🌟 Review Note:
I bought the paperback copy of Invitation to Italy and this isn’t a blog tour or promotional post. I read it a little while ago simply because I love my armchair vacations with Victoria Springfield’s books, but with a busy schedule of tours and other reviews, it’s taken me a bit longer than planned to finally sit down and share my thoughts. This week I’ve set aside time to catch up on some outstanding reviews, and this one has been waiting patiently to be written.
As always, this review reflects my honest thoughts.
About the book
Abi is distraught when her ex-husband Alex takes their twelve-year-old daughter, Chloe to spend the summer with his glamorous fiancée Marisa and her parents at their home on the beautiful Italian island of Procida. Persuaded by her best friend to book a holiday at the island’s Hotel Paradiso, Abi finally meets the woman she’s been avoiding for so long. Will the two women’s strained relationship survive the summer?
One-time teenage swimming sensation, Loretta, has run the Hotel Paradiso since leaving Capri broken-hearted. When childhood friend Salvo comes to stay, Loretta is forced to confront her past and the fears that have kept her away from the water for forty years. But just as she finds the courage to open her heart, she discovers all is not as it seems with Salvo…
It’s a summer of new beginnings for Abi and Loretta – and one they will never forget.
Invitation to Italy by Victoria Springfield
published by Boldwood Books on 14 March 2024
Find the book on Amazon, Goodreads and Storygraph
About the Author
The Author, Victoria Springfield, writes contemporary women’s fiction immersed in the sights, sounds and flavours of Italy.
Her feel-good stories follow unforgettable characters of all ages as they find adventure, friendship and romance.
Victoria grew up in Upminster, Essex. After many years in London, she now lives in Kent with her husband in a house by the river. She likes to write in the garden with a neighbour’s cat by her feet or whilst drinking cappuccino in her favourite café. Then she types up her scribblings in silence whilst her mind drifts away to Italy.
Open a Victoria Springfield book and feel the sunshine!
Victoria is a member of the Romantic Novelists’ Association.
Find out more about Victoria, and contact her on social media:
- Facebook: @VictoriaSpringfieldAuthor
- Instagram: @victoriaswrites
- Threads: @victoriaswrites
- X: @VictoriaSwrites
My Review
Invitation to Italy by Victoria Springfield is pure escapism, infused with warmth, emotion, and a deep sense of place. I was completely transported to the island of Procida — a setting rendered so vividly that it feels as though you can breathe in the sea air and feel the Mediterranean sun on your skin. It’s the kind of writing that instantly slows your thoughts and gently pulls you out of everyday life.
What I love most about Victoria Springfield’s novels is how effortlessly she blends beautiful scenery with emotional depth. Beneath the sunshine and island charm lie themes of heartbreak, longing, resilience, and the quiet courage it takes to move forward. These emotions are explored with sensitivity and care, never overstated, allowing them to resonate in a very natural, human way.
The characters feel real and relatable, shaped by past hurts and complicated feelings, yet open to the possibility of healing and change. I found myself deeply invested in their inner journeys — moments of self-doubt, vulnerability, hope, and the tentative steps toward new beginnings. There’s a comforting honesty to the way these emotional arcs are written, making it easy to empathise and reflect on them long after the page is turned.
This is the third “armchair vacation” I’ve taken through Victoria Springfield’s books, and once again she delivers the perfect balance of comfort and emotional engagement. Her writing invites you to pause, breathe, and fully inhabit the story, making it an ideal escape when you want something immersive, gentle, and emotionally satisfying.
I’ve already picked my next Victoria Springfield novel and it’s sitting on my Kindle, ready for the next time I need a real escape from real life (no doubt soon!). I can’t wait to visit Victoria’s Italy once again.
This review may also appear on my social media and selected book platforms. All links are correct at the time of posting.
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