I received an audiobook arc of this book and frankly was not able to get into it because of the accent (appropriate for the context of the book), that was more personal preference.

I also did not like Ambra. I understand people behaving they way she did if they were being highly impacted by the war. But she had a good home, nice friends and still ended up like a selfish brat.
Nicolo and Nina were good together and brave and it was nice to see that they got their happy ending.

I liked the setting, the pacing was okay. Overall this is not the best WWII movie, I have read.

#TheLostSecretsoftheItalianPostOffice #NetGalley

I was lucky to get a digital and an audio ARC.
An amazing tale that’s set in Italy during World War Two by three friends that tests their friendship, trust and love. It was captivating and an emotionally tragic story, and at the same time an inspiring historical book.
Highly recommend this book. I loved and enjoyed reading this story. Another sad but informative book.
The narrator did an excellent job in reading the book.

With so much thanks to NetGalley and to the publisher Bonnier UK Audio and Embla Books

The Lost Secrets of the Italian Post Office By Amanda Weinberg and Silvia Mazzola - this was a first by this author for me and over all a good read.

The story takes you to 1943 Italy as war comes closer to two childhood friends, Ambra and Nina. As "life", secrets, and loyalties are tested, can their friendship last?

I listened to this in audio and did find it a little confusing to follow as the story changes with different points of view - if you are a fan of this era, I'd go for the print version with this read.

I usually read a few books each year that take place during World War II and this sounded interesting since it takes place in Italy. Ambra and Nina's stories held my attention and it really made me think about those who lived through the war in that area. They are best friends but end up being so different from one another. One does all she can to help with the war efforts and the other seems to be only concerned about what she can get for herself. This story is told by their viewpoints along with the Post Office itself which was unique.

I listened to the audio book and enjoyed it quite a lot. I did have a hard time with the Italian accent at times. I had to slow the speed down to make sure I didn't miss anything. But all in all, The Lost Secrets of the Italian Post Office is well worth the read!

Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review. All opinions are my own.

Publication date: 30 June 2025

This was a different and unique approach to a WWII story. It wasn't my favorite story or the worst I have listened to. The narrator was not my favorite, the book would be better just reading it. Overall I would recommend it to people who love these kinds of stories.

This isn't my normal genre, but I really enjoyed it. I love unique stories, even if a bit confusing at first, and the perspective of the post office was definitely unique. Thanks, NetGalley!

Interesting take on Italy during Hitler’s invasion… and how things changed there.

Two childhood friends, Nina and Ambra, grow up and spread their wings during this time. One loses her Mom, the other her Dad… and this brings them even closer as they bond during these difficult times. And as the awe draws closer and closer to them, secrets are kept. Vows are made. And people change… sometimes not for the better…

While one of them is working to try to make things better for everyone around them, the other decides that she’ll be spending time with soldiers from the other side in order to get stockings or lipstick or whatever they can give her to make her life better. 😫

When things start to get really bad, their friendship really starts to unravel.

It’s sad to read about all the awful things that happened during these years, but it’s also very enlightening to see how different countries, towns, people were affected.

4 big, scary, sad 🌟🌟🌟🌟 for me!

#TheLostSecretsOfTheItalianPostOffice by @AmandaWeinberg and @SilviaMazzola and narrated nicely by @VictoriaFox.

*** THIS ONE HAS ALREADY BEEN RELEASED!! PLEASE LOOK 👀 FOR IT ON SHELVES NOW!!! ***

Thanks so much to #NetGalley and #BonnierUKAudio and #EmblaBooks for an ARC of the audiobook, in exchange for an honest review.

You can find my reviews on: Goodreads,
Insta @BookReviews_with_emsr and/or
My Facebook Book Club: Book Reviews With Elaine

Thanks so much for reading! And if you ‘liked’ my review, please share with your friends, & click ‘LIKE’ below… And, let me know YOUR thoughts if you read it!! 📚⭐️

This is a fast paced spy thriller any WW2 historical fiction reader will love. It's engaging, sad, thrilling, poignant, and everything in between. The narrator was engaging and added to the thrill of the story.

I listened to the audio edition of The Lost Secrets of the Italian Post Office by Amanda Weinberg and Silvia Mazzola. The narrator, Victoria Fox, was absolutely amazing, providing differing voices for all the characters, both old and young, male and female, while also using Italian and German accents when appropriate and even a Canadian accent near the end of the story.

I really enjoy historical fiction books set in WWII and this one was unique in that it focuses on what happened in a small Italian village instead of the usual English, German, or French perspectives. It focuses on the lives of three young friends, Ambra, Nina, and Nicolo. When a relationship develops between Nina and Nicolo, Ambra immediately does some vindictive things out of jealousy that seems out of character for someone who's been best friends with the someone for over a decade. I understand being hurt, but she went over the top in several instances. Once I got past not liking Ambra's character at all, I enjoyed listening to what the anti-fascists did in their efforts to help their own citizens survive such a terrible ordeal, especially as it involved what happened inside the local post office.

I think my biggest issue with this story is that it is told through different points of view that change abruptly from first person to third person. In truth, I'm not sure who was the first person's voice (perhaps the post office itself)? Nevertheless, if you would like a different take on a WWII story, especially one involving a small Italian village, you should give The Lost Secrets of the Italian Post Office a try.

Thank you to the author, narrator, publisher and Net Galley for providing an e-ARL of this title.

Historical fiction books set in WWII are hit or miss for me, but I was hopeful for this one due to the title and that it is set in Italy, which is a nice change. But this one fell short for me a bit. I felt like it was a slow story and lots of unnecessary filler parts that didn't really add to the overall story.
As this is based on true events, I could feel the emotion from the details. The history lesson about fascism was an interesting addition.

This is told through multiple POVs, including the POV of the post office building. Narrator did a great job of giving different voices, including accents for some of the characters.

3 stars

This story follows three childhood friends thrown into war-torn Italy. The friends loyalties are tested with the war, and long standing familial beliefs. Ambre, the daughter of the postmaster, longs for a more glamorous life. Her best friend, Nina, wants to fight the fascist regime however she can. When Nicolo, another childhood friends, asks Nina for help and to keep a secret, a rift between friends starts to grow. Can the friends survive secrets and betrayal while also trying to survive a country at war? Told through multiple POVs, including a unique POV of the post office building, this story will keep readers engaged. The narrator, Victoria Fox, is extremely talented and I often forgot that this was not a dual narration. Her different voices were distinguishable and easy to identify who was talking. I did have to listen to this one a little slower than normal, because some characters had heavy accents, which added to the authenticity of the story.

The Lost Secrets Of The Italian Post Office by Amanda Weinberg and Silvia Mazzola. Narrated by Victoria Fox.

I love historical fiction, war stories etc… and this did not disappoint. It was inspired by true events. The narrator Victoria Fox done a great job narrating various characters, in Italian voices. Ambra’s voice was so annoying that it suited her character and made me dislike her even more lol. Great story, I can’t imagine how it would have been to live through those times in WW2, under the reign of fascist Benito Mussolini. I liked Nina’s character a lot and the risks she took to help those in the camps. 4 stars

I am an avid fan of WWII historical fiction novels and this is a great perspective of many Italians during that period. The small towns were tired of the fascist regime and wanted a peaceful country life. This novel is full of friendship, betrayal, anger, and love. The novel started out slow but the pace picked up in the middle. Unfortunately, I only had an audiobook and was very disappointed in the narrator trying to speak with an Italian accent. She spoke so swiftly and the women’s voices high pitched that sometimes it was difficult to comprehend. I would recommend a hard copy of the book.