Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and author for this ARC.

This isn’t the type of book I normally read and the premise piqued my interest. I really enjoyed reading this, I thought it was very well written and was drawn in right from the start. I loved the writing style, how the story had different timelines and was told through four different characters. The book was so beautifully descriptive I could picture Italy in Leonardo Da Vinci’s time. It moved from past to present effortlessly and was such an interesting, good historical read. Loved it. Just loved it.

The Night Portrait is a novel of exceptional writing. Based on factual events and people, this novel will pull you in. Intertwined characters from the 1400s and the 1930s-1940s brings the story to life. Five stars! This is a must read for fans of historical fiction.
Thank you NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The Night Portrait is a book that will stay in my sub-conscious for a long time. Masterful story telling form art historian and novelist Laura Morelli, the story spans over five hundred years and is told by four people. Leonardo da Vinci and Cecilia, a beautiful young woman who as mistress to a powerful man sits for a portrait name . Together they create a work of art which will become a pawn in the battle for works of art in the second world war. Edith Becker is an art conservator, a quiet woman who looks after her ailing father and looks forward to marrying her fiancé. As war breaks out she is conscripted as an art expert, evaluating and cataloguing art stolen by the Nazis.
Dominic Bonelli an American soldier lands on the beaches and finds himself supporting the Monuments Men, a special division of the army tasked at finding the stolen and hidden art and restoring it to it’s rightful owners.
At times harrowing, but so very interesting I couldn’t put this book down. Reading the postscript it was confirmed that much of the book was based on fact, but fictionalised into a wonderful story.
A great read.

I really liked this dual timeline novel that is a cross between The Nightingale and Monuments Men . It combines the history of the time with history of the art world . It is a wonderful book and I throughly enjoyed it .,
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for letting me review this book

Well researched. Well written. This is the perfect historical fiction novel. Will be a number 1! Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher!

I loved this novel by Laura morelli. It is set in WW2 era and it different form many of the novels I have read in the historical fiction category lately. It is based around art, galleries and the resistance. It is really well written with a nice style.
To get to the point it is a splendid book with a lovely cover and I would definitely recomend it.
Thanks to#NetGalley for the advance copy in return for an honest review

The Night Portrait by Laura Morelli is an excellent historical fiction novel that takes the reader through many different settings and two different centuries. The later part of the 15th century in Florence/Milan and WWII Poland/Germany 1939-1946.

Within each timeline, the author weaves an interesting tale between two main characters. In 1496: Leonardo da Vinci himself and Cecilia Gallerani, (16 years old) who is the mistress of the Duke of Milan. Leonardo is commissioned to paint Cecilia. The portrait that da Vinci paints is ‘Portrait of a Lady with an Ermine’.

The WWII time period alternates between Edith Becker, a German art curator and Dominic Bonelli, an American GI (part of the Monuments Men). This is the group that helped rescue and return stolen works of art by the Germans to their rightful owners. Edith is determined to keep the da Vinci out of the hands of the Butcher of Poland, Hans Frank. In 1939, she is ordered to leave her curator’s job and go to Poland to “conserve” the art there.

Creating four different main characters with their own stories juxtaposed between two different timelines and sewing all of that together to have the reader figure out how all of these people come together and have something in common is extremely difficult. I am delighted to report that this author was able to accomplish this flawlessly and with aplomb.

It is a story of art, mystery, adventure, loss, love, heroism, good vs. evil and ultimately triumph. All of these emotions are woven expertly throughout the story. The book was filled with tons of facts and detail. It is evident the vast amount of research done by the author. She weaves in so much like: da Vinci and his art, Milan during the late 15th Century, as well as, WWII, the Monument Men, art restoration, art history and the Nazi’s quest to own every piece of art in Europe

This was a very well written book with a unique premise that kept me interested until the very end. While this may be my first book by Laura Morelli, it will not be my last. I look forward to seeing what she has in store for us in the future. Well done.

Thanks to One More Chapter, Harper Collins UK, the author and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest opinion

Milan 1492 and Leonardo da Vinci is set to paint a portrait that will forever become one of his most famous paintings, that of a mistress of the Duke of Milan. The portrait, "Lady With an Ermine" one that will ensure his place in the history of fine art. WWII, the Nazis have stolen the painting. In 1945 a group of men, called "The Monuments Men" seek to find these stolen articles. Edith Becker, an art conservator, is assigned with the task to identify these treasures and the portrait in particular. Giving "Lady With an Ermine" to one of the high ranking Nazi officials, she is now risking her life to retrieve it With the dual timelines, you are taken to two very different centuries, but did they have something in common? Did they have similar ambitions even with the cruelty of the Nazis? This indeed was an ambitious and beautiful novel, itself and work of art. My thanks to NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

A big thank you is owed to NetGallery, Author Laura Morelli, and William Morrow Paperbacks for giving me a free E-book Arc of this book in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own. This book creates a wonderful fictional story about one of the most famous paintings Da Vinci's "Lady with an ermine," while also follows events during WWII from both the start of the war and the liberation and the operations of the monument men. If you are drawn to see inside the world of Da Vinci as well as the men who served during WWII in order to recover the art stolen by the Nazis, this book is for you.
This book was amazing! The author did a wonderful job weaving the four character's timelines together in order to bring real life events within a historical fiction work. I appreciated how much research this author must have done in order to add details to the historical times periods she covered. The pacing of this book was good and I liked that the chapters were not overly long. I found myself a little lost, at the beginning of the book, but as the characters' stories process during the 500 year parallel stories. I became very invested in how each of the story lines would merge at the end of the book. Not only were the timelines well constructed, but the author did an incredible job creating parallel characters that echoed similar personalities as well as enduring similar events. The endings for each character were satisfying and was sad that the book ended. Overall, I really enjoyed this book and highly recommend this book to those are WWII and arts fans.

460 pages

5 stars

It is 1939 in Germany. The Nazis are set to move against Poland. Hitler plans to build a museum to house all of the world's great art there.

Edith Becker, an art conservator, is central to this story. She is determined to keep the beloved painting Lady with an Ermine by Leonardo Da Vinci out of the hands of the Butcher of Poland, Hans Frank. In 1939, she is ordered to go to Poland to “conserve” the art there. What he really means is to steal the great artworks to give to the Nazis. He especially wanted Leonardo Da Vinci's art in addition to many others.

Through a series of flashbacks, we meet the woman who is the subject of the painting titled Lady with an Ermine, Cecilia Gallerani and the painter, Leonardo Da Vinci.

Edith is ordered to go to Poland to “collect” the artwork of a very wealthy family. This is where sahe first sees the Lady with an Ermine. She knows she must protect this work. A figurative fight breaks out over the painting between the Butcher of Poland Hans Frank and the acquisitive Hermann Goering. A deal is made and it won't be one that Edith likes. Frank is a horrible man. He has sat by while thousands have been killed.

Meanwhile, we also meet an American soldier Dominic Bonelli. He is also a very talented artist and would love to see a Da Vinci. He survives the landing at Omaha Beach on D-Day. He and his pal are assigned to protect a new detail. These men are called the Monuments Men. Their task is to repatriate the stolen art. But, first they must find it.

We meet several displaced people, starving and homeless. Their eyes filled with suspicion and hopelessness. We see the horrors of Dachau. Dominic's task finds him all over Poland.

This is a very well written book. It is very readable and moves quickly. I don't believe that there are any wasted words. All of the major characters are fascinating and very true to life. Ms. Morelli colorfully paints them with words. The reader is right there – a witness to all of it, Cecilia and Edith's stories as well as Dominic's are very well told. This is my first book by Ms. Morelli, but it won't be my last. I immediately went to Amazon to look at her other books.

I want to thank NetGalley and Harper Collins UK/One More Chapter for forwarding to me a copy of this very excellent book for me to read, enjoy and review.

The Night Portrait by Laura Morelli is Split Time Historical Fiction that revolves around a painting by Leonardo Di Vinci. When I was invited to read and review this book I hesitated for awhile. I was not familiar with the author and my pile of books to be read was high. After reading the description I was hooked and put everything else aside until I read the last word including the acknowledgments and historical information.
This book has historical information about art, World War II, people, Europe and life during each time period. It is well researched with exciting incidents and conflicts that add to the real historical events. The author brings each character, event and place to life with vivid details. I’m delighted to find a new favorite author.
I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. I appreciate the opportunity and thank the author and publisher for allowing me to read, enjoy and review this book. 5 Stars

The Night Portrait by Laura Morelli is a beautifully written and well researched historical novel of Leonardo Da Vinci’s famous painting The lady with the Ermine.
Set in two timelines and several POV’s , 1490’s Milan when the portrait was painted and 1940’s Poland/ Germany where the Nazi’s stole artwork including The Lady and the Ermine so Hitler could have the finest art collection in the world.
Leonardo Da Vinci full of ideas about machinery is hired by Ludovico Sforza to paint his mistress Cecilia Gallerani who is 16 years old and wants more out of life so she becomes the mistress of the Regent or her family threatened to send her to a convent.
Then years later in Munich in 1939 Edith Becker an art conservator is instructed to collect the best pieces for SS Men and Hitler. But she hates what she is doing. She thinks that the pieces should be returned to their rightful owners. There is Dominic and American soldier helping The Moments men find the art that has been taken and deliver them back to their owners.
I love reading historical novels about the war and this doesn’t disappoint. It’s very different to others that I have read. Although some of this is a work of fiction. The Lady of the Ermine is a real portrait. It is very professionally written and greatly depicted

Night Portrait by Laura Morelli is a must read for fans of Historical Fiction. Throughout this book we follow four different characters in two different time periods. As a reader you follow Leonardo da Vinci and Cecilia Gallerani in late 15th Century Italy, you also follow Edith a German art restorer working with the Nazis to find priceless artwork, and Dominic an American Soldier working with the monuments Men, trying to find and restore the art stolen by the Nazis.

It was really interesting to follow da Vinci himself and the journey of him creating the famous Lady With An Ermine painting all the way through to it being captured by the Nazis. I found the chapters set in 15th century Italy to be the most compelling. Cecilia as a character really stuck out to me and the only criticism I have of this book is that i wish we had just a few more chapters from da Vinci's point of view, I found his and Cecilia's story to be more captivating.

Overall this book is a great page turner, and as someone who enjoys historical fiction, it was great to read about something that is so original. The dual perspectives gave an interesting dynamic, often with chapters ending for one person and beginning with the same line for the other. I would have just enjoyed more chapters from da Vinci's perspective.

Edith Becker is a wonderful character in this heart rending novel set in WWII - 1939 and beyond when Jewish homes were ransacked by the Nazis for paintings by the masters, and those who found them and found the rightful owners.
Edith is an art historian who is sent to areas in Europe to identify these wonderful works. However, her conscience trips her up and she finds herself disagreeing more and more with those who demand her skills. The most coveted painting is a Leonardo Da Vinci, a portrait of Cecilia Gallerani, the mistress of the Duke of Milan and The Girl with an Ermine.

Set in two time periods THE NIGHT PORTRAIT tells the story of how Cecelia came to be the subject of the portrait and Edith's attempts to record the masterpieces she finds and her efforts to return them. Brilliant.

What a great read. It took me a few chapters to really get into this book but once I did I could not put it down. The story revolves around Leonardo da Vinci’s famous painting ‘Portrait of a Lady with an Ermine’. We are transported to another time and place with a dual timeline which flows remarkably well. We commence in the late 1400s with the lives of Leonard Da Vinci and Cecilia Gallerani, the model of the painting and mistress to the Duke of Milan . We them move to the late 1930s and early 1940s, and the Nazi’s pillage of art works during WWII. The lives of Dominic Bonelli , an American soldier who ends up as part of the Monuments Man project in protecting and rescuing stolen art works and Edith Becker, a German art conservator who is destined to protect the ‘Portrait of a Lady with an Ermine’.
The story flows beautifully with the ‘portrait” as the connecting force. Highly recommend this book.

I received an e-ARC of this book through Netgalley.
There are 4 POVs in this book: Leonardo da Vinci, Cecelia (a teen in 1490s), Edith (a German art restorer in 1930s-1940s) and Dominic (a young Italian-American soldier in the 1940s). I enjoyed seeing the many different points of view in both the 1400s and the 1900s as the story progressed although sometimes all the back-and-forth was a bit annoying right as I was getting deep into a character's storyline.
The 4 characters' storylines intersect to give us the creation of a masterpiece, the Nazis' theft of artworks all across Europe as they attempted to categorize everyone and everything for themselves, and the heroes who brought the artwork home and attempted to reunite it with their rightful owners. If you've read or watched The Monuments Men, this has some similiarities as Dominic is part of the security detail to help protect The Monuments Men as they work to uncover where the Nazis have hid priceless artwork.

Fans of historical fiction will enjoy The Night Portrait. The book is set during WWII and also in the late 15th century in Renaissance Italy. It starts with Leonard da Vinci who is preparing to leave Florence and pursue opportunities in the Duchy of Milan. Da Vinci’s head is filled with ideas for great machinery and inventions yet he knows it is his paintings that will sustain him. He goes to work for Ludovico Sforza, the Regent of Milan, who has taken young and beautiful Cecilia Gallerani as his mistress. He commissions a portrait of the sixteen year old. While trying to add an interesting element to the portrait, Da Vinci decides to paint Cecilia holding an ermine.

When the storyline takes us to Munich in 1939, the now famous masterpiece Lady with an Ermine, along with two other treasures owned by a Polish family, is stolen by the Nazis. A massive looting of artwork is underway and Edith Becker, an art conservator, is instructed to help identify the best pieces for Hitler and the high-ranking SS officers. She especially loves Lady with an Ermine and hates her role in this despicable effort. In 1945, we meet Dominic Bonelli, an American GI who is part of the group entitled the “Monuments Men,” charged with rescuing the stolen art and artifacts and returning them to their rightful owners.

The Night Portrait is a work of fiction, yet the story of the painting by Leonard da Vinci and its theft during WWII is true. Author Laura Morelli does an excellent job moving from one period to the next. The opulence of the Renaissance period was well juxtaposed with the death and destruction during WWII. This is not your typical WWII book as we get to experience the creation of an incredible masterpiece painted over 500 years ago. And how only 75 years ago, centuries of great art, including Lady with an Ermine, were almost lost forever.

I would like to thank NetGalley, HarperCollins UK, One More Chapter and the author for the opportunity to read this captivating book in advance of its September 8, 2020 release.

Rated 4.25 stars.

A mark of a good book is the desire to keep learning more about what you have just read. If you read and enjoyed The Night Portrait, I recommend watching:

-The Monuments Men, 2014 film starring George Clooney and Matt Damon, now streaming online.
-BBC News: Lady with an Ermine, on YouTube.
-Sotheby’s: Leonardo da Vinci’s The Lady with an Ermine, a Beguiling Portrait of Elegant Mystique, on YouTube.

"The Night Portrait" by Laura Morelli is historical fiction at its best and is not your typical World War II novel! Told through two timelines and four characters, it is the story of the origins of one of Leonardo da Vinci's most famous paintings and of the people who sought to keep it safe from the Nazis during World War II. This book is extremely well-researched and very well-written, with highly developed characters who seem to come alive from the pages. The descriptions of both 1490's Milan and 1940's Europe were vivid and accurate. The movement between timelines and characters is seamless and I was never once confused. Readers who are interested in art and/or Nazi Germany will love this book. I was completely engrossed by the interesting plot and read this novel fairly quickly because I could not wait to find out what happened next.

Many thanks to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for the opportunity and privilege of reading this absolutely fabulous book!

As much as I liked the two separate stories I found this book really hard to get into. The chapters were short and flit back and forth between four different characters. I found it hard to focus on what was happening. Things didn’t really pick up for me until I was 60 percent through the book.
That being said I did enjoy learning about Cecilia Gallerani and Da Vinci’s role in the court which I had not known about before. I loved that the book had a fictional story entertwined with the fact based history of Da Vinci and the court.

This dual novel leaps back and forth between two time lines,

1492 Milan. Cecilia Gallerani is adamant that she will be a part of the royal court and not just any part, she wants to become the wife of the Duke of Milan. What Cecilia doesn’t realize is that the duke is betrothed and that although she has caught the Dukes eye she can only ever be a mistress.


1939 Munich Edith Becker is an art conservator who’s love of art has been passed down from her father. When the war hits and the Nazi’s take control they want only the best in the art world to help them procure Europe’s art treasures and house them all in one place, Hitlers museum,
Edith’s hands are tied and she must do the job but she is desperate to find a way for these pieces to find their way back to the families they belong to.

Giving this 3.5 stars

Thanks to Net Galley and Harper Collins UK for the advanced copy.

Duel story lines of the 1490's when Leonardo DaVinci painted an infamous work of art and WWII when the painting was stolen by the Nazi's. I personally like to read stories about various aspects of WWII, so this one was perfect for me. I didn't enjoy the time period of the 1490's as much, but that is just a personal preference. It was a slower read for me, that required my full attention. Thank you to Net Galley and the publisher for the opportunity to read the advance copy.