Under a Siena Sun follows Lucy, a surgeon with Doctors without Borders fresh from the conflict zone, as she moves to Siena for a much-needed change of pace. She soaks up the joys of sunny Siena while working at a private hospital for the rich and famous, but her conscience plagues her as she tries to decide if this is really the meaningful life’s work she wants.

This book really reads like a leisurely tour through the Italian country side. The descriptions are beautiful and it even gets into the medieval history of the area. All of the characters are pleasant and likeable, and honestly any conflicts that arise seem rather minor and are resolved relatively quickly. The romance and language are clean, and if you’re looking for a sauntering stroll of a book (with plenty of friendly dogs there to greet you with a lick), this is probably for you.

But honestly it was a bit on the slow side for me. Although Lucy and her romantic interest are nice, I didn’t really feel the chemistry between them, and I felt like the middle sagged a little from lack of tension. Lucy worries a lot about the prospect of dating a millionaire. Like a lot, a lot. And towards the end it came off a little one note for me. Although both Lucy and her romantic interest definitely have some character growth, I found myself wishing for some twists and turns along the way rather than the straight-forward trajectory they took.

Still, this was a well-written, escape kind of clean romance that I think a lot of people would enjoy. I thought the audiobook narrator did a wonderful job with the different voices and accents, and overall it was a pleasure to listen to. (3.5/5 or this fast-pace loving reader)

Thanks so much to the publisher and NetGalley for the free ARC! 

Thanks for reading!