Well, it's time to get back into the swing of things and get our first review of 2024 on the blog. Don't get me wrong, reading has been happening, but it's been mostly titles I can't talk about yet (official Cybil's Awards business...stay tuned!), but I digress. Today's featured title I can talk about and shall do so gladly. It's a Historical Fiction title on tour with Rachel's Random Resources and it's ready to be your next must read.
The Austrian Bride
by
Helen Parusel
About the book...
Austria, 1938
After years of hardship, Ella is full of hope for a better future for Austrians, and when Hitler marches into Linz, she can’t help but become swept up in the euphoria of her boyfriend, Max.
But she soon realises her mistake. When she witnesses a woman being shot in the street and a childhood friend’s Jewish department store is closed down, she knows she must do something.
It’s a dangerous time to be a resistor, especially when her fascist boyfriend proposes to her. Knowing the secrets she can uncover, Ella enlists in a Reich Bride School, finding herself propelled into the social elite of the Nazi circle.
Ella knows she has a duty – to her family, her friends, and her country – so while Europe teeters on the brink of WW2, a desperate race begins to save the people she loves. But betraying the Nazis could be her death sentence…
A powerful and unforgettable story of the strength of women and the unwavering courage of those who seek a better world. Fans of Suzanne Goldring, Mandy Robotham and Debbie Rix will devour this heartbreaking tale.
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This was a moving story about the resilience of people, the nature of others, and the power of hope. We spend a lot of time with Ella as she goes from wide eyed ingenue to world wise woman, and her experience, while not unique, was heartbreaking. I was saddened for her when the walls of lies fell down around her, bringing the awful reality of what was transpiring into full focus...and yet, at the same time, I was relieved that she could fully see the atrocities and finally do something within her own power to stop it. Now, she wasn't going to be the linchpin in stopping this ridiculous war machine, but she was an integral part of saving many, including a few of the those she held most dear. Was she certain things would turn out right in the end? Absolutely not...be she had to try because she knew that without her effort, like so many before her and still to come, nothing changes.
Fans of the genre, this is one not to be missed. It has all the pull of history with danger, love, and hope-filled promises to carry you through as you walk a mile in the shoes of those that called this time period reality instead of a lesson learned.
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About the author...
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Helen Parusel is a debut historical novelist, having been a teacher and a clothes buyer for M&S. She lives in Hamburg, and her first book is based on the Nazi invasion of Norway in 1940; while her second is inspired by war stories from her mother’s homeland of Austria, where she spent her early holidays.
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Special thanks to Rachel at Rachel's Random Resources for the chance to bring this tour to you, and for the ecopy for review. (THANKS!) For more information on this title, the author, this promotion, or those on the horizon, feel free to click through the links provided above. This title is available now, so click on over to your favorite online retailer to snag your copy today and be sure to check out the rest of the tour for more bookish fun!
Until next time, remember...if it looks good, READ IT!
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