TRIGGER WARNING: this book is set during the second World War and contains upsetting details of Nazi atrocities
Alsace has been overrun by the Nazis and its occupants are being forced to adopt German names and forbidden to speak French. Her Darkest Hour is the tale of the war experiences of the Gaultier and Dolch families. Marie-Claire is employed by the mayor’s office which is taken over by Nazi officials which has awful personal ramifications for her as the war continues. Jacques and Juliette join the resistance, whilst Margaux and Victoire assist Jews to hide and escape.
With the benefit of hindsight, and my History degree, the feelings of fear and dread for the main characters are there from the beginning. However, it is the second half of the book where, once we have developed an emotional attachment to the main characters, we learn of the horror inflicted by the Nazis on the Alsace community.
Marie-Claire is the main protagonist. Beautiful, outwardly confident but actually desperate to be loved and belong. Her journey over the book’s pages is the most life changing of all the characters. She is rejected by those she loves and, despite her selfishness, it is impossible not to feel sympathy for her predicament as her hope is destroyed.
Some parts of Her Darkest Hour are difficult to read as the actions of the Nazis are so grisly, made even more so by the basis in facts that the author Sharon Maas has researched. I think the title of the book relates to both Alsace’s darkest hour as well as Marie-Claire’s.
The ending is extremely abrupt and I was left hoping for a sequel to find out how the different members of the family rebuild their lives and fractured relationships. I would also like to see more of Juliette and Jacques’ story as their timeline splits off and we see little of their experiences.
Her Darkest Hour is a brutally good book, with strong characters and an excellent historical basis.
Book Description:
‘You and me – we’re sisters, not enemies. We’ve got a real enemy at our door and we need to focus on that – together, united. I don’t want to be fighting you as well.’
In the small French town of Colmar, swastikas hang from lampposts, tanks are lined up outside the town hall, and twenty-one-year-old Marie-Claire is in love. She will do anything for her childhood friend Jacques, including spying on her German boss, Dietrich Kurtz. Anything to make Jacques see her in a new light, as something more than just a silly little girl.
But when Jacques rejects her, everything changes. Mortified and stung, Marie-Claire feels the need for revenge. She turns her back on those she loves and is catapulted into a new life.
Her little sister Victoire is aghast at her sister’s traitorous behaviour, not least because Marie-Claire is endangering Victoire’s own life-threatening mission, hiding Jewish refugees in their mother’s wine cellar. And when Marie-Claire marries Kurtz, Victoire knows her relationship with her sister has been poisoned for ever.
But when Victoire learns someone she loves is in terrible danger, her only choice is to trust the sister who betrayed her. Kurtz, Marie-Claire’s cruel and heartless husband, has key information and Victoire must persuade Marie-Claire to obtain it, even if it means risking Marie-Claire’s life. As secrets come to light and close bonds are broken, will the sisters be able to heal old wounds?
An unforgettable and unputdownable story of two sisters ripped apart by World War 2. Fans of The Nightingale and The Ragged Edge of Night will fall in love with Her Darkest Hour.
Author Bio:
Sharon Maas was born in Georgetown, Guyana, in 1951 and educated in Guyana and England. After leaving school she worked as a staff journalist at the Guyana Graphic and the Sunday Chronicle in Georgetown.
Sharon has always had a great sense of adventure and curiosity about the world we live in, and Guyana could not hold her for long. In 1971 she set off on a year-long backpacking trip around South America. In 1973 she travelled overland to India through Europe, Turkey, Iran, Afghanistan and Pakistan, and spent two years in an Ashram in South India.
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Janey Markham and her family relocate to a new area and a more high status lifestyle after her husband gets a new job. Despite her lack of confidence, she manages to join the exclusive clique of school mums and even gets a new part time job.
But something isn’t right in her marriage or in her friendships and she is haunted by her mother’s deathbed confession…
Little Whispers is a real slow burner, building gradually to a thrilling ending. There are teasing clues which hint at the past and we also see an abduction but it is not clear until the end if this relates to the past or present. The tension definitely ramps ups in the second half as Janey’s life begins to unravel and the psychological thriller element of the book comes into its own.
The character of Janey is a great one for eliciting sympathy and empathy from the reader. She is ‘down to earth’ is contrast to the status-seeking women she becomes friends with. Her insecurities about her body and her marriage felt very realistic, as well as her frequent unfavourable comparisons with her peers.
I also identified with her more personally, always feeling like an outsider and wanting approval from the popular crowd as a child, the social awkwardness on the school playground now as a parent. Plus her new job as a teaching assistant is one that I have done in the past.
The actual explanation at the end seemed a little far fetched to me but then I am not a criminal mastermind and technological genius! The epilogue brought a lump to my throat as Janey finally confronts her secret past…
Overall, Little Whispers was an enjoyable slow-burning family drama and psychological thriller.
Take a look at my reviews of Finding Grace and Single, also by K.L. Slater
Little Whispers: book description:
You shared a secret with the wrong person.
Janey Markham is thrilled to be moving with her family to Buckingham Crescent, the smartest address in a desirable suburban town.
Worried she’ll be excluded by the glossy local mothers, Janey is thrilled when she meets Tanya, the kind of woman she has always looked up to. Tanya takes Janey under her wing, and her teenage daughter Angel is amazing with Janey’s little boy. As Janey and Tanya grow closer, Janey feels she can finally leave her troubled past behind.
But then everything changes…
In a weak moment over a bottle of wine, Janey finds herself telling Tanya her most shocking secret. Why wouldn’t she trust her new friend?
The following day, Janey sees Angel, with a man old enough to be her father, pushing someone into a car. The next day a body is found and police appeal for witnesses – and share a picture of the same car…
When Janey tells Tanya she is going to the police, Tanya turns threatening. She’ll stop at nothing to defend Angel, even if her daughter is guilty. If Janey says anything, Tanya will make sure that her dark secret gets out.
Janey faces an impossible choice. Stay quiet about what she saw that terrible day. Or speak up, and destroy the family she has worked so hard to protect…
From million-copy bestseller K.L. Slater comes this twisty and absolutely unputdownable roller-coaster ride of a read. Fans of The Girl on the Train and Gone Girl will be totally hooked on Little Whispers.
Author Bio:
For many years, Kim sent her work out to literary agents but never made it off the slush pile. At the age of 40 she went back to Nottingham Trent University and now has an MA in Creative Writing.
Before graduating, she received five offers of representation from London literary agents which was, as Kim says, ‘a fairytale … at the end of a very long road!’
Kim is a full-time writer and lives in Nottingham with her husband, Mac.
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Alice is heading to a Greek island for her hen party. Her wedding plans are spiralling out of control as her fiance Max keeps adding guests and extras which mean the small intimate wedding of her dreams is not possible.
Alice gets chatting to a Greek stranger and ends up spilling all the secrets of her unhappy childhood and fears for the future. Can Max heal her heart or will the wedding ruin the happiest day of her life…?
The first third of the book stimulates the reader’s sympthy with Alice as it becomes obvious that she has an unhappy relationship with her mother and fears her fiance’s spending habits. Both of these issues continue over the course of the book as we disocver more about Alice’s past.
I wasn’t entirely convinced that Alice and Max were suited to each other as he tramples over her feelings even though he knows about her family past.
Author Sue Roberts evokes the Greek culture wonderfully with rich descriptions and hints at history that made me want to go and research (Spinalonga etc). Her characters are likeable and it was easy to enjoy this book, imagining the locations and with believable relationships between the main protagonists.
I can easily envisage As Greek As It Gets being a fab beach read as well as being something to get us through the colder months! It is a light hearted novel with an emotional undertone and stunning location.
I have previously reviewed A Very French Affair by the same author.
Book Description:
Let the hot Greek sun melt all your troubles away… A laugh-out-loud read full of warmth, joy and summer feeling!
Alice Clark is delighted when her boyfriend Max proposes. From her dead-end job to her straight-up-dead houseplants, her life hasn’t exactly turned out how she imagined, so she can’t wait to start some wedding planning.
But the intimate affair she imagined soon grows wildly out of control, along with Alice’s doubts. Just as things reach breaking point between the couple, Alice’s best friend whisks her away for an escape to a sun-kissed Greek island.
Sandy beaches, crystal clear waters and a cocktail – or three – and Alice soon finds herself letting loose and relaxing into the Greek way of life. When she visits a gorgeous village nestled in the hilltops overlooking the sea, and meets a friendly local woman with a very special business – and a very handsome son – Alice is surprised by how drawn she feels to these people and this life.
As the sun sets on her Greek holiday, Alice knows she has some big decisions to make. Will finding herself mean losing the life she had planned? Or could it be the start of something else entirely?
A feel-good read perfect for fans of Carole Matthews, Jenny Colgan and Sophie Kinsella.
Author Bio:
I live in Lancashire with my long term partner Derek and have had a lifelong love of writing, encouraged by winning a school writing competition at the age of 11.
I always assumed that ‘one day’ I would write a book, always having a busy household and a job, the idea remained firmly on the back burner but never forgotten.
The inspiration for my first novel came to me on a holiday to a Greek village. My daughters had left home and suddenly the time had come to write that book!
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Evie Stuart is hiding away on the family farm in picturesque Scotland, trying to forget about her ex-fiance who turned out to be married with a baby on the way. She is scared of being judged by the people in the village so stays on the farm as much as possible.
Her family hire out yurts to guests and Callum arrives from America searching for his biological grandfather, armed only with his grandmother’s letters as clues. He is a fire fighter, haunted by the family he couldn’t save. Can Evie and Callum heal each other’s hearts…?
The Little Village of New Starts is a warm and gentle romance novel with a dash of passion. Evie and Callum are both vulnerable and likeable so I found myself willing them to love each other!
The other character that really stands out is Agnes; Evie’s nan is a great character, full of life and enthusiasm as well as wisdom. She has her own love interest and shows us that age is just a number and shouldn’t be an impediment to finding love.
There is a subplot of the Jampionships: I am quite tempted to try making jam! This adds an extra dimension to the book and supports the main plot of Evie and Callum’s developing romance alongside their mutual search for his grandfather.
There is a richness and warmth to the descriptions, plot and characters that make The Little Village of New Starts a real feelgood book.
Donna. Ashcroft Media Kit:
Title: The Little Village of New Starts
Publication Day: May 12th 2020
Author: Donna Ashcroft
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Description:
Sometimes turning everything upside down feels just right…
Evie Stuart is playing it safe. She lives on her family’s remote farm in the Scottish Highlands and never ventures beyond the local village of Lockton. The most unpredictable events in her life are the antics of Miss Daisy, her grandmother Agnes’s pygmy goat. She’s learned that bad things happen when she’s impulsive, and she’s determined not to get burned again.
Callum Ryder is exactly the opposite of what Evie wants in her ordered world. Six foot two of reckless energy with twinkling eyes and a dangerously charming smile, he’s a thrill-seeking American firefighter with no idea how to slow down. Callum enters Lockton like a whirlwind, fleeing his problems in New York City in search of the truth about his Scottish family.
Yet the pair might have more in common than they think… When the well-meaning Agnes persuades her to help Callum find his grandfather, Evie finds herself being challenged more than she has in years: from swimming in the fabled Bonnie Lochan to exploring an ancient castle and even entering the village jam-making championships. Turns out it’s easy for Evie and Callum to connect when they let go of their fears and enjoy the most surprising summer of their lives.
But getting close to Callum so quickly soon starts to look like it might ruin everything for Evie: she’s heading for a disaster exactly like the one that destroyed her a year ago when she fell for the wrong man and let him change her life. Maybe a fresh start isn’t going to be so simple after all… Is the safe haven Evie’s built about to crumble down around her?
A totally charming and moving story about being true to yourself, the power of new beginnings, and one magical summer that changes everything. Perfect for fans of Debbie Johnson, Carolyn Brown and Phillipa Ashley.
Author Bio:
Donna Ashcroft was born in London and grew up in Buckinghamshire. She went to university in Lancashire and, among other things, worked as a copywriter, buyer, waitress, secretary and marketing manager.
Donna wrote novels for over ten years before being published. She is a member of the Romantic Novelists Association and was a joint winner of the Katie Fforde Bursary in 2017.
Donna loves a happy ending and is never happier than when she’s escaping into a romance novel or movie. When she’s not reading or writing she’ll probably be found hoovering … or negotiating with her teenagers about who is doing the washing up.
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