Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for this advanced copy! You can pick up Every Time We Say Goodbye on May 14, 2024.

If you're a fan of historical fiction and drama-period pieces, this is likely the book for you. As it is, I found it difficult to immerse myself in this story and connect with the characters. For me, historical fiction has to hit in a specific way and draw me in, and I just don't think this story was for me. I read about 30 pages before deciding to DNF, due to the dialogue and character interactions.

But if you enjoy theater drama set in 1950s London, you'll likely enjoy this historical fiction work.

Every Time We Say Goodbye by Natalie Jenner is a heartwarming and thrilling novel set post-World War II Italy. In 1955, Vivien Lowry is an actress whose female-led play has opened in the West End to applause from the audience. The reviewers are not as impressed as the playgoers and their critical notices shut down the play and ruin Lowry's dramatic career. With her future in London not looking bright, Vivien takes a job in as a script doctor working with talented actors and directors. As Vivien tries to forge a new future for herself, she also must face the long-buried truth of the recent World War and the mystery of what truly happened to her deceased fiancé.

Jenner does a wonderful job creating an inspirational story of loss and hope after World War II. Every Time We Say Goodbye had me turning the pages to the very end. This book is an easy 4 stars. I highly recommend this book for anyone who loves historical fiction and romance.

I received a free advanced copy and all opinions are my own. I would like to offer my sincerest gratitude to St. Martin's Publishing Group and NetGalley for the advanced copy.

Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review. This novel is wonderful and delights anyone interested in Rome and London around the 1950s, but also anyone who enjoys books that involve the film industry. I rarely get to read books like these, but always enjoy them when I do. I was not disappointed.

I adore Jenner's first two books and have been downright evangelistic about them. I expected to love this third endeavour just as much. Unfortunately, while the pacing and writing make it very easy to read, it completely failed to capture me and no one is sadder about that than I.

Every Time We Say Goodbye
By Natalie Jenner

This book takes place during 1943 in Italy and 1955 in Rome. It has a large cast of characters, all of whom have had to love and lose – and say goodbye in one form of another. Many discover that letting go of the past can bring new love and happiness.

The story revolves around post-war movie making in Italy under the stringent control of the Catholic church. Censorship is rampant, both in Europe and America. While having gained a great deal of freedom, women were still, in many ways, controlled by the men in their lives.

The many characters and their stories intertwine and life lessons are shared. The struggles with faith and how to lead a life for good are basic themes here. Not everyone's personal story resolves happily, but the ultimate message is uplifting.

I adored both The Jane Austen Book Club and Bloomsbury Girls and was so thrilled to receive @authornataliejenner third instalment in this series.

I do wish I had maybe refreshed my memory on her prior two books before I read this one, there have been a lot of books between them and I definitely missed a few references and forgot about a few characters and plot lines. I also read the first two books out of order so it’s been a really long time in book years since I read this one’s predecessor.

This book was not a book about books, but follows the Italian film industry post WW2. When Vivian, of Bloomsbury Books, receives some additional information about her deceased fiancés fate during the war, she packs herself off to Italy to explore the lead. Finding work as a scriptwriter in the Italian film industry introduces her to a new world. With the Vatican keeping a close watch on everything they turn out, the filmmakers will have to fight to keep their creative visions alive.

I do not have a lot of knowledge about 1950’s cinema but the picture painted of the glamour and pitfalls in this book is fantastic. The constant play for power by the Church adds an interesting dynamic and was something I had never considered coming into play before.

Hitting shelves May 14 2024.
Thank you to @stmartinspress and @netgalley for letting me get an advanced look at Every Time We Say Goodbye
#bookreview #booklover #bookaddict #booknerd #everytimewesaygoodbye #bookstagram #books #booknerd #bookblogger #readforjoy #readers #readersofinstagram #readersofig #readerlife

Set amidst the glamour and romance of Rome in the 50s, Jenner's latest is anything but light. After Vivien's play flops in London, she heads to Italy to work in the film industry as a script doctor, and search for information about what really happened to her fiance, David, during the war. At first Vivien seems perhaps a bit frivolous, but before long the reader realizes that her actions mask a lot of repressed anger. An affair with ties to the Bloomsbury Girls story ends with a surprising twist; secrets are revealed about David's last days, and unexpected allies help Vivien grow into a woman more at peace with herself and what she wants to do with her life. At the center of the story is a script based on a real-life woman assassin during the war, the nun that assisted her, the lover she left behind, and how the Vatican controls so much of the film industry that the production is shut down.

The last half of this book really ratchets up not only the tension, but the soul-deep questions that the characters must face about themselves, the nature of war, the lingering trauma and how that shapes how people move forward. Weighty and thoughtful but never ponderous, there's a gravity to this story that was unexpected and lingered with me after I finished. Fans of Jenner's earlier books in this series (The Jane Austen Society, The Bloomsbury Girls) will enjoy Vivien's memorable story where darkness gives way to light, despair to hope, and love gets a second chance.

After her play flops in London, Vivien decides to move to Rome to help write a script for the Italian cinema. Its 1954, but she is still haunted by the unknown details of her fiancé’s death in Italy in World War 2 and hopes to find out more. Surrounded by glamour and movie stars, Vivien comes to know a country highly influenced by the Catholic Church and still reeling from the divisions of war.
The Italian cinema world was a fascinating backdrop for this novel and I enjoyed learning more about WW2 in Italy. However, the storytelling felt disjointed, and I was confused by some of the major developments, which I won’t go into here to avoid spoilers. I really loved The Jane Austen Society and Bloomsbury Girls and was so excited to read this one, but it fell a bit flat for me. I never really related to Vivien. Maybe reading it in closer succession to the other two books would have helped me feel more invested in the story, but I think it works fine as a standalone.

This well-researched novel takes you to Rome with a film director, movie stars, and a scriptwriter creating movies a decade after WWII.

Readers get a head-start with a long list of who’s who in the beginning. There are two timelines: early 1940s during the war and 1950s when everyone was desperately trying to forget the pain and sadness.

Vivian Lowry was a film cutter in the editing room in 1955 for screen plays at Cinecitta Studios, the largest film studio in Europe. While working there, she was hoping to hear positive news. Her fiancé was captured in Libya with 30,000 other men who were sent on a cargo ship to Italy. However, it didn’t stop Vivian, the 35-year-old spinster, from having relationships with other men. Everyone wished for hope in these dark times of great sadness.

The book follows an intense plot around the film makers with the heavy influence of politics and the Catholic religion upon the people in Italy during and after the war. Mussolini said, “Cinema is the most powerful weapon.” Real-life movie stars were included with Sophia Loren and also the well-known Peggy Guggenheim.

There was a lot going on and I found many parts to be complex and slow moving. However, the second half picked up with subplots that were interesting especially with Cardinal Marchetti’s manipulative tactics. It’s the third book of a series which I didn’t realize. However, it seemed to be fine as a standalone.

My thanks to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for allowing me to read an advanced copy of this book with an expected release date of May 14, 2024.

I received this ARC not knowing it was the third in a series, so I frantically read the first two in order to get caught up. The first wasn’t my favorite, but I got sucked into Vivian’s story in the second and third. I think my only complaint about Every Time We Say Goodbye was that the story felt forced at the end. Not everything needed to be connected, and the main flashback character’s continuity didn’t seem to quite line up. But I still very much enjoyed it.

“Every Time We Say Goodbye” is an emotional, compelling historical fiction novel set in 1950s Rome with characters still reeling from the aftereffects of World War II. The story follows Vivien Lowry, the bookseller and writer first introduced in Jenner’s previous novel, “Bloomsbury Girls,” as she seeks to uncover the mystery behind her fiancé’s death during WWII and save her faltering writing career.
While the book includes a few characters from previous novels (“Bloomsbury Girls” and “The Jane Austen Society”), it works as a standalone novel. In Rome, Vivien becomes enmeshed in classic Italian cinema – crossing paths with Hollywood stars and filmmakers, creating an intriguing setting and set of characters.
Natalie Jenner has quickly become one of my favorite contemporary authors – and this book doesn’t disappoint. It’s full of rich characters, vivid imagery, extensive historical research, and a touch of romance. Fans of Old Hollywood, WWII fiction, brilliant characters, and heartfelt storytelling will love this beautiful book.
Overall Rating: 5
Romance Rating: 5

This was a somewhat enjoyable read. I found parts related to history interesting but the romance was lackluster and there were far too many characters for my liking. I had to go back a few times just to figure who someone was in the story.

Rome, Italy - 1943 and 1955

Playwright Vivien Lowry has left England after a public thrashing of her latest play. At the urging of socialite Peggy Guggenheim, Vivien has flown to Italy to work for the Cinecitta studios, built in the 1930s by Mussolini. Now, post war, it is making movies for the general public, albeit under the ultimate supervision of the Vatican. Vivien will be working for director Douglas Curtis who owns his own production company. Vivien is not only escaping from bad reviews at home, but also doing some close hand research on the disappearance of her fiance, David St. Vincent, who never returned home from the war. He was last known to be a prisoner of war in Italy.

One of the curious things about her job is dealing with various people involved in the film industry, including financier John Lassiter, and an Italian prince, Nino Tremonti. Vivien found that both men have things to hide. Nino is currently under house arrest for a screenplay that the Vatican has censored. The topic of the movie is the story of La Scolaretta, the schoolgirl assassin. The screenplay reveals much about how the Vatican behaved with the Nazis, and that despite avoiding capture, and being hidden at a convent, the girl was publicly executed by the Germans. The Church is not happy with Nino, hence the arrest.

Vivien has come to Italy for other reasons, too. But she isn't one to open up to anyone about her past. She does, however, discover many juicy stories about the various people she meets and/or works with. Can she get over losing David? Will she find out anything about how or where he died?

From the author of THE JANE AUSTEN SOCIETY and BLOOMSBURY GIRLS, EVERY TIME WE SAY GOODBYE is a stand alone novel, but does include a few names from the previous books. The mysteries behind Lassiter, Nino, and a Vatican cardinal who seems to have his fingers in many pots are intriguing. Vivien is a strong woman, but one who holds onto that strength from grief for David, and her other secret.

A terrific page turner, don't miss EVERY TIME WE SAY GOODBYE by Natalie Jenner.

I loved Jane Austen Society and the sequel, so I knew I’d be captivated by this one from the start. Jenner is such a great storyteller and I loved seeing how she weaved her world together. I highly recommend these books to bibliophiles, Jane Austen lovers, and historical fiction fans!

Every Time We Say Goodbye is a good title for a song or film, or a book, but It does not really describe Natalie Jenner's novel, Every Time We Say Goodbye. This Jenner novel is the third novel in the Jane Austen Society series. I have not read the first two novels in this series, but I had no problem following the novel or the characters. Every Time We Say Goodbye works well as a stand-alone novel. There are a lot of characters and a lot of side plots, which can be quite confusing. Reading this novel as an ebook makes turning back to see the list of characters included rather difficult.

The setting is a dual timeline set in Rome, Italy. The 1943 timeline is very brief and under-developed. Without more detail, readers can be horrified but still unfeeling at the same time. More attention is paid to the 1955 timeline, which is better developed and where the real plot occurs. Although Every Time We Say Goodbye is defined by historical research, it is still fiction. The 1955 story is so well told, that many readers will likely think this novel is based on truth, while it is more historical possibility, than true. Jenner's research reveals the post WW II world of Italy, especially Italian cinema. The Vatican holds censorship authority over Italian cinema. The history of Cinecitta is good, as is the description of Nazu=I brutality and conflict between fascists and partisans,

I really wanted to like this novel more, but the lack of detail and story about the 1943 assassin meant she had no real identity. Readers needed to care about her, not just be horrified. I don't want to give away plot or spoilers, but earlier in the novel her capture is described in one way, but is described in another way at the end. The whole last chapter, the epilogue, is unnecessary. It goes nowhere, as readers already know. Every Time We Say Goodbye needs more editing to tighten the story. And a ruthless red pen to eliminate some of the side stories. Lassiter comes to mind. He is a digression that is best written out. Not every character needs a romance.

Thank you to Jenner, St Martin's Press, and NetGalley for providing me with this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

“Every Time We Say Goodbye” is the third book in the “Jane Austen Society” series by Natalie Jenner. I will admit that I haven’t (yet) read the previous two books, so while I was missing some “how everyone fits together” information, this book can easily be read as a stand-alone novel. This book follows Vivien, who wrote a play that didn’t get rave reviews in England, as she tries her hand at editing/modifying scripts for Italian movies. A lot happens in this book - she learns of the story of a female assassin during WWII (which the reader learns about first in flash backs), she has issues with the Papal morals codes (a bit more strict than she’s used to), and is trying to determine what has happened to her MIA fiancé. There are a LOT of characters in this book - in fact the book opens with two pages of character names. There’s also a lot of WWII historical information, which was interesting. My two main quibbles were that the side stories took away from the assassin storyline and also that there were so many characters with their own storylines (or name dropping) to also remember. Is it possible that Ms. Jenner tried to put too much into this book - I’m thinking so. However, if learning more about post-WWII Italy and the movie industry of that time is of interest to you, this may be a book to pick up.

Every Time We Say Goodbye by Natalie Jenner is historical fiction at its best!!
The author weaves a story with incredible characters in beautiful places (hello Italy) and does not disappoint.
Natalie Jenner's Vivien (from The Bloomsbury Girls) is a struggling 1950s playwright and is given a chance to work on a movie being filmed in Rome! The movie is about an Italian woman resistance fighter during the Nazi occupation. Wow!! I loved this book.
Thank you to the publisher, St. Martin's Press, and Netgalley for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

First, what I liked about this book is that it was its unique premise and time period. I didn't know much about the Italian film industry or post-WW2 era Rome. I also liked having the list of characters to reference at the beginning. I did find it hard to get into the story and one reason was keeping up with the long list of characters and constantly flipping back to the list felt tedious. I would definitely check out other works by this author though.

I received an ARC from NetGalley, but all opinions are my own.

While technically the final installment in Natalie Jenner's The Jane Austen Society trilogy, Every Time We Say Goodbye can be read and enjoyed as a standalone novel. Every Time We Say Goodbye follows Vivien, who has fled London for Italy after disastrous reviews of her play, where she works as a "script doctor" on a movie about a female resistance fighter who dies trying to protect her fellow countrymen from the Nazi's. Neapolitan filmmaker Prince Nino Tremonti faces scrutiny and censorship from the Catholic Church and Italian government (essentially the same thing!) as he tries to bring his fallen lover's story to the big screen. The chapters detailing this elusive hero's mission are pulse poundingly tense in showcasing the brutality of the Third Reich. A clever mix of historical fiction and reality, Every Time We Say Good bye features cameos by several true life people including actresses Gina Lollobrigida and Sophia Loren. Vivien's fiancee David also died during the war, and Vivien caries a devastating legacy of their doomed romance. In Italy Vivian begins an affair with playboy John Lassiter, who does not let his marriage to Anita stop him from bringing a bevy of beautiful women to his bed. While full of broken hearts and intrigue, Every Time We Say Goodbye is also an expose on the failings of the Catholic Church in their dealings with the Nazi's. There's corrupt priests and cardinals who care more about money and prestige than caring for their flock, and turn a blind eye to the Nazi's invasion of Italy. Richly detailed and filled with longing, heartbreak, and second chances, Every Time We Say Goodbye is an ode to pride, prejudice, and persuasion. Jane Austen would definitely approve.

I really enjoyed Natalie Jenners first two books and was excited to get this net galley copy of Every Time We say Goodbye to read Viviens story. In this historical fiction novel we are mostly in 1955, where writer Vivien has left England when her last play has not done well, to escape to Italy. In Italy she works at a big movie studio helping fix a movie script that has lots of issues, and she also is determined to find out what happened to her fiancé who was labeled MIA at the end of the war. At the movie studio we meet lots of other expatriates who also have their own stories to tell where the author drops lots of famous names of actresses and actors who filmed at that studio in the 1950's.

Periodically we have a storyline that takes place during the war, that involves a young woman who is an assassin for the Italian resistance, helped by her boyfriend and the Sisters in a nearby convent. There are so many characters in this book that there is a 2 page list in the front of the book to help you keep track.

I always enjoy learning new things in a historical fiction novel, and here I did learn about the film industry in Italy in the 50's as well as a little about the Vatican and the Italian resistance during WW2. Unfortunately that did not offset my frustration with the multiple storylines in this book. I felt myself being pulled in so many directions that it was hard to keep track, much less become invested in any one storyline. I really wanted more of the assassin plot and much less of some of the other tangents.

Even though this is related to the other 2 books the author has published it can easily be read as a stand alone. Thank you to net galley for the e galley in return for an honest review.