Three Summers by Karen Swan

 Three Summers

 by Karen Swan


My thanks to the author and publisher for sending me a copy of Three Summers to review and to 

Random Things Resources for inviting me onto the tour.



Synopsis

Set against the sun-drenched shores of Puglia in the late 1950s and early 1960s, this sweeping, atmospheric story follows three childhood friends whose lives become irrevocably entwined by love, jealousy, and a tragedy that will reverberate for years to come.

At the heart of the novel is Rafaella Parisi, an unassuming yet magnetic young woman who spends ten long months each year waiting for the noble Franchetti family to return to their grand summer villa – and most of all, for their son Cosimo. Though she is dating her gentle childhood neighbour, Fon Giannelli, Rafa’s heart belongs elsewhere. As passions ignite and tensions rise, one devastating night changes the course of their lives forever.

Told across the span of three unforgettable summers, Three Summers is a deeply evocative tale of friendship, forbidden love, ambition, and destiny. Even as fortunes are reversed and lives reshaped, one truth remains: the heart wants what it wants – no matter the cost.





My Thoughts

Well this was a book that took me completely by surprise after the first few chapters. I thought I was settling down to a nice easy romantic summertime read to find that I was dragged, almost kicking and screaming into a completely different book of violence, anger hurt and betrayal as well as love.

For me this was a book of two halves, the first part and the romantic element I really enjoyed. The second darker part I have to be honest I didn’t enjoy as I just wanted to stay in the beautiful Italian sunshine enjoying an idyllic life and watching the story unfold between the rich Franchetti family and the people of the fishing village.  There is a lot to take away from the story though as to how greed and envy sow seeds that grow into something dark and unmanageable with devastating consequences. What looks idyllic on the surface can hide a maelstrom underneath that once revealed cannot be hidden again.

This is a book that will have you turning the pages whether you want to or not. 



About Karen




Karen Swan is the Sunday Times and international best-selling author of twenty-nine books which have sold over 5 million copies around the world. A prolific author, she writes two novels a year and her books are known for their evocative locations. Karen sees travel as vital research, and likes to set deep, complicated love stories within twisting plots. A former fashion editor, she lives in Sussex, England with her family and three dogs.



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