Three Summers

Escape to Italy in this sweeping and romantic historical novel by the Sunday Times bestselling author

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Three Summers

By: Karen Swan

Narrated by: Cara Horgan

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Brought to you by Penguin.

If you love Lucinda Riley and Santa Montefiore, don't miss this sweeping and escapist new summer romance.

Every summer tells a story

1957: The summer of innocence
Amongst the lemon trees, Rafaella Parisi impatiently waits for the summer visitors to arrive in her small fishing village on the coast of Puglia. She may be dating Fon Gianelli, but there is one person she longs to see: Cosimo - son of the wealthy Franchetti family.

1958: The summer everything changed
After a devastating accident at the lavish Franchetti villa, Rafa makes a vow that changes the course of all their futures…

1961: The summer they met again
And when Rafa and Cosi’s lives collide, Rafa must decide if she’s willing to risk the life she has built for the future she might have had…

'Perfect... Transported me to Italy' - Fern Britton, Sunday Times bestselling author of New Beginnings

'Complex, emotional and of course heart-wrenchingly romantic, it is the perfect escape. Swan is sublime!' - Veronica Henry, Sunday Times bestselling author of The Beach Hut

© Karen Swan 2026 (P) Penguin Audio 2026

Karen SwanCara HorganTransworld Digital

20th Century

Contemporary

Friendship

Genre Fiction

Historical

Historical Fiction

20th Century Contemporary Friendship Genre Fiction Historical Historical Fiction

Critic reviews

Transported me to Italy

A wonderful, immersive page-turner threaded with secrets and sacrifice

A tale brimming with passion, betrayal and the complex desires of the heart - Three Summers is a novel to indulge all of the senses!

Rich in drama, detail and description, Three Summers is a gloriously evocative tale of love and loyalty that will transport you to sun-drenched Puglia. Complex, emotional and of course heart-wrenchingly romantic, it is the perfect escape. Swan is sublime!

Sweeping, sun-soaked, and dazzlingly romantic, Three Summers captures the ache and hope of first love in a way that only Karen Swan can. It’s a story to lose yourself in, glittering with passion, beauty, and heartbreak — all so evocative, I could almost smell the lemon-scented air of 1950s Italy as I eagerly turned the pages.

The beloved master storyteller Karen Swan takes readers to sun soaked Puglia in Three Summers. Evocative, romantic and atmospheric, Rafaella Parisi is torn between two loves in post-war Italy, and must choose between tradition and her own heart's desire. True love and redemption await her when the truth is revealed. Bellissima!

Beautifully written. So many twists and turns between two entwined families! I was gripped.

Romantic, dramatic and impossible to put down

Lush, romantic, and quietly devastating… this is historical fiction at its best

Full of charm, drama and sun-soaked romance

Most relevant

I had to listen to chapter 1 twice to get all the names straight but once I had I very much enjoyed this book