A wonderful book about love, war, Italy and survival. This is a book based the downfall of Mussolini and the people involved. This is such a compelling book that takes you on a number of journeys which you will delve into and devour. It is so interesting and the depth of the writing is what draws you in and makes you want to read more.

I love the characters and the way this story is told. There is so much to learn in this book and I loved every minute of reading it. Excellent, interetsing and such a strong story. Couldn't put it down.

Thank you NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book.

I compelling story about the last days of WWII in Italy. The story is based on the factual account of Mussolini’s demise from the standpoint of his closest aids to that of the partisan resistance fighters who finally ended his reign. It has it all: violence and the search for peace; true love and fake companionship and the will to survive.
I have read several of The author’s books and this is my favorite so far. Highly recommended.

The story tells of the resistance in Northern Italy and the demise of Mussolini. The reader is immediately and completely pulled in the lives, places and emotions of the characters. This was an amazing novel. My thanks to NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

What an INCREDIBLE book! I read this in just a few hours because I could not get enough. Following the stories of Silvio, Sarah, Luca, and Enzo individually was great, but then the ending and how everything came together was amazing. I would recommend this to everyone! I learned a lot of historic facts as well

A story of love, hardship and a fight to the end.

Sarah has escaped to Switzerland with her Mother and pregnant and her lover Luca stays behind in Italy to fight with the partisans. Enzo is high up in Mussolini department but is becoming disillusioned. Luca is still fighting against the Germans. We see what happens to them all throughout the book. Will Sarah & Luca end up together again only time will tell.

I enjoyed reading about the final months of Mussolini’s reign certainly when he came to power every Italian felt he would be a great leader but by the end he was just a puppet of Hitler.

The book was well researched and I enjoyed every minute of reading it.

Would recommend the book.

The Light Over Lake Como, by Roland Merullo, is an unusual WWII novel in that it focuses on the last days of the war in Italy and particularly, the last month of Mussolini's rule and life. Meticulously researched, the story explores the divisions of a population that was divided between fascists supporting Mussolini, royalists, and partisans who were actively fighting against the regime. We see Mussolini through the eyes of his loyal yet discerning aide. Other characters reveal the suffering of the populace, the attempt to extinguish Italian Jews, and the inner workings of the partisan movement. All the characters are nuanced and multidimensional, although universally plagued with self-doubt. Please note that this is a sequel to an earlier book, Once Night Falls. I did not discover this until I was writing this review so Lake Como can be read as a stand-alone. Do I wish I had read the first book first? Absolutely! Thanks to NetGalley and Lake Union Books for the opportunity to read a digital ARC. I strongly recommend this for lovers of historical fiction.

I found this book intense and well balanced out between different story threads of two separated lovers, duce Mussolini and some other related people. Romance and love presented in the context of the end of WW2 in Italy. Noone can be sure what the future will bring, what to expect. Noone knows who they can trust. Trying to find the right choices in their life everyone has different motives but most of them want just survive.

Merullo puts us in northern Italy and Switzerland in April 1945, in the last days of World War Two. He follows a few main characters: Sarah, a Jewish woman who fled Italy to nearby Bellinzona, Switzerland while pregnant (her daughter Lydia is now about 18 months old); Luca, her fiancé, who stayed in Italy to fight with the resistance against the fascists and N*zi occupiers; Enzo, who has been a trusted aide to Mussolini (Il Duce) but has been having serious doubts lately. Silvio is another important character, a kind of wheeler-and-dealer in war-torn Italy. The journey back to Italy (on foot) that Sarah undertakes with her little one was so difficult; my heart went out to all young mothers who have been put in such situations over the centuries.

I didn’t know a lot about the last days of Mussolini so this was a very educational read while also being an action-packed story. Coincidentally my husband and I will be visiting Milan and Lake Como in the coming days and this was a great introduction to the 20th century history of the area.

I didn’t realize that this is a sequel to Once Night Falls, in which we meet Luca and Sarah and their mothers, so I believe this works just fine on its own.

I bounced between the audiobook and the ebook for this title, which was very convenient, and allowed me to continue with the story even when I could not sit down and read - or when I could not listen. The audiobook was nicely narrated by David Marantz. I tore through this in a single day.

Thank you to Lake Union Publishing and NetGalley for the opportunity to read a review copy of this book and to Brilliance Audio and NetGalley for the opportunity to listen to a review copy of this audiobook. All opinions are my own.

The Light Over Lake Como is a sequel to Roland Merulo’s book One Night Falls, in which he introduced the characters of Luca Benedetto, a partisan, and his pregnant Jewish lover, Sarah, who along with her mother, he smuggled across the border into Switzerland in order to avoid round up and deportation to a Nazi concentration camp.
This book, set in Switzerland and norther Italy, takes place two years later, in April of 1945, the final month of WWII in Europe. There are two storylines, Sarah’s journey and the demise of Mussolini.
Sarah’s story is typical of this genre consisting of escape, survival against great odds, and return to Italy in search of Luca accompanied by her 18 month old daughter, Lydia. Her story is compelling and nail bitingly tense at times, but not emotionally new or unique.
On the other hand, the Mussolini storyline was quite an eye opener from both within and outside his political camp. It is told primarily from the perspective of Enzo Riccio, his senior aide, who is torn between the loyalty he has always espoused to Il Duce and his recognition of the impending outcome, the reality of the war’s cost to Italy’s citizens and his ever increasing realization of how flawed Mussolini really was.
We meet Mussolini when he is under virtual house arrest by the Germans at Villa Feltrinelli (now a 5 star resort) on Lake Garda. Here is hatches a weak plan for a last stand, but his real objective is to amass enough money and support to be able to escape to Switzerland and eventually to Austria. As we know that effort was not successful and into this scenario comes the partisans in which Luca plays a significant part.
This was the storyline that made the book a five star read for me. Along with Mr. Merulo’s writing style which can be best be described as putting the reader on the spot and in the moment.
Thank you to the author, the publisher, Lake Union Publishing, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review an ARC.

The Light Over Lake Como by Roland Merullo is a gripping story!
This was a quick and beautiful story I very much enjoyed.
This was such a lovely read that is well written with a compelling storyline and riveting narrative.

Thank You NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this amazing eARC!

There is certainly no shortage of literature about the Second World War. I was attracted to read this historical novel by Roland Merullo because its premise related to Italy in the twilight of Mussolini's regime. This story exceeded my expectations.

The writing is not only fluid, evocative, and poignant, but the characters are exquisitely drawn and the plot builds inexorably to a tense and satisfying conclusion.

Despite the potential scale of the story, and a cast of minor characters, the author successfully keeps the focus on his main characters: the dynamic Luca, and his network of partisans; his lover, Sarah, and their daughter, Lydia, who have escaped to Switzerland at the novel's opening. Enzo, il Duce's right hand man, now revisiting his loyalties as he faces the realisation of Mussolini's end. And Silvio, the gallant trader in goods and information. As the story progresses, we meet several other skilfully drawn supporting characters, from Luca's shadowy superiors to members of Mussolini's fascist circle, the sinister Sistek twins, and the quixotic Don Claudio.

The characters were empathetic and the internal emotional drama of the leading characters serves as a fitting counterpoint to the external drama, as the partisans, sensing Mussolini's vulnerability, close in on his whereabouts. As a lover of all things Italian, I devoured the author's superb world building of an exhausted Italy at the crossroads and literally couldn't put this novel down.

If you're looking for a fresh angle on World War II, with realistic, compelling characters, and a story that will move, inform, and entertain you, look no further. I highly recommend this novel, and look forward to following the author.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy of this novel in exchange for an honest and independent review.

SHARON BARBA

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

I thoroughly enjoyed this book, it’s set in both Italy and Switzerland towards the end of WWII.

Sarah who is Jewish is pregnant, with her mother, leaves Italy and Luca, who is the father behind as he doesn’t want to go with them.

We read about the resistance and how . Mussolini died.

Sarah thinks that maybe things have calmed down in Italy and decides to go back, it’s not an easy journey.

But Luca has one last job to do, to kill Mussolini.

The story had some heavy moments.

I highly recommend this book.

This is a gripping story of the end of World War Two in Italy in 1945. It highlights the demise of Mussolini, his mistress & the fascists. The story is told from four people’s viewpoints, all of them linked in some way. There’s fascist Enzo, Mussolini’s aide, so steeped in guilt. Silvio is a wheeler dealer, orchestrating the moves. Then there’s Luca, a partisan fighter, hoping for the ultimate prize. Meanwhile, Sarah, Luca’s Jewish lover, who had to flee to Switzerland in 1943, now returns home to Lake Como with his child. All converge on Milan. Totally absorbing. Highly recommend

I really enjoyed this story. There was love and tragedy intertwined. I enjoyed the historical facts and found it interesting being on the inside of Mussolini's camp.

I recommend!

Well done historical fiction told by Luca, Sara, and Enzo, an assistant to Mussolini. This last was an unusual voice that takes this past love story of Luca and Sara. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. A good read for fans of the genre.

Great novel, great characters, lots of history also and it ties together so perfectly.

I loved the idea of the story, that is what drew me in (not to mention the beautiful cover). I also loved how you could really get into the characters, love and hate them, great read.

Thank you NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for my E-ARC in exchange for my honest review.

It has been almost two years since Sarah Zinsi found refuge in Switzerland. Without touching a foreign land, he heard the news of the surrender of his home on Lake Como. Holding her little daughter in her arms, Sarah was forced to cross the mountains to return home to be with the child's father, Luca Benedetto.

Luca defies fate and does one last thing: kill Mussolini, the man who destroyed everything Luca loved and forced the love of his life to flee. Sarah meets a kind-hearted black businessman who later becomes a spy. He vows to protect mother and child as Luca's evil mission escalates and the Nazis' last-ditch effort turns into chaos.

But for Sarah and Luca, the pull of love, the will to live, and the promise of a new family outweighed the challenges they faced.

Writing historical fiction is finding the perfect balance between facts and fiction. This book has effectively achieved. The historical part of the story was smoothly presented and did not feel heavy or dense. That is, I would say, one of the greatest achievements of the book.

Furthermore, the history is narrated from 3 different points of view. Each of them gives the story more context, depth and helps the reader understand better the impact of war on their lives. The writer has archieved a great balance between the narrators, and the combination of their experiences helps create a greater picture.

On the other side, I was lost in the vast scenery of Italy. Sometimes, since the events were happening in different places at the same time, I did not know how close the characters were or where they were going. I feel like a map or a more in-depth description would have been really useful.

I really enjoyed this take o.n a WWIi historical novel and the history around Mussolini. The setting is beautiful and just felt it was a good book
Thanks for a review copy to Netgalley and publiisher

The years immediately after 1922 when Mussolini came to power were good in Italy. Large crowds would marvel at his wisdom and embrace his promises of making the Roman Empire a world leader again.

El Duce felt that joining with Hitler would expand Italian territories and strengthen his position in the world. During the beginning of the war this seemed true as the armies swept through North Africa with little or no opposition.

The people became destitute as the war dragged on. Hitler kept Mussolini around to show his support of Italy’s attempts to defeat the allies.

This story deals with the tragedy of war and the hardships that nations endure during conflicts. Even the close confidants of Mussolini began to plot his demise and a total elimination of any support for Germany.

The writing is first rate and the sub-plots are well developed and thought provoking. Enjoy this story. 4.5 stars – CE Williams

The Light Over Lake Como is a WWII historical fiction novel by Roland Merullo. This book in right in my wheelhouse of perfect blend of WWII history and fictional story. I've read lots of WWII historical fiction about the Nazi's, Germany, Poland, France and England. There are very few that I've read that focuses on Italy and this is the first I've ever read that is set in Lake Como and focuses on the end of Mussolini's rule.
The Light of Lake Como tells a story of the final days of Mussolini and his inner entourage as well as from a young couple (Luca and Sarah) separated by war. The story is told from three perspectives, Luca, Sarah, and Enzo.
Luca is an Italian resistance fighter and Sarah is his Jewish lover. Luca helps Sarah flee while pregnant to Switzerland. The story tells of Sarah's flight with her mother to Switzerland, the birth of her daughter, and the challenges she faces returning to her Italian home looking for Luca. Additionally, the story follows Luca's plight and challenges as a resistance fighter.
From the voice of Enzo, who is working as Mussolini's closest assistant, the story follows his journey and internal battles as he is forced to come to terms with the end of Mussolini's rule and what that means for him personally.
I loved this story and found myself Googling for more information. I hope Hollywood makes it into a movie!
Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read the arc. All opinions expressed are my own.