This was a fascinating story about the film industry in Italy, during the 1950s. I love learning parts of history, and through books I am able to connect so much to another time.

*many thanks to St Martins Press and Netgalley for the gifted copy for review

Thank you NetGalley for this audiobook.
The narrator did a wonderful job with this novel. The subtle accent made for easy listening.
While I did not love this story, I did love how I was transformed traveling through Italy! Having new locations with understated details brought me through post war Italy.
The beauty of this book was the setting coming alive, but overall I was disappointed by the story line which I felt fell a little short.

ve read all three of the books published by this Canadian author and I have found things to enjoy in all of them -- my forever favourite so far might always be her first one, The Jane Austen Society, but I wouldn't be a very good Austenite if I didn't say that and I'm a bit biased because all things Austen are perfect to me (except Mansfield Park, of course). This third book of hers is a bit different in tone and plot than her first two which were considerably more book-centric. Instead, Every Time We Say Goodbye (while still featuring a few of the characters from her first two standalone books) is set primarily (there is a dual timeline) in the post World War II world in London and Italy and in the world of visual arts - plays and films.

I enjoyed the characters in this story, especially once we got to the total reveal of their past lives at the end of the book, but I had a bit of a hard time keeping storylines and characters straight. I even alternated a bit between the e-book and the audiobook to see if it was just me, but I think some of the pacing of the events just didn't slot in quite right for me when compared to other dual timeline books in this genre. That being said, I always find it a bit refreshing to read a historical fiction book not exclusively set in the World War II world and especially those that look at the after-effects of the war which are heartbreaking but so moving as well. There was a lovely hopeful storyline woven throughout these pages that was special to witness as well.

While this wasn't an ultimate favourite for me, I'm still glad I read it and I will forever read her books because she touches on such great subject matter!

3.5 stars rounded up.

Every Time We Say Goodbye by Natalie Jenner is the third book featuring characters from The Jane Austen Society, Jenner’s debut, but can be read as a standalone story. I enjoyed the audiobook narrated by Juliet Aubrey even though I was sometimes confused by the large cast of characters and dual timelines, separated by just 10 years.

Seeking to escape a career-ending disappointment, playwright Vivien travels to Rome to finesse scripts for an Italian movie studio. In her work she interacts with a wide array of people, including movie producers, future film stars, and cast and crew who become dear friends. Vivien also finds some resolution as she grieves the death of her fiancé.

My favorite aspects of this novel were the Rome setting and the “behind the curtain” world of producing movies in 1955. I was very intrigued by the Catholic Church’s power to veto certain content in movies being produced in Rome.

Thank you to Macmillan Audio for early access to the audiobook.

I’ve not read the first two books of this series, but requested an ALC of this title based on my interest in the lesser told stories of WWII. Therefore, I’m not sure what I may have missed in the stories of the characters leading up to this title, but I did not at any point feel as if I was lost as a result of picking this title to read as a stand-alone.

Vivien is a playwright gone to work in the movies in Italy. This title explores the many roles of women in the film industry during the 1950’s, as well as connecting to the Italian resistance during WWII and the impact of the Catholic church during and following the war.

I was slow to get started in the book (beginning any book in the last week of the school year is seldom a good idea), but I do not feel that the book itself started slowly. It was fascinating to listen to the impacts of so many different pieces of history and the various roles that different sectors played. I enjoyed the connections that were developed/uncovered as the story played out.

I have to admit it took me a chapter or two to get into Natalie Jenner’s EVERY TIME WE SAY GOODBYE, but after the first couple chapters, I was drawn into Vivienne’s life as she tries to rebuild and move forward after all she lost in WWII, heading for Italy to try a different direction in her career, as well as find out what happened to her fiancé before he died.
From the glamorous and exciting Italian Cinecitta Studio to Vivienne and other characters navigating their losses and grief, Jenner weaves a tale that kept me captivated and interested in finding out what happens next for each character.
Juliet Aubrey’s narration of the audio book took a little getting into (like the book, definitely related), but kept me listening after the first few chapters.
This is the third book in the JANE AUSTEN SOCIETY series. I read the first, but missed the second, and didn’t feel lost, so it can stand alone.
Thank you to the publisher and Macmillan Audio for the opportunity to read and listen to an advanced copy of the novel. All opinions are my own and freely given.
#macaudio2024 #netgalley #stmartinspress

I think there are some beautiful things to be learned from this book, particularly in the last 40% or so. It didn’t resonate with me as much as I’d hoped it would (I was a big fan of The Jane Austen Society), but I am certain it will work for other readers.

Vivien’s career as a playwright has been destroyed with the savage reviews of critics after seeing her last play. She moves from London to Italy, where she works as a “script doctor,” tidying up and fixing a movie script that doesn’t pass muster. In this new world, she is faced with challenges and setbacks, unwanted admirers, oppression, and several mysteries, including what happened to her fiancé after the war. Vivien has to face difficult truths and learn to grow past the grief that has kept her tethered for the past decade.

I think I struggled to connect with Vivien. She is supposed to be a woman still grieving the loss of her fiancé, but she felt passionless to me, and much too willing to give in to everything she said she wouldn’t. I didn’t like John Lassiter and his whole part in the story—particularly what we find out about him later—just confused me and didn’t feel necessary. I loved Claudia and Levi and would have loved seeing more of them on page. And I really loved Sir Alfred. I think that’s a big reason why the last 25%-30% or so was my favorite—Vivien finally started figuring herself out and we got more of Sir Alfred. Overall I think the history is interesting, and I was sad for Vivien and her loss (there is one particular scene that really finally helped me see what she’d gone through, and I wished we had gotten it sooner).

I think if you like history, 1950’s films or filmmaking, women’s fiction, and mysteries, this book could be for you.

TW/CW: war related stories and deaths; giving up child for adoption; child abduction; church oppression; kissing; mention of sexual relations

3.5 stars, rounded up.

AUDIOBOOK REVIEW: Narrated by Juliet Aubrey—I am torn about this reader. On one hand, I thought her accents and voices were really good, so I knew who was speaking and where they were from immediately. On the other hand, her narration for the narrative and the main character’s voice felt so apathetic and lackluster, even when the character was feeling something deeply or emotional in some way. While her voice is soothing, I didn’t feel like it fit with the emotions of the character. Unfortunately, I do think the narrator made it hard to feel engaged with the character and negatively influenced my overall opinion of this book. There are some really redeeming qualities, but still not my favorite.
3 stars for the narration.


**Many thanks to the publisher, Austen Prose, and NetGalley for the e-copy and audio. A positive review was not required.

Perhaps like me you picture Italy in the 1950s as one big Audrey Hepburn infused movie. This novel brought the reality of a post Fascist, post WW2, Italy into focus, through the eyes of protagonist, Vivien Lowry. In the author's previous novel, Bloomsbury Girls, I was left with the sense that Vivien carried a lot of pain and anger from the loss of her fiance, but that there might even be more at play with this character's past. Now as Vivien travels to Rome in this novel, the author really pulls back the shroud of pain and lets us truly get to know Vivien. If you've read Jenner's previous two novels, you'll appreciate how this novel brings things full circle, as past characters make appearances. But there are also new characters, some fictional and some real like Ava Gardner, Sophia Loren, and Gina Lollobrigida. As Vivien works as a script editor she learns how much power the Vatican holds over the movie studios, and as she searches for answers about her fiance's death, she discovers you can't always tell who had been a Fascist and who had been a resistor during the war.

This novel has a lot packed into it compared to the author's previous books, but I found I was able to keep it straight and I enjoyed the multiple mysteries that Vivien solved. If you haven't read the previous books, this does work as a stand alone novel, but I recommend enjoying all three.

I really wanted to love this but at 25% and I really don't feel like anything has happened. Vivian's courtship with Lassiter feels weird, I can't get behind her half-hearted efforts to find out what happened to her fiance, and I wish that we had more clues as to how this connects to the other timeline.

Thank you to MacMillan Audio for my ALC. All thoughts here are my own.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for an audio copy in exchange for an honest review.

3.5 Stars

La Scolaretta traverses Rome's Nazi filled streets until she sees her target takes aim and kills him.

In 1955, struggling London playwright, Vivien Lowry's latest production was met with less than stellar reviews. Licking her wounds she agrees to take a writing position in Rome to help rework a major movie film script. She views it as her last opportunity to jumpstart her writing career and a chance to make amends with the death of her fiancé who disappeared in Italy during the war. She is thrust into Italy's dynamic film industry becoming fast friends with actors (Sophia Loren), directors and others industry vets as she walks a thin line between creating a fulfilling script and adhering to the Vatican's strict censorship. A romance with American John Lasseter, who has an adopted daughter with Italy's newest starlet and a past full of secrets, sparks a fire inside her she thought had long burned out.

This is a fascinating historical fiction set in a world I was unfamiliar with and did not understand how large Italy's film industry was, even for Americans confronting the McCarthy era blacklists. These women had an interictal and vibrant hand in the making of classic movies with little credit. I was also interested in how much the Catholic church had their far reaching hands in every industry including film and Nazi resistance work.

Even though this is part of a series it is a standalone and you do not need the first two as reference.
I have read the other two books and really enjoyed them so was a little disappointed when I did not connect with this one in the same way. For starters there are way too many characters, (see authors note above for the list) as an audio book it was too hard to keep everyone straight. I just never really connected with Vivien. I think with less characters or a little more streamlined I would have liked it more. This is a dual timeline story with La Scolaretta's story being told in flashbacks, who's story I did enjoy. Her story and work with the nuns was shocking and tragic. Everything just became to conveniently connected at the end for my liking. Overall, I would recommend Natalie Jenner and her other works.

I had the audio version read by Juliet Aubrey who's narration I did not enjoy. While her pace and characterizations are good, she seemed to be whispering throughout the reading which became hard to hear and distracting. Again with too many characters this is maybe not the best book to do via audio.

Title: Every Time We Say Goodbye
Author: Natalie Jenner
Genre: Historical Fiction
Rating: 3.75
Pub Date: May 14, 2024

I received complimentary eARC and ALC copies from St. Martin's Press and Macmillan Audio via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. #Gifted

T H R E E • W O R D S

Atmospheric • Glitzy • Slow

📖 S Y N O P S I S

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.

💭 T H O U G H T S

I've read and enjoyed The Jane Austen Society, but have yet to read Bloomsbury Girls. Even though I hadn't read book two, I was still interested in reading Every Time We Say Goodbye, the final book in Canadian author Natalie Jenner's Jane Austen Society trilogy, near publication.

Natalie Jenner delivers a well researched, dual timeline historical fiction novel set in post-war Italy with the Italian film industry as a backdrop. She does a fantastic job creating a vibrant atmosphere, setting the scene and showcasing the dichotomy of the time period - a country in transition. I felt like I learnt a lot and it was interesting getting to know how much of a role the Catholic Church had in the industry.

While I thought the story was interesting, some of the plot lines were unnecessary making the book feel longer than it actually was. Because there is so many characters along the way it was a little harder to keep track of everyone, which is similar in book one. Jenner fully flushes out Vivien's character and she came feel like a friend.

I was left with mixed feeling on the narration by Juliet Aubrey. I thought she did a good job bringing Vivien to life, but her voicing of the other characters were sometimes overdone or unrealistic. With such a large cast of characters it is one that is hard to do solely on audio without getting confused.

Steeped in trauma and tragedy, Every Time We Say Goodbye is ultimately about self-discovery and hopeful. It can easily be read as a standalone, although starting at the beginning is strongly recommended as there is some overlap with characters.

📚 R E A D • I F • Y O U • L I K E
• companion novels
• the film world
• Our Darkest Night

⚠️ CW: antisemitism, xenophobia, war, torture, murder, grief, death of partner, death of parent, child death, rape, kidnapping

🔖 F A V O U R I T E • Q U O T E S

"Yet in the end, goodness is fixed and steady, and not so difficult to spot. It is evil that takes a bewildering number of forms and keeps changing its shape, tricking you with false promises and reasoning, taunting you into resignation.”

Now that I realize this is the third in a series, I understand why I felt so lost. I felt like I started a book in the middle and never quite felt caught up. I'm sure this would have had a different impact with the context but I struggled keeping up.

With The Jane Austen Society and its sequel Bloomsbury Girls, author Natalie Jenner introduced her readers to intriguing characters, interweaving many literary touchstones. Fans of Jane Austen in particular would highly enjoy the initial novel, given the setting and issues at stake. Bloomsbury Girls was a novel of yearning and hope, with a slightly different approach yet retaining excellence and readability. Jenner now brings us the third volume in the series, Every Time We Say Goodbye, predominantly set in mid-1950s Italy. Although some of the previously-introduced characters are included in the novel, this title could almost stand on its own. The timbre is quite different, with less of a literary tone and more of a mixture of historical, religious, and cinematic notes.

Jenner directs her readers’ attentions to events during and following World War II, in particular within Italy. The influence of the Roman Catholic Church is regularly front and center, more often than not for nefarious reasons. Main character Vivien Lowry frequently wrestles with the hypocrisies sometimes seen in Church leadership, all the while seeing the purity of Christian service from many within the same Body. Vivien also struggles with her own issues, and is on a quest to uncover the fate of a long-lost love. Jenner employs wartime flashbacks to undergird the background of the setting, showing the efforts made by many in the area to further the cause of goodness and truth in the light of fascism and other evils. Both the narratives of Vivien’s life and those in wartime days are inextricably linked, with revelations coming through the final paragraphs of the novel. While I would not term this a “dual timeline” tale, the two periods which were visited made for very interesting reading.

The Jane Austen Society and Bloomsbury Girls were not necessarily trifling yarns of “spun sugar”, but Every Time We Say Goodbye has a gravitas which gives it a very different fabrication. An air of melancholy consistently hovers over the narrative. This is not to say that it is dispiriting. It simply has a more serious tone, with elements that are both harrowing and poignant. Certain horrors of war and misdeeds within the Church are not minimized. However, they are not gratuitous in the amount of details offered. Adults will understand the import of Jenner’s words, their great significance to the characters, and their contribution to world history.

As she mentions in the acknowledgements following the novel, Natalie Jenner took on this project in order to share the story of many who struggled during World War II and beyond. While the book is entirely a work of fiction, it nonetheless reveals lessons which should not be forgotten. Jenner’s skill in expressing imagined yet authentic moments was exemplary, and she also pondered substantive questions which many of us struggle with on a regular basis. The dignity of human worth in wartime was often examined. A quote-worthy moment came about in chapter eighteen. An infant had been rescued after his caretakers had been discovered dead, killed by enemies in the War:

“Yet here was a baby, as young as could be, who would never experience such a reunion. He might never know a single thing about where he came from– who had wanted him– who had loved him. He might always lack the one piece of knowledge that every human deserves and that keeps us tethered to the earth: the source of our own humanity, and the comfort of knowing that we are here because someone else wanted us to be.”

The episode with this young child was so moving, and without divulging key plot points, I can offer that a subsequent episode provides quite an emotional, profound payoff to that portion of the story. Not all elements end so sweetly, however. There is much loss, but there also remains much beauty as well. Although Every Time We Say Goodbye is quite a different work of fiction for the series, it is one of historical importance, and surely a treasure for many who lived during that time and for the families who have survived them.

Despite the horrors of war, the inconsistencies found in some within the Church and other trials, the narrative of Every Time We Say Goodbye brings a message of hope and remembrance. Not for the faint of heart, it preserves an era of history within the worlds of politics, religion, and the film industry. Natalie Jenner has given us a gift, one that will hopefully inform many in the years to come.

************************

About the Audiobook

A brief thought about the audio edition of the novel: The Jane Austen Society was read by the fabulous Richard Armitage. Bloomsbury Girls was performed by the marvelous Juliet Stevenson. The voice actor for Every Time We Say Goodbye is the accomplished Juliet Aubrey. Like the other readers, she is a respected English actor. However, I did not care for this choice of voice for the novel. There was an element of her enunciation which I found chafing. This is entirely my own perspective, however. The novel has many Italian terms which she handles with dexterity, and perhaps that was why she was chosen for the project. Unfortunately, my ears didn’t care for the performance. That said, it did not diminish my admiration for the novel.

I finally finished this book, "Every Time We Say Goodbye" by Natalie Jenner. This is my first read of anything by this author, though I have 2 of her books in my TBR bookcase.

Vivien is a playwright in the early 50s. When her second play is panned by critics, she moves from London to Italy. She takes a job as a screenwriter to fix a big movie script. She makes some new friends.
....

OMG!! I didn't care!! For some reason, I could not connect with this character, nor any of them. I really didn't like this book.

The narration bothered me, too. I could hear every breath the narrator, Juliet Aubrey, took! I liked the voice for the main character, which is deep and husky, but for every male character, she used a nasally, high-pitched, strange, and dorky sounding voice.

The Catholic church had a firm control over anything going out in the media. This was surprising and upsetting to me, but also very likely true.

Characters - 2/5
Writing - 3/5
Plot - 3/5
Pacing - 2/5
Unputdownability - 0/5
Enjoyment - 2/5
Narration - 2/5
Cover - 3/5
Overall - 2.1

I believe other reviewers have had much better experiences with this book, so please check those out.

Thank you to Netgalley, Macmillan Audio, and Natalie Jenner for providing this audiobook in exchange for my honest review.

In a weird twist of fate, I read 2 books about females involved in Hollywood post WWII. In Every Time We Say Goodbye, Vivien, a screenwriter (but former assassin of Nazis), is sent to Italy in 1955 for a new movie and ends up solving the mystery of her deceased fiance. This is the latest installment in The Jane Austen Society series and some of the familiar characters are back. I loved how real stars and fictional characters were woven together, making it feel like a nonfiction book but historical fiction all at the same time. The descriptions really took me to the time and place and consumed me. It was so intriguing, so beautifully written and the narration was perfect for setting the mood.

Every Time We Say Goodbye AUDIO by Natalie Jenner is the last of the Jane Austen trilogy and mainly concentrates on Vivian, a playwright and screenwriter, who has escaped England to go to Italy to make movies. Her reason for wanting to go to Italy as that was where her fiance, David, had been killed during the war and she wanted to know more. While there she made friends with people in the movie industry, from actors down to script girls. She had affairs, but she could never fall in love. That was left with David. She was beyond amazed at the choke-hold the Vatican had on the movie industry, preventing it from telling stories that might possibly shed a negative light on the Vatican’s stance during WWII. She enjoyed her time there, as much as some of it was heart-breaking.

Vivian is an excellent character, well-written with hidden depths. The war had taken a toll on all of them and she met many who had been affected in various ways. It was 1955 and so the war was still omnipresent. Her friend, Claudia, an actress, reacted to it all by becoming a nun. It was there that Vivian met other sisters that not only gave her information but renewed her faith. There was not a huge plot, more a slice of Vivian’s life for this year or so. It was an interesting read. Better in text than audio, in my opinion.

The narrator was Juliet Aubrey and she had a beautiful voice, but I have to tell you, she put me to sleep. It was too well-modulated, if anything. She portrayed Vivian well, I thought, as well as most of the other characters Vivian ran across, without resorting to ridiculous caricatures.

I was invited to read EveryTime We Say Good Bye by St Martin’s Press and to listen by MacMillan Audio. All thoughts and opinions are mine. #Netgalley #StMartinsPress #NatalieJenner #MacMillianAudio #JulietAubrey #EveryTimeWeSayGoodBye

As we have been traveling around London on the Tube and on the red buses I have been listening to the new book by Natalie Jenner, Every Time We Say Goodbye. It was published yesterday by @macmillian.audio. The story was fun to listen to because the author references the characters from her other books,
The Jane Austen Society and The Bloomsbury Girls, which take place in the UK. I’ve read them both but you do not need to read these books to enjoy, Every Time We Say Goodbye. It is a stand alone. Natalie Jenner writes well thought out books. Every Time You Say Goodbye is set in 1955 where Viven is facing challenges as an playwright in London so she takes a new job in Rome as a script editor on a film set. There she encounters a lot of famous film stars and directors but her biggest hurdle is the Catholic Church.

As she is trying to meet these professional challenges she is dealing with a new relationship that is questionable and dealing with her past secret relationship which ended mysteriously at the war's end.

This ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ star story jumps back and forth between the two timelines and keeps you guessing all the way through. It is a wonderful historical fiction story of grief, betrayal and love but ultimately finding the truth to move forward.

First I want to THANK @macmillian.audio for a copy of the audiobook in exchange for my opinion of the book.

I can't tell you what this book is about.
I listened to it on audio and found myself drifting. It has two different timelines and follows mostly a woman named Vivien and the Italian film industry in 1950s.

Vivien is a hard character to follow as she seems pretty detached from everything around her. While in Italy, she is also looking for answers about David her ex-fiancee who she thought died in the war.

I was hoping for an emotional rollercoaster, but I unfortunately did not get this out of this book.

The kidnapping plot that happens in this is odd, and the fact that it goes unsolved and unmentioned for several chapters.

A lot of the chapters felt unnecessary and I found myself being pulled out of the story often, drifting to the point where some chapters I had to relisten to more than once, and times the reaction was much the same.

I wanted to love this, but unfortunately, this just did not hit the mark for me. It is probably more of a case of it's me and not you, so I'm hoping others love this more.

I am glad I listened to it, listening to it made me get through it, otherwise I don't think I would have.

I got a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange of a review.

Every Time We Say Goodbye follows playwright Vivien Lowry, whose most recent play, which opened in London in 1955 was panned by critics and shut down. At a loss, Vivien takes a friend’s advice and takes a job in Italy working as a script doctor in the film industry. Vivien views her trip to Italy as a way to both find a new path forward for herself and to find out what really happened to her fiance David, who went missing in Italy during the war. Vivien is a complex, well drawn character and I found myself very invested in everything to do with her time in Italy, especially since it becomes such a personal journey for her.

In addition to Vivien’s personal journey, Jenner also gives us insight into what was going on in post-war Italy, particularly the huge contrast between the vibrant and glamorous film industry versus the struggling orphans and refugees who were of course present in Italy after the war. Jenner also explores just how much the Catholic church was policing and censoring the content of Italian films, as well as the political landscape of Italy as it tries to come to terms with its own role in the war.

Jenner also effectively uses a dual timeline in this multi-layered story. During her time in Italy, Vivien works with a director who is determined to make a movie about a young woman he doesn’t want the world to forget. This woman was not only his girlfriend, but she was also an assassin in the Italian Resistance who was tortured and murdered during the war. We learn more about the circumstances that led to her death in an earlier timeline set during WWII.

Every Time We Say Goodbye is both a well researched work of historical fiction and an engaging story of love, loss and truth.

If you’re an audiobook fan, I also highly recommend the audiobook for this novel. It’s narrated by Juliet Aubrey who does a wonderful job bringing Vivien to life and capturing all of the complexities of emotions that run through the story.

I'm giving this 3.5 stars rounded up to 4.

This is the third book in this series. I'd read the first but not the second and was still able to follow along without any problems.

This third novel in the series takes place in post WWII Italy and focuses on the film making industry. It was a little slow to start but engaging and beautifully written. I found the behind the scenes look at the Italian film industry of the time period, particularly compelling. Especially the Vatican's control over scripts and the ongoing corruption. It was a gripping storyline.

Vivian's story was complex and heartbreaking. I would have liked even more of her story. However, I was happy with her satisfying ending.

Juliet Aubrey was very soft-spoken and took some time to get used to. But I did end up enjoying her narration.

Thank you, McMillan Audio, for this ALC. Opinions expressed in this review are my own.