Hotel Portofino by J. P. O'Connell

Happy Monday, everyone! Today I'm a stop on the Random Things Tour for J. P. O'Connell's Hotel Portofino!

Bella fell in love with the Italian Riviera on her honeymoon so many years ago. And it's been her dream to open a hotel there. 

Now that dream is a reality! Hotel Portofino is a place where the English and English speakers can relax and unwind. And in the wake of WWI, that's exactly what Bella and her own family need. Together with their small staff, she and her family cater to the needs of their guests, even when those needs lean towards the unreasonable. 

But things are coming to a head for the family and Italy. A local government official has his eyes on the hotel just as a very special guest arrives: the hopeful future wife of Bella's son, Lucien. The match has been in the works between the families, but whether it will come to pass still remains to be seen. And Bella's own ability to control the situation at the hotel and in her own family is becoming more fragile by the day. 

Hotel Portofino is fabulous! A deliciously period drama perfect for fans of Downton Abbey, the story finds a upper-ish class family opening a hotel in Portofino, Italy between WWI and WWII. 

Bella's husband Cecil is of the upper crust, but their money comes from Bella's family. Her father, to be exact, who owns a factory and, as one character puts it, "...doesn't care who knows it!" But the family aren't rolling in dough, even though Cecil is willing to spend like they are. 

It's all Bella can do to keep the hotel going. And since it's her baby, she's not going to give up easy. 

But with clientele ranging from the adventurous to the downright snobbish, plus the growing fascist government, Hotel Portofino isn't quite attaining the relaxing air it aims for!

All the secrets and turmoil brewing, making this a story with the best kinds of tension and suspense! And I have to admit that the setting is pretty wonderful. O'Connell strikes a nice balance between building rich and full characters and setting, and the actual historical events taking place at the time. It makes for a luxurious reading experience!

There are a ton of characters to get to know. Bella and her family, of course; Constance, the new nanny; Rose and her mother (Lucien's intended and potential future mother in law, respectively); Lucien's friend Nish; as well as a bevy of other guests, staff, and locals. And while that might at first seem overwhelming, O'Connell's done it in such a way that each and every one is fully developed and shines in the story. 

I can't help but wish that I had the chance to read this while traveling around some exotic locale myself, but I can say even in snowy winter, Hotel Portofino will transport you! 

Hotel Portofino is out now and I definitely recommend picking up a copy! And if you love it as much as I did, you'll be pleased to know it's been adapted for TV!