The Enemy Between Us by Melinda Sue Sanchez is an excellent historical fiction novel that held my interest throughout. This is a story that takes place in occupied Italy during WWII. Not many novels in this genre focus of the events in this beautiful landscape, so this is what initially drew me to this book.

This novel has it all: suspense, romance, tension, complexity in its characters, interesting plot, and a satisfying ending. I enjoyed the growth in Franca through the trials that she faced as the story goes on, and I always enjoyed the character of Peter, the German soldier forced to escape his ranks to do what he felt was right. I thought both characters worked well together and that their chemistry and passion towards one another was fitting and realistic. I enjoyed the twists and the suspense that the author created, and I enjoyed this story from beginning to end.

5/5 stars

Thank you NetGalley and Covenant Communications for this ARC and in return I am submitting my unbiased and voluntary review and opinion.

I am posting this review to my GR and Bookbub accounts immediately and will post it to my Amazon and B&N accounts upon publication.

I wanted to love this book. The premise was intriguing and the cover photo caught my interest. The story was interesting enough but there was so much going on it often felt like I was reading two books at once. The first half of the book didn't seem to carry over to the second half, it was like they were totally different manuscripts that were stitched together. I thought the premise of Italian resistance fighters was interesting but it seemed the author couldn't decide if it was supposed to be a war novel or a romance. The end of the book felt forced and made almost no sense.

The Enemy Between Us strikes the fine balance between a romance novel and staying true to the difficulties associated with life in Italy during World War 2. Peter, a nazi deserter, and Franco, a devout Italian, have huge barriers between having a future together and Melinda Sanchez illustrates the heartbreak and hopelessness associated with living on difference sides of the war. The emotions are intense and feel real. Each has their own flaws based on their desires for a good future and self-sacrifice.

While this story dives deep into Italy's World Ward 2 post-Mussolini, the culture is represented with the Italian language, authentic meals, and descriptions of different parts of the Italian landscape. Melinda Sue Sanchez created a deep story here.

I loved this book! It is inspiring, intense and gripping from the first page. The themes of forgiveness, love, kindness are throughout the book. It is set in Italy during WWII. Peter and Franca along with the other characters are so well written. The trials that Peter and Franca and their respective families encounter are tremendous. I would highly recommend this book. I really liked how it was set in Italy. I haven't read a WWII era book set there before.

War is ugly. I love history, especially European. I love this was set in Italy and how well the author described the war torn country to help us feel like we were there. Peter and Franca are amazing people and had a lot to overcome to be together. Their romance was sweet, but this story did not shy away from the hardships of war. I had to take a break a couple times and read a lighter story, but I am so glad I read this book. It was eye opening, inspiring and uplifting.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher through Netgalley, but this is my honest review.

This book had everything, it was heartbreaking at times, hopeful, nostalgic. Franca, the main character came from a strong family in she became herself. In travels throughout the Italian countryside she became a courageous young lady and empowering to the reader. This was the first WWII book I’ve read based in Italy and it was refreshing to see this side of the war previously unseen to me.

Franca and Pete find love during the WWII, against all odds. Franc's father is a leader in the resistance and Pete is a German soldier. They fight to stay safe and keep their loved one's safe. A real page turner, that is so well written that you feel you are there fighting with them. Thanks to Net Galley and the publisher for the opportunity.

I loved the fact that the book was set in Italy just as the Allies were overtaking the country. That set it apart from a lot of WWII books I've read. However, I felt like the plot was predictable and I didn't love the characters. Franca, in particular, bothered me, as it seemed like she never learned--there were several occasions where she was loud, attracting their enemies. That irritated me since she should have been smarter than that. It also detracted from the war setting, making it hard to really feel like the war was going on it. I wish there had been more of a sense of fear and worry, which would have made the book seem much more realistic. I really wanted to like this book more than I did, but it just didn't win me over as I had hoped.
2.5 stars.
I read an ARC provided by the publisher via #NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

Set in World War II Italy, this tale of enemies to lovers is filled with rich detail. Peter dispels the notion that a heritage or nationality defines our souls. Franca must put away her long-held beliefs in order to trust him in order to save herself and her family. There are all the expected ossicles of the war including hunger, danger, and war.

Melinda Sandchez creates believable, deep characters that were easy to care about. I wanted to share when the villains got what they deserved. And rejoice when Pete and Franca got their HEA. The ending was somewhat abrupt and not as satisfying as it could have been. Overall a wonderful read, full of historical detail that pulls the reader into the book.

I received a copy form the publisher via NetGalley for my honest review.

Enemies and Friends

Wow! This book is exciting from page one, it draws you in and won't let go. You open the book and you are there in the middle of a war fighting with the resistance.

Peter and Franca meet in Italy and against all odds fall in love. The problem is Peter is a German soldier and Franca's father is the leader of the resistance.

Peter is fleeing the Nazi's that wish to kill him for desertion and fleeing the Allis that wish to imprison him for being a German. When he saves the life of a Partisan resistance girl they reluctantly accept him and he hides a on a farm where Franca lives.

When all are endangered by the Nazi's Peter and Franca must save everyone while risking their lives.
You will feel like you are fighting the war as you hold your breath through one tight spot after another as they race against time to save those that they love.

This is definitely a page turner, a must read, and I highly recommend it.

Thanks to Melinda Sue Sanchez, Covenant Communications, and NetGalley for allowing me to read an advance copy in return for an honest review.

"The Enemy Between Us" is a fresh take on World War II. Set in Italy and told from the perspectives of both Peter and Franca we get to see both their thoughts on the war. Peter feels as though he has betrayed his country and his friends, but ultimately knows he cannot live with the evil that is Hitler and his regime. Franca feels as though her family treats her as a child, withholding information and keeping her in the dark,

A thoroughly enjoyable story with plenty of action and romance, this story hit all the right notes. The writing is fantastic and the characters are interesting and relatable. It was easy to transport yourself to 1943 and see the war from a new perspective. I can't wait to read more from Melinda Sue Sanchez!

What an amazing story!

It starts with Peter Weimer, a sergeant in the Nazi army, and stationed in Sicily, making a decision to save a prisoner girl instead of torturing her, as commanded. This decision changes the course of his life and leads him to meet the Chessari family.

Franca is the youngest in her family. Her father has stayed behind, and she's helping her mother, sister, sister's baby, and brother in law.

When Franca meets Peter, she doesn't trust him. Even though he's left the Nazi army, it takes Franca a while to see him as a German man instead of a Nazi.

The setting of war-time Italy is very well done, along with the history. At times, it was hard to read what the characters went through at the hands of truly evil men.

The relationship between Peter and Franca grows slowly, first with trust, then with friendship, until something more. I kept wondering how it was going to be possible for them to be together.

The ending was a bit abrupt, but satisfying.

I received a copy from the publisher through NetGalley and this is my honest opinion.

I have read a lot of WWII novels, but this is the first that was set in Italy. I feel that I learned a lot what life was like for the Italians under Stalin with Hitler's influence.

I love Franca and Peter. Franca worked so hard to do so much for the family. I was a little surprised by how kept in the dark she was regarding all that her friends and family were doing. I think that once she knew, she proved how beneficial she could have been all along.

This book had a bit of everything, mystery, sorrow, love, hardship, etc. I found that once I started reading I couldn't put it down. I love how the story between Franca and Peter developed and that both families were accepting of the relationship. It really was a beautiful love story.


Thank you to NetGalley and Covenant Communications for the ARC of this book. All opinions are expressed are my own.

#TheEnemyBetweenUs #NetGalley

A novel based on WWII, set in Italy. I love reading books set in Italy and to have it also take place during WWII made for a novel filled with good versus evil and also about those who were part of the partisan movement. Franca is a rich girl who has to hide out on a rundown farm, to help her family members who are unable to help themselves. Franca has been kept in the dark about her family's participation in the partisan movement. When German soldiers find their hideout and people get injured, life changes and Franca's eyes are opened to what has been happening. This novel was fast paced and well written.

4.5*  This was a gripping story, full of danger, action, and high emotion. It highlights the effect of changing loyalties and the humanness of the "enemy."  Melinda S. Sanchez did a masterful job telling the story of two fictional characters who struggle with attraction and differences through harrowing experiences over the course of months at war. Multifaceted characters and a strong plotline made this book very difficult for me to want to put down - it was a memorable story that will stay with me for a long time!

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

I love WWII books. I really enjoyed this book. This book was different then a lot of the WWII books that I have read in the past. This book was set in Italy which most WWII books aren’t. This book gave you a different look at what others went through during and what they were doing during the war. This book is about family, learning to trust, learning to not judge and learning to look at things differently. At least that is what I got out of it. If you enjoy WWII books you will enjoy this book. It’s not like the others.

This is a beautiful and poignant story of love during war, told from two different perspectives. I look forward to more from his author.

I am loving this author more with each book. She captures the horrors of war as well as the history. I haven't been as familiar with WWII in Italy, but this book set in Sicily gives me so much in history, in story, and in romance.

Franca and Peter's story looks at the implications of enemies, of going against evil, and of fighting for all that is right. It highlights the atrocities committed by evil people without taking away the humanity that survives. Nothing is black and white and this story illustrates that beautifully,

I was sucked into this one, even more than the Fisherman's Daughter and I loved Marianna and Mossimo. I think I love Peter and Franca more.

What I love about historical fiction is the narrative that it provides to otherwise dry dates and events. Inserting me into the story makes it possible for me to make the events real. WWII in Italy is so real to me now due to these books. It gives me a much richer perspective.

I love the battle that Franca fights with herself, she is finding herself at the same time. There is just such a rich story for me to devour.

I received an early copy from the publisher and this is my honest review of this book. I will definitely be reading this again and will recommend it highly to others.

WWII ROMANCE SET IN ITALY DURING THE RESISTANCE

This was the first WWII fiction novel I have read that was set in Italy. It was definitely this fact that originally drew me to this book - it was new, uncharted territory and I was excited to dive into it. However, it didn't completely meet my expectations. I loved the setting but a lot of other stuff disappointed me. It wasn't a bad book, it just didn't live up to its potential either.

"I wanted him - I could no longer deny the fact that I wanted Peter and he wanted me - but the war held us in its claws and would never let go."
- Franca


👍 WHAT I LIKED 👍

Italy: WWII fiction set in Italy is uncommon, so I really liked getting this new point of view. WWII fiction has been done pretty much every which way, so it was nice to see that there are still avenues and stories left to be explored.

Peter: Our male lead, Peter Weimer, is a German soldier who defects when faced with the inhumanity of his fellow German soldiers. I really liked how much heart he had, how much conscience. I liked what he represented - the 'everyday' German, who didn't support the Nazi party or the war, but who had next to no say in their own fate.

"The innocent suffered the most on both sides of the war and in the greatest number."


👎 WHAT I DISLIKED 👎

Franca: While I enjoyed the our male lead, our female lead, Franca, was not to my liking. At first I didn't understand her at all. I couldn't fathom why she did what she did. I couldn't see through her motivation for her actions. I got her better later on, but not enough for me to actually like her.

"The war may control my circumstances, but it could not control my heart."
- Franca


Flow: There was something really off about the flow of the book. It felt choppy and weird.

Writing: The writing wasn't really bad, but it definitely had flaws that I had a hard time getting past. Especially when Sanchez introduced 'surprises' to the story. Every time a surprise occurred I almost missed it - it had no build up and it was hidden in a block of text. They didn't stand out and had very limited impact on me.

Franca Chessari is a strong, feisty character who faces challenges, both personal and familial during the Italian experience of Nazi occupation during World War Two in 1943. Having lived a charmed life up until the war with all the privilege of a wealthy family, the realities of fending and caring for her family through her own manual labour at a run-down farm comes as somewhat of a surprise to her, but with her family by her side, it is a challenge she keeps rising too. Her friend, a partisan has been missing for weeks is found miraculously and Franca feels her world is safe again, not knowing that she owes her life to a German soldier, but then her parents, both high-ranking partisans go missing and Franca’s life is turned upside down, leaving her no other choice than to cross enemy lines to save those she loves.

The mysterious connection between Franca’s friend being saved and the rescue attempt of her parents is the soldier Peter Weimer, who claims he is German, not Nazi. He has witnessed brutality by another Nazi officer on a scale that makes him claim that he hates what the Nazi Party is guilty of and desert said army, making himself both a traitor to one side and still a dangerous enemy to the other. Peter is a man true to his word, has been the reason Franc’s friend was saved, and in turn, Franca’s family offer him sanctuary during a time when he was wanted dead by all. But can you ever truly trust a Nazi?

It is against this background that Franca and Peter find they are inextricably drawn to one another emotionally. And although they both deny their feelings for a time, it is impossible to reject the pull they feel for one another. But can two people from opposite sides in a war ever find true love? Can Franca ever have her family safe once again and still hold onto the love that she feels?

The pacing of this book was fine and the tension between Franca and Peter, although totally predictable, was interesting in that such a romantic liaison in Italy would have been all but impossible during the war. And it’s that very word – predictable, that is the problem with this book - everything feels too clichéd. Of course, Franca’s fabulously wealthy parents are both high ranking partisans fighting against the Nazi’s. Of course, Franca finds herself falling in love with the super handsome but physically scarred Peter. Of course, the story is of the one good German and the one bad Nazi who is so animalistic he defies logic. All these storylines have been done by other books (just for one example “Wait for Me” by Caroline Leech) which results in it feeling overdone. It was the perfect storm of storylines and it has all been done before.

If you are a World War Two junkie, then you will love this book. What’s not to love? Intrigue, passion, danger, good and evil. But if you have read a number of historical fiction books in this genre, then it may feel disappointing in its unoriginality. Six of one, half dozen of the other. Love it or be bored with it. It's just a whatever.