SUMMER AT VILLA HILDA by Michaela von Kügelgen sold to Estonia!

We are thrilled to let you know that the Estonian rights for Summer at Villa Hilda, the upcoming feel-good novel by Michaela von Kügelgen, have been acquired by Hea Lugu! The deal was closed by Sten-Erik Tammemäe at Elina Ahlback Literary Agency.

Pitched as Mamma Mia vibes at Swedish archipelago, Summer at Villa Hilda follows Louise, a former celebrity chef and Thomas, a journalist, as they both move to the island of Halsterö in the Stockholm archipelago and start working in the Villa Hilda guesthouse. Both have had their fair share of misfortunes on the mainland, so a summer on an idyllic island feels like a chance to start over. Although the villa isn’t going to treat them as easily as they’d expect, the island and its inhabitants eventually help them to find their way back to life.

“Readers need good entertainment that incorporates lively interpersonal relationships, emotions, enjoyable atmosphere. This type of genre has been dubbed feel good literature. Hea Lugu publishing house has a series named “Suvitusromaan” [‘Summer Vacation Novel’] just for this type of great commercial literature. We believe that Michaela von Kügelgen’s novel Summer at Villa Hilda is an excellent fit to the series.”
– Meeli Müüripeal, editor/publisher, Hea Lugu, Estonia

Summer at Villa Hilda is the first title in Michaela von Kügelgen’s series of feel-good novels set on the fictional Swedish island of Halsterö. Scheduled to be published in June by Schildts & Söderströms, this is the first foreign sale for Summer at Villa Hilda! In addition to this feel-good series, Michaela, together with author Anne Hietanen, is working on a crime novel series that is set to debut in 2026 with book #1, The Last Word.

Download materials for SUMMER AT VILLA HILDA here!

Summer at Villa Hilda

Michaela von Kügelgen

Many people dream of a second chance in life, but how many dare to take it?

Far out in the Stockholm archipelago lies the island of Halsterö. Journalist Thomas and former celebrity chef Louise travel there to work at the Villa Hilda guesthouse. They are both broken after many setbacks and are hoping for a fresh start. But setting up a summer paradise is not as easy as one might think, not even on the idyllic Halsterö island.

One day Louise stumbles across a collection of old love letters. Who wrote them, and what stories does Villa Hilda hide in its dusty attic? And how will Thomas manage to take care of his dementia-stricken mother while setting up an archipelago guesthouse?

Summer at Villa Hilda is about how difficult it is to be human among other people, but also about how, with the help of others, one can find one’s way back to life.

This novel is the first part of the Villa Hilda series and will be published in June 2025. The following titles will concentrate on the people living on the picturesque Halsterö island and will tentatively be published in February 2026 and September 2026.