I tracked this down to read mainly because it was on the Top 100 list a couple of years ago, and I felt like something light and summery. It's about 4 girls who go on holiday after finishing school, and despite not particularly getting on, decide to have more villa holidays together - apparently because they're all too dysfunctional to find friends they actually like. Rosie the heroine lost her parents in a car crash and is solitary, brittle and pessimistic; Adollorata is brash and feisty and drags her into her Italian family and teaches her to love food, thereby practically giving her an eating disorder.Every other chapter is about Enzo whose family run an olive farm; the first half of his side of the story is a bit boring as he's rather a twat, living a playboy lifestyle in the village and being under the thumb of his nonna. The girls rent a villa near where he lives and they meet and fall in love, but circumstances drive them apart and they spend the next 10-15 years (it's not specified - it obviously begins somewhere in the early 80s and ends before the advent of email) continuing their lives - Rosie becomes a food stylist and Enzo takes over the family business, until the girls decide it's time to take another holiday.I liked the food descriptions and it made me want to go on holiday somewhere sunny; I didn't like any of the characters; I suspect my book club friends will like this a lot more than I did as they're more into romance type novels, it I don't regret reading it. This is a story about a girl called Rosie who's parents die tragically ,and apart from an Aunt and Uncle she is pretty much alone in the world until she meets Addolorota. They both spend an elicit day together eating and shopping, and when it is over Addolorata invites Rosie to come with her and her other two friends Toni and Lou to Spain.She excepts and" The Villa Girls "are born!! The holiday is a success, but when they get home again they lose contact for a while ,in this time Rosie has decided she needed to change her life so she moves out of her Uncle's place and gets a place in a flat with other people. After a meeting with a psychic she decides to get Addolorata's father Beppi's help in finding a place to buy for herself to live. Beppi is Italian and his entire family welcome Rosie into their midst. This is just what she needs , the love and support they give her as they treat her as one of their own really makes her feel part of a family. Rosie is beginning to shine with a new place and a job Adddolorata decides that they should all go on a Villa Girl holiday sooner then planned and so the four girls head to Italy this time where they meet the charming Enzo and his friends. Enzo and Rosie hit it of immediately and after their hot romance looks like it is beginning to come to the boil , Rosie and friends visit Enzo'z families Olive Grove for a dinner and things go very wrong .The entire book is wonderful and Nicky manages to write characters that I always care a lot about. The story is about relationships and families, food and friendship. A real heart warmer that I can not recommend highly enough filled with descriptions of food that will make your mouth water .
What do You think about As Raparigas Da Villa (2011)?
Enjoyed the colours, cooking and images- makes one want to visit places described.
—lwandym
