I first read a novel by this author during Covid. It offered just the kind of read that I wanted/needed at that time. I continue to enjoy Novak’s books which offer well drawn settings, interesting characters and enough plot to keep me turning the pages.
Readers follow three main characters in this story. The first is Charlotte. She married a pro basketball player who is a bit of an egotist. Should they be together? In addition to being a wife who tries to give her husband more than he may have deserved, Charlotte has published a first novel. She is suffering from writer’s block and has a due date for her second book when the story opens. Note that Charlotte will also learn something impactful early in the book. This is something with which she will need to come to terms.
Julian and Sloane are twins and long time friends of Charlotte. They each are at a crossroads. Julian has been given a medical diagnosis (not a spoiler as this comes out early in the story) and wonders if he will be able to continue as a landscape photographer. Will he and Charlotte become more than friends?
For her part, Sloane needs to make some important decisions in her marriage to Ben. One major issue requiring careful thought for Sloane is whether she wants to become a mother.
Charlotte discovers that she has a half sister in Italy. These three characters travel to Italy to meet Lilly and to discover what they want in life. The story takes off from here.
Readers will want the best for Lilly and these three. Enjoy this long novel as their lives evolve.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for this title. All opinions are my own.
Pub date: 07 April 2026
Post first published on 12 May 2026
Four stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐
398 pages
Description:
from the publisher
An Instant USA TODAY bestseller!
A sun-soaked trip to the Amalfi Coast promises a fresh start—and reveals secrets never imagined in New York Times bestselling author Brenda Novak’s tender new novel.
In the wake of her debut novel’s breakout success—and a very painful public divorce—Charlotte Williams-Jackson has something to prove. With her second novel overdue, she’s scrambling to hold it together. But her focus is rocked when she discovers that her childhood wasn’t as it seemed—and she has a tween half-sister who’s been orphaned in Italy.
Alongside her best friend, Sloane, and Sloane’s charming brother, Julian, Charlotte ventures to the Amalfi Coast to meet her sister. She would never turn her back on family, especially since this girl doesn’t have anyone else, but between her looming deadline and her entire identity being flipped upside down, it’s a lot. Determined to rebuild her life, Charlotte must confront the relationships she’s held dear—and the loss of those she thought she had but didn’t—forcing her to question everything she understood about herself and the bonds that shape a family.
More from Brenda Novak:
- The Summer that Changed Everything
- The Banned Books Club
- Tourist Season
- The Bookstore on the Beach
- The Messy Life of Jane Tanner
From the Publisher:
Joyce's mystery and fiction book reviews with some non-fiction too! 