I really enjoy reading historical fiction books. And while a romance, it really did not delve deep enough into the relationship of Concetta and Gaetano to allow a strong connection to their characters. I enjoyed that the book took place in both Sicily and America. Between the difficulties of war and the love the two experience, you will drawn into the story and invested in their lives. Told through the viewpoints of the two characters, Concetta and Gaetano, you will be inspired by their story and the fact that their love withstood the test of time and distance. Reading about immigration and the difficulties people dealt with once they arrived on U.S. soil was informative. There were many positive aspects to this book that make it one I would encourage you to put on your to-be-read list.

Thank you to NetGalley and Storm Publishing for my advanced review copy. All opinions and thoughts are my own.

For more reviews, please visit my blog at: https://www.msladybugsbookreviews.com/. Over 1000 reviews posted!

Historical Fiction

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ — A Beautiful Journey of Love, Loss, and Loyalty

A Love Letter from Sicily is a heartfelt and evocative story that swept me away to another time and place. As someone who loves historical fiction, I was drawn in by the rich descriptions of Sicily and the vivid portrayal of life during a turbulent period in history. The book beautifully weaves together themes of love, loss, and loyalty, offering a moving look at the strength of the human spirit.

I especially enjoyed learning more about Sicilian culture and history—it's always a treat when a novel can entertain and educate at the same time. The characters felt real and relatable, and their emotional journeys kept me turning the pages.

The only reason I’m giving it four instead of five stars is that a few parts moved a little slowly for me, but overall, it’s a deeply rewarding and immersive read. Highly recommended for fans of emotional, well-researched historical fiction.

#TheLastLetterFromSicily #NetGalley A sweet love story sent in Sicily and America during World War II. I found this a nice easy book to read and enjoyed the backdrop of Sicily and USA before and during the war. I found the ending predictable though and was hoping to have an epilogue, showing what became of Concetta & Gataeno and also Giusepina and how that matched up to their initial dreams.

A beautiful and heartbreaking book. I loved the characters and the story. So much love and hardsdhip.

A wonderful read!
This novel drew me in from the very first page and kept me hooked until the end. The characters were vibrant and relatable, the writing was engaging, and the story had just the right balance of heart and humor. Highly recommend!
Many thanks to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for my ARC. All opinions are my own.

I loved that this was a WWII novel where the war wasn’t the sole focus of the story, but that we still got glimpses of it. I loved that it was a multi-POV with Concetta and Gaetano telling their sides, but that we also got chapters from Concetta’s family. We also got to see the war from both Italy and America and saw a tiny glimpse of how “enemy aliens” were treated during the war, though I do think that was sugarcoated a bit since it was generally through the lens of Concetta and Giuseppina. I enjoyed that Enzo and the rest of the family eventually made it back to visit Italy, and that Enzo got to experience some peace. I enjoyed where the story left off, but I do think it could have benefited from a short epilogue that jumped a few years later. I really wanted to know if Concetta ended up going to school and becoming a teacher. I like to think she did. Overall I would recommend reading this story.

A beautiful read about young lovers split apart by family, moving to a different country with promises to reunite but little could they envisage a world war which would test both of them .
Can’t recommend it enough

As the great granddaughter of two Italian immigrants who I unfortunately never got to meet. I was intrigued by the summary, as it had some common threads to their experience. Leaving Italy in the hopes of providing a better life for his family, but having to leave behind extended family members, and in my great grandfather's case, his childhood sweetheart, with the promise that he would send for her, or return to bring her back to America with him, this book really gave me all the emotional hits. Wonderful read!

Historical fiction is not my forte, but I truly love a book placed in the World War II era. This book was interesting because of its location and that’s what intrigued me. Following the two main characters as they fell in love and tried to keep that love was so sweet and painful at times. Seeing how the Italians were managing their lives in WWII was really interesting and I overall enjoyed this book.

A story that is about love, losing love and finding oneself.

When young Gaetano and Concetta fall in love they face problems when Concetta has to move away and leave her love. Gaetano has his own problems when he has to join the war and face uncertainty of his life fighting for his beloved Italy.

They both have a dream and have never forgotten one another. But can their love survive different continents.

The events that follow them both, form what they will become in years to come.

A touching emotional story that reflects life as it was during WWII.

This was a lovely story of love during a time of war. The ups and downs of life over which you had no control. Then the war ends and there is hope once more. Great conclusion.

I found the writing in this somewhat immature and it didn’t really capture my interest in the way that I had hoped.

Concetta is in front of a huge, life-altering decision.

The young woman is in love with Gaetano, a kind man that loves her back and wants to have her as his wife. And while she wants the same, her father objects to the marriage with the son of a disgraced man. Moreover, Concetta’s father intends to take his family from his village in Italy to America, in search of a better life, and Concetta cannot stay behind. So, she has to decide her fate.

Moving to the States eventually, she keeps on corresponding with Gaetano, trying to pass time until she can return for him. World War II, though, changes their lives irrevocably, as they are in opposing countries.

Will they ever meet again?

The last letter from Sicily is a touching work of historical fiction, told in a dual POV (both Concetta and Gaetano are represented in the book), spanning the years of the war, and some time before and after it. The narrative shifts from Concetta's attempts to fit into the American dream by providing for herself and her family, to Gaetano’s life since being drafted and stationed for the interests of Italy. The agony and the longing of both is palpable, especially as the characters understand that they need to move forward, as communication between them stops. The story had me mesmerized, rooting for those two to end up together, and if the book had a hundred more pages with details on their separate stories, I would be very pleased indeed.

Thank you to Lindsay Marie Morris and Netgalley for providing me with an ARC copy in exchange for my honest opinion of this read.

This was a charming story of love lost and found. My favorite thing is the fact that this was based on a real love story. I wasn’t drawn in the way I had hoped. The story came across as a bit young adult. I’m thankful to the publishers and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this story.

An enjoyable historical romance set against the back drop of Italy and America in World War Two. Some parts were a little unrealistic and I'm not sure about the historical accuracy.

This book offers a snapshot of life for Italians during WWII, Italian POWs, and Italian immigrants in America - it certainly piqued my interest to find out more. The story is well written and kept me turning the pages. The characters are relatable, the romance is sweet, and the struggles of the time were addressed in a small way. I enjoyed this story but would have loved more depth.

A good, quick read and perfect for those who enjoy light WWII historical fiction.

Thank you to NetGalley, Storm Publishing, and the author for an ARC for review. My review is voluntary, and all opinions are my own.

In this excellently written and deeply enjoyable new World War II historical fiction novel, readers follow Concetta, an aspiring teacher, and her secret boyfriend Gaetano as they prepare for their future in 1939 Sicily until her father decides that the family is leaving the island for America. Dreaming of Sicily and a reunion with Gaetano, the two continue writing about the hardships in America and life in Sicily until Italy declares war on the United States, stopping their letters entirely. Pressured to move on and commit to her American life, Concetta is determined to find out what happened to Gaetano, even if she has to return to Italy on her own. With a charming love story at the heart of this historical fiction novel, readers will love Concetta’s relationships with Gaetano and her family and how they evolve over the years. The historical detail and difficulties of being Italian in the United States during the war is particularly interesting since this is not typically spotlighted in the genre, and Morris does a fantastic job bringing these historical details to life in this excellent new release. With a cast of fantastic characters and a great emotional storyline, readers will love this new World War II historical fiction novel and Concetta and Gaetano’s story.

The Last Letter From Sicily is a sweeping novel of war and forbidden love. When Concetta's family moves from Sicily to America in 1939, Concetta must leave her boyfriend Gaetano behind. They vow their love to each other and pledge to reunite as soon as they are able. However, Gaetano is drafted into the army and the letters between Gaetano and Concetta stop. As the fighting intensifies, life goes on for them both. Morris has crafted an interesting story of new beginnings and old flames.

This story goes back and forth between Concetta and Gaetano and how their lives were affected by WWII. It took a little bit for me to get into it, but it was a sweet love story and look into how the war changed the lives of everyday people, not just soldiers.

At first I wasn't sure about this book, but it eventually really did grab my attention and I couldn't put it down! It ended just the way I hoped it would, but there were times I wasn't sure it would get there. A great read!