Review: The Woman in Red by Diana Giovinazzo

The Woman in Red

by Diana Giovinazzo

Publisher: Grand Central Publishing

Pages: 384

Format: eARC

Buy the Book: Amazon

Goodreads:  Destiny toys with us all, but Anita Garibaldi is a force to be reckoned with. Forced into marriage at a young age, Anita feels trapped in a union she does not want. But when she meets the leader of the Brazilian resistance, Giuseppe Garibaldi, in 1839, everything changes.

Swept into a passionate affair with the idolized mercenary, Anita's life is suddenly consumed by the plight to liberate Southern Brazil from Portugal -- a struggle that would cost thousands of lives and span almost ten bloody years. Little did she know that this first taste of revolution would lead her to cross oceans, traverse continents, and alter the course of her entire life -- and the world.

Kritters Thoughts: Anita Garibaldi was a woman trying to break the mold of what women were supposed to do in 1839.  Born in a time and place where women's worth was wrapped in their husbands, Anita wanted more.  In walks Giuseppe Garibaldi who is on a mission and doesn't mind if Anita is along for the ride and ends up so thankful that she is the woman beside him in battle.    

What I loved about this book was it took me to a different time and place than what I typically read.  With so many historical fiction books taking place during World War II, I could appreciate a read that took me somewhere else.  

While I appreciated the time and place for the story.  The writing for me fell short.  The writing felt stunted and staccato.  I couldn't get connected to the character due to the writing and it made the reading hard and I felt as though it slowed down my reading and not in a good way.

After finishing the book, I found out this was a debut, so I could try another from the author in hopes that I could get draw into her next one.

Rating: enjoyable, but didn't leave me wanting more

Disclosure of Material Connection:  I received one copy of this book free of charge from Berkley.  I was not required to write a positive review in exchange for receipt of the book; rather, the opinions expressed in this review are my own.