The Italian Village in the Hills by Victoria Springfield

 

                                                

Ebook:   320 pages      

Genre:   Contemporary Romantic Fiction, Historical Romantic Fiction, Italy, WWII,                                     

Publisher: Boldwood Books January 19th 2026

Source: NetGalley

First Sentences: Stella's napkin fluttered to the floor. She twisted around as far as her new dress would allow but a smiling waiter had got there first. He spread the fine linen back across her lap.

Review Quote: 'Gorgeous escapism and a complete joy to read!!'  Review of the authors writing overall.

My Opinion: 

As a self confessed Italophile I was delighted to discover the author, Victoria Springfield last summer when I read One Summer in Italy. Her books are set in Italy and are contemporary feel good fiction that draw you in with realistic characters and evocative scenes that make the reader feel immersed in the Italian lifestyle. She uses a mixture of fictional and real places but the inspiration comes from real life, this time from San Remo and the surrounding Ligurian countryside.

'The Italian Village in the Hills' is set in the fictional village of Leto and is a tale of families and loyalties that hark back to WWII.  The main characters are Stella, originally from the village who after many years trying to forget why she left, unexpectedly finds herself back there. Secondly we have Amy, a much younger woman who is mourning the death of her grandfather. Curiosity about his past also leads her to the village of Leto.  Both Stella and Amy make some interesting and surprising finds, but will these emotional discoveries lead them to find happiness in Italy.

This escapist read is recommended to those that enjoy a feel good romance and of course Italophiles.

Thank you NetGalley, Victoria Springfield and Boldwood Books  for the opportunity to read and review.

Goodreads Précis: 

Stella has spent decades trying to forget the heartbreak that made her flee the Italian village of her childhood. But when her new fiancé surprises her with a trip back to Liguria for her upcoming birthday, she is forced to confront the past, her first love and a tragic family rift.

Amy is mourning her beloved grandpa and curious to know more about the old coin necklace and mysterious postcard that he left her. Following his trail to the Italian Riviera, a chance meeting leads Amy to Stella’s village in the hills and to secrets that have lain buried since the war.

Against a backdrop of cobbled medieval streets, sunlit piazzas and rustic olive groves, both Stella and Amy make surprising discoveries about their families – and themselves.

By facing up to the past and opening their hearts, can Stella and Amy find happiness in the Italian village in the hills?

Escape to Italy with this warm, romantic and emotional tale of family, love and second chances.

Previous Review: One Summer in Italy

Author Profile:                

                                              

                                                           Courtesy of Amazon Profile

Victoria Springfield writes uplifting, contemporary women’s fiction immersed in the sights, sounds and flavours of Italy. Her feel-good stories follow relatable characters of all ages as they find adventure, friendship and romance. Her latest book is The Italian Village in the Hills set in Liguria. Previous titles: One Summer in Italy set in Venice, An Italian Island Secret set on Ischia, Invitation to Italy set on the island of Procida, The Italian Fiancé set in Lucca, A Farmhouse in Tuscany and her debut The Italian Holiday set on the Amalfi Coast.

After many years in London, Victoria now lives in Kent with her husband in a house by the river. She likes to write in the garden with a neighbour’s cat by her feet or whilst drinking cappuccino in her favourite café. Then she types up her scribblings in silence whilst her mind drifts away to Italy. Open a Victoria Springfield book and feel the sunshine.

Victoria is a member of the Romantic Novelists’ Association.

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Tackle by Jilly Cooper

                                                                      

      

Audio:  11hrs 21m

Narrator: Katherine Parkinson

Genre:  Contemporary Romantic Fiction

Publisher: Penguin Audio Nov 2023

Source:  Purchased from Audible

First Sentence:  Rupert Campbell-Black, despite being one of the most successful owner/trainers and one of the handsomest men in the world, was in the darkest of places.

Review Quote: 'A combination of drama, sex and good social comedy . . . unputdownable' Sunday Times

My Opinion:  

Sadly as she is no longer with us this will be the last title from Jilly Cooper. I listened to this via Audible and unfortunately it was a disappointment. Actually as I don't even like football I probably should not have considered this one. Naively the title did not give away the main subject away to me, just the fact it was Book 11 the final volume of the Rutshire Chronicles, attracted me.

In 'Tackle' Rupert Campbell Black returns along with his wife Taggie who is recovering from breast cancer.  Despite still having his racing stables he has now invested in a football club and without a real storyline it is really just a précis of the lives of the many unmemorable characters. To me a lot of it was boring due to the subject matter and the fact so many of the characters were just so annoying. 

I have not read any of Jilly Cooper's novels for a very long time, though I have watched and enjoyed the TV adaptation of 'Rivals'. Maybe that is why I wanted to find out more about where the stories had taken the Campbell Blacks in this final volume. 'Tackle' certainly does not have the author's normal bubbly personality showing through in her written words as it did so much in the many books I have read of hers over the years.

Précis Courtesy of Goodreads: 

Rupert Campbell-Black, undefeated race-horse owner and handsomest man in the world, is in the darkest of places. His adored wife, Taggie, is about to undergo chemotherapy, his beloved horse Love Rat has died, and now his daughter Bianca wants him to buy a languishing local football club - a sport Rupert knows nothing about - so she can return to Rutshire with her football star husband.

Rupert's first impressions of Searston Rovers are distinctly unfavourable. But swayed by Bianca and Taggie, soon Rupert has signed the deal. As Searston's new owner, he won't stand for anything less than victory in the Premier League, despite the odds being stacked against him. With help from the club's ravishing and adorable secretary, Tember West, Rupert sets out to mastermind Searston's rise to the top, starting with taking charge of the players - much to the fury of Searston's manager.

The rival football club and their corrupt dealings aren't going to make it easy for him either - and they have a history of foul play. Let the sabotage and scandal begin..

Book 11 of 11: Rutshire Chronicles

Author Profile

                                                     

                                                                                                                                                     

                                                            Courtesy of Goodreads

Dame Jilly Cooper - 1937 - 2025

Dame Jilly Cooper began her career as a cub reporter on a local paper in Brentford, covering everything from fetes to football. Her breakthrough came in 1969 when The Sunday Times colour magazine published a humorous piece about being a hopelessly undomesticated young wife. The success of that article led to a column in The Sunday Times newspaper, which she wrote for over 13 years, followed by a further five years at The Mail on Sunday.

Her first book, How to Stay Married, was published in 1969. Over the following decades she went on to write romantic novels, children’s books and non-fiction, but is probably best known for The Rutshire Chronicles - the chart topping series including Riders, Rivals, and Polo -  as well as her most recent best seller, Tackle!

A full and interesting biography can be found on her Website

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The Daughter by T. M.Logan

                                             

Hardback:  399 pages      

Genre:  Contemporary Psychological Thriller, Family Mystery,

Publisher: Zaffre, Bonnier Books UK. 2025

Source:  Tywyn Public Library

First Sentence: Ten weeks. It is the longest time we've ever been apart.

Review Quote: 'An excellent premise and explosively enjoyable finale' The Guardian

Setting:  England

My Opinion: In recent years I have found myself reading many more books in the thriller genre and T.M. Logan is definitely one of my go to authors. T.M Logan has told his readers that he often gets ideas for his books from real life scenarios. So it is no surprise that he had a what if moment whilst collecting his daughter after her first term away at university, which has eventually evolved into 'The Daughter'

A missing person! When Lauren turns up to collect her daughter, Evie from university for the Christmas break she is not there. Lauren and her son Lucas find their world unravelling around them as they battle to come to terms with Evie's disappearance. Determined to track her down, the twists, turns and dramas they encounter during their search for her make for an unpredictable read.

With a naturally flowing writing style and realistic characters I found this captivating. This novel was a great start to my 2026 reading and I recommend to all fans of the genre.

Précis Courtesy of Goodreads:

Lauren can't wait to see her daughter again, to pick her up from university at the end of her first term. But when she arrives at her hall and knocks at room 309, a stranger opens the door.

For a few minutes, Lauren assumes she must have the wrong room, or the wrong floor. Maybe even the wrong building.

But she soon discovers the Evie's not there. She hasn't been there for weeks. So where is she? 

Following one family's desperate race against time as one terrifying moment unravels into a living nightmare, The Daughter is the unmissable new heart-in-mouth thriller from T.M. Logan.

Previous Review: The Dream Home

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Bestselling author TM Logan was a national newspaper journalist before turning to novel-writing full time. His thrillers have sold more than two million copies in the UK and are published in translation in 22 countries around the world including France, Italy, Spain, Portugal, Germany, South Korea, Poland, Hungary, Serbia, Greece, Romania and the Netherlands.

He was born in Berkshire on the 19th of December 1975 and grew up in Reading, the youngest of three boys and a fully-fledged bookworm from a very young age. He read history at Westfield College, part of the University of London, and went on to do a postgrad at Cardiff University.

Wanting to write journalism seemed an obvious choice, and after five years as a reporter and then education correspondent on the Nottingham Evening Post he moved to London to work on the Daily Mail. The next move took him back to the East Midlands, where he worked for the University of Nottingham as a press officer, writing fiction in any spare time he could find. In January 2017 his first thriller was published. a few weeks later his current position as a deputy director in charge of the university’s communications team – was scrapped as part of a restructure. That was when he decided to take the plunge into writing full-time.

He lives in Nottinghamshire with his wife and two children, and writes in a cabin in the corner of his garden.

Photographs and Biographical Information courtesy of the following sites:

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The Girl From Lake Maggiore by Siobhan Daiko

 

                                            

Ebook:  314 pages

Genre: Historical Fiction, Romantic Fiction, WWII, Italy,

Publisher: 9 January 2026  Boldwood Books

Source:  NetGalley

Location: Lake Maggiore, Northern Italy, 1943 

First Sentence:  Guilia pressed down hard on the brakes of her bike. A woman was running down the middle of the road!

Review Quote: 'an exciting, impeccably-researched wartime adventure with lots of heart ... the perfect mixture of tragedy and happiness':  Reader Review

My Opinion:  

Siobhan Daiko was inspired to write this wartime novel set on the shores of Lake Maggiore after reading about the atrocities committed by the Nazis in the area during WWII. The author personally knows the area from a childhood summer spent there and has based the fictional town of Marta on her memories of Meina, where a local hotel hosted Jewish refugees that were brutally killed by the Nazis.

Some of her protagonists such as Raffaele and Aquila are based on real partisans active in the region. The novel is the story of how when Raffaele and Guilia, the daughter of the hotel owner start sheltering Jews, their lives change dramatically. Consequently their actions lead them into great danger.

A comprehensive and realistically, at times harrowing account of the day to day routines of those involved in the resistance, with as well a blossoming love story. Worth a read if you are interested in life in Italy during WWII.

With thanks to NetGalley, Boldwood Books and the author for the opportunity to read and review.

Précis Courtesy of Goodreads: 

A breathtaking story of friendship, love and impossible choices, perfect for fans of Fiona Valpy, Lucinda Riley, and All the Light We Cannot SeeLake Maggiore, Northern Italy, 1943 🇮🇹

In a quiet lakeside hotel nestled in the shadow of the Italian Alps, seventeen-year-old Giulia Leone lives a life untouched by war – until the day ruthless German SS officers arrive in the village.

Her father’s hotel is no longer a place of peace, but a trap for the Jewish guests who have taken refuge there. Among them is Ester, the bright, spirited girl who has become Giulia’s closest companion.

When a daring plan to help Ester’s family escape spirals into chaos, Giulia is the only one who gets away. Heartbroken but determined, she flees into the mountains and finds shelter with a band of courageous partisan fighters, led by Raffaele Ferrero, the hotel manager’s son.

Haunting memories of her family and best friend plague Giulia’s every waking thought, and she knows she must risk everything to fight back. But as a wanted person, finding where her loved ones have been taken – let alone saving them – may be impossible…

Inspired by true events, The Girl from Lake Maggiore is a moving and powerful story of resistance, resilience and the extraordinary lengths we go to for love.

Previous Review:  Daughter of Hong Kong

Author Profile

                                                    

                                                            Courtesy of Amazon

Siobhan Daiko is a British historical fiction author. A lover of all things Italian, she lives in the Veneto region of northern Italy with her husband, a Havanese dog and a Siberian cat. Siobhan was born of English parents in Hong Kong, attended boarding school in Australia, and then moved to the UK — where she taught modern foreign languages in a Welsh high school. She now spends her time writing page-turners and living the dolce vita sweet life near Venice. Her novels are compelling, poignant, and deeply moving, with strong characters and evocative settings, but always with romance at their heart.

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