*** I received an ARC of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review ***

This is the first book that I have read by Daniela Sacerdoti.  I did enjoy the story line, the setting, and Sacerdoti's writing style.  I enjoy books about Italy particularly because I am planning a trip to Italy and Greece in June 2021 (depending on the pandemic, that is).  I do however feel like there is A LOT going on in this book: family secrets, marriage/divorce, war, and the sheer force of nature... and Ethan kind of annoyed me lol.  I did like how the author handled the WWII subplot.  It was an interesting element to the story and the family dynamics.  I have read many WWII historical fiction novels and this was a lovely unexpected twist.  I would recommend this book to anyone looking for a different spin on the WWII historical genre mixed with some major family drama and some unexpected turns along the way.

I have read several books by Daniela Sacerdoti, and i find her writing style so completely unique and refreshing. I couldn’t wait to get started on this book, and it certainly did not disappoint.

This WWII historical time-slip novel captivated me right from the start. This story transports the reader back in time to the beautiful Italian countryside, before the world was shattered by war and conflict.

As Italy hits troubled times, all who live there are deeply affected. It causes people to doubt one another, and creates a general sense of unease for all. As one young woman makes a bold move, after suffering more heartache and loss than imaginable, her split second decision has a huge impact on not only her own future, but the future of all of those around her. But the question remains, did she make the right choice?.

Several decades later, Luce desperately wants to learn more about her mothers past. She knows her mother was born and raised in Italy and then left suddenly forty years ago. Luce’s mother refuses to talk about her past but Luce decides that the pain and sadness that is consuming her mother needs to be confronted once and for all. With her mind set, Luce embarks on a mission to find out more about her relatives past, and starts by finding her relatives in Italy.

Whilst Luce is uncovering her families history, she too becomes involved in a tragedy, and now, it is more important than ever to learn about her families past before it is lost forever.

The ending of this book was heart wrenching, and as the past finally begins to reveal itself, it is impossible to predict the shattering effects one choice could have on so many people. This story was Poignant, all consuming, and overflowing with emotion.

This book truly pulled at my heart strings. With the perfect levels of drama, reflection, and discovery, it captivates you entirely.

Wow. This was a beautiful story that transports you to Italy! I really enjoyed the dual POV provided a historical and present-day view. This was an emotional read that had me tearing up, but it was well-worth the read! I really enjoyed the family elements and the secrets that unfolded as the story progressed!

This was the first book I have read by this author. It did not hold my interest. I became bored with the story line very quickly.

The Lost Village by Daniela Sacerdoti is a brilliant tale of love, loss, betrayal and the effect of secrets. Set in today's world, we meet Luce Nardini who travels to Italy to find out more about her mother's side of the family. Her mother refused to talk about her family and hints at secrets buried deep.

The author weaves a classic tale that is unputdownlable and gripping until the very end. Modern day is interspersed with the narration of times past. Luce's grandmother talks of her life during WWII and the impact it had on their lives, on Italy and the people. She talks of finding love, marriage, children, her love and hate for her sister Nora and more. As secrets once buried come to the surface, Luce has the choice to stop or hear it all as she tries to find her place and bring her family together.

Dealing with her own problems, Luce seeks to immerse herself in finding out the truth behind her family and as the story unravels, the reader feels all the emotions along with the various characters. I loved reading about Luce's cousin and her fiancé, Luce's relationship with her son and the bonds she forms with the people she meets in Italy. 

This story is mind-blowing and so well-written that all incidents that happen seem to be happening to the reader as well. There is not one moment when you will feel like stopping as the story flows seamlessly merging past with present and so on.

I truly loved this book and recommend this to all fans of historical fiction. This story is not just about the war, it is about the people who experienced it and the things they did to survive. But, secrets have a way of coming out in the end and the impacts are tremendous as can be seen from this book.

This is the 1st book I've read written by Daniela Sacerdoti ; she has done a great job at writing a good book; I can’t wait to read more of her books.

The story line caught my attention at the very beginning and kept me interested throughout the entire book.

I loved the characters.

I received a free copy of this book via NetGalley and I’m voluntarily leaving a review.

I LOVE books from this time period and this one was quite suspenseful and exciting. At the same time, it was a bit heart-breaking. I really connected with the character Luce and her search for her past while she was going through an identity crisis of her own. Would I have made the ending different? Probably. But overall, it was a satisfying read.

Highly recommended if you like WWII period historical fiction and romance that toggles from the past to the present.

I also did a little research and you really can buy a house in some parts of Italy for 1 Euro!!

Thank you, Net Galley, for my copy!

Set in Italy after WWII, Luce travels to the hills outside of Rome to find out the story of her family and to meet with her grandmother. Family secrets and high emotions color this trip for Luce, and finding about her makes this an enjoyable read with excellent characters and descriptive locations.

I loved this story.  It was a very easy read and the sights, sounds and people of Italy were very vivid.   I liked that the story was told in 2 parts.  From World War II to the present day.  It was all about family secrets from long ago that carried into the present day as they very often do.  The ending was unpredictable and very good.  This is my first from this author so I will be looking for more stories from her.  Great story.

How captivated I was by the Lost Village.  It made me feel all gooey and soft at times but utterly heartbroken at others.  I loved it.

Luce Nardini travels to Italy to discover the truth about her mother's family who she has had no contact with until she used social media to find her cousin. Mathilde is thrilled to reunite the family and Luce is excited to finally meet her grandmother. Her uncle Carlo is determined to shut her out but then the power of nature also tries to destroy the happy reunion...
The Lost Village is a family drama with historical secrets at its heart. Luce's grandmother Clelia reveals the truth over the course of the novel, right up until the end. Her flashback sections are her telling her granddaughters the story of her life. The mystery of Carlo's animosity towards Luce and her mother are only revealed in the final chapter.
Luce is dealing with her own conflicting emotions in the present day. She is divorcing Ethan and now has more time on her hands as her son Eli is grown up. There is the hint of a romance in Italy but events take over. I enjoyed, and could identify with, the scenario of Luce acting as a daughter and mother, being able to see both perspectives.
I was swept away in the mystery of the plot and the vivid descriptions of Italy in the past and present. The characters of Luce and Clelia are likeable and I found myself hoping for a happy ending for the family after years of separation. The actual ending was dramatic and heartbreaking, although perhaps a little unrealistic.
Overall, The Lost Village was an emotional story of love, loss and hope

Luce Nardini is in a transitional period of her life. Her only child has left for college and she is feeling extremely lost and lonely. Luce has always wondered about her family in Italy and why her mother cut all ties when she left as a young girl. Against her mother’s wishes Luce reaches out to a cousin living in a small village in Bosconero and the girls are equally excited to meet. Luce is extremely nervous to meet her extended family because she has no idea why they haven’t spoken to her mother or if they even want to have a relationship with her. She knows her uncle won’t welcome her with open arms but she is so happy to meet her grandmother who greets her with tears and a loving embrace. Her cousin has plans to show her around the village and introduce her to all her friends and family. Despite her uncle’s rage at her showing up and trying to stir up the past, Luce is enjoying her stay and is really feeling good about doing something for herself for once. When a disaster hits the village everything will change and truths about the past and why her mother fled will slowly start to surface. Luce will lose a lot but also gain something she hadn’t know she really needed. Such a beautiful story of love, loss, and the importance of family.

Loved this book!  An American empty-nester of Italian descent travels to the Italian countryside to uncover her relatives, people her mother refuses to discuss for some mysterious reason.  She meets her cousin online, and she shows her the town where her mother grew up and introduces her to her grandmother.  Shortly after her arrival, a natural disaster occurs that will reveal everything her mother worked so hard to hide.  The book focuses on family relationships, a little romance, and detailed descriptions of the Italian town.  It was very good reading, but I would have chosen a different ending.

Loved it!! Loved everything about it- the story, writing style and characters. I enjoyed how the book alternated between Luce in 2006 and Clelia's story when she was a child and during WWII. There were so many twists and family secrets. Family members were kept apart because of lies and secrets. I started reading the book believing certain things about several people and blaming them for Luce not knowing her extended family. By the end, I realized how wrong I was and was completely surprised when the truth was revealed. My favorite parts were about the past surrounding Clelia. The ending felt a little rushed. I have so many questions. Why did this person do all these crazy things? Pretty much he/she lied about everything. If Angelina and Carlos would have talked, maybe everything would have been sorted out sooner. There was so much in the book I wasn't expecting. The disaster that happens when Luce is visiting her family was a huge one. So much destruction. Loved getting to know all the characters. The description of Italy was beautiful and would love to visit.

Definitely recommend the book. It's full of love, tragedy, family relationships, forgiveness, tons of secrets and lies and so much more. Loved the story with all the twists. Look forward to reading more books by the author. Love the cover of the book. 

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

What a great book!! My first from this author but not my last!! I loved how I could see how beautiful Italy is and feel all that happens.  This story is an easy read that goes back in forth from World War 2 & present time.  Family secrets are revealed & closure for all.  I didn’t guess the ending so liked that it kept me on my toes. I highly recommend this one!!

After some psych thrillers and crime procedurals, I was ready to get back to history. I had hoped that after the first book, The Italian Villa, the author would have stepped up the historical aspects. 
What I found however, is that much I said in that review still applies. 
It’s a similar plot. A woman, Luce, goes to Italy to find out her historical roots. There is a hint of mystery because her mother, Angelina, left Italy when she was young, rarely talks about family, and has hinted at how dangerous it would be to dig up the past. 
I liked that premise. I should put in here that I found out in my teens that I am half-Italian. When my mom and I went to Italy while I was in college, I felt like I had come home. There was no reason for it – I know nothing about my heritage or lineage. 
But I understood people, I felt comfortable wherever we went in the country, and I felt like a part of me had been awakened. In that regard, I totally related to Luce. I “got” her desire to find out more about her heritage.
I also liked how she found that things weren’t what she expected, what she’d been led to believe by her mother over the years. I think it was a good way to illustrate the importance of finding your own truths. 
I suppose that could be said about Luce’s personal life as well. Not giving anything away, she finds answers to more than just her heritage. 
That itself is also interesting. She finds out more about the family history from her grandmother.
And herein lies the issue I have with this book.
When I see that something promoted as a “historical novel,” I usually expect there to be a contemporary storyline that sets the stage for the historical part, which then takes up the majority of the story. 
In my humble opinion, to be considered such there should be at least a 50/50 split, preferably more. If a majority of the story isn’t in the past, I’m not sure it can be considered historical. 
I’m sure we can all relate to choosing a book based on “what do I feel like reading now?” And then having certain expectations of the book based on those conceptions.  
And now we come to the reason I brought it up. 
I stand by my critique in my review of The Italian Villa. Once again, the historical parts are told in passive voice, as Luce’s grandmother tells the stories of the past more as a reminiscence. It takes a lot of the bite out of the history and makes it difficult to become engaged. 
It also leaves too little to the historical sections. Because they are told from one person’s point of view as a memory, there’s no life to the actual events. It’s all just ghosts. And it seemed as if the contemporary storyline far outpaced the historical – as I mentioned, that makes it difficult to read as a “historical novel.”
For the points of this story, and for how important the past was, actual flashbacks would have been so much more effective. It was actually quite convoluted as is, especially with the confusion surrounding the characters in the contemporary storyline. 
It’s really a shame, because the secrets that Luce’s family were hiding were real doozies. I just wish the revelations would have been more impactful. 
I’d still recommend the book, but know that for me at least, it doesn’t fit the definition of a true “historical novel.” There was no chance to be immersed in the past. And that’s a major reason I like the genre.

Thank you to Netgalley, the publishing house and the author for the opportunity to read a complimentary advance reader copy of this book in return for a review based upon my honest opinion.

This book was not at all what I expected, it was even better! I have read a previous work of this author and loved the Italian setting, when I saw her name again I was instantly interested in this book. I lost myself in this book was so good, I was expecting your typical dual timeline historical romance and it was not typical in any way. The events in this story kept me on the edge of my seat and had twists and turns I simply did not see coming. 

Luce Nardini’s mother almost never speaks of her family and past in Italy. Luce has never met or even seen a picture of her grandparents; she does not know who her father is; and she longs to put the pieces of her ancestry together. Luce’s mother is loving and kind but secretive, Luce decides to research her family and finds a cousin and arranges a trip to finally meet her family. When Luce arrives in Italy, things look postcard perfect, but will she be accepted by her family; what secret is her mother keeping, and why does Luce’s mother’s warning about keeping safe scare her? 

The events of the story are shocking; the characters are memorable and the past has a way of catching up with you. I really enjoyed this book and the author’s style of writing. I will definitely be looking for more books from this author.

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for an early review copy. 

Fast paced, gives no space for distractions. Keep you glued all the way. 

As the story unfolds and chaos, tragedy, family secrets, twist and turns follow, along with a sea of emotions. 

Highly recommended it.

Lost Roots

A story about a family set in two time periods. Luce Nardini has never known her father. Her mother refuses to talk about the past. After Luce's son Eli is in college, she is separated from her husband, and at loose ends she searches for her family in Italy against the wishes of her mother.  Finding a cousin Matilda and learning her grandmother and an uncle are still alive she books a trip to Italy.

When Luce arrives in Italy and meets her cousin and her grandmother she feels like she has found some family. The second time period is during the war when  her grandmother tells her story. She is happy to meet her family, however, her uncle wants nothing to do with her and will not speak to her and tells her she should leave. She wonders why is her Uncle so hostile toward her and why does her mother say she is not safe in Italy. What secrets are being kept?

Just when she is feeling good about her trip , finding out her grandmother's story in increments as her grandmother is not well, disaster strikes. There is an earthquake. Her cousin and her grandmother are both in the hospital. 

Will Luce ever unlock the secrets of her family? Will her grandmother and her cousin survive their injuries and will her uncle ever speak to her. She need to know the answers.  What she finds is more than she ever imagined.

I love the twist in the story at the end. The ending was wonderful. The setting was beautiful and the characters were great. The story was well written and I enjoyed reading it.

Thanks to Daniela Sacerdoti, Bookouture, and NetGalley for allowing me to read a copy in exchange for an honest review.

I’m not sure what exactly it is but it just flows wonderfully, and I became completely lost within the pages of the story.  Her story telling is compelling and addictive and completely immersive.   
So we visit Italy in the present and in 1945 – many differences but some things don’t change.  The description of Bosconero is stunning and so much like the Italy of my dreams – beyond the tourist places and where local life thrives.  The description of the setting is just breath-taking, and the community and way of life was a delight to read about.
The plot itself is intriguing and unfolds at a good pace with twists and new information regularly to keep the reader glued.  Luce’s search for the truth in the present and the history of her family in the past are both so emotional.  When disaster strikes Luce realises she has to learn the truth about her family and heritage before there is nobody left to tell it.
I enjoyed getting to know each character and understanding their points of view.  The dual timeline narrative is fascinating, and I loved seeing some of the characters as younger people and then how their lives have been impacted by events.
This is a riveting novel with a wonderful writing style.  Highly recommended.