Introduction

Three generations of women in the Ferrari family must heal the broken pieces of their lives on a trip of a lifetime through picturesque Italy from New York Times bestselling author Jennifer Probst Workaholic, career-obsessed Francesca is fiercely independent and successful in all areas of her life except one: family. She struggles to make time for her relationship with her teenage daughter, Allegra, and the two have become practically strangers to each other. When Allegra hangs out with a new crowd and is arrested for drug possession, Francesca gives in to her mother's wish that they take one epic summer vacation to trace their family roots in Italy. She just never expected to face a choice that might change the course of her life. . . Allegra wants to make her grandmother happy, but she hates the idea of forced time with her mother and vows to fight every step of the ridiculous tour, until a young man on the verge of priesthood begins to show her the power of acceptance, healing, and the heartbreaking complications of love. Sophia knows her girls are in trouble. A summer filled with the possibility for change is what they all desperately need. Among the ruins of ancient Rome, the small churches of Assisi, and the rolling hills of Tuscany, Sophia hopes to show her girls that the bonds of family are everything, and to remind them that they can always lean on one another, before it's too late.

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Excerpt

The sweet scent of smoke hit me before the voice did.

“Did you at least have the pasta?”

I whirled my head around. Our tour guide stood a few inches away. Had he followed me? Legs crossed at the ankles, back resting against the building, he gave me a lazy smile while he inhaled from the cigarette clasped in his elegant hand. Odd, but I always checked out a man’s hands first. There was something about the firm strength, the tapered fingers, the sinewy wrists, that fascinated me. Maybe it was all the things a man could do with good hands—from fixing a car or leaky pipe or cradling and protecting a baby to stroking a woman straight into orgasm.

Maybe I was just crazy.

“Yep. My willpower didn’t extend that far tonight.”

“Italy is about pleasure. Not willpower.”

I lifted a brow at the intimate comment. His tongue practically sang the word pleasure. I ignored the slight dip of my stomach as he said it. Now I knew what the game was. Maybe he wasn’t married and he enjoyed delving into affairs with the tourists. My back straightened; I was angry he figured I’d be such an easy target. “Too many pleasurable things are bad for you.”

He grinned, flicking an ash on the sidewalk. “Americans,” he murmured. “So very focused on what is good and bad.”

“Italians. So quick to dismiss heart attacks and cancer for the lure of a meal or a smoke.”

He laughed then, loud and long. Again, he took me off guard with the ability not to take himself seriously. “Mi dispiace, perhaps you are right. Though now I only indulge in one cigarette per day, after dinner.”

I frowned. “Statistics show even one cigarette raises your odds of getting lung cancer just as much as a regular smoker. You need to give your body space and time to clean itself out.”

He smiled at me, and I could tell he didn’t really care. “I believe you. But to cut out all the things I enjoy in this world for a future statistic? I’d rather take a gamble. Sweets, wine, carbs, cigarettes—they all make me happy. Is that wrong?”

I studied him to make sure he wasn’t mocking me, but he looked serious. I considered the question. “No. But if we indulged in everything we wanted, the world would be a chaotic, greedy, lawless pit of debauchery.”

He gave a long sigh, pulled on the cigarette one last time, and threw the butt on the ground. He crushed it with the heel of his shoe and turned to face me. “But it could be fun for a while.”

He teased out a laugh from me. Oh, he was a charmer. I’d just need to make sure he respected the boundaries and knew I wasn’t here for a fling during my tour. “I’m more goal oriented. If you think long-term, it becomes easier to stifle those temporary urges for the greater good.”

“How delightful.” His dark gaze met mine, shredded past my usual barriers, and looked intently at me. “You believe in the greater good?”

I blinked. “Of course. Doesn’t everyone?”

“I don’t think so. Most would prefer to disregard consequences.”

“Like you smoking one cigarette even though it may give you cancer?”

“Or other things.”

His voice reminded me of soft, rich velvet. I shivered in the warm air. It’d been a while since a man seemed interested, but I hadn’t expected to feel so off-kilter because of his innuendoes. Were all Italian men flirty? Or was he trying to come on to me? And if not, how embarrassing if I said something. But the conversation already seemed intimate, so I did anyway. “My daughter and mother are on this trip.”

He quirked a brow, probably at the sudden change of subject. “I know. I think it’s wonderful to experience a trip like this with family.”

“I’m just saying it’s not like I’m alone and free to engage in all sorts of pleasures that have consequences.”

His eyes widened, and then he grinned, shaking his head. “I think I gave you the wrong impression. I’d never make any of my tourists feel uncomfortable. I saw you rush out a little upset and wanted to make sure you were okay. Plus, I enjoyed your wit and I like to tease. Please accept my apology.”

His words seemed sincere, and I was grateful for the darkness that hid my hot cheeks. The compliment meant more than the insult of rejecting me, or at least, his rejection of my rejection. “No worries,” I said. “I’m perfectly fine. I think I’m overly sensitive and read too many things about Italian men being forward. I just didn’t want you to get the wrong impression.”

He gave a slight bow of his head. “Understood. And you are right. Italian men are forward, but I have been a guide for over ten years and would never break the rules. You are safe with me, signora. I promise.”

I opened my mouth to tell him I wasn’t worried and that I enjoyed talking to him too, but he was already stepping back from the shadows and into the light.

“Buona sera. I will see you in the morning.”

He disappeared. view abbreviated excerpt only...

Discussion Questions

When we first meet Francesca, we discover she seems to prioritize work over family. Did you feel sympathetic or critical toward her character and her responsibilities? Judgmental? Did she inspire any empathy for her situation or did you believe she could have made better choices?

Italy plays an important role in Our Italian Summer. As the characters travel, they begin to find out more about themselves. Did you have a favorite town/setting you loved the most? Why? What was it about the scene that resonated with you?

The three main characters—Francesca, Allegra, and Sophia—all have individual struggles within the family. Were you able to relate to one of them better than the others? Why?

The overall theme of Our Italian Summer is that our relationships to our family develop and change us. Discuss each character’s growth arc and how they changed over the book.

Ian wants to become a priest. Do you believe he should have pursued a different path after falling in love with Allegra? What do you think happens to Ian after the close of the book? Do you think Ian and Allegra will always have a relationship?

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