Ebook: 357 pages Kindle edition
Genre: Contemporary Fiction, Historical Fiction,
Publisher: July 2025 by Bookouture
Source: My Kindle Library via NetGalley
First Sentence: The woman pushed open the shutters and was blessed with the most breathtaking view - one she'd fallen in love with at first sight, since arriving from England only days before.
Setting: Italy
Review Quote: ‘Wow, what a story!... Amazing!... Very emotional… Heartbreaking… So very beautiful! You just can’t put it down, from the beginning till the last pages.’ NetGalley Reviewer,
My Opinion:
Just two years ago Anita Chapman published her first novel. In this short period of time she has established herself as an author that writes captivating stories in Italian settings and 'The Italian Vineyard' is her fourth published novel.
This latest story is a dual timeline one set in the 1930 's and the present day. The main protagonists are Kate, in the 21st century and her great grandmother Lady Charlotte in the 1930's. In 1939 Charlotte was presented with a very special gift of fine wine and it is this vintage bottle that links these two women and their personal love stories together. The backdrop for this emotional yet uplifting novel are the wonderful settings of Italy and the Surrey Hills.
Once again Anita Chapman has transported me to places I am familiar with. She successfully shares her own love of Italy by writing stories that feel realistic. Perfect escapism for Italophiles and those readers that enjoy a satisfying story with an element of mystery.
It is with thanks to Bookouture, NetGalley and Anita Chapman that this title was made available for me to read and review.
Previous Reviews: The Venice Secret. The Florence Letter.
Précis Courtesy of Goodreads:
Gazing out over the lush, rolling vineyards of Verona, Kate thinks of the gift that brought her to Italy. The dusty bottle of wine from her great-grandmother’s cellar, which holds the key to a family mystery that will change everything…
England, 1939. After her husband’s unexpected death, Lady Charlotte throws herself into reviving the vineyard at his beloved home, Copeley Park – desperate to focus on anything other than the dangerous secret she now carries. Along with her head gardener, Albert, she travels to Verona for research, where she is quickly distracted by Italy’s beautiful golden light and vibrant mimosa flowers. But just as her heart starts to open up, the threat of war spreads across Europe, tearing apart Charlotte’s plans for her future and leaving her with a heart-wrenching decision to make…
Now. Devastated by the loss of her mother and newly single, Kate asks to work at Copeley Park – her family’s failing estate – to take her mind off her heartbreak. But when she learns that the park’s stunning vineyard might have to be sold, she’s determined not to let this beautiful piece of her family’s history go. And when she’s given a dusty old bottle of wine that belonged to her great-grandmother with a note attached from a mysterious ‘B’, she convinces handsome head winemaker Ben to accompany her to Verona to unravel its secrets…
But as Kate and Ben grow closer against the stunning sunsets of Italy, will Kate discover that some secrets are better left buried in the past? Or will unravelling the romantic mystery at the heart of the vineyard lead to a future Kate could only ever have dreamed of…?
Lose your heart to Italy in this beautiful, moving story of family secrets and letting those you love inspire you. Readers of Lucinda Riley and Fiona Valpy will fall hard for this enchanting, escapist and romantic page-turner.
Author Profile:
Courtesy of Amazon Profile
Anita Chapman enjoyed writing stories from a young age, and won a local writing competition when she was nine years old. Encouraged by this, she typed up a series of stories about a mouse on her mum’s typewriter and sent them to Ladybird. She received a polite rejection letter, her first.
Many of Anita’s summers growing up were spent with her family driving to Italy, and she went on to study French and Italian at university. As part of her degree, Anita lived in Siena for several months where she studied and au paired, and she spent a lot of time travelling around Italy in her twenties.
Anita likes to read journals and diaries from the past, and one of her favourite pastimes is visiting art galleries and country houses. Her first published novel, The Venice Secret is inspired by her mother taking her to see the Canalettos at The National Gallery in London as a child.
Since 2015, Anita has worked as a social media manager, training authors on social media, and helping to promote their books. She’s run several courses in London and York, and has worked as a tutor at Richmond and Hillcroft Adult Community College.
Photographs and Biographical Information courtesy of the following sites:
Twitter Profile. Anita Chapman - Facebook Profile. Author - Official Website