3.5★s

The war was rumbling through England and the continent in 1941 and Kate Arden, of Arden House, had never felt more separated from her family. Her Papa almost seemed like he hated her - she was desperate to get away, and when the opening to accompany orphans to Cornwall fell in her lap, she grabbed it with both hands. Kate loved to sketch and knew her fleeting memories of the long ago past, had something to do with that. Her deep emotional feelings toward Venice - even though she was assured she'd never been there - made her vow that once the war was over, she'd go to Venice.

Would Kate make it to Venice and would she find the people from her past? Her mother - her real mother - beckoned in a shadowy fashion. Kate was determined to find her if it was the last thing she did...

The Secret Daughter of Venice is my first by Juliet Greenwood and I enjoyed it. The last third of the book kept my interest more deeply than the earlier pages; Venice, the war damage, the volcano eruption and the urgency of finding someone lost. I enjoyed Cornwall and caring for the orphans in the castle, along with the terror of bombers that flew overhead while mothers and children were on the beach. Recommended.

With thanks to NetGalley & Storm Publishing for my digital ARC to read in exchange for an honest review.

The Secret Daughter of Venice by Juliet Greenwood is an excellet book that I enjoyed very much. It is, however, not a book that can be simply described in one sentence as one type of novel or another type of novel. There are multiple elements to this book - it is historical fiction, it is a mystery, is a family-focused story, and has a feminist theme as well. Set during WWII, it describes everyday life as experienced by families living in England as described by one of the two main characters. There is a second main character who helps us to see what life was like during the war for female artists living and working in Venice. The story goes back and forth between the two characters and their experiences as we encounter other characters also and wonder how they all fit together and how do we know who are the "good guys" and who are the "bad guys". Overall, I was delighted with how the book was put together to keep me interested and guessing what was going to happen right up to the end. In fact, while the ending was a good ending for our two main characters, I was surprised the book ended when it did and was left thinking there needs to be a sequel. Highly recommend this book to those who enjoy historical fiction with strong-minded women. I received an ARC from the publisher but all opinions are my own.

1941
Kate Arden always knew she was adopted and always felt like an outsider in the family.
She finds some drawings hidden in a book of poetry that was given to her when she was a baby. They are drawings of Venice and she immediately feels a connection both to the paintings and to Venice itself.
However, war is raging and travel difficult but she knows there are answers to her questions there..
Who is her mother? Why was she sent away? Who is she?

The Secret Daughter of Venice was a fantastic read. While it was a tad slow in the beginning, once it started to pick up, I was hooked. As an adoptee myself, I feel that Juliet Greenwood did an amazing job of capturing the feeling of a lack of belonging and sense of self.
I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who loves historical fiction, and particularly anyone with an interest in or experience with adoption.

Juliet Greenwood's The Secret Daughter of Venice was simply fantastic! It drew me in from the first few words. (The cover is also stunningly gorgeous!) This is a narrative about discovering your familial heritage and coming to terms with yourself. The age-old debate over nature vs nurture comes to mind. This problem is investigated, and the consequences are depicted in the story. Genes undoubtedly have an important role in our abilities, behaviors, and physical appearance. Our parents, as well as the world around us, influence our personality and behavior. Character Kate is a wonderful illustration of this, and while her years on the Arden Estate have helped to her development, she feels dissatisfied and wishes to connect with her birth mother, to feel complete, revisit the past. Most essential, move forward.

During WWII, Kate discovers a means to leave the Estate by participating in a volunteer program. This takes her to another region of England, where she educates youngsters who have lost loved ones. Her search for her mother starts here, and she discovers some intriguing evidence. She also ends up in Venice, which I thought was a fascinating aspect of the story. It was wonderful to see her artistic talent flourish in such a beautiful place and to meet artists who gave her a sense of belonging.

Sophia offers a different point of view in the story. This provides extra information and allows us to learn more about the woman Kate desires. My heart raced several times as she embarked on a trip to find her daughter. The trail is hit and miss for a while as mother and daughter pass each other at various checkpoints. But everything comes together nicely, with a positive resolution that brought happy tears to my eyes.

This is a magnificent novel that left an impression on my heart. I highly suggest The Secret Daughter of Venice but be prepared to set aside many hours of your day considering that you will not want to put this book down until you are finished! 5 Stars. This was my first novel by this author, I am a cover and title person thats how i pick out books. This cover draws you in and brings you a whole new world. Highly recommend.

Thank you Netgalley and Storm Publishing for the Advanced Readers Copy of this book!!

Juliet has a lovely easy writing style and this was a quick read for me, perfect to cosy up with on a cool autumn day. The author did a great job describing events and locations and I felt like I was right there with the characters. I enjoyed getting to know each of the characters, although there were a couple who I feel could have been developed further. Overall, a great read with some harrowing and emotional scenes centered around events during WWII. I'll definitely be reading more by this author in the future.
If you like a reasonably light read with family secrets and a bit of history, I think you'll enjoy this book.

Thank you to NetGalley, Storm Publishing & Juliet Greenwood for an advanced copy for review.

The Secret Daughter of Venice by Juliet Greenwood is the second in her lovely Shakespeare Sisters series. Family relationships, loyalties, female independence, realities of World War II and mystery are abundant and riveting.

In 1941 England, Kate leaves her family to contribute to the war effort, paving her own path away from her controlling father. Orphans are sadly reality everywhere and become her focus. Kate finds drawings which cause her heart and mind to race double time; her quest takes her on an epic personal journey to link all the pieces together. She discovers more about her ancestry and herself.

I like the family stories and moments of real tender emotions shown by those with otherwise harder personalities. War brings out the best and worst in people and reading about repercussions is sobering and revealing. The author captures all-sensory Venice, Sorrento and Naples beautifully and whisk me back to these greats in a nanosecond. Murano glass and archaeology connections kept me glued to the pages.

Do enjoy this series if you seek gorgeous writing, intriguing settings and beguiling history. Well worth reading.

My sincere thank you to Storm Publishing and NetGalley for providing me with a digital copy of this stellar novel.

I DNF’d this one at 59%. However, it isn’t a bad book. For some reason I just couldn’t connect to any of the characters or get into the story. It is an interesting plot, it just isn’t meant for me.

I received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review

The Secret Daughter of Venice by Juliet Greenwood is a dual-POV historical novel set in the UK and Italy during WWII. Kate, the adoptive daughter of a British aristocrat, is an aspiring artist who wants to know who her biological parents are. With memories of Venice and a few pictures to go by, she heads to Italy to find her biological family and who she used to be.

Greenwood talks about the rise of fascism in Europe before WWII, showing the parts we’re most familiar with along with others we might not be. There are mentions of the bombs that fell over Europe and the children that were left to deal with the fallout as well as the impact that fascism has on communities, including the Jewish community. This paints the novel clearly as a WWII novel and recognizing the horrors of the time period but focusing more on a young woman learning about her past.

I would recommend this to readers looking for books that explore the WWII time period and fans of books where a character learns more about their biological families.

Highly enjoyable historical novel, following the stories of two characters through the turbulent years surrounding World War Two. I liked how the novel took me through different places in Europe, showing how they were impacted by the war. I loved the focus on art and how everything connected together by the end. Highly recommend.

This story takes place, for the most part, during World War 2 in England. Kate lives at Arden House, her family home, but feels something is missing. Her papa is not approachable. Her step mom is not much help. Her brothers and sisters have left her alone. Kate must rely on Mrs. Parsons from the village for guidance.

The Secret Daughter of Venice is riddled with mystery. Kate will have to leave in order to solve the truth of her mother. She has clues that had been left for her teasing her memories. She has memories of a different country. She has memories of drawing with a woman. She remembers sailing on a boat across the water. All of these memories will have to wait. With the war raging; it must all be put aside.

Kate finds her escape from Arden House. She travels to Cornwall to help with evacuated children. They arrive at Tregannon Castle, a place known for catering to women artists. Kate is getting closer to discovering the truth, but someone is doing what they can to stop her.

Kate does not give up. She is soon unraveling her story but pieces are missing. Little did she know, as she was searching for her mother, her mother was searching for her. Between the two of them they unravel the past, and it isn't pretty.

The Secret Daughter of Venice is not just a story of WW2. It is a reminder that no matter what is happening in the world, greed still influences. There are people that only care about their own interests. They do not care who is hurt as long as they get their way. The suspense and mystery had me hoping for a happily ever after.

Juliet Greenwood's The Secret Daughter of Venice is an enchanting tale that elegantly weaves historical intrigue with the exploration of identity and belonging. Set against the tumultuous backdrop of 1941 England, Greenwood has penned a tale as emotionally stirring as it is physically daring.

WW2 historical fiction is one of my favourite genres. Greenwood did such a wonderful job with the descriptive settings that I felt like I was right there. I kept finding a few minutes in between my daily tasks to sneak in a few more pages because I just kept wanting more. Well done.

This is my favourite genre of books, WW2 history and as usual I thoroughly enjoy getting lost in Kate’s story. From the West Midlands to Naples and Venice I could picture the locations clearly, I was rooting for Kate to discover her history and avoid the bad guys Henry and Lance. I has definitely been left open for the Shakespeare sisters to continue their individual stories as they are still only young women.

"England, 1941. When Kate Arden discovers a secret stash of drawings hidden in the pages of an old volume of poetry given to her as a baby, her breath catches. All her life, she has felt like an outsider in her aristocratic adoptive family, who refuse to answer any questions about her past. But the drawings spark a forgotten memory: a long journey by boat.. warm arms that held her tight, and then let go"
Firstly, thank you to @netgalley and @stormbooks_co for the advanced copy of The Secret Daughter of Venice.
A work of historical fiction that moves between Venice and England during and immediately after WII.
This is perfect for readers who enjoy books focused on this time-period. Told from Kate and Sofias view points the descriptions of their surroundings are evocative and compelling, from the green fields of Stratford-upon-Avon, to the picturesque canals and architecture in Venice.
While the plot does seem to heavily rely on out of this world coincidences (my only negative) the story is still enjovable and it has made me want to read more in this series

This is an excellent read. It had a f8n de siecle feel about it where the old patriarchal order governed by patronage is ending to be replaced where people, women in particular follow their heart and develop their talent in order to attain independence and self determination. I wondered if it would be a romance but any romantic theme was a side issue. Instead it was a carefully woven tale of self discovery and reunion with an estranged mother. It made this a well crafted, enjoyable novel

Set mainly during, and a little after, the Second World War, this is different to the typical ‘home front’ story because the war forms the backdrop, rather than being centre stage.

This is above all a family mystery. Kate Arden has always known she is different to her siblings, and has vague memories of being brought to the family home as a child. When a family friend reminds her there is a message for her in a book of Shakespeare sonnets, it sets her on a journey to find where she really belongs.

Most of the narrative is from Kate’s point of view, the rest from her mother Sofia’s, and it is clear from the beginning that the art world of Venice, which is beautifully drawn, will play a large part in their story. Although this is one of Juliet Greenwood’s Shakespeare Sister novels, it can easily be read as a standalone.

The author uses lovely and evocative prose to tell this atmospheric take of family secrets. I loved the settings and the intricacy of it all. The perfect book for lovers of historical fiction and romance.

Kate Arden has always felt like the odd one out in her family and she looks different to her siblings, she has three sisters Rosalind, Bianca and Cordelia and two brothers Will and Jamie. They live near the village of Brierley at Stratford-up-Avon, and her father Leo owns Arden House a crumbling estate.

Miss Parsons is the local school teacher and runs the museum, she’s given girls the volumes of Shakespeare left to them by their late mother and her friend Celia, hidden between the pages is a message and they need to find it and it gives each of them an idea of what she wants for their futures. After looking at her book of Sonnets, Kate can't find anything and Ms. Parson’s tells her not to give up. Sure enough Kate finds a collection of sketches, they bring back flashes of memories, of a place and a lady who taught her to draw. She knows she travelled to England by boat, where she used to live was warm and a woman accompanied her on the ship and Kate doesn’t think she's her mother?

Kate is a talented artist, her father wouldn’t let her go to Slade School of Fine Art, instead he wants her to marry and boost the coffers and so Arden House will remain in the family and especially with Will and Jamie away fighting in World War Two.

Sofia Armstrong returns to Venice, the family maid Magdalena thinks she’s crazy and tells her it’s not safe and her vindictive mother has fled. Sofia wants to find her daughter, the one that was stolen away from her twenty years ago and she has no idea where she is and how will she locate her now?

The reader is taken on a long and emotional journey starting in 1941, from Stratford-up-Avon, to Cornwall, Naples, Pompeii, the Roman ruins and Mount Vesuvius, and Venice and its jewellery made from Murano Glass. Jamie Arden thinks he found remains of a Roman mosaic near Arden House in the first book of the series The Shakespeare Sisters and Kate finds a little glass Roman bottle in the second.

I received a copy of The Secret Daughter of Venice by Juliet Greenwood from Storm Publishing and NetGalley in exchange for an honest and unbiased review. This book focuses on Kate, her finding her mother, why she was taken to Arden House and two big secrets are revealed and I didn’t see them coming.

Full of new and old characters, I really like Alma, Miss. Parsons, Cordelia, Gina and Peter Sidoli, Doctor Conti, Kate and Sofia, Marco and grumpy Magdalena. A captivating and memorable historical drama, about art, lost love, treachery, greed, control, and the destruction of Naples, hundreds of orphans left to wander the streets and the homelessness caused by the war was really sad. Five stars from me, I enjoyed The Shakespeare Sisters and I adored The Secret Daughter of Venice and Juliet Greenwood has really upped the ante with her latest novel and I can’t wait for the next book in the series.

A wonderfully written historical story of the main character Kate's quest to discover where she belongs. She feels that she never fits in with her adopted family. Set in World War 2 with Venice as on of the main locations, this is a really good read and fans of Vitoria Hislop would love this story, Looking forward to Juliet's next book.