We are celebrating the first book birthday of A Scottish Teashop in Napoli, written by the lovely Jane Lambert!
The Blurb
When Lucy’s childhood sweetheart leaves her at the altar, her world shatters. But instead of cancelling her honeymoon, she boards the plane alone—bound for a sun-soaked island that will change everything.
In Naples, recently widowed Elena is fighting to keep her husband’s family mozzarella factory and language school afloat while raising her young son. Desperate to save both businesses, she posts a job advert—and fate delivers Lucy to her doorstep.
Together, these two women—each nursing heartbreak and loss—discover that friendship, food, and a dash of courage can heal even the deepest wounds.
My Review
A Scottish Teashop in Napoli by Jane Lambert
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Imagine setting off on the holiday of a lifetime, with a dream wedding planned at the end, only to have it all come crashing down when he jilts you by not even getting on the plane.
This is the situation for poor Lucy, left alone in a tropical paradise by her fiance,
She takes the bull (or should I say buffalo?) by the horns and hands in her notice at the school where she taught, after finding an interesting-looking opportunity teaching English to students in Napoli, Italy.
Elena, in Naples, is suffering her tragedy, having been suddenly widowed, with her dream English school to run, as well as her husband’s family business, a handmade mozzarella factory to contribute to, plus being there for her son.
I loved this story; a celebration of female friendship, as well as new beginnings, and learning that you have to take every opportunity that comes your way.
Lucy is someone who seems to have always pleased others, and it is beautiful to see how, with the encouragement from her new Neapolitan friends, she blossoms with ideas for herself, as well as learning to love again.
Elena’s deep love for her husband and her loyalty to the family lead her to feel like she is failing everyone, including herself. Through this story, you see her grow and develop a friendship with her new English teacher, Lucy, that is more fruitful than she ever thought it would be.
And romance? Of course, there is! Dario, the godfather to Elena’s son Stefano, is a hunky police officer who comes to the aid of Lucy in several ways, and the slow burn of this romance is gorgeously built up.
Loss is covered in different forms, and mentions of the effect of the Mafia on families in Italy ground the story in a reality not many live through.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book!
Purchase Links
About The Author
Jane was brought up on the west coast of Scotland, studied Modern Languages at Stirling University, and then taught English in Vienna.
She travelled the world as cabin crew before hanging up her wings to become an actor. She has appeared in ‘Witness for the Prosecution’, ‘The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time’, ‘True West’, ‘Calendar Girls’ and ‘Deathtrap’ in London’s West End.
“It’s never too late to follow your dreams” is her mantra and the phrase HarperCollins chose to promote her debut novel, ‘The Start of Something Wonderful’, which was inspired by her somewhat risky career change!
Her love affair with Italy began when she married a Neapolitan chef.
‘A Scottish Teashop in Napoli’ is her love letter to this wonderful city, its people and traditions.
She’s currently writing ‘The Unexpected Flatmate’, an uplifting and heartwarming tale of love, hope, community and kindness, set during the pandemic and dedicated to the RAF Benevolent Fund.
Jane will be appearing at Tea Leaves & Reads Literary Festival on 27th September, when she’ll be talking all things teashop and handing out her mini Victoria sponge cakes!
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But I Smile Anyway... 