I was drawn to this book by the cover. I love to read about the Second World War, and have enjoyed many books lately that are based on this time period. I have never read anything from an Italian perspective and know very little about Sicily. I imagined they'd have less involvement in the war, based on their geographic location, so all in all this was an enlightening read.

When it comes to the story however, I really struggled with this one. From the very beginning I disliked the overuse of descriptive language. I appreciate when this is done well, because it has the power to transport you right in amongst the pages. Instead I found myself falling over the excess of it. I couldn't gel with either Marianna or Massimo - and their relationship seemed to develop quickly. The pace of this story is incredibly slow. I found myself skim reading huge passages and getting distracted by everything and anything.

I almost bought this book based on cover alone and I'm so glad I did. If you like your books at a sedate pace I can image you may prefer this more than I did.

Thank you to Netgalley & Covenant Communications for the eARC. This is my honest review.

I wish this book was more historical fiction and less romance. I enjoyed discovering things I had never thought about in regards to the people of Italy during WWII. However, I felt the romance made the book drag and ended up skimming the last half of the book.

Historical fiction is not usually my go-to for reading, but everyone once in a while I do like to include a book of this genre. I always seem to be pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoy historical fiction. This was no exception. This book, set in Italy, during WWII enlightened me about another facet of this terrible time in our history. I really felt like I had exhausted learning anything new about the Nazis but this book proved that wrong.
It is a slow paced book with writing that draws you in and really makes you feel like you have been to this area. One section of the book, the catacombs, will stay with me for a long time. I felt the panic and anxiousness of Marianna.
There were times when this descriptive writing went a little over the top for me. Mostly the scenes between Marianna and Massissimo. I felt at times , like I was reading a Harlequin romance and I had a hard time believing in a relationship that moved so fast.
I would recommend this book to others who enjoy this genre--

I loved this book! A story that takes place in Italy during World War II. I loved the setting of Italy. I loved Marianna and her zest for life. The Fisherman’s Daughter will grip you till the very last page.

Having grown up on the island of Sicily, Marianna is fiercely loyal to her country and dismayed that Mussolini has allied their country with Nazi Germany. Fearful for what this means for her country and her family--including her brother, who is forced to join the army, Marianna longs to do all she can to help free her country. When a handsome young man, Massimo, comes to stay with his grandparents, who are neighbors of Marianna's family, Marianna finds herself drawn to him in a way she has never experienced before. Although Massimo cares for her, too, he isn't free to love her--and their feelings for each other could put them both in danger. When they are torn apart by the war, both do all that they can to support the partisans working to assist the Allies.

I really enjoy reading World War II stories, and I haven't read many (if any) set in Italy, so the location pulled me in. The pace was a little slow for my liking, but I liked seeing the work of the partisans. This is a good choice for those who like clean historical romances.

I read a copy via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.