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Quick answer: If you loved One Italian Summer, read Rebecca Serle's In Five Years and The Dinner List, then try Under the Tuscan Sun, Love & Gelato, The Light We Lost and Book Lovers. All blend travel, grief and romance with a touch of magic.
Rebecca Serle's novel follows Katy, who travels to Positano after her mother's death and meets her mother as a young woman. The books below share its summer travel settings, family bonds and emotional pull. Most are adult fiction or memoir, and all are real, in-print books.
Table of Contents
Quick Picks at a Glance
| Book | Author | Ages | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| In Five Years | Rebecca Serle | Adult | more Serle |
| The Dinner List | Rebecca Serle | Adult | short Serle |
| Under the Tuscan Sun | Frances Mayes | Adult | Italian escapes |
| Love & Gelato | Jenna Evans Welch | Teen | teen travel romance |
| Beach Read | Emily Henry | Adult | writers in love |
| Book Lovers | Emily Henry | Adult | banter and romance |
| The Light We Lost | Jill Santopolo | Adult | love and loss |
| One Day | David Nicholls | Adult | time-lapse romance |
| Maybe in Another Life | Taylor Jenkins Reid | Adult | what-if stories |
| The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo | Taylor Jenkins Reid | Adult | big emotions |
| Malibu Rising | Taylor Jenkins Reid | Adult | summer family drama |
| Daisy Jones & The Six | Taylor Jenkins Reid | Adult | music and romance |
| A Room with a View | E.M. Forster | Adult | classic Italy |
| A Year in Provence | Peter Mayle | Adult | travel memoirs |
| The Wedding People | Alison Espach | Adult | unexpected friendship |
1. In Five Years by Rebecca Serle
A woman has a vision of her future five years ahead and finds that life takes a different route. Tender and surprising, by the same author.
Best for: more Serle.
2. The Dinner List by Rebecca Serle
A woman sits down for her thirtieth birthday dinner with five people from her life. Short, warm and wistful.
Best for: short Serle.
3. Under the Tuscan Sun by Frances Mayes
An American writer buys and restores a villa in Tuscany. Food, scenery and slow renewal.
Best for: Italian escapes.
4. Love & Gelato by Jenna Evans Welch
Lina spends a summer in Italy following her late mother's journal. Food, scenery and a gentle mystery.
Best for: teen travel romance.
5. Beach Read by Emily Henry
Two rival writers swap genres for a summer by the lake. Funny and warm.
Best for: writers in love.
6. Book Lovers by Emily Henry
A literary agent and an editor keep meeting in a small town. Banter and big feelings.
Best for: banter and romance.
7. The Light We Lost by Jill Santopolo
A woman looks back on her love for a man she met on September 11. Romantic and bittersweet.
Best for: love and loss.
8. One Day by David Nicholls
Two friends meet on the same date each year for twenty years. Funny, sad and widely loved.
Best for: time-lapse romance.
9. Maybe in Another Life by Taylor Jenkins Reid
A woman's life splits into two paths after one night. Light and thoughtful.
Best for: what-if stories.
10. The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid
An aging Hollywood star tells her story to a young reporter. Glamorous and moving.
Best for: big emotions.
11. Malibu Rising by Taylor Jenkins Reid
Four siblings host a party in 1983 as secrets surface. Sunny and sad.
Best for: summer family drama.
12. Daisy Jones & The Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid
A 1970s rock band's rise and fall, told as an oral history. Smoky, fast and dramatic.
Best for: music and romance.
13. A Room with a View by E.M. Forster
A young Englishwoman travels to Florence and meets a free-spirited family. A classic of Italy and love.
Best for: classic Italy.
14. A Year in Provence by Peter Mayle
An English couple moves to southern France for a year of food and neighbors. Light, funny and sunny.
Best for: travel memoirs.
15. The Wedding People by Alison Espach
A woman checks into a Newport hotel on her way to end her life and meets a bride. Funny and surprisingly hopeful.
Best for: unexpected friendship.
How to Choose
For more Serle, start with In Five Years. For Italy, Under the Tuscan Sun and A Room with a View. For romance, Beach Read and Book Lovers. For summer family stories, Malibu Rising. These books are often sad, so pick them when you want to feel something. Travel fiction is a good companion to real trips. If you cannot go to Italy, try cooking a recipe or watching a film set in Positano. Many of these books also exist as audiobooks, perfect for a long journey.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is One Italian Summer about?
Katy goes to Positano after her mother's death and finds her mother in a younger form, learning about her past.
Is there a ghost?
It has a magical element, with Katy meeting a younger version of her mother.
Is it a sad book?
It deals with grief but also with healing and family love.
Who is Rebecca Serle?
An American author and television writer whose books include In Five Years and The Dinner List.
Is it a good summer read?
Yes. It is short and set on the Amalfi Coast.
Where is Positano?
A cliffside village on the Amalfi Coast in southern Italy, known for its colorful houses and sea views.
Is One Italian Summer a romance?
It includes a love story, but the focus is on a mother and daughter.
Is it a standalone?
Yes. It is a single novel, not part of a series.
How long is the book?
About 240 pages.