Join me for my latest review – Prosecco and Promises by A.L. Michael.

Mia’s dad has always been her idol. Now, she faces losing him and he is insisting that she leave England to visit her mother’s family on the Italian island of Ischia.

Arriving at the island, Mia is embraced by the warm, crazy relatives she hardly knows. Despite her doubts about the trip, it is in Italy that Mia discovers connections to a part of her life that’s been missing, and during the sun-soaked days and steamy nights Mia falls for handsome local Salvatore. But as the day of her departure draws nearer can she risk having her heart broken twice in one summer? (Thanks Netgalley)

Mia is forced to leave the life she knows behind her at the request of her dying father, to join the family that she barely knows in the warm climate of Italy.  That pretty much sums up the premise of this novel, but the story is so much more involved than that.  Mia is heartbroken when her father asks that she leaves him behind to die, and go to discover a whole side of her family that she has spent her entire life being distanced from.  After Mia’s Italian mother passed away, she spent the following years in a little cocoon with her Dad in England, caring for each other in their grief.  However in the process Mia became distanced from her Italian family, and whilst staring at death, her father becomes fixated on her not being alone when he himself passes.

This is a novel about finding yourself in the face of grief.  That grief is so evident throughout this novel – how to deal with grief, how to move on when faced with it, and how to live your life after it.

Thankfully the novel is softened by backdrop of the beautiful Italian countryside, family drama as well as family love, and of course, a little romance.  So don’t be put off the death and grief that runs through the novel – it really is made lighter by the family, scenery and love!

I do recommend this novel – it wasn’t what I was expecting at all based on the cover and title but I certainly wasn’t disappointed about that!  It’s a novel about love, loss and finding yourself.  Go grab yourself a copy and let me know what you think.

Rating: 📖 📖 📖 📖

Thank you to Netgalley and Canelo for a copy of this novel in exchange for my honest review.