ShortBookandScribes #BookReview – Rose & Renzo by Carolyn O’Brien

Posted on 18th May 2026 By Nicola

Rose & Renzo by Carolyn O’Brien is published by Northodox Press and is out now. My thanks to the publishers and author for the proof copy.

Manchester 1936

Fascism looms in Europe, and Oswald Mosley’s Blackshirts are on the rise.

After the death of their father, two sisters arrive in Manchester’s vibrant ‘Little Italy’: creative misfit, Rose, and her much older sister, Ivy. Fearing Rose’s impulsiveness, Ivy seeks to control Rose, forcing her to give up her cherished place at art school.

Frustrated and desperate to pursue her passion, Rose meets Renzo, a painter arrived from Europe. Their connection is instant and powerful. Yet as their feelings deepen, Renzo’s past in Mussolini’s Italy remains a mystery.

As Blackshirts march across the city, Rose is drawn to the fight against fascism, even as she’s compelled to face the devastating question: just which side is Renzo on?

Rose and her older sister Ivy have to leave the vicarage where they grew up after their father dies. Motherless too, Ivy steps into the role, much to Rose’s discontent. She feels Ivy is holding her back and preventing her from fulfilling her dream of attending art school in Manchester. They move to Ancoats, to an area known as Little Italy, where Rose meets painter Renzo. They’re immediately drawn to each other but fascism is on the rise and Rose doesn’t know enough about Renzo’s past to be totally sure of where his loyalties lie.

Rose is a brilliantly drawn character who jumped off the page. I loved her individuality, her cropped hair and daring outfits (both rather outlandish for 1936 Manchester) and her desire to do the right thing. Renzo is passionate, principled and kind, and he made a good hero.

The tensions of the time around the fascist behaviour and the prejudice against the Jewish community are portrayed well and they provide a backdrop to what is essentially a burgeoning love story. What I perhaps enjoyed most of all was Rose’s introduction to a new way of gritty city living after a sheltered existence in a Cheshire vicarage, and the opening of her eyes to what is going on around her. Sense of place is strong and this is a well-written piece of historical fiction.

Carolyn O’Brien is a historical fiction writer from Manchester. Her writing has a strong sense of the north-west of England and its radical past, as illustrated in her first novel The Song of Peterloo and Rose & Renzo.

The Song of Peterloo was published in 2019 to coincide with the Peterloo Massacre bicentenary commemorations. It was well reviewed and continues to be used as a teaching resource in schools and adult learning programmes.

Carolyn loved writing from an early age and read English at Cambridge University before qualifying as a solicitor. Prior to publication of her first novel, Carolyn enjoyed several successes with short stories including the Rome Short Story competition which she won and a shortlisting for the Bridport Prize, as well as publication on-line and in numerous
anthologies and magazines.

She continues to live near Manchester with her family.

Carolyn can be found on Twitter/X/Instagram/Threads as @carolynmanc

Carolyn is represented at Jenny Brown Associates by Lisa Highton.