"Summer at the lake" by Erica James

An audio book.

Floriana, 31, is an Oxford tour guide. She used to be student friends with Seb. Seb and Floriana went to the same school, went to Oxford, had partners. When she realised she was in love with him and told him, he said they shouldn't see each other. He met rich, beautiful Imogen. Floriana's just received an invitation to Seb's wedding with Imogen by Lake Como. When she's knocked over in a hit-and-run (she wasn't paying attention) Adam Strong (a property developer just dumped by Jessie after 2 years) and Esme (82) help her. By chance, Adam's just bought a house next to Esme. They keep in touch. Xmas is appproaching. Floriana doesn't want to stay at her bossy sister Anne's place (she's trying to set Floriana up with her brother-in-law) but she does. Adam accepts that he won't get back together with Jessie. He sells the place they had and moves beside Esme. Seb comes to Oxford to convince Floriana to come to the wedding (the first time in 2 years they've met).

When Esme was 18, her mother died, She and her father went for weeks to Italy. On Lake Como, Angelo (who's a Milan lawyer but was involved with smuggling) tried to seduce her, but she prefered his cousin Marco, who's a sickly trainee priest. They had sex together before parting She got pregnant, decided against an abortion, had a stillborn baby and couldn't be pregnant again.

Floriana wonders if she'll become an old spinster like Esme, having met the love of her life. Near his finals, Seb had a breakdown. She got him through.

Esme offers to pay for all 3 of them to go to Lake Como. When there, Seb confesses to Floriana his love for her. She says she has Adam. Adam and Floriana are unsure if the other loves them. Seb jilts Floriana at the altar. Anne's sister splits with her cheating husband. Esme meets Marco (he'd been a priest for 25 years, then a teacher). Seb disappears, leaving Floriana a letter saying she should go with Adam. Back in Oxford Adam and Floriana eventually get together. She's knocked over on the bike again - her fault this time, not too serious. Esme and Marco visit each other. When she tells him about the baby she fears he'll be angry she didn't say earlier. He's apologetic.

I didn't find the Oxford or Lake Como scenes especially authentic though nothing was wrong. The friendship triad seemed unlikely. It seemed more plausible by the end. Both women want closure or love from the Como trip. Floriana might be lacking a mother figure in her life (she latches onto Elizabeth with surprising ease). I suppose there are enough reasons why Adam might get roped into friendship with Esme. Esme could have been shown to have more of a yearning for children/grandchildren substitutes. The Adam/Floriana relationship develops surprisingly slowly. Is Anne needed? Her story's unfinished.