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A new life, an old secret, and one unforgettable Italian summer.
Falling for him wasn’t part of the itinerary.
For Indie Summer, fleeing to Lake Como after walking away from her manipulative boyfriend feels like salvation.
With everything she owns crammed into a single suitcase, she heads to Italy to work a season at a luxurious villa with her twin sister, clinging to the hope that the picturesque lakeside escape might also bring her closer to their elusive father.
What she didn’t expect was that her curiosity about a reclusive actor’s villa would land her in hot water with his brooding bodyguard, Marco Rossi. Tall, dark and handsome, Marco is everything Indie should avoid, but she can’t seem to stay away.
As sun-soaked days stretch into glittering nights, Indie navigates demanding guests, long-buried family secrets, and more than a few glasses of Pinot Grigio. But the biggest challenge of all might be learning to trust again, especially with a man who guards not only a celebrity, but his own heart.
MY THOUGHTS
Published by Vinci Books and available in ebook (including Kindle Unlimited) and paperback (2 June 2026).
A beautiful setting, mouth watering food, and a handsome hero. There was much to like about Love on Lake Como. Having spent time there some years ago I was looking forward to being reacquainted with this gorgeous location.
Following heartbreak from a failed relationship, (Indigo) Indie Summers is persuaded to take up a job as a concierge at Villa Adeste, a Sublime Retreats luxury villa. Her confidence is at rock bottom and Indie is unsure if she can cope with the demands of the guests whose expectations are high but her sister Rose, the head chef at the Villa, is a superb backup when Indie has a wobble. In dealing with the Texan Six, a group of boisterous Americans, Indie finds her feet and confidence again. Love is unexpected when she meets Marco, a rather serious security guard outside a nearby celebrity’s villa who shoos her away. Marco has his own history which comes to light in a rather dramatic way.
This is very much a slow burn romance. I enjoyed the will they/won’t they aspect as these two people tiptoe around each other, each wondering if they dare trust again and take a chance.
The setting of Lake Como and Bellagio is superbly described and I now want to go back! The close relationship between sisters Rose and Indie was lovely to see and with its touches of humour and some excellent supporting characters (Aunt Juniper was just wonderful) this was a lovely read to while away a few hours. My one slight disappointment was the ending; after the gentle pace of the story we were suddenly at the conclusion and an Epilogue. This seemed rather rushed and I would have liked to see a little more development of the story before this sudden conclusion.
My thanks to Sara-Jade Virtue (@BookMinxSJV) for the tour invitation.
About the author
Joy lives on the beautiful island of Corfu with her four dogs and a ridiculous number of cats. Her many years working in the tourism industry and her love of love stories inspired her debut romance novel, Corfu Capers, and she has been writing ever since. She loves to cook, dance and drink wine, usually at the same time, and is currently working on the eighth novel in the Sublime Retreats Romance series – Moonlight Over Morocco – due to be released later this year. You can follow Joy on Instagram and X, and sign up to her newsletter via her website to be the first to hear all the Sublime Retreats gossip, and read her Hidden Gems travel guides.
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