I unfortunately had to DNF at the halfway mark. It wasn’t holding my interest, and I didn’t particularly like any of the characters. I will try something else by this author.

Seeing the background that Christina Lynch has having previously written in this time-frame before, shows that she knows her stuff. Surprisingly thoughtful and takes care.

Pub date: 6/13/23
Genre: historical fiction
Quick summary: Sally Brady goes from Dust Bowl refugee to adopted daughter of LA royalty to an undercover gossip columnist traveling through Europe. Can her charm and sense of adventure help her survive Fascist Italy?

I love lighter historical fiction, and this fit the bill! Sally's story sucked me in from the start - wow, her life was just fascinating! I really enjoyed her as a gossip columnist - it was fun to be a fly on the wall for the glitzy European social scene. The section in Italy was also enjoyable, with the addition of some other side character perspectives to fill out the narrative.

If you enjoy books with "maverick" main characters and/or lighter historical fiction, give this one a try!

Thank you to St. Martin's Press for providing an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

love reading historical fiction books because I usually learn so much from them. This book took a while to grab me because it was different than most of the other historical fiction books I have read. The book starts with Sally’s family abandoning her in Los Angles where she is left on her own. Through a series of events, she finds a new family with a movie star and has tons of adventures along the way.

It takes a while to really get into this book, but once I got used to the rhythm of the story, it worked for me. My favorite part was when Sally had to survive in Italy during the war.

I alternated between the ebook and the audiobook for this one and it really made for an enjoyable reading experience.

3.5 rounded up

This novel addresses one of the worst times in history with humor and the seriousness it deserves. It is a story of resilience, and determination, showing the lengths desperate people will go to survive. Highly recommended. Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Oh wow this was such an interesting book! I loved the writing and the descriptions. I will need to keep this author on my radar for sure.

I am going to be an outlier on Lynch’s newest novel. There were parts I enjoyed, while others seemed trite and cliched. With unbelievable plot lines and at times hard to follow, it ended up not being quite the adventure I was hoping for. Thank you to Saint Martin’s Press and NetGalley for an ARC of this book.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for the advanced copy of Sally Brady's Italian Adventure.

"With war engulfing Europe, an effervescent young American party girl leaves behind her glamorous life in Rome and uses her wiles and humor to save her imperiled friends."

Sally Brady is sent off at 11 years old from her family home in Iowa to find work in California. She quickly falls under the wing of a film star and her true adventures begin. The story moves from the social scenes of pre-war Italy to the war stricken Italian countryside.

I am a fan of historical fiction, and was really looking forward to this read! However, the beginning of the book did not draw me in and at times confused me. It lacked rhythm in the plot and development of the characters. However, there was enough to keep me reading and the book did gain traction in both plot and characters. By the end I was very invested in knowing how Sally's story was going to end for us readers.

I appreciated Sally's sense of humor and resilience to her ever changing life situation. Not everything felt totally realistic, however, especially given the WWII setting. But it was still an entertaining story, with a fair share of heartache. I did really enjoy Lapo and Alessandro's stories... father and son and their perspectives on surviving the war.

This was 3.5 star read for me, rounded up to 4 stars since I did enjoy the second half more than the first.

A great quick WWII historical fiction book told from a different perspective. I loved these characters. Love, loss, bravery,

Sally Brady's Italian Adventure by Christina Lynch

⭐⭐⭐⭐💫

#historicalfiction
#NetGalley #ARC published 6/13/23
#stmartinspress

This was a different take on WWII. It was from the POV of 3 people. Most ww2 books focus on Germany but this book focused on the Italian side of things. It was a refreshing take on the war. We saw things from a different perspective for a change. One of the POV's began with an 11 year old "orphan". She had been sent off to California to find work. AKA sent away so we have one less mouth to feed.

I hope that the research in the book was correct. Now I'm going to have to do some research on Mussolini to see how spot on the story is. I do know from reading the author's note in the back that she changed a date here and there. But for the rest, mentions of the war and Mussolini should be correct.

This is the second epic story of family that I have read in a row. I didn't realize it or I would have mixed it up more. But anyway, the last one felt like it took forever for time to progress. This one didn't. It moved along at a nice pace. Great characters. Great story. I will definitely book looking for more from this author!

#sallybradysitalianadventure
#christinalynch
#generalfiction
#ww2fiction
#bookstagram #bookreview #bookrecommendation #booknerdsbookreview #recommend #gottareadthisbook #lovedthisbook

I wanted to like this so much, unfortunately it just wasn’t for me!
Although this is great for someone who isn’t as picky when it comes to historical fiction as I am. This is very much a case of this just wasn’t for me, but the book itself is beautifully written

Sally is resilient as she grows up under dire circumstances and truly tries to embrace the American Dream. However, in order to do that she must first travel to Italy where she is swept off her feet by an Italian. Hers is a difficult life but one that shows determination and pluck. I did struggle with the pacing of the book and give it a three star rating as a result. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the advance copy.

Even though this novel got off to a very sad start, Sally, the main character, has a personality that makes it difficult for anyone to feel downhearted. Sally is abandoned by her family and living on the streets of Los Angeles when she crosses paths with Patsy Chen. Patsy is a movie star and decides to “adopt” Sally because she has taken a liking to her and also because she feels it will boost her image.

Sally has gone from a destitute child to one of privilege almost overnight. When Patsy’s husband leaves her, she decides to take Sally and go to Europe to get away from the Hollywood gossip. Ironically, Patsy gets a job writing a gossip column under a pseudonym, which quickly becomes Sally’s job.

Meanwhile there is another storyline in play where Lapo, a landowner and writer, is struggling to get his farm to be successful while raising three children with his American wife. His oldest son, Alessandro, is an outspoken anti-fascist and of draft age and Lapo worries about his future.

Soon Italy is drawn into the war and all the main characters in the book are struggling to keep themselves safe while being true to their beliefs. I liked how the author presented some serious situations in a way that was more lighthearted than one would expect. Even though the novel is about a difficult time, it came across as more of an adventure than a life or death situation.

I enjoyed this story even more than Christina Lynch’s first novel and found it to be quite an adventure that I looked forward to reading every night.

Many thanks to Net Galley and St. Martin’s Press for allowing me to read an advance copy. I am happy to recommend this to readers and offer my honest review.

This historical novel starts in 1931, when Sally Brady is an 11 year old sent away by her Dust Bowl, who makes her way to LA where she somehow manages to get adopted by an actress. As a teenager, she abs her adoptive mother journey to Europe where they write an anonymous gossip column about the rich and famous, and eventually she ends up in Italy during Mussolini’s rule, eventually getting stuck there during WWII. There are also chapters throughout from the perspective of Lapo, a landowner in the Italian countryside with an American wife, and his son Alessandro, through whose perspectives we see the changes to life in Italy, before their stories finally converge with Sally’s late in the book.

This was an interesting and different historical novel, and I loved it! Sally is a great character, filled with the kind of spunk and sharp humor of old Hollywood screwball comedies, and who also is brave and determined when things get more serious during the war, and somehow manages to keep a sense of humor too. The early parts of the book and the later parts are definitely different, but both are great. And while I have read a lot of WWII fiction, I haven’t read many set in Italy or about life under Mussolini, so that was very interesting.

The tone of this book was unique enough that I don’t even know what to compare it to - maybe Better Luck Next Time by Julia Claiborne Johnson for the early parts and Dear Mrs. Bird by AJ Pearce for the war parts? And I loved both of those, and Christina Lynch’s debut novel The Italian Party too, so no surprise I loved this one too. So if you like your historical fiction with a little bit of humor mixed in with the serious stuff and with a sassy heroine, give this one a try!

Sally Brady’s Italian Adventure is a powerfully strong story with charm and bravery thrown in about a young girl, discarded by her parents as a child not only who was able to thrive, sometimes by sheer luck, but also to make a name for herself, stand up to men during war, misfortune, poverty, fear and imprisonment only to come out the other side learning the importance of kindness, family and love.

In 1931 Sally Brady was told by her parents to go and make money. She was a child living on the streets of Los Angeles. She somehow even at that young age convinces a married movie star to take her in and let her live with them. Thus begins Sally’s adventure.

When things begin to fall apart in the United States, they move to Italy where Sally at the age of seventeen becomes an anonymous gossip columnist to the rich and famous. She attends lavish parties and lunches and hob nobs with the powerful men in government. Her life is a fairytale. Until it all falls apart and she finds herself alone again.

When Mussolini declares war on the United States her life turns from bad to worse as she is unable to get out of Italy in time and becomes hunted as many Americans were who lived there at that time.

While this is happening to Sally, there is a family living in a remote area whose life is also being disrupted. Lapo, an Italian writer, his wife Eleanor who is American and their son, Alessandro who is the ripe age for military service see what’s occurring. They are able to get Eleanor out, but Lapo worries that Alessandro will have to fight in Mussolini’s war. He makes an agreement to write a favorable made-up autobiography of Mussolini who wants to be portrayed as a powerful hero if they leave his son alone. He reluctantly agrees but of course they renege, and Alessandro must fight in a war in which he does not believe.

In the meantime, Sally is trying to avoid being arrested and imprisoned and is doing everything in her power to hide. But she is finally caught and put on house arrest where she meets an elderly woman who changes her life.

How does this all come together you may ask? Well, Sally finds herself free, but trapped in Italy and must hide from the army where she meets some wonderful and surprisingly horrible characters. She is tortured as are many at this time, but they fight to live and pray America will take down this crazy dictator. While all this is happening, she starts to think of her own family and feels the pull to see them when and if she is able

Sally Brady’s Italian Adventure is quite a journey! For Sally and for the reader! It’s full of people willing to help during crisis and those who want to ruin the lives of those who don’t believe in the war, but also how the love of family never leaves a person no matter how many years go by. Oh, and did I mention if you can believe it the story is very funny?

Thank you #NetGalley #St.Martin’sPress #ChristinaLynch #SallyBrady’sItalianAdventure for the advanced copy.

Avid readers will understand when I say, sometimes you just don’t know what you’re in the mood to read. Thriller? Romance? Fantasy? Well, I had no idea what I was getting into when I started Sally Brady’s Italian Adventure, but it was just what I was in the mood for.

I’d have a hard time classifying this book. It’s silly, it’s sad, it’s heart-warming, it’s got a little bit of everything, even historical fiction.

The story revolves around two characters, Sally Brady and Lapo. We first met Sally when she is being put on a train at just 11 years old in 1931, mainly because her family can’t afford another mouth to feed. Through a series of somewhat unbelievable events, she ends up being adopted by a movie star and begins a life of wealth and adventure, which is how she ends up in Italy.

Italy at the start of World War II. This brings us to Lapo, an Italian author who unfortunately finds himself in the position that he must write a very, very, very flattering biography of Mussolini.

The author states that she was inspired by those 1930s screwball comedies with wise-cracking heroines, and I totally see that.

It’s at times over the top and at times painfully down to earth and I loved every bit of it!

While I wished I loved this one, I just didn’t. I struggled the entire time. Maybe It could of been a “me” problem with reading it, not sure?

I felt like it was just slower paced the entire time. But I loved how it gave me a new perspective to a WWII novel. Sometimes I wish it was just all in Sally’s perspective, she was great! There were quite a few characters to remember and I felt the other two POVs are what lost my interest. But then we got Sally’s chapters and I enjoyed them!

Overall, a good read!

Thank you to the publisher & netgalley for the eARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own!

This was not a story I was expecting to read. I was pretty confused for most of the story to tell the truth.
The story goes back and forth between three main characters.
Overall, a ok read but not one I would read again.
Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and author for the opportunity to read this book for my honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.

I loved Sally and her whit, but sometimes I was nervous for her! This was a really unique story.

I received an advance copy. All thoughts are my own.

An American Socialite in WWII Italy

A refuge from the dust bowl, Sally Brady, is abandoned by her parents in California and forced to earn her own living. Luckily she is adopted by a movie star, but reverses in the star’s life have them moving to Italy. There the star becomes a gossip columnist. Eventually Sally takes over writing the column. This is all light and frothy, but dark times are coming.

After Pearl Harbor, Mussolini expels Americans from Italy. Sally is caught up in the exodus, but not allowed to leave immediately because she is identified as a spy. She eventually is granted exit be convincing the authorities that she she is a reporter. Almost free, Sally gives up her place to help a Jew escape. Now she’s on the run in Italy.

She receives help from many people including Laco and his son. Laco is a writer married to and American. His son is against the Mussolini government, but being a young man he is forced to serve in the military Their stories are featured in the second half of the book.

The early part of the book is all fun. Sally is bright and always ready for a joke. I enjoyed this part. It is the contrast with the latter chapters that save the book from being too light. The second half of the book brings home the horrors of wartime in Italy. I recommend this book. The contrast will make you think.

I received this book from St. Martin’s Press for this review.