The Decision They Made

by Maria P. Frino

Two sisters, Amelia and Simona Lillostra, share a secret. One so distressing to them it is never to be revealed. What they didn’t count on is a young Russian man entering their lives, a man related to Amelia’s Russian lover from WWII.

When TV anchor, Larissa Mina meets Alexey Dubrovsky at an awards night, neither has any idea there is a secret in both their pasts. What is this dark family secret and why were two loving sisters torn apart?

A compelling family saga spanning three generations and three countries. Full of dark secrets, flawed love and a decision no one was supposed to discover.

314 pages, Kindle Edition

Published November 30, 2019

About the author

Maria has made a career of using words to communicate. Her first paid job at a TV station nurtured her love of words. She has written PR, ads, and newsletters for products ranging from food to jewellery, fashion and interiors, as well as garden and building products. When she is not writing corporate communications or as a Senior Reviewer for the online site Weekend Notes, she works on her short stories and novels.

The Decision They Made, Maria’s debut novel and her other books are available on her website – www.mariapfrino.com. Buy these books as eBooks or print. Weaving Words, an anthology Maria collaborated on, is also available as an audiobook. Maria contributed two short stories to this anthology along with eight other authors.

Along with other authors, Maria helped set up Sydney Authors Inked, a group of Sydney authors who do book events for readers and book lovers. Check Humanitix or Eventbrite for tickets to these events.

Reviews

[Hayley Walsh · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Decision they Made is a great read spanning three generations of two families tied together by past decisions and secrets. The suspense is great throughout the book and it kept me guessing. This is the first book I have read by Maria, and it won't be my last.

[Jenny Brundle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Maria's debut novel The Decision they Made is a fantastic read spanning three generations, several countries and two families bound together by past decisions and what a decision it was! You will be kept guessing till the end to find out what led to such a decision and how this affected generations to come. I look forward to reading more from Maria. Well done!

[Shreyashi · Rating 2 out of 5]

2/5

The book has definite potential. The blurb was amazing and had me hooked. I love a good historical fiction.

I have not been able to finish the book at the moment. I am not entirely sure if I will ever go back to finishing it because I felt the pace was too slow especially with the reveal of the "historical" aspect. However, the present stuff was super fast paced which I felt didn't sit quite right for me.

I found the going back and forth was too frequent and just a little jarring for me. Sometimes there were character changes and it was a little vague as to who it was until much later in the chapter.

I loved the premise and I hope to get back to it so I can finish the book and give a fuller more complete review that does justice to the author!

I am grateful to Voracious Readers Only for providing me with a platform to get into contact with authors and read up-and-coming books. All the opinions expressed in this review are mine.

Happy Reading x

[Maria]

Did you know that the story of The Decision They Made is based on some actual facts? I grew up hearing stories from my parents and relatives about their woes during WWII and how they emigrated to Australia. Even though the story is fictional, I have melded those stories into this family saga. Also, the front cover shows an archway, an actual entrance into the southern Italian town where my parents were born. I speak about a basement and this basement exists in the town, it belonged to my maternal grandmother and is now owned by a cousin. Happy reading.

[Conchita Garsantiago · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a charming story that drives you across time and places. It's romantic at the same time as didactic.
The reader feels for the characters and lives the adventures with them.
It's one of those books that once you start reading it you don't want to put down until you finish.

I liked it very much.

[Margaret Lalor · Rating 5 out of 5]

I great story of how choices that people make can effect so many others. I loved the suspense of how this family secret unfolds . The author touched on so many emotions stretched over three generations.

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was very intrigued by the blurb, a historical mystery spanning generations is just my cup of tea. It didn't disappoint there. The characters were an eclectic bunch, the sort you could really laugh and cry along with. They really grew throughout the novel and I found myself rooting for them through all their trials. The dialogue between characters was always a tad 'junior high' and dramatic unfortunately. Well paced, this is a good book for snuggling up with! Thanks to Voracious Readers, who put me in touch with the book and author.