Review: A Wedding in Tuscany

Title: A Wedding in Tuscany

Author: Sandy Barker

Publisher: 17th June 2022 by HarperCollins UK, One More Chapter

Pages: 400 pages

Genre: contemporary, romance, chick lit

My Rating: 4 cups

Synopsis:

The Parsons sisters are all loved up.

Sarah is living in Sydney with Josh and their cat, Domino, but is anxious about her fast-approaching fortieth birthday.

And Cat is still living in London with her flatmate, Jane, but is in a long-distance relationship with Jean-Luc, her childhood sweetheart and recently re-discovered love.

One of the sisters receives a surprise wedding proposal – it’s a yes! – and everyone heads off to Tuscany for a destination wedding.

Reunite with favourite characters from the Holiday Romance series in one of the most beautiful locations yet for love, laughter, wedding vows, and just a smidge of sisterly mayhem.

My Thoughts

‘Life’s both short and long. Short enough that you can’t faff about waiting for it to begin and long enough that you can always start fresh, make a different decision, do something else. Is that what’s going on with you? You want to make a big change?’

Sandy Barker is a firm favourite here at GRTL as she always guarantees her readers a great romantic destination getaway. This is book number 5 in her Holiday Romance series - most can be read as a standalone, however, readers' relationships with the characters is certainly enhanced if you have read previous instalments. In this, the final of the series, Sandy brings the ‘gang’ back together for a most fitting finale and tribute. 

‘Of course, I know in my heart that forty isn’t old. But it will definitely cement my status as ‘middle-aged’. I half-expect someone to pull me aside and give me a new to-do list, like take out life insurance and get breast scans and start reading those emails from my retirement fund instead of filing them away, unread, and forgetting about them. Those are all things that middle aged people are expected to do, right? You know, proper adulting?’

With a joint celebration - 40th birthday and wedding - planned for sisters Sarah and Cat, a castle in Tuscany is the destination. It’s the opportunity for a reunion with couples from previous books so there is sure to be past memorable reflections along with new events to celebrate. The sisters will make you laugh and they will make you cry but as always, Sandy makes them flawed, funny and real. Sandy is a master at armchair travel and if Tuscany is on your bucket list, then be sure to give this book a go. The sights, sounds and smells come alive through from the shops and cuisine to the castle itself. 

‘Here we are in romantic Tuscany, celebrating these incredible milestones with our gorgeous men and we’ve both had massive arguments.’ ‘Love is messy, I suppose.’

This is the book you read for a wonderful getaway. A romantic comedy that has a few mishaps along the way but is certainly full of love and laughter in the long run. 

‘Surely, if I can just breathe and enjoy where I am and who’s here with me, then this will be less about a number and more about what makes me happy - Josh, my family and friends, being in a beautiful part of the world. Not to mention good food, good wine.’

This review is based on a complimentary copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. The quoted material may have changed in the final release.