This felt rather disjointed for a dual-timeline story. The transitions between the two eras was staccato, at best, which made for erratic reading as it jumped without really easing into the other timeline (somehow, other dual-era timeline stories I've read have had this smoother flow). It was also hard to connect with the character of Lottie - I wasn't really sure what she was looking for/couldn't really put my finger on her throughout; she felt more like a medium to bring the past timeline to light. Overall, it didn't engage me, sadly.

This story is told over a dual timeline. This is a mysterious element to the story and it is atmospheric
It had good characterisation.

I must firstly apologise for the amount of time it has taken me to provide a review of this book, my health was rather bad for quite some time, something that had me in hospital on numerous occasions and simply didnt leave me with the time I once had to do what I love most.

Unfortunately that does mean I have missed the archive date for many of these books, so It would feel unjust throwing any review together without being able to pay attention to each novel properly.

However, I am now back to reading as before and look forward to sharing my honest reviews as always going forward. I thank you f0r the patience and understanding throughout x

This was my first time reading a book from the author but I am delighted to say I thoroughly enjoyed the story and I look forward to reading more books from the writer in the future!

There’s so much intrigue in Two Women in Rome. The format is great for building suspense. I had quite a few questions while I was reading – I do enjoy a story that makes you think :)

Whilst Lottie is waiting for the paperwork to go through for her new job at the Espatriati, she’s given a temporary desk and two boxes to start sifting through.

In those boxes is the 15th century painting as well as more personal items from Nina Lawrence. It’s clear from the beginning that the two boxes should have stayed hidden.

At first her interest is hooked by their similarities of being outsiders and the mystery but soon becomes a compulsion for the truth. Her digging gets her noticed and leads her down a very dangerous path … Lottie is unable to set it aside despite the warnings.

We get to know Nina and her life through her journal entries. Her narrations lead Lottie on, opening up clues and giving just enough for Lottie to do more digging.

As well as Lottie’s quest to find the truth, she is trying to overcome her distrust of close relationships. She’s settling into Tom’s apartment and experiencing the political differences with residents. I was never sure of Tom, thinking there was much more to him than on the surface, another layer. He surprised me!

I loved the impact Lottie has on Gabriele Ricci. And how in turn, he effects change for her. For me, this was the emotional punch that was missing in the rest of the story. This made me cry.

The timeline of the past drew me in more than the present (I felt more of an emotional attachment to Nina). Lottie’s character is needed for opening up the past and for the revelations.

I enjoyed Two Women in Rome. The mystery, politics, poignant romance, family roles and the expectations of society held my interest.

A slow burning mystery set in the beautiful.city of Rome. The narrative switched between two timelines and although the story was well told, the writing did not grab my attention.

This was a interesting story but very slow moving. There was a mixture of very different characters with security. religion and politics running below. The Rome and Italy in general was well portrayed and very atmospheric.. Easily anticipated conclusion which developed very rapidly.

I’d like to thank Atlantic Book and NetGalley for approving me for ARC of this book.

Two Women in Rome follows the story of Lottie, a new archivist in Rome. Whilst she is settling into her new life with Tom she stumbles across a 15th century painting that captivates her. She is mesmerised by the painting and wants to know more about the person who left it behind. This discovery fuels Lottie’s inner detective as she embarks on her quest to learn more about Nina.

Whilst Lottie is on her search we are transported back to Italy in the 70’s, where Nina’s story began. Of the two women I have to say that I preferred Nina’s story. The element of mystery surrounding her had me intrigued to read on and I loved the romance element.

Whilst this started off as a bit of a slow read for me I did persevere and I am so pleased I did. As Lottie’s investigation continued it seemed that more and more lies and deceit were coming out of the woodwork! There were a few occasions when I wondered if Lottie could trust anyone!

With Rome as a beautiful backdrop this story is perfect for those who are fans of a slow burn mystery with politics, religion and art at the heart of it.

I found this book a bit of a slow burner and wondered if I could continue but I am glad I did as it got really interesting at the end.

Lottie has recently married Tom who lives in Rome as he works for the British Council, she has got an job as an archivist and is given a whole lot of material on a English woman Nina Lawrence. Nina lived in Italy when there was a lot of trouble and people being killed and this was quite fascinating.

The author was very descriptive with the story and was well written.

I found this novel to be inconsistent and frustrating - somehow it was less than the sum of its parts. At times the writing lulled into believing it was something really special but then didn't quite deliver. At others I found it boring and pretentious. It just didn't work for me. It had echoes of the Da Vinci Code and I enjoyed the sections that discovered the clues and messages in the artwork but I didn't feel much of a connection to any of the characters, mainly because I couldn't totally grasp their motivations. The political details were confusing and brought me out the story and I wasn't keen on the ending - it all seemed a little too convenient. Not terrible, but a miss for me.

I struggled with this book and although persevered the effort wasn’t worth it. I have read books by Elizabeth Buchanan before but this seemed more laboured. The concept was good but somehow didn’t gel - sorry

I don't think Elizabeth Buchan could write a book I don't love. She writes beautifully and immersively and her skill with painting the settings of her books is as good as her complex and convincing characterisation. And Two Women in Rome is up there with her best.

The two women of the title are Lottie, an arhivist with an exciting new job at a slightly odd repository of British and American documents, and Nina, a garden designer who was murdered in the late 1970s. It's Lottie's job to archive Nina's papers, and while doing this she finds a (possibly medieval) painting of the Annunciation, which contains baffling clues.

The story moves between the two women's lives, with Rome a constant third character which is evoked lyrically. I enjoyed wandering though the streets of the Eternal City and reading about the art history which becomes an important part of solving the mystery.

The sense of menace in Lottie's story builds slowly - it's more obvious in Nina's, as the 70s were a turbulent time in Rome's history - and Lottie's new husband becomes an untrustworthy presence very convincingly.

There are clues dropped neatly throughout this clever story, but you may have to go back and check that what seemed innocent is, in fact, significant - which is something that applies to the whole book.

It's not a quick and easy read, more one you commit to and think about, but it repays the time and work many times over. If you love Italy, or art, or a mustery, pick this book up.

Two Women in Rome is a duel time novel set in the 1970’s and present day. Lottie is an archivist who discovers some documents relating to Nina in the 1970s. She becomes intrigued by this woman who’s death was never explained and who’s body never claimed.
I’ve read several Elizabeth Buchanan novels, but found this one more challenging than the others. The books was well written and well researched, but I found the characters quite difficult to engage with.

When Lottie Archer moves to live in Rome her new husband persuades her to take the job of an archivist at an institution that cares for British and American ex-pats' papers. Prior to her marriage Nina who was brought up in care was unhappy, but the prospect of living in the historical city of Rome and enjoying its artistic heritage with her new husband who works for the British Council changes things. The story is developed in two timelines - 1970s and the present day. When Lottie discovers amongst the papers of a deceased woman who worked at restoring historical gardens after the devastion of the second World War, a magnificent fifteenth century painting of Gabriel telling Mary of her preganacy she becomes intrigued. She is even more amazed that Nina was murdered but her death was hardly investigated and why hardly no-one came to her funeral except a priest. What was Nina involved with and how did she own this painting. It is a beautifully crafted tragic love story of a young woman, who in the 1970s political turmoil in Italy lost her life. As Lottie becomes more and more involved she is also becoming a target and what is her new husband Tom really doing in Rome. A story of secrets from the past and present with a wealth of characters bringing Rome to life.

Ponderous and labouring, just couldn't get into it. The idea is good, the execution just does not hold my attention

I love an Italian backdrop to a story and this proved to be a highlight of the book.
Two women are at the heart of this book. Nina in the 1970s who is leading a double life and Lottie who is an archivist delving into Nina's records and trying to ascertain why she was murdered.

I am all about novels set in Italy at the moment. For some reason, it is a place I am craving a visit to in these times where it is practically impossible to go anywhere at all. So since I can’t hop on a plane there at the moment, I am taking my tours via books, and Two Women in Rome is my latest foray.

A lot of my armchair travelling is done via romcoms, but this is a much more serious book, with a dual timeline that centres on Lottie in the present day and Nina, back in the 1970s when Italy was going through a period of immense political upheaval. Lottie, an archivist, discovers a lost painting, and a cache of papers that tell part of Nina’s story. Lottie becomes almost obsessed with uncovering what happened to Nina, largely because she can relate to her in some way, her struggle to fit in to Roman society as an English woman, and for authenticity when there are parts of your life which cannot be revealed for a variety of reasons.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book, although it was a rather slow burn. The switching between Lottie’s current life in Rome and Nina’s time there in 1970s was easy to follow, and the women have two distinct voices in the book which each spoke to me with equal strength. I found the historical exploration of Italy in these tumultuous years absolutely fascinating. It is not a period of Italian history I am familiar with at all, and it made me want to go and read more about it, always a sign that a book has caught my imagination. I found the things that Nina is forced to do to carry out her work quite shocking, again not something I have ever thought much about before but intrigued me a great deal. I am sure that the author has researched the topic thoroughly and that what she describes is authentic, which makes it even more unbelievable.

Lottie latches on to Nina’s story as a way to explore her insecurities as an alien in a foreign land, especially when she is married to a man who has lived there so long that he is part of the place, and has a long history with the people and the city, part of which makes Lottie feels threatened. She also has parts of her past missing, which she hasn’t really processed, and investigating Nina’s story is a way of working through all this, and finding something in Rome that is hers, anchoring her to the place and marking herself out as an individual, instead of an appendage to her husband. I could really understand where she was coming from, her story really resonated with me and I was invested throughout in her quest.

This is a thoughtful, considered and rich novel that explores a time and place that will be alien to most of us. It takes the reader beyond the superficial tourist experience of Rome and in to the darker, seedier underbelly of the city and part of its history. It gave me a view of the place from a new perspective, as well as pulling me in to an involved mystery that was fascinating. Speckle all that with complex romantic issues, and you have me thoroughly hooked.

An engaging and rewarding read that provides something for anyone looking for a book with a little more depth to take to their sun lounger this summer.

Two Women in Rome by Elizabeth Buchan has Lottie in the present and Nina in 1978.  We go between the two times as Lottie learns more about Nina and why she died.

This story has secrets, lies and miscommunication, all set in the beautiful city of Rome.  I really enjoyed the story for both Lottie and Nina.  It's a mystery book, and felt very evocative of Rome.

 Two Women in Rome  was published on 3rd June 2021 and is available from  Amazon ,  Waterstones  and  Bookshop.org .

You can follow Elizabeth Buchan on  Twitter ,  Facebook  and her  website .

I was given this book in exchange for an unbiased review, so my thanks to NetGalley and to  Atlantic Books .

I received an ARC of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an Honest review.
This is an historical fiction of the not very distant past in Rome. I think the significance of the time period is the political fascist / communist.

Lottie an archivist meets Tom in Rome and is encouraged by him to apply fora job and move to Rome and to marry him. Tom is not what he seems to be on the outside and I have inklings that the job was manufactured by him. The current incumbent of Lottie's post fails to leave int ime for Lottie to slot into the post and in the meantime she is given the job of archiving boxes of items relating to a gardener come spy known as Nina. Lottie is drawn into Nina's affairs both romantic and political.

If this makes no sense to you it is because it made little sense to me - it felt like there was something further back than Nina which we are not being told. The pace of the narrative was all wrong it feels lumpy and bumpy.

For me there are many better historical books and this author is not one i would follow

A fascinating story set over two timelines. Lottie Archer has a new job in Rome as an archivist. Living with her new husband Tom, she creates a home for them whilst researching the live of Nina.Lawrence In exploring Nina's past Lottie unearths a tragic story.
Beautifully written, evocative and emotional, with wonderful descriptions of Rome.
Than you to the publisher and NetGalley for a chance to read this book.