the setting. I appreciated the mature communication between the main characters.
But the pacing, the writing style and Jana’s unbelievable decision-making kept pulling me out of the story. That’s never where I want my attention focused while reading a romance.
Overall, I’m giving One Hot Italian Summer 2 out of 5 stars on Goodreads which puts it at “it was okay.”
I don’t say that lightly.
I genuinely hate giving lower ratings because I know how much work goes into writing a novel. Reviews are incredibly subjective and this one simply wasn’t the right fit for me. Plenty of readers have loved Grace and Claudio’s story and I certainly wouldn’t discourage anyone from giving it a chance.
Sometimes a book just isn’t your cup of tea. Or, in this case … your Aperol spritz.
⭐⭐ 2/5 Stars
Where to Find One Hot Italian Summer
Want More?
If you want to hear more of my thoughts on the book, you can listen to the podcast episode on your favorite podcast streaming service. Or click here for our in-house podcast player.
Have you read One Hot Italian Summer? Let me know your thoughts on this book in the comments!
