This book really surprised me. It was not what I was expecting but in a good way. I loved Francesca and Thiagos story more than the story that was from the past. It was wonderful how everything fit in the end and I had no idea what was coming.

Amazing! I wasn’t sure to begin with but once it picked up pace there was no way I could put it down, read in one sitting. Present day.
Francesca Lombardo has allowed herself to be a doormat. Firstly to her boss Zil’s daughter Cassidy, which happened due to events where Francesca would find it difficult to get a job elsewhere . Then to her ex fiance Issac who she shares a flat with, strange arrangement, Francesca lives in hope that he’ll change his mind!
Then unexpectedly she finds herself going to Italy to check out rare manuscripts for the Zilberstein Gallery by special request of the mysterious Signora Lavinia. On arrival Francesca is surprised to discover there is another interested party, the handsome Thiago Palladian.
It’s made all the more interesting when there are certain conditions for them to be able to see the manuscripts!

1944 When Helena sees the family bookstore through a wall of flames it is a nightmare she lives with she seeks refuge in a convent.
When a soldier is brought to the convent it places them in danger.
Helena’s story is fascinating, parts of which come as a complete surprise. I loved the unexpected twists.

My favourite character was Aurelius, least favourite was Isaac. My first time with this author and it definitely won’t be my last.

Francesca's personal life and career are disasterous so she jumps at the chance to travel to Italy to purchase some rare books. She has a competitor who also wants to secure the deal but they must work togther to find the hidden books.
The Bookseller's Daughter is a dual timeline novel set in the present day and the 1930s-40s. I have previously reviewed The Lost Village by Daniela Sacerdoti.
Francesca has been dumped by her fiance but is still living with him (mostly sleeping on the couch and hoping for their love to reignite). Her career is in tatters due to unpleasant associations with fraud that she was innocent of. Both situations had me gnashing my teeth in rage at the unfairness! She has a chance to prove herself in Italy but finds herself on a quest rather than a simple transaction.
Helena has written a diary in 1944 to chart her experiences of being orphaned but also joining a convent. She has been through a lot of pain and grief due to the deaths of her family when she was younger before subverting the power of the Nazis.
The strength of women is a recurring theme in this book. There are also ghosts to add an extra dimension to the plot. I enjoyed the historical detail included in the book as well as the emotional and supernatural aspects. The writing style brings both timelines to life and the setting is described vividly to underpin the plot and characters.
The Bookseller's Daughter is an engaging and often emotional book.

Daniela Sacredoti’s The Bookseller’s Daughter is a poignant, powerful and emotional tale readers will be completely captivated by.

Francesca arrives on the charming Italian island of Santa Caterina in search of buried treasure: rare books that had been hidden during the Second World War by Helena, the daughter of a bookseller, who had risked everything in order to keep the Nazis from getting their hands on this cherished collection. But Francesca is not alone on the island because the enigmatic owner of this Italian paradise has asked local book collector Thiago along as well and he wants the two of them to find this collection and uncover a secret that spans generations.

With Helena’s diary to guide them, Francesca and Thiago find themselves spending lots of time together and as initial reticence gives way to a friendship neither one of them was expecting, they begin to grow closer and closer. Might this be the second chance Francesca had been hoping for? Or should she tread with caution before putting her heart on the line again?

However, when Helena’s shocking secret come to light, the repercussions from this discovery could end up having serious consequences for Francesca and Thiago. Will the two of them find the courage to fight for their relationship? Or will a future together be out of the question for the two of them?

Daniela Sacredoti’s The Bookseller’s Daughter is an immersive, passionate and intriguing tale of love, courage and sacrifice that sweeps the reader to Italy and into a beautifully rendered and brilliantly evoked world which will be a struggle to leave. Full of nuanced characters and plenty of emotion, intensity and romance, The Bookseller’s Daughter is a superb historical novel that is impossible to put down.

The Bookseller’s Daughter is a story with two timelines. Francesca is present day New York. Things are not as she wants until she is unexpectedly given the opportunity to travel to Italy to purchase a rare collection of books for her employer. It is there that she meets Thiago, an Italian collector also there to purchase the collection. Together they follow the clues to try and find the books that were hidden during World War II. With the diary of Helena, they attempt to piece together where the books were hidden and along the way change their lives.
Daniela Sacerdoti begins with an immediate connection to Francesca. By the time she is given the opportunity to travel to Italy I was already cheering for her.
Thank you, NetGalley and Bookouture for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book.

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

This was a lovely dual timeline historical fiction novel. The book is set both in the present and in 1944 on the small Italian island of Santa Caterina. In the present day, Francesca is sent to Santa Caterina to track down old manuscripts. In the past, nun, Helena, the bookseller's daughter, has hiden he manuscripts to protect them. This was a well told story, I don't believe it was based on actual historical events but still an interesting book and storyline.

In this book Daniela takes us to the 12th and the 21st century. Following the story of Francesca who is stuck in a unforfilling job in Pa but dreams of being a Curator. She also has a rather odd relationship with her boo. Things take a nose dive and she then cannot pass up the opportunity to go back to her roots in Santa Caterina in Italy where she is sent to appraise some special books by her idol. While there she meets a person called Triago and they are both suckec into the life of Helena who is a young woman whose diary they stumble upon which tells them all about her life in ww2. A mystery is unfolded while reading and together they go out to solve it.

I loved the setting of this book and I also liked the way the characters were brought to life. I liked the duel narrative and the mystery that they are wanting to solve along the way.

Another wonderful read by Daniela Sacerdoti. I read this book in one sitting as I had to find out the answers to so many questions posed in the first few chapters.
It has an almost fairytale aspect to the story but what a read!
A dual time line that spans a time before WWII, during WWII and the present day.
I don’t want to give too much away but these is a diary, a collection of illuminated manuscripts, a convent on a secluded island and a history that connects the main characters.
It is a gripping emotional story of bravery, sacrifice and love with a cast of characters you will bond with.
A definite 5/5 read.

Sacerdoti drops the reader into the twentieth and twenty-first centuries in her latest book, The Bookseller’s Daughter. The main storyline follows Francesca, a disillusioned curator trapped in a dull and unfulfilling PA job in a strange relationship with her almost-fiance, from New York City to the island of Santa Caterina in Italy, near her mother’s family’s hometown. Sent to appraise a special collection of books written and illuminated by her historical idol, Francesca meets Triago, and they both read the diary of Helena, a young woman who stayed at the nunnery during World War II. While not what either Francesca or Triago expected, the two of them work together to solve the mystery of their trip to Santa Caterina and of their host Signora Lavinia. Sacerdoti’s characters bring this book to life, and her clear love for language, characters, and Italy shine through the pages of this story. Her characters and settings are vivid and absorbing, and Sacerdoti’s love for her craft adds another layer of whimsical charm to the book. The Bookseller’s Daughter is a dynamic, clever, and creative book that balances the mystery, dual time periods, and historical elements incredibly well, making this book another enthralling success for Sacerdoti.

Absolutely wonderful read from Daniela, I loved everything about it. Fabulous story that moves effortlessly from one time period to another, extremely well written, wonderful story and characters. Highly recommended.

I enjoyed this book. The story was well told and it kept my interest. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the early read.

Francesca Lombardo lives in New York and slaves in a gallery specialising in manuscripts and books. Despite having a PhD, her boss and his daughter walk all over her and make her do menial tasks, such as booking hairdresser appointments and picking up the dry cleaning.

Francesca still lives with her ex-fiancé, Isaac, who is a real piece of work. Just before the wedding, he declared he didn’t want to marry her because their routine was too predictable. Now they take turns to sleep on the sofa in Francesca’s apartment (the lease is under her name). She still hopes that her and Isaac will get back together…

When Francesca is headhunted to appraise medieval manuscripts of Ippolita Von Oswen (much to dismay of her bosses), she heads to Italy to an island of Santa Caterina.

There she meets another potential bidder from Florence, Thiago Palladini (who happens to be quite good looking, which always helps!).

It turns out that Ippolita’s manuscripts are hidden somewhere on the island and it’s Francesca’s and Thiago’s job to find them. Their only clue is a diary dating from WWII, belonging to Helèna Masi, who lived on the island. What’s the connection?

I really enjoyed this book. I finished it in two sittings! I became engrossed in Helèna’s story and was desperate to discover what happened next.

I liked Francesca’s transformation whilst on the island: from the timid pushover, she become more assertive and self-assured. The mystery of the hidden manuscripts and the budding romance between the two main characters also meant that Francesca could start looking forward, rather than backwards.
The second theme in the story is the love of books – the nuns had an amazing library on the island, and Helèna loved books, hence she did everything she could to preserve and protect the precious manuscripts.

It was my first book by this author, but it won’t be my last. I definitely recommend it.

Thanks to Bookouture for the NetGalley widget.

This book had me turning the pages so fast to see what would happen!!!
Thank you Bookouture for inviting me to be part of Books on Tour. “The Bookseller’s Daughter” by Daniela Sacerdoti kept me awake longer than I should have allowed but I couldn’t stop reading!
This story is told from two different timelines.

Helena, 1944 - was a Hungarian Jewish girl, adopted by an Italian family and converted to Catholicism. She moves to a convent for work and is tasked to protect the nuns and ancient manuscripts from the Nazis. She doesn’t plan on meeting a Nazi Commander.

Francesca, present day- is on the Hot Mess Express. She has a terrible job, her work reputation is tarnished and she has a horrible ex boyfriend who she still lives with. She gets tasks to go to Italy to purchase ancient manuscripts. She doesn’t plan on meeting Thiago, an Italian man who is also trying to purchase the books.

What follows is a gripping adventure that will keep you guessing. I love how Helena’s story in the past was told in letter form. I enjoyed her storyline more than Francesca’s. She was a little too much into Issac, her ex. This was my first book by this author, but it won’t be my last!

Many thanks to the author, Bookouture and NetGalley for a complimentary copy of the book. The opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.

A book about saving books. What more do you want. I loved it. A dual timeline story which is strong and emotional with a most beautiful setting. You felt as if you were there. It was a bit of a mystery that needed solving which made it even more interesting.

A hidden book, a diary, a story from the past and a mystery in the present. I loved the premise of this book and story, the mystery which came out of the diary and the characters were perfect. It is a well written book and flows seamlessly making it a very easy book to read.

Thank you NetGalley and Bookouture for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book.

My Review: I was gripped from the beginning, a total page turner. You float between modern day and the days of war. In the 1930s a young girl loses her family to a terrible fire, terrorised by memories and nightmares. In modern day, in the US, a young woman called Francesca is tasked with going to Italy to acquire a manuscript as per the sellers request. She leaves her sister Sophia behind as she travels to Santa Caterina to meet with Lavinia, who has also invited Thiago along, who is also interested in acquiring the manuscript. Together, they must uncover secrets of the past to get to the manuscript. Discovering sadness, strength, war, loss and love will they find what they are looking for? A recommended 5 star read.

A suspenseful story that kept me engaged throughout the book.
The story is told in 2 timelines and the location for both is Northern Italy. Mystery abounds with a diary and a manuscript….and, two women trying to save past relics.
Lots of historical reference/information throughout the story kept me very intrigued in the story.
I enjoyed the romance angle.
All in all, a captivating historical fiction book I encourage you to read. The authors writing draws you into the story in a way you feel you are right there with the characters.
Thank you to NetGalley, Bookouture and the author for the opportunity to read this book for my honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.

This is my first read by this author, but what a brilliant introduction!
A story containing Italy, a dual timeline, a manuscript, a diary, a mystery about the war... honestly, this is literally my perfect premise! I couldn't sign up quick enough.
This was exactly what I hoped it would be. A wonderfully gripping story but with emotion and amazing characters. I couldn't wait to get back to the story each day.

This was a quaint and charming read. The overall plot had enough suspense to keep me intrigued throughout. I found that Helena was the only truly developed character. The unraveling of her story via the letter styled diary entries was on point. I felt that the more present timeline didn't capture my attention as much. Some of that timeline felt forced and largely unnecessary. The story was mostly predictable but there were some unexpected twists. I found Lavinia to be a total enigma and that was both good and bad. Readers will find themes of dedication, courage, despair, redemption, friendship, and love.

Such a beautiful story. What happens when you fall in love with the competition? After a broken engagement Francesca needs to get away from the memories and what could be better than going off to the exotic location of Italy? Asked to go there by her boss she is to purchase a rare and very valuable book from a collector. She is not the only one though who wants this book, a handsome young man is also after the same book. Arriving at her destination she is made aware this will be like a treasure hunt she and Thiago, the Italian collector, will have to locate the manuscripts using clues written about in an old diary. In this time slip we get to experience the diary of Helena a young girl who lived on the beautiful Italian island of Santa Caterina during WWII. She has hidden the manuscripts to ensure their safety during the Nazi invasion. I enjoyed reading both time periods equally. The descriptions of the island and the search has an almost mystical quality to it that I enjoyed very much. Helena and Francesca’s story are similar in the sense that they both fall in love with who you wouldn’t expect them to. The words just flowed as I read, and I had such a hard time putting this down. Such unexpected twists and turns in this book I just loved it.

I was given a complimentary copy of this book.

All opinions expressed are my own.

The Bookseller’s Daughter is the new book from Daniella Sacerdoti which has two main themes. Those being the determination of women to rise again after they have fallen and also a love of books and knowledge shines through at every opportunity. I found this to be a very quick read so much so that despite enjoying the story I did find myself wanting more. At times I felt it only scratched the surface of things where a little more in-depth analysis or description was needed as I found some of the events were rushed through. But look, that’s me being super picky because really Daniella Sacerdoti has written an atmospheric and intriguing story with a twist at the end which had me reeling. In fact I’d love to chat to people who have read or will go on to read the book as it was quite an ambiguous conclusion.

The brief prologue opens in Venice in 1930 as Helena, one of the main female characters, tells the reader how her father and mother were lost in a fire that consumed their bookshop. She firmly believes that her sister Hanna survived, although how she did so and her whereabouts now are not known so Helena is not aware of her beliefs regarding the outcome for Hanna are true or not. Helena was adopted by a well-to-do family in Venice although the matriarch of said family didn’t treat her the best believing she should stay in the home and receive no education and instead wait on her in her hour of need. Her adopted brother Jacopo has always been her protector but the nightmare of what happened to her family lingers over her haunting her whenever given the opportunity.

Once the story proper begins the chapters alternate seamlessly between Helena in the war years and Francesca in 2022. Francesca lives in New York working in a gallery. She is an art historian and palaeographer specialising in manuscripts and books. She loves her chosen profession but in the job she has the daughter of owner treats her like a dogsbody and she isn’t able to do what she has been employed to do. So despite being in a job that she should love, given the work that is involved, she is not at all happy and neither is she in her persona life. Her engagement to Isaac has been broken off yet she still shares an apartment with him as he needs her for her share of the rent. Francesca still harbours deep feelings for Isaac and throughout the book the reader can tell that she really wants to get back with him and make a go of things. Whereas it’s evident that Isaac is of the complete opposite opinion. I really wanted to give Francesca a good shake and say why are you moping around after a man that has clearly moved on from you even if he still uses her for money. Throughout the book as she navigates the ‘quest’ that she has been sent on thoughts of Isaac still linger on and I just wanted her to get a grip and move on.

But this is not the story of Francesca and Isaac and to be honest I didn’t want it to be as I was keen to delve back into the past. Francesca is given the opportunity to secure a famous set of illuminated medieval manuscripts, which if she is successful will change the fortunes of the gallery. Soon, she finds herself in Italy, specifically the lakes where lies Santa Caterina island. Lavinia is caretaker of the manuscripts at Santa Caterina which once was a convent for nuns. Francesca and Thiago, who has arrived from a different gallery and also wants to bid for the manuscripts, are both tasked by Lavinia to find the manuscripts. Whoever does so first will be the one to secure them for their gallery.

So sets in motion a quest or challenge of sorts and through this process Helena’s story is revealed piece by piece. To be honest when we reached this point and it was fairly early on in the book, I completely forgot about Francesca and what she was going through personally as I became so engrossed in Helena’s developing story. Yes, there are things that happen to Francesca which start to make her open her eyes and see where her life path should be going and she does become very good friends with Thiago as they share the reading of Helena’s diary in order to find clues as to where the famed manuscripts could be hidden.

Helena’s story had me completed engrossed right from the moment Francesca and Thiago turned to the very first page of the diary. Helena is writing to Hanna, as if she is still alive, and she reveals her experiences and how she came to be on the island. When Helena’s adopted mother died and the war came calling at her door she knew given her past experiences that she would need to seek refuge and sanctuary. Being a Hungarian Jew during World War Two meant she had a price upon her head. After escaping the massacre which killed her parents Helena is determined that she will survive the war. She gets work at the Santa Caterina convent and pretends to be a nun where she will help the small community with the heavy jobs. If the war wasn’t raging this would seem like an idyllic existence but Helena always has a sense of fear and unease shrouding her. She is filled with anguish that she may be discovered and the community of nuns will be disrupted and the worst befall them.

What really intrigued me was how Helena fell in love with the library at the convent and particularly the illuminated manuscripts written and designed many years ago by Ippolita, a nun who fought to express herself in a world that wanted to put her into a box a bit like I could envision Helena doing if given the chance. Helena really connected with her, as did Francesca, which highlights the power of women which is one of the main themes throughout the book. The education and knowledge that had been previously been denied to Helena was coming to the fore and I loved how she engaged with cataloguing the library. She seemed happy in her life there knowing that the war was near but that she remained safe although at times she does long for normality and to find some love.

Some sinister and almost ghostly things occur as they do too for Francesca in the present and normally I would scoff and roll my eyes to heaven at this but here it all worked perfectly and that’s what made the story so atmospheric, moody and dark at times. There was a fascinating story unfolding as to how the manuscripts came to be hidden and how Helena through pretending to be someone else must confront what she fears the most. The last quarter or so of the book became very tense and my heart was in my mouth as I read and there were plenty of twists and turns. I didn’t expect things to turn out the way they did for Helena as with the war and sides etc everything in my mind seemed pretty clear cut especially given her heritage but Daniela Sacerdoti made it work and it came across as real and genuine.

Despite at times as mentioned feeling the story needed a bit more depth, overall I really enjoyed The Bookseller’s Daughter. I am glad it wasn’t an all out World War Two book instead this was merely the backdrop for a different story unfolding. A hunt for manuscripts turns into much more and in a delightful and escapist manner which has you turning the pages rapidly. It’s another enjoyable story from Daniela Sacerdoti and I’m already looking forward to reading her next book.