Synopsis
From chambermaid to “got it made” …
When hotel cleaning temp and poetry academic Megan Morrison finds out she’s inherited an Italian villa and small fortune from her estranged great-great aunt Olwen, she doesn’t quite know how to react. That is, until she travels to Portofino to see Il Giardino delle Rose for herself. Then she knows exactly what she has to do: live there!
Enchanted by the beauty of the house and gardens, fascinated by the history, and more than a little intrigued by handsome hired landscape gardener Gideon West, Megan can immediately see the villa’s potential as a dream home.
But having long-lost relatives sometimes means long-lost secrets – and it seems that Olwen had plenty of those. Could these secrets and a jealous obsession be powerful enough to drive Megan out of the house that she’s already fallen in love with?
Book 3 – Riviera series. Book 1 – Summer in San Remo. Book 2 – A Wedding on the Riviera. Book 4 – Masquerade on the Riviera.
Evonne Wareham
Evonne Wareham was born in South Wales and spent her childhood there. After university she migrated to London, where she worked in local government, scribbled novels in her spare time and went to the theatre a lot. Now she’s back in Wales, living by the sea, writing and studying a PHD in history. She still loves the theatre, likes staying in hotels and enjoys the company of other authors through her membership of the Romantic Novelists’ Association.
Evonne’s debut novel, Never Coming Home won the 2012 Joan Hessayon New Writers’ Award, the 2013 Colorado Romance Writers’ Award for Romantic Suspense, the Oklahoma National Readers’ Choice Award for Romantic Suspense plus was a nominee for a Reviewers’ Choice Award from RT Book Reviews.
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Evonne Wareham has woven another beautiful tale of romance, with sunshine, scenery, drama, mystery and suspense by the bucketful into her latest book – A Villa in Portofino – When Megan Morrison, thanks to her late aunt, inherits a pretty decrepit villa in Portofino, complete with grounds, she travels to the Italian Riviera, to sell her inheritance, but falls in love with the place and decides instead to restore the house and grounds to their former glory with the help of Gideon, a landscape gardener, with his own issues. Gideon has also worked part-time for Jake McGuire’s agency (if you’ve read the other books in the Riviera series you will remember Jake). There are sparks, but someone doesn’t want Megan to succeed, Gabriella de Stefano is obsessed with owning the villa and will do whatever is needed to make sure that happens…
A book you won’t want to put down – I didn’t. Great characters, awesome plot and extremely enjoyable.
This book has it all! Romance, mystery, beautiful location and history. The heroine, Megan, has a bad time following a break up but a surprise inheritance sets her off to reclaim happiness in all areas of her life. I loved how the author brought the Italian house and countryside to my home, I could almost smell the roses! Gideon was her perfect man to accompany her on her journey, and what a man. Perfect in all areas, but just not quite so, so human. But, one you would want on your side. A lovely story which will entertain you. Enjoy as I did.
Megan Morrison has unexpectedly inherited a villa in Portofino from a relative she didn’t even know. Having recently split from her partner who left her homeless and seeking chambermaid work to ensure she could pay her bills, Megan visits the villa and decides she wants to move in as there is enough funds for her to do so and for her to landscape the extensive gardens.
Unfortunately for Megan there is someone who wants the villa for themselves and will stop at nothing to get what she feels is rightfully hers, ensuring she causes upheaval in Megan’s life.
Gideon West is a landscape gardener but also works part time for Megan’s friend Jake’s security firm (Jake who appears in previous books Summer in San Remo and A wedding on the Riviera – both fantastic books but you don’t need to read them before this book as they can all be read as standalone books) and after doing a job on the Italian riviera he stays on to visit some gardens for inspiration and ends up working for Megan where they start to embark on a relationship.
Megan is also trying to unravel the family history in regard to what happened to family members in the past who lived at the villa and this weaves well into the story.
History, mystery and a delicious sounding Gideon all wrapped in one – a real treat that I would strongly recommend.
Thoroughly loved this story. Set in an Italian villa, the story moves between a potential romance (with the very sexy gardener) to intrigue and family feuds. Enjoyed every minute of this pure escapism and highly recommend it!
A good story and a most enjoyable read. It’s well written as could be expected from Ms Wareham and flows nicely along. It took no effort at all to settle down and ignore the world, a nice bit of suspense but not too much, and the satisfying love story – Gideon sounds like my cup of tea …. or coffee, I don’t like tea …. and I’ve a soft spot for Italy anyway so it hit all my buttons. A very satisfactory way to spend an afternoon (with some accompanying chocolate …)
Highly entertaining
The author has cleverly reversed the usual plot of woman losing her boyfriend, job and home, suddenly magically inheriting a property in a sunny country, where she meets and falls in love with a wealthy local man. In this book the heroine is wealthy and the man unemployed, with added mystery and skulduggery.
Scholarly Megan Morrison has lost her boyfriend and subsequently also lost her job and her home. Well she hasn’t exactly lost her boyfriend, he transferred his affections to another woman. Megan is temporarily working in a hotel for minimum wages and learns that she’s the sole recipient of her late aunt’s will and now owns a semi derelict villa in Portofino on the Italian Riviera, complete with large overgrown grounds and, most importantly, substantial funds. Travelling to Italy, fully intending to sell her inheritance, she sees the property and decides to renovate the house and garden to it’s former grandeur.
Gideon West, an out-of-work landscape gardener living in Portofino for the winter, accepts the job of managing the renovation of the villa’s substantial grounds.
With nothing to keep her in England and the lure of her house and gardens, Megan soon considers making Portofina her permanent home.
Running throughout the book are the hidden secrets of Megan’s aunt’s rejection by her family, Gideon’s unemployment and the imposing Gabriella de Stefano who is obsessed with owning Megan’s villa at all costs.
Oodles of sunshine, a mystery surrounding the tower in the garden, plus murder, romance and drama, not necessarily in that order, this is ideal relaxing reading, especially on a rainy day.
This is one absolutely fabulous read! Reviewing ‘A Villa in Portofino’ has me hooked on Evonne Wareham’s books!