Thought-provoking and richly captivating, a must-read for anyone who loves WW2 historical fiction. I've not read any of Debbie Rix's books before this, but I am looking forward to reading more from her (I have since added a few titles to my Kindle). This is a compelling and evocative story full of drama and courage, I loved the plot and the characters, and the remarkable attention to historical detail. A real winner!!

I love historical fiction books set during WWII. And reading about individuals who took part in the resistance has me in awe of their dedication. The author’s depth of research is revealed through this amazing story. The characters are well developed and the book will draw you in so that you become totally immersed. I don’t want to give anything away. So suffice it to say that this is a tale of love, dedication, suffering, naivety, sacrifice, and bravery.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookoutre for my advanced review copy. All opinions and thoughts are my own.

Wow, what a read. Loved the characters and that it was inspired by real life events. Such a powerful read!

WW2 story of two very different women, one a student and one an actress, living in Florence and fighting with the resistance. A good story and I loved the setting of Florence and the way the two women's lives intertwined. Good historical reading

I've read a lot of WWII fiction, mostly set in France or Germany. This was the first set in Italy, a country I’ve been to several times. The Italians were occupied by the Germans, but Mussolini invited him in. The country was torn between those who supported him and those who didn’t. The Italians had a difficult time, food and fuel were scarce
This is the story of two women who were totally different, but both ended up as anti-Fascists helping the resistance. The book started very slowly but picked up later, but I couldn’t completely relate to the characters. I enjoyed reading it, 4 stars.
Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

This just didn’t end up being a book that interested me. When I first read the premise, I was very excited and invested, but getting into it made it clear that it just wasn’t for me. Hopefully it works for others out there!

I love historical fiction and Debbie Rix is a new author for me. I loved everything about this book even though it is a heart-wrenching story. The author does a great job a character development and makes you fall in love with the characters. I will be anxious to read more by this author.

Not really my cup of tea. Not a bad book at all but I don't think it's memorable. It's average and could have been a lot better.

Livia and Isabella both tell this story of life in Florence during WWII. Livia, a college student, and Isabella, an actress, might seem very different but they are linked. It's a good read for fans of historical fiction. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC.

I loved the description of the story and started reading with much enjoyment, but I just couldn't like the characters, I read the book to the end, but felt that some parts of the story were rushed and finished quickly where much more description and involvement of the story could have been told. I was disappointed.

The Italian Girls by Debbie Rix follows Livia Moretti and Isabella Bellucci in wartorn Italy during World War II, two women at different stages of lives that are completely different. At times it was hard to continue but I am glad I finished it.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley.

I can say that I love historical fiction, especially if the book is about war
We are following the main characters Livia Miretti and Isabela Belluci as their lives intertwine in ways most inexplicable when The Germans are threatening to occupy Italy and endanger all the people living there.
Livia Miretti is a college student somehow intersected with the Resistance while Isabela Belluci is a very famous film star both furiously affected by the war which is set to come

I fell in love with the description of Florence but I can totally saw the difference between the main characters and how lives can be easily affected by a dangerous war and its atrocities
The book is well documented and shows the resembles of an enormous enemy which is inevitably coming. It's a story about endurance, bravery and sacrifice but most of all, about war's catastrophic events

I will definitely buy this book yo add it to my historical fiction collection
Thank you NetGalley, Debbie Richards and the publisher for this advance readers copy book

This was my ideal historical fiction. I love alternating POV and switching of chartacters. The two main characters were very different but very much the same. Livia was a college student who joins the reisstence, and Isabella who was a film star. Both of these stories were so captivating and such powerful leads. I loved how strong the themes of family and friendship were as they inverwove through the most pwerful theme of bravery. Would definitely pick up another book by this author. Her writing was so magical and had so much imagery. One of the best written histrorical fictinos I read in 2020.

I enjoyed reading this book as it tells the story of two different women in the war. They were strong character and I learned a lot about Italy and what happened to these women. I was not disappointed in this book and do recommend that you read it.

Thoroughly enjoyed this. It’s a period of history that knew little about. I love Italy and the descriptions of Florence and Rome were lovely, the characters were beautifully written and the stories sensitively told.

I loved every moment of this book. The Italian Girls follows two very different young women during the war years of Mussolini's rule. One an actress with connections to Mussonlini's government while the other trying to survive and help the resistance. Their experiences and how their paths cross in a dark and twisted way really hits home.

This book starts off slowly but I felt that this was needed to set the scene and develop the characters.
The story is both gripping and intriguing and kept my interest throughout.
I would recommend this for fans of historical fiction

What a fabulous read one of the best in this genre I have read for a long time.
Historically researched utilising characters who actual lived during this period.
Both characters were heroines in their own right but one was praised the other denounced for aiding the enemy, but in war time nothing is as it seems.
Five stars all the way can’t recommend it enough

Thank you net galley for the advance reader copy of this novel. This was a gripping WWII novel. I loved the new historical information i was able to learn while enjoying g this novel!!!

The Italian girls is announced as an absolutely gripping and heartbreaking WWII historical fiction based on real life story's. An announcement that I have seen more often recently for these types of books, so I wondered if it is, gripping and heartbreaking, that is.

The story centres on two very different young woman , each fighting their own battles in two different Italian cities, Rome and Florence. Isabella Belluci is an already famous actress working for the (fascist) Cinecità film studios near Rome while Livia Moretti studies Art and literature at the University of Florence. While Isabella is a bit naive and is easily influenced by the film world and her love for the aristocratic film director Vicenzo Lucchese (loosely based on Luchino Visconti), Livia livia has been fighting fascism from the start.
Despit their different approaches of life the stories of the two women interconnect during this story, although they never really meet each other in real life.

Did I find the story absolutely gripping and heartbreaking? To be honest, no, I didn't. It certainly is a great story but somehow during the whole book I stayed somewhat disconnected. I don't know if this was because of the slow start of the book, which took some effort to really get into the stories of the two girls, mainly due to the constant switch between the two stories and cities, or the way it was written.
The book certainly got better towards the end of the second part (there are 4 parts in total), but it didn't grab me like some other books set in the same period in Italy during the second world war.

That doesn't mean I don't recommend the book because it certainly is a good read and I think the author is well documented and it gives a good picture of the struggle between followers of fascism and the partisans.

So, 4 stars because of the historical background it provides.

I want to thank Bookouture and Netgalley for providing me with an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.