Daniela Sacerdoti

"Watch Over Me" was a touching, emotional story that I thoroughly enjoyed. The narrative was split into three and I enjoyed the different perspectives. At first, I was a bit concerned with Elizabeth's voice but it worked and wasn't over the top.

The little Scottish village, Glen Avich, was enchanting; I could picture it clearly. It reminded me a little of Brigadoon, a musical I have always loved. Eilidh and Jamie were very easy to like as they struggled to rebuild their lives after show more devastating losses and Maisie, Jamie's little girl, was nothing short of an angel. There were also some wonderful supporting characters that I immediately warmed to when I met them.

Beautifully written, "Watch Over Me" was a gentle story about love, friendship, families and second chances that touches the reader's heart. show less

I have several of Daniela Sacerdoti's books on my mountainous TBR pile as they just really appeal to me. I think the Scottish setting is a big part of that and when I got my hands on a review copy of Keep Me Safe I was looking forward to it so much, not least because it's set on a small Scottish island.

Anna and Ava are the main characters and I liked both of them very much, but there are also a small number of other characters who are central to the story, including the rather lovely show more Sorren, whom Anna meets when she gets to the island called Seal. Despite the anxiety that sent them there in the first place, it all sounded rather idyllic and I found myself in that rather whimsical place I go to when I imagine Scottish islands! Seal is portrayed in such an attractive way I wanted to go there myself.

There are themes of reincarnation and having 'the Sight' in this book, and that is slightly out of my comfort zone as I find suspending belief a little difficult sometimes. But Sacerdoti deals with it beautifully. It's all quite believable and magical and sweet.

Keep Me Safe is romantic and gentle and I found it to be a lovely book to read. It's the first in a series and I'm not sure where it will go next as everything got tied up rather nicely at the end but I'd definitely been keen to return to Seal. I did find a little tear creeping its way into the corner of my eye at the conclusion. It really was all quite charming. show less

Full Disclosure: I received an advance copy of this book in exchange for writing an impartial review.

What makes historical fiction my favorite literary genre is the ability to learn more about history while disappearing into a good story. And THE ITALIAN VILLA gave me both.

Author Daniela Sacerdoti uses a structure I find many contemporary authors turn to these days -- telling two distinct stories of two characters from different time periods and only fully explaining how the two stories show more connect at the very end of the book:
• The first story belongs to Callie, a self-reliant Texas waitress who grew up in foster care after her parents died, and is now trying to figure out what to do with her life.
• A second story is Elise's. She is an ambitious woman living in a small Italian village who wants to become a doctor at a time when women simply did not do that. And she makes that commitment on the brink of World War II. Her story is told through her diary, which suddenly comes into Callie's possession.

I won't spoil the pleasure of discovering for yourselves how the lives of these two determined young women evolve -- but I will say their stories are compelling and will keep you turning page after page. (I read the book in 2 days). There are long-buried family secrets to be uncovered. Plenty of romance, even for reluctant lovers. You'll experience the slower pace of contemporary life in a small Italian village, where everyday gossip and interpersonal feuds sometimes originate in the history of families that have lived together for generations. And, of course, there's also the death, random violence, and uncertainly of living during wartime.

My one criticism of the writing is a periodic tendency toward trite phrases. But I did not find that kept me from enjoying this novel overall.

Merged review:

Full Disclosure: I received an advance copy of this book in exchange for writing an impartial review.

What makes historical fiction my favorite literary genre is the ability to learn more about history while disappearing into a good story. And THE ITALIAN VILLA gave me both.

Author Daniela Sacerdoti uses a structure I find many contemporary authors turn to these days -- telling two distinct stories of two characters from different time periods and only fully explaining how the two stories connect at the very end of the book:
• The first story belongs to Callie, a self-reliant Texas waitress who grew up in foster care after her parents died, and is now trying to figure out what to do with her life.
• A second story is Elise's. She is an ambitious woman living in a small Italian village who wants to become a doctor at a time when women simply did not do that. And she makes that commitment on the brink of World War II. Her story is told through her diary, which suddenly comes into Callie's possession.

I won't spoil the pleasure of discovering for yourselves how the lives of these two determined young women evolve -- but I will say their stories are compelling and will keep you turning page after page. (I read the book in 2 days). There are long-buried family secrets to be uncovered. Plenty of romance, even for reluctant lovers. You'll experience the slower pace of contemporary life in a small Italian village, where everyday gossip and interpersonal feuds sometimes originate in the history of families that have lived together for generations. And, of course, there's also the death, random violence, and uncertainly of living during wartime.

My one criticism of the writing is a periodic tendency toward trite phrases. But I did not find that kept me from enjoying this novel overall. show less

Full Disclosure: I received an advance copy of this book in exchange for writing an impartial review.

What makes historical fiction my favorite literary genre is the ability to learn more about history while disappearing into a good story. And THE ITALIAN VILLA gave me both.

Author Daniela Sacerdoti uses a structure I find many contemporary authors turn to these days -- telling two distinct stories of two characters from different time periods and only fully explaining how the two stories show more connect at the very end of the book:
• The first story belongs to Callie, a self-reliant Texas waitress who grew up in foster care after her parents died, and is now trying to figure out what to do with her life.
• A second story is Elise's. She is an ambitious woman living in a small Italian village who wants to become a doctor at a time when women simply did not do that. And she makes that commitment on the brink of World War II. Her story is told through her diary, which suddenly comes into Callie's possession.

I won't spoil the pleasure of discovering for yourselves how the lives of these two determined young women evolve -- but I will say their stories are compelling and will keep you turning page after page. (I read the book in 2 days). There are long-buried family secrets to be uncovered. Plenty of romance, even for reluctant lovers. You'll experience the slower pace of contemporary life in a small Italian village, where everyday gossip and interpersonal feuds sometimes originate in the history of families that have lived together for generations. And, of course, there's also the death, random violence, and uncertainly of living during wartime.

My one criticism of the writing is a periodic tendency toward trite phrases. But I did not find that kept me from enjoying this novel overall.

Merged review:

Full Disclosure: I received an advance copy of this book in exchange for writing an impartial review.

What makes historical fiction my favorite literary genre is the ability to learn more about history while disappearing into a good story. And THE ITALIAN VILLA gave me both.

Author Daniela Sacerdoti uses a structure I find many contemporary authors turn to these days -- telling two distinct stories of two characters from different time periods and only fully explaining how the two stories connect at the very end of the book:
• The first story belongs to Callie, a self-reliant Texas waitress who grew up in foster care after her parents died, and is now trying to figure out what to do with her life.
• A second story is Elise's. She is an ambitious woman living in a small Italian village who wants to become a doctor at a time when women simply did not do that. And she makes that commitment on the brink of World War II. Her story is told through her diary, which suddenly comes into Callie's possession.

I won't spoil the pleasure of discovering for yourselves how the lives of these two determined young women evolve -- but I will say their stories are compelling and will keep you turning page after page. (I read the book in 2 days). There are long-buried family secrets to be uncovered. Plenty of romance, even for reluctant lovers. You'll experience the slower pace of contemporary life in a small Italian village, where everyday gossip and interpersonal feuds sometimes originate in the history of families that have lived together for generations. And, of course, there's also the death, random violence, and uncertainly of living during wartime.

My one criticism of the writing is a periodic tendency toward trite phrases. But I did not find that kept me from enjoying this novel overall. show less