What a fun l'il jaunt to the Italian countryside with Lily and Antonio, investigating the mystery of Lily's family from the secret box - you have romance, travel, historical fiction and a family bound up in layers of love. What more could you want? A quick read with beautiful narration by Zoe Mills. While I'm usually a sucker for adoption stories, being adopted myself, this one wasn't the usually storyline, which provided an interesting twist. The whole premise of unlocking a bunch of mystery boxes from a home for unwed mothers means a long line of books ahead in the series. Let's see where this all goes!

Thanks to Bookouture Audio for the audio ARC via NetGalley.

THE ITALIAN DAUGHTER is a beautifully written, dual-timeline adventure that takes us from 1945 Lake Como to present day London.

We meet Estee in Lake Como. She's a ballerina wanting to join LaScala while starting a friendship with Felix.

In London, Lily is a winemaker who is about to take a new job with a winegrower in Italy. She's recently found a box and the contents show her grandmother may have been Italian. What will she find in Italy and will Antonio, the winegrowers son, steal her heart?

The first book in Soraya Lane's The Lost Daughters series was wonderful! I listened to the audio book and Zoe Mills was amazing at bringing these characters to life!

Thanks so much NetGalley for the chance to listen. I highly recommend it and look forward to the next in the series!

I enjoyed this historical romance set in Italy and the UK. The premise is that Lily (who loves in London) receives a letter from a lawyer to retrieve a box left by her grandmother which holds a bakery recipe, a theater program and other clues about her great grandmother.
Lily is an apprentice winemaker who travels to Piedmont Italy to begin this apprenticeship.
The dual timeline of the story added to the richness of the novel as Lily's great grandmother Estee was a poor but talented dancer who attended ballet school in Milan and became a ballerina at La Scala.
Both protagonists carried through on dreams by their parents. Lily's father had a dream of learning the secrets of viniculture to bring home to develop their own family vineyard; Estee's mother, who was a strict disciplinarian, planned and managed Estee's career in Milan.
The romances were a little predictable. The plot was interesting however, and it was a light romance. The characters were likable,
I rated this at 3.5 stars. I received an ARC from NetGalley and the publisher and am leaving this review voluntarily.

This is the story of two loves, decades apart and connected by family ties. The first story is of Estee, a poor Italian teen who is selected to attend ballet school in Milan in post-WWII times, and Felix, the son of a wealthy family in her town. Their budding romance is doomed when she moves to Milan and his family has arranged a marriage for him to another wealthy girl. But, they persevere despite obstacles.

The modern-day story focuses on Lily, a winemaker who travels to Italy to learn what she can about her late grandmother's birth family. She takes a job at a vineyard and meets Antonio, the son of the owners, who helps her to decipher the clues she has about her grandmother. The story they discover is inspiration for their own feelings for one another.

I liked the characters in this book. The narrator made them come alive. And the plot was interesting, though somewhat predictable. An enjoyable listen, and I look forward to the next book in the series.

Thank you NetGalley and Bookouture Audio for sending this audiobook for review consideration. All opinions are my own.

Do yourself a favor, before you dive into this book pour yourself a glass of your favorite wine. Trust me it will make you feel like you are more involved in the story.
This story you learn about Estee and Felix's love story that was in the 1940's in Italy. Now in present day you have Lily who grew up in London. Received a box with an old bakery recipe and a theatre program. Follow Lily as she discovers how these two items fit together.
I rated this story 5 stars because Soraya M. Lane did a wonderful job writing these two stories side by side and bringing them all together. Left me with a melted heart. Also put me in the mood to go visit Vineyards and family owned bakeries.

Thank you Bookoture for gifting me a copy of the audiobook.
Published 9/23/22

Book 2 cannot arrive soon enough! Absolutely a delightful read that weaves a story that surrounds your mind and senses. Characters that come alive with personality and wit. This is the beginning of one of your new favorite series.

As usual I will not be rehashing the plot here as I believe that the professional blurb writers do a better job without giving anything away.
Within this book is a charming and historical love story, or actually two. Based in the present day and three generations previously, it involves the search for a family secret. What is uncovered is a glimpse into some historical aspects of Italy alongside a brief lesson in the wine making industry of today. All in all, it is a lovely read, very warming and uplifting.
The premise is very similar to that of the Seven Sister series by Lucinda Riley; of which I am a huge fan. As far as I understand, this is the first of a series by Soraya Lane. In this book, Lily is one person of a few who is given a box at the start of the story, so I presume that the other boxes will be the catalyst for other stories. There is even an unclaimed box alluded to which is a similar idea to the ‘Missing Sister’ in Lucinda’s series. Thankfully I think that there is room in literature for more books based on this similar idea as they do make good reading but Soraya does not quite hit the high grade of Lucinda.
I listened to the audio version of the book. The narrator did a good job but felt her voice was rather ‘young’ for many of the characters. Fine when we were hearing about Estee as a girl but later, I had to keep reminding myself that the characters were men and women. Despite this misgiving, I look forward to the future titles.

I would recommend this book to all historical romance readers. it is full of drama surprises and romance. Told from present day and the past 1940/1950. it is well written and interwoven nicely. a story about lost family's and love.

Keeping on with my recent Italian theme, this was the story of Lily who after a visit to her solicitor where she’s presented with a box of clues to her grandmother’s birth goes to Italy to discover her family heritage.

I enjoyed the dual POV and was invested in both Lily and Estee’s stories.

This was a lovely listen and is perfect for anyone who enjoyed Lucinda Riley’s Seven Sister series.

Thanks to @sorayalaneauthor NetGalley and Bookouture Audio for the free digital audio copy.

The Italian Daughter by Soraya Lane and Narrated by: Zoe Mills is the first book in the new The Lost Daughters series and I loved it. This book is beautifully written and tells the story of two woman, Estee, in 1937 from in Italy who was a famous Ballerina and Lilly from the present day who is a wine maker. I loved both of these characters.

Lily has just got home from her old job in New Zealand when she receives a strange invitation from a lawyer, to pick up a small wooden box that had her grandmother's name on it. Inside this box is a handwritten Italian recipe and an old theatre programme. Nothing else was in this box but the content will change Lilly's life forever.

Lily is on her way to Italy to her new job and she also follows the clues to discovers her family secrets. Lilly finds out about Estee and her childhood friendship with Felix, which turned into a life long relationship and lead to their child being put up for adoption. A heartbreaking story was that told and beautifully written from start to finish.

The narrator Zoe Mills was excellent and I loved the way she told the story. I felt I was there with Estee and Lilly.

I highly recommend this book especially as its the first in the series.I am looking forward to the next instalment in the lost daughters series. 5 star book,

Big thank you to Bookouture and to NetGalley for this ARC for review. This is my honest opinion.

I'm afraid I found this book really difficult to get into. I really struggled to connect with the characters and found the dual time line confusing. To be clear, I have read many novels with dual time lines and have not previously found any problem, so this was specific to this particular novel. Having said that, I persevered and thoroughly enjoyed the amazing descriptive narrative, which immediately immersed me into the scene. Ultimately though, I don't think I will follow up with the next book in the series. My thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the chance to read this in advance in return for my honest and unbiased review.

BLOG TOUR REVIEW


Review for 'The Italian Daughter' by Soraya Lane.


Read and reviewed via NetGalley for Soraya Lane, Bookouture publishers and Bookouture anonymous


Publication Date 23rd September 2022.


This is the first book I have read by this author. This book was previously published as 'Death In Dulwich'. It is the first book in the 'Lost Daughter' series.


I was originally drawn to this book by its eye catching beautiful cover and intriguing sounding synopsis and title. The synopsis stated that this book is 'Perfect for fans of Santa Montefiore, Lucinda Riley and Victoria Hislop.' I am a huge fan of Lucinda Riley so am looking forward to seeing if this lives up to this statement. I must admit I was also biased due to the publisher being Bookouture. I have yet to read a book published by Bookouture that I haven't enjoyed. Hopefully this won't be the first... Watch this space! (Written before I started reading the book).


This novel consists of a prologue, 34 chapters and an epilogue. The chapters are medium in length so possible to read 'just one more chapter' before bed...OK, I know yeah right, but still just in case!

This book is based in London, England 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿, UK 🇬🇧 and Italy 🇮🇹. The bonus for me of books that are partly or fully based in the UK is that I live in the UK and have sometimes visited places mentioned in the book which makes it easier to picture.


This book is written in third person perspective with the main protagonists being Lily and Estee. The benefits of third person perspective with multiple protagonists are that it let's you see the bigger picture of what's going on and you get to know more characters more, what they are thinking and what they are doing. It feels like you get to see the whole picture and not miss out in anything.


Well I am ABSOLUTELY gutted to come to the end of this book as it ends my stunning sofa holiday 😭

This book is beautifully written and completely absorbs you in the stunning atmosphere of Italy completely sucking you in with the vivid descriptions leaving you feel the warmth of the the sun and smell of the wine. The synopsis and cover suits the storyline perfectly.

The storyline is authentic and realistic as well as easy to read and heartwarming. It is just one of those absolutely stunning books that promises the reader gets completely lost in the pages for hours. I absolutely loved the beginning where Lily picked up the box from Hope House along with the other women and am hoping the rest of this series continues with each of those women collecting their boxes while the readers watches it all unfold. However Soraya is planning the rest of the series it is guaranteed to be just perfect. I genuinely felt like I had packed my suitcase leaving rainy Wales for the stunning Italian sun. I could see the vineyards, taste the hazelnut chocolate and feel my heart pound while certain events were unfolding. It wasn't all happiness though and my heart really went out to Estee and Felix. What happened to them was unbelievably cruel and I had tears streaming down my face so make sure you have tissues at the ready. You will also want to book the day off whatever you had planned as once you pick up this book and turn the pages I can guarantee you will not want to put it down!! I found myself picking it up every spare second I had and not wanting to put it down so ended up reading it in one sitting in the end!! I loved that Lily started with just two clues and then following her as it took her all over Italy. It was definitely a unique way of exploring places and I am looking forward to seeing if this is how the rest of the series will go. The storyline was filled with a range of emotions and was heartwarming, devastating and had lies, lost and new love, relationships, family, friendship and history all going on in this beautiful atmosphere. I loved the fact that we get to read both past and present time lines and Soraya has woven them together absolutely perfectly!! It felt like a lovely break away from a rainy Wales!! I loved how the story ended and I would love to read more about the life in this gorgeous Italian place. An absolutely stunning read!!!

It is set over multiple time lines. When books show what has happened in the past and what is happening in the present I find it really helps the reader (if it is well done) understand why things are happening and what has lead to the present activities and decisions. It also shows the bigger picture.

This is one of the few books that I have listened to on Audiobook while also reading it on kindle. I must say a HUGE congratulations to the narrator Zoe Mills who did a great job bringing this story to life. I would listen to it in the car and while walking at any opportunity and Zoe did a fantastic job on both male and female characters voices!!! I'm not only looking forward to reading more books by Soraya but also to listening to more books narrated by Zoe!

Clear your schedules, grab your tissues and get ready to go on a journey of a lifetime!!!

It is always worrying when starting a new series as you have no idea who the characters are. It is very important for me to bond with not only the lead protagonists but also any characters that may make repeat appearances during the series too.

The characters were all unique with their own realistic traits, strengths and weaknesses. It was intriguing to watch
Estee and Felix's & Lily and Antonio's relationships grow, develop and change throughout the the storyline. I genuinely felt sorry for Estee throughout but also Lily as she had so much to consider while learning new things constantly about her family. It was also intriguing to see how not only Estee and Felix's & Lily and Antonio's relationships changed throughout the book but also how Lily bonded with Antonio and Matthew's families. It was absolutely amazing to watch the personalities and relationships between all the characters grow, develop and bond and although I don't believe their story will be told in this series again I would love to see what happens in the future with Lily, Antonio and the families. I adored Antonio's family and how they were so welcoming and loving and each of these characters stories would make beautiful books which I would love to read!! Hint hint Soraya!!! All characters worked perfectly with the storyline and I would love to meet them again and hope to see this made into a series or even a movie!!!

Well done Soraya on an absolutely stunning start to what promises to be a gorgeous new series, I will definitely be looking for your books any time I need to be swept off to another country!!!


A MASSIVE WELL DONE to Soraya on a HUGE success!!! I loved every page of your book and I cannot wait to read more of your past and hopefully future books. Congratulations you are now one of my favourite authors! Here's to your next success 🥂

Overall a true page turning, perfect and stunning romance that will sweep you off your feet and land you in Italy and in the past!!

Genres covered in this book include Romance, Literary Sagas, 20th Century Historical Romance, Historical Fiction, Mystery, Romantic Fiction, Historical European Fiction and Historical Literary Fiction amongst others.

I would recommend this book to the fans of the above as well as fans of Santa Montefiore, Lucinda Berry, Sue Roberts, Nicholas Sparks, Victoria Hoslop and anyone looking for a stunning page turner.

305 pages

This book is just £1.99 to purchase on kindle or free on kindle unlimited (at the time of review), £7.99 in paperback and £16.99 on Audiobook via Amazon which I think is an absolute bargain for this book!!!


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This was a beautiful story soaked in family tradition, secret recipes, vineyards and long lost family ties. The dualing timeline toggled back and forth between a modern day search for family and connection and a pre and post WWII love story of two young teens coming of age amid family expectations and hopeful dreams.

It was full of both incredible love stories and heartbreaking loss. A reminder of how one should treasure the people in their life .

Zoe was an incredible narrator. She had beautiful command of accents as well as the ability to perform both male and female voices.
Thankyou to NetGalley and Bookouture Audio for the ARC and chancevto review.

Oh I thoroughly enjoyed this audiobook!
I do enjoy a dual timeline in a book, especially one based in WW2 or anything similar as it can become heartbreaking.
This story had warmth and family sadness all rolled into one.
The main characters were so likeable that I find myself rooting for them as their story continued.
The only downside was the late nights listening to it!

Absolutely prefect narration too!

Highly recommended

An overbearing mother keeps a tight rein on her 12 year old ballerina daughter, Estee in this well-written historical fiction novel.  Estee fortunately was able to break away for a quick breath of fresh air and met 14 year old Felix, striking up a friendship which was to last a lifetime. 

Winemaking comes naturally to Lily having inherited the love from her father.  She finds herself traveling to Lake Como in Italy where she takes on a position as a wine making assistant for a few months.  This is perfect because she has some artifacts from her grandmother's past that she wants to investigate and Italy is where the artifacts originate from.  

I found this romantic historical fiction audiobook to be totally absorbing.  Soraya Lane took my emotions on a magic carpet ride as this dual timeline novel has Lily experiencing love, loss, mystery, and excitement.
Lily travels through the countryside of Italy as she searches for the answer to her grandmother's past. Lily herself is on an emotional rollercoaster as she's trying to find if her place is permanently in the vineyards of Italy.

Narration by Zoe Mills was superb with announced chapters, engaging voice changes, and intonations.  She enhanced my enjoyment of this wonderful love story.  I eagerly await for book 2 in this Lost Daughters series.

My thanks to #NetGalley and Bookouture Audio for the pleasure of listening to this ARC.  This opinion is my own.

Title: The Italian Daughter
Series: The Last Daughter Book #1 (first in a 7 book series)
Author: Soraya Lane
Audiobook Narrator: Zoe Mills
Publisher: Bookouture Audio
Genre: Historical Fiction/Romance and a bit of Family Drama
Pub Date: September 23, 2022
My Rating: 4+ + Stars

Story is told in two timeline from the POV of Lily, a winemaker and Estee, a dancer.
Then ~ 1938 Italy - Estee, Lily’s Great Grandmother is training to be a professional dancer, it is something she wants although, the pressure her mother applies is cruel.
She and Felix, the son of a baker fall in love. However Felix’s family wants him to marry into a prominent family and has arranged his marriage.

Now ~ While Lily is In the US, she is given a box with a recipe in a theatre program from Teatro Alla Scala in Milan. The recipe is for a dessert made of chocolate and hazelnuts. Lily knows this is a message calling her to Italy.
She has recently started a new job with a well know winery. She and the owner’s son take a holiday to learn more about wine business but also find out the bakery where the recipe originated as she believe is will provide her with more about her great grandmother.
(Note: Is it me or does the recipe remind you of Nutella? Which I love and will
eat right out of the jar!)

I know you will love these characters especially Estee and Lily as much as I did!
This story stole my heart!

Author, Soraya Lane is new to me and I am happy I found her!
In addition, to this beautiful as well as very clever story, I enjoyed narrator Zoe Mills and her performances of the characters!
This is the first book in a new series.
I am definitely looking forward to Book #2.

Want to thank NetGalley and Bookouture Audio for this early eGalley.
Publishing Release Date scheduled for September 23, 2022

““Estee, I bought this ring the day after I saw you on stage, all those years ago. You’re the only woman I’ve ever loved.” Estee wanted to see it so badly, but instead she reached for Felix’s hand and gently closed it over the box. “No,” she whispered. “I want you to propose only when you’re truly free.””

Normally, when a book is described as HEARTBREAKING, I put it back. Life already sucks, why would I want to compound the feeling?

I’m glad I took a chance on this one, however. It was a good balance between heartbreak and hope.

I loved the two timelines, the shallow dives into both ballet and winemaking, the surprisingly compassionate character of the midwife, and the thoughtful discourse concerning both Emily and Patricia’s mother.

7.5/10

Thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for this ARC.

There are two love stories from past to present and each story is heartwarming and wonderful. The book is set in Italy in two time periods between present day and 1940s. This causes a bit of difficulty in the beginning to follow but then is easier once it takes off. Lily receives a strange invitation from a lawyer to pick up a box that had her grandmother's name on it. Inside the box are clues about her great-grandmother. Lily follows the clues to Italy and discovers some family secrets. While in Italy, she meets her new employer and his family, a wine maker. The other part of the story follows Estee and Felix back in the 1930s and 1940s. How everyone connects is yours to discover within the pages of the book.

Thanks to the author, netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity.

Wow, I was really touched by this amazing book, which is so heartwarming and moving. It is one of my favourite books of this year! I just loved it so much!

Lily, who is a winemaker and who lives in the UK, gets a parcel from her grandmother, which contains information about what happened to her in her past. Lily goes to Italy to make wine, and there she meets Antonio, who she gets close to. He helps her find out what happened to her Grandmother. I really enjoyed this part of the story.

We are also told about a timeline in the past, starting in 1945, where a young girl called Estee, who is a ballerina in Italy, falls for a young boy called Felix, but they have to be separated, as he is promised to another girl. Estee joins a well known ballet company, and performs for them for years, although she always misses Felix, and she always feels like something is missing from her life. Eventually, her and Felix are reunited, but problems occur, and misunderstandings are present. Will they be able to finally get together and have their happy ending? This was my favourite part of the story. I really loved Estee, and I felt connected to her.

The audiobook narrator Zoe did a marvellous job with this book. Her voice was perfect, and her work was outstanding.

I really loved this book a lot, and I highly recommend it. I really is so amazing, and wonderful, and it gave me all the feels. It was just so emotional, and so uplifting. It was perfect, and I can't fault it at all. I am sure this book will go on to be a best seller.

Many thanks to the author/narrator, publisher and NetGalley for a copy of this book.

Being honest, I have never been a fan of historical fiction novels. Having said this, something about the description made me want to read The Italian Daughter. Thankfully, I was selected to listen to it via NetGalley, so I didn't have to wait.

Soraya Lane weaved together a multigenerational story that was heartbreakingly beautiful. I rarely cry, certainly not when reading a book, but this one almost brought me there. It was written with such truth and honesty, no shock value twists (but there was a logical twist or two that I didn't see coming), no excess drama in the relationships, just people living life, doing their best.

An Italian Daughter is by far one of the finest books I have read in a long while. I cannot wait for the second installment, whichever way the series goes, be it a continuation of this family, another family that originated at Hope's House, or something else entirely, just so I can read more. Soraya Lane is just that good.

Zoe Mills was a great narrator. Her emotion really added the story. I do wish she had more distinct voices for the women characters, but I was so engrossed I hardly noticed.

Thank you to Bookouture Audio for providing me with an ALC.