Gently, Jolene

The newest novel by Angela Scipioni,
co-author of the beloved Iris & Lily novel series.

About the Story

Jolene Whitacre, a restaurateur in the Finger Lakes region of New York, is reeling from a painful break-up that has left her without a job or a home.

Filippo Garaventi, a debonair Italian hotelier spending the summer in Ithaca, approaches Jolene aboard a tour boat and immediately pursues a relationship. 

Filippo’s talk of love and commitment rekindle Jolene’s smoldering dreams, while his descriptions of Locanda Luisa, the quaint hotel owned by his family in the village of Manarola, in Italy’s fabled Cinque Terre, make her fantasies take flight.

Filippo’s unexpected proposal to return to Italy with him, marry him, and run the Locanda together convince Jolene the time has come to embark on a new life.

Once in Italy, though, nothing is as she envisioned. Manarola is stunning but the Locanda is crumbling. The Garaventis are not the typical Italian family she hoped to embrace as her own, and Filippo himself seems different, making Jolene wonder how forthcoming he has been about his past life and future expectations.

Determined to forge ahead with their plans, Jolene stumbles upon disconcerting truths, ultimately finding herself the main player in a drama for which she is utterly unprepared.