The temptation of Gracie
If you only read one book this summer, make it Santa Montefiore’s unforgettable tale of love lost and rediscovered in the beautiful Italian countryside
Gracie Burton has lived a quiet life in Devon for the past 40 years, keeping herself to herself – as much as anyone can in a village where everyone knows your business. But what neither her friends or daughter Carina knows is that her life wasn’t always this unremarkable. When widowed Gracie spends her life savings on an Italian cookery course at a Tuscan castle and cajoles Carina and her moody
granddaughter Anastasia into going with her, no one understands what has prompted the seemingly random trip.
It’s only on arrival at Castello Montefosco, under the Tuscan sun, that Gracie’s secrets come to light. As she relives the happy months she spent as an apprentice art restorer, she also remembers evenings spent in the arms of her one true love.
But what events conspired to send Gracie running back to grey post-war London, and why has her time in Italy remained a secret for so many years?
With shock revelations that could change Gracie’s relationships forever, this wonderful novel is both poignant and romantic, reminding us that you’re never too old – or too young – for love.
Known for setting her bestselling books set in dreamy destinations, in The Temptation of Gracie, Santa captures the sights, smells and sounds of long hazy days in Italy. Novelist Jojo Moyes says, “Nobody does epic romance like Santa Montefiore. Everything she writes, she writes it from the heart.” It’s a summer must-read we know we’ll be reaching for.