Three Coins

by Kimberly Sullivan

One Eternal City. Three women. Three wishes. Three coins.

Emma, an American expat living in Rome for twenty years, can’t count on her ex-husband to help out with the kids when things get tough. Dario Rinaldi, famed plastic surgeon to the stars, is too busy gallivanting around Europe with young women to take an interest in his family.

Beautiful Tiffany, born and bred in Iowa, is desperate to get a spot as a dancer on an Italian television show. But is she willing to do whatever it takes to make her dreams of TV stardom come true?

Annarita, from an Italian-American family in Yonkers, teaches English to over-privileged Italians and regularly has her heart trampled by boyfriends all wrong for her. As her mother is always quick to point out, nothing has gone right for her since she moved to Italy. And she isn’t getting any younger, either.

Emma, Tiffany and Annarita all meet up by chance at a 1950s movie night while on a restorative holiday at a beach resort off-season. The triumphs and hardships of these three very different women become intertwined as they form an unlikely friendship and work to better their messy lives.

Genres: Italy

316 pages, Paperback

Published October 7, 2021

About the author

I write the women’s fiction stories I love to read, both contemporary and historic tales of women and the rich lives they lead along their journeys of self-discovery. A lifetime admirer and longtime resident of Italy, I’m often guilty of sneaking the bel paese into my stories.

Award-winning author of six novels, one short story collection and coeditor of two historical fiction anthologies. Proud member of the Women's Fiction Writers Association (WFWA), and the Historical Novel Society.

Please follow me on BookBub at: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/kimbe...

Reviews

[Gabi Coatsworth · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you want to get away from winter’s chill and the plague, you need this book. For the price of a sandwich, you can be in Italy, with sunshine, fantastic food, and three women whose lives intersect. Those lives aren’t perfect of course, but when I looked out of my window at a grey sky I returned to Rome as quickly as I could. Don’t save this for the beach. Read it now, when you need a midwinter boost in mood…

[Susan C · Rating 4 out of 5]

Let me just say that I am a “huge” fan of the movie “Three Coins in a Fountain”. With that - the author uses the “Three Coins in a Fountain” as a basis for her story. It’s about 3 women in Rome their friendships that evolve over time and their romantic lives. At first I was a bit confused with each chapter based on one character, however, as time went on…I really began to enjoy each woman’s journey of finding themselves. I lived in Paris for almost two years - but I have also been to visit Rome as well. As they say in Rome…”When in Rome, do as the Romans do”. But I say “If you want a romantic, fun and whirlwind novel to read, then read this one. And if you find yourself in Rome…visiting the Trevi Fountain should be high on your list of things to see and do! Ciao!!
Thank you to Net Galley for allowing me to read this book for a honest review!.

[Maria Casa · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you want to know what it really feels like to live in Italy, follow Emma, Tiffany, and Annarita in their adopted land as they navigate everything from quotidian preoccupations to life-changing decisions. Kimberly Sullivan’s Three Coins begins in the eternal city of Rome and radiates out to seaside getaways and hilltop towns with evocative descriptions of the food, the land, and its people. The intertwined stories of the three women flow like quicksilver, and the portrayal of how they come to an understanding of what they truly want from life and how to get it is as illustrative as it is heartwarming.

[Kathy Strobos · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. First of all, I felt like I was visiting Italy – which is really wonderful when I haven’t traveled at all because of the pandemic. I definitely miss visiting Europe. The author really makes Italy come alive. I loved the message about the value of female friendships, and I thought the three characters were all very different and aptly portrayed. I especially loved their discussions about what is happiness for women, what women should be striving for now, and what has changed in terms of women’s lives since the 1950’s (and the film Three Coins, which I now want to see). I also loved the grandmother Renata’s advice to find someone who appreciates you.

[Laura Icardi · Rating 3 out of 5]

I actually want to rate this 2.5 stars, but honestly - most of the fault for this book is in its editor. The author has something here - an easy, formulaic, predictable, completely unoriginal story that limps along in halting fashion. Still, a story of three pretty different women who find each other at a time in their lives when they each really need a friend? It’s like Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants meets Eat Pray Love meets Hallmark. In other words: I didn’t hate it, but don’t tell anyone I said that.

But man, this book needed edits. The transitions are sloppy, or just missing altogether. One paragraph, our characters are sitting in a cafe; the next paragraph, a week has passed and they’re in a completely different place with a different character. Like - what?! At least give us some of those cutesy curly cue lines to show that the next paragraph is a different section. Goodness. Whiplash. I’d be willing to bet that if this story had a better editor at the helm (one who could also slice a few cheesy cliches out of the narrative), it would be a bigger hit.

I received a free e-copy of this book in order to review it.

[Linda · Rating 5 out of 5]

⛲Updated romance of 3 expats in Rome in search of a HEA🌤

4.5🌟 stars
I really enjoyed Three Coins; once I got stuck in I just did not want to stop reading. The three heroines (divorcee Emma, wannabe starlet Tiffany and language tutor with a knack for cooking Annarita) went through some rough times initially as they struggled to make it in Rome. All three are transplanted Americans, each with a different dream but their experiences, some outright dangerous, have taken the gloss off of the fairytale. But for them, returning to the States would be even worse.

I liked these women and loved author Kimberly Sullivan's easy to read writing style. Plus, the way she wove the 1950's movie Three Coins in the Fountain into their growing friendship. AND, of course, the lovely visits to familiar streets and sights in Rome and Todi. I have not roamed there for decades but this story brought the flavor of the Italian lifestyle all back to me.

I wouldn't characterize this as deep, but neither is it light as body shaming, date rape drugs, male power plays against women in the entertainment industry, serial infidelity and drug use all make their way into the story. It's all the more interesting for them. At heart it's women's fiction with a hefty slice of romance and gal pals who get their very positive ending.

Thanks to the author and NetGalley for sharing a complimentary advance copy of the book, but I liked it so much I ended up buying it! This is my voluntary and honest opinion

[Evie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Emma, Tiffany, and Annarita couldn’t be anymore different than they are starting with social status, careers, and dreams. Emma is a wealthy divorcee, Tiffany an aspiring TV show dancer, and Annarita is a teacher but would prefer to be a chef. The one thing that they all have in common is that they’ve been unlucky at finding love.

I loved this book! I don’t have a favorite character because I think all three women were amazing. Emma is reserved and takes a while to warm up to Tiffany and Annarita. They’re not exactly the kind of friends she ever imagined she’d come across, but they turned out to be the most honest friends she’d ever have. Her relationship with Mark is unexpected, but it works out at the end.

Tiffany has the worst family ever and I just loved how her friendship with Simone becomes exactly what she needs. Tiffany deserves better than what she believes she’s worthy of. She isn’t looking for a relationship but is not against falling for the right man. I thought Simone and his thoughtful details toward Tiffany were everything!!

Annarita is the funniest and most honest of all. I loved that she loves food, and that she comes to terms with who she really is. It’s too bad that because of her insecurities many men took advantage of her, but it was rewarding to see how it all worked out for the best and she turned out a better version of herself.

I’d say that the reading age for this story is 25+ to truly appreciate the struggles and decisions these women go through.

[Siobhan McCulloch-Orr · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm not going to summarise the plot.....you can get that in sooooo many places. AND I'm not very good at it anyway.

For genre-I place this in Women's Fiction and Contemporary Romance. I tend to avoid Womens's Fiction; cuts too close to the bone. (I realise many readers find encouragement reading about characters facing struggles that resonate with their own life. I don't.) I read to escape my own challenges.

BUT I really enjoyed Three Coins.

Italy is a background presence in a natural, light handed manner. A reader gets the sense of a natural ex-pat immersion in a foreign culture. And just like what happens in real life, if we slow down long enough to notice, these women are as unalike as you can imagine. They are put in prolonged contact and have to interact a realistic way (no billionaire fairy god-mothers or l in a billion chance lottery win) And just like real life, they discover they are more alike than different. This happens naturally too.

One minute one of the women's recognises what she has in common with another and the next she really dislikes the person.

There is romance- again in a really believable manner: most of us are attracted to the wrong man. Or we develop into stronger women and our lover stayed behind. I loved the fact all three women find their way forward BEFORE finding the partner who deserves her.

I was fortunate enough to receive a complimentary copy from the author and VORACIOUSREADERS in exchange for an honest review.

[Grace Tierney · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love Italy and reading this book during a wet, cold Irish November was exactly what I needed. The light tale of three women - 40-something Emma who is recently divorced, 30-something Annarita betrayed by her latest bad boyfriend, 20 something wannabe starlet Tiffany exploited by producers - banding together and forming an unlikely friendship in Rome is such a feel-good.

Although all of them are ex-pat Americans living in Rome, they don't meet until they're at their lowest points and arrive at an out-of-season hotel for a break. Stuck indoors thanks to a storm they watch the classic "Three Coins in a Fountain" movie. Their link is brittle at first but as they learn to lean on each other and strive to find happiness in their adopted city their friendship grows and I started rooting for them to succeed.

As a regular reader in the genre I could spot where the story was taking me to a certain extent but that's part of the charm. It's a gentle ride with lovely characters in some amazing settings (romantic interlude in snowed-in Italian mountain boutique hotel anybody?). I'm looking forward to Sullivan's next book already.

If you want a book to put a smile on your face and make you long to return the Eternal City, this is the one.

[Patty W Warren · Rating 4 out of 5]

This debut novel by Kimberly Sullivan was a refreshing story of three, very different American women, each at a crossroads in their lives. They are all living in Rome, traveling in different circles, but meet during a weekend in Sperlonga.
Annarita was a struggling English language teacher who made the wrong choices in men. Tiffany was a young dancer who was striving to break into Italian television. Emma was a divorcee, trying to keep her children happy and find a way back to a life. They end up watching the movie, "Three Coins in a Fountain," and form a bond over the long weekend. And thanks to Annarita, they get back in touch after returning to Rome.
They grow closer as their friendship develops and end up supporting and helping each other. I loved the story and also the beautiful descriptions of Italy. The women help each other find their way to where they want to go in life. They grow and change as the story advances and I found it believable and unputdownable! This uplifting story of women supporting each other will leave a mark on your heart. 4 Big Stars!

[Elia · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a satisfying read! I love how the stories of these three women intersected, and how they were able to help each other, and help themselves. The setting is Rome, and some small towns outside of Rome -- the location, the food, the culture -- I loved it all.

I'm not a big Women's Fiction reader, so it was difficult for me to get into Three Coins at first because it was painful to witness these three characters at such low points in their lives. But that's why we read a story: to see a character grow, evolve, and conquer their big challenge. Each of these well-crafted characters do so marvelously.

Three Coins reads like three connected romance novels. I trusted that our three heroines wouldn't be left in a bad place by the end of the story. Reader, my trust was rewarded. This is just a tad spoilery, so I'll check the box.

Click, run, or take a Vespa to pick up a copy of Three Coins. You won't regret it.

[Kate Wells · Rating 5 out of 5]

Three very different women - different ages, different backgrounds all facing the same sort of criticisms and expectations. Ones that press a person down under the weight of self-doubt. Their journey of discovery via the unlikely friendship -formed when they all wound up in an off-season seaside hotel getaway - is one of hope and light while overcoming numerous setbacks. And even better it is set in Italy, so for me a tripdown memory lane in the descriptions of Rome and Umbria. Received as complimentary copy from the author in return for an honest review.

[Dawn Hogan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed Three Coins. It's a character driven story about three women, at vastly different places in their lives, who meet while on holiday in Sperlonga, Italy. Each one was dealing with her own unique struggles as their friendships deepen and their lives become intertwined. Kimberly did such a wonderful job describing the beautiful locations in the book, I'd love to travel and see them in person. The plot flowed nicely, and novel had a satisfying ending.

[Marge · Rating 4 out of 5]

I would love to return to Italy for a third visit now. But first I would need to watch the movie that inspired the ladies' attitude towards life and romance in the Eternal City. For sure, I would look for the 'plaque'.

[Elle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Everyone needs friends like these! I loved meeting these three exceptional women and going along with them as they helped each other figure out where their lives are going.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC which I received in return for an honest review.

[Simone · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a breath of fresh air! It took me back to my time in Italy. You won’t want to stop reading.
Highly recommend!

[Endless TBR · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beautiful setting, likable characters, happy ending. :)

Though I do wish we could have learned what happened with Tiffany's brother and the emerald ring.

And now I definitely need to watch the film Three Coins in the Fountain!

[Jodie (That Happy Reader) · Rating 3 out of 5]

I loved the idea of this book and the fact it’s based on the movie Three Coins in the Fountain. The story is told in the narrative of each of the three women. I found the stories of each of these women to be entertaining, but I did not feel as connected to this story as I wanted to be.

Let me explain. The story of these three women becoming friends felt a little forced on me.  It felt like they had very little in common and hardly enough to carry on a friendship once they returned to Rome.  Having said that, I did enjoy the way their lives began to intersect and the beneficial relationship that was eventually formed.

One of the other things that took away from my enjoyment of the book was the way many of the Italian men were portrayed. Most of these men were arrogant and chauvinistic and I abhorred the way they were treating women.  I did enjoy the male characters who respected women - a situation in which I have come to expect in life and in the books I choose to read.

All in all, I did enjoy this book.  The first third of the novel reveals the individual storylines which felt a little disconnected but I appreciated the book more as it went along.  The romances found in the book are both expected and surprising.  

What I Liked:

-The beneficial relationship of the three women
-The discussion of Italian food and the character’s surroundings.
-The romances in the book

My rating: 3.5 stars

[Jade aka MrsTosh · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you to the published via Netgalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Any book set in Rome is being added to my to be read pile, I have wanted to go forever. The title of the book and the story is associated with an old film Three Coins in the fountain from 1954, and the film is discussed as the basis for the book. I haven't actually seen the film so not sure if that is the only similarity.

The story is about three women all very different, brought together over the film who go on to form an unlikely friendship. There is Emma, an American expat living in Rome unable to count on her husband to help her with the children as he is off around the world with one of his many conquests. American, Tiffany, who dreams of becoming a star, and is used by men whilst she tries to get where she wants to be. And finally Annarita, an Italian-American who teaches English to over-privileged Italians and regularly has her heart trampled by boyfriends all wrong for her.

To be honest whilst I enjoyed the setting of the book I didn't actually like any of the characters. I just couldn't connect to any of them. This is the debut novel by the author, I would definitely read something in the future as I like her writing style, I just didn't like these particular characters.

[E.D. Hackett · Rating 4 out of 5]

When can I go to Italy?

This story is about three women that randomly meet and form an unusual friendship. Each woman is different from each other but they make a lasting connection that influences their future life choices.

I absolutely loved the description of Rome and the Italian countryside. Italian vocabulary was peppered into the dialogue and narrative, which brought the story to life. I didn't fall in love with one character, but found myself rooting for each of them at varying times in the story.

If you like feel-good stories about love and taking chances, this is the story for you.

[Elaine Schroller · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thoroughly enjoyed Three Coins

I thoroughly enjoyed reading Three Coins and vicariously living as an ex-pat in present-day Rome. Author Kimberly Sullivan did a great job entwining the triumphs, tragedies, and loves of Emma, Tiffany, and Annarita, three American women in different emotional and financial stages of their lives. All three are real and relatable, and the descriptions of life in Rome and other Italian locales were a welcome diversion from not being able to travel there myself.

[Andy · Rating 2 out of 5]

English on top / español debajo

Three women suffering because of jerks. Three woman with difficult parents. Three woman denigrating about themselves.
It is well written, but it wasn’t fun at all. It was a very slow and not very interesting.
I didn’t relate to the story at all. I am 24, after all, and I am not going through or have been through anything similar to these characters.

Thank you, NetGalley and Kimberly, for my very fist ARC.

….

Tres mujeres sufriendo por idiotas. Tres mujeres con padres difíciles. Tres mujeres que se hacen menos a si mismas.
Está bien escrito, pero no fue nada divertido. Fue una lectura muy lenta y no muy interesante.
No me identifiqué con la historia en absoluto. Tengo 24 años, después de todo, y no estoy pasando ni he pasado por nada parecido a estos personajes.


Gracias, NetGally y Kimberly, por mi primera copia avanzada.

[Jacquelyn Parnell · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a nice book about 3 women from different walks of life who find themselves in at a holiday destination in the off season. They strike up a friendship and have a nice time together while battling their feelings about what is going on in their personal lives.

It’s a nice story but I found it jumped around too much. There wasn’t a lot of transition and the reader is expected to simply keep up. There’s nothing fundamentally wrong with this book but it took a while for me to get used to the jumping.

I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

[Matt · Rating 5 out of 5]

I did not expect much from this one, but it caught me in its charms and I was HOOKED! Basically a retelling of sorts of the 1954 film "Three Coins in the Fountain" - which plays a big role in the plot of the book, natch - it grabbed me and never let go. The interpersonal relationships and the way the three main characters interact and relate to each other are well sketched out, and I had a blast following them through Rome and figuring out which areas I'd been to. If you've ever spent any amount of time in Italy, I think you'll enjoy the heck out of this one. 9/10.

[Bryana · Rating 2 out of 5]

A well written, yet average read. There was nothing that really “wowed” me or kept me engaged. Characters were older so it wasn’t relatable to me as a girl in her late 20’s who hasn’t experienced the midlife crisis-esque events that these women were going through.

[Ruxy · Rating 3 out of 5]

The plot was entertaining enough but a bit predictable. The writhing was quite choppy. From one paragraph to the other at times it seemed that there were several sentences missing, it skipped ahead somehow without explanation. But overall a decent read

[Brynn D'Avello · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was just ok for a beach read. The characters were not well-developed and they spent so much time in their misery that the ending was rushed and felt forced.

[Nicole Normand · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found this book discounted on Amazon via The Fussy Librarian
TRIGGER ALERT: two attempted rapes by drugs with no karma, which left me with a bitter taste.
I couldn't relate to any of the women. Annarita is pathetic, desperate, pushy, and needy. Tiffany is judgmental, an airhead, and an hypocrite; she couldn't have a better friend in Simone, though. I'm not sure what to say about Emma other than she's high-rung; I'm just shocked she friended both women. The pace is super-slow and I had problems keeping my head in the book. There isn't much growth in the characters either, except maybe Simone. They each found what they needed in a spouse and that's what counts.