Ella Carey’s An Italian Secret is a heart-wrenching tale of love, loss and sacrifice from this talented storyteller.

Tuscany, 1944 and when the Nazis march into Northern Italy, Contessa Evelina Messina welcomes them with open arms. With her silk dresses and vintage wine from her cellars, the Contessa spares no expense in entertaining her German guests and in ensuring that they don’t want for anything. Privately, she tells the locals that she is consorting with the Nazis in order to keep the enemy at bay, but the Contessa is such a good actress that tongues quickly start wagging as they begin to wonder about which side the Italian noblewoman might be on.

Years later, grief-stricken American Annie Reynolds arrives at the Contessa’s abandoned house determined to get to bottom of the shocking secret her father had imparted on his deathbed: that she was adopted and that Villa Rosa is her birthright. Desperate to uncover the truth, Annie is heartbroken when she listens to local gossip and hears that the Contessa had a child with a Nazi. Convinced that the truth lies within the walls of the villa, when she finds the Contessa’s diary from 1944, Annie is convinced that this book holds the answers she is seeking – especially as there are missing pages that could lead her to discovering all of the Contessa’s secrets.

As she delves into her diary, Annie begins to wonder whether the Contessa had been misjudged by the local community for decades. Was there more to this woman than everyone initially thought? And will Annie find everything she had been seeking at Villa Rosa?

Ella Carey’s An Italian Secret is a book that gets under your skin and sweeps you away into a world of danger, duty and desire. Written straight from the heart and full of evocative descriptions that will make you feel as if you are in Italy alongside her characters, Ella Carey’s An Italian Secret is a poignant tale about the ties that bind, the choices we make and falling in love that will hold readers spellbound.

This book has two different times one from WWII and another one being current when Anne who was adopted finds out that her birth mother has left her a Villa in Italy. Though the Villa needs repair she does have ideas for the use of it. Cara’s story is just as fascinating and the author does a good job of going back and forth with the different timelines. A good book with good characters.

This review first appeared in Historical Novels Review, Feb. 2024.

This dual-timeline novel takes place in the Villa Rosa, a lovely Tuscan villa. In the present day, Annie, an American chef, learns she was adopted and she has inherited the Villa Rosa from her biological mother. In Italy, Annie finds out that someone else claims to own the villa, and that he plans to turn it into a conference center. Also, she may be the descendant of the child that the villa’s owner during World War II, Contessa Evelina Messina, had with a Nazi. Annie finds a journal, with missing pages, kept by Cara, the Contessa’s secretary, during the war, and realizes it might contain the secret of her identity. Cara’s story takes place in 1944, when Tuscany was occupied by the Germans. The Contessa collaborates with the Nazis to protect the nearby villagers. When Cara’s father is shot by the Nazis, she joins the resistance, along with the Contessa’s son, whom she secretly loves, and carries out a dangerous mission, carrying explosives for an attack on a Nazi stronghold.

Ella Carey draws the reader in with beautifully written details about the villa and the Tuscan countryside, and mouthwatering descriptions of Italian food. Although technically not a mystery, the book contains a strong element of intrigue in Annie’s search for her heritage. Both timelines held my attention, and I kept wondering whether Cara would survive the war. I figured out the connection between Cara and Annie, but it didn’t spoil the book for me. The Contessa is a complex, somewhat mysterious, character, and there is enough doubt about her activities during the war that you don’t know, until the end, which side she is really on. There are some descriptions of wartime violence, but nothing too graphic. I highly recommend this book.

An Italian Secret by Ella Carey was a brilliant book especially as its Ella's first book in the new Daughters of Italy series and I loved it. However, this is a book that will have you reaching for a box of tissues its very emotional and beautifully written.

This book is based in 1944 in Tuscany which is controlled by the Nazis. Contessa Evelina Messina is the owner of the beautiful Villa Rosa, and welcomes the Germans to her valley. She wears a beautiful dazzling rose silk dress, and she entertains soldiers with priceless wine from her ancient cellars. However, privately, she tells the townspeople this will keep the enemy at bay, but her disguise is so good, and it is impossible to tell on which side her heart truly belongs….................

Years go by and an American Annie Reynolds gazes up at the peach-coloured walls of the magnificent, empty house. Grieving deeply for her beloved father, Annie remembers his last words before he slipped away. He told her, she was adopted and that the Villa Rosa was her birthright. Annie is desperate for answers, and it breaks all over again when the locals tell her the Contessa had a child with a Nazi. She is devastated and ready to turn away from her dark past.

But, something stops her.............Annie discovers a musty old diary from 1944 amongst the Contessa’s belongings and everything changes when she starts to read it and then finds pages have been meticulously cut out. Annie is sure these missing entries hold the clue to her past. She frantically searches the house for old papers etc. Annie sees how hard the Contessa worked to keep her people safe and wonders if the locals’ stories are wrong.

Can Annie find the Contessa’s missing child, born at the end of the war?

But, will she discover the truth about what happened alter the course of her own life for good?

WoW...........What a Brilliant book this was and I am looking forward reading more books in the series.

I highly recommend this latest book and 5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐.

Big thank you NetGalley and Bookouture for an advanced copy in exchange for a review.

Tuscany, 1944. Did she fight for the resistance or betray her people? This is an intriguing read and one which will take you on a journey to Tuscany, through war, secrets and different generations to find the truth.

This is such a well written book that I found it effortless to read. The subject matter was heart-breaking at times but heart-warming as well. It is a book that reels you in and makes you turn that pages as you won't want to put it down.

I loved the characters, the setting, the two timelines and the twists. A wonderful story, a wonderful read and I enjoyed it very much. 4 1/2 stars from me.

Thank you NetGalley and Bookouture for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book.

When Annie Reynolds dad dies he leaves her a letter in which he tells her that she owns a beautiful villa in Tuscany, the villa Rosa which has been standing empty for at least a couple of decades. As a kind of "proof" there are two keys with the letter.
Grief stricken, Annie decides to travel to Tuscany to find out about the villa and her birthright.
When she arrives in the village the notary tells her she is indeed the owner but there are no documents to prove it. When she arrives at the villa there turns out to be another contestant for the villa, claiming he is the real owner. This guy turns out to be a great nephew of the Contessa Evelina Messina who owned the villa during the second world war and whom, it is said, collaborated with the nazi's and had a child by a high-ranking SS officer.

Annie finds an ally in Luca, the landscape architect and gardener and together slowly they discover that the truth is much more complex in this split time, split person novel.. Although I tend to get a bit fed up by this formula I must say that it worked quite well in this book and the story was interesting. One critical note, I found the ending a bit disappointing, it kind fades out toward the end. I think that the book could have a more interesting ending. That's why I'm giving 3 stars, but I think the series has potential so I'm interested to read the next episode.

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

My Review: What a beautiful page turner, I loved it from start to finish. We follow the story in different time zones. WWII and present day. It's so well written and I could not put it down. The author did a fabulous job putting this together, I felt like I was present for the end of life care of Papa, Oscar and the telling of Annie's story and during the struggles in Tuscany, where we follow Cara's journey in 1944. It's beautiful, magical, heartbreaking and uplifting all at the same time. Ella should be so proud of herself.

An Italian Secret by Ella Carey is a dual timeline between WWII Italy to present day. In present day when Annie's father dies, she learns that all she believed to be true...isn't. Traveling to Tuscany from California, Annie seeks to uncover truth...of her parentage, her inheritance, and her heritage.

So many twists in this story left me wondering how the answers Annie sought would unravel. A definite page-turner from a new to me author.

A copy was provided for my review, but all opinions are my own.

I thoroughly enjoyed this novel by Ella Carey and found it very hard to put down! This is an emotional story of family, love, loyalty, betrayal, and strength, told in dual timeline that was easy to follow. I loved the main characters - Cara during WWII and Annie current day - they were well developed, likeable and plausible. The author paints a beautiful picture of Tuscany and left me longing to go there. I loved the history woven into this story and got a good feel for what life was like in Tuscany during WWII - I now have a desire to find out more about the history of Italy, particularly during this period. I’ll be reading more by Ella Carey and can’t wait for the next book in this series!
Thank you to NetGalley, Bookouture, and Ella Carey for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I used to avoid historical fiction like it was a death sentence, but lately I’ve read quite a few and have loved being transported to a time and place to learn a little about history. And then throw in some mystery and intrigue and I am sold. I read this pretty quickly and was drawn into the story. I was lucky enough to visit Tuscany a few years ago and loved the setting.

What if you found out your life was a lie and you were adopted? Annie sets off to uncover the truth of her past. Told in the present and during WWII. This is a story of hope, courage, drive and strength. There is secrets and betrayals along with discoveries and growth.

This was another historical fiction book that delightfully surprised me.

Ella Carey is always on my automatic read list. I love her books and the Daughters of New York series was pure gold. An Italian Secret is the first in a new series - Daughters of Italy - and can be read as a standalone but I am hoping there will be links with future upcoming books.

‘She could look at the situation with the villa as a problem or an opportunity, and looking at it as an opportunity might give her the chance to make a new start.’

Ella is a phenomenal author. On this occasion she alternates the story between Annie in the present day and Cara during the war. The writing is engaging with plot lines of secrets, danger, family and love. I was a little surprised when the book ended just past the 80% mark on my device. It did seem a little abrupt or maybe I was just not ready for it to end?

‘People could be so complex, and right now, trying to fully understand Sandro, the Contessa, this family, felt as impossible as trying to grasp the history of this villa that she needed to unravel to get to the truth.’

I was in awe once again learning of the lengths people went to in order to provide resistance to the Nazis. On this occasion Ella highlights the crucial role Italian partisans played in paving the way for the Allies to liberate. With strong and inspiring characters and a gripping plot, Ella looks set to undertake another stunning series.






This review is based on a complimentary copy from the author in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. The quoted material may have changed in the final release.

I was so excited to read a book about Italy during the Second World War as it seems so little people pay attention to Italy and the Italian Partisans during this war. This book follows two women as they navigate the past and the present of their lives in their current situations. ⁣
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Cara and Anna are the two women who have to navigate the secrets of their own time and how they come together. While I did love reading about the present day (Anna) and the past (Cara), I didn’t find myself as interested in Anna’s chapters as Cara’s. However, unlike most historical fiction books which flash backwards and forwards, the present day chapters didn’t drag. They still kept a strong link to the secrets held in the past with Cara. But they felt repetitive compared with Cara’s chapters. ⁣
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I cannot wait to read more by Ella Carey as I love how different and interwoven her World War Two novel was.

“An Italian Secret” is the first book in the daughters of Italy series by Ella Carey which is an absolutely beautiful story. The story is split between two time periods, the current day with Annie, and WWII 1944 with Cara. Full of love, grief, betrayal, heartbreak, hope and human nature at its best and worst.

Annie, who lives in San Franciso, has recently lost her father, who left her a letter saying she “is a child of Italy” and she owns a beautiful villa in Tuscany ‘The Villa Rosa’. So, Annie takes the big jump on a plane to Rome a train to Florence and finally a bus to Cortona. She finds the “Villa Rose”, but it has been emptied for decades now and no answers to why the villa is her’s.

Cara’s story is set during WII Tuscany in 1944 at “Villa Rosa” where is the secreter of Contessa Evelina Messina in the depth of the Nazi occupation of Italy. After the sudden loss of her father Cara pleads to help the partisans with whatever she can do to help her fellow countrymen, women and children.

What would Annie discover about the past?

Or will the past destroy the future?

The beauty of Italy comes to life within the words of this great author which I thoroughly enjoyed, as it was full of exceptional characters, pulled me into the story, read at an excellent pacing, and both heartwarming and heartbreaking scenes that were full of emotions throughout the book.

Always a sucker for a book set in the beautiful Italian countryside this story was heartbreaking and triumphant at the same time. I loved the then and now story of the book and how life does come full circle!

An Italian Secret is the first in the Daughters of Italy series by Ella Carey. I love books set in Italy during World War Two as at times I feel I have become too accustomed to reading books set in Germany during this time so having a different setting is very refreshing. There is a superb sense of time and place throughout this book with such vivid descriptions and imagery that make you feel as if you have been transported to Tuscany. The valley and village of Cortona where the story is set come alive through the pages. You can visualise what beautiful area it is full of olive groves, cypress trees, hills and gardens but that during the war the residents lived in a constant state of fear under Mussolini’s rule and even more so when the Germans invaded their little oasis of peace and calm.

The story is told in a dual timeline format moving back and forth between the present day and 1944. Chapters alternate between Cara and Annie’s perspectives and whilst reading you are keen to discover what is the link between the pair, if any, and just what happened during the later stages of the war that led to the beautiful Villa Rosa being abandoned for so long. In the present day Annie lives in California where she is a chef. Her mother died several years ago and she has an older brother and sister. Her father’s health has been failing for quite some time and he has retreated into himself and the past. Annie is called to his bedside and he has the chance to tell her there is a letter in his desk for her. When he passes she discovers the letter with two keys, it details that she has inherited a property in Tuscany. She knew nothing of this nor that her parentage is not what she thought it was. With the one constant in her life gone Annie decides there is nothing for it but to travel to Italy and see what is there. She always thought she knew who she was but now she has to figure out who this new person is and why has she long felt a connection to Italy.

Annie arrives in Italy to find Luca, a landscape gardener, working at the beautiful but abandoned Villa Rosa. The gardens have been left to run wild but instantly Annie can see what beauty was once there but there is a shadow or sadness there too within the house. What secrets does it hold and how has she come to inherit it? Luca wonders who she is and claims that she is not the rightful heir that a man named Sandro is. Sandro soon arrives to the villa and it’s clear he feels very entitled and is not willing to share the exact truth with Annie. His grandfather was the son of the owners the Contessa Evelina Messina and her husband and he believes that he has a direct connection and the villa belongs to his family. He wants to turn the villa into a corporate business which is the complete opposite to Annie’s wishes. Even though she is just newly arrived in the area she feels at home there and she can envisage the gardens transformed to what they once were and she herself using the produce for cooking wonderful meals and entertaining.

As there is no firm evidence to suggest that Annie is the heir. A battle of sorts ensues between the pair but until there is something concrete Annie is not giving up. I admired this about her, that she didn’t lay down and accept what Sandro had said as she knew there had to be a firm reason as to why her father wrote that letter and she is in possession of the keys. She wasn’t going down without a fight and with Luca by her side who becomes more than just a source of help she was determined to dig deep and uncover who she was and why according to locals a source of shame surrounds the villa. I loved the element of mystery throughout the book but I felt there could have been a bit more searching and uncovering as things seemed to happen very quickly. A few more twists and turns throughout the book rather than very near the end would have been great. Instead of getting everything in one fell swoop.

In the past we follow Cara, who is secretary to the Contessa. A horrific incident which leads to the death of her father encourages to take part in partisan activities in the valley. The partisans and resistance are determined to rid the area of Germans and with the Allies approaching the sense of urgency increases. Cara has to be wary as the Contessa is on the German side and entertaining German officers. Her son Nicolas has long left the villa and her younger son Raf although not living in the villa is very much featured in the story. Raf is very much against what his mother stands for and can no longer contemplate living in the villa. Cara and Raf have a connection which has been thwarted by the Contessa and her personal views and actions. Coming from different backgrounds and social classes they should not be together but when one feels a spark and love developing really one should pursue this rather than quashing it.

I loved that Raf was the complete opposite to his mother and I wanted to know even more about his involvement in activities in the area. Cara spurred on by what has happened to her ventures down a dark and dangerous path but I was rooting for her all the way. She was brave and fearless and was well aware of the bigger picture and what the results of her and many others actions could potentially be. As I was reading through Cara’s chapters, I was constantly seeking clues that would perhaps reveal the connection to Annie’s story in the past. I had a slight inkling but wasn’t 100% correct which I was glad for as I do like to be surprised when the reveals in a book do finally come to the fore.

I really enjoyed the book as a whole but I felt the chapters were too short. That there was too much chopping and changing between the two timelines. I was equally invested in both strands of the story but this rapid movement from one viewpoint to another made the book feel slightly disjointed. I felt I was only getting into a chapter and then it ended suddenly. A lot of Annie’s chapters ended on cliff hangers which in one way was great because it kept you reading on and I was dying to know what would happen next but then on the other hand I found myself abruptly jerked back to the past or vice versa. If the chapters had been a bit longer this would have helped. At times, it read as if there were two separate stories and that I might have been better off reading all of Annie’s chapters and then Cara’s or else I was racing through chapters to get back to a character and not fully absorbing what I was reading. This makes it sound as if I didn’t enjoy the book but that’s not the case I loved the concept of the entire story and as I have said the setting was magnificent and the plot itself very strong. It’s just I would have preferred a bit more fleshing out of detail within chapters.

I found the book ended very abruptly at the 82% mark. I thought I had a fair bit to go and then all of a sudden that was it, there was no more and I could have read on. There was a rush of info given in order to tie things up and I struggled to digest the connections and family heritage so I reread the final chapters again to make sure I had everything right. I wanted to be sure that I knew how people connected and what their motivations were for doing certain things. Given this is book one, I hope the story will continue on with these characters as I feel there is more to come from them. If this doesn’t happen and we are introduced to new characters in book two I hope at least we get a paragraph or two detailing what happened next or even if they were background characters that would be great. An Italian Secret certainly lived up to the title and whilst reading all I was constantly wondering what are the connections? Will Anna discover the truth of her heritage or will shame reign upon the family forever? This is a very good read despite some of the issues I had with the structure and length of the book. I will definitely be back to read book two as the series shows enormous potential.

An Italian Secret is one of those lovely stories that captivates and draws you in, moving between WWII and the present day the secret revealed by her father on his death bed takes Annie on a journey of discovery of both her hidden Italian heritage and the stories of the forgotten Villa Rosa.

I am looking forward to the next book in the series.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for allowing me to read An Italian Secret.

The Tuscan Secret is a great novel, I started and finished it yesterday. I could not put it down. Every time I thought I had figured out where Annie’s lineage came from I was wrong. Following both Annie and Cara’s perspectives was never dull or fluffed with filler, Author Ella Carey kept it interesting and moved the story at a steady pace. The cover for the novel in my opinion is a perfect fit. I look forward to reading the next instalment.

Thank you to the Author, Bookouture & netgalley for the eARC

Thank you Bookouture for inviting me to be part of the Books on Tour for “An Italian Secret” by Ellen Carey. ‘Wow wow wow!!!! I read this book in less than twenty- four hours. It was so gripping, it had me hooked and unable to put it down until I finished the last shocking page!
The story is told from two points of view and slips back and forth in time. Annie lives in California and comes to Tuscany to claim a Villa. Cara is living during WWII and works as a courier for the Italian resistance.
I was flipping the pages so fast to see what would happen! I can’t wait for the new book in the series. Many thanks to the author, Bookouture and NetGalley for a complimentary copy of the book. The opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.

Happy Reading!

#AnItalianSecret #EllaCarey #NetGalley #Bookouture #BooksOnTour #BookLove #BooksSetDuringWWII #BooksSetInItaly #Bookstagram #NewBook #ILoveBooks

Tuscany, 1944, Contessa Evelina Messina owns the wonderful Villa Rosa. But as the Germans move to take over Northern Italy, Evelina entertains the soldiers to gather any information from them that she can. Serving them fancy dinners and expensive wine from her wine cellar, the locals begin to wonder which side she is actually on. Many years later Annie Reynolds’ father passed away and his last words to her was that she was adopted and the beautiful Villa Rosa was hers. When she begins to investigate her past, some of the locals tell her that Evelina Messina had a child with a Nazi. When Annie discovers an old diary with entries dating back to 1944, some of the pages had deliberately been removed. Annie is certain that those missing pages are the truth to her past. Reading through Evelina’s diary, Annie discovers that the Contessa did everything she could to keep the enemy Nazi’s at bay. And now the truth must be discovered and made known, and Annie is the only one that can make that happen.

An Italian Secret written by author Ella Carey, was a heartbreaking story of finding out the truth and uncovering family history. I loved every page of this story from cover to cover. This dual timeline novel was completely unexpected and I was enthralled with its history. I loved Annie’s story the most because of her determination to uncover the truth. This was a story that completely captivated me and I wasn’t ready for it to end. I am so happy that this is the first book of a brand new series. I can’t wait to read the next installment. Thank you Ella Carey for such a phenomenal read…you never disappoint. I loved this story and I highly recommend it.

Another beautiful story from Ella Care, I read this one in one sitting I could not put it down, a mystery to uncover, awesome characters the setting is beautiful, set over two time lines we get to know Annie and Cara and I loved them and this story.

Annie Reynolds lives in America she is an exceptional chef and loves Italian food, but when her father passes away and leaves a letter and two keys, Annie is shocked at what the letter reveals, the contents take her on a journey to Tuscany, Italy and to the Villa Rosa, a beautiful home that has been left abandoned for many years, here she starts the search for her history.

1944 and Tuscany is controlled by the Nazis and the owner of Villa Rosa Contessa Evelina Messina has a few people working for her, her secretary Cara, a gardener Alphonso and a cook Bettina one son left at the start of the war and her other Raf is working with the Partisans, unbeknownst to his mother, Evelina takes a German as her lover and soon the Nazis have taken over Villa Rosa.

Annie arrives at the Villa Rosa her inheritance, only to find Luca there working on the garden and then to discover that there is someone else who is claiming Villa Rosa as his. Annie is determined to not give up on finding the truth and what her searching uncovers is heartbreaking but shows courage and strength, will she finally find the truth?

I am a big fan of Ella Carey’s stories and this one is another beautiful story, she has bought these characters to life, pulled me into the story and I felt all of the emotions, yes I cried and I cheered them on, this is a story that I highly recommend, it is one for the keeper shelf, don’t miss this one, I can’t wait for the next one in the series.

My thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for my copy to read and review.