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readwithjackalope's review
4.0
Everleigh heads to Italy when her fiancee Gualtiero disappears. She hopes to find out what happened and why he disappeared. She meets up with 2 diverse women, both somehow connected to him. That kicks off a mystery about who he is and why he disappeared. I loved the story and the mystery of who he was. Everleigh's character was pretty annoying, but I loved Marta and wanted to see where the story took her. All three of them experienced a lot of growth through the story and I liked where they ended up.
bethreneereadsbooks's review
4.0
3.5⭐️
I wanted to like this story far more than I did. It seemed like an interesting premise, and the other reviews are so overwhelmingly positive. For me, though, it was quite slow and longer than I felt it need to be. And I struggled to connect with any of the characters, finding most rather flat, and Everleigh outright unlikeable. Perhaps I’m merely missing something. It’s well-written, but it wasn’t for me.
Thank you Hilary Hauck, Olive Rose Press, and NetGalley for providing this ARC for review consideration. All opinions expressed are my own.
I wanted to like this story far more than I did. It seemed like an interesting premise, and the other reviews are so overwhelmingly positive. For me, though, it was quite slow and longer than I felt it need to be. And I struggled to connect with any of the characters, finding most rather flat, and Everleigh outright unlikeable. Perhaps I’m merely missing something. It’s well-written, but it wasn’t for me.
Thank you Hilary Hauck, Olive Rose Press, and NetGalley for providing this ARC for review consideration. All opinions expressed are my own.
mustard_goat's review
4.0
Thank you NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book in return for an honest and unbiased review.
Summary
Everleigh is a young woman from London whose fiancé has just disappeared. Marta is a woman who lives ostracized in Italy for having a son out of wedlock. Olivia is an Italian woman who took her place in death by saving her from a fall. These women come together as Everleigh comes to travel in the Italian city these women reside. Heartbreak, loss, clarity, truth, and a web of connection thread this 1960s story together and reveal how resilient and capable women are.
Big Picture Plot
A fiancé, reputation, and brother lost. Three women connect over their loses in an attempt to help one of them locate their lost fiancé.
Individual Character Musings
Everleigh: lost her father to the war when she was young, always striving to please her mother, and may have chosen a fiancé who distances himself a little too much. She immerses herself into a new culture, one of which she does not know the native tongue, and experiences immense character growth at the end of the novel.
Marta: Lost her reputation when she became with child five years ago by the brother of Olivia. She has been shunned to live on the outskirts of town and her son has been stolen of a family. She is stubborn and willing to sacrifice everything for her son. However, she also experiences a lot of character development throughout the story.
Olivia: She is a young woman who is blind and has managed to connect with the world around her while refusing to be tucked away from society like most blind girls of her time. However, when her brother died in a tragic accident when he was trying to save her, she lost the one person who taught her how to have sight without eyes. Throughout the book, her blinders are taken off and she is able to see the people around her for who they truly are, and not for who she built them up to be.
My Take
I really liked this book. I would 100% re-read it and I recommended it to a couple of people. I was able to figure out the plot by 10-20% in… but it didn’t ruin the book for me. The constant butting of heads and inflexible nature they all had was quite frustrating at first. However, I do recommend reading through as it appears Hauck meant for this, so that a big crescendo of an ending could occur. I do love how Hauck crafted these characters into their own beings and gave them an opportunity to grow into new versions of themselves and experience life. Great read!
Would I Recommend?
I would recommend this to most people, especially those that love Italy or historical fiction. This touted itself as a psychological thriller; however, I would say that for those who shy away from psychological thrillers, you would be safe to read this one… it is more of a mystery than a thriller.
Rating: 4 stars
Summary
Everleigh is a young woman from London whose fiancé has just disappeared. Marta is a woman who lives ostracized in Italy for having a son out of wedlock. Olivia is an Italian woman who took her place in death by saving her from a fall. These women come together as Everleigh comes to travel in the Italian city these women reside. Heartbreak, loss, clarity, truth, and a web of connection thread this 1960s story together and reveal how resilient and capable women are.
Big Picture Plot
A fiancé, reputation, and brother lost. Three women connect over their loses in an attempt to help one of them locate their lost fiancé.
Individual Character Musings
Everleigh: lost her father to the war when she was young, always striving to please her mother, and may have chosen a fiancé who distances himself a little too much. She immerses herself into a new culture, one of which she does not know the native tongue, and experiences immense character growth at the end of the novel.
Marta: Lost her reputation when she became with child five years ago by the brother of Olivia. She has been shunned to live on the outskirts of town and her son has been stolen of a family. She is stubborn and willing to sacrifice everything for her son. However, she also experiences a lot of character development throughout the story.
Olivia: She is a young woman who is blind and has managed to connect with the world around her while refusing to be tucked away from society like most blind girls of her time. However, when her brother died in a tragic accident when he was trying to save her, she lost the one person who taught her how to have sight without eyes. Throughout the book, her blinders are taken off and she is able to see the people around her for who they truly are, and not for who she built them up to be.
My Take
I really liked this book. I would 100% re-read it and I recommended it to a couple of people. I was able to figure out the plot by 10-20% in… but it didn’t ruin the book for me. The constant butting of heads and inflexible nature they all had was quite frustrating at first. However, I do recommend reading through as it appears Hauck meant for this, so that a big crescendo of an ending could occur. I do love how Hauck crafted these characters into their own beings and gave them an opportunity to grow into new versions of themselves and experience life. Great read!
Would I Recommend?
I would recommend this to most people, especially those that love Italy or historical fiction. This touted itself as a psychological thriller; however, I would say that for those who shy away from psychological thrillers, you would be safe to read this one… it is more of a mystery than a thriller.
Rating: 4 stars
zarlynsnook's review
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
2.5
When I started reading this book, I really enjoyed it and it was an engaging read for me. I was intrigued by how the plot would turn out especially that there has been a major mystery that needs to be solved and that we have 3 different female narrators. I started to look forward into it becoming a feminist historical tale. However, I started to get bored on the second half of the book. The intriguing plot doesn't make up for the writing style and as I finished the book, I was not satisfied by how it ended. There are some redeeming moments in the ending but it doesn't make up for my overall experience of the book.
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