"The Florence Letter" by Anita Chapman is a captivating tale that seamlessly intertwines past and present against the picturesque backdrop of Florence. At the heart of the story is Claire, a researcher grappling with a broken heart who stumbles upon a wartime secret hidden within the walls of a grand English country house. This secret revolves around Lady Violet, whose scandalous affair with an Italian prisoner of war left a lasting mark on a village and ended in tragedy.
Driven by curiosity and compassion, Claire embarks on a journey to fulfill a dying wish sparked by a letter penned decades ago. Her quest leads her to Florence, guided only by a bakery's name and aided by her charming neighbor Jim. As she delves deeper into Violet's history, Claire's own life becomes entwined with the mysteries of the past. Chapman skillfully crafts a narrative that evokes the sights, scents, and emotions of both wartime England and modern-day Italy, immersing the reader in Claire's quest for truth and redemption.
The characters in "The Florence Letter" are vividly drawn, each with their own compelling stories and secrets. Claire's determination to uncover the truth about Violet and reunite her family resonates throughout the novel, as does her blossoming connection with Jim amidst the backdrop of Florence's enchanting streets and delectable cuisine.
Chapman's writing effortlessly blends romance, historical intrigue, and the poignant exploration of family dynamics. The revelation of long-buried secrets adds layers of complexity to the narrative, ensuring that readers are kept engaged until the final page. The pacing is well-balanced, with each chapter unveiling new revelations that deepen the emotional stakes for Claire and those she encounters along her journey.
Ultimately, "The Florence Letter" is a testament to the enduring power of love, forgiveness, and the importance of confronting the past. It will appeal to fans of Lucinda Riley and Fiona Valpy, offering a richly satisfying blend of historical mystery and contemporary romance set against a backdrop of timeless Italian charm. Anita Chapman has crafted a novel that lingers in the mind, inviting readers to lose themselves in a story where the echoes of the past resonate deeply in the present.

Thanks to Netgalley and Bookouture for an advance copy of my review

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This novel presents a fascinating dual-timeline narrative. In the present, the story unfolds in a normal way. However, the past is revealed through the diary entries of a woman who chronicled nearly her entire life, and she's now searching for someone in the present.

The tale starts in the early 1940s in the UK amidst the war and relentless bombings. Mags, after losing her job due to a bombing, reluctantly searches for new employment, keen to avoid becoming a servant like her family before her. Yet, circumstances lead her to become a lady's maid for Lady Violet.

Her life takes a turn when she meets Luca, a charming POW working on a farm, and they quickly fall for each other. Their paths cross again during an outing with Lady Violet, where Luca's attention is fixed on Mags alone.

As the story unfolds, we delve into the life of the 1940s, observing how the war's impact varied greatly depending on one's social status.

Fast forward to the present, Claire is working on an 'Under the Stairs' exhibition when she stumbles upon a hidden letter. Her efforts to reach the author lead to a blossoming correspondence that enriches the narrative.

Meanwhile, Claire's growing friendship with her neighbor and colleague, Jim, intertwines with the unraveling mysteries of the past.

It's a beautifully layered story, rich with complex characters and a deep sense of history.

I really enjoyed this. Set in two different times, from two points of views and both link back to a manor estate.
I loved the writting style, but also how gripping the story was. Both timelines interlinked and where seperate and clear when being told, but also loves how both come together towards the end.
I also liked the time spend in florence and reminded me of my time there.
I felt certain parts where very true to the times, and yet mags (WW2) was still able to have a better life, loved how she grew and developed and her determination. Which also claire (present day) also had.
I can't wait to read more by Anita as it was gripping and didn't want to put it down.
This isn't a heavy historical fiction, so if you are looking to try the genre I would recommend this book.

This was a beautiful book that I thoroughly enjoyed & I'm looking forward to reading more from this author. I always enjoy a dual timeline and the author has created a wonderful story spanning decades with The Florence Letter. The beautiful majestic Gately Hall creates a stunning backdrop for both timelines where we follow Margaret working as a maid to Lady Violet during the 1940's & then Claire when she accepts a job setting up an exhibition in the hall in 2015. Both stories are interwoven, seamlessly coming together by the end of the book, and the story flows beautifully. I loved how this story was brought together, we followed Margaret through her life in the 40s during the war and then saw Claire investigating Margaret's life and piecing together what happened back then and her journey to fulfill the task set out in the letter, a really clever & interesting premise.

I really enjoyed the historical side to Margaret's story with the author portraying the time period really well yet I also absolutely loved when Claire's story brought us to the modern street's of Florence, the descriptions and atmosphere were brilliant & I felt like I was walking through the streets there myself.

This was such an enjoyable, well written read with two likeable characters whose lives and journeys I became very invested in, I also found that the author concluded their stories perfectly. I would absolutely recommend The Florence Letter.

London, 1940; Margaret lived in London and worked in a shop that was destroyed in a bombing. She decided to relocate the country and take a job as a Lady’s maid. She works for Lady Violet at Gatley Manor. The year is now 2015 and Claire has a new job as researcher at a beautiful house in the country. She is brokenhearted and welcomes the fresh start and new beginning. While working at the house, she finds an old tattered letter buried in the back of a drawer. It told the story of Lady Violet who had a daughter Tabitha. Claire was enthralled by the letter, and promised to find Tabitha. She travels to Florence, Italy the last known place for Tabitha. But, once Tabitha was found, it wasn’t what Claire had expected.

The Florence Letter written by author Anita Chapman was a captivating dual timeline story. Chapman amazingly wove together the past and the present, keeping my attention from cover to cover. I was completely entranced by the storyline, while rapidly flipping the pages to the very end. I enjoyed the characters and Claire was my favorite. She was determined to find Tabitha even though she was dealing with her own heartbreak. This wonderful story was wonderful and I loved the detailed description of Florence. If you’re ready to go to Italy, this is the perfect story to transport you there. I highly recommend this book.

I loved this book ... thank you Anita Chapman. This has a dual timeline - we are witnessing Mags life during the war while Claire is investigating her life and the scandals which happened during this time. We are witness to Mags life and the changes that she had to go through and the sacrifices that she had to make for family and love. We then follow Claire investigating the history and putting this together for a exhibition. All I can tell you is that you need to read this beautiful story.

This is one of those dual timeline reads that will take you on a journey to places you may have never been. From the twinkling city lights of Florence we have Clare following a letter she found to Violet (and her daughter) who has secrets and who also escaped the Blitz all those years ago.

There is so much to this story that is intriguing and interesting, so much that will make your heart feel the feelings of all the people in this story. It is a story of the past, the present, family, secrets and love. Also it is a story of forgiveness. It is a wonderful read and one I couldn't put down. I loved all the stories and how the entwined with each other. I loved the characters and that in love and truth things can always get better and people can always heal.

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

The Florence Letter by Anita Chapman was a captivating story.
The writing was beautifully done. And held me hostage from beginning to end.

Thank You NetGalley and Bookouture for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this amazing eARC!

What a lovely read this was!

I loved the dual timelines & how they wove into each other. There were a lot of characters in each timeline but they all added to the story and had their role in the lives of the main characters.

The ending left me wanting more, but I think had it dived into more, the book would have been too long. I was left hoping everyone had their “happily ever after” and relationships were healed.

Some characteristics of a few of the male characters left something to be desired. I had so much hope for Tom! And Jim, ugh. How could he be so hot & cold towards Claire? I wanted to shake some sense into him.

Overall this was a really good book & one I’d recommend.

Thank you NetGalley & Bookouture for your generosity for my honest review.

Set over two timelines with two main characters, Margaret (Mags) during WW2 and Claire in 2015 the story has the backdrop of a Surrey landscape with the majestic Gatley Hall at its heart. I’m going to show my age here in referencing a UK 1970s TV programme but with the ‘Upstairs Downstairs‘ vibe during Mags’s part of the story of her life as a lady’s maid to Lady Violet at Gatley Hall, there is drama, secrets, scandal and tragedy including a promise that Mags, now 91, is desperately hoping to fulfill.

As sometimes happens with dual timelines, there is one era in particular that I am drawn to and here it was Mags – I was entranced by her life in service and indeed, what happened afterwards. In taking the maid’s role under sufferance when losing her much loved job following the bombing of her London department store, Mags showed a surprising adaptability and loyalty, sometimes misplaced, to those she was fond of.

Thirty year old Claire’s involvement came via a letter. Tasked with arranging an exhibition which focuses on life ‘Below Stairs’ at Gatley Hall, no longer in private ownership but which is now under the auspices of the Association of Treasured Properties, she comes across a letter which intrigues her and which pulls the two timelines together. With a complicated backstory- and an awful ex-boyfriend, Claire seemed, at least initially, the more fragile character and I was hoping that she would find the confidence to put a stop to her questionable decisions. Well drawn characters complete both parts of the story with even the minor supporting ones making an impact, whether for good or bad.

I loved the part set in Florence, a favourite city. Evocative and atmospheric, this was delightful armchair travelling. In fact all locations including the Surrey countryside were vividly described giving that all important sense of place. There was also a nod to ‘A Room with a View‘ – a book by E M Forster that I have never read but am now tempted by as it features several times in the story.

Background research which educates but does not overwhelm the story is always a welcome addition for me. Historical detail is included which has relevance to the story, including mentions of the wartime Mass Observation project, where volunteers from all over Britain took part by writing about their day to day experiences which were later published in the form of diaries. There was so much to like about Anita Chapman’s second historical novel. There is romance – a will/they won’t they situation, much drama and long held secrets with devastating consequences. A captivating read which I very much enjoyed.

Time is running out for Margaret – now in her nineties – as she searches for the mysterious Tabitha and needs to carry out Lady Violet’s dying wish, to pass on a piece of valuable jewellery. Her letters to Gately Hall – where she lived and worked as a lady’s maid during wartime – have gone unanswered until Claire finds one in a drawer when she takes up her job of organising a “below stairs” exhibition at the hall. Initially seeing it as an interesting focus for her display – Margaret must have interesting stories about her time at the hall – Claire becomes caught up in the search for Tabitha, travelling to Florence and uncovering a number of deeply hidden secrets.

When a dual time story is this well written, with linked stories that are equally engaging, it’s fairly guaranteed that it’ll be a personal favourite. The timelines are beautifully managed, with Margaret’s experiences slowly revealed, the reader often a step ahead of Claire as she digs more deeply into the mystery – and I particularly liked the fact that the stories didn’t unfold over alternate chapters, but were allowed to flow as they needed to. The pacing is clever too – the story lingers over Margaret’s time at the hall, her experience of service and her developing relationship with Lady Violet, society’s constraints and expectations for a single woman at that point in history particularly well captured, with moments of drama and heartbreak, then skips through the major events in her difficult later life. Her whole story is tremendously engaging at an emotional level – and laced with secrets that later surface.

Claire’s story is equally well told – a fresh start for her after a difficult time, when she finds herself living in a cottage next door to ranger Jim, a friendship that might just develop into something rather more. But my goodness, she makes some very questionable choices along the way – and there are most certainly some obstacles to them ever being more than friends. I really enjoyed their will they/won’t they story though – and even more so when they found themselves, rather unexpectedly, travelling to Italy in search of the bakery that might provide the clues they need to solve the mystery of Tabitha’s disappearance. The Italian settings are perfectly handled, with the loveliest detail – I really felt I was there too.

While the mystery really is entirely enthralling, I also enjoyed the mirroring between the two stories – in different circumstances, both women make fresh starts, experience heartbreak, struggle with relationships. And, I have to say, I was totally invested in both their stories – and found their conclusion particularly satisfying. A really lovely read, and one I’d very much recommend.

The Florence Letter by Anita Chapman.
This was a good read. I loved the cover and blurb. I did like Claire and Jim. When he was there to use her shower was funny. I liked Margaret. I liked the writing style. I did like the ending. 4*.

The Florence Letter is the first book I have read by this new-to-me author, Anita Chapman. I have seen her name before and this book looked to be the kind of dual timeline historical fiction I enjoy reading. I was right it is a lovely story with drama, heartaches and hardships but also one of finding purpose and peace. Not everyone is happy for the truth or secrets to be revealed but as time moves on it become important for it to be so.

A story of a young woman in present with problems on her own but finds helping someone else, helps her too. Take a visit with Claire to the city of Florence in the story, The Florence Letter

Thanks to the Publisher and Netgalley for an early review copy.

I enjoyed reading this dual timeline story.

It’s 1940 and Margaret is working at Gately Hall, her job is that of a maid. Now in 2015, Claire has been given a job in the same hall.

When she’s there, she comes across a letter, which was written not long ago, it’s from Margaret, and wants some help in locating Tabitha. But, who is she and where is she,

Margaret was advised by the mistress she worked for to give one item of jewellery to Tabitha, her daughter. But as Tabitha is missing. Margaret doesn’t have much time left to do the job she was instructed with.

We read about how Claire goes to Florence., where Margaret also travelled to much later in her life.

Both storylines are linked and join up by the end of the story.

I highly recommend this book.

I'm a big fan of books set in Italy so was most grateful to be approved for this book. It is the first book that I have read by Chapman and it most certainly won't be the last. I think she has succeeded in this dual timeline novel, delving back in time to during WWII as well as 2015 where we meet Claire who is tasked with creating an exhibition. There are secrets lurking in at this grand English country house. One did come through as unexpected. Certainly brought Florence to life.

I went into this book with high hopes, having loved Anita’s first book, and was thrilled to discover another beautifully constructed, dual-timeline story. This time, we join Claire as she uncovers the details of a wartime romance and the fallout from the decisions that were made during that intense time.
The story looks back at the wartime years and follows the life of Lady’s Maid, Margaret and her mistress, Lady Violet. Margaret is escaping the horrors of life in wartime London and takes a post at Gatley Hall. We spend a fair amount of time with ‘Mags’ and Lady Violet, and we see a certain level of friendship develop between them both. Sadly, their story leads to heartbreak, and it falls on Claire, four decades later, to keep a promise. The war years felt quite different, and the attitude to relationships felt accelerated. With the frailty of life being a daily reminder, snap decisions were made, and relationships were entered into without truly getting to know someone.
I really enjoyed Claire’s story and her determination to keep the promise detailed in the letter discovered in a drawer. Claire’s travels to Florence with her companion, Jim, were very much a source of adventure, and I was definitely invested in them discovering the secrets of the past. What I didn’t anticipate was the impact that their discovery would have on them personally.
There is quite a magical air with this book, and I was easily absorbed into both parts and totally invested in a happy ending. Anita’s writing is quite beautiful, and I absolutely adored all the elements, from Lady Violet’s clandestine affair to Claire’s discovery of Tabitha. This story packs a real punch and I can highly recommend picking it up.

This story is told by Mags and Claire in alternating chapters. The story weaves back and forth from past and present. Both stories kept my interest to the end. There is a surprise towards the end that I wasn’t expecting. There’s also a sweet romance to add to the story.

The Florence Letter by Anita Chapman

The synopsis:

Claire arrives at her new job as researcher at a grand English country house, nursing a broken heart. But tucked into the back of a long-forgotten drawer she finds a letter written in an elegant hand. It tells of a wartime secret about the beautiful Lady Violet – whose passionate affair with an Italian prisoner of war scandalised the village and ended in tragedy.



Captivated, Claire promises to find Violet’s daughter, Tabitha, and reunite her with a priceless piece of her mother’s jewellery. With only the name of an Italian bakery, Pasticceria Mancini, to guide her, and the help of her handsome neighbour Jim, Claire travels to Tabitha’s last known location – Florence.



Winding through the colourful streets, the sun warm on her bare shoulders, a tantalising scent of freshly baked bread floats on the air and Claire’s heart leaps at the sight of an ageing bakery sign: Mancini. Although she learns that Tabitha hasn’t been there for many years, Claire refuses to give up. And as she and Jim talk late into the night over glasses of local chianti, Claire looks into his piercing blue eyes and finds herself growing closer to him…



But when they finally track Tabitha down, it isn’t the happy reunion she expected and Claire is left reeling in the wake of discovering a devastating family secret.

Violet’s story has an ending – but will the truth lead to forgiveness, or will it only bring more pain? And will Claire be forced to walk away from a chance of happiness with Jim at last?



Escape to Italy in this gorgeous story of past and present colliding. Readers of Lucinda Riley and Fiona Valpy will be utterly enchanted by this sweeping, romantic page-turner.

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I absolutely love historical fiction, so I was really excited when I heard about this book, and got an advanced readers copy. I do think this story has a lot of potential, but it unfortunately didn’t live up to my expectations.

First of all, I feel like the title and synopsis do not represent the whole story. The book is barely set in Italy. It is mostly in England. There were a few chapters in Italy, but that wasn’t until 60% of the book - and that was just one chapter in which Margaret visited Italy. Claire doesn’t go there until 80% of the book, and she’s only there for a few days.

Secondly, the pacing. The pacing was quite slow at first, with lots of details and getting to know the characters and their background, but then all of a sudden the story progressed really quick. Months and months went by, and then even decades. From the 1940s to 80s and 90s, until the present, all in a few chapters. I understand that we get the whole story this way, but it felt a bit rushed.
Also, we as the readers already learn all about the secrets in the past timeline, but Claire doesn’t know about them yet. So we basically follow the same story again through Claire’s pov in the present timeline. This unfortunately felt a bit repetitive to me.

Don’t get me wrong, I did enjoy the story and even finished it in two days, so that definitely says something. I especially enjoyed the past timeline in the 1940s. I liked Margaret and loved following her journey! I also liked Jim. Unfortunately, I didn’t feel connected to Claire nor Helen, and couldn’t follow some of their choices or things both of them said and did. I did like the ending, it was wrapped up nicely!

I recommend The Florence Letter if you enjoy a historical fiction with a past and present timeline and lots of twists and turns. Just keep in mind that it is barely set in Italy - however, the setting in the countryside England was very cozy nonetheless. :)

Thank you for the chance to read this ARC in return for my honest opinion.

I had not read the previous book by this author so didn't know her style or what to expect.

I enjoyed the dual timeline aspect and the way it merged into modern times - I also liked the way that the different chapters were titled so that it was easy to see who one was reading about. Perhaps dates would have made the 'Margaret' side of the story much clearer.

I had no seen what would happen when Claire and Jim finally made it to Florence and how that side of the story would pan out. I felt that this side of the book could have had more context earlier on within the narrative. To put more would provide major spoilers for those that read reviews before choosing a book to read.

This is well written - following contemporary life and that in WW2 at Gately Hall. Claire could be tiresome in not telling her ex that he was just that her ex but this also provided part of the storyline.

All in all a great read - specially if sat beside a pool sipping a cold drink.

An enjoyable, cosy dual timeline story of two women whose lives are connected by their work at an English stately home, Gatley Hall.
I found the ending satisfying but must admit there were times when I felt quite frustrated with the main character of Claire, who made some dubious choices and could be a tad insensitive at choices. Her romance didn’t have quite enough chemistry to convince me. Nevertheless, there were moments which made me smile and I did feel Claire developed and grew as a person towards the end of the book. There were also some evocative scenes in Florence, although I found the most immersive parts of the story were those set in WWII.
A 3.5 star read for me. I haven’t yet read the author’s previous book but will aim to do so.
Thank you to the publisher, the author and NetGalley for the ARC which I read in exchange for an honest review.