I will start with a caveat, namely that I have not yet read the previous books in the series. I still do want to read The Jane Austen Society. I feel like having read the previous books, I would have been set up better for this one in some ways. That being said, I also think that most of this book is written to stand alone and, as such, it works to a degree.

The history that this book focuses on is interesting and I did enjoy reading about post WWII (my go to historical fiction timeframe) and some of the long-reaching impacts in Italy at the time. And the way that film was handled immediately after the war. I also got invested in some of the story and finding out what Vivien would do once she got the answers she was looking for. (No spoilers!) But I had a very hard time getting into her story and her as a character, because there were just too many people and too many loose ends that didn't really get wrapped up for me. There were a bunch of stories and characters who just felt superfluous in a way that detracted from the main plot and characters and, as a result, I didn't really find myself caring about anyone in any real way until a few of them got cleared out of the way to let Vivien have her moment. The book starting with a cast of characters should have signalled to me that there would be a lot of players. I guess I glossed over that in hopes that it would work better than it did.

All in all, it was disappointing read. Not having read the books that came before, I don't know if this style is consistent with Jenner's writing. If it is, and having a lot of people jumping in and out of the story works for you, then this will probably be a good read. If you like to have a real focus on a character or two, then maybe skip it for a different historical fiction.

Of note, this is definitely not a romance. And the Scolaretta whose story is interwoven gets a lot less page time than I would have liked. We find out most of her story through others even though there are a few chapters dedicated to her. And again, a lot is inferred.

Fans of Natalie Jenner's first two books take note: this book is definitely not as lighthearted as the first two. That is not to say that it is any less fantastic or worthy of reading, just that it goes much deeper into the darker side of WWII and its aftermath and a reader should be prepared for that.

In my early days as a NetGalley member, I requested an ARC of Natalie Jenner's first book, The Jane Austen Society. As a huge fan of all things Jane Austen I was intrigued. I was not disappointed (as you can see by my review of that title). I've been a Natalie Jenner fan ever since. Natalie writes with a richness and depth and authority that is rare. You cannot help but be swept up into the world she creates, and you can believe that the characters and the story she is telling could/did actually happen.

Every Time We Say Goodbye is set predominantly in Rome in 1955. Vivian, a character from The Bloomsbury Girls, sets off to Italy to search for answers about her missing Fiance, and to escape panned reviews from her latest play. Intertwined with Vivian's tale is that of a mysterious-at-first female Italian resistance-fighter/assasin called la scolaretta. The novel is, in true Natalie Jenner fashion, exquisitely written with precise detail. The reader is privy to the interconnectedness of the two stories while at the same time kept in the dark until the author, and the story, wants to reveal the details. At times painful and heartbreaking and at others healing and heartwarming, Every Time We Say Goodbye is a fresh testament to the post war world of Rome and the lasting pain of WWII. In and amongst the main characters is a side examination of postwar filmmaking and religious power. Another strong showing by Ms. Jenner!

My thanks to St. Martin's Press for the opportunity to read the book in exchange for my honest review.

This one kind of meh, I didn’t like it but I also didn’t hate. I am finding that I’m not a huge fan of this author’s writing style.

“Every Time We Say Goodbye” is the third book by Natalie Jenner to feature characters introduced in “The Jane Austen Society” (with “Bloomsbury Girls” being the second book in the series). It was very good—Jenner is a beautiful writer—yet I found that I was less engaged in this book than the first two. One reason may be that the principal action is now a movie set; while books and writers are still discussed they are less central to this plot. There is also much more of a focus on WWII, as Vivian seeks information about her fiancé who went missing in Italy during the war, and she is part of a team trying to make a film about a young woman of the Resistance who assassinated a German officer during the occupation. These two aspects made the book less interesting than Jenner’s previous books. But, I was happy to see how the lives of Vivian and her friends played out. Thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the opportunity to review this book.

I received an advanced copy from Net Galley in return for an honest review.

I loved The Jane Austen Society and Bloomsbury Girls, but this time I think the author tried to do too much. While this book could be read as a stand-alone, the relationships of the characters and their backstories will make more sense if you read the first two books. The Jane Austen Society had a very cozy feel to it. The vibe here was a bit more frenetic even though the story progressed very slowly.

The Cast of Characters provided at the beginning is helpful. The book opens with La Scolaretta - the schoolgirl assassin in Rome November 1943. She is targeting an SS Commander who has turned Rome into a Nazi stronghold. Her story is told in bits and pieces throughout the book, and we eventually learn the connections she has to the characters in the present narrative. Most of the action takes place in 1954-55 Rome and revolves around Cinecitta Studios.

It was fascinating to learn the history of German occupation in Italy and how the Catholic Church did little to help the people. Cinecitta Studios was responsible for giving us both Gina Lollobrigida and Sophia Loren and both play small roles in this story.

The historical bits were more interesting than what was going on with the fictional characters. I am hoping for another book because there were still many unanswered questions at the end. Overall, it was a decent story, but it dragged, and I had to remind myself to read it instead of reading something else.

As is indicated by the title, EVERY TIME WE SAY GOODBYE, was a poignant but ultimately hopeful read. It felt familiar, since we first got to know Vivien in BLOOMSBURY GIRLS, but also it is brand new, taking place mostly in vivid Italy. And we enjoy our armchair travels even as we long for Vivien to finally learn what happened to her long-lost fiance and move on, make a real life for herself. Lucky for us, Rome is also full of well-known stars making a living in Rome's cinematic scene. So it's a fun read, even as we worry more and more for Vivien, who must finally learn to herself trust again. At the same time, we know that the history and changes wrought by war can't be ignored, and not everyone is to be trusted. I was enthralled with this new offering by Jenner, from the first to last page.

Every Time We Say Goodbye by Natalie Jenner

This is a follow up book from Bloomsbury Girls. I appreciate St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for providing an ARC copy of this book for me to read and review.

The story is set in the 1950s and is the continuation of the life of one of the women who worked at the bookstore in Bloomsbury, London. Vivien, in addition to working in the store, is also a playwright and chose to leave for Italy for a period of time when her success as a playwright was called into question. She took a job working at a film studio in Rome and worked on rewriting some of the screenplays being filmed there. Rome is still recovering from WWII and all the various issues that time period caused in Italy.

While there, she has to deal with the censorship of the Vatican as they have full control of what is acceptable or not in what film audiences are allowed to see.

Vivien also meets some interesting people and forms friendships with them. As well, she forms a romantic entanglement with an older man.

The story is richly layered with individual characters who are uniquely drawn and have multi-faceted personalities.

Vivien is a character we grew to admire in Bloomsbury Girls and this book finds this reader still rooting for her and hoping she gets resolution of a matter that has haunted her since the war. One of the young men she meets while working at the studio also has an interesting story line about events that happened to him during the war. Both of them were characters this reader grew attached to and hoped for the best outcome.

The author is very talented and the prose is beautifully written. The flow of the story is well done as well. This book does not have to be read after Bloomsbury Girls as the story is complete without it being necessary to know the events of the other book. Some of the characters are recurring, but it’s not vital to know those back stories. I do love how real life famous people are woven into the tale. Sophia Loren and Ava Gardner even make appearances. Such fun to addition to the story.

A lovely read.

As much as I loved her first two books, this book fell short for me. I enjoyed the premise but there were so many characters and moving parts that it felt very fragmented and hard to follow. I don’t think I’ll remember much again all, which is very different from her other books. There was also, in my opinion, a ton of telling versus showing and that made me feel disconnected during the reading experience. Regardless I appreciated the advance copy from NetGalley and the publisher and I wish this book the best!

I was a little lost at the start of the book and there are a lot of characters to keep track. of. It dragged a bit in the middle and lost my attention

Every Time We Say Goodbye is a deeply moving, thoughtful, and thought-provoking novel. It's literary fiction at its finest.

The plot, centered around the world of post-WWII Italian cinema, is not a barn-burner of a thriller, but serves as a glamorous vehicle to explore themes like grief, trauma, and redemption. American expatriates escaping the McCarthy witch hunts allow for discussion of subjects that are all too relevant today. And it wouldn't be Italy without love, even when it's 'amore molto complicato'.

I'm rating this book 4 1/2 stars, only taking off the final half star because the author does get a bit preachy towards the end. She also has a tendency throughout to unnecessarily spell out the bigger points she wants to make long after her audience has understood them and is ready to move on.

Otherwise, this is a big win for Natalie Jenner, showing a lot of growth as a writer. It snuck under the radar at the end of December to become one of my favorite books of 2023.

Natalie Jenner's "Every Time We Say Goodbye," was a unique piece of historical fiction dating back to post WWII and taking place in Italy. Though I have yet to read any of Jenner's other titles, I understand some of the characters are featured in her other books! Can't wait to read those. 
In this one, Vivan Lowry is in a battle with the church over her latest play. She relocated to Italy from Great Britain after less than glowing reviews of her last screenplay. She's also interested in finding out more about her assumed dead fiance after discovering he wasn't killed during the war, but taken as a prisoner of war. Vivian experiences a bit of culture shock from her home of Britain, to the boldness of the men and the overreach of the church in Italy. Determined to make her play a success she forges her own path in Italy, connecting with her friends, a Sister in the church, and her own new romantic relationship. It's interesting to see how she deals with and changes from what has happened in her past, as well as how society changes after a war. 
Most books talk about occupied and post-war France, but there aren't many that dive into Italy during the same time. This one throws some light on that period, covering the resistance, collaborations, and the guilt survivors felt after the war. If you're into historical fiction with solid research, lovely writing, and finely crafted characters, check this book out when it is released in May 2024. Until then check out Natalie Jenner's other works!

Thank you to @netgalley @stmartinspress and @authornataliejenner for the early read! It was an honor.

I loved Natalie Jenner’s previous books so I was delighted to receive an ARC of her latest novel, “Every Time We Say Goodbye.” This novel focuses on post-war Italy in 1955, where the main character, Vivien Lowry, has gone to write screenplays in Rome, escaping a nasty review of her latest play performed in London. She also hopes to find information on her late fiancee, who she recently discovered did not die in North Africa in 1943 but instead was taken to Italy as a prisoner of war.

Interspersed throughout the 1955 narrative is the 1943 account of a young female resister (La Scolaretta or Schoolgirl in English) who assassinates a German officer, one of several assassinations of German officers she carried out during the war in German occupied Italy. While in Italy, Vivien encounters some of the individuals who were involved in La Scolaretta’s resistance activities.

The novel’s characters are complex and well-drawn, and the book brings to life post-war Italy with its beautiful descriptions of the countryside as well as a critical examination of post-war Italian politics and the role the Vatican played in everyday life there. There’s a plethora of books on German occupied and post-war France but very few that describe the Italian experiences in those same time periods. This book sheds a light on that era, describing as it does the resistance, collaborations and the guilt felt by survivors after the war. I highly recommend this book to historical fiction fans who enjoy well-researched books, with beautiful prose and finely drawn characters.

I have very much enjoyed Natalie Jenner's books and this was a great addition. Her approach to the WW2 era/post war feels very fresh and interesting to me.
Thanks to NetGalley and St Martin's Press for the ARC to read and review.
This book has a lot going on! It is primarily the story of Vivien, a playwright who moves to Italy to try to resurrect her career. She suffered terrible losses during the war and is working to resolve herself to the aftermath. She becomes involved with several romantic figures but this is not a romance book. It is a study of how people react to the horrors of war.
There are many characters in this book, in fact some seem to be random and name dropping. The main characters are quite well done and fully fleshed out.
There is so much poignancy to this story.
I have seen little historical fiction from the era set in Italy and I loved that! So interesting to see how the Vatican/ Catholic Church responded to the war the changes brought by its aftermath.
Highly recommended for those who enjoyed The Jane Austen Society and The Bloomsbury Girls. Very high quality historical fiction.
4.5 stars

I very much wanted to love this book as Bloomsbury Girls was such a favorite of mine, but I guess I am just not as captivated by the movie industry and Italian politics as I was by a bookstore (!) and England. I found there to be too much description (for me) of Italian places and the role of the Catholic Church. I also just did not resonate with any of the characters even though I had loved the main character (Vivien) in the previous novel. Hopefully others have a better experience.

I stumbled upon The Jane Austen Society and loved the storyline and writing. I followed up with the Bloomsbury Girls and enjoyed the bookstore plot. I believe Every Time We Say Goodbye is the final installment in this trilogy but the storyline tie in was tenuous. This is Vivian's story..she has a failed attempt as a playwright in London and moves to Italy to work in filmmaking. There is a dual timeline plot that works well to develop the story. This is a darker story than I expected, there are many characters to keep track of and I found that I didn’t really connect with any of them. I know this story will appeal to many readers but it was not one I loved so much I couldn’t put it down.

Natalie Jenner’s debut novel, The Jane Austen Society, was a welcome and inspiring read in spring 2020. Set after the devastation of WWII, a community is formed by a love of Austen and the desire to preserve Chawton cottage. Jenner next took one of the characters to a London bookstore in Bloomsbury Girls. And now, in Every Time We Say Goodbye, Jenner takes Vivian Lowry from the bookstore to post-war Italy, working as a script doctor in the movies after her play is a flop. Vivian carries her own war wounds: her beloved fiance disappeared in Italy during the war, necessitating some difficult decisions and leaving her heart hardened against further heartbreak. She takes lovers but avoids love.

Post-War Italy is a glamorous time and place, the novel filled with up and coming actresses like Gina Lollobrigida and Sophia Loren, aggressively pursued by street photographers. It is also a time and place of great contradictions, as Vivian says, a “former Fascist regime…shapeshifting into an ostensible democracy that was heavily influenced by a sensorial church and half-heartedly administered by the police.”

The church is policing the movie industry, censoring anything that is critical of its role under Fascism or what it deems immoral. And yet Catholic church leaders hide their own sullied characters.

The director of the movie Vivian is working on wants to make a movie about the woman he loved, a teenaged Resistance courier who was brutally murdered. Her story is revealed in alternating chapters.

The novel has it all: passion and love, glamor and the grim reality of war, refugees and orphans and the priviledged rich, the imperious authority of the church, scandalous men, and women struggling to live and work and love. Vivian’s insights into the conflicted times are eerily reflective of our own. She struggles with how a few men could “conjure a false enemy and unfounded fear across several nations,” and wonders if it is possible to “eradicate” this hate for good. The impact of movies to tell transformative stories of truth is also central.

You don’t have to have read the previous novels to enjoy Every Time We Say Goodbye. I loved being carried away into this rich and conflicted world.

Thanks to the publisher for a free book.

Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC of this historical novel.

This book is not part of a series but it does take place in the same world as Jenner's previous books, The Jane Austen Society and Bloomsbury Girls, both which I have read. You don't have to read those other books to understand this one.

The author obviously did a ton of research for this story. It takes place in Italy a few years after the second world war, when everyone is still coping with loss and love, betrayal and hope. Vivien, the main character, heads to Italy in attempt to learn more about what happened to her late fiance during the war. She works for the complicated and romantic world of the the Italian cinema, becoming embroiled in a romance and the various trials and tribulations of her new friends and coworkers.

I felt this book was just a lot - a lot of information, a lot of viewpoints, a lot of stories to tell. I think it would work better as a PBS series. It was a bit overwhelming for me. Slow at first but the second half picked up a bit.

Three stars.

In 1955, Vivien Lowry is facing the greatest challenge of her life. Her latest play, the only female-authored play on the London stage that season, has opened in the West End to rapturous applause from the audience. The reviewers, however, are not as impressed as the playgoers and their savage notices not only shut down the play but ruin Lowry's last chance for a dramatic career. With her future in London not looking bright, at the suggestion of her friend, Peggy Guggenheim, Vivien takes a job in as a script doctor on a major film shooting in Rome’s Cinecitta Studios. There she finds a vibrant movie making scene filled with rising stars, acclaimed directors, and famous actors in a country that is torn between its past and its potentially bright future, between the liberation of the post-war cinema and the restrictions of the Catholic Church that permeates the very soul of Italy. 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 really happened to her deceased fiancé.

Every Time We Say Goodbye is a brilliant exploration of trauma and tragedy, hope and renewal, filled with characters both real and imaginary, from the author of the novels The Jane Austen Society and Bloomsbury Girls. I have just discovered Natalie Jenner in the last year or so and am in love with her writing style, research, and insights into different eras of history. Thank you to NetGalley and the pubisher for allowing me to read this newest book by this author.

I absolutely adored “The Bloomsbury Girls,” so I was thrilled to read an ARC of “Every Time We Say Goodbye,” While I haven’t read “The Jane Austen Society,” I hear that his book weaves in storylines from both of Jenner’s previous two novels. But I feel like this can exist as a standalone book. Perhaps reading all three novels would help a reader to pick up on more nuance sprinkled throughout the novel. Bringing up characters and events from previous historical novels is reminiscent of how Beatriz Williams’s writing.

I was a Film Studies major, so I jumped at the chance to read historical fiction about Italian Cinema during WWII.

I also love reading books about strong women who support themselves as working writers.

Vivienne lives in Rome after a theater she worked at in London was destroyed. She is a playwright hired to fix a struggling screenplay. The timeline jumps between events in 1943 and 1946.

I found Jenner’s characters to be complex and realistic. 4/5 stars. Thanks to NetGalley for giving me a sneak peek in exchange for an honest review.

It took me a long time to read this book. It is very well written and covers a topic that i know very little about. I did read the other 2 books by Natalie Jenner but felt i needed a refresher - perhaps i should read them again - it would help to read them all in order and to have them fresh in one's mind, i think. I liked it but it wasn't a page turner for me - i enjoyed the romantic side of it but didn't really get into the religious or cinematic components - but that is just me - some may really enjoy these segments of history. It will be a great read for historical fiction buffs so if this is you - grab a copy !!