A love match turns into a lonely marriage. Will Clare and Emmett reconcile their differences before it’s too late?From USA Today bestselling author Stacy Henrie, comes BENEATH AN ITALIAN SKY, An American Heiress novel.BENEATH AN ITALIAN SKY–1908–American heiress Clare Herschel made what she hoped was a love match when she married the handsome, witty Emmett Markham, the Earl of Linwood. A little … Emmett Markham, the Earl of Linwood. A little over a year into her marriage, though, Clare finds herself wintering in Sicily—alone. She is sure the mild climate is the answer to avoiding another miscarriage and Emmett’s apparent indifference, so she’s determined to remain in Italy as long as possible. The last person she expects to show up at the villa is her husband, especially when Emmett confesses he’s there to convince her to return to England.
As the only surviving son of a marquess, Emmett has done everything his father has asked of him—even agreeing to run for a seat in the House of Commons. However, this latest task comes with a nearly impossible caveat. He must convince his wife Clare to come back to England with him in order for them to appear to be a happy couple for his political campaigning. Emmett isn’t confident Clare will agree to the plan, though, not when she seems to want nothing to do with him or the life they’d begun building before she abruptly left him for Italy.
When a massive earthquake strikes Messina, Sicily, claiming the lives of thousands, Clare and Emmett must set aside their mutual misgivings about their marriage in order to survive and lend a helping hand to others. But in the wake of the destruction, they begin to realize they’ve been given a chance to decide if their love is stronger than the upheavals of the past.
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Beautiful and poignant read about healing a marriage.
This was such a poignant and heartwarming second-chance romance tale you do not want to miss (and may want a few tissues handy). In Book One of An American Heiress series, readers get a preview that not all was rosy with Clare and Emmett. In this book those reasons are slowly revealed, along with an additional timeline that provides background information leading up to the current storyline. I highly recommend this whole series and closed the book with a contented sigh.
I just realized I read this a bit ago and never reviewed. I enjoyed this book so while the details may not be as sharp I did come away with a satisfying feeling. A good story about 2nd chances & forgiveness with family and spouses and the struggles of marriage with in laws and their expectaions. Great historical detail of the earthquake and the aftermath. People can come into marriage with baggage and this was a good story of overcoming this. I enjoy Stacy Henrie’s stories every time.
Loved this book from beginning to end Beautifully written!
For those who appreciate accurate history and real life encounters, this is a must read. The author did extensive research in the history of the Messina earthquake of 1908 and that became the primary setting of the story. The tragedy implied is heartbreaking, especially knowing that it really happened. Consequently, there’s an intensity to it that caused me to take breaks while reading due to the emotional nature of the subject matter.
However, placed in that setting are Emmett and Clare who have been married just over a year, but are struggling with communication and grieving over two miscarriages. The struggles of surviving the earthquake and its aftermath allow them to see each other in new ways. But, they will still need to breach their communication issues. Only once that is achieved can they begin to heal their marriage problems.
I found the character development well done and the setting clearly detailed. I understood both Clare and Emmett and why they reacted the way they did. And, even though I grew frustrated with their fear of talking to each other, I wondered how much of that was the culture of the day? Plus, there’s a clear example of the power of gossip and its destructive nature.
Romance – PG / kissing
Language – clean
Violence – death and destruction from the earthquake.
major themes – proper ways of grieving and expressing emotion, being open in our communication with each other
My rating – 5 stars
A thoroughly enjoyable read following the main characters tremulteous marriage problems involving miscarriages leaving her to seek refuse without her husband’s knowledge of her pregnancy in a foreign country hoping to carry the latest baby to term. Upon her husband’s arrival they then in a shocking turnabout become victims of an earthquake and must endure the hardships attempting to return to their home and rediscovering their love for each other.
I adored this book! I listened to it through Audible and it was incredible. There are many moving scenes, the main characters are people I instantly loved and rooted for, and I will snatch up anything else in this series VERY quickly. I will say there is a trigger warning for those who have experienced miscarriages. Otherwise, this is a very sweet, clean, wholesome, edge-of-your-seat romance and I LOVED it.
Could their shattered relationship survive an earthquake?
My rating is 4.5 stars
In 1908, Messina, Italy experienced a devastating earthquake that resulted in almost total destruction of the city. Author Stacy Henrie chose this as the background for her latest historical fiction novel.
Having grown up in earthquake country, I want to say first of all how fascinating it was to learn about this earthquake and the consequences of it. The descriptions of what it would have felt like in the earthquake were similar to what I have experienced, though the consequences of it were far more severe, happening in an area that didn’t have earthquake codes for their buildings. Reading about the reactions of the people and the terror they would have experienced as their world literally fell to pieces around them was quite gripping.
Lack of communication and fear of rejection were some major problems in Emmett and Clare’s relationship. The way that Emmett’s father expected him to deal with grief as a child caused another rift in the relationship of this young couple. While this type of situation in stories often makes me want to shake the characters and tell them to just say what they are thinking, I did not have that reaction in Beneath an Italian Sky. The author not only made this believable but in using flashbacks made it quite enjoyable.
I really liked the hero and heroine and loved watching them as their compassionate hearts led them to help those who were more injured and needy due to the earthquake than they were themselves. Watching Clare develop the courage to speak out and the way she finally did was perfect and made me want to cheer.
If you enjoy historical romance with a touch of inspiration, Beneath an Italian Sky would be a good addition to your To Be Read list.
Read my review of Beneath an Italian Sky by Stacy Henrie at AmongTheReads.net
I was given a copy of this book. I was not required to give a favorable review nor was any money received for this review. All comments and opinions are my own.
What a compelling book! The setting of the earthquake and it’s aftermath was heartrending. The circumstances brought about real growth in the characters, both individually and together. Emmett and Claire were a love match, but had grown apart through misunderstandings and lack of communication. I was grateful to learn about that part of their relationship through the flashbacks. I felt like I really got to know them and better understand their journey. I loved watching them come together again during such a trying time. It wasn’t easy, but they got there. I loved their story!
I received a complimentary copy of the book, which I voluntarily reviewed. I have given my honest opinion.
How had it come to that? Only twenty months before, meeting Emmett Markham, the Earl of Linwood, had brought such joy in Clare’s life. An American heiress coming from trade had few chances of making a good match in New York, so Clare Herschel and her mother had traveled all the way to England. Snagging the son of a marquess had never entered Clare’s mind; it was Emmett, the man, who had enchanted her. Emmett’s father wanted his son to marry money, and Lord Hadwell was pleased with his son’s choice. Emmett couldn’t believe his luck: he never thought his father would approve of the woman he loved. But months went by and still there was no heir. After Clare’s two miscarriages, she left for Sicily, hoping the milder climate would help her heal. Emmett didn’t seem to care; had their love been just an illusion? When Emmett arrived in Italy without warning, Clare should have been pleased. Instead seeing that Emmett was only doing his father’s bidding angered her. The marquess wants Emmett to seek a seat in Parliament, thus bring back his wife to England. Appearances, and all that. Before they even have time to talk things over, an earthquake hits Messina, and survival becomes paramount.
With the story alternating between past and present, we go through the gamut of emotions and I felt it was the ideal way to understand what Clare and Emmett go through. The earthquake in Messina did happen in 1908 and provides an ideal backdrop to showcase the couple’s growth. Ms. Henrie knows how to hold her reader captive and maintain a steady pace, all the while keeping a healthy balance between the light and the dark.
BENEATH AN ITALIAN SKY is a fascinating and heartwrenching look at how a happy marriage can crumble under the weight of expectations. It is a true second chance romance, but I believe it will have many of us taking a closer look at ourselves. This was a very difficult book for me to review. I think I am just too overwhelmed to express my feelings properly, so I will leave it to you to judge how fabulous BENEATH AN ITALIAN SKY is.