This is a captivating read with a beautifully woven dual timeline. The story is both emotional and intriguing, keeping me engaged from start to finish.

The blend of past and present is done seamlessly, and I thoroughly enjoyed the journey through the characters' lives.

A compelling and heartfelt story that I would recommend.

Not last, I would like to thank to NetGalley, the author and publisher for offering me a copy of the book in exchange for my honest review.

Somehow I found this book enthralling, mysterious, and lovely at the same time! The descriptions of Italy took me back to my days of traveling solo there, but somehow felt of another time entirely. The author did a wonderful job of drawing parallels between Margaret and Claire's stories, with just enough intrigue and heartbreak to keep you wanting more.

"The Florence Letter" unfolds in an English country house, weaving together two timelines in a captivating narrative. In the past, amid the chaos of World War II, a young woman flees the London Blitz and finds refuge as a maid in the employ of Lady Violet. The story then shifts to the present day, where Claire, another young woman, arrives at the same estate—now transformed into a museum.
As Claire immerses herself in curating a new collection for the property, she stumbles upon an intriguing discovery: a letter penned by the former lady's maid. This missive contains a plea for assistance in fulfilling Lady Violet's final requests, bridging the gap between past and present, and setting the stage for a secret that spans generations.

Claire, like her predecessor, has also left London behind, finding solace in accommodation at the historic property. Nursing a broken heart, she forms a friendship with her new neighbor, Jim. Despite Jim being in a relationship, the two develop a close bond.
As Claire delves deeper into Lady Violet's last wishes, she uncovers a surprising mission: she must journey to Florence to locate Lady Violet's former lover and their secret child. Through an unexpected turn of events, Jim finds himself accompanying Claire on this trip to Italy.

As Jim and Claire's quest in Florence intensifies, so does their connection. Their growing closeness adds a layer of romantic tension to their search for Tabitha. However, just as their relationship seems to be blossoming, the discovery of Tabitha shatters everything, throwing both the mission and their personal dynamics into turmoil.

While the plot and dual timeline structure of "The Florence Letter" are compelling, the pacing of the story tends to drag at times. This slower rhythm may test the patience of readers expecting a more brisk narrative flow. Additionally, for those opting for the audiobook version, the narrators' accents, while potentially adding authenticity, occasionally pose challenges to easy listening and comprehension.
Despite these minor drawbacks, the intricate weaving of past and present, coupled with the romantic subplot and the mystery surrounding Lady Violet's secret past, offers an engaging story for fans of historical fiction with a contemporary twist

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture Audio for a chance to list to an early copy in exchange for the honest opinion.

I truly enjoyed this book. It was not, at first, what I expected, since it is set in England, not Florence. The connections to Florence actually came as surprises as the novel progressed. There's a dual story line: one set in World War II, and another set in modern day. The modern day story features a researcher who stumbles upon information about the WWII story as she moves into a job in an old country estate in England. The historical story features a young woman who has lost her job as a shop girl in London and is forced to move to the countryside to find work. She accepts a job as a ladies' maid to a young aristocrat. Then plenty of drama ensues. There's many references to class differences, which Americans will find baffling but interesting.

I listened to this book on audio, and it was perfect for a long driving trip. I particularly appreciated that the book used two distinct narrators for the two storylines. This made it easy to determine which storyline was being read. Both narrators were excellent.

Highly recommended for fans of historical fiction based on women during WWII...and for Downton Abbey fans.

Engaging writing but the pace was a little but slow for my liking.

Thank you to NetGalley aan the publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This one had history among all the romance and it made it unique and very cute. I loved all of the mystery and tense moment along with the cute ones. Plus, the setting of this book sounded incredible. I longed to be right there with her as she travelled her journey. An adorable Italian romance, something that we all dream about.

The summary promised a lot of what I enjoy in my fiction novels. A found letter in the future that takes you back to the past to tell a story and uncover secrets long buried.

I did enjoy it. it was well-written and immersive. I felt myself rooting for the characters as we went along.

The only reason this is not a 5-star book for me is the WWII elements. This historical time frame is so over-saturated. Unless you bring a fresh perspective, it's all been done before. I realize this may not be everyone's take on this Subgenre of historical fiction. If that doesn't bother you- amend my rating to a 5-star recommendation.

The Florence Letter by Anita Chapman and narrated by Emma Powell, Sophie Roberts is a compelling and highly immersive dual narrative/ dual timeline based predominantly during WWII. The first thing that really captured my attention was the meticulous and illustrative descriptive strengths of Chapman, setting a scene that draws the reader deep into a different world, a different time and place

The differences between the two narrators reflect the authenticity of the storyline, capturing the different personalities and sensibilities of the FMC's. I absolutely loved this audiobook and I am very much looking forward to the next in the series

Thank you to Netgalley, Bookouture Audio, the author Anita Chapman and Narrators Emma Powell and Sophie Roberts for this compelling ALC. My review is left voluntarily and all opinions are my own

BOOK REVIEW:
THE FLORENCE LETTER by Anita Chapman

Synopsis:
Claire leaves London in search of new possibilities as a curator at Gatley Hall. Years earlier, Margot also arrived at the estate looking for new opportunities after a bomb destroyed her London place of employment during the blitz. What could the two ladies possibly have in common?
While preparing for an exhibition, Claire finds a letter written by Margot, who is searching for a woman called Tabitha. But who is Tabitha, and what is her connection to Margot?
Determined to find answers to provide an accurate history of Gatley Hall Claire sets out to find out who Margot is. When she finds her, however, she realizes that her calling goes far beyond her current job and the English estate she now calls home. Along with Jim, her next-door neighbor, and groundskeeper she heads to Italy to fulfill Margot's greatest wish.
Thoughts:
I enjoyed listening to this dual time line work historical fiction. It was really well narrated by Emma Powell and Sophie Robert's. I really enjoyed the historical aspects of it and the connections between Italy and England. I wouldn't say it was particularly educational and often found myself wishing that more time and depth would have been added to the story of Margot and Lady Violet and less time would have been spent on the often sappy romance between Claire and Jim.
All in all, it was a pleasant listen but lacked the depth I was hoping for.
Thank you to Net Galley and Bookouture for the advanced audiobook copy.

⭐️⭐️⭐️

Warning:
Romance: talk of nudity, door romance, premarital relationships, description of marital unfaithfulness
Language: Minor cursing in 3 small areas
Edited · 8m

This is a good story following two separate women in two different time periods but also overlapping time periods. It includes love, loss, and discovery. This is a well-woven story that is enjoyable as an audiobook. The only downside I found while listening to this was that there were times when I felt like I lost track of where we were and who we were talking about because there were a good amount of characters to keep track of. Other than that, this was a good listen and I definitely would recommend this to other readers.

This is a captivating audiobook that whisked me away to wonderful Italy. Set over two timelines we have Margaret who is living in London in 1940 who is working as a ladies maid for Lady Violet at Gatley Manor and then we have Claire in the present day who is working on an exhibition and doing research at a country house when she makes a discovery of a very old letter. The letter is about Lady Violet and her daughter Tabitha. Claire decides she must find Tabitha and her search takes her to Florence in Italy. The audiobook is done by Emma. Powell and Sophie Roberts who sweep you away to Italy with their beautiful narration. This is an audiobook to savour as it is full of intrigue, history and mystery. Thank you to Netgalley and Bookouture for my audiocopy.

⭐️ 4.5/5. This book did a fantastic job at transporting me back and forth between the lines of two very similar women who lived at two different times in history. Margret, a 20 year old woman who works at a department store in London until it’s bombed during WW2 and she has to move to an English estate to become a lady’s maid for a wealthy young woman; and Claire, a 27 year old woman who finally leaves her good for nothing boyfriend to restart her life working as a historian in an incredible, old English estate. The novel jumps back and forth between the stories of these two women, bringing them together little by little and weaving magical threads of historical significance, issues that have plagued women throughout history, relationships, romance, adventure, and following your passions.

All in all, this is a wonderful novel that reads in places like a diary, like historical fiction, and like modern-day women’s fiction. I’d recommend! Thank you NetGalley for the ARC. This book just dropped recently, so go check it out!

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My only critique is that there were a few places we could have had a little more detail. If you don’t want spoilers, don’t read this next part:
-How Margret survived her marriage to Tom and how she raised their children, her relationships with them, etc.
-A little more detail and communication when Claire decides to take Tom back after he was really rude to her

The Florence Letter: Absolutely spellbinding and page-turning dual narrative fiction by Anita Chapman was a captivating and engaging book that drew me in immediately. It was the first book that I had the pleasure of reading by Anita Chapman. I enjoyed that Anita Chapman chose to set The Florence Letter in both Surrey, England and in Florence, Italy. The two protagonists in The Florence Letters were both resourceful, strong and intelligent women. A dual timeline was used to tell each of these two women’s stories which eventually converged. It detailed the common thread that tied the hopes and the plight of both women together as they helped each other fulfill a promise that was made long ago. I listened to the audiobook that was narrated by both Emma Powell and Sophie Roberts. Their performance was enjoyable and kept me engaged throughout the entire audiobook.

Margaret or Mags as she liked to be called lived in London with her mother during The Blitz. She had secured a position at a popular department store and was enjoying her profession when the store suffered a direct hit from a German bomb and was destroyed. When her livelihood was eliminated, Mags’s aunt invited her to come to the countryside where she lived with the promise of helping Mags secure another job. Mags accepted her aunt’s offer and had hoped to live with her aunt for awhile before she sought employment. Her aunt, like many that lived in the countryside, had taken in boarders who occupied all of her aunt’s extra bedrooms. There was no room for Mags to live with her aunt. Her idea of an extended stay was not to be. Mags soon became a lady’s maid to Lady Violet at Gatley Hall. In a short period of time, Mags had earned Lady Violet’s trust and respect. Over the time Mags served as Lady Violet’s lady’s maid, she became privy to secrets, a scandal and the recipient of a promise she vowed to keep. At ninety-one years of age, Mags was still trying to keep that promise.

In 2015, Caire, a thirty year old woman, was ready to accept a new challenge. Her relationship with her boyfriend of many years was going nowhere fast. She finally realized that her boyfriend had no intention of marrying her and starting a family with her. It was time for Claire to move forward. She accepted a position at Gatley Hall. Claire was to put together an exhibition entitled “Under the Stairs”. She was to recreate what life at Gatley Hall had been like during World War II. While Claire rummaged through boxes and drawers, she hoped that she might discover something that could be useful for the exhibit. In a drawer full of letters, Claire came upon one letter written by a woman named Margaret who appeared to have served as Lady Violet’s lady’s maid during World War II. As Claire read the letter, she discovered that Margaret was searching for the whereabouts of a young woman named Tabitha. Claire’s interest was piqued. She was determined to find out who Margaret was. Her mission became clear. Claire must locate Margaret and find out who Tabitha was and why Margaret was so intent on finding her. Her quest began in Surrey and eventually led her to Florence, Italy.

Anita Chapman proved to me that she is a masterful storyteller. The Florence Letters was well written and it vividly described the landscapes of both Surrey and Florence. I really enjoyed learning about both Margaret’s and Claire’s lives and stories. They were both women who made some unfortunate decisions and choices but overcame them and became stronger as a result. I found it very interesting that the people in England that lived during World War II were encouraged to write in diaries and keep a record of their impressions and daily occurrences. There were a few twists in the story that kept me engaged and wanting more. I also enjoyed witnessing the romances that slowly took shape and grew for both Margaret and Claire. They both deserved to find happiness. By the way, I loved the cover of this book as well. I really enjoyed listening to The Florence Letters by Anita Chapman and highly recommend it. I will definitely look for books written by Anita Chapman in the future.

Thank you to Bookouture Audio for allowing me to listen to the audiobook of The Florence Letters by Anita Chapman through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

This book was intriguing and fairly fast-paced and with lovely beautiful Florence in the story, how can you not read it right??

We have Claire, who has moved for a new job to Rose Cottage and to set up a display at Gately Manor. She finds a letter from the World War era written by Mags (aka Maragret) who is looking for Tabitha, daughter of Lady Violet, who lived at Gatley house. Lady Violet entrusted Mags to give her daughter her brooch. She also finds Jim, her neighbor at Rose cottage. They are mutually attracted but circle around each other. He's in a casual relationship with another woman, she is just on a rebound from a breakup.

Claire sets off on a journey to uncover the story of Lady Violet, Mags, Luca, Tabitha and hopes to include these discoveries in her exhibit. The journey leads her and Jim, who's accompanying her, to Florence, where they discover not only Tabitha but that Tabitha is Jim's mother (she abandoned him as a baby). The emotional turmoil causes a rift between Claire and Jim, but eventually, things work out, and they get back together.

The story is told in a dual point of view, Mags from the World War era and Claire in the current day. I listened to the audiobook and found the narration to the point and clear. The romance part of the story felt a little short. Jim and Claire are attracted, but the emotional build-up was a bit one-sided, with Claire being the main focus. The OW, OM aspect was also a bit off-putting. And Jim needed to grovel more in the end. He was such an ass. #anitachapman #netgalley #theflorenceletter

The Florence Letter is a lovely dual-timeline story set predominantly at an English country estate, during WWII and the present day. Two main characters—Margaret (Mags), who works as a lady’s maid there during the war, and Claire, who arrives to curate an exhibit for the house in the (more-or-less) present day—tell the stories of the estate from different points of view. Their connection lies in the fact that Margaret, in her 90s, is attempting to fulfill an old vow she made to her former employer. Claire ends up helping her to find a woman from her past, but in doing this good deed she creates complications for herself. There are many chapters set in Italy, as both Margaret and Claire travel there in their search for Tabitha, and they tie the storylines together. The book is filled with evocative descriptions of places and the natural environment, as one theme is the attempt to live a meaningful life. There are two narrators and I liked one better than the other, but the audiobook overall is enjoyable. Thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGallery for the opportunity to review this book and share my honest opinions.

The story was really gripping. The way the timelines was presented made it easier to know which timeline we are in. Each chapter has the characters name on who's point of view, and as there is only two with very different names, it was easy to follow.
Also although the narrator didn't change voice, you still knew which character was giving their view as there had clear voice within the writting style.
The narrator did make this enjoyable, and it's a book that you get same enjoyment if you listen or read, and I think this is due to how Anita wrote this spellbinding story.
Being set in the UK with time in florence. Which also being during WW2 and prescent day.

Sorry, another DNF. I found it moved too slow for me, and I felt it was a bit predictable. I have read this author before, she's a little hit or miss for me. Not badly done, just not for me.

This has two storylines taking place several year apart being told by two different characters. The mystery which this story uncovers is beautifully plotted and interesting to read. I listened to the audio of this story and enjoy the pace very much. The diction was clear and easy to follow, and two different narrators are used, so that really helped follow each character's story,

Parts of the book, that take place in Florence, have made me hungry to go and visit and I feel inspired to make that my next break! However, there seem to be an annoying emphasis on Claire's food and drink consumption which I found mildly irritating. The outcome of her relationship with Jim was quite predictable, though the plotting of this to the end of the book was quite fulfilling.

I was also interested by the Maggie timeline story. Some events that happened to her were difficult to read and I was intrigued by the lady of the manor's lifestyle in the run up to the war. Lady Violet certainly had a privileged – and probably quite boring – existence which reminded me of Downton Abbey, but somehow in this story, it felt more compelling.

I think the characters of Jim and Claire were eventually developed and filled out, but I didn’t really connect with them and felt like I knew the outcome long before they did!

I knew I would like this book but enjoyed it more that I thought I would. I will say it started off a little slow but after a while I did get invested in the characters and it paid off in the end. The book switches POV from chapter to chaper and I also liked how the audio book had 2 narators. I would have liked more from Mags younger life with Violet. The best part was how it all came togather at the end, and I was almost sad to see the story end.

Very interesting take on a dual timeline story!

****RELEASE DATE: 6/24/24 ****

Present day is told normally.
BUT, the past is told via diary entries of a woman who journaled, pretty much, her whole life…. And she is trying desperately to find someone in the present day!

This one begins in early 1940’s in the UK. War was ongoing, and so was the bombing…
When Mags loses her job (due to the store being bombed), she is forced to look for another. Although she does NOT want to be a servant (in fact she was very happy to get the job at the store and NOT follow in her family’s footsteps…), she is forced to look at whatever is available.
And so she finds a job as a lady’s maid…with Lady Violet.

One day her life is ‘saved’ by a very handsome man named Luca. He is a POW working on a nearby farm…and soon she begins falling…
Until one day, when she is out and about with Lady Violet, and they meet Luca…and he only has eyes for one…

As the story progresses we learn of life and times back in the 40’s, and how the war was not as bad as some other places, if you were of a wealthy nature…or working for one of these homes.

On the present day timeline we have Claire, who is putting together an ‘Under the Stairs’ presentation. As she is looking through items, she discovers a letter that’s hidden away. She tries to contact the woman who wrote it, and, after much work, finally gets a hold of her. As they begin corresponding, the story grows and grows!
In the meantime she is forming a friendship with a neighbor and work mate, Jim. and as the pieces of the puzzle start to come together, some lives begin to unravel…

Beautiful story with lots and lots of layers, and some very well built characters!

Thanks to #NetGalley and #BookoutureAudio for an ARC of the audiobook which is due for release in just a few days on 6/24/24!

4 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ for me!

#TheFlorenceLetter by #AnitaChapman and beautifully narrated by #EmmaPowell and #SophieRoberts.

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