It is Ralph's 45 birthday. He wants to celebrate in style on the Amalfi Coast in a villa with his family - his fractured family. Ralph is still obsessed with his ex-wife Sarah, who will be there with her new love interest Jack, to whom she is now engaged. Their children Patrick and Janice will also be in attendance. Janice is struggling with the impact of her parents' separation and her own mental illness. Patrick is bringing Anna, his girlfriend, with whom he has a difficult and testy relationship. Emotions and resentments simmer under the hot Italian summer sun. What could go wrong?

This quick summer read consists of numerous short chapters with multiple POV. It is a novel version of a reality TV show, showcasing a group of self-centred characters behaving badly. I enjoyed it in a rather guilty way, as you would with an indulgent ice cream you shouldn't be eating!

I have seen many critical reviews of the novel - citing odd vocabulary choice and unlikeable characters. It is a valid critique that it is not masterpiece of literature, to put it mildly. However it was never intended to be and it is unpretentiously what it is: a fun and indulgent confection to tear through while lying on a lounger in the summer. I feel that the conclusion and resolution could have been stronger as it is rather anticlimactic after all the tension. There were no real surprises or plot twists, so it was rather uneventful at the end. However, I enjoyed it simply for what it was. Thank you to NetGalley and Avon Books for a copy to read and review.