Not sure how I managed to miss writing a review for this wonderful story. Set in Rome, WWII, everyone is on edge, waiting to see what the Nazis will do next.

Francesca and Lucia understand it is time to get off the sidelines and start fighting for their beloved country. They put their lives at risk every time they set foot out the door. We hear about the Resistance fighters in France and other parts of Europe, but rarely do we hear about the women Resistance fighters in Rome. It made for a fascinating story.

This was a fascinating story of friendship and love in the WWII era Italian Resistance movement. I was so interested to learn about the history of Italian Resistance— it definitely feels like an area that has received less attention than other parts of Europe during the war. Ms. Beck’s work is well-researched and interesting, even if the prose dragged at times.

What a beautiful story, told from the Nazi occupied Rome, during WWII.

Francesca and Lucia were such great characters, and I loved seeing a story of such strong women!

*many thanks to Berkley and Netgalley for the gifted copy for review

I started this one and I had a hard time getting into the book. It just wasn't grabbing me at the time, so I did not finish... I appreciate the consideration!

What a stunning debut! I will be picking up anything and everything that Kristin Beck writes in the future.

It's no secret that I love WW2 historical fiction and am always on the hunt for a fresh take. This book fit the bill as we come alongside the Italian Resistance, a perspective I haven't read from before. The writing here was atmospheric and especially compelling, and the research the author put into it was clear throughout, which together kept me invested and held my interest from beginning to end.

What I couldn't help but love the most here were the characters. Francesca and Lucia came alive on the pages and their courage, strength, and bravery really resonated with me. I was inspired by their determination and resilience in their fight. I know they will stay with me long past having finished this book.

An intense, emotional, and yet beautiful story of female friendship, courage, and love. There was just so much to love here! I highly recommend this book to all lovers of historical fiction.

Thank you so much for Berkley and NetGalley for the gifted e-copy!

3.5 stars

With all the WW2 books on the market it was nice to find one with an Italian setting, there are so many that take place in France, Poland or UK.. It's 1943 and the war is in full bloom.

Dual POV is a favourite of mine, getting to see the story from 2 sides. Lucia and Francesca did not know each other as the book began and though I they have similar in personalities their narratives brought a nice perspective into the resistance and the role women played. It was a gripping read, watching as the Italy falls to the Germans.

Courage, My Love is a story of love - between mom and child, love and loss, and the courage to carry on. It's about duty to country and family and when to say enough is enough. Yes an emotional read and that cover speaks volumes.

This book released last year and available now.

My thanks to Berkley for a digital copy (via Netgalley).

This book was a super fascinating novel. I have not read much on the World War 2 in Italy so this also served as an introduction to what occurred there. The book is beautifully written and the characters are extremely intriguing and relatable.

This was OK!

A huge thank you to NetGalley and Berkley Pub for my advanced copy of Courage, My Love.

There were a couple of things that I really enjoyed about this book.

They were-

*The Dual POV- I love multiple POVs in books. It never gets old.

*The History- I read a lot of WWII historical fiction. I appreciated that Courage, My Love takes place in Rome. It was a new perspective on the war that I had never really thought about. Most books that I have read take place in Germany, France, England, Poland etc.

Where This Book Fell Short-

I loved the idea of this book and I expected it to make an impact. I'm an emotional reader and I felt detached to the characters and events. I wanted to love the characters and I wanted to feel something and I don't know why I didn't.

Overall- Very thankful to have finally gotten around to this book. I do recommend this book to other readers. It's a good story it just didn't grab me like I wanted it to.

Wonderful and encouraging historical story inspired by the stories the author heard from her grandmother, a wartime nurse.
Two women who lost a lot are very courageous and resilient become deeply entwined with the the Italian Resistance as they fight for their freedom when the Nazi occupation of Rome begins.
Through many dark days they find courage to go on for their family for their country,for their children. They maintain faith and encourage not only each other but others as they strive for a stronger future.
I can't wait to read another book by this author.

Pub Date 13 Apr 2021
I was given a complimentary copy of this book. Thank you.
All opinions expressed are my own.

Sometimes the WWII historical fiction canon can feel oversaturated, but then a book comes along that pulls me back in, and Courage, My Love by Kristin Beck is that type of book. It's set in Italy, so readers get a look at the role of Mussolini, which is a bit unique. What really kept me going, however, was the deep emotional core of this book. The times are certainly tragic, but it's also a story of deep friendship.

Many thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for sharing this book with me. All thoughts are my own.

I cannot believe this is a debut novel! Beautifully written and meticulously researched, this story of Francesca and Lucia's bravery, strength and determination is not to be missed. I haven't read many books that focus on Italy during WWII and this one was hard to put down. I highly recommend to this to any fan of historical fiction.

While Many Italians thought Rome should have been protected from the war, but the battle raged between sides and political positions. This novel is a unique take on the horrors of this war.

Lucia and Francesca join the unsung women of history as their story of deep personal conviction and courage born out of fear and love, comes to the forefront in Kristin Beck’s stunning debut novel, Courage, My Love.
Readers will be swept along the banks of the Tiber River, across the piazzas and darting into the alleyways of Rome, as the spine-tingling story of Nazi invasion, Partisan missions, and espionage unfolds beginning in July,1943. Lucia Colombo, the single mother of Matteo, is the only daughter in a family of strong Fascist’s supporters, who has already lost one son in the war. Her family ties to the government are a constant worry and eventually Lucia must face and overcome the political dangers involved with protecting her son. Francesca Gallo, a polio survivor, and very unlikely “messenger, is the eventual counterpart in Partisan activities with her fiancé, Giacomo, and Lucia.
Just as Lucia and Francesca sense the Germans around every corner, readers will feel equally anxious for the survival of the Partisans and Jewish families being hidden in convents and hospitals with “Syndrome K”. Each page is turned in suspense to find out if the Allies are indeed, arriving to force the Germans out of Rome. Kristin Beck’s characters are developed with equal amounts of childhood background, family strife, and political alignments. The secondary characters, Partisans, Nazi sympathizers and German officers are written with such depth and personal detail, that readers will find much to admire or even appropriately despise.
Lucia and Francesca find themselves many times “in bocca al lupo”, a wolf at the heels. But despite their fears and uncertainty, they keep on going. Readers will also feel “in bocca al lupo” but keep reading! Courage is rewarded!

Book Review - Courage, My Love 🇮🇹
{Thank you to Berkley Pub and Netgalley for the free copy! }
.
Read this book if you enjoy:
🇮🇹 Books set in Italy
⚠️ World War II historical fiction
💪🏼 Strong female characters
😭 Crying (🤣)
.
Courage, My Love runs in the same vein as Kate Quinn and Susan Meissner - two hist fic authors that I love for writing strong female characters, compelling story lines, and history that doesn’t always appear in the textbook! Kristin Beck’s debut really impressed me - this is a story about the Fascist resistance in Italy during World War II, and begins after the fall of Mussolini. We follow Francesca and Lucia as they secretly help the effort in resisting Nazi occupation. And folks, these women are BA!
.
What will you get from this story? Another look at WWII from the Italian perspective, courageous women, a slice of romance, an endearing mother/son relationship, and a lot of emotions😭! It’s definitely a hist fic I recommend!

No one can ever say that WWII, or any war, is anything but horrific. The ways that people are forced to live, the lives lost, and the countries destroyed are nothing less that horrific. But out of these wars come some amazing friendships. In Courage, My Love I chose to focus on the friendship of Lucia and Francesca. They are two strong, fearless women who work together with the resistance to fight the Germans. As the war moves on their losses add up and their strength grows. The Allies are coming, and they must be ready.

The research that Kristin Beck put into this book had to be immense. She took a time in life when people were living in fear of being captured or killed and brought it to life. I could picture the ghetto as the soldiers rounded up the people living there. The sounds of artillery being fired and planes flying over headed were sounds that I heard as I read her book. I could see the Resistance hiding, running down alleys, and doing their dangerous work all while trying to keep themselves alive. Courage, My Love is a book that came alive to me as I read it.

I love WWII and learning about that era. Kristin Beck did a wonderful job in telling a story while teaching her reader the history of the time. I recommend Courage, My Love to any WWII readers, historical fiction readers, or those interested in losing themselves in a wonderful story of friendship and strength.

""I hate the Nazis. I'd do anything to seem gone."

We all can easily say we hate the enemy but do we all have the courage to put our lives on the line to do something about it? In the beautifully written Courage, My Love by Kristin Beck we meet two supposedly very ordinary women who not only have the courage to fight but fight for love; love of their family, child, lover and country.

In Rome, Italy, 1943, Lucia was raised with a picture of Mussolini on her bedroom wall. Her father worked for the fascist government. Now though, as a single mom walking with her son to stand in line to get food, she wonders if there might be something to the whispers that the Allies are not the enemies but the saviors of Rome.

At the same time Francesca, a polio survivor with a bad leg, just wants to marry her childhood sweetheart and live a quiet life. Politics is something she'd rather not have in her life (I so get it).

When Rome is occupied by the Nazis both these women experience personal heartache because of them. Despite understandable fear they work undercover with the resistance to defeat the enemy and get back the lives that were so brutally taken away from them.

People often ask me why I read so many WWII historical fiction books and this novel is one of the many reasons why. It tells the story of people who are just trying to live their lives when the unthinkable happens and they have to make a conscious choice to fight or escape. We would all like to think we would fight but escaping death is a viable option for me. Reading about the ones that did stay, that did fight so others could escape, and live to tell the truths of the war, is why I keep reading, learning, and promising never to forget.

I received a free copy of this book from the publishers via #NetGalley for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own.

The story is set around WWII and follows the lives of two women who are trying to keep their families safe as the Nazis invaded Italy. The two main characters in this story are Francesca and Lucia. Francesca was engaged to Giacomo, who was studying medicine and chose to help those who were affected by the war. Francesca decided to join Giacomo in this mission. Giacomo was very protective of her and objected to her following him due to medical issues she had struggled with since she was young. Francesca finds herself alone when Giacomo goes missing and she is left alone not knowing what has happened to him.

Lucia doesn't have the best relationship with her parents due to her choice in a husband. She married a man that did not agree with Italian dictator, Mussolini, and opposed the Nazis. Her father supported the fascists which caused tension in the family. Her husband, Carlos, left her because of these disagreements. However, he didn't know she was pregnant with their son Matteo. Lucia cared for Matteo on her on as the situation in Italy grew worse with the Nazis' presence. Food was scarce and they lived in terror of the bombings or the Nazis arresting them.

The two women lived separate lives, but their paths crossed when Francesca decided to joins a group to fight against the fascists. Carlos was a member of that group. He shared details about his life with Francesca, telling her of his wife Lucia and how he wanted to know if she was well. Francesca offered to find her for him. Francesca learned of Lucia's son (who was five years old by this time) and told Carlos about him. Carlos knew it was his son based on the age of the child and how long he had been gone. He decided to see Lucia himself, to apologize to her, and to meet his son. After spending some time together as a family, Lucia joins Carlos and Francesca's group as a spy, obtaining any information she could against the Nazis.

But, to learn how it all works out, you have to order your copy of the book. I couldn't put the book down, the story had me on the edge of my seat. The author truly made me relate to the characters and made WWII Italy come alive in my mine. This book has love, passion, courage, and patriotism. And shows the importance of family in dark times.

A huge thank you to @kristenbeckauthor @berkleypub @netgalley for this arc of Courage, My Love. This Historical Fiction novel follows two women with different backgrounds. Lucia is a single mom to a little boy and Francesca is a survivor of polio. I admired the bravery, compassion, strength amd love these women had during this rough time. In Italy, during the second World War and honestly I learned so much from this story. I would love to have friends like Lucia and Francesca. The writing is great and easy to follow, amazing characters and the build up of the plot is so good. Make sure to grab your copy!!

RELEASE DATE: APRIL 13TH, 2021

Rome, 1943

Synopsis

Lucia Colombo has had her doubts about fascism for years, but as a single mother in an increasingly unstable country, politics are for other people—she needs to focus on keeping herself and her son alive. Then the Italian government falls and the German occupation begins, and suddenly, Lucia finds that complacency is no longer an option.

Francesca Gallo has always been aware of injustice and suffering. A polio survivor who lost her father when he was arrested for his anti-fascist politics, she came to Rome with her fiancé to start a new life. But when the Germans invade and the Nazis take her fiancé, Francesca decides she has only one option: to fight back.

As Lucia and Francesca are pulled deeper into the struggle against the Nazi occupation, both women learn to resist alongside the partisans to drive the Germans from Rome. But as winter sets in, the occupation tightens its grip on the city, and the resistance is in constant danger.

Review

The appetite for WWII-era books never wanes, so don’t expect to find a shortage of them anytime soon. I finished this one in January and am of two minds on my final take.

First the pros:

• The pulse-pounding action of this debut novel had me flying through the pages. Members of the Italian Resistance duked it out with the occupying Nazis behind the scenes and on public squares. Said heroic fighters blew up buildings, attempted escape, got caught, tortured, and fell in love. The Nazis were, as always, heartless and cruel.
• The author did an excellent job developing her interesting characters. They were flawed and likeable, and I really rooted for them. Lucia and Francesca were strong female protagonists, and little Matteo was a brave and loveable little boy.
• The plot was engrossing, and the author clearly did her research. I felt happy, sad, and overjoyed.
• Audiobook fans will love the narration.

Now the cons:

• The author had an annoying tendency to repeat words near each other.
• There were some grammatical missteps (such as split infinitives) that had me wanting to edit the manuscript.
• She wrote the book as a split narrative. It would have been more effective in first-person.
• Italian phrases were used throughout, but not translated as is typical.

Genre: Historical Fiction
Release Date: April 13, 2021
Audience: Young Adult/Adult
Format Reviewed: Both audiobook and eBook
Rating: 4 Stars

Courage, My Love
by Kristin Beck
Read an Excerpt
Berkley Publishing Group
You Like Them
Berkley
Historical Fiction | Romance
Pub Date 13 Apr 2021 | Archive Date 13 May 2021

Good book told from a perspective I had not read before (Italy). This was informative historical fiction as well as enjoyable to read. Thanks to Berkley Publishing Group and NetGalley for the ARC.

4star