When the Summer Was Ours is a fantastic read about two people who fall in love, but who were kept apart because of unfortunate circumstances and secrets. The story follows Eva and Aleandro during World War II and beyond. Eva is the daughter of a wealthy businessman, while Aleandro is the son of gypsies who makes his living by playing his fiddle. They meet unexpectedly in a small Hungarian town where Eva's family owns a summer home. They fall in love while the war rages just outside the borders. One fateful day their lives are changed forever. The story is told in alternating POVs and through letters. We follow Eva and Aleandro through WWII, the 1956 Hungarian uprising, and to the present day. The characters are richly portrayed and your heart will break. Have tissues nearby while reading this beautiful, but bittersweet story about true love. I really enjoyed this story and learning more about the Iron Curtain and how it affected the Hungarian people. Thank you to NetGalley for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

I struggled with this one a bit and I rounded up from 2.5 stars. The story of Eva and Aleandro during WW2 in Hungary was a good perspective I haven’t yet read. And learning about how the country essentially entered into the war so late into it, it wasn’t really affected until 1943, was very interesting.

However, I really did not like the writing style of the book. It was far more narrative than anything, especially in the first half of the book, which felt more like someone retelling a story than being allowed into it. And when there was dialogue it felt very dramatic and a bit detached. Not really realistic often.

If I’m honest, I really didn’t like Eva’s character either. She came across as somewhat self absorbed when it came to her relationships other than her daughters. The decisions she made and the way she treated Eduard and Aleandro both, without regard for how it would affect them, made her very dislike-able in my opinion. I seem to be in the minority when looking at the ratings but all in all I was a bit disappointed in the book.

Thanks to Netgalley for the advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This story set in Hungary during and after WWII about Eva Cesar an aristocratic woman, and Aleandro, a Romani fiddler and artist is an intense love story. Torn apart from each other, he never stopped loving her. After his release from Auschwitz as an undesirable, where he drew pictures for the guards there to send back to their families, he became world renowned, he never stopped searching for Eva. Theirs was a tormented relationship before and after the war. Intensely emotional, it is a story you will not easily forget. My thanks to NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

One of my favourite genres is historical fiction and this book certainly delivers! A beautiful book full of love, family, heartache, tragedy, hope, tenacity and the horror of WW11. I couldn’t not put this book down, every word captivated me. I would highly recommend.

It's easy to feel like there's just too many WWII books, but 'When Summer Was Ours' takes those tropes and makes them feel unique again. The story of Eva, a Hungarian woman from a well-off family, and Aleandro, a Romani violinist, is a broad, sweeping love story that encompasses all the different forms that love can take: love of family, love of friends, love of found family, and, of course, romantic love.

All of the characters are incredibly compelling, from Eva and Aleandro to the supporting characters in their story - that's the biggest aspect that really elevates the book. Eva and Aleandro fall in love, yes, but instead of that being the end of the story, it's only the start. Their journeys span half a century, with stories woven in about the Soviet occupation of Hungary, the terrors of war, the persecution of the Romani people, and the importance of art in understanding all of it. It's a beautiful, emotional story that touches on heavy issues without feeling preachy; it's a story about people, first and foremost.

This novel follows the lives of a couple though decades of time seamlessly. It focuses on WWII and is at times, tragic, romantic and hopeful I received a copy of this novel from NetGalley as an ARC in exchange for an honest review nest review.

I have read numerous historical romance books that place during the time of WWII. Many of them just blend together and are pretty predictable.

This book was actually a little different. The couple has a separation - the reason for which and what happened next I did NOT see coming. The way that it flashed back or forward in time was pretty seamless and didn't confuse me (like some books can).

I thought the world building was excellent and I could just picture it all happening. I loved all of the characters (except maybe minor character), and after a few chapters of setup I had to keep the pages turning.

I would rank this at the top of this genre. So why 4 stars and not 5? Well, I have to close the book and say "wow" and think about the characters for a while in order to earn that last star. But I would certainly recommend this.

I want to thank the author, the publisher and #netgalley for the ARC which did not impact my review.

I have read a lot of historical fiction, especially books which take place during World War II, so my standards were pretty high for this book. It didn’t disappoint. It follows the lives of Eva & Aleandro, two very different people from very different worlds, who nonetheless fall in love. I really enjoyed this book, which had me experiencing so many different emotions throughout the book. I highly recommend it.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for a copy of this. ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Oh my goodness... this book. I enjoyed every minute of it. This book has everything fans of historical fiction are looking for. Especially fans of stories set in World War II.
This book follows two people’s lives through WWII. It is happy, sad, romantic, and tragic. I did not want this book to end.
I hope this one gets made into a movie!

I've read a lot of World War II historical fiction and I really loved this book. It had laughter, love, sadness, despair and hope. Most of the World War II historical fiction that I've read takes place in England or Paris and it was so interesting to learn more about what happened in Hungary and to the Roma people during WWII. The writing was wonderful, I loved Veletzos' descriptions of the various towns, the artwork Aleandro created, the music and the character's feelings. I could feel their sadness and despair, their lack of hope at times, the cruelty they were dealing with. I had to finish the book, I read it in one day. I had to know how it ended for Eva and Aleandro.

If you love a good historical fiction! You will love When the Summer Was Ours!
This was a beautiful book. And I really enjoyed this one!

Roxanne is quickly becoming one of my favorite authors of historical fiction! This story was exceeding well-written romance during WWII. Ms. Veletzos really did her research and made WWII and the Hungarian uprising of 1956 come alive. I didn't know much about Hungary's history, so this book was really great for that reason as well.
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!