Siobhan Daiko

After signing up as a nurse during WWII, Carrie is assigned to a variety of hospitals in Italy. In Florence, she meet’s Vito, a resistance fighter. After Mimi, an injured child, is brought into the hospital, Vito and Carrie work together to find Mimi’s parents.
I was a little skeptical about this book at first, but quickly fell in love with the author’s storytelling. The plot moved at a nice pace, the characters were well developed, and the story itself was interesting. This book was well developed and much more than the typical love story. Overall, highly recommended.… (meer)

Despite the lovely setting, this novel was boring. I found the writing simplistic and the way the author used modernisms such as 'hols' and 'fab' when the storyline switched to the WWII setting was grating. Also, the transitions between the two timelines were abrupt and jarring. By the time I had finished "The Girl From Venice", I felt I was suffering from whiplash.

While Lidia's story as she joined the partisans was okay, Charlotte's story was tedious. Overall, I could not connect with this novel and I found it mediocre at best.… (meer)

romance, historical-novel, historical-figures, historical-places-events, historical-research, history-and-culture, medical-caring, nursing-care, WW2, Italy, surgical-units, mobile-medical-units, exhausting, US-army, grief, grieving, orphaned, Jewish, HEA, war-is-he!!, war-wounds*****

A wonderful novel filled with love, loss, hope, and the horrors of war in Italy. It abounds with excellent descriptions of people, emotions, places, and events. Excellent read.
I requested and received an EARC from Boldwood Books via NetGalley. Thank you… (meer)

This book alternates between 1944 in Bologna and 1981. In the 1944 timeline, Leila joins the resistance after her best friend is deported to a concentration camp. In 1981, Leila takes in a foreign exchange student, Rhiannon. Rhiannon studies at the local university, where she befriends Marie, a girl with secrets, and starts to fall for Leila's nephew.

I have mixed feelings about this book. I really enjoyed the WWII storyline. I have never read anything about Bologna before, and was fascinated by the resistance efforts. The characters in this storyline were dynamic, well developed, and engaging. The 1981 storyline was just not as interesting. Rhiannon seemed very stereotypical and one dimensional. The plot also seemed forced and uninteresting. Because of these problems, 3 out of 5 stars.… (meer)