Book Review: The Temptation of Gracie by Santa Montefiore

Bestselling author, Santa Montefiore, returns with an unforgettable tale of love lost and rediscovered, set across the beautiful landscape of Italy. 

Title: The Temptation of Gracie

Author: Santa Montefiore

Published: July 12th 2018 by Simon & Schuster

Amazon | Amazon UK

Blurb: 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...

Review: The Temptation of Gracie is a beautiful story set in a stunning location, a castle in Tuscany. It is also the first book I have ever read by Santa Montefiore, so I was really curious to discover why so many readers had fallen in love with her stories. 

I'll admit that at the beginning I was a bit in two minds about this story and its characters. We meet Gracie Burton in her quiet village in Devon, a village ruled by queen of gossip Flappy Scott-Booth, who wants to know and control everyone's business. Gracie is not close with her workaholic daughter Carina and spoilt grand-daughter Anastasia. For me, it all sounded a bit silly and felt unreal. But as soon as we arrived in Tuscany, my feelings changed completely.

In Castello Montefosco, we really got to know these characters and their secrets and I was surprised to discover that Gracie had such an intriguing and eventful life before moving to England. I had a great time following her younger self in her adventures under the Tuscan sun and I couldn't wait to find out all her secrets. Also, in the present day, I really enjoyed seeing the changes in both Carina and Anastasia. It was great that Gracie and Anastasia formed a really special bond during their stay in the Castelo and were able to confide in each other.

The descriptions of the stunning scenery and delicious food were generous and detailed and I felt like I could picture the castle and the village next to it in my mind perfectly. Italy is a beautiful country and this novel has definitely made me want to go back soon. I am now looking forward to discovering more stories by Santa Montefiore.

Rating: 4 stars

I would like to thank the publisher for sending me a copy of this book. This is my honest opinion.