Thoroughly enjoyed the book, perhaps even more so having been to the area.

The moral of the story all readers should take away with them is that something is not always as it first looks and that is true of days gone by and again today.

Thank you to NetGalley, the publishers and author for giving me the chance to read a pre-release copy.

Wow! This book was amazing and revealed a side of the war that I don't often get to read about. A page turner for sure!

The Girl from Portofino alternates between Gina, her twin sister Adele, and Gina’s daughter Hope between 1943 and 1970 in the charming coastal town of Portofino, Italy. Mostly occurring after Gina’s father’s death in 1970, the novel follows Gina as she reads Adele’s diary and remembers her time with the partisans during World War II. Gina must renegotiate her remembrance of her late sister and her challenging relationship with Hope. Siobhan Daiko brings Portofino and its place during World War II to life throughout the novel. Her characters live in the city as they bring it to life and defend it against the fascists during World War II, and the city functions as a secondary character with a strong impact on the characters’ identities. As for Daiko’s characters, they are multifaceted and dynamic, with positive and negative qualities that serve to make them more realistic for the reader. Gina, the protagonist, is flawed in a relatable way, and the relationships that Gina and the other characters have are equally flawed and realistic. Daiko, throughout The Girl from Portofino, has created a vibrant, realistic, and human setting and cast of characters, all of whom truly live in this charming Italian city at such a fascinating point in time.

Thank you so much for an early read of this beautiful book!

I will be completely honest with you, I am afraid before I got to the end and got to finish it, the license expired.

This was completely my fault, and to make amends I will be purchasing a copy on Amazon in order to read the last few chapters.

What I can tell you, what I did read of the girl from portofino was absolutely beautiful. The author transports you to the beautiful mountains and the way she describes Italy and in in such dark periods in history is amazing. A different look on the awful war. In the eyes of two wonderful twin sisters.

Do not be worried about this being set in duel time zones (1940 and 1970s) the author handled and carried this over really well meaning it was not a complicated or difficult read, and it really does work! It is a fast paced book with an intriguing plot and it works itself together very well.
The author manages to transport you right into Italy.

I hope to purchase a copy for my own personal use as i endveaur to finish the story and the ending, as sad I fear this ending may well be.

Good read and interesting story line. I loved the split timeline and multiple perspectives. It would make a good beach read.

A beautifully written love story that takes you to the stunning background of Italy and its history during WW2. The Girl from Portofino is the 2nd novel in the Girls from the Italian Resistance series. We step into Gina’s world as she revisits her past and discovers truths, relives her loss and finds courage. A heartbreaking and heartwarming novel that reminds you not everything seems as it is. A highly recommended read, for those that love historical fiction WW2 books.

I would like to thank Boldwood Books, NetGalley and the author for the opportunity to read this complimentary copy for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

It was 1970 when Gina received the phone call from her brother to say their father had died, she was shattered. Gina and her daughter Hope, travelled to Portofino from London, with Gina's husband, Vinnie, to follow once he had business caretakers organised. When Gina arrived at her Mamma's home, her memories from WWII returned in a rush. Gina hadn't been back to her home town for twenty five years, but now, with Mamma having found Adele's diary from those unforgettable days, and wanting Gina to read her sister's story, she would find out the truth.

Adele and Gina were identical twins and as different as chalk and cheese. But they adored one another just the same. When Gina and Stefano joined the partisans in the mountains in 1944, Adele was working for a German Baroness who'd lived in Portofino, and once her husband had died, she'd stayed on. Now Adele, first a maid, now a confidant and friend, worked beside the Baroness as she passed messages to the partisans. But Adele wanted to do more for her country...

The Girl from Portofino is the 2nd in the Girls from the Italian Resistance series by Siobhan Daiko and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Fast paced and heartbreaking, the descriptions of the mesmerising country in and around Portofino, the mountains where the partisans were based, the brutality of the Germans, the poignancy in parts - I'd love to visit Italy! Highly recommended.

With thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my digital ARC to read in exchange for an honest review.

Historical romance with Mum (1944)/Daughter (1970) timeframes. Mum, Gina was a Partisan fighting in italy in WW2; she now runs a pub in the East End of London with her English husband. Hope's story, (the daughter) is set in 1970 where she has dropped out of studying Architecture at UCL and is having drug and confidence issues. They go together to Portofino to attend the funeral and rediscover the Italian family when Gina's father (Nonno) suddenly dies.
Gina's mother has discovered an old diary which tells the real story of Gina's twin sister Adele, (of whom Hope knows nothing). Many secrets, 'shames' and unanswered questions about her sister working for the Nazis back in the war are solved, and Gina faces telling the truth about her family and twin, to Hope and why she left Italy all that time ago.
Interesting tale, although I did find it a bit 'convenient' about the diary - especially bearing in mind the real risks in keeping such an incriminating document both to herself and the whole family at the time. (However, we know some diaries were written, and Adele did seem naive enough not to recognise the true repercussions, were it discovered by the Nazis). Some of the characters didn't seem to be as circumspect as they woud have to have been, mainly through naivety; and the sense of real threat did not really register as much as it should have done. But an interesting and entertaining family tale.

4 out of 5 stars.

In 1970, Gina learns of her father's death and returns to Italy with her daughter Hope for the funeral. There, Gina copes with PTSD and vivid memories of WWII and her time with the resistance. While there, she receives the diary of her twin sister Adele from her mother, who worked with the Germans during the war.

I was excited about this book after its rave reviews, however, I found myself struggling with the characters. Hope, this apparently troubled girl, seems perfectly normal and understandable to me. Her struggles are blown up for the sake of the story, and her mother is unable to understand why her daughter is struggling when she dealt with such a worse life.

Likewise, Gina and Adele with their parallel storylines of trying to survive by any means necessary, struggling with love, and coping with the war, seem more like caricatures than characters.

Overall the storyline was endearing. an interesting look at a dynamic not often explored. The twists were a bit expected but that doesn't mean they aren't enjoyable.

I would suggest this book, but not with enthusiasm.

Thank you Netgalley and Boldwood Books for this e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

Thanks to the Publisher and Netgalley for an early review copy.

I loved reading this book.

I’d guessed the secret that was being kept, but that still didn’t take away the enjoyment of reading Gina’s story.

It was interesting to read about the way things were in Italy during WWII and how Gina did her bit by joining the resistance.

Reading the diary of her twin sister Adele, that was discovered by her mother, Gina found out what she thought and did, and felt bad for thinking the worst of Adele.

Hope is Gina’s daughter, but her actions are worrying Gina, as they go to Italy, Hope changes and eventually she finds out the truth, about her past, what happened and why the secret was kept.

I highly recommend this book.

The Girl from Portofino, by Siobhan Daiko

A beautifully written story that follows the lives of identical twins, Gina and Adele, who follow different paths in WWII.

Narrated by Gina in dual timelines and by Adele’s diary from the war, found by their Mother very recently, Gina learns why her sister made the choices that she did and realises that it’s time to tell the truth to her adult daughter, Hope.

Siobhan Diako is fast becoming one of my favourite writers. Her skillful writing eloquently blends past and present, bringing the story to an emotional and compelling conclusion. She masterfully blends historical facts with her fictional characters and captivates her reader from the very beginning. Absolutely 5 ⭐️

Thanks to Netgalley, the author and the publisher for an ARC in return for an honest review.

I enjoyed this dual timeline story, set in WWII and 1970. This is the story told through the perspectives of identical twins Gina and Adele in the 1940s, two young Italian women growing up in the stunning Ligurian coastal town of Portofino. The 1970 storyline follows Adele, now living in England, who returns to Portofino following the death of her father. While there, she reflects on her past as a Partisan fighting the Fascists during WWII, and revisits the tragic tale of her twin sister.

There was a lot I enjoyed about this novel: the descriptions, the slowly revealed stories of the two sisters, the love stories that emerge. The history was interesting, but war is complicated, and I thought the Partisans were overly romanticized, and conflicts between the Partisans and Italian citizens brushed over, as were the communist elements of the Partisans. There are two short mentions, but concerns are quickly brushed over. To be fair, it was a sweeping novel, but war has lots of grey areas, and those are what often interest me. Regardless, this is a well written and engaging dual timeline novel.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for my copy - all thoughts are my own.

Thank you Netgalley and Boldwood Books for this eCopy to review

I loved the Girl from Portofino, even though I guessed the secret very early on it still did not detract from enjoying the story. This was a fascinating portrayal of life in Italy during WWII, I loved how Gina joined the resistance and learning about the work that they did. I found it very sad that for years she believed the worst of her twin sister Adele and only finds out the truth about her through reading her diary which their mother has just found.

Gina's daughter Hope is causing her much worry and I liked how by the end of the story she had found out the truth about her past and was able to grow into the wonderful person she could be

This is a story set mainly during the Second World War in Italy. I enjoyed reading about this era from a different perspective as I’ve not read many books from an Italian point of view. The basic story is good but it felt like it dragged in the middle and I ended up skimming sections. This is an easy read but there are other books I would choose over this one.

This was okay. It's not quite to my taste - the characters were a bit too bland and 2 dimensional. They endure some incredibly horrific things but it doesn't seem to have much impact on anyone. I also found the premise of the "big secret' to be odd - why would someone be afraid of disclosing that information? It didn't seem like that big of a deal. But the plot was engaging enough for me to keep going - it was a very quick read!

Received an ARC of this from NetGalley.