Solid WWII era title that will appeal to historical fiction lovers. Easy read with strong characters and fast moving story.

One of my favorite authors and this book is just another example of why. The author does a fabulous job of fleshing out the characters while weaving in a storyline that is gripping and wonderful.

Eternal is an immersive reading experience that will sweep you away to Italy. Gorgeously written and heartbreaking, this World War II love story will get beneath your skin and stay for a long time. I found Lisa Scottoline's brilliantly rendered characters believable and authentic; their courage in the face of fascism is inspiring. A perfect read for 2021.

Big fan of Lisa Scottoline. Lisa doesn't disappoint any of her fans or new fans of historical fiction. The story takes you on the incredible journey through Italy's darkest moments and Lisa does it with style. Lisa's story about love, family, loss and war all the elements for historical fiction woven together like a perfect afghan. Like the afghan I laid under and read this old but new novel. The love triangle, the war, the Nazi's and the struggle to survive all the elements of a great historical fiction, but what I like most was Lisa's Behind the book on her Facebook page. She brought me right there along with her characters Elisabetta, Marco and Sandro and gave me a story I will always remember and placed this book at the top of my favorite historical fiction list.. Absolutely loved her tour of Italy and Francesca her daughter with her mothers charms makes you feel at home. Like in grandma's kitchen in the basement. Bravo

This is a departure for Scottoline, who usually writes suspense novels or else humorous essays with her daughter, the writer Francesca Serritella. Here, Scottoline shows that she can write in several diverse genres, which is an extraordinary skill for a novelist.

This sweeping drama is eye-opening to Italian history that generally stays in Italy. Even having traveled there, this place based historical novel probes depths and topics I was never aware of. I am so glad I read this well researched, personally written love story. Sitting on the edge of my seat, and waiting, trying to imagine living through it, not just reading about it is not difficult. Its only difficult not to feel all the gripping tension, and helplessness while feeding the desire to live and have a future! Hard to read, and so hard to put down! Brava!

Elisabetta, Sandro and Marco have been friends since childhood as have their families. However, Mussolini and his fascist followers tear the country apart and families apart as well. The story really begins in 1937 in Rome, Italy. Ms. Scottoline has researched the time period and her descriptions of the city put the reader there. I don't want to give away the story and there are surprises, but the characters are sympathetic and as a reader and history student, I worried about their fate. Also, I liked that the story was told by several of those characters. Lastly, the author illustrates that "families" are not always made by blood in a lovely way. I received a digital copy from the publisher and NetGalley for an honest review.

Thanks to the publisher and netgalle y for an eAR c of this book.
Historical fiction set in Italy in the 1930s. Three friends grow to adulthood and cold with the coming of fascism.
Very long which allows for extensive character development. Unfortunately, I didn't really bond with them.
I didn't like it as well as I expected to.

This book is great! Would definitely recommend. Thanks so much to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

Wow, what a departure for Lisa Scottoline. I've read most all of her books and this was totally different than anything she's written before.

I felt the book was a bit lengthy and slow to start (lots of background information), but, overall, I enjoyed it as I adore historical fiction.

Be sure to read the author's note for the story behind this novel.

Utterly compelling and Absolutely Fantastic!! I cannot believe this is based on a true story! Humans are capable of such courage and strenght, and this book will inspire you to have the same in your own life.
Very well done and highly recommended!

Thank you to NetGalley for allowing me to read this book in exchange for an honest opinion.

This was an epic, sprawling, long book that spanning over several decades. Set in 1930s Rome, fascism and Mussolini’s reign is becoming scary, and three young friends are torn apart and put back together again as they struggle with young love, religion, and politics. What I’ve just written makes the book sound boring. I promise you that it was NOT. I put off reading this one for a long time because I thought I wouldn’t be able to get into it. It took me a couple of chapters, but once I was in, I was IN. Great characters, all likable (well, mostly) despite their mistakes and errors of judgment. Adorable love story (though if there are actually any men in real life like sweet Sandro, I’d love to meet them). And the eerily relevant story of fascism, Nazis, and dictators. Really well done. This proves that Scottoline can write across many genres! 4.5/5, rounded up to 5.

Marco, Sandro, and Elisabetta are childhood friends whose friendships are tested when both boys decide they love Elisabetta. Marco, whose father owns a sport's bar, becomes a rising star in the Fascist party, while Sandro, whose parents are Jewish and respected professionals, is recognized for his excellent math abilities and becomes an intern for Italy's pre-eminent mathematician. Elisabetta's father is an alcoholic and her mother abruptly leaves the family, forcing Elisabetta to be responsible for caring for her father and herself. When Germany invades Rome, their lives become totally disrupted, especially when the Jewish ghetto is invaded and Sandro and his father are put on a train to Auschwitz. The longstanding family friendship between the families leads to courageous acts of desperation as Marco's family seeks to save Sandro's family. The ensuing events are heartbreaking and inspirational. This is a story of friendship, family, and love--the lengths that individuals will go to try to save those they love.
Scottoline has written a beautiful story with Rome as a backdrop. Her descriptions carry the reader to the Eternal City. The story is well-researched and the history intertwines real events and the narrative of the fictional characters.
This story is an excellent read for anyone who is interested in historical fiction, especially of the WW II period. Highly recommend.

I've always appreciated stories that grab your interest immediately and then never let go. "Eternal", is that kind of book. From the moment I picked it up to the very last sentence, Lisa Scottoline held me spellbound.

I knew from the beginning how it would probably end, but that didn't stop me from wanting to take in every last word. Ms. Scottoline is that kind of writer.

I have read countless novels that deal with WW II. But this is a love story. And, it is unique. It deals with all kinds of love; the love between parents and children, love between friends, and of course, romantic love..

I truly enjoyed this novel and will recommend it. It's for everyone who just wants to lose themselves in a good book.

I love historical fiction and I love stories set in Italy, so this should have been a real treat for me. Unfortunately, it actually left me cold. Scottoline is a well-known and very popular author, but I had not read anything of hers before. She usually writes legal thrillers, so it's no surprise that one of the characters is a lawyer and that there is a great deal of suspense in this, her first, historical fiction novel.

Set in the late 1930s Rome, 3 teenagers are best of friends and find themselves caught up in growing romantic feelings and the growing political tensions. The story is told in alternating voices -- the three teens and various siblings & adults in their families. As Mussolini's power grows and as Hitler's influence incroaches, their families are embroiled in the troubles of the day.

Normally this is exactly the sort of book I love, but I just didn't find this on very interesting. I could get attached to the characters. In fact, there were so many characters, and the action switched so frequently (sometimes allowing only a page or two per chapter) that I was sometimes confused about who was speaking. Often just as a bit of a storyline got intriguing, the action switched to someone else. This was a trying time for Italy and Italians. Conflicts abounded among Fascists, Anti-Fascists, Jews, Gentiles, pacifists, the Church, the Resistance, and all of this is explored here, but just not very well.

There are so many books out right now that focus on this time period, and there are so many that are much better, I just can't put this one on top of the list. It's OK, just not outstanding. I expected more.

Lisa Scottoline has brought to life the fear and terror of Mussolini’s reign and the horrors of Fascism in World War II Italy. Through the characters of Elisabetta, Marco, Sandro and their families. the reader can visualize what it felt like to be a Jew or a friend of a Jew and the inhumane consequences of both.
A true master of the suspense novel, the author has proven to be a great talent in the genre of historical fiction as well.

Eternal by Lisa Scottoline is one of those books everyone should read. Scottoline takes us to Rome during the rise of Fascism and the occupation of Rome by Nazi forces. Elisabetta, Sandro and Marco ,students, are lifelong friends who are come from different backgrounds. Sandro is Jewish and feels the full force of the race laws imposed by Mussolini. Marco has found a job working for the Fascists and is rising in importance in the local party. Elisabetta lives with her alcoholic father and works in a local restaurant. As Rome changes around them, each one must figure out how to survive. Well told and we’ll researched,

A true blend of historical facts and a moving story of undying friendship involving three families in a small Italian town on the verge of World War II. School friends Marco, Elisabetta and Sandro are inseparable, even though they come from varied backgrounds. As they grow into young adults, Elisabetta is faced with the choice of which boy she truly loves, Marco or Sandro. Not having a mother to guide her and a drunken father at home, Elisabetta is torn between the two lives offered to her. Marco's family is well off with a popular bar and Marco himself is chased after by all the girls, but Marco can barely read. Sandro is a mathematical genius already taking university classes but he is quiet and shy and comes from a Jewish family. Elisabetta wants to be a journalist but finds that the coming of the Nazis into her village in 1938 changes all of their plans. The happy carefree days of their youth are suddenly stripped away leaving each of the families struggling to survive. They are now faced with a new choice, join the Nazis and perhaps have a chance to live or join the resistance and possibly lose their lives. Each of them will have to make a choice that will change their relationships with their families and each other forever.
Fascinating, suspenseful and historical reading all in one place.

I’ve always been a fan of Lisa Scottoline. Her mysteries have a way of keeping me hooked. I was intrigued when I saw that she had written a historical fiction and couldn’t wait to read it.

Eternal is a book that takes place during WWII in Italy. The three main characters are Elisabetta, Marco, and Sandro. 3 childhood friends who are somewhat stuck in a love triangle, with Marco and Sandro both trying to win over Elisabetta’s heart. Soon after they proclaim their love for her, Italy starts falling victim to Mussolini, as he leans more and more towards the direction of Hitler in Germany. Sandro, being Jewish, soon has his life turned upside down. Marco, being fascist, is led to believe that Mussolini is doing what is best for the greater good of Italy.

Scottoline blends in fictional characters with nonfiction. The result is a heart wrenching book. A book that I stayed up until 4am to finish because I had to know what happened.

Thank you to the publisher for giving me an ARC of Eternal in exchange for my honest opinion.

I am a big fan of Lisa Scottoline’s books so I was excited to get my hands on this one and even more excited to see that she was diverting from her usual legal thrillers and writing a historical fiction novel. I wondered how successful she would be with this new endeavor and I can honestly say she did not disappoint and delivered a first rate story!
The story is set in Rome during World War II and follows the friendship/love triangle of Elisabetta, Marco and Sandro. All three characters are well developed and dealing with their own set of issues and problems. Sandro is Jewish and the author writes in detail about the hardships and atrocities endured by the Italian Jewish community during this time period - a subject that I was not that familiar with. Elisabetta, an only child, lives with her alcoholic father and becomes the sole wage earner after her mother walks out on the family. Marco is a Fascist, loyal to Mussolini, until two life changing events occur that cause him to reevaluate his beliefs. Both Marco and Sandro are in love with Elisabetta and much of the story is devoted to the difficult decision Elisabetta has to make as she is in love with both of them as well.
The author has certainly done extensive research for this novel and the end result is an authentic, brilliantly written story. The story itself evokes so many emotions - courage, anger, frustration, tragedy and hope - while the character development is superb.
Many thanks to Putnam and NetGalley for this electronic ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.