Book Synopsis:
1940, Nazi-occupied Paris. A powerful story of love, tragedy and incredible courage, about one woman whose life is ripped apart by war and risks everything to seek justice. Brand new from the bestselling author of The Resistance Girl.
As Nazis patrol the streets of the French capital, Tiena is alone, desperate and on the run. After defending herself against the force of an officer, she must find a new identity in order to survive.
An accidental meeting with members of the Resistance gives her a lifeline, as she is offered the chance to reinvent herself as perfumer Angéline De Cadieux.
However Angéline will never forget what happened to her, and will do everything she can to seek revenge. But vengeance can be a dangerous game, and Angeline can only hide her true identity for so long before her past catches up with her, with some devastating consequences…
Paris, 2003. When the opportunity arises for aspiring journalist Emma Keane to interview world renowned perfumer Madame De Cadieux about her life during World War Two, she is determined to take it. There are secrets from her own family history that she hopes Angéline may be able to help unlock.
But nothing can prepare Emma for Aboongéline’s story, and one thing is for certain – it will change her own life forever…
An absolutely heartbreaking, unforgettable historical novel of war, sacrifice and survival. Perfect for fans of Suzanne Goldring, Ella Carey and Catherine Hokin.
My Review:
Wow this is a beautifully written, emotional story that will definitely be staying with me for a long time.
The story is told from two time line one following Angeline as she tries to evade the Nazis and the other following Emma as she interviews world famous perfumer Angelina. I must admit I did prefer Angeline’s story over Sarah’s but it was still fun to watch the two stories come together. I loved Angelina as a character, especially as she had to show a lot of bravery in extremely difficult situations.
As I’ve mentioned before I’m a huge fan of historical fiction set in the second world war- particular if it teaches me something new. In this book the author focuses on the treatment of Roma gypsies and how they were persecuted by the Nazis. I hadn’t read much about this and was shocked that they received a similar treatment to the Jews especially as their fate isn’t so well known. The Nazis had a special section of the concentration camps just for them and it was truly heartbreaking to read about what happened there.
Overall I thought this was a great read that I will be recommending to everyone. The author managed to take a difficult subject and writes about it sensitively. The book manages to be both an adventure story and a romance story which, given the subject I didn’t think would work but it is very effective. I did guess what was going to happen but I had to keep reading to see if I was right. I think this is would make a great book club read as I feel there would be lots to discuss.
Huge thanks to Rachel from Rachel’s Random Resources for my copy of this book and to Boldwood for my copy of this book via netgalley.
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.
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