Book Summary and Reviews of The Little Italian Hotel by Phaedra Patrick

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Mary B. (St Paul, MN)

The Little Italian Hotel
I received an advanced copy of this book to read and review from BookBrowse. I had read Ms Patrick's previous book, The Messy Lives of Book People and enjoyed it very much. I enjoyed The Little Italian Hotel just as much.
The cast of characters was wonderful, each with their own stories that developed and surprised as the story went on. Main character, Ginny, has spent a large part of her life helping people with their problems via a radio advice program. Suddenly, she has unexpected problems of her own. How she tries to deal with her new situation and the people she interacts with is the heart of the story. The roller-coaster range of emotions she and the others went through felt very real and relatable.
The hotel and Venice were also vivid characters. Wonderful descriptions. The book and TV production of Hotel Portofino came to mind as I was reading.

Susan H. (Lincoln, CA)

The Little Italian Hotel
If you have ever visited Italy, you will love this book. The title is what made me select the book to read and review. Ginny, a radio advice expert, finds that her husband is not happy in their marriage. She had planned a special 25th Anniversary trip to Italy, with reservations in a fine hotel and since he opted out, she had to make alternate plans. Four of her listeners join her and they stay in an older establishment in Vigornuovo. These very diverse, memorable tourists end up developing special relationships as they were all experiencing difficult times in their lives. A heartwarming, delightful read.

Theresa P. (Arkport, NY)

The Little Italian Hotel
This treat of a book is full of unexpected occurrences that lead to unexpected results—and it is charmingly told. A reminder that people are often more valuable and influential to others than first perceived comes through, as well as a willingness to accept the reality of the unguaranteed odds of identifying a right choice. I loved the mother-daughter exchanges in the last chapters, and the great connections made between the travelers.
This book was good on so many fronts. Thank you for sharing!

Toni

This book is a 5 and I don't give out 5's easily
When I started reading this book, I thought "oh no, another middle aged woman going through a divorce". I didn't even connect with Ginny Splinter at first. But I have faith in Phaedra Patrick and I am so glad that I did. As we join the heartache misfit group in Italy, the story truly begins. The author has a magical way of revealing each character slowly like peeling the layers of an onion until you are so invested in each one that you do not wish for the story to end. Every character is unique in this story and comes alive. There are twists and unexpected revelations along the way. Partway through the book, I felt 'we' had all become so close, we can't let these friendships ends. How far do we live from each other, how should we plan on seeing each other or keep in touch after this journey? I believe there is no greater compliment to the author than to get lost in the story's reality to the point of suspending my own. Read this book and get lost in an Italian adventure - you will laugh and you will cry.
If you enjoyed Frederik Backman's Anxious People, I think that you will see a similar reveal of an odd collection of seemingly unrelated character's stories and enjoy this also.

Celia P. (Lakeland, FL)

The Little Italian Hotel
I enjoyed reading this book because I could relate to Ginny's being completely blindsided by her husband. This book is a good tool for opening the eyes of people with a heartache to paths that can lead to healing and improving their life by sharing their pain with others. It was a feel good read that I'll recommend to friends. The ending was surprising and left me wanting to know more about Ginny's future.

Celeste W. (Washington, DC)

A Gem of a Book
I was skeptical at the outset because it seemed a tad too much like "Under the Tuscan Sun" and I thought, "Well, I know how this ends." Boy, was I wrong, and happily so. I thoroughly enjoyed this book. The story is engaging and being set in Italy only enhances the magic. The characters are all very well-developed and likeable; there will be at least one with whom you can relate. The ending was unexpected, in a good way.

My only criticism is that you did not feel the gut-wrenching heartbreak/anger/depression that you would have expected Ginny to have felt at the beginning of the book when it appeared that her marriage was falling apart. Otherwise, this is a terrific book that I will be recommending to my book club and you should too. A word of warning: have a box of tissue nearby when you reach Chapter 16.

...29 more reader reviews

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