Yes, it’s sad, but also . . . reassuring. It means there will always be someone just for us, at the time we need them the most. And isn’t love forever? Isn’t a memory everlasting, frozen in time, reminding us of all the beautiful things in life to be grateful for? That’s how I like to look at it. But if you never open up your heart, afraid to take risks because of the possibility of blowing it up or making huge mistakes—you will live half a life. That is where regrets come from.
There are no more regrets for me. I have loved two men with my heart and my soul. I have raised my three girls with a passion and purpose that filled me. I have walked this earth and done my very best to make the most of every moment.
It is enough.
I watch my girls as they talk and laugh and toast me. They are happy. They have found one another again and are living their lives to the fullest, as I’ve always dreamed for them. Somehow, Positano has both healed and pushed them to be more. To be their authentic selves, messy and imperfect, yet so beautiful. There is so much beauty within the pain.
I hadn’t seen that before, but now I do.
I smile and look into their beloved faces.
And know everything is exactly how it should be.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
I wrote this book during the pandemic. The story of three sisters who go on a search to discover their mother’s hidden past was a light that helped me through some dark times. It was as if each morning, I was able to take a breath and escape into the beauty of Positano, the sweetness of first love, and the exquisite pain that comes from life itself when we open our hearts to others.
I believe in the power of stories and the ability to heal, even if it means a few hours of escape from harsh reality. I hope I did my job and was able to offer that for you within the pages of this book.
Though the story originated from my sometimes maddening, sometimes magnificent Muse, a team helps get a book to the next level. A big thanks to the team at Berkley for all of their hard work and talent—my editor, Kerry Donovan; the copyeditor; editorial assistant Mary Baker; my marketing and PR team, Jessica Mangicaro and Tara O’Connor. Gratitude to my agent extraordinaire, Kevan Lyon, and my first-round content editor, Kristi Yanta.
Special thanks to Mary Leo for helping me get the details of Positano correct and reading the first draft.
High five to my amazing assistant, Mandy Lawler. Thanks to Nina Grinstead and Mary Dube at Valentine PR for their talent at helping me think outside the box. A big hug to all of my supportive readers, bookstagrammers, bloggers, and book clubs—I am forever grateful for your help in loving and sharing my books.
READERS GUIDE
The Secret Love Letters of Olivia Moretti
Jennifer Probst
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
Priscilla, Devon, and Bailey are all very different women. Did you relate to one of the sisters more than the other characters? How did their different personalities and beliefs about their mother cause discord between them?
Do you agree with Olivia’s decision to keep her romance and the Positano home a secret from her daughters? Why or why not?
Olivia makes some difficult decisions throughout her relationship with Rafael. What did you see as the turning point in their relationship? And how did each decision she made about their possible future affect her?
Positano becomes almost an additional character in the story. What were your favorite scenes? Have you ever visited Italy? To which region would you most like to travel?
When Priscilla takes a walk on the Path of the Gods, the physical hike becomes a personal journey for her. Did you have any strong feelings about the fate of her marriage and her choice to give up ballet?
When Devon meets Hawke, she believes he’s interested in Bailey. Were you surprised he had a stronger connection with Devon rather than Bailey? Why? In what ways were Hawke and Devon well suited?
Devon and Bailey were estranged due to a decision Bailey made years ago. Can you relate to Dev’s feeling of betrayal? Or did you think she should have forgiven her sister sooner? Did you see Hawke’s arrival as a problem for the sisters?
Which of the sisters did you feel changed the most after their trip to Italy together?
Olivia’s love story is interwoven throughout the sisters’ story. Did you like having her point of view included in the story?
Did you agree with Olivia’s decision to give her husband a second chance? Why or why not? If she had decided to stay with Rafe, how do you think the story would have changed? Would she have been any happier, in your opinion?
What were your feelings about Rafe? Do you agree with him responding to Olivia’s letters? Do you think if he’d met her for her sixty-fifth birthday, they would have ended up together?
Life is a series of both choices and surprises that throw us off our path. Do you think Olivia and Rafe were soul mates? Or was it just the bond of first love? Discuss.
Each of the sisters faces a challenge in her life when she decides to go to Positano. Do their journeys resolve their conflicts? In what way?
The Secret Love Letters of Olivia Moretti has strong themes of love—how many distinct love relationships can you identify in the novel? Did you feel more strongly connected to one relationship than another?
Olivia and Rafe relied on their written correspondence to communicate with each other. Do you believe old-fashioned letters are more powerful than verbal or digital communication? Have you ever written a love letter? Had one written to you?
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Francesca
“No, I said the deadline is Wednesday. That gives you two days to give me a decent hook or I’m pulling you off the account.”
I ignored the glint of resentment in the young man’s green eyes, wondering if he thought his charm and good looks trumped talent. In many places, they did. But not in my company.