New Kirkus Reviews review for May Flowers at The Three Coins Inn
Always thrilled to receive excellent editorial reviews, but even better when it’s from Kirkus Reviews.
I just received my latest editorial review for my upcoming novel. May Flowers at The Three Coins Inn, which is launching 8 May!
A group of guests make meaningful connections and find unexpected opportunities while visiting an idyllic Italian inn.
It’s springtime in Umbria, and innkeeper Emma is hard at work preparing the Three Coins Inn for its latest guests.
Lisa, the head of business development for her hometown, is on vacation after attending the wedding of her former fiancé, Matt.
The trip is the culmination of a longtime dream; while she was in college, she planned to spend a semester abroad in Italy,
but Matt convinced her to remain in their hometown with him instead.
Antonio Bardo is an acclaimed Italian artist seeking inspiration for his paintings and a reconciliation with his past.
New York socialite Sharon Asher struggles to connect with her 9-year-old son, Josh, a sensitive and artistically gifted child who is unlike her athletic and outgoing older son, Chet.
And there’s Margherita Molinaro, a novelist whose debut was an instant bestseller— unfortunately, the manuscript of her
second novel lacks the same spark. Her agent wants her to refine the characters by spending a few weeks at the inn and
interacting with new people.
Over the course of two weeks of exploring the beauty of Umbria and enjoying cooking classes and spa visits, the guests find their lives changing in profound ways.
The third entry in Sullivan’s charming Three Coins series is bolstered by well-developed characters and witty, evocative prose. While the cast is expansive, Sullivan deftly balances the multitude of characters and storylines in chapters that alternate between different characters’ perspectives and deepen the connections that develop between the guests. (One of the novel’s most poignant moments occurs when
Antonio recognizes Josh Asher’s talent and offers to serve as a mentor to the eager young artist.)
Sullivan’s writing is lyrical with occasional flourishes of humor (“Surely, if Dante were writing in the twenty-first century, he would banish men who publicly shamed their fiancées mere months from their wedding day to the lowest circles of Hell”).
A satisfying entry in this delightful series.
