One final shout out about this book and that is the characters: they were all wonderful. However, my particular favourite was Flappy Scott-Booth – the bossy, snobby, interfering head of Badley Compton Ladies’ Book Club. She was an absolute delight to read about and added several (unintentional on her part) comedy moments. I’m desperately hoping she appears in more books in the future. Santa Montefiore's new book The Temptation of Gracie takes the reader on a journey to the Tuscan countryside as one woman attempts to reconcile the past with the present. It is a story of love, loss, friendship and family set over the period of one week during a holiday away in a beautiful castle where the main characters embark on a cookery course. The author weaves the past with the present to convey the story as our main female protagonist Gracie is forced to confront what she has kept hidden deep inside her for so many years. First of all, let me tell you that I am a great fan of Santa Montefiore’s books. All of her books have alluring elements. Whenever I decide to read her books more than the story the setting of the book grabs my attention. The narration is so captivating that I often find it surprising that I am still at my own house. This book which I listened through audible was undoubtedly a great choice. In my opinion, h aving a great narrator for your audiobook enhances the beauty of the story. When Gracie Burton stumbles upon a weeklong cooking course at Castello Montefosco, a castle in the sun-kissed Tuscan countryside, she cannot resist the opportunity to revisit the past she left behind in Italy. Since her husband’s death eight years earlier, Gracie has grown apart from her daughter, Carina, a high-powered businesswoman in London and her granddaughter, Anastasia, who would rather spend her time on her phone than with her family, but both women decide to join her. Little do they know that a lifetime of secrets await them in Italy. The Temptation of Gracie is such an emotive read. With 68 year old Gracie’s stable and predictable life in Badley Compton a world away to the experiences she had as a teen/young woman, during the week at the cookery school in Castello Montefosco her past emerges as she confides in granddaughter Anastasia. From not knowing each other very well at all, they realise how similar they are (in more ways than one!). And as much as Anastasia is there for Gracie, Gracie is also the confidant for Anastasia. I adored the developing bond with these two.

The Temptation of Grace: A Witty and Steamy Regency Romance The Temptation of Grace: A Witty and Steamy Regency Romance

An ARC was provided to me for free by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This novel takes place in two time frames, when Gracie is young in her early twenties when she is living in Italy and also in the present day when she embarks upon a bonding holiday with her estranged family. Sve vrijeme dok sam čitala osjećala sam toplinu Toskane, mirise lavande, i zamišljala okuse neprevaziđene talijanske kuhinje.Santa Montefiore’s books have been translated into twenty languages and have sold more than four million copies in England and Europe. She is married to writer Simon Sebag Montefiore. They live with their two children, Lily and Sasha, in London.

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One thing that fell short for me was the romance from Gracie’s past. I wanted to be swept away by this storyline, and I wanted to believe in a youthful passion so strong that Gracie still remembers it 40 years later. And to some extent, the affair was passionate. Gracie was certainly in love with a wealthy, powerful man, and he broke her heart (of course) due to external circumstances beyond his control. But I never quite bought into his love for Gracie (at least until the very end of the book, where it was a bit too little, too late). He makes Gracie do something that she feels conflicted about, and the way he convinces her to do it anyway made me wonder if he liked her for herself or for what she could do for him (in this case, have revenge on a greedy family member). From the very beginning, I was absolutely in love with the portrayal of Gracie's social "club" friends in her community. There's a woman named Flappy who takes it upon herself to know everything about everyone first, and gives off the illusion that she is fluent in multiple languages, worldly, and well-read—none of which is remotely true. I loved the casual snarkiness of the narration that pokes fun at her and other women in their club. Even when the story shifts to Italy, there are occasional chapters that return to Flappy and her antics at trying to organize a funeral for a man in the community. These could have felt out of place and unnecessary, but I absolutely loved them. If only her daughter Carina and granddaughter Anastasia knew the intriguing and colourful life Gracie led so many years ago they would be more than surprised. This trip the three women undertake together will prove life changing in more ways than one. Each will have their perspectives altered and the big secret that has been kept under wraps for so long will be revealed as the Tuscan countryside works its magic and old memories are stirred and come simmering to the surface. Gracie discovers you can't hide something forever when so many outside forces are working to have the truth make itself known. Avoiding a whole food group is like living half a life. Living half a life is like being half a person.Once again with The Temptation of Gracie, Montefiore has written another skillfully plotted, multi-generational, family saga that has just the right amount of intrigue, colourful history, and enduring passion to be pleasing to both lovers of historical fiction and romance. This is my first book I have read by this author, so I didn't know what to expect. I was pleasantly surprised. I was listening to an audiobook and the narrator Rachel Atkins did good job. I enjoyed the setting and writing. Yet another enticing cover, and one that paves the way for a story that I certainly wouldn't have guessed at. This is a relaxing read, perfect for long Summer days on the beach. The characters were well drawn and likeable, even Carina, who softerns as the book progresses.