Published in paperback 18th June 2026 by Penguin.
From the cover of the book:
1950's Italy.
1957: The summer of innocence.
Amongst the lemon trees, Rafaella Parisi impatiently waits for the summer visitors to arrive in her small fishing village on the coast of Puglia. She may be dating Fon Giannelli, but there is one person she longs to see: Cosimo – son of the wealthy Franchetti family.
1958: The summer everything changes everything.
After a devastating accident at the lavish Franchetti villa, Rafa makes a vow that changes the course of all their futures.
1961: The summer they meet again.
When Rafa and Cosi’s worlds collide, Rafa faces an agonizing choice. Is she willing to risk the life she has for the future she once dreamed of?
***********
1957, Puglia. Rafaella Parisi and her friends are looking forward to summer, even if they have to work for a living now adult responsibilities beckon. Rafa also has another reason to be excited... wealthy Cosimo Franchetti will soon be here, when his family return to the village for their annual summer holiday.
Although she is dating local fisherman Fon Giannelli, something passed between her and Cosi last summer that ventured beyond friendship, and she is keen to see how things stand between them. But when he arrives, jealousy leads to betrayal that and leads to a catastrophe that rocks the village.
1958. The consequences of last summer's tragedy has changed everything. The vow Rafa took separates her from Cosi, and sets her life on a different path.
1961. Rafa is now settled into an unfulfilling married life to Fon, as he pursues fortune at the side of his cruel and ambitious brother, Dante. But her life is thrown into turmoil when she is reunited with Cosi, and they discover that their love for each other is a strong as ever. Rafa and Cosi face difficult and dangerous choices is they want to finally be together...
Karen Swan's move to a new publisher, Penguin, brings with it a different kind of novel than the one I usually expect from her pen. The story unfurls through the eyes of Rafa, Fon and Cosi, opening with a coming of age summer in a small fishing village in Puglia, which lays bare the differences between wealthy summer visitors, the Franchetti family, and the locals.
Rafa and her close friend Gina have grown up sharing their summers with Cosi Franchetti and his younger sister Romola. This summer the prospect of change sparks between the friends, driven by simmering tensions within the Franchetti family, the seeds of a romance between Rafa and Cosi, and jealousy in the hearts of Fon and his arrogant brother Dante. Plenty of drama results. just when Rafa and Cosi hope to cement their relationship an accident shatters the future they hoped for.
The following summer, which is mentioned only briefly, shows how things have changed, before the story moves forward in time for a glimpse of the married life between Rafa and Fon, and between Dante and Gina. This section of the story is much darker, following Dante's desire for power, and the actions he persuades Fon to undertake - include abduction of someone very close to Cosi. Cosi also reappears on the scene to rekindle his romance with Rafa, leading to more ructions on the way to an action filled climax.
The pace of the novel is much more fast paced that Swan's typical style. A lot of characters are introduced in the first section of the book, which feels weighty for a stand-alone story, and this gets in the way of her typical slow-burn romance threaded with intimate character studies - even if she does have a role for many of them to play later down the line, when the reckoning roll around.
I think it is fair to say this is one which will divide the Karen Swan fan crowd. The name-of-the-game is rather more corruption-meets-forbidden love that Swan's usual fare, ramped up with sun, sea, sex and secrets. Sure to appeal to anyone looking for a beach read that evokes a scorching La Dolce Vita atmosphere by way of a gangster-themed twist.
Three Summers is available to buy now in hardcover, paperback, ebook and audio formats.
Thank you to Penguin for sending e a copy of this book, and to Random Things Tours for inviting me to be part of this blog tour.
About the author:
A former fashion editor, she lives in Sussex, England with her family and three dogs.
