Not set in Italy, but I loved Carrie Soto is Back - tennis comeback story. You don't need to be remotely sports oriented to enjoy it.

I personally didn't love the Vacationers, the Star Crossed Sisters of Tuscany or These Tangles Vines (which no one suggested but also takes place in Italy). I would put Finlay Donovan is Killing It in this category - just ok IMO. That said - other people seem to like these books more than me.

FWIW - I liked Beautiful Ruins and One Italian Summer.

I want to read My Brilliant Friend, but I haven't yet.

Thursday Murder Club (great) or the Ruth Galloway mysteries (good)

Star-Crossed Sisters of Tuscany is also good!

The Vacationers by Emma Straub - dysfunctional family in Mallorca

Beautiful Ruins by Jess Walter - the story of an almost-love affair that begins on the Italian coast in 1962 and resurfaces fifty years later in Hollywood.

My Brilliant Friend by Elena Ferrante - this was love it or hate it in my book club—I loved it. Beginning in the 1950s in a poor but vibrant neighborhood on the outskirts of Naples, Elena Ferrante’s four-volume story spans almost sixty years, as its main characters, the fiery and unforgettable Lila and the bookish narrator, Elena, become women, wives, mothers, and leaders, all the while maintaining a complex and at times conflicted friendship.

Thank you!

There is a book called, "One Italian Summer" by Rebecca Serle.

It is about a woman whose mom died recently. The woman goes on vacation to Italy and sees her 30 year old mom there.

I haven't read it yet. I have just seen it on my library website and thought it seemed appealing.

I used to love Emily Giffin as well but I haven’t read her latest books.

I just finished The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo and I really enjoyed it!

Try the book Less—funny, and lots of travel.

There are two Jules Wake books set in Italy, From Italy with love and from Rome with love. Very much chick lit and good for a fluffy vacation read.

OP here, thank you for the recommendations so far!

Thus was adonis murdered is a lighthearted mystery that partly takes places in venice but it’s pretty short.

Mrs. Pollifax series

Mrs. Pollifax is a grandmother who decides one day that she’s line to become a spy, so she does. The books, written during the cold war, are dated but delightful. Her adventures take her to many locations around the world.

Have you read any Emily Henry? I just finished Book Lovers and really enjoyed it. Read one of her others too and liked it, but Book Lovers made me laugh out loud many times over.

I haven’t read many light books set in Italy, at least as far as I can remember. The Beautiful Ruins was good but kind of sad so not really a vacation book. I don’t actually remember the story but remember crying at the end! There’s a historical novel called Antoinette’s Sister that was decent and felt like an easy way to learn some Italian history. I just finished The Invitation, by Lucy Foley, which takes place mostly on a boat between the Italian coast and South of France. It wasn’t perfect, but it’s a solid choice for a vacation read.

It's not chick lit, but maybe The Talented Mr Ripley if you haven't seen the film? It's set in Europe.

I’m going to Tuscany this summer, and looking for some fun books to read while there (and on the plane).

I enjoy “chick-lit.” I enjoyed the early books from Emily Giffin, Nancy Thayer, Sophia Kinsella, but somewhere along the way they lost my interest… whether they became too formulaic or I outgrew them, I’m not sure. I really enjoyed What Alice Forgot and The Husband’s Secret by Liane Moriarty (didn’t read but enjoyed Big Little Lies and Nine Perfect Strangers miniseries), but a lot of goodreads reviews don’t give me confidence in many of her other books. I know Elin Hildebrand is recommended a lot, but I could never get into her books. And while not chick-lit, I’ve enjoyed a lot of Nick Hornby books.

I also enjoy mysteries, particularly ones with a lot of character development, though I’m having a hard time coming up with a list of these. I also like thrillers like Gone Girl, Girl on the Train, etc. but I’m not sure I want a thriller for this trip. I’d rather have a lighthearted mystery. Finlay Donovan is Killing It is on the list of possibilities.

I've enjoyed plenty of other fiction books, but I’m essentially looking for a beach/vacation read type book, bonus points if it’s set in Europe.