Oh my goodness, what a beautiful story! Author Kristy Cambron hits The Italian Ballerina out of the park and I loved every minute of it. Her talented pen places you in two equally compelling timelines. In the present you meet Delaney and Matt who are trying to piece how their grandparents knew one another in WWII. The WWII timeline goes back and forth during a 5 year period with Julia Bradbury, a prima ballerina, two US medics Court Colemen, and his seargant Andrew James Nelson (AJ) and a young Jewish child. The characters in this powerful, page-turning story are authentic, flawed, and courageous.

"Inside wasn't just a dress....it was Roman Holiday." "This was the dress of every Audrey-Heburn-loving, little girl's fantasy. And the woman had just presented it to her."

"True as I'm standing here. John Steinbeck is working as a war correspondent for the New York Herald Tribune."

"Fighting alongside the boys in his unit for years and watching soldiers die in their hands-it was enought to stir Court to do anything to get back to the front lines. To help. To fight to the death. To do what they'd all come to do and not back down-no matter what."

"Tiber Island, Fatebenefratelli Hospital." "It is Il Morbo di K-Sydrome K"- fascinating true history.

Fans of fabulous, well-written, and compelling dual timeline stories will LOVE The Itallian Ballerina.

Thank you to the publisher and Net Galley for allowing me to read an early copy. All opinions are my own. I plan to purchase a copy for my keeper shelf!

A sweet story that flashes back and forth across a five year time period during WWII and up to the future. So much is happening, and it's woven together intricately. A story that will stay with you as you are swept into one of my favorite cities in this engrossing story.

My thanks to Net Galley and the publisher for the arc, unfortunately I had difficulty with this and could not finish.

Multiple story arcs on different timeliness which made it difficult to keep up with and rather confusing. The ballerina story would have been a great stand alone. Very heavy, too much stuff crammed in. Had promise but can recommend.

An ambitious story managing to bring to light a not-well-known component of life during WWII. A little confusing in its merging of the narratives so you do have to work a little harder than you should.

this is a story of world war II , there are multiple time lines going on, i had a little trouble keeping up with the changing time lines but overall enjoyed the story

4 stars

The prose of the writer was phenomenal. The story of the heroine is heartwarming but heartbreaking at the same time. I loved how the emotions of the characters was portrayed. Definitely worth reading it even if you are not in historical romance.
Such a good story!

Thanks NetGalley for providing me an ARC in exchange of an honest opinion.

I really wanted to like this one! The concept was interesting, but where I found this book lacking was in the depth of characters — I really didn't connect with any of them as distinct people but rather only as vehicles for the plot (Courtney seemed to be the only exception for me) and felt that the romantic pairings felt forced.

I personally felt like there was a hint of a theme about chosen family and community, but it felt like it was scratching the tip — to be honest, I was almost disappointed that Court turned out to be the father of Penn's son — it felt like a missed opportunity to parallel the relationship he had with Calla.

Overall, while this book was not for me, I could see plenty of reasons why people would be enchanted with this book.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Kristy Cambron braids together three stories in this one, and it's not an easy read, but one that is so good. There's the story of Julia, a British ballerina, stranded in Rome during WW2, helping with Syndrome K, a fake disease made up by Italian doctors to save Italian Jews from the Nazis. There's an Allied medic, and a small Italian girl united by a horrible accident, and determined to make sure she gets safely to her family. And there's Delaney, who is finding out that her grandfather had stories he never told her, and heads over to Italy to find the truth, with the help of a charming Italian man.

This story was beautiful, but at times much slower than I prefer, and sometimes confusing, because there are a lot of characters and plot lines. It's not a light beach read that gives you a HEA in 300 pages, but a tale that weaves through the fabric of time. The timelines and main characters do not come together until later on in the story, so if you're hoping for a single story told from multiple points of view, this is not it. Instead, you are give the threads of a tale and only when you get to the end do you realize what kind of picture they make.

I did get this as an ARC copy through Netgalley, and there were some formatting errors, but nevertheless, I really enjoyed this story. 3.5 stars

Historical fiction based on real events. Rome 1943, the Nazi party has taken over and an illness called syndrome K is going around. Syndrome K unknown to the Nazis is a fake illness used to help save Jews from the holocaust. Julia was a dancer but now she helps rescues jews in Italy, and when a little girl who dreams of being a dancer needs to find her family Julia plans to help. Now Delaney has lost her grandfather a World War II vet. She goes home to help her parents, when an Italian woman reaches out claiming to have family’s precious heirlooms, Delaney goes to Italy to figure out her grandfather’s past.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from Netgally and Thomas Nelson Fiction. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. Each character was detailed enough that I felt connected every character. I liked how the author used real history though out the novel such as the details of syndrome k. The best part of this story by far would have to be the twist at the end. I did not like the two different time periods because it could have been done better. Overall, this is a great short read for fans of historical fiction.

I read a lot of WWII history and historical fiction books. But you must read this book to learn about Syndrome K.
There were three different people and two time frames to keep track of. The characters were well developed.
There is a bit of mystery. As was so common, very few talked about their war experiences. We have lost a lot of history as these brave men and women die off.
I received a complimentary copy of this book. My opinions are my own.

For me, this wasn't a great read. I'm sorry, I really wanted to love it! The premise of the story is great, the mystery of the connection of a little old Italian lady to an American GI. There was just too much going on. Too many characters. Way too many time lines. The story jumps around back and forth, I couldn't keep track. I wanted to really like Del and Matt from the "now" period, and I mostly did, except for their ending, which seemed too rushed. Not a great read for me.

As with other books I have read by Kristy Cambron, I loved this new story.

Set mostly in Italy, this story follows World War II in Rome, a modern day storyline and the connection between both times. The Italian Ballerina reminds the reader that one life is so very important and how that life can impact on so many other lives and can continue through the generations.

One quote within the story says it all for me: War was a leveler. Regardless of age or nation or language spoken, it could not and never would be powerful enough to overtake love.

Thank you NetGalley for allowing me to read this story prior to publication.

I’m afraid I get terribly disoriented by multiple timelines like the ones in this book, it just totally takes away my enjoyment. So, this title is not for me. Interesting story though. Maybe one for a movie.

The Italian Ballerina is a beautifully written historical romance with characters that leap off the page. You will quickly become immersed in this story with multiple timelines; it jumps back and forth between WWII years (prewar, during, post) and the present. The author's descriptive writing made me feel as if I were experiencing the events in person and as they occurred. I always get so emotionally involved in Cambron's books, and The Italian Ballerina was no exception. If you enjoy inspiring historical fiction, you'll love this novel.

Just when I think I can't read another WWII book, along comes this amazing story. Set in Rome 1943, the author tells of the Syndrome K ruse used to rescue many Jewish patients. The life of Julia, the English ballerina on tour was most interesting and in present day, a young woman learns of her grandfather's life at that time.

The Italian Ballerina by Kristy Cambron is a dual timeline circa Rome 1943 and present day.
During the Nazi occupation In Rome, British ballerina Julia Bradbury is stranded and is forced to take refuge at a hospital on nearby Tiber Island. She learns of a 'deadly' sickness sweeping through the quarantine wards—a fake disease known only as Syndrome K and she is drawn into one of the greatest cons in history. Very soon after she arrives, Julia risks everything to rescue Jewish Italians from the Nazis. Then a little girl who dreams of becoming a ballerina arrives at their door, and Julia is determined to reunite the young dancer with her family.
This is a story full of courage, risk, love, loss, and hope.
The author weaved a complex, difficult and beautiful story by using two timelines and two sets of characters that intertwine. I haven't read much about Syndrome K, the fictitious disease invented by Italian doctors that fooled the Nazi’s and saved lives. I was astonished at how they were actually able to save Jewish people with this ruse offering a "glimmer of light during a dark time that resulted in few happy endings" All patients had to play their part and were advised to cough violently if a Nazi soldier came close. Brilliant!
Present Day-
Delaney Coleman, a small town doctor and is a WWII veteran who just lost her grandfather. She discovers a suitcase and her grandfather’s past is connected to an Italian woman who ends up claiming she owns the suitcase. Delaney agrees to travel to Rome, and is greeted by the grandson of the Italian woman. They each try to find out how their paths connect and find themselves healing their past and a creating a bond between them.
This impeccably researched historical fiction book is based on true events and real people. And I absolutely loved it.
The Author’s note at the end of the book really added to this story. She gives factual vs fictional specifics which is always helpful when reading Historical Fiction.
Historical Fiction fans will love this story of selflessness, courage, and faith.
Thank you to Thomas Martin publishing and NetGalley for an advanced readers copy in exchange for an honest review.

Oof. This was a slog. I received an ARC from NetGalley and it wasn't formatted properly so drop capitals stayed as normal size the line above and chapter breaks didn't start on new pages. Formatting aside, I didn't find myself caring about the characters. The jumping around was too inconsistent and the three stories took forever to intertwine.

Kristy Cambron delivers another stellar WW2/Contemporary story about a ballerina, a suitcase and the men who risked their lives to save a little girl.

This story moves between America, London, and Italy, through several different time periods – prior to America’s entrance into WW2, during the last few years of the war, and modern day. The time periods and settings are easy to picture as the author gives life to the apple orchard, and hospital where our WW2 story takes place. A modern day, tourist filled Rome is easy to navigate with the same vivid descriptions as the past stories.

There are plenty of characters to like and dislike, family secrets that may keep readers guessing who is who. Historical characters are easily connected with contemporary characters, allowing the reader to settle into the storyline without having to struggle to keep characters straight.

As in all dual time/time slip/parallel stories, there is a connection between the past and present. What I appreciated the most about this particular story, is that we are presented with the object at the beginning of each story line, though its significance isn’t revealed until the final chapters of the book. It’s not a “normal” connection like letters or photos or diaries, which can get tiresome. So this was really a fresh take!

If you love dual time stories, you’ll enjoy this newest release by Kristy Cambron. And if you love all things Italian, definitely pick up this book for your next read.

I received a copy from the publisher through NetGalley. All opinions expressed are my own.

I received a free e-arc of this book through Netgalley.
I read lots of WWII historical fiction, but the POV of a prima ballerina is a different viewpoint for sure. Julia and Anton (complicated history there) are touring Europe to perform ballets during WWII to bring up peoples' spirits. Julia dances because she loves to while Anton basically wants to be famous. They end up in a precarious situation when the fighting closes in on their location. Meanwhile Court and AJ (American medics) are separated from their unit when AJ stops to rescue a Jewish child from the Nazis. The third storyline going on in this book is Delaney and Matteo who are brought together by Matteo's grandmother and her search for a suitcase. Eventually all of the storylines converge into one lovely tale of heroism and triumph.

Another well written historical novel about World War II from the perspective of army medics, many of whom were conscientious objectors and elected to serve their country in this non-combat role. Private Courtney Coleman just seems to find trouble regardless of what situation he is in. So it is no surprise that he refuses to obey an order from his commanding officer, Sargent A. J. Nelson. When the Nazis start to move the Jews of Rome from the ghetto to the train which will take them to Auschwitz, Private Coleman defies an order to “move on” and whisks a little girl, who has just seen her parents murdered, off the street vowing to protect her. Thus begins a journey that will forever bind Coleman, Nelson and the little Italian girl.

This is a wonderful story with well developed characters. The reader would do well, at the beginning of the book, to keep track of the timeline until familiar with the characters as it bounces from war time, before war is declared and present day. Thanks to NetGallery for providing me this uncorrected galley proof .