This is the second book which I have read written by this author and I loved it. I enjoyed that we have both a dual location and dual timeline cantering about a central cast of characters - within 3 generations and what happens when a certain decision is made by one of them. We follow Eleanor and Jessica (grandmother and grand-daughter) as they both go through love, loss and the ways in which this can have effects on the families involved. This is a story which has been well research in both locations, social norms of the times and as well as the characters.

The Tuscan Diary is the second book that I have read by Anita Chapman and once again it has a stunning cover which evokes the setting of the book. Initially, I had thought that this would be historical fiction but once I settled into the story I found it to be a more modern read with threads of the past specifically events in World War Two running through it at intervals. I will say for me I don’t think it was quite as good as the previous book, The Florence Letter, but I still enjoyed it. Anita Chapman writes wonderfully descriptive passages of Italy, specifically Siena, and you feel as if you are there with the main character Jess as she experiences the sights, smells and sounds of a country new to her. Jess undergoes a journey throughout the book which leads to a transformation in her life path but along the way plenty of secrets are revealed which affect her family.

An intriguing prologue set in Italy gives us a brief flavour of what is to come. To be honest when the scenes in the prologue popped up again further on in the book I had completely forgotten about the opening and it was pleasantly surprising but it meant I understood more about certain things. The first chapter takes us to 1942 and we meet Eleanor who works in a stationary shop. One day, Peter, the brother of her friend Mabel, appears in the shop. He is about to be shipped out to fight who knows where. They had shared a kiss many years ago and there is a small flicker of affection still present. Peter purchases a leather-bound notebook in which he promises to write all his experiences down. Eleanor spends the night with Peter and soon after she leaves for Yorkshire to go to Birch Farm where she will work as a Land Girl. She soon realises Peter left her with a gift and her dreams are quashed as she has no other option to but to marry Jack the son of the family who reside at Birch Farm.

Fast forward to 1993 and Jess and her mother Mary and grandmother Eleanor are at Birch Farm when an visitor arrives at the door. American/Italian Alessandro comes bearing the diary of Peter whom Eleanor knew to have gone missing in action during the war. Alessandro reveals some surprising information but Eleanor is glad to have the diary but she insists Jess be the one to read it. I felt that there were a lot of reveals in the first quarter of the book. That too much was been given away and that there was no element of surprise or shock. I questioned why was the reader given so much information without a little bit of uncovering a mystery and in turn where could the story possibly go from here? But I needn’t have worried as the author had things fairly plotted out and this is the point where I realised this was more about Jess’ journey in the present and in fact a more modern story was unfolding than I had initially presumed would. Elements of the past would come into play but they only fuelled Jess’ story in the present.

Jess was similar to both her mother and grandmother in that they gave up their dreams for the men they married and this was potentially the case for her as her parents were putting pressure on her to marry Tom. Tom was a neighbouring farmer whom she had been in a relationship with for several years but he is completely different to her and their relationship had been floundering even if Tom didn’t think so. Jess couldn’t see herself marrying a farmer and being tied down to the land for so many years. She has her own dreams and aspirations and with the discovery of the diary and a new friend in Alessandro whose family has ties to her grandfather Peter maybe now is the time for Jess to stretch her wings. To venture out into the big bad world and pursue her aspirations to become a travel writer. You could see that Jess was stilted by the life she was living in Yorkshire and although she has a close relationship with both her mother and grandmother she didn’t want the same life that they had had. Eleanor urges Jess to seize the moment and instead of continuing to be bored with her life and be the people pleaser that she is known for Jess enrols on a three month Italian language course in Siena.

The chapters from this point on were good just detailing Jess’ life in Italy. The people she meets, the food she eats etc but they weren’t earth shattering or overly exciting. I wanted a bit more of rooting through the past to bring the two timelines together for surely the diary as she read through it had her intrigued? Her stay is extended when she becomes an au pair/companion for Alessandro’s grandmother and here a connection with Peter is established but still there wasn’t anything deeply engrossing occurring. Yes there was some developments between Jess and Alessandro but they felt fleeting and there was potential for much more. I was dying for them to come together and research/explore more about Peter as there were plenty of unanswered questions but this didn’t come until much later in the book and in turn it was brief and glossed over.

Jess falls in love with Italy and she is inspired by the diary and especially the famous Palio horse race in Siena. Her writing flows and she hopes to sell her work to a magazine. She becomes determined to find the answers her grandmother needs and the point where the clues dotted together for me was very good. But the last quarter or so of the book was dragged out except for what I mentioned previously regarding Peter which I felt was too rushed. The chapters just passed months in time and yes it showed Jess living her new life back in England but it didn’t really add anything to the story. As a reader I wanted a certain thing to happen but there were too many chapters near the end that seemed like filler in until I got to the point I had longed for. Which was a shame as this aspect of the story had such great potential but could have been more tightly written.

All in all The Tuscan Diary was a bit of mixed bag for me. It was very good in parts but I longed for more historical elements to the story and a bit more mystery. The descriptions of Siena and surrounding Tuscan countryside were fantastic and so evocative but the diary and that aspect of the story should have taken more precedence over Jess’. This is worth a read but would not be my favourite out of the two books that I have read by this author.

The tuscan diary by Anita Chapman.
This was a good read. I liked the cover. There was a lot of characters but I did like Eleanor and Jessica. The multiple timelines I had to get used to. I had to get used the writing style as well. This did keep me reading as I wanted to know what happened. I did love the romance bit between Jessica and Alessandro. This was a lovely read.

Blurb.
As she gazes at the lights of Siena glowing in the dusk, Jessica flips through the yellowing pages of the diary that led her here. Written by her grandfather during the war, it holds the answers to a family secret that might just change everything…

When Jessica’s grandfather left for war, he promised to keep a record of each day he was apart from her grandmother. The diary was lost along with him – until now, when a mysterious, handsome Italian man named Alessandro shows up at Jessica’s door with the diary in hand.

Immediately enchanted by her grandfather’s accounts of Italy’s glittering golden hours, Jess decides to spend a summer in Tuscany before she’s due to take over at her family’s farm. She hopes she can visit the places her grandfather once did – and finally find out what really happened the night he died…

In the historic city of Siena, she finds a job as companion to the glamorous Sofia – Alessandro’s grandmother – whose stories of Italy during the war are captivating. And as Jess spends more time with Alessandro, she begins to fall for him with each lingering look into his deep-brown eyes.

Together, Jess and Alessandro visit her grandfather’s resting place. But the more Jess learns about her grandfather’s time in Italy, the more she’s forced to question whether everything about her family’s past is a lie…

Jess came to Italy in search of answers, but time is running out. She can’t shake the feeling that the diary that has stolen her imagination is merely a work of fiction. And if it is, will the truth about her family inspire her to turn away from the path she thought she was destined for, and towards the life she truly wants?


@AnitaChapman #Thetuscandiary #historicalitalianfiction #HistoricalRomance #bookouture #netgalley

The Tuscan Diary is my second book by Anita Chapman. Both books involve beautiful descriptions of Italian towns and countrysides.

The premise of this story was immediately engaging - A unknown American shows up with a diary written during WWII. The diary will bring family secrets to light.

The book is readable and I did want to see what transpired. However, the story fell flat for me in several places. The reading of the diary was slow and the diary itself did not play as prominent a role in the story as I had been expecting. I feel as though the love story that was being told did not need the diary and that it ended up feeling forced.

The main character was quite immature and I found myself checking several times how old she was supposed to be.

Overall, the story was ok but it did not blow me away. However, if you are a fan of women's fiction and especially those told in multiple points of view and in multiple timelines then you should give this one a try.

This was a book that really captured my imagination from its opening pages – a prologue set in Tuscany in 1943, with an unknown woman caring for a seriously injured foreign soldier. And I was equally drawn in by the wartime life of Eleanor, working in a stationery shop in Leeds, enjoying her time with Peter, the brother of a friend, before he departs for the front. He promises to record his experiences in a leather-bound notebook she sells him – but when, having volunteered to be a land girl, she finds herself in need of his help and support, her letters remain unanswered.

In 1993, at the North Yorkshire farm where she lives with her family, Eleanor’s granddaughter Jessica has an unexpected visitor – Italian-American Alessandro, finally delivering the notebook that had been left with his family. Long hidden secrets are uncovered, and – setting aside the notebook for further exploration – she sets out to find out more about the final days of the man who was her grandfather. Her experiences in Italy rather change her life. Her horizons have been expanded, and she decides to return to Siena – taking leave from her job on the local paper, hoping to gain experience of travel writing, taking an Italian course, caring for Alessandro’s elderly grandmother, and hoping to get rather closer to the man who’s intrigued her so much and made her heart beat rather faster. And as she does so, she examines the notebook’s words more closely – and slowly gains a far greater understanding of her complicated family history.

While I very much enjoyed the historical thread, reading about Eleanor’s experiences during wartime and thereafter – very moving, with some unexpected twists and turns, the whole era so well captured – the majority of the story is contemporary, focused on Jessica’s life in Tuscany. Siena is beautifully drawn, and obviously really well researched, the richness of the descriptions entirely transporting you to its streets and cafes. And, of course, to the approach to the world-famous Palio – with lots of lovely detail about the different contrades and their followers, their flags and colours, and the different elements of the ceremony (it’s always been an experience on my bucket list too).

There’s a strong romantic element, Jessica’s hoped for relationship with Alessandro a little stop-start, but entirely satisfying and convincing. I liked her a lot – she’s delightfully naive, learning about life from the considerably more worldly-wise friend she shares an apartment with. While Alessandro himself is sometimes so laid-back it’s sometimes really difficult to tell whether he’s interested or not – although he always made my heart beat a little faster too, and I always rather hoped he wouldn’t disappoint. And through it all, there’s her slow reading of the notebook, and the secrets it reveals – I think I might have read to its end rather faster than Jessica did, but the pace is just right to allow the full story to emerge and its emotional impact to be fully developed.

I’ll admit there was perhaps a little less historical content than I was expecting – but that was more than made up for by the very real experience of getting to know beautiful Siena. It was such an enjoyable read, a gently told but compelling story with a real emotional punch – and a wholly unexpected outcome to its wider story. Nicely done – and most definitely recommended.

(Review also copied to Amazon UK, but link not yet available)

Reading this one had me traveling to Italy. It’s considered WWII historical fiction, but there isn’t much about the war. There are multiple POVs. We get both parallel stories of Jessica’s grandparents, Eleanor and Peter, during the war. And we get Jessica’s ‘present day’ POV. Reading this made me wonder how many women suffered the same fate as Eleanor, who had to make a life altering decision when she thinks Peter isn’t going to return. Peter’s POV made me angry, but I have a feeling he wasn’t alone in his thought process for that time either.

I love that Jessica was so determined to get the answers about her family and how, in doing so, she turns her whole life upside down. And I love her interactions with Alessandro. They give themselves the chance of letting their feelings develop while they’re both in Italy. I love a little romance in my historical fiction.

Thank you NetGalley and Bookouture for my ARC of this book..

The Tuscan Diary is a story of three women, whose paths are changed forever by one man and his diary. Secrets long forgotten are revealed. Hearts are torn & bridges are created. I loved reading this beautiful book. It took me through several time periods and glorious locations and through so many emotions alongside the characters as they experience fear, loss, longing, anxiety and learn to trust, love and be loved. It is a book about the power of love, it isn’t just romantic love that keeps the women in the book going though. It explores the love of family, tradition and friendships love that is powerful and can encourage or protect as well as coddle or consume them. Tradition and expectations have forged the path of the older generations and in this book, North Yorkshire in the 1990’s modern day, Jessica is challenged by secrets of the past and her longing to spread her wings to find her own path. Through her adventures the older generation start to see some things differently.

Lacking something for me😕

I thought the concept sounded good and looked forward to a story divided between the diary thoughts and events and the "contemporary" romance for Jessica and Alessandro. In actuality, the diary entries are few, the WWII era part of the story is a minor part of the plot, and the focus seemed 90 percent on Jessica, the granddaughter of the diarist.

I was not thrilled by the author's writing style or the characters. I did not really find the romance all that believable or special. And Jessica's examination of the diary and search for her grandfather lacked something; there was no feeling of urgency or excitement and the end of the search was a bit disappointing.

On the other hand, the author's descriptions of summer in Siena and the Palio were very evocative (I've been there several times, including for one of the Palio races).

Thanks to Bookouture and NetGalley for sharing a complimentary advance copy of the book; this is my voluntary and honest opinion.

Thank you NetGalley and Bookouture for this eCopy to review

The Tuscan Diary by Anita Chapman is an immersive portrayal of life in the Tuscan countryside, making me feel as though I was strolling through the vineyards myself. Jess and Alessandro, are wonderfully developed characters whose journey of discovery and romance is both heartwarming and captivating.

The plot follows Jess, who unexpectedly is given her grandfather’s diary by Alessandro, a mysterious and charming Italian. After reading the diary Jess decides to travel to Tuscany to solve her grandfather’s mystery. Alessandro helps her navigate the past and present. Their growing bond and the beautiful Tuscan setting create a truly enchanting story.

Chapman’s descriptive writing brings the Italian landscape and culture to life, and the way she intertwines the past with the present through the diary entries is masterful. The emotional depth and the beautifully crafted narrative arcs kept me hooked from start to finish.

The books of Anita Chapman have become a firm favourite with me and the latest, "The Tuscan Diary" is simply beautiful and, like "The Venice Secret" and "The Florence Letter" are like apricity, especially in this time of year and in these tumultuous times. Historical fiction over dual timelines that contain within a finely woven tapestry of secrets, hope, love and loss

Jessica's grandfather promised to write a diary every day he was away at war, to show his love for her grandmother. Neither the diary, or her grandfather returned. This is only the beginning of the story, as one day, out of the blue, the diary appears at Jessica's front door, with a mysterious man attached, Allesandro.

As Jessica reads through the notebook, she is inspired to journey to Tuscany, to her grandfathers final resting place. Jessica is determined to discover more about her family, to uncover the mystery of her grandfather's passing and to work through a myriad of emotions and events that will lead her to understand finally who she is and where she will go

A gorgeous story that held my attention throughout. Cosy up and escape to the warmth of the pages of The Tuscan Diary

I do love a dual timeline book, and this one presented more than the usual viewpoints as the story is multi-generational and encompasses several characters’ accounts of events. At its core, this is the story of Jessica’s grandparents and then Jessica herself as she follows her desire to uncover what happened in war-torn Italy as WW2 came to an end. The link between the past and present is a pocket notebook that her grandmother sold to her grandfather on his last night before being deployed. As Jess slowly works through the notebook, her life begins to mirror that from the past.
Oh my, this is a big story that took me on a full-blown tour of every emotion and left me reeling right up until the final conclusion. I loved Jessica’s character and felt her rush of emotions as she navigated her way through her commitments to her family and the excitement that Siena could offer her. Utterly conflicted by her feelings and discovering more about her grandfather’s story, I can only imagine her emotions' turmoil. One thing for which I was grateful is that Chapman took the time to elaborate on the story and didn’t feel the need to cut it short at an earlier point or take any shortcuts. For this book to work as beautifully as it did, time and development were critical ingredients.
I’ll now move on to Alessandro, whose hot and then cold disposition was often frustrating. While I happily acknowledged the need for time, I did feel like he needed a little more urgency. Despite his laid-back approach, he was a luscious book boyfriend, and I could easily imagine falling for him as well. Most importantly, he knew how to convey his feelings to an Italian woman but struggled to let Jessica understand him. His presence is the catalyst for uncovering the truth about Jessica’s grandfather and leads to a greater understanding of her passion for writing.
An absolute triumph of a book that held my imagination to the final lines. Be patient because the story builds gently until it reaches the most satisfying crescendo, and all your emotions will be at the fore. I cannot recommend this book enough and hope you will find a few quiet hours to enjoy it like a fine glass of Chianti.

Wonderful, beautiful, moving book and one that will capture your attention and keep you turning the pages. A diary, a war, a secret and a young woman trying to find the answers. I love the stories of past and present and how they come together and they take you on a journey through the life of the people involved.

I started reading this book and got so involved I couldn't put it down. It is a journey through the pages and through the two timelines, you can't help but get involved and get to know the characters. And great characters they are. A well written and beautifully descriptive story and I highly recommend it. 4 1/2 stars from me.

Thank you NetGalley and Bookouture for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book.

An intriguing dual timeline story set in Italy and the Uk during WW2, and in 1993-1996. This is a journey of discovery for Jessica about her real family, with some heartbreaking moments. The ‘gift’ of a man’s wartime diary leads her to Italy. As a result there’s many interesting changes for Jessica, her Mum Mary, and her grandmother Eleanor. Tuscany and Siena are beautifully described. A hopeful ending.
I received an Advanced Reader Copy from NetGalley and Bookouture. I am writing a voluntary, honest review.

I was very excited about the premise of this book, and the prologue pulled me right in. The description of the Tuscan countryside was vivid and alluring. I was immediately intrigued to learn more about the woman and the man in the prologue.
Alas, the book went downhill from there for me. It was a bit confusing to keep track of the characters and dates. However, I enjoyed getting to know Eleanor and following her story from 1942.
I unfortunately could not tolerate Jessica, the present-day granddaughter. She is young and immature. Her reading of the diary is painfully slow. (How could she put it down at all?!) The journal, which should have been the focal point of the story, takes a backseat to her romantic and professional drama.
As much as I tried to plow through it, this one ended up on my DNF shelf. Such a shame, as the story had great potential

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC.

4⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️




✨ Lies
✨ Full of secrets
✨ Slow paced
✨ Two timelines




✨ located in Siena, a young woman name Jessica has a book from her grandfather during war. It was set in ww2 , even though it was split into two timelines and quite slow paced- the chapters were surprisingly short.
As she discover deep into the book and finding her own, she discovered her grandmothers deceit and lies.

✨ definitely worth the read if you’re into historical fiction with romance.



✨ Thankyou @bookouture for the opportunity to read this book for a honest review.





🫶🏼Shaye.Reads

A captivating novel with the protagonist, Jess going to Siena, Italy to learn more about her grandfather’s life/death. This engaging narrative incorporates past and present loves while telling an emotionally, beautiful tale.
It’s also a charming exploration of life in Italy, blending personal reflection with vivid descriptions of the landscape and culture. I felt like I was a part of the story. Highly recommend ❤️
Thank you to the publisher for the opportunity to read this advanced copy. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

A beautiful duel timeline story with heartwarming as well as heartbreaking moments. We begin our journey in the 1940’s and then in the 1990’s.
A diary starts a chain of events for an unsuspecting family.
Will they be able to overcome the past?
So many family secrets to unravel.
Will the past and present be able to find redemption and healing?
A engaging and fascinating story that I enjoyed reading.

Thank you NetGalley, Bookouture and the author for the opportunity to read this book for my honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.

A dual time line novel that moves between the 1940s and the 1990s when Alessandro turns up in the UK with a diary that might have been written by Jessica's grandfather. This isn't a WWII novel (despite some of it being set in the period) and I'm probably the only one who found it a tad confusing. Unusually for me. I DNF. Thanks to netgalley for the ARC. Over to others.

When a young American man turns up at the door of a Yorkshire farmhouse clutching a wartime diary that had been left in the possession of his Italian grandfather, it starts a journey of discovery for Jessica. Finding out that her grandmother had a brief fling during the war and that her grandfather is not who she believed him to be sends her on a quest to Italy to find out more.

This sounded like a great premise for a novel, but I found many of the characters rather two dimensional. I also questioned some of their motivation. The diary, whilst a catalyst to events, seems to be fitted in to the story the author wanted to write, rather than driving the story.

Overall, a pleasant but unremarkable read.

I received a free copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Life changes for Eleanor, her daughter, Mary, and her granddaughter, Jessica, when Alessandro turns up at their farm with a diary from someone called Peter Hill.

We follow Eleanor and Jessica as they travel to Siena, to get more information about Peter.

This story is told over two timelines; the 1940s and the 1990s.

Beautiful descriptive writing that made me feel as though I was in Siena with Jessica.

There were quite a few characters to try and get my head around, but that didn’t affect my enjoyment of the story.

A tale full of secrets, lies, and also love. A captivating story that I found emotional at times.

My thanks to Bookouture and NetGalley for a copy in exchange for my honest review.