Review: An Italian Secret

Title: An Italian Secret (Daughters of Italy Book 1)

Author: Ella Carey

Publisher: 22nd September 2023 by Bookouture

Pages: 270 pages

Genre: Historical Fiction | Women's Fiction

Rating: 4 cups

Synopsis:

Tuscany, 1944. Did she fight for the resistance or betray her people?

When the Nazis storm into northern Italy, Contessa Evelina Messina , the owner of the beautiful Villa Rosa, welcomes the Germans to her valley. In a dazzling rose silk dress, she entertains soldiers with priceless wine from her ancient cellars. Privately, she tells the townspeople this will keep the enemy at bay, but her disguise is so good, it is impossible to tell on which side her heart truly belongs…

Years later, American Annie Reynolds gazes up at the peach-coloured walls of the magnificent, empty house. Grieving deeply for her beloved father, Annie remembers his last words before he slipped away—he told her she was adopted and that the Villa Rosa was her birthright. Desperate for answers, Annie’s heart breaks when the locals tell her the Contessa had a child with a Nazi. She is devastated and ready to turn away from her dark past.

But everything changes when Annie uncovers a musty old diary from 1944 amongst the Contessa’s belongings. Pages have been meticulously cut out and Annie is sure these missing entries hold the clue to her past. As she frantically searches old papers, Annie sees how hard the Contessa worked to keep her people safe and wonders if the locals’ stories are wrong. Can Annie find the Contessa’s missing child, born at the end of the war? And will discovering the truth about what happened alter the course of her own life for good?

A gripping, sweeping page-turner that will transport you to the olive groves of Tuscany. With a truly heartbreaking family secret from World War Two at its heart, fans of Kathryn Hughes, Fiona Valpy and Victoria Hislop will be enchanted.

My Thoughts

Ella Carey is always on my automatic read list. I love her books and the Daughters of New York series was pure gold. An Italian Secret is the first in a new series - Daughters of Italy - and can be read as a standalone but I am hoping there will be links with future upcoming books.

‘She could look at the situation with the villa as a problem or an opportunity, and looking at it as an opportunity might give her the chance to make a new start.’

Ella is a phenomenal author. On this occasion she alternates the story between Annie in the present day and Cara during the war. The writing is engaging with plot lines of secrets, danger, family and love. I was a little surprised when the book ended just past the 80% mark on my device. It did seem a little abrupt or maybe I was just not ready for it to end?

‘People could be so complex, and right now, trying to fully understand Sandro, the Contessa, this family, felt as impossible as trying to grasp the history of this villa that she needed to unravel to get to the truth.’

I was in awe once again learning of the lengths people went to in order to provide resistance to the Nazis. On this occasion Ella highlights the crucial role Italian partisans played in paving the way for the Allies to liberate. With strong and inspiring characters and a gripping plot, Ella looks set to undertake another stunning series.

This review is based on a complimentary copy from the author in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. The quoted material may have changed in the final release.