 Author: Robin Jones Gunn Series: Suitcase Sisters #2 Pages: 304 Release Date: August 19, 2025 Publisher: Revell Chi trova un amico trova un tesoro. "Whoever finds a friend finds a treasure." Italian saying Grace and Claire have formed a close friendship over their love of reading. After many years and many books that provided armchair adventures, the time has come for them to go somewhere instead of only dreaming of someday. Traveling to Venice, Florence, and Bellagio, the Suitcase Sisters find themselves immersed in the magnificent works of art, scrumptious gelato flavors, and endless pasta variations of Italy. And they discover a vulnerability to disclose their struggles in ways they never did at home. As Grace experiences a newfound freedom and confidence in who she is, Claire wrestles with painful memories of her teen years. A special dinner party brings unexpected revelations about faith and God's nearness. Then a life-changing moment on the shores of Lake Lugano causes Grace and Claire to discover they are not just tourists but pilgrims on a path to becoming all God created them to be.
 Reviewer: Marta Aldrighetti Claire and Grace are two women from California. In May, they made a trip to Italy to visit Venice, Florence and Bellagio. “Claire and I planned our trip as tourists. We returned home as pilgrims.” They weren’t always happy with what they experienced, but most places and people let them analyze and understand their life: something is missing? Are you happy living your life? “All of us were on a journey. Every single life was of immeasurable value. Every soul was loved and sought after by our heavenly Father.” What a nice friendship the characters share! I’m almost envious. Even they are so different (thoughts, taste, life) they get along well. I’m from Italy. I’m always interested in reading books by foreign authors that set stories in Italy. I’m not disappointed in this book. I’ll miss Grace and Claire. I thank the author for the sweet gift at the end of the book. I love sweets (and gelato too) like the characters in the book! I received a complimentary copy courtesy of Revell through Interviews & Reviews via NetGalley for my honest opinion.  Reviewer: Jeanette Durkin This is an extraordinary book! Oh, my goodness. I laughed and cried. Each page took me on a new adventure through Italy. The characters are written brilliantly! I felt as if I were on the trip with them, experiencing everything through Claire and Grace’s eyes. Their friendship is amazing and true. Paulina is awesome! She knows the true meaning of hospitality. Amelia, Gio, and Rosie are wonderful too! I really liked all the spiritual aspects of the book. My favorite quote is: “He’s pursuing you. You gave your life to Him long ago. You told me you meant it. I know something happened that hurt you and pushed you away. But He’s still in you and with you and you’re still His first love...Claire, He wants you back.” I admired Grace and the others for not pushing their faith on Claire. Instead, they loved her and modeled Christ’s love to her. I was provided with a complimentary copy of the book from Revell via NetGalley through Interviews & Reviews. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Reviewer: Laura J. Davis I finished this book three days ago, but it had such a profound impact on me I have continued to let it wash over me and fill me. Not wanting to let it go. Gelato at the Villa by Robin Jones Gunn is a profound and deeply satisfying look at friendship and what it means to stand back and let God be God. In addition, it is a wonderful trip through Italy that was so vivid I thought I was there. From Venice to Tuscany, you will want to grab your best friend and book a trip to fly away on a Suitcase Sister adventure of your own. The humour had me laughing out loud. And the food! Oh, my word! I wanted to learn how to cook like an Italian after reading this. My anniversary is coming up and I will definitely be looking for some Italian food, followed by a nice scoop of gelato. Everything about this book, from the wise words of Paulina, Amelia, Gio, and others, filled my soul up. And the end made me cry both happy and sad tears. Like I said, I had to let this one wash over me for a few days. It will be a long time before I let go. Kudos to Robin Jones Gunn. This was brilliant. I look forward to the next adventure! I received a complimentary copy courtesy of Revell via NetGalley for my honest opinion. Reviewer: Raechel Helwig Well, I desperately want to go to Italy now. As if I didn’t before...! Gelato at the Villa is about two friends, Grace and Clare, who take a trip to Italy, where they explore multiple cities, and encounter so many adventures and lovely people. I truly felt as if I was on this journey with them, and I loved every minute of it. The experience felt rich and delightful, and honestly, I found the entire story to be a breath of fresh air. I loved the descriptions of their travels - I could picture it all so vividly in my mind, and fell in love with the scenery just from that experience alone. The lessons they learned along the way were special too. Each person and moment of Grace and Clare’s trip was orchestrated by God, and I really enjoyed seeing how that happened, and how it affected each character. The Suitcase Sisters series is a lot of fun, and I am excited to see where we’ll get to visit next! This book was provided courtesy of Revell Publishing through Interviews & Reviews. I was not required to write a positive review, and all thoughts expressed are entirely my own. Reviewer: Lori Parrish I have to say that when I picked up this adventure I wasn’t sure I was going to like it because of the setting, but it turned out that I really liked it. All the delicious desserts and food! Oh, my! Enough to make you drool. The description of the church was beautiful, and I imagined myself standing in it. Pauline was a great guide! Robin Jones Gunn does a fantastic job of describing Italy. She made me feel like I was there with Claire and her friend. I didn’t want to leave when the book ended. I was having such a good time! Even going through the bookstores. I loved the smell of old books. This particular adventure had charm to it. I think that’s what I loved most about it. I’m waiting for the next adventure from this author. More, please! I received a complimentary copy courtesy of Revell through Interviews & Reviews for my honest opinion. Reviewer: Elizabeth Eckmeyer The suitcase sisters strike again! Another beautiful travel story. This adventure was set in Italy, and what an adventure it was! Claire and Grace have been friends for a few years and decide together they are going to take the trip of a lifetime to Italy. With both their husbands’ stamp of approval, they are off! Claire is a construction project manager, along with being a wife and mother. She is full of adventure and loves to cook. While in Italy, Claire remembers negative childhood memories buried until now. She grew up in a religious household but now struggles with her faith. Grace is a mom and wife who works at a very demanding doctor’s office. Her career has taken up so much of her life. During her much-needed trip to Italy, she realizes how much fear she has of what other people think and how much of her life she has missed because of it. This is a beautiful follow-up in the series. This story was about letting go, being comfortable with who you are, and laughing with friends along the way and, of course, eating gelato! A complimentary copy of this book was provided by Revell through Interviews & Reviews via NetGalley. All opinions are mine alone. Reviewer: Monica Huyser After enjoying the first book in the Suitcase Sisters series, I eagerly awaited the second book, Gelato at the Villa by Robin Jones Gunn. Gelato at the Villa takes readers on a trip to Italy with friends Grace and Claire. The ladies start out in Venice and then travel to two other places in Northern Italy. I especially enjoyed traveling along and seeing the sights through their eyes. Gunn brings all the locations to life through her rich descriptions of the countryside, the restaurants, the food, the gardens and the historical buildings. I felt like I was there, along with the main characters in the book. Grace and Claire also have some of their own struggles, like most people do in real life. Grace works in a job that isn’t very satisfying for a demanding boss who isn’t very nice to work for. She struggles to know what she should do in her situation—stay in the position or leave and do something else. She also struggles with some fears that she needs to let go of. Claire struggles with something very difficult that happened to her when she was young that affected her life, her family, and her faith. As readers move through the book, Claire experiences healing and there is redemption in her story through the people they meet as they travel throughout Italy. There is clearly a Christian thread running through the book making Gelato at the Villa clearly a Christian novel. I enjoyed Gelato at the Villa. I especially liked being able to be an armchair traveler and to see Italy through this book. I enjoy both gardening and am a foodie, so the rich descriptions of both in the book were quite enjoyable to me. Claire is the one who enjoys cooking most and Grace enjoys gardening most, but they both were willing to dabble in each other’s area. I also liked that this book demonstrates what a good female friendship looks like. I received a copy of this book from Revell Publishing through Interviews & Reviews. All opinions are my own. Reviewer: Rebecca Maney
“He loves gathering around the table. It’s his passion to see people coming together for a feast.” A rare opportunity presented itself to a pair of long-time friends. Grace and Claire were about to enjoy a week-long stay in Italy. Leaving the stresses of everyday life behind, their meticulous planning bore fruit in abundance. Claire’s culinary passion was nourished to her heart’s content, while Grace’s longing to feel the earth between her fingers was met with lush, organic opportunities. Surrounded by magnificent art, soul refreshing churches, and exuberant locals (the best gelato, don’t forget the gelato), their journey became like a breath of fresh air and altogether life changing. “We (Claire and I) planned our trip as tourists. We returned home as pilgrims.” Filled to the brim with deep aromatic descriptions, there is an invitation to every reader who delves between the pages of this story to come, to venture towards the banqueting table, where the King of Glory delights in filling not only physical needs, but spiritual ones as well. It’s those holy moments that changed the trajectory of two women’s lives, offered so freely to all. I voluntarily reviewed a copy of this book from Revell through Interviews & Reviews. Leave a Reply. |
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