This was my 1st book by Genni Gunn and I was interested due to the extraordinary gift of 15 year old Olivia, and how it is used during WW II behind enemy lines as a Special Operations Executive (SOE). agent in Italy, aiding partisans and resistance fighters. There she meets Nino Fabris, a young Italian man who was captured in North Africa and escaped, joining the SOE. It was an interesting premise, as I know very little about the Italian and African aspects of WW II.
It has romance, betrayal, espionage, family strife and war details without being overly graphic. The storyline seemed uneven to me, with the pacing sometimes slow and very detailed and other times a bit rushed, especially at the end. The main characters also needed more foundation to their attraction to better understanding of their relationship. Overall, a 3 star book for me.
A big thank you to the publisher, Signature Editions and NetGalley for the ARC, all opinions expressed are my own.

This book was just fine to me. Overall the idea of two sort of star-crossed SOE agents was really intriguing to me, but the execution left something to be desired. I’m a romantic person, but I found myself not really understanding why the two main characters were so drawn to each other. Their relationship was supposedly the whole point of the book, but it wasn’t elaborated on enough for me. The pacing of the book was a bit uneven, and the last section went through way faster. Olivia herself especially did not seem to really get enough of an ending for me.

This was my first book by Genni Gunn, which made it an exciting read for me. I enjoyed the story of two people set against the world of WWII in Italy. I found the tale fascinating, as I love books about espionage work and spies during times of war.

I liked the book. But I had to go back and reread a few chapters once or twice to ensure I kept the story straight. I found the characters in the book to be well-developed, but the plot meandered a bit and confused me. The relationship between Olivia and Nino created difficulty, as I often found the dialogue somewhat unnatural and, therefore, hard to believe. But overall, the characters were likable enough, and I could relate them to the story.

I gave the book a 3.5 because I never got attached to the plot or the main characters, but I kept reading because I wanted to see how the book ended. The ending was ok, if a little rushed—as if the author wasn’t exactly sure how she wanted to end the tale.

I want to thank Net Galley, Signature Editions, and the author for the opportunity to read this advanced copy. My review is voluntary and mine alone.

Thank you to Signature Editions and NetGalley for my pre publication digital copy in exchange for an honest review.
I enjoyed this novel. Olivia’s particular memory patterns were interesting, and I learned a lot about how secret agents and espionage work during wartime. War has always terrified me, my father never spoke about his World II experiences, but they clearly affected him deeply. There were coincidental elements of the love story between Olivia and Nino that a bit hard to believe, but then life is stranger than fiction so I guess anything is possible. Other friendships and work relationships added some depth to the overall story, it was good to have a couple of unlikeable characters too.

An interesting tale of two individuals set against the backdrop of WW2 in Italy. The story is intriguing, but I felt somewhat confused. The story wandered back and forth and was hard to follow at times. The ending seemed to be a bit rushed and needed a fuller explanation. I enjoyed the book, up until the ending which left me unsatisfied.

Thank you to #NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.