“The core of the city of Florence has remained unchanged for centuries. You might take a stroll to the grocery store today and walk exactly in the footsteps of someone like Donatello or Michelangelo in the Renaissance. 
For some, that fact is just an amusing thought, quickly forgotten. For others this simple walk becomes a pilgrimage, and you question, what is this magic I feel? 
Does it come from the curious worn-out grey stone, or the way the light cuts through a narrow street? 
Or the calm rhythm of green shutters of windows on those sun kissed walls? Nah. 
It must be the beauty of the Arno, and it’s graceful bridges that dance into the mist.
No… it must be a symphony of those rooftops that vibrate in unison with Brunelleschi’s Dome!
That’s Florence. It touches your very soul, stirs your senses, brings forth your creativity, and before your know it, you are on a threshold of your own personal Renaissance.
It smacks you awake, and your life is changed forever.”

Paola Vojnovic, Art Historian, 2019. 

The book  begins  in 1938, just before the start of #WW2, with setting the scene of illegal #Nazi art deals. The main character Stella, is the daughter of an art dealer, who spent more time travelling the world acquiring art,  then he did at home, with her. When her own mother died, her father had married an Italian (a Florentinian), only 10 years Stella's senior. 

When her father dies, Stella (young and just out of boarding school), is invited to her "step mother" Monica's estate in Florence, Monica has since remarried a Count named Gerrardo. It is here, on their estate, just over the river Arno, where Stella meets, Ted, an American journalist, Marius, Monica's twin brother, Dora and Beatrice (the "help"), and Mimo and Vittorio (Vittorio is the Count's assistant). Stella, finds herself initially, out of place, being an English woman in Florence, and as well, young and inexperienced. But soon, she learns not only to fit in, but to love the beautiful city of Florence. 

I really enjoyed reading this book that took me right back to Florence, (a city I was fortunate to visit a few years ago): the #pontevecchio, the #duomo, the #ufizigallery and #piazas and alley ways of #Florence that have been there for centuries and entertained the presence of the greatest minds and artists in history.

I got wrapped up in Clara's story, and, before I knew it, I finished the book and I was googling pictures of Florence, #Firenze, to take me back there (virtually) once more.  

Thank you #netgalley and Clara Benson for  an advanced copy of Stella's story, #thestolenletter, in return for my honest review.

The Stolen Letter by Clara Benson is a historical fiction book is set in Italy and Geneva. It begins just prior to the Second World War. We meet Stella, her father has died and she has travelled to Florence to stay with her step mother.Her stepmother has a hidden agenda for Stella's invite, Stella's father was an art dealer and had hidden artwork away. He wrote a letter to Stella telling her where it was but Stella has not received it and her stepmother wants her in Italy to find out what Stella knows. Stella  arrives in Italy and she immediately falls for Ted, an american journalist who is arrogant and wild, but she can't help herself. Then war breaks out and Stella finds herself stuck in Italy for the forseeable future.
 A story that manages to cover every emotion known to us. We are immersed in broken families, Nazi brutality, resistance fighters, domestic violence. We see what the Italian people had to endure during the war, something I have never really considered in this time.Among all these horrific things the Nazi's continue to make everything worse by trying to strip Italy and the citizens of their artwork and treasures, something they did in every country they invaded, The Netherlands, France, Poland. Stamping their cruelty over Europe.
 Such an emotional book with the glimmer of love even in the brutality and tragedy of war. Again, Clara Benson has written a beautiful, riveting stort that swept me to Italy and kept me there until the final page.
 Thank you to Bookouture and NetGalley for this book so I could write this review today.

I'm addicted to World War 2 fiction as it shows how ordinary people survived in extraordinary times. Add in that this book is set in partially set in Italy, and it became a must read for me.

Ohhh I just loved it. From the beginning, I felt huge empathy for Stella, she has just left school and has no family. Alone in the world, she travelled to spend time with her distant Step Mother's new family (sounds like family I know, but there was zero emotionally attachment).

With world events spiralling around her, Stella has to mature fast. And I love watching her character development, as she grew into a brave, resilient woman, who had to endure many hardships.

The romance sucked me right in and I felt very emotionally attached to the characters. With a strong sense of Italian setting and some glorious rich detail about the art world, it whisked me away entirely while reading.

Tender-hearted, compelling and very addictive, I highly recommend The Stolen Letter to you.

Thanks to Bookouture for giving me for giving me a copy of this book for review consideration. As always, no matter what the source of the book, you get my honest, unbiased opinion.

Title:    The Stolen Letter
Author:   Clara Benson
Publication Day:  24/09/2020

Description:    

The longer her imprisonment went on, the more she cast her mind back to the stolen hours they had spent together. His love had blown in like an unexpected breath of warm summer air, giving her the promise of life and joy. But now they had been torn apart and she was tormented by the thought that they might never be reunited.

Italy, 1938: When Stella arrives in Florence, it’s love at first sight. She is wowed by the rolling hills dotted with olive trees, the buttermilk villas with shuttered windows and terracotta roofs that glow gloriously in the sunlight. Even the breeze holds the scent of freedom – freedom from England, where the shadow of her past haunted her.

Then there is Ted, an American journalist who is wild and mischievous, with an arrogance bordering on rude. Stella is infuriated by him – but she cannot deny the lure of the danger and excitement he promises.

But there is something dark under the bright surface of this beautiful country, with unspeakable tragedies just around the corner. When the Nazis take control of Italy, Stella and Ted – and whatever dreams the future held for them – are ripped apart. As bombs descend, destroying everything in their wake, there is nothing to do but sit in darkness, praying to see tomorrow.

And it seems that even in Italy, Stella’s past has found her. Somewhere in the winding streets of Florence there is a letter that could change the course of her fate. Unknown to her, it holds a secret with the power to rewrite her past, and everything she has been running away from. But will she live to find it? And with the odds stacked against her, will she ever see Ted again?

This beautifully spun and stirring tale is about the impossible tragedies of war and the miraculous possibilities of love. Fans of Kristin Hannah’s The Nightingale, Rhys Bowen’s The Tuscan Child, and The Letter by Kathryn Hughes will be utterly captivated by this spectacular historical page-turner.



Readers absolutely love Clara Benson:


‘Amazing… One of my favourite stories… A brilliant story that is full of twists and turns… I felt like I was on the edge of my seat the whole time while reading… A must-read.’ Chells and Books, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘Oh my word, this was definitely an emotive and additive read, and then some… I felt myself well up… I fully immersed myself in the story and I knew that nothing much would be done for the rest of the day as I would be too busy reading!... I was too hooked… Superbly written… I became so emotionally involved with certain characters that every time they felt pain, I felt pain…The author uses such vivid and realistic descriptions that I actually felt as though I was part of the story myself.’ Ginger Book Geek, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘Amazing… I truly loved this book… Clara Benson does a masterful job of bringing her characters to life.’ Historically Yours, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘Stirring, captivating and electrifying… So poignant it could sever readers’ heartstrings.’ Bookish Jottings, ⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘A beautifully devastating book. Highly emotional and utterly captivating from the first page to the last.’ Loopyloulaura, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

BLOG TOUR REVIEW 

Review for 'The Stolen Letter' by Clara Benson. 

Read and reviewed via NetGalley for Bookouture publishers and Bookouture anonymous 

Publication date 24th September 2020

This is the first book that I have read by this author. 

I was originally drawn to this book by  its intriguing and beautiful cover and interesting sounding blurb. I also wanted a change from my typical genre of crime fiction and this looked perfect. I must admit I was also biased due to the publisher being Bookouture. I have yet to read a book published by Bookouture  that I haven't enjoyed. Hopefully this won't be the first... Watch this space! (Written before I started reading the book).

This novel consists of a prologue and 39 chapters split in 4 parts. The chapters are medium in length so ideal to read 'just one more chapter' before bed...OK, I know yeah right, but still just in case! 

This book is written in third person perspective. I enjoy books written in third person as it let's you see the bigger picture of what's going on and you get to know more characters. 

This book is based in Italy and Geneva. 

Confusing with several characters and storylines. 

Part one focuses on Stella and her relationships with Monica, Ted and Marius and Beatrice and her relationships with Mimmo and Vittorio. Part one is based in Italy 🇮🇹 during the start of the war. I found part one to be a very slow burner and confusing at times while getting to know the many characters and their individual backgrounds and storylines. 

Part two is based in Geneva in the middle of the war and focuses on Stella and her relationships with Maurius and Ted. This part is much more fast paced with more action and less characters. With less characters I found I could understand more of each one and what was going on. 

Part Three is based in Italy and focuses on Stella, Ted, Beatrice, Tina, Dora and Vittorio. During part three the pace of the storyline picked up much faster and you can really see Stella maturing and her character developing. The storyline is also more 'set' and you can understand much more of what is going on. 

Part Four. Italy 🇮🇹. In this part we see all the remaining characters from the rest of the book and find out what happens to them. 

Once I got to know the individual characters some grew on me and others I could not abide. The character I believe that went through the biggest transformation was Stella who started of as a naive young girl and ended the story as a courageous young woman. I really enjoyed how the author showed her gradual growth in strength.

I think one of the biggest challenges of this book is to write a story from the war from a side that wasn't against the Germans and I believe the author did this well. I struggled at the beginning to read it through this perspective but as I delved deeper into the book and attitudes changed with some of the characters I felt that I bonded with them better. 

Overall a very slow burner but one that ends in a roller-coaster ride of love, loss, strength, war and courage. After Part one things definitely picked up for me and that's when I got sucked in. 

Genres covered include Saga, Historical Fiction, Coming-of-age story 

I would recommend this book to the fans of the above. 

423 pages.

This book is £1.99 to purchase on kindle via Amazon which I think is an absolute bargain for this book!!! 

Rated 4 /5 (I enjoyed it ) on Goodreads, Instagram, Amazon UK and Amazon US and on over 30 Facebook pages plus my blog on Facebook. 

Feel free to add me on Goodreads or follow me on my website or Facebook for more reviews 

#TheStolenLetter #ClaraBenson #Bookouture  #NetGalley #BookReview #BlogTour #BooksOnTour
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Author Bio:

 

Clara Benson is the author of the Angela Marchmont Mysteries and Freddy Pilkington-Soames Adventures - traditional English whodunits in authentic style set in the 1920s and 30s. One day she would like to drink cocktails and solve mysteries in a sequinned dress and evening gloves. In the meantime, she lives in the north of England with her family and doesn't do any of those things.


To find out about new releases and receive a FREE, exclusive Angela Marchmont short story, sign up to her mailing list at clarabenson.com/newsletter.

Author Social Media Links:

Twitter: https://twitter.com/ClaraBooks

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ClaraBensonBooks

BUY LINKS:

Amazon: https://geni.us/B08CRLS58SSocial  

Apple: http://ow.ly/rFKS50AwujY

Kobo: http://ow.ly/x0IM50Awuiv

Google: http://ow.ly/P1qk50Awumg

The poignant tragical tale featuring the realities of War, a story of love being the light in darkest of times, a tale of misunderstandings, bad decisions, loyalty and lies.

The description is so top-notched that it made gasp with all the fears and emotions trembling across me. I could feel the character's emotions and their fear and desires, everything felt so realistic. I am so amazed by this. Another great point for this book landing with a 5 starred rating from me.
The story starts at 1938, with Stella's arrival at Florence, Italy. She stays as a guest at her Stepmother's house, who has remarried. Monica(the stepmother) main motive is to find the lost paintings of her dead husband and she knows Stella could have a link to that. As the book proceeded, this plot about Paintings becomes lost and serves as a secondary subplot as the WWII proclaims the main plot.
Being trapped in a castle life in England, Stella has always been deprived of a life outdoors, which turned into an immature, timid and innocent young woman, who has no idea about how cruel the world can be. She is mesmerized by the beauty of Italy, the beautiful architectures and pleasant gift of nature. For the first time in life she is experiencing freedom. But soon, the war begins. With the lack of proper decisions making ability and assistance, Stella steps foot into blunder of her own which turns her life into a living hell. Even the stern and firm warnings from Ted didn't do her any good. Until she realised what she did, it was way too late. She also finds out her family secrets, which makes her see her own father in a new light.

Ted and Stella's story was sad and intriguing to read about. This devastating story of love will surely make you teary eyed. The emotions Ted and Stella shared was so pure and heartbreakingly beautiful. The best thing about this being a succesful WWII book is it doesn't only focus on Ted and Stella's tragic romace but every other character's sufferings and devastation. We see Beatrice's pain of losing her newly wedded husband to the war, only to have doubts in the upcoming years if he's sacrifice was merely for nothing. We experience the day-to-day lives deals in WWII, which was enlightening to read about. Italian representation on WWII, is not something we see often, I was glad the writer gave us this. Also, the descriptions and setting of Italy was a delight to read about. 
There's portrayal of domestic violence, abuse, military torture, poverty, betrayal by closest allies and all other miseries a war may bring.
This book can be called slow-paced but I adored this slow and steady development of the plot. 
The unpredictability factor of the book served to the curiosity of mind. I couldn't put this book down. I am seriously irreversibly in love with this book.
This story of tragedy and passion made tears rolling through my eyes. Highly recommend reading this, if you are interested in WWII based Historical fictions. I am so impressed by Clara Benson's writing style, hope to read more of her books in future.

This is a wonderful story of friendship, betrayal and love set in war-torn Italy. Although slow to start, the characters develop through the story, and the hardships of war and fighting for the resistance are told in a clear and engaging way. 
The story of the stolen letter is intriguing, and is mixed with the mystery of the missing paintings stolen to order by the Germans.

Interesting storyline. It held my interest. A lot of detail. I grew bored with that. Overall a good book.

This is a historical fiction that takes place during WWII. I have to the beginning of this book is super slow moving and a little boring. The middle does so picking up the pace, and I did love the middle. I felt that the ending slowed down the pace again, and I did not loved the ending. I normally did not loved books that is about Art/Painting, but this book as a lot of other drama going on. I do feel the pacing of this book is off. I did love the characters. This is not the best historical fiction book I have read, but it was good/ok. Please looked into this book if you get upset about things that you read because there is some hard to read subjects. I was kindly provided an e-copy of this book by the publisher (Bookouture) or author (Clara Benson) via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review about how I feel about this book, and I want to send a big Thank you to them for that. This book is schedule to be release on September 24-2020.

Set mainly in Florence during World War II The Stolen Letter focuses on a young english woman named Stella. Stella is lonely and somewhat sheltered and still dealing with the death of he father she wished she had seen more.  On the request of her stepmother she visits Florence and ultimately becomes swept up in the war.  I liked the character growth for Stella during the book thought she from from a lonely and just out of school to a brave woman who takes risks to save others. The supporting characters are also interesting and add to the story.  I liked that this book had some focus on the art world. The theft/value/and in some cases disregard of art by the Nazis isn’t something that I’ve seen dealt with in many WWII Historical fiction stories. I wish we got to see more of this but it was nice for a change to read about this topic in the genre. 

Thanks NetGalley for the chance to read this book!

I found this story fascinating. It was really interesting reading about Italy during World War 2. There were some great characters in the story and a good storyline.

Thank you to Netgalley for my copy.

A very enjoyable read, although up to halfway it could be seen as a drama or romance with very little mention of WW2.  This in no way detracts from what was a fast but at times very tense novel. 
I loved the characters, and Benson stayed true to them throughout. 
Thank you NerGalley for this ARC in return for my honest review.

Set in Italy during WWII. 1938: When Stella arrives in Florence, its love at first sight. Her father was dead and she had been invited to stay with her stepmother. Ted is an American journalist who is wild and arrogant. Stella is infatuated with him. But it seems Stella's past has caught up with her. There's a letter that could change the course of ger fate.

What an emotionally twisted book thus us. The book has been researched and it's well written.  I wasn't keen on Stella but she grew on me. A story of friendship, violence, unexpected decisions and betrayal. There is also the hardships of the Resistance and Nazi brutality they had to endure. This is a really good historical fiction novel that everyone should read.

I would like to thank #NetGalley, #Bookouture and the author #ClaraBenson for my ARC in exchange for an honest review

I loved this book. Yes it's set during WW2 (And just prior) but more than anything it's about a young woman's journey into adulthood. At first Stella isn't someone to particularly warm to as she's had little life experience and seems quite immature, but as the story moves along she grows on you and she changes in immeasurable ways. The book also gives an interesting insight into the experience of regular Italians during the war and also the devastation wreaked on Florence. I would definitely recommend and thanks to #netgalley and #clarabenson for my arc.

Clara Benson stole my heart from the very beginning with this beautiful story about impossible tragedies of war and the possibilities of love. This novel is truly amazing and one I could not put down. I am honored to have read this prior to publication because The Stolen Letter is not one to miss.

What I liked:
👉 WWII Period Genre
👉 full of twists and turns
👉 takes place in Italy
👉 vivid and real descriptions that get you emotionally involved
👉 masterfully written where the characters leap off the page 
👉 both devastating and beautiful 
👉 tale about love and war

SYNOPSIS of THE STOLEN LETTER:
Stella arrives in Florence, Italy in 1938 and knew it was love at first sight. The rolling hills dotted with olive trees, the buttermilk villas with shuttered windows and terracotta roofs glowing gloriously in the sunlight wowed her everywhere she looked. Even the breeze held the scent of her freedom from England where the shadow of her past haunted her.

With unspeakable tragedies just around the corner as Nazis close in on Italy, Stella realizes the darkness under the bright surface of the beautiful country she fled to. Her dreams of being with her true love Ted, an American journalist, are shortly ripped apart as bombs quickly descend on Florence and destroy everything in their wake. With nothing to do but sit in darkness and pray to see tomorrow, Stella reminisces on the stolen hours they spent together. How Ted’s love had blown in like an unexpected breath of warm summer air, giving her the promise of life and joy. Now, imprisonment seems to be never ending and she wonders if they will ever be reunited.

As if that’s not enough, Stella’s past finds her in the winding streets of Florence. A letter written to her by her deceased father could change the course of her fate as it holds a secret to rewrite her past and everything she has been running away from. There is just one problem…Stella must live to find the letter.

.ARC in exchange for homes review

A beautiful Historical novel about WWII. The main action takes place in Florence,  before, during and after the German occupation that resulted in Italy's exit from the war, in 1943.
Stella is a young English woman that, after his father's unexpected death, travels to Florence to meet with her stepmother, a much younger woman that has remarried a wealthy Count. 
She will also meet his future husband and the little be of his life. 
She also finds out about a family secret that will make her see her own father under a completely different light. Stella will grow up and learn about friendship, betrayal, violence and  that, sometimes, desperate situations lead to unexpected decisions.
The novel is perfectly written and very well documented. I really enjoyed it and would highly recommend it.

WW2 historical fiction book out of this world loved that it was based in Italy. This is definitely a brilliant author and cant wait to read more by her

I loved this well-written WW2 historical fiction novel set in Italy. I've read numerous WW2 novels but never from the perspective of an English woman in Italy. I enjoyed the characters, relationships, and settings. 

Stella, a young English woman, finds herself living in Florence, with her former stepmother after the death of her father. What follows is a tale of mystery surrounding valuable paintings, heartbreak, and resiliency. 

Round up to 4.5 stars.

Thank you to Bookouture and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this ARC for my unbiased review.

I really enjoy reading historical fiction and this was a great read. I had read ‘In Darkness Look for Stars’ which I loved so was looking forward to a new title from Clara Benson. 
‘The Stolen Letter’ is a  riveting read of the life of Stella who is ‘orphaned’  as a young woman. She is invited to visit her step mother in Florence and falls in love with Italy. Stella is extremely naive having just finished school in London and really not having had any experience of life. Her step mother Monica has an ulterior motive in her invitation to Stella as her former husband and Stella’s  father had hidden some  priceless artwork and he had written to tell Stella where they were located. Stella didn’t receive the letter but Monica was hopeful she knew something about them.  The war erupts in Italy and Stella is unable to return to London.
The topics of resistance fighters, broken families, hardships of the war, Nazi brutality, domestic violence, family infidelity are all covered in the story to a backdrop of how the German hierarchy continued to pillage and procure art and valuables.
The tragedy of war and the possibilities of love in horrific times makes for an emotional read.

This book was a journey. The prologue was so immersive that it felt jarring to suddenly be watching a wealthy, 19yo girl heading to Florence. It had a Room with a View vibe initially, though with a very timid protag. After some awkward young romance, the book took off with ever intensifying action and character complexity.  I particularly recommend this book to fans of historical fiction who haven’t read a depiction of WWII from the Italian citizen viewpoint. It was a fresh perspective in a time period I've read so many books about. Thank you to NetGalley, Clara Benson, and her publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Can love outlast years of war and torment? Stella was a naive girl who grew up to fast in a world of pain that she was caught up in through no fault of her own! She meets Ted a few years too soon, but maybe that was because of fate?

The author has an exceptional writer’s touch in transversing this young girls life from childish to understanding evilness! We feel her pain and her heart! This is not just a romance, but a historical documentation of the war against Jews in a slightly different light. 

I loved the manner the author carried the life of the characters and how she showed even the good and bad sides of them. We all have those moments when we make choices that we say what did I do that for or if I only could go back and do that over!

I would definitely recommend this book!

Thank you to the authors and publishers who work diligently for us the readers.

I received an advanced copy from NetGalley and these are my willingly given thoughts and opinions.