I was excited to receive a complimentary copy of When the Summer Was Ours by Roxanne Veletzos from NetGalley. Opinions in this review are completely my own. This review is very late!

I love books set during WWII and have read and loved The Girl They Left Behind, so I was excited to read this book. I have not read other novels set in Hungary or dealing with gypsies. I enjoyed the premise of this story, but the characters didn't seem like real people. Sometimes you can forget you are reading and just become fully encompassed in a novel that you feel that it is taking part around you, that the characters are your friends; this makes a great reading experience. Overall, I just found Eva's character unappealing. I'm not sure entirely what it was, but I just couldn't connect to her, so it left me feeling blah about the whole book.

Possible spoiler ahead--
I did not like how Dora kept her and Aleandro apart by not telling her about the letters; this kind of gave The Notebook vibes. As well, I didn't like how Eva would say how she loved him so much, but then keep such huge secrets from him, although I get that she did it to protect her daughter. I did like how Aleandro and Bianca ran into each other and were bonding over music. This was one of my favourite parts.

Overall, I liked the plot but the characters were just blah.

I absolutely loved this book! I found it hard to put down. I highly recommend reading it! You won’t be disappointed.

The market for WWII fiction seems to be oversaturated and authors need to work extra hard to set their books apart from the others. I just didn't really feel like that happened here. It's an enjoyable read and is well-written, but there weren't really any elements to the story that made it stand out.

Thank you to NetGalley, Simon & Schuster Canada, and Roxanne Veletzos for the ARC.

Hungary 1943, 21 year old Eva is spending her last summer at her aristocratic parents estate enjoying her friends attending lavish parties while planning her wedding to her betrothed a doctor with the Red Cross scheduled for the fall. But, as fate would have it, she meets a charming fiddler who she also falls in love with, Eva will have to make tough decision on who to chose as her life partner.
We follow their lives well after the war and see the hardships they have endured and the choices they made along the way,
I enjoyed this book very much and highly recommend it, your heart will also be torn as Eva grapples with her decision.


Thank you to Simon and Schuster Canada, Washington Square press and NetGalley for the digital copy of this book

3.5 stars. An interesting historical fiction from the Hungarian perspective. I did find it a little hum-drum, but not so much that I put it down.

Many thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for a copy of the book in exchange for my opinion.

Thank you to Simon & Schuster and NetGalley for an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I was excited to see this new book by Roxanne Veletzos as I loved The Girl They Left Behind, sadly I didn't find this as enjoyable.
We follow the lives of two young people who fall in love, one a young woman from a well off family, the other a young man from a Gypsy camp. After a tragic fire their lives go in different directions until decades later they have the opportunity to meet in person.
This is still a very good story, it just comes in second place for me compared to the first.

Set in Hungary in 1943, twenty year old Eva is preparing to marry Eduard , a doctor for the Red Cross in Germany.
While at her family estate she meets Aleandro ,a Romani gypsy, and they fall in love. The story follows the three characters during and after the war..A well written ,heart breaking story of love and loss. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

An historical romance set in WW2. I loved this. It is a well written piece of history filled with sacrifice, devotion, and heartbreak. Separated by fate, I was anxious for the characters to make their way back to each other at some point. Eva’s maturity and growth throughout the years, from a privileged young socialite to a nurse was well done.

I enjoyed this book. There were some parts where I forgot what was happening, but a small reread had it make sense. Going into this book I didn't know a lot about the Budapest side of World War 2, now I know more and it feed the need to learn more factual pieces about what happened. I found myself flipping back and forth between the book and information which made for a more interesting read. Veletzos did a great job of introducing information into the fiction, making it feel like Eva and Aleandro's story feel so real. The ending was my favourite part, (no spoilers) it gave it a beautiful ending and a wrap up to this love story that defied the odds of their circumstances in a world that was met with tragic change.

Thanks to NetGalley and Simon and Schuster Canada for an egalley in exchange for an honest review.

Our story begins in Hungary in 1943 and revolves around the sweet and brief romance between a Romany artist and a young Hungarian woman with a dream of medicine. Although they are separated by the war, the love they have for each other will follow them to Dachau, Hungary through the decades and the United States.

This was a sweet WWII historical romance and I appreciated that we also were told the events of Budapest in 1956 and what it was like for Hungarians under Communism. Roxanne Veletzos immerses her readers very well in the context of her historical period with vivid descriptions. This story has all the makings of a good film.



Publication Date 24/08/21
Goodreads review 26/12/21

It is rare to see a story of World War II about Hungary and the Romani. It was a lovely change in seeing a different perspective during the war. Even when they had just as many struggles as others did. It’s a heart breaking love story of two people from different worlds during the war. Definitely something worth picking up if you enjoy historical fiction.

Love is never simple, easy, or forgettable. Love during war even less so.
When the Summer Was Ours is a complex story about expectations, societal constraints, and forbidden love.

Eva is about to be married to the perfect man - not only is he a doctor, but he also supports her own ambitions to be a nurse and doesn't believe that her place is only in the home. And yet... in the summer before the wedding everything changes, and not because of the war.

Empowering, and complex, this story speaks to the struggles in Hungary during the war, and how even when it ended, the war never left some people.

This book was a wonderful historical fiction that takes a unique look at World War II from the Hungarian perspective. While its a "war" book, its also not. It discusses different social classes, secrets, love .. all the things I love in a historical fiction. It was heart breaking, so be prepared, but also ended with a note that gives a renewal of the human spirit. Highly recommend.

This is my first time reading Roxanne Veletzos. This is a love story that happened in the time of WWII. A rich girl and a poor boy, they went through separation during the war.
About the love story, -- I feel their struggle, but I don't feel the love. About the war, -- there is nothing new from what i have already known. It is a love story that doesn't need to be set in WWII. It makes both parts weak.
Overall it is a good story, I believe a lot of readers will love it.

A story of loss and love during and after the Second World War, one that had me almost glued to the pages. So much drama. The story takes place in Hungary, 1943 between Eva César and Aleandro, a Romani artist and tells of all the heartbreak they go through and Eva's marriage to Eduard. I would recommend. I received a copy of this book via NetGalley and am voluntarily leaving a review.

One of my favourite genres is WWII historical fiction and the bar has been set really high this year with great books by Kristin Harmel, Jennifer Robson, Kate Quinn, Kelly Rimmer, Natasha Lester, Pam Jenoff and Genevieve Graham (among others).

This was my first book by Roxanne Veletzos and I really enjoyed it! The story features headstrong Eva who has big dreams that get derailed when war comes to Hungary. Engaged to Edward, a Red Cross doctor she falls in love with Aleandro, a Romani fiddler and street artist when her fiancé is away during one idyllic summer.

But when her father drives Aleandro and his people away the two are torn apart - each set on very different paths for the duration of the war. Aleandro endures life in a concentration camp and Eva helps as a nurse.

I liked that this story was set in a country I wasn’t familiar with, featured the unique hardships faced by the Romani people and that the story didn’t end with the war but that we get to see what happens behind the Iron Curtain in Hungary as the country and its people try to recover and tensions escalate into an uprising in 1956.

Highly recommended for fans of Kelly Rimmer’s The Warsaw orphan and anyone who enjoys EPIC star-crossed love stories set against the backdrop of WWII. Much thanks to #NetGalley and the publisher for my advance review copy!

Roxanne Veletzos created rich and deep characters in her latest novel When the Summer Was Ours. This is not your typical war story or your average love story. I can see the comparisons to Romeo and Juliet. The characters were from different classes, it was very clear that their relationship was not okay with their families and friends. Veletzos has a wonderful way of writing about hope during one of the worst wars the world has ever seen. I always like books set during WWII I particularly enjoyed how this one extended beyond the war years.

Thank you #netgalley for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I was excited to read When the Summer Was Ours, Roxanne Veletzos's follow up to her debut novel, The Girl They Left Behind.

When young (and affluent) Eva Cesar sets out for her family's country estate in Sopron, Hungary, her life was pretty much all set up. She was about to be engaged to her long time boyfriend, and she was also determined to study medicine (she brought her reading material with her to Sopron). One day, in the city square, Eva crosses paths, accidentally, with a Romani fiddler, and soon she is questioning all her plans for her future. One thing she never questions is her desire to study medicine, but who she truly loves, is a question she continues to struggle with, throughout the war, the Hungarian Revolution, and decades later.

This was an interesting follow up for Roxanne Veletzos. Thank you #netgalley and @simonandschustercanada for my complimentary copy in return for my honest review.

☆☆☆☆ /5
(english review below)

L’autrice nous emmène dans le passé, dans une romance tumultueuse et bouleversante malgré les ravages de la guerre.
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Hongrie, 1943 : Alors que la guerre empiète sur les frontières du pays, la jeune Eva César arrive dans la ville idyllique de Sopron pour passer son dernier été en tant que femme célibataire sur le domaine de sa famille aristocratique. Aspirant à se libérer de son père autoritaire, elle compte les jours jusqu'à ses noces à venir avec un médecin de la Croix-Rouge aimable et dévoué qu'elle admire beaucoup.
Mais la vie d'Eva change lorsqu'elle rencontre Aleandro, un violoneux et artiste romani charmant et passionné. Avec le temps et de profondes différences de classe contre eux, Eva et Aleandro tombent pourtant profondément amoureux, pour être séparés par un acte de haine brutal.
Alors que chacun est emporté par les marées de la guerre, ils essaient d'oublier leur amour. Pourtant, le souvenir obsédant de cet été va remodeler leur destin et conduire à des décisions ressenties à travers les générations.
¤
Au départ, ce roman m’intriguait par le fait qu’on allait étudier la Seconde Guerre Mondiale d’un autre point de vue. On se retrouve donc en Hongrie et aussi Roumanie. C’était intéressant de voir la guerre se dérouler du point de vue de nos deux personnages phares du roman. Je trouve que l’autrice a eu du talent pour décrire les événements de manière graphiques. Je n’ai eu aucun mal à imaginer ce qui était narré dans l’histoire tant le style d’écriture m’emportait et était naturel à lire.
Les personnages d’Eva et d’Aleandro m’ont fait ressentir mille et une émotions. À travers ces deux personnages, l’autrice va aborder le sujet des classes sociales, de l’autorité abusive parentale, de la volonté de liberté, d’un amour impossible et d’une vie pendant une guerre terrifiante. Bien que la romance soit plus accentuée, au point qu’on n’a peu d’informations historiques finalement, je trouve que l’autrice a su rendre ses personnages le plus humain possible afin de bouleverser son lecteur et de le sensibiliser à ce qu’ont pu vivre les personnes de l’époque. Cette histoire aurait pu arriver. Cette histoire est peut-être en train d’arriver d’ailleurs dans d’autres pays en guerre.
Même si j’aurais voulu voir plus d’équilibre entre le côté historique et le côté romantique, l’histoire d’Eva et d’Aleandro pendant la Seconde Guerre Mondiale ainsi que les conséquences qu’il y a eu sur les prochaines générations ont été déchirantes.

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ENGLISH REVIEW:

The author takes us into the past, in a tumultuous and overwhelming romance despite the ravages of war.
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Hungary, 1943: As war encroaches on the country’s borders, willful young Eva César arrives in the idyllic town of Sopron to spend her last summer as a single woman on her aristocratic family’s estate. Longing for freedom from her domineering father, she counts the days to her upcoming nuptials to a kind and dedicated Red Cross doctor whom she greatly admires.
But Eva’s life changes when she meets Aleandro, a charming and passionate Romani fiddler and artist. With time and profound class differences against them, Eva and Aleandro still fall deeply in love—only to be separated by a brutal act of hatred.
As each are swept into the tides of war, they try to forget their romance. Yet, the haunting memory of that summer will reshape their destinies and lead to decisions which are felt through generations.
¤
At first, I was intrigued by this book by the fact that we were going to study World War II from another point of view. So we find ourselves in Hungary and also Romania. It was interesting to watch the war unfold from the perspective of our two leading characters in the story. I found the author has a talent for describing events graphically. I had no trouble imagining what was being told in the story as the style of writing carried me away and was natural to read.
The characters of Eva and Aleandro made me feel a thousand and one emotions. Through these two characters, the author will tackle the subject of social class, abusive parental authority, the desire for freedom, an impossible love and a life during a terrifying war. Although the romance is more accentuated, to the point that there’s little historical information, I found that the author has made her characters as human as possible in order to upset her reader and make him aware of what were able to live the people of the time. This story could have happened. This story may be happening elsewhere in other countries at war.
While I would have liked to see more balance between the historical side and the romantic side, the story of Eva and Aleandro during WWII and the consequencies which are felt through generations have been heartbreaking.

Veletzos was born in Romania, but moved to California as a child. Her first novel "The Girl They Left Behind" was a international bestseller. This new release is her second novel and also an historical fiction. It is set mostly in Hungary from 1943 until the 1956 uprising and beyond. We meet Eva, who was raised with wealth and is engaged to marry a doctor. While he is away treating soldiers at the Russian front, Eva meets and falls in love with Aleandro. Aleandro is Romani who is caring for his three much younger brothers by using his skills as an artist and musician. When first a act of hatred and then the war separates them, we follow their separate lives as they try to move on without each other. This is a wonderful recommendation for historical fiction fans. I really enjoyed it.