Jill Francis debuts with a romance that refuses to take the easy path, crafting a second-chance love story that feels both deeply personal and refreshingly authentic. Set against the stunning backdrop of Chiavari on the Italian Riviera, “The Summer You Were Mine” follows Ellie Beltrami and Cristiano Conte as they navigate the choppy waters of reunion, redemption, and rekindled love during their grandparents’ unlikely wedding.
The novel opens with both protagonists at crossroads that feel achingly real rather than conveniently manufactured. Ellie, a sports talk show host, faces the very public implosion of her career while grappling with a recent neurodivergent diagnosis that reframes her entire understanding of herself. Meanwhile, Cris, a newly retired elite swimmer, arrives in Chiavari shadowed by doping allegations that threaten to destroy everything he’s worked for. Francis skillfully establishes that these aren’t just plot devices—they’re genuine life challenges that resonate with contemporary struggles around mental health awareness, career uncertainty, and public scrutiny.
Character Development: Flawed and Fascinating
Ellie Beltrami: The Perfectionist’s Dilemma
Francis has created in Ellie a protagonist who defies the typical romance heroine mold. Her recent discovery of being neurodivergent isn’t treated as a revelation that magically explains everything, but rather as another layer of complexity in understanding herself. The author handles this aspect with remarkable sensitivity, showing how Ellie’s perfectionism and need for control stem from years of feeling different without understanding why.
Ellie’s career as a sports talk show host creates an interesting dynamic—she’s surrounded by the athletic world her father inhabited, yet maintains a professional distance that mirrors her emotional walls. When she tells her grandmother that the show is “just a bit of fun,” we see her tendency to downplay her achievements, a trait that feels authentic rather than manufactured for sympathy.
Cristiano Conte: Beyond the Golden Boy Image
Cris emerges as more than the typical alpha male athlete archetype. Francis gives him genuine depth through his grief over his father’s death, his complex relationship with fame, and his desire to step away from the spotlight rather than chase it. His doping scandal isn’t used merely as external conflict but becomes a vehicle for exploring integrity, family pressure, and the cost of excellence.
The author particularly excels in showing Cris’s relationship with his younger twin brothers, Ale and Leo, whose reality TV fame contrasts sharply with his more private nature. This family dynamic adds authenticity to his character while highlighting the different ways people handle public attention.
The Italian Riviera: More Than Just a Pretty Backdrop
Francis’s background as someone who lives in Liguria, Italy, shows in every description of Chiavari and the Bagni Delfino beach club. The setting isn’t merely decorative—it becomes a character in its own right. The beach club, with its numbered umbrellas reserved “for all eternity,” represents continuity and tradition in a world where both protagonists feel unmoored.
The author’s attention to cultural details enriches the narrative without overwhelming it. From the tiny water glasses that contrast with enormous wine glasses to the multi-generational card games and afternoon swims, Francis creates an immersive experience that feels lived-in rather than researched. The wedding planning scenes, complete with Ben’s event-planning expertise, balance humor with heart.
Themes: Contemporary Issues Wrapped in Romance
Mental Health and Self-Discovery
One of the novel’s strongest elements is its treatment of neurodivergence. Francis doesn’t use Ellie’s recent diagnosis as a cure-all explanation for past behaviors, but rather as a starting point for self-understanding. The author shows how this knowledge affects Ellie’s relationships, her work, and her self-perception without making it the central focus of the romance.
Career, Identity, and Public Scrutiny
Both protagonists struggle with public perception and career identity in ways that feel particularly relevant to our social media age. Ellie’s career implosion—triggered by being “condescending to an athlete” on air—reflects the reality of how quickly public opinion can shift. Cris’s doping scandal explores the gray areas between legal substances and public perception, showing how truth can be less important than narrative.
Family Dynamics and Generational Wisdom
The multi-generational cast adds richness to the story. The grandparents’ late-in-life romance provides both inspiration and contrast to the younger couple’s struggles. Their wisdom feels earned rather than preachy, particularly in moments like Simone’s advice to Cris about staying put rather than walking away when things get difficult.
Writing Style: Natural Dialogue Meets Emotional Depth
Francis demonstrates remarkable skill in crafting dialogue that feels authentic to each character. The Italian phrases and cultural references never feel forced, and the conversations between family members have the comfortable chaos of real family dynamics. The author particularly excels in quiet moments—the tension when Ellie and Cris share space, the awkwardness of their first interactions, the gradual rebuilding of trust.
The pacing occasionally stumbles in the middle section as the author juggles multiple plot threads—the wedding planning, career crises, family dynamics, and romantic tension. However, Francis recovers with a satisfying resolution that addresses both the external conflicts and the internal growth of both characters.
Areas for Growth
While Francis shows impressive debut skills, some elements could be strengthened. The career-related subplot occasionally feels disconnected from the main romance, and certain secondary characters, particularly some of the extended family members, blend together. The resolution of both Ellie’s and Cris’s professional challenges feels slightly too neat, though the emotional resolution between them earns its happy ending.
“The Summer You Were Mine” sometimes relies too heavily on internal monologue to convey emotion, when Francis’s skill with dialogue could carry more of the emotional weight. Additionally, some of the pop culture references feel dated for characters in their early thirties.
Romance Elements: Second Chances Done Right
The romantic development feels organic rather than forced. Francis allows the physical attraction to simmer while focusing on the emotional rebuilding necessary for their relationship to work. The author doesn’t shy away from the real reasons they broke up fourteen years earlier, making their reunion feel earned rather than inevitable.
The intimate scenes, when they arrive, feel connected to character development rather than obligatory. Francis writes physical intimacy with emotional honesty, showing how vulnerability extends beyond the bedroom into every aspect of their relationship.
Cultural Authenticity and Setting
Francis’s insider knowledge of Italian culture elevates the novel beyond typical destination romance. The details feel authentic—from the beach club dynamics to the food descriptions to the multi-generational family interactions. The author captures the particular magic of Italian summer evenings without resorting to clichés.
Final Verdict: A Promising Debut with Heart and Substance
“The Summer You Were Mine” succeeds as both romance and contemporary fiction. Francis has crafted characters who feel like real people facing genuine challenges, wrapped in a love story that earns its emotional moments. While there are occasional pacing issues and some plot threads that could be tighter, the book’s emotional authenticity and cultural richness make it a standout debut.
“The Summer You Were Mine” will particularly appeal to readers who appreciate:
- Second-chance romances with genuine reasons for reunion
- Contemporary issues addressed with sensitivity
- International settings that feel authentic
- Multi-generational family dynamics
- Characters in their thirties facing real-world challenges
Francis shows considerable promise as a romance author who isn’t afraid to tackle serious subjects while delivering the emotional satisfaction readers expect from the genre.
Similar Reads You Might Enjoy
If you loved the Italian setting and multi-generational dynamics:
- Beach Read by Emily Henry
- The Spanish Love Deception by Elena Armas
- One Italian Summer by Rebecca Serle
For second-chance romances with emotional depth:
- The Hating Game by Sally Thorne
- Slow Burn Summer by Josie Silver
- The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid
For contemporary romance addressing mental health:
- Act Your Age, Eve Brown by Talia Hibbert
- The Kiss Quotient by Helen Hoang
- Get a Life, Chloe Brown by Talia Hibbert
The Summer You Were Mine represents a strong entry into the contemporary romance market, offering readers emotional depth, cultural authenticity, and characters worth investing in. While Francis still has room to grow as a novelist, this debut suggests an author capable of delivering both heart and substance in equal measure.
