The Temptation of Gracie

Author: Santa Montefiore
Genre: Historical Fiction (Italy)
Type: e-book
Source: NetGalley
Publisher: Simon and Schuster UK
First Published: April 16, 2019
Opening Lines: "The muffle of cloud that had settled over Badley Compton Harbour was so dense that the little fishing boats tethered to buoys in the middle of the bay had completely vanished."

Book Description from GoodReads: Never give up on your dreams, no matter how long you hold on to them . . .

Gracie Burton is a grandmother, living quietly in Devon. She has rarely left the village over the past forty years. Her daughter, Carina, is immensely high-powered with her own fast-paced business in London. She has very little time for her 17-year-old daughter, Anastasia, away at boarding school, and even less time for her aging mother. In many ways, the three of them barely know each other. Then Gracie stumbles upon an advertisement for a weeklong cookery course in the heart of the Tuscan countryside. She cannot resist and ploughs her life savings into the trip. Carina and Anastasia accompany her. They have no idea why Gracie has been drawn to this venture. They have no sense of her past; she has never spoken about it. They have no idea that Gracie is harbouring the secret of an extraordinary life that preceded them.

My Rating: 3 stars

My Review: In The Temptation of Gracie, Santa Montefiore provides readers with vivid descriptions of Tuscany woven around a story of lost love, family and long-held secrets. The story centres around Gracie, an older woman who plans a trip to Tuscany to confront her past as well as heal the fractured relationship with her daughter and connect with the granddaughter she barely knows.

Initially, I was enticed by the plot and the beautiful setting. Who doesn't love Italy? The descriptions bring readers into the culture, food and vistas of Italy and I enjoyed the addition of the art restoration story line as well as the familial issues that were raised. But I know I would have enjoyed it more if the characters and issues had more depth. A lot happens but not in a lot of depth unfortunately. I also would have preferred if the story had stayed more in Gracie's past (the more interesting story line) and omitted the short, distracting and superfluous bits about Gracie's modern-day small-town busybody neighbour Flappy (yes, Flappy) entirely. 

This is my second Montefiore book and while it has a good premise, it was too light and predictable for my tastes. But if you're looking for a lighter Historical Fiction read, set in the beauty of Italy with some familial tensions and issues that resolve nicely, I think you'll enjoy this book.

Disclaimer: My sincere thanks to Simon and Schuster UK for my advanced copy of this title in exchange for my honest review.