The Italian Flame

by Rosanna Ley

Perfect for fans of Jill Mansell, Veronica Henry and Santa the brand-new summer read from the bestselling author of THE VILLA.

Dorset, 1965: twenty-five-year-old aspiring artist Marilyn longs to escape to London, but her family relies on her wages from the hotel on the cliff. Then one day Marilyn meets Bruno, an intriguing Italian, and the two fall madly in love, painfully aware of Bruno having very little time left in the country. When he leaves for Italy, he promises to write and to come back as soon as he can.

Over fifty years later, Marilyn's daughter Lily returns to her old hometown when she hears that her mother is ill. Mother and daughter have never been close, but now, Lily determines to stay by her side. After Marilyn's death, Lily finds a photo of a baby girl amongst her mother's belongings - the name 'Josephine' written on the back. But who is Josephine? Lily resolves to find out the truth.

Lily's search for Josephine takes her to Italy - to a small town in the stunning Bay of Poets. But will Josephine give Lily the answers she is looking for? And together, can they come to understand Marilyn's story? For Josephine and Lily, this springtime in Perlarosa will transform their lives forever.


Readers LOVE Rosanna Ley's novels

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 'Charming'
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 'Truly amazing'
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 'Wonderful'
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 'Beautifully crafted'
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 'Captivating'
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 'Very moving'

Genres: Italy

446 pages, Kindle Edition

Published March 13, 2025

About the author

Rosanna Ley has worked as a creative writing tutor for over 15 years. Affiliated to several colleges and universities in England, she also runs her own writing courses in the UK and abroad. She has worked with community groups in therapeutic settings and completed an MA in creative writing for personal development in order to support this. Her writing holidays and retreats take place in stunning locations in Italy and Spain and whilst not teaching or writing she mentors and appraises the work of new writers. Rosanna has had numerous articles and short stories published in UK magazines, and 12 novels of contemporary fiction published in the U.K, Germany, Greece and the U.S.A under a pseudonym. Her books are inspired by the culture and landscapes of Italy, Sicily and the Canary Islands and feature strong female voices from the past and present, along with an intense undercurrent of mystery and romance. Rosanna spends some time every year travelling around Europe looking for writing inspiration and more tranquil settings for writing holidays. She loves cliff walking and her favourite writing place is somewhere with a sea view. When she is not travelling, Rosanna lives with her artist husband in a Victorian cottage in West Dorset by the sea.
(From the author's website)

Reviews

[Alayne Emmett · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was such a pleasure to read. It was set in Dorset at first which is a place I know quite well, then, onto Italy to search for a step-sister who really doesn't want to be found. I really enjoyed this latest from Rosanna and will read more by her in the future. My thanks to netgalley and the publisher's for giving me the opportunity to read this book in return for an honest review.

[Angela Petch · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Are there not always at least two way of looking at the past?”
This evocative, poignant read is Rosanna Ley at her best. I loved the layers of mystery that she weaves in and out of the story, leaving us on the edge of our seats at the end of the chapters. The phrase “I couldn’t put it down” has become a cliché but it holds true for The Italian Flame.
What a clever title too! It conjured for me a passionate love story and there is plenty of that but you will find out the other meaning of the Italian flame as you read. It is something gifted to a young woman in 1965; a promise of a future that a young Italian man offers a young Dorset woman but that doesn’t come to fruition. “Everything was broken. She had held her hopes, her dreams in the palm of this same hand…”
In 2018, with the death of this woman, Marilyn, her daughter, Lily, finds a sketch of a child and starts to unravel a mystery surrounding her elusive, distant mother. She travels to Italy, to the beautiful Ligurian coast and the magic continues in her search for what might have happened in the past.
What follows is a story involving sisters, adopted babies (“Not every person who has been adopted wants to be found”) and deep attention to detail. The descriptions of Liguria and the Bay of Poets are breathtaking and made me want to visit this region. “All so faded and elegant.” “…the sense of history, the grand but faded architecture of the past.”
The characters are deeply drawn. This is not a fluffy romance: Ley observes her characters with sensitivity and intelligence and everything she weaves bonds so well. I particularly loved the way we are introduced to the old man and his musings on life. The sense of mystery surrounding him slots in so well with the rest of the story.
When you feel a book has not finished on the last page, that the story has not left you, then you know it’s special. I think this is Rosanna Ley’s best book so far. I absolutely loved it.

[Sharon Goodwin · Rating 5 out of 5]

From the moment Marilyn meets Bruno on the Dorset cliffs in 1965, you just know this story is going to stay with you. Marilyn, a young aspiring artist with dreams far beyond her small-town life, longs to break free from the expectations placed on her – a secretary, a wife, a mother. She wants more. And when Bruno, an intriguing Italian, appears in her life, everything shifts.

Fast-forward 53 years and we meet Lily, Marilyn’s daughter, whose relationship with her mother has always been strained. Lily adored her father, but Marilyn? She was distant, always lost in her own world, more at home in her studio than with her family. Their estrangement is painful and real. But when Lily gets the call that her mum is ill, she returns home, unsure of what she’ll find.

What unfolds is deeply moving. In Marilyn’s final days, Lily offers a tender kind of care. And after her death, the discovery of a photograph – a baby girl named Josephine – sets Lily on a journey to Italy in search of answers. What she finds in Perlarosa is unexpected and beautifully complex.

Josephine doesn’t exactly welcome Lily with open arms – she’s fiery, guarded, and reluctant to revisit the past. But there’s something between these two women, a connection that grows stronger with each page. I loved watching their relationship develop. Calm, thoughtful Lily and passionate, headstrong Josephine – such different characters, yet they bring out the best in each other.

I loved the shifting narration. It gives the story so much depth, allowing you to really understand the characters, their decisions, and the consequences that ripple through time. There’s so much emotional weight here – regrets, lost love, hope, healing – and yes, I cried (Chapter 51, Camogli… that bench… I was a wreck). The gift that Lily receives before leaving for England – such a fabulous way of showing that you know someone and of course an echo through the years. I loved this!

As always, Rosanna Ley’s writing is incredibly evocative. I could see the Bay of Poets, feel the breeze, hear the hum of village life. The Italian setting, the traditions, the history of Lerici – it all came alive. And all the relationships… so heartfelt, so real.

Rosanna Ley has once again delivered a story that lingers long after the final page. With rich characterisation, emotional depth, and a setting that feels alive, The Italian Flame draws you into its world completely. I was invested in every relationship, every twist, every quiet moment of reflection. It’s a novel full of heart, and I’ll be thinking about Lily and Josephine and their lives for a long time.

[Louise Hall · Rating 4 out of 5]

ARC received via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I requested The Italian Flame because 1) Rosanna Ley is one of Mum’s favourite authors and I’d never read any of her books before and 2) I love reading books set in Italy. This was a really beautiful family saga which captivated my attention all the way through. I enjoyed the descriptions of the Gulf of La Spezia (Gulf of Poets) and the fictional Perlarosa.

I liked all of the characters but Josephine just stole my heart because she’s had so much rejection in her life and it was lovely to follow her as she discovered the truth behind her adoption and opened up to Lily and Angelo. I definitely want to read more by this author.

[Tractor Girl · Rating 5 out of 5]

Yet another excellent read by Rosanne Ley.

A dual timeline book, Marilyn a young girl in 1965 works in the local Dorset Hotel, in her spare time she likes to paint, one day on the beach she meets Bruno a young Italian and falls in love. Bruno has to return to Italy, but promises her he will come back for her.

50 years later, Marilyn's daughter Lily visits her mother after her Aunt asks her to, and find that she is dying. After her death, she starts to clear the house, under the mattress she finds drawing of a young baby Josephine and a semi precious stone wrapped in a bag. Eventually her Aunt tells her the story of Marilyn.... how she fell pregnant and was sent away to have the baby who was adopted.

Lily decides to search for her half-sister... in Italy.

A great story

[Jill Haworth · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read the kindle sample that took me to chapter seven and I already knew that I had to continue reading.
It begins as a tragic story of lost love, and continues by delving into the past, to fill missing pieces, full of new beginnings and possibilities., The storytelling heartfelt and touching. But sometimes books that make you cry. a lot, can be better told through audio. In one sitting too. The narration was perfect
A superb story either way.

[Janice · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found this book a bit slow for what was really a rather predicable story. AS usual the setting is as important as the characters in a Rosanna Ley novel. The lack of any 'threat' or 'baddie' keeps this a bit too mellow. Told from the point of view of the main characters and over 2 time periods the narrative flows smoothly with little differentiation between them. The fact that I had just visited Italy probably helped to keep me in the mood of the book.

[Gina Tofan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely amazing book with amazing characters. I have finished it in 2 days, just couldn't let it down. The people and there stories were fascinating, so true feelings and raw emotions, fascinating story from beginning to end.

[Isobel Mitchell · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book. So descriptive I felt I was actually there. Just a couple of niggles through, I don’t think they could have seen the sun set over the Adriatic from Liguria and Lord Byron didn’t drown in Italy, he died of a fever in Missalongi Greece. Great read though.

[Christine di Ciacca · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it

[Alyson Nichols · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow what a book absolutely loved it !

[Emma · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great story

[S Ashton · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely brilliant book. I read it whilst on holiday to Sorrento. I have read all this Authors books and each one gets better. Can’t wait for her next book.

[Caroline Mattinson · Rating 4 out of 5]

A story of family discovery

Set between Dorset & Italy a story of family discovery & relationships between themselves and the community they love in .An enjoyable read.

[Lynda Meyers · Rating 5 out of 5]

this was a really lovely read.I liked all the characters and how they helped each other out.very enjoyable.

[Vikki Mansell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thoroughly enjoyed reading this book.

[Albrighton Victoria · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book, the characters, the setting and the story- would definitely recommend

[Alison Eden · Rating 4 out of 5]

#TheItalianFlame #NetGalley A delightful story covering two timelines and two countries, this had me hooked from the first page. A story of live and families, I would definitely recommend this book.

[Emma Hughes · Rating 2 out of 5]

so disappointing...trash really. She used to be one of my favourite authors. bring back Saffron Trail, I say

[Mrs L J Pidgeon · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am already a fan of Rosanna Ley
This book is excellent good story
well writtten Would recommend