The story was inspired by my trip to Italy last year. Rome is so beautiful, as you can see from this photo…

…and as for the food! Is it any wonder the book is set in a family-run pizzeria?!

One memorable evening we ate a meal in Piazza Navona, where One Summer in Rome is set. The waiter was not impressed by how quickly we ate and wanted to order the following course. He said “Piano! Piano!”  – slowly!

I ordered a selection plate of puddings for dessert, expecting them to be three small slices. They were actually huge (bigger than they look in this photo) and I couldn’t stop laughing.

Below is the blurb. I’m very excited about sharing this story which will be out on 9th May 2018!

To Rome…with love?

Mary Smith is turning her very ordinary life upside-down! She’s bought herself a one-way ticket to Rome and is ready for a summer she’ll never forget.

Men might be off the cards for waitress Mary, but within hours of arriving at the utterly charming family-run La Dolce Vita pizzeria, she’s already fallen in love with the bustling capital!

Only Dante Rossi, the mysterious (and drop-dead gorgeous) chef seems displeased with her arrival. And in the heat of the kitchen, it doesn’t take long for long-buried secrets to surface and sparks to fly…

A deliciously heartwarming romance to have you dreaming of summer. Perfect for fans of Debbie Johnson and Caroline Roberts.

PREORDER NOW!

So I thought it appropriate to ask her some very summery questions! First of all here’s what the book is all about:

Fall in love with the gorgeous seaside town of White Cliff Bay this summer and enjoy long sunny days, beautiful beaches and… a little romance. 

Darcy Davenport is ready for a fresh start. Determined to leave a string of disastrous jobs and relationships behind her, she can’t wait to explore White Cliff Bay and meet the locals. 

When Darcy swims in the crystal clear waters of the bay, she discovers the charming Rose Island Lighthouse. But it’s not just the beautiful building that she finds so intriguing… 

Riley Eddison doesn’t want change. Desperate to escape the memories of his past, he lives a life of solitude in the lighthouse. Yet he can’t help but notice the gorgeous woman who swims out to his island one day. 

Darcy is drawn to the mysterious and sexy Riley, but when it seems the town is trying to demolish his home, she soon finds herself having to pick sides. 

She’s fallen in love with White Cliff Bay. But is that all Darcy’s fallen for? 

Pull up a deck chair, sink back with a bowl of strawberry ice cream and pick up the summer read you won’t be able to put down. 

You can get your copy of Summer at Rose Island here and its only £1.99 at the moment.

So, Holly, great to have you here – now to find out all your summer secrets!

1. What is your favourite, foreign summer holiday destination?

I don’t know if I have a favourite as I never go back to the same place I’ve visited before, but one of the most beautiful places I’ve visited was Zakynthos, everything felt so peaceful there, the sea was so blue and warm, the views were incredible, the people were so friendly and the food was amazing. I’d definitely like to return there one day.

2. What do you think a summer holiday in Britain offers, that you can’t get abroad?

The ease and convenience of getting to your destination without hours on a plane, or hours waiting around an airport, the familiarity of the food and the language, the quaint little seaside towns, the friendly locals, the cheap cost, the cute b&bs with the full english breakfasts.

3. Favourite summer holiday meal and drink?

Fish and chips whilst sitting on the pier or on the sea wall, probably with a can of coke. There’s something about the taste of fish and chips when you are on the seafront, it tastes infinitely better.

4. Touring or sunbathing holiday?

Oh that’s hard, I love a good relaxing, do nothing but read and sleep holiday but I think I prefer a holiday where I get to see the sights, either on day trips or by moving around to different locations.

5. Your summer holiday fantasy hot hero would be:

Sexy sailor – a girl in every port

Fit fisherman – up for romantic jaunts in his boat

Lush lifesaving guard – ready to pull you from the waves whenever necessary

English Benedict Cumberbatch bookish type – sits in the shade,  ready to woo you with reading poetry at any point.

or finally

Romantic restaurant owner hoping to win you with his award-winning garlic bread!

That’s hard too, I love food so someone who can cook or at least have someone who can cook for him would be a definite plus in my books, but there’s something very sexy, at least in my mind, about a rugged fisherman so I think I’ll have to go with that.

Well best of luck with the book, Holly, and thanks for dropping by!

Holly lives in sunny Bedfordshire in a house with round windows. She studied media at university which led to a very glitzy career as a hotel receptionist followed by a even more glamorous two years working in a bank. The moment that one of her colleagues received the much coveted carriage clock for fifteen years’ service was the moment when she knew she had to escape. She quit her job and returned to university to train to be a teacher. Three years later, she emerged wide eyed and terrified that she now had responsibility for the development of thirty young minds. She taught for four years and then escaped the classroom to teach history workshops, dressing up as a Viking one day and an Egyptian High Priestess the next. But the long journeys around the UK and many hours sat on the M25 gave her a lot of time to plan out her stories and she now writes full time, doing what she loves.

Holly has been writing for 6 years. She was shortlisted for the New Talent Award at the Festival of Romance. Her short story won the Sunlounger competition and was published in the Sunlounger anthology. She won the Carina Valentine’s competition at the Festival of Romance 2013 with her novel The Guestbook. She was shortlisted for Best Romantic Read, Best eBook and Innovation in Romantic Fiction at the Festival of Romance 2014.

Follow her on Twitter @hollymartin00