A historical fiction set in Hungary during WW||. It is a love story between Eva and Aleandro who are from different words. Eva’s father and the war separated the two and lead them to very different paths in their lives. Yet they never forgot one another and lived for the day they would be reunited.

A beautifully written story that I devoured in 2 sittings and highly recommend to those that enjoy this genre.

First of all I would like to thank Netgalley and publishers for providing me a free e-copy in exchange for an honest review.

I have to say, I was pleasantly surprised by this novel.

Historical fiction, focusing on a romantic relationship is probably as far out of my comfort zone as possible, so while the summary sounded appealing I was still apprehensive picking this up.

I really didn't need to be.

Although it did take a moment for me to get grounded in a book that doesn't have magic or supernatural creatures of some sort, the story caught my attention rather quickly. The introduction of the two protagonists Eva and Aleandro was done with beautiful prose that enticed me into their story. I found myself flying through this book, the storytelling flowing in such a lovely way I felt like I was gliding through their life while reading.

Throughout their journeys I really found myself rooting for both their loves together as well as their individual aspirations and lives apart, and it is with great testament to the author, I found myself tearing up more than once over a story I never originally thought could move me so much.

I really enjoyed this book, and would recommend it highly to anyone who wanted to read a novel full of sorrows, hope, and love.

Wow, this author is new to me, and I absolutely loved her writing style. This book completely pulled me in and wouldn’t let go. It read like a movie playing in my mind’s eye. I loved everything about it. I look forward to reading more from this author.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book! I have spent much of the last year devouring historical fiction especially from the WW2 era. I thought this book was a great addition to the other fiction books out there. You could tell the book was well researched and well written. Definitely a recommendation from me.

I voluntarily reviewed a copy of this book provided by NetGalley.

This is my first time reading Roxanne Veletzos after hearing glowing reviews of her debut, The Girl They Left Behind. I was excited to discover a new author.

Beginning in 1942 Budapest was a nice switch for me, in terms of WW2 books. While I appreciated this setting and how the war affected its citizens and even the historical events afterwards, slowly this book fell a little flat for me.

I was craving something new in terms of storyline. This story was interesting enough but I struggled to connect with the characters and I kinda felt like I've read this story before in it being predictable.

When the Summer Was Ours is a heart aching story that showed resilience and determination. It released on August 24th.

My thanks to Atria Books for a digital arc (via Netgalley) in exchange for a honest review.

Since joining netgalley I’ve really gotten into historical fiction and these types of books about young women in these life changing generations.
Premise
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.
Eva and Aleandro had a beautiful chemistry and Inlove how they make their love work in a class system set to work against them. This book will definitely keep you on the edge of your seat to see how they end up.

I received this book as an ARC from NetGalley.

This book opens in Hungary - 1943. The war is getting closer, the Germans want to take over the land and claim it and the Hungarians want to fight back.

Eva Cesar is a young woman of means, who is full of ideas and engaged to a Red Cross Doctor, Eduard. She spends her last summer prior to her marriage in a small country town with a close friend, her former nanny.

One day, she meets Aleandro, a gypsy who is an artist and fiddler. Even though they are from completely different worlds, they fall in love but when that love is discovered by her father, there is a horrible attack on the gypsy village.

When The Summer Was Ours is a beautifully written story on war, love, sacrifice, and secrets that covers the lifetime of Eva and Aleandro. I could not put this book down - I look forward to reading more of this author's work.

A truly heartbreaking story taking place during WWII in Hungary where we meet Eva, a beautiful young lady, from an upper family class. Eva is engaged to be married to a handsome doctor who works for the Red Cross, and it seems like her life is set up for a successful happily ever after. That is until she travels to Sopron for the summer, and her life is changed forever.

By now, dear reader, we know that Eva has lived a comfortable, privileged life. And yet, through her journey and summer stay in Sopron she meets a young charming man named Aleandro. (I kept referring to him as Alejandro in my mind though). Eva and Aleandro come from different backgrounds, share completely different life experiences, and yet, they fall in love.

A love so heartbreakingly not meant to be, it sets the tone, the emotion, the real-ness of what love can truly be, and sometimes comes so unexpectedly.

Solid historical fiction book! I loved the characters, the descriptive writing and dialogue. The pacing was excellent as well. My first book by Roxanne Veletzos but definitely not my last!

While I appreciated this book showing WWII as experienced by a Romani and Hungarians, it still fell a little flat for me. I was really left wanting more. My heart did break in a few spots but then other times I felt like things were glossed over and missing. My heart didn’t connect as much as I hoped it would…maybe rushed is the word I’m looking for?

Eva lived a grand life in Budapest and was supposed to marry a doctor, Edouard, when two things happened. WWII came to Hungary and she met Aleandro, a Romani man who she quickly fell in love with. As the Nazis occupied Budapest, then the Soviets with their iron curtain, we follow each of their lives. I have visited Budapest and was so intrigued to read about the hospital in the rock in this story. Such an incredible place and history brought to life.

Hungary 1943 to the tensions of the 1956 Hungarian uprising.

This epic tale filled with passion and hope takes places mainly during WW11 and focuses on the toll the war took on civilians.

Eva César, a young woman from an affluent family awaits the return of her fiancé and is counting down her last days being single when by pure chance she meets Aleandro, a Romani artist, and falls in love with him. WW11 is raging on and the two are torn apart at summer`s end.....Aleandro is captured and sent to a concentration camp. Eva stays put and gives birth to their daughter, a child Aleandro never knew of..... This is a summer they will never forget.

The author recreates the atmosphere in Hungary at the time while the couple struggled to survive in a world where the Romani people where considered less then rodents and suffered terrible treatment from everyone. This story is filled with tragedy during the war and long after when Hungary was under Soviet occupation. A good part of this story covers the uprising and what came out of it.

We also follow each of their life after the war and share in their success as well as in their heartbreaks. Even if they were apart for many decades, Eva and Aleandro love never faded.

The narrative is unique and the mellow tempo is steady for most of the book although picks up when the two are separated. We have a mix of suspense, some passion, lots of love, too much sacrifice...array emotions to break the heart. Although at time Eva choices were iffy...in a way it places you in her shoes...We have a gamut of players well drawn and true to life: Dora the maid, a domineering father, Eva’s two men in her life: Eduard and Aleandro and many more that crosses the pages.

In conclusion, the author’s notes tells us that her fictional story has roots in real people lives and has let her fertile imagination run free...

WWII books are some of my favorite reads and this book was one of the best that I have read.

1943 Romania…Eva has grown up very privileged and is going to their estate in Sopron to relax for the summer before getting married to Eduard, a Dr. currently working with the Red Cross. Eva spends time in town and ends up meeting Aleandro…he is a Gypsy artist and fiddler. He barely makes enjoy money to take care of himself and 3 brothers. He and Eva fall in love but circumstances will not allow them to be together.

Eva goes on with her life the best way she knows how but will always wonder about Aleandro. Eva has a daughter and will marry.

This book transports you to Romania. It was very well researched and it is a very engaging, quick read.

A book of second chances, bonds that last forever and family bonds. Highly recommend this book.

I received an early digital copy.

I really enjoyed this story. I thought it was written very well. The characters, the storyline, it was enjoyable to read.

This book broke my heart a few times but I think it was so well done. This story was quick and kept me fairly engaged the entire time. I thought it was a beautiful story. This stands out from other WWII historical fiction novels with the author's personal connection to the history and all the research it is based on.

Roxanna Veletzos, When the Summer Was Ours, first attracted me as it is a story about the WWII in Hungary and the Spring Uprising in Budapest in the Spring of 1956. I read a lot of WWII fiction, but I have not read any historical fiction that involved Hungary and the Romani gypsies. The writer includes the love story of Eva and her fiancé, Eduardo who is a Red Cross doctor, and Aleandro who she falls in love with while staying at the family’s summer home in Sopron during the summer before her wedding. Her father is not kind to his daughter and after seeing Eva with Aleandro, hits her and locks Eva in her room. I really liked that this book covered the lifetime stories of these three characters. I thought the first half of the book was too much “telling” the story rather than “showing” through dialogue and actions what was happening. I did feel the last half of their lives covered in the story was very emotional and this reader shed many tears several times. While reading the book, I was thinking about how I was going to rate this book. Sometimes I was frustrated and was thinking three stars and then another section I thought this is a five star book. I am settling on four stars. I look forward to reading another book by Roxanne Veletzos. My thanks to Atria Washington Square Press and NetGalley. The opinions in this honest review are my own.

"...you can re-create the past if you hold on to it dearly enough. You can, because the universe is timeless; it always pulls you back where you belong."

A beautiful sentiment but not one that always holds true in the WWII historical fiction romance When The Summer Was Ours by Roxanne Veletzos. The author grabs our hearts and grips until our tears are flowing freely down.

In 1943 Hungary socialite Eva is engaged to young doctor Eduard who is working for the Red Cross. On summer holiday she meets Romani fiddler and artist Aleandro and her whole planned out life falls apart as they fall completely in love.

Obviously with their country under siege and their social class differences their love is surely doomed from the start. But when a heinous act of violence forces them apart the repercussions of their summer of love are felt for future generations.

A love story during war torn times is always filled with heartache but what made this story different for me was the details of the aftermath. The research into the 1956 Hungarian uprising was especially of interest to me as I am of Hungarian descent. The author's notes also explain that the fictional characters are based on real people which makes the story that much more heartfelt.

Historical fiction has always been a comfort reading genre for me. This writer told a story that I felt with my heart. Thank you to this author for reminding me of being 17 and falling in love. That summer was ours and that is something no one can take away from me.

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

📚 𝓑𝓸𝓸𝓴 𝓡𝓮𝓿𝓲𝓮𝔀 📚
4.5/5 🌟

I’ve taken a nice long break from Holocaust fiction, and this was the perfect way to dive back into my favorite genre.

This one - being released today! - centers around a love affair between privileged Hungarian socialite Eva and Romani gypsy Aleandro, starting during WWII and spanning decades.

I knew next to nothing about the war in Hungary and the country’s subsequent occupation by the Soviets, or about the abhorrent treatment of the Gypsies, both by civilians and Nazis. The historical references and experiences are stunning and revelatory, at least to me. The author is able to evoke vivid scenes of the beauty of Hungary in one paragraph and move on to illustrate the pain and suffering of war with stark grittiness in the next with lovely writing throughout.

I adored these two wonderfully sculpted characters, Eva and Aleandro, and found myself invested enough in their relationship to finish this one in just 2 sittings!

If you’re looking for a WWII love story, pick this one up! Happy pub day to @roxanne.veletzos.author!

My thanks to #netgalley and #atriabooks for the privilege of reading an advanced copy.

I could not put this book down. The perfect combination of historical fiction, romance and heartbreak. You will feel all the emotions while reading this book - especially at the end when you realize that it is over!

Eva Cesar spends her summers in Sopron, Hungary - the story starts in 1943, her last summer as a single woman. She lives with her controlling father and can’t wait to get married. That is until she meets Aleandro - a Romani fiddler and artist. Despite the extreme differences in class, they fall in love, only to be separated in a heartbreaking way. They spend WWII trying to forget one another, yet their lives are shaped by the summer that they met.

Will Eva and Aleandro rekindle their love, or spend their lives chasing a dream of a summer? Veletzos clearly did her research on the horrors of WWII and the tensions from the 1956 Hungarian Uprising. The book switches between the characters and decades, however is done easily and seam-lessly. Characters are well thought out and their growth throughout the book is incredible. You feel as if you know them! A can’t miss book

Thank you Netgalley and Atria Books for my advanced reader copy.

This story is a WWII masterpiece. This heart wrenching and riveting story takes the reader through the Nazi invasion of Hungary, and offers a realistic view of life for the people and the horrors of those in a concentration camp. It traces the life of Eva , and the two very different loves of her life, beginning to end. It’s a story of love, loss, and survival , that will grip your heart and keep you hanging on until the last page. Incredible read!