Gelato at the Villa by Robin Jones Gunn

 

After enjoying the first book in the Suitcase Sisters series, I eagerly awaited the second book, Gelato at the Villa by Robin Jones Gunn. 

Gelato at the Villa takes readers on a trip to Italy with friends Grace and Claire. The ladies start out in Venice, and then travel to two other places in Northern Italy. I especially enjoyed traveling along and seeing the sights through their eyes. Gunn brings all of the locations to life through her rich descriptions of the countryside, the restaurants, the food, the gardens and the historical buildings. I did feel like I was there along with the main characters in the book.

Grace and Claire also have some of their own struggles, like most people do in real life. Grace works in a job that isn't very satisfying for a demanding boss who isn't very nice to work for. She struggles to know what she should do in her situation--stay in the position or leave and do something else. She also struggles with some fears that she needs to let go of.

Claire struggles with something very difficult that happened to her when she was young that affected her life, her family and her faith. As readers move through the book, Claire experiences healing and there is redemption in her story through the people they meet as they travel throughout Italy. 

There is clearly a Christian thread running through the book making Gelato at the villa clearly a Christian novel. 

I enjoyed Gelato at the Villa as a whole. I especially liked being able to be an armchair traveler and to see Italy through this book. I enjoy both gardening and am a foodie so the rich descriptions of both in the book were quite enjoyable to me. Claire is the one who enjoys cooking most and Grace enjoys gardening most but they both were willing to dabble in each other's area. I also liked that this book demonstrates what a good female friendship looks like.

Gelato at the Villa releases on August 19, 2025. 

I received a copy of this book from Revell Publishing through Interviews and Reviews. All opinions are my own. 

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