Book Synopsis:
The face of the woman in the photograph was tilted upwards, as if enjoying the sunshine just for a moment, even as the wreckage of the bombed-out street lay behind her…
1944, Cornwall: Blinded by love, Vivienne Hamilton eloped to Paris with a Nazi prisoner-of-war, never to be seen again. A disgrace to her family, her name would not be mentioned by any of her relatives for over 75 years.
Present day, London: When Sophie discovers a photograph of her great aunt Vivi from World War Two, it throws her into a world of confusion. Because, as she learns about this secret relative, she quickly realises that the photograph doesn’t fit with her family’s story. It shows Vivi leaving an address associated with a spy network in London – a place she had no reason to be – and it is dated right before she disappeared.
Meanwhile Sophie’s own life feels as blasted and bombed as the blitzed city in the photograph she’s looking at. Her beautiful daughter – as full of joy and wild energy as Vivi had apparently once been – is gone; and Sophie’s heart has been left broken into pieces.
Retreating to the family home in rural Cornwall to seek solace from her pain and the feelings of guilt that she could have done more to protect her daughter, Sophie finds herself becoming obsessed with Vivi’s life.
But nothing can prepare Sophie for what she is about to uncover – the story of a woman who risked everything for the person she loved the most; and a secret family history that could be the key to Sophie’s own future.
A powerful, haunting and unforgettable read about love, heartbreak and betrayal set in Second World War Britain and France. Perfect for fans of The Nightingale, Under a Scarlet Sky and My Name is Eva.
When We Were Brave is available in ebook and paperback now. You can purchase your copy using the link below.
My Review:
I absolutely loved this author’s first book so I was very excited to be invited onto the blog tour for her latest book. I was definitely not disappointed as this was another beautiful and compelling read.
I loved both sides of this wonderful dual timeline story which made the book quite difficult to put down as I wanted to find out what would happen next. Vivi’s role as a secret agent during the war was a very interesting one and I enjoyed learning more about what the job entailed. The author makes her seem like a very realistic person as she included normal parts of her life too like her making friends and falling in love which I really enjoyed. Sophie’s task to try and learn more about her Great Aunt Vivi was great to follow too, especially as I would love a mystery to solve like she has.
Overall I thought this was a fantastic read which intrigued me from the start. I enjoyed following both storylines and watching them both come together. The author has clearly done a lot of research and I felt that I was actually there, with Sophie, experiencing everything alongside her which was fascinating. I thought that the author has put a bit of a moral into the story that you should try to build people up rather than tear them down and to believe in yourself, which is a timely message in light of Caroline Flack. (Though equally I might be overthinking this).
Huge thanks to Kim from Bookouture for inviting me onto the blog tour and for my copy of this book via Netgalley.
About The Author:
Suzanne Kelman is the Amazon International Bestselling author of “A View Across the Rooftops” published by Bookouture, an imprint for Hachette U.K. which sold over 50,000 copies in its first three months and “When We Were Brave,” published in February 2020.
Suzanne is also the author of the Amazon International Bestselling book, “The Rejected Writers’ Book Club”, published by Lake Union, which is the first book in the Southlea Bay series. Other books in the series include, “Rejected Writers Take the Stage” and “The Rejected Writers’ Christmas Wedding”.
Kelman is also an award-winning writer/screenwriter whose accolades include the Best Comedy Feature Screenplay Award from the L.A. International Film Festival, the Gold Award from the California Film Awards, and the Van Gogh Award from the Amsterdam Film Festival.
In 2015 her script, Held, was recognized by the Academy of Motion Pictures and was shortlisted to the top ten in the Academy Of Motion Pictures Nichols Fellowship competition.
As well as a screenwriter and a published author, Suzanne is also a playwright and her award-winning comedy play, “Over My Dead Body”, had its World Premiere at Outcast Theatre in Washington, Fall 2019.
Born in the United Kingdom, Suzanne now resides in Washington State.
Please sign up for her newsletter to stay in touch – https://www.suzannekelmanauthor.com
Over The Rainbow Blog 
Fab review Jo definitely adding this one to my Goodreads! xx
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