WHAT'S THE BUZZ?: The Ballerina of Auschwitz (Young Adult Edition of The Choice) By Edith Eva Eger - REVIEW!

Today's WHAT'S THE BUZZ title comes to us via Simon and Schuster Children's Publishing and features a Young Adult Nonfiction title that brings us the beauty and strength that can be found in even the darkest of times. Be prepared to step behind the eyes of today's author to a time and place we wish never happened for lessons that we should never forget. Ladies and gents, today's book of choice...

The Ballerina of Auschwitz

Young Adult Edition of The Choice

By

Edith Eva Eger

9781665952552

Atheneum Books for Young Readers

Release Date: October 1st, 2024

About the book...

Edie is a talented dancer and a skilled gymnast with hopes of making the Olympic team. Between her rigorous training and her struggle to find her place in a family where she’s the daughter “with brains but no looks,” Edie’s too busy to dwell on the state of the world. But life in Hungary in 1943 is dangerous for a Jewish girl.

Just as Edie falls in love for the first time, Europe collapses into war, and Edie’s family is forced onto a train bound for the Auschwitz concentration camp. Even in those darkest of moments, Edie’s beloved, Eric, kindles hope. “I’ll never forget your eyes,” he tells her through the slats of the cattle car. Auschwitz is horrifying beyond belief, yet through starvation and unthinkable terrors, dreams of Eric sustain Edie. Against all odds, Edie and her sister Magda survive, thanks to their sisterhood and sheer grit.

Edie returns home filled with grief and guilt. Survival feels more like a burden than a gift—until Edie recognizes that she has a choice. She can’t change the past, but she can choose how to live and even to love again.

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As a reader that falls into Historical Fiction more often than not, taking in a nonfiction title from time to time would seem the natural progression. Some call to me, while others don't, but this was one I found myself reaching for. 

While an adult counterpart exists, this Young Adult version of her original memoir plays to the intended audience. That is to say while they both convey her story, this version focuses more so on her personal journey, her feelings before, during, and after the events that unfold, and how she was able to find the strength to pull through another day when everything was crumbling around her. It reminds us that there is beauty even in the darkest of times, light to be found in the pitch black of night, courage to be found in the seemingly frailest of minds, and love to be fought for when our hearts are the only thing still free. I think teen readers will find a kinship in her struggles, even if they aren't in the same circumstances, because despite the terror that surrounds, she was still growing up, and discovering her self, her place in the world, and the difference she could make. 

A beautifully shared story of a life lived through loss and triumph, Dr. Edith Eva Eger weaves a tale that you can't turn away from with lessons you won't want to forget. 

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About the author...

Picture credit: Jordan Engle

Edith Eger is an eminent psychologist and one of the few remaining Holocaust survivors old enough to remember life in the camps. A colleague of Viktor Frankl, Dr. Edith Eger has worked with veterans, military personnel, and victims of physical and mental trauma. She lives in La Jolla, California, and is the author of the bestselling and award-winning books The Choice and The Gift. Edie and her daughter, Marianne Engle—a renowned psychologist and food writer who helped develop the recipes in The Gift—encourage you to try the delicious dishes in the book and share your thoughts at LoveEdieandMarianne@Gmail.com.

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Special thanks to Lindsey at Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing for the chance to share this title with you and for the copy for review! (THANKS!) For more information on this title, the author, or the publisher, feel free to click through the links provided above. This title celebrates its BOOK BIRTHDAY tomorrow, October 1st, 2024, so mark your calendar or pre order your copy today!

Until next time, remember...if it looks good, READ IT!

RRR presents... The Austrian Bride by Helen Parusel - REVIEW!

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.

--->   SNAG YOUR COPY TODAY   <---

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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...

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!

RRR presents... SISTERS AT WAR by Jina Bacarr - REVIEW!

Time to dive into the past to take another look at History that isn't always made clear.  Today's Rachel's Random Resources tour features the latest from author Jina Bacarr, and places us in the front seat of a war machine marching all over people, and places, causing destruction and heartache, but never truly diminishing HOPE.  Ladies and gents, fair warning...this one can be hard to read at times due to the nature of the story, and although it is a fictional work, things like this happened, much to our dismay.  Now on deck, today's ebook of choice and blog tour guest...

Sisters at War

by

Jina Bacarr

Boldwood Books

About the book...

Paris, 1940: Two sisters separated by the Nazis… After a devastating attack, Justine and Eve Beaufort find themselves on opposite sides of the war, both in their beloved Paris. But can they ever find their way back to each other? 

It was the day that changed everything. When the Nazis came and broke into our home. Destroyed everything that was safe for us. They took our home and our security. I thought it couldn’t get worse. But then they also took my sister. 

After that day nothing was the same again. I thought I’d never see her again. I thought she was lost to me forever. I joined the Resistance, vowing to fight against the evil German army with every last spark of fire in my body. 

I know what I have to do. And nothing can stop me. 

Until I catch a glimpse of a woman who looks just like my sister. Alive. But this is not the sweet darling girl I once knew. This is a platinum blonde happily conversing with a terrifying Gestapo officer. No longer my sister. But a traitor. 

And I know what I must do… 

Could you choose your country – and what is right – over the person you once loved more than anyone in the world? 

---> GRAB YOUR COPY TODAY <---

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Right from the start, you could feel the connection between Eve and Justine.  They were sisters through and through, no matter what anyone might say.  They picked at each other, played with each other, cared for one another, and as they grew up, despite their interests veering in different directions, they still made time for one another, and could always count on the other to have their back.  One such time this came into play was the start of a nightmare for both girls...and although it could have surely ended then and there, their desire to live, their desire to protect each other and their family was so great that the unspeakable became the endurable, for the sake of family.

My heart was ripped open from that very moment things progressed so darkly, so violently.  If I could have hugged these two girls through the pages, I would have...and if I could have put an end to their suffering, you bet I wouldn't have hesitated there either.  I'm not a violent person, but surely keeping evil from spreading like the poison it is allows a little bit of leeway?  But I digress...Eve had Justine, and while she took on the heavy role inadvertently handed to her that would get heavier as the years passed, it didn't mean that Eve's journey was any less difficult.  Different hardships, different choices, but in their heart of hearts they still felt the same....family mattered.  They weren't disposable, but the greater good mattered.  Whether it be keeping family safe, protecting a new life, shielding an old one providing aid, or turning a loved one against you to keep them away from harm, it all boiled down it family bonds, and the love shared between them...something the enemy truly knew nothing about.

A great pick for adult readers of Historical Fiction who don't mind becoming emotionally attached to a story and/or its characters...I know I sure don't!  While this book doesn't tie things up nice and neat by story's end, it does give satisfaction throughout, and promises more still to come.

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About the author...

Jina Bacarr is a US-based historical romance author of over 10 previous books. She has been a screenwriter, journalist and news reporter, but now writes full-time and lives in LA. Jina’s novels have been sold in 9 territories. Her first novel with Boldwood is called Her Lost Love.

FACEBOOK | TWITTER | INSTAGRAM | BOOKBUB

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Special thanks to Rachel at Rachel's Random Resources for the chance to bring this tour to you as well as 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!

We Live, We Learn, We Remember... DOUBLE Review!

Hello again!

Welcome back to another exciting day here on Satisfaction for Insatiable Readers.

Some of you are frequent visitors (I'm hugging you right now!), some not so frequent (high fives all around!), and others still simply stumbled across my site looking for something in the world wide web 🌐 ... mad props to all of you reading this from the bottom of my heart! We live, we learn, we remember...a curious post title, but most appropriate for today's feature because we have two Historical works on deck, however one takes its place on fiction, the other is specifically non. So, if you're ready to add to your must read piles, read on my friend, read on...

The War Pianist

by

Mandy Robotham

9780008564308

Avon Books

Presented to you in the order in which I read them, this first title is the work of Fiction. We go behind the lines and into the life of Marnie Fern. 

She's no soldier, but she's about to have a big impact on the war effort, as will the people she's in contact with both near and far. Speaking of far, the Pianist part of the title is referring to a talented radio operator, as in a person that would take the risk to help transmit messages across the wires in order to move the war forward, aid the resistance, and find peace amongst the rubble their lives were turned into. In this case, Marnie after she takes up the mantle of someone that came before her, someone she cared for deeply, trusted implicitly, and misses like no other. That well worn connection serves her well in her darkest hours, as does the new relationship she has with Willem. 

It's not what you think; it's a relationship built around secrets, ultimate trust, and genuine need, that serves the greater good.  Through everything they encounter, they never lose heart... and eventually their efforts show results, but it's not without heartache, and loss along the way. You truly feel for them both, as well as their cohorts, as this story unfolds. There was so much danger, so many times that turning a blind eye would have been easier, moments when giving in was certainly the simpler option, but the strength of character they showed, the morals they stuck to, and the backbone they shared with those that needed their fair share, made them people you'd want to know. 

Speaking of people you'd want to know, that brings us to our second book...

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The Girl Who Survived Auschwitz

by

Sara Leibovits & Eti Elboim

9780008600280

One More Chapter 

This title is the Nonfiction book. This tale shares in story format the recollections of Sara Leibovits, as well as the impact the events had on her life, both during the imprisonment and after. We also get an insider's view of the far reaching impact these atrocities had on the life of her daughter, Eti Elboim, a second generation survivor... and beyond. 

It's not that they choose to live in the past, unwilling to move forward, but rather they choose to remember and share all that transpired as a means of never forgetting those that were lost, nor the hatred that generated enough momentum to try and destroy a people. This work is yet another triumph over those times, proof that the people at the target center of all that rage are still here, making memories, building lives, creating futures that someone tried to tell them they were not entitled to. No one has that right. No one should ever have that right. 

Stepping between these pages was often difficult, but experiencing the events in person seems impossible... surviving them, even more so... and yet, she did, as did others, and as remarkable as that seems, it's still a crime against humanity that should have never occurred. The best way to prevent it from happening again... awareness, remembrance, open minds, and open hearts. 

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Special thanks to both the publishers listed, and their fabulous publicists for the copies for review. (THANKS!) For more information on these titles, the authors, or the publishers, feel free to click through the links provided above. Both titles are now available, so make a plan to visit your local brick and mortar or click on over to your favorite online retailer!

Until next time, remember...if it looks good, READ IT!

Spotlight on Historical Fiction... A CHILD FOR THE REICH by Andie Newton - REVIEW!

The days are long, and the nights are...just as warm as the days, so staying inside isn't such a bad idea, if you know how to spend the time...like between the pages of a book?  😉  If you're a historical Fiction, or Women's Fiction fan, the title in today's spotlight may just be the ticket to your next summer reading selection, and it just so happened to celebrate it's release THIS MONTH via One More Chapter!  So grab a cool drink, and secure your favorite reading spot as welcome today's book of choice...

A Child for the Reich

by

Andie Newton

9780008541972

One More Chapter

About the book...

Rumours of the Nazis coming for Czech children swept through the villages like a breeze through the trees, and the story was always the same…

They wanted our children to raise as their own

Since her husband, Josef, joined the Czech resistance three years ago, Anna Dankova has done everything possible to keep her daughter, Ema, safe. But when blonde haired, blue-eyed Ema is ripped from her mother’s arms in the local marketplace by the dreaded Brown Sisters, nurses who were dedicated to Hitler’s cause, Anna is forced to go to new extremes to take back what the Nazis have stolen from her.

Going undercover as a devoted German subject eager to prove her worth to the Reich, the former actress takes on a role of a lifetime to find and save her daughter. But getting close to Ema is one thing. Convincing her that the Germans are lying when they claim Anna stole her from her true parents is another…

HarperCollins US

GOODREADS |BOOKBUB

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I've read quite a few books set in and around WWII, but this is the first time I've read one from the Czech perspective, and encountered a new branch of the evil that existed... the Brown Sisters. Don't be fooled by the term "Sisters" because they are neither religious nor related. No, these women were some of the most feared by mother's left behind with young children...or rather blue eyed, blond haired children. That's right. They weren't content with destroying the world at large. They had to take the most precious thing anyone can ever be granted... a child. They justified it because those they took looked like they belonged with those in the Reich's favor, and how could they leave them with those they viewed as unworthy?  Unworthy indeed...I'd say if they looked within, they'd certainly find themselves lacking, but I digress...

The lengths to which people will go to take what they feel is theirs. The inner strength some will find when all has been spent in order to save those they love. Both are on display between the pages of this remarkable novel, riddled with moments of heartbreak, despair, and the most tender of emotions...HOPE. I once had someone tell me the meaning of the word...HOLD ON, PAIN ENDS.  It really took by breath away in the moment, and has stuck with me ever since.  The way the story is written, you can't help but get caught up in all the feels on display as you fear for your life after a dark secret is inadvertently created by a sibling. You can't help but feel the weight of the world on your shoulders when those you know and love keep disappearing.  You don't know the incredible strength you'll find when all seems lost, yet you're their last hope. This moving tale brings to life a chapter from our shared history, paints it in truth, and leaves it out to dry like nobody's business. It'll keep you turning pages as everything seems utterly lost, only to gain potential ground as you hold your breath, and await the final sentence. 

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About the author...

Andie Newton is the USA Today bestselling author of The Girls from the Beach, The Girl from Vichy, and The Girl I Left Behind.

She writes gritty and emotional war stories about strong women. Andie holds a bachelor's degree in history and a master's in teaching. She lives in the beautiful Pacific Northwest with her husband, her two boys, and one very lazy cat.

You can find book club discussion questions on andienewton.com.

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Special thanks to the One More Chapter team for the copy for review. (THANKS!) For more information on this title, the author, or the publisher, 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!

Until next time, remember...if it looks good, READ IT!

The Orphan's Letters by Glynis Peters - REVIEW!

This one goes out to all my Historical Fiction readers, looking for somethin new to add to their summer reading list.  It's a heartfelt story spanning a time of war, and yet there are moments of hope, moments of happiness, and moments of love to be cherished along the way.  Curious?  Let's dive between the pages of today's book of choice...

The Orphan's Letters

by

Glynis Peters

9780008492410

One More Chapter | Harper 360

About the book...

Absence makes the heart grow fonder, but does nothing to heal the pain of spending every minute waiting to hear the worst…

As the Second World War rages on, nurse Kitty Pattison’s life takes a nomadic turn as her work with the Red Cross sees her traversing the country, moving from post to post.

With her best friends Jo and Trixie also scattered across the UK, and her soldier sweetheart Michael off on the continent undertaking medical missions he can’t discuss, the war takes its toll and long days are followed by sleepless nights interrupted only by nightmares of what she’s seen on the wards.

Now, Kitty’s hopes rise and fall with the arrival of the post – the only thing that keeps her connected to her aunt and uncle, her dear friends, and her Michael – and every moment spent with those she loves is held dear, because each one could be the last…

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This book has a myriad of genres slung at it, but while it has some romantic elements, I wouldn't call it a Romance in the usual sense, more a romance of life.

Kitty is a stalwart woman.  Resourceful, kind hearted, able to think on her feet, and the last to turn away a weary soul...she's sent camp to camp to station throughout the bloody war.  Grant it, she's not the only one, but her journey is the one we're most involved in, therefore I can't help but feel the most for her.  She lost out on the chance to have a family.  She lost out on the chance to enjoy a traditional marriage or courtship.  She lost out on the chance to simply have a night out with the girls without a care in the world.  She lost out on the chance to grow up in a world where her biggest worry was who to go with, or what to wear.  Now, before you get completely maudlin, she never truly felt sorry for herself, and that, my dear readers, is what brings us through the tough times as well.  She gained skills and experience she might never have.  She learned just how far she was willing to go for those she loved.  She explored the capacity of her heart to forgive, as well as learn from past mistakes.  She shared the good times as they came, and pushed through the bad times that kept coming.  She was a remarkable woman, and the lives she touched, as well as those that touched hers in turn, left their mark for better or worse.

A great pick for Historical Fiction fans as well as Women's Fiction fans.  I must warn you though, it's not all sunshine and roses, and despite a good end, I can't say it didn't rip my heart out a few times along the way...so yeah, tissues should be in reach!

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About the author...

Glynis Peters is a British author. She lives by the sea in Essex with her husband of forty-plus years. They have three adult children, and Glynis is a retired NHS nurse.

When not writing she enjoys fishing with her husband, cross-stitch, and playing with her granddaughters who live nearby. Her son lives with his family in Vancouver, Canada, and Glynis loves nothing more than visiting them.

Her first WWII historical novel is the USA Today and Globe & Mail bestseller, The Secret Orphan.

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Special thanks to Sophia at Harper 360 for the copy for review. (THANKS!) For more information on this title, the author, or the publisher, feel free to click through the links provided above. This title is newly available, so be on the lookout for it on a bookstore shelf or at a virtual retailer of your choosing.

Until next time, remember...if it looks good, READ IT!

Family is thicker than blood... THE GERMAN MESSENGER by M.J. Hollows - REVIEW!

Family is thicker than blood...

I chose that title for this post because it fits the book we're about to explore PERFECTLY.  It's a new Historical Fiction title coming to you from Harper 360, and it takes you back to the treacherous times of WWII. It was a time without certainty, where the unknown was a constant, but for those that could and would fight back, their truth, their certainty was that they wouldn't take things lying down.  Ladies and gents, allow me to present today's book of choice...

The German Messenger

by

M.J. Hollows

9780008530419

HQ Digital

About the book...

Liverpool, 1940. “Where’s George?” Ruth didn’t realise that she had grabbed hold of the other woman’s arms. “Where’s my son?”

Journalist Ruth Holt is struggling in the terror of the Blitz when her young son is suddenly snatched away in broad daylight. Soon after, the kidnappers’ demands arrive. They are working with the Nazis, and she has no choice but to co-operate, or the authorities will learn that she is harbouring secrets of her own.

Ruth’s job gives her access to critical information, and if she does not share it with Britain’s enemies, her child will face the consequences. Desperate, she falsifies information, lying to everyone: her employers, her family and her lover. But as the demands increase, the knife edge she walks on grows increasingly thin. If she falls, she will never save her son.

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Ruth was a formidable woman.  She had a lot on her plate...a husband off at war, a son shipped off to safety, an unfulfilling job at the local press, and late nights as a volunteer with the air raid wardens.  You might say keeping busy was just as much her doing her part, as it was to fill the empty hours.  While she has her time down to a fine art, her world gets turned upside down and inside out as all those carefully crafted walls come tumbling down in the most spectacular, and heartbreaking ways.  We have renewed worries over her son, the loss of family connections, and the struggle to keep her secrets intact...but we also have HOPE.  We also have love in unexpected places.  We also have the discovery of hidden depths of strength, and determination...things we take for granted in everyday life, but can mean the difference between living that life, and allowing it to be taken from us.  Ruth wasn't that woman.  She wouldn't take things lying down, no matter how dreary the outcome might look.  She fought, and she strived for more.  She took the weight of the world on her shoulders, and refused to let it go, even when it looked like she should.  She also found a kindred spirit in Anthony.

Anthony was a formidable man.  He had a lot on his plate...a son a distance away, a wife lost many years ago, a heart that wasn't healed emotionally or physically, days as a school teacher to the dwindling youth, and late nights as a volunteer air warden.  He was doing his part because the airmen wouldn't take him for health reasons, but he never felt it was quite enough.  The thing is...he ends up on the front line at home, fighting side by side to save others from the air raids, and while the walls are quite literally tumbling down around him, he still forges friendships, and unexpected connections, including one with our lady, Ruth.  The feelings that go with it are unexpected, but not entirely unwelcome, especially in times like these, however there's a time and place for everything, and these two will get their time, even if it's in the shadow of heartbreak.

This was a fascinating story that took you behind friendly lines to show you just how far the enemy would go to get what they wanted.  They'd exploit anyone.  They'd rob, or steal to call it their own.  They'd mow down entire cities, and end everyone in them, just to plant their flag and proclaim themselves superior.  The thing they didn't count on was the resilience of the people they were trying to expunge.  They too had feelings, family, and lives to protect...and they too would do anything to see them safe once again.  The lengths Ruth will go to in order to protect her son, and protect her secrets were without measure.  The extent of Anthony's love for them both shines through like a candle in the night.  Things are tedious right up to the bitter end, but vindication comes, and while it may not be peaceful, it is most certainly just.

A great read for Historical and Women's Fiction fans, from older teens through adulthood, with a touching reminder that family is truly thicker than blood.

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Special thanks to Sophia at Harper 360 for the copy for review. (THANKS!) For more information on this title, the author, or the publisher, feel free to click through the links provided above. This title celebrates its US Paperback release this Tuesday, so be on the lookout for it on a bookstore shelf or virtual retailer of your choosing.

Until next time, remember...if it looks good, READ IT!

RRR presents... The Collaborator’s Daughter by Eva Glyn - REVIEW!

Time to head back into history with another Historical Fiction novel, currently on tour with Rachel's Random Resources. It's a book that begs the reader to look a little closer because things are not always as they appear. Ready or not, here comes today's blog tour guest and ebook of choice...

The Collaborator’s Daughter 

by

Eva Glyn

One More Chapter 

About the book...

In 1944 in war-torn Dubrovnik Branko Milisic holds his newborn daughter Safranka and wishes her a better future. But while the Nazis are finally retreating, the arrival of the partisans brings new dangers for Branko, his wife Dragica and their baby… 

As older sister to two half-siblings, Fran has always known she has to fit in. But now, at sixty-five years old and finally free of caring responsibilities, for the first time in her life Fran is facing questions about who she is and where she comes from. 

All Fran knows about her real father is that he was a hero, and her mother had to flee Dubrovnik after the war. But when she travels to the city of her birth to uncover the truth, she is devastated to discover her father was executed by the partisans in 1944, accused of being a collaborator. But the past isn’t always what it seems… And neither is the future. 

AMAZON |  PUBLISHER 

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Quick question right out of the gate... do you prefer the US cover on the left, or the UK cover on the right? The brighter more brilliantly colored edition or the more neutral scenary as depicted in the second? Personally, I'm more drawn to the US edition with the added flair and imagery, but to each their own. They both work for the story within. 

Between the epages, I found the story of a young girl turned woman, mother, and wife, finding herself yet again in the title role of Daughter. I don't simply mean being a daughter, but fidgeting discovering where she came from, what that history entailed, and how to ultimately affects her in the here and now. I would imagine, to some degree, that many children that grow up not knowing one parent or the other, develop a desire to dig into their roots, but what they uncover might now be what they were expecting.  Such is the case with Fran.

Fran is a lovely soul, kind hearted and caring, filled with love to share. The last two years her life was put on hold as she helped the one she called father in his final days, but it wasn't a hardship, rather a blessing. She was grounded in who she was, while unexpectedly preparing to find out who she might have been. The past that she digs into, the dark times and misunderstood motives revealed, work against her peace of mind,  coloring a memory not fully formed,  and placing a heaviness in her heart. How could she have come from this heritage? People that did bad deeds under the cover of obligation to their people and country? She couldn't justify it, and I'm glad she didn't simply stop there because things are not always as they seem, and it can take the dead a lot longer time to find the voice to speak. 

By book's end, it's had its chance to be heard, and Fran gains a new perspective on both her past and her future. It'll warm your heart after the dark times they lived through, while giving you hope that your never to old for a new beginning. 

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About the author...

Eva Glyn writes escapist relationship-driven fiction with a kernel of truth at its heart. She loves to travel and finds inspiration in beautiful places and the stories they hide. 

Her last holiday before lockdown was a trip to Croatia, and the country’s haunting histories and gorgeous scenery have proved fertile ground, driven by her friendship with a tour guide she met there. His wartime story provided the inspiration for The Olive Grove and his help in creating a realistic portrayal of Croatian life has proved invaluable. Her second novel set in the country, An Island of Secrets is a dual timeline looking back to World War 2, and although a contemporary romance featuring mature main characters her third, The Collaborator’s Daughter, has its roots in that conflict too. 

Eva lives in Cornwall, although she considers herself Welsh, and has been lucky enough to have been married to the love of her life for more than twenty-five years. She also writes as Jane Cable. 

Twitter @JaneCable 

Instagram @evaglynauthor 

Bookbub @EvaGlyn  

Facebook @EvaGlynAuthor  

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Special thanks to Rachel at Rachel's Random Resources for the chance to bring this tour to you. as well as the ebook 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. Be sure to check out the rest of tour for more bookish fun!

Until next time, remember...if it looks good, READ IT!

Happy BOOK BIRTHDAY to... TO DREAM OF SHADOWS by Steve N. Lee - REVIEW!

Hello again!

Hope you enjoyed your weekend.  May it have been light on work, and heavy on pleasure with much of that leisure time occupies by great reads!  As for mine...I worked, and ran errands prior to work, but such is life, and I still managed to squeeze in some reading time, so I still count it as a win.  Speaking of which...

The reading here lately has been AMAZING and I'm currently sitting on several titles that need reviewing, so keep tuning in for updates and new suggestions for your TBR.  Today's featured title is not one of those held in waiting, but a NEW RELEASE available right now for your reading pleasure.  Now, I say that with a grain of salt because while reading is a pleasurable pastime, the subject matter covered within this title, the history pages it was torn from, are anything but enjoyable...however, the story itself, how it was built, shaped, and shared was memorable from start to finish.  Ready to learn more?  Ladies and gents, here comes today's ebook of choice...

To Dream of Shadows

by

Steve N. Lee

About the book...

She will save hundreds of lives. But can she save her own?

Inspired by a previously untold true story.

1943. 18-year-old Czech, Inge is torn from her family and imprisoned in some godforsaken hellhole. There, she suffers month after month of torturous labor while praying for liberation by the Allies. But rescue never comes. And her dream of surviving the war dies.

Heinz, an SS Sergeant, has been force-fed the Reich's poison since childhood, but nowadays, he covertly helps prisoners.

So when a random act of kindness thrusts Inge and Heinz together, they can't resist being drawn to one another. Unable to deny their feelings, they dare to dream of a future, a life — together.

But their relationship does not go unnoticed. For Inge and Heinz, falling in love becomes a death sentence. And not just for them, but for all those they care about.

Unless…

Inge makes an unthinkable sacrifice.

Set during history’s darkest hour, “To Dream Of Shadows” is an epic tale of compassion, sacrifice, and the strength of the human spirit.  Discover one of the most heartwarming, heartbreaking, and heroic tales of the Holocaust. 

GOODREADS | BOOKBUB

AMAZON  US | UK | CA | AU

B&N | iBooks | KOBO | GOOGLE PLAY

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I've read this author's work before, and while I did enjoy it, it tore my heart out, stomped on it, placed it back in my chest, and then tore it out once again.  I mean, the emotions pulled from you were exhausting...and while yes, it meant that the author really connected with you, I wasn't so sure if I could take another heart beating...hence, it's been a little while since I read/reviewed his work.  Then we have today...

This week, or rather just yesterday, saw us celebrating the release of yet another title from author Steve N. Lee, and this time around it was a Historical Fiction novel that really sounded like something I needed to read.  So, I took a chance.  I gambled.  I let my heart out of its confines to explore this new venture from someone that has penned great yet heartbreaking work before...and I can't say I'm sorry for having done so.

This story has its bare bones in history, but the details, the fleshing out, and the ending are all speculation.  It provided the author with a time period well known, locations visited many times over, and lives to explore on both sides of the war, along with the atrocities that still shock to this day, and the evil that was done in the name of a homeland.  It allowed him to build complex characters that we can't help but feel for.  Now whether those feelings were in favor of them or wishing they would fall into their own mass graves is something to be determined, but I will say this...while you could easily get lost in the story, both that of life in the camps, and the potential for love brewing in the most unlikely of places, it raised some interesting questions...at least for this reader.  In no way shape or form are the events that transpired excusable, but I have to wonder...how many were not fighting for something they believed in, but something they were made to believe, or to protect their families, or to save themselves?  Does it make them a coward for not falling on the blade, so to speak, or just as evil as those in command if they were acting against their will for the good of others?

Inge's character I was behind one hundred percent.  Even though she talked out of turn with no care for herself at times, she was always trying to help others, save others, protect others, and then eventually herself.  It wasn't an easy road to walk in any way, but she did the best she could in the dire situation presented.  It was so hard watching her struggles day in and day out, but it was equally hard seeing the hardships of those around her, and the people in general.  It's so heartbreaking to know things like that actually happened, and that's where my second query came in.  Heinz was a character that I had a very hard time liking.  Grant it, it was more plausible than Gruber, or Kloser, or several others, but although he was nicer, he was still one of them.  It wasn't until about seventy-five percent through the book that I was willing to accept him as something more than an instrument of war.  Yes, he worked to change things.  Yes, he stepped in on the prisoners behalves.  Yes, he was still a member of a party of "people" that believed they were the only true race that should exist...and though he was "fed poison" all his life, and obviously harbored doubts to be how he was when we met him, it was still SO HARD to think anything kind on his behalf...hence the questions his character raised while I was reading.

All in all, it was both captivating, and heartbreaking.  It gave us another glimpse into history, while raising questions that are very hard to answer, and still grabbing us by the heartstrings as we wait with baited breath to see if things turn out right in the end.  FYI...I'm not spoiling that part, but I will say this...there is a twisty surprise along the way, and...the author wounded me once again with the story of Heinz's dog.  Just...bring the tissues, okay...you'll need them on more than one occasion.

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About the author...

Apart from animals and writing, Steve’s passion is travel. He’s visited 60 countries and enjoyed some amazing experiences, including cage-diving with great white sharks, sparring with a monk at a Shaolin temple, and watching a turtle lay eggs on a moonlit beach. He’s explored Machu Picchu, Pompeii, and the Great Wall of China, yet for all that, he’s a man of simple tastes — give him an egg sandwich and the TV remote control, and he’ll be happy for hours!

He lives in the North of England with his partner, Ania, and two black cats who arrived in the garden one day and liked it so much, they stayed. Graciously, the cats allow Steve and Ania to stay in 'their' house.

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Special thanks to author Steve N. Lee for the ebook for review. (THANKS!) For more information on this title, the author, or his others works, feel free to click through the links provided above. This title is AVAILABLE NOW via Blue Zoo, so click on over to your favorite online retailer to snag your copy today!

Until next time, remember...if it looks good, READ IT!