Thank you to Net Galley for the copy of this book. This novel included everything that catches my eye at first glance- Italy, relationships and historical fiction. Will searching Tuscany for his long lost love after caring for his American wife through the sadness of her final years. Will he find her after all these years? Or will he go home with a broken heart- leaving mine broken too? Sophie and Will’s developing relationship throughout the book was kind and sweet. The characters jumped off the pages and it was as if I could hear their voices through the book. In the end, my heart was filled with emotions as the story came to a close. Not the ended I was hoping for, but certainly the ending that made sense for these characters.

I haven't read much fiction about the war in Italy, so Gail Mencini's novel appealed to me instantly. However, it took me several chapters to settle in from a reader's perspective. The opening chapters bring the reader directly into the action, where the main protagonist, seventeen-year-old army specialist Will Mills is facing one of his biggest challenges, scaling Riva Ridge. Will is part of the Army 10th Mountain Division, in the 86th Regiment. It's February 1945, and the Germans have been pushed back to northern Italy by the Allies.
Will and his platoon are tasked with taking Riva Ridge, which is heavily defended by German troops. The battle scene that follows is written well, visually realised as one reads. You can hear the volley of gunfire, see the men, puffing, sweating as they follow the trail upward, a trail that grows steeper with every step. When Will is later injured, he encounters an Italian partisan who rescues him and takes him to safety for treatment. That is the moment he meets the most beautiful girl he's ever seen.
The next chapter is a most unexpected jump into the future. It's relatively clear as you read the narrative, and then we see an elderly Will. The novel takes a rather unexpected leap, which becomes clear. Will, now an elderly WW2 veteran, along with his neighbour, Sophie, a younger woman, go in search of the beautiful girl who saved Will's life back in 1945.
As a sub-plot, a romance develops between Sophie and Niccolo. The ending is rather bitter-sweet, plausible, sad and I'm still not sure fully how I feel about it.
Overall, a nice book to learn a little about one of the Italian campaigns, and to read about Italy. Good characterisation, good prose, imagery and visual scenes within the narrative.
Thanks to NetGalley and the author Gail Mencini for this advance review copy.

I really enjoyed this book, Ms Mencini seamlessly moves from past to present, bringing Italy alive with ease.
Moving from 2nd World War to present with ease, I felt as if I too was one of the characters discovering not only Italy but learning about each other.

I recommend this to everyone who likes a lovely story set in a foreign country with a bit of adventure and life lessons thrown in.

***It Happened In Tuscany takes readers on a trip to Italy as Will, a WWII vet and his neighbor Sophie search for the girl who had saved Will’s life some seventy-five years ago. The one letter he’d received from Francesco after the war showed her holding a baby she’d said was his. The search introduces readers to the history, the smells, the food, the wine, and the sights of Italy as the American pair encounter one dead end after another. There are surprises along the way, however, that might bring changes to more than one character. Overall this was a nice story, but this reader often felt bogged down by all the details that had little to do with Will’s search. Readers who enjoy travelogues should relish the book, however, it wasn’t the WWII story I hoped it would be. I voluntarily reviewed an advance copy of this book from NetGalley.