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hippidom's review
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
allison2300's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
5.0
smalltownbookmom's review
4.0
3.5 rounded up. I struggled to get into this one for some reason (usually I am all about this type of dual timeline WWII historical fiction). I found it dragged a bit in the middle and could have used some editing. The style reminded me a lot of Natasha Lester so if you enjoy her novels (as much as I do) I'd highly recommend this one. I did really appreciate the modern storyline that involved a woman coming to terms with the news she is genetically predisposed to reproductive cancers and how she lets that dictate her happiness.
kdurham2's review
4.0
Check out the full review at Kritters Ramblings
One of my favorite types of historical fictions to read is when there is a historical storyline and a current storyline and they will weave in and out of each other throughout the book. In this book, both take place in London, one in 1939 where Precious Dubose and her best friend Eva Harlow are trying to make it with the impending threat of a war and the other is in 2019 as Maddie Warner has traveled to interview Precious about the fashion that happened before and during the war and she gets much more than a story about fashion.
This book has quite the cast of characters because of the two timelines and they overlap a bit, but this was one of those books that I definitely took notes so I could make sure I knew who was who and major defining characteristics of each. Without spoiling, it was good to have notes when the characters started partaking in nefarious activities and I wanted to keep alliances and enemies straight!
One of my favorite types of historical fictions to read is when there is a historical storyline and a current storyline and they will weave in and out of each other throughout the book. In this book, both take place in London, one in 1939 where Precious Dubose and her best friend Eva Harlow are trying to make it with the impending threat of a war and the other is in 2019 as Maddie Warner has traveled to interview Precious about the fashion that happened before and during the war and she gets much more than a story about fashion.
This book has quite the cast of characters because of the two timelines and they overlap a bit, but this was one of those books that I definitely took notes so I could make sure I knew who was who and major defining characteristics of each. Without spoiling, it was good to have notes when the characters started partaking in nefarious activities and I wanted to keep alliances and enemies straight!
melissasbookshelf's review
4.0
Wow! This is a book that will stay with you long after you finish it. I listened to the audiobook version and thoroughly loved the narrators. Both did such a fabulous job of putting in the right amount of emotion and delivering believable characters. The accents were well done.
There is so much to unpack in this story. The main theme is: Do you believe you are worthy of love? Two women from vastly different time periods (1939-1941, 2019) confront their greatest insecurities when confronted with the chance for love.
Ethel is a beautiful model living during WWII London. She and her roommate Precious are trying to make ends meet modeling for fashionable dress designers. She transforms herself into Ava when she meets a handsome wealthy man during a rainstorm. Ava systematically begins changing everything including her accent to try to distance herself from her humble beginnings. When her roots are discovered by a Czech agent, she has to decide whether to give into blackmail to protect her love and identity or tell the truth.
In 2019 London, Maddie who is originally from Georgia has come to interview Precious, a distant relative who is 99 years old. She is trying to write an article celebrating WWII fashion and the famous model. But, Maddie has secrets of her own. She is running away from her own past and painful secret. When she discovers that an old college friend is staying in the same apartment she will be staying in, she has to decide if she is willing to give in to her feelings or keep her distance like she did in college.
Loved this story and found myself going back to listen to the prologue again. While I spotted a few of the twists early on, I wasn’t sure how it would all play out. There are definite clues along the way. It’s a sweeping saga that you could easily picture becoming a movie. There are a few suggested sex scenes, but no details. Great read!
There is so much to unpack in this story. The main theme is: Do you believe you are worthy of love? Two women from vastly different time periods (1939-1941, 2019) confront their greatest insecurities when confronted with the chance for love.
Ethel is a beautiful model living during WWII London. She and her roommate Precious are trying to make ends meet modeling for fashionable dress designers. She transforms herself into Ava when she meets a handsome wealthy man during a rainstorm. Ava systematically begins changing everything including her accent to try to distance herself from her humble beginnings. When her roots are discovered by a Czech agent, she has to decide whether to give into blackmail to protect her love and identity or tell the truth.
In 2019 London, Maddie who is originally from Georgia has come to interview Precious, a distant relative who is 99 years old. She is trying to write an article celebrating WWII fashion and the famous model. But, Maddie has secrets of her own. She is running away from her own past and painful secret. When she discovers that an old college friend is staying in the same apartment she will be staying in, she has to decide if she is willing to give in to her feelings or keep her distance like she did in college.
Loved this story and found myself going back to listen to the prologue again. While I spotted a few of the twists early on, I wasn’t sure how it would all play out. There are definite clues along the way. It’s a sweeping saga that you could easily picture becoming a movie. There are a few suggested sex scenes, but no details. Great read!
ievastrazdina's review
4.0
“Šķita, ka viņai ir divi stāsti. Viens, kuru viņa vēlējās, lai kāds dzirdētu. Un otrs, kurš atklātu patiesību.”
Londona, 1939. gads. Eva un Žanna - divas jaunas sievietes - nešķiramas draudzenes, kas, ieguldot visu savu enerģiju, cenšas iekarot vietu modes pasaulē un viņām tas lieliski izdodas. Krāšņā pirmskara Londona ar izsmalcinātu uzdzīvi, grezniem tērpiem un dižciltīgām manierēm. Eva, kas nākusi no trūcīgas ģimenes, sapņo par mīlestību, drošību un skaistām, dārgām lietām.
Karš un pašas vājība uz izsmalcinātību Evas sapņus izgaiņā vienu pēc otra, lai gan, satiekot Grejamu - kādas ariatokrātu ģimenes atvasi, bija tik tuvu sava sapņa piepildījumam.
Londona, 2019. gads. Amerikāņu žurnāliste Medija dodas uz Londonu intervēt Žannu, lai kopīgi ar savu draudzeni veidotu ekapozīciju par Žannas modeles karjeru un modi II Pasaules kara ietekmē. Darbs šķiet skaidrs, tomēr intervējot Žannu Medija nojauš, ka Žanna noklusē sāpīgus pagātnes noslēpumus, kas viņu vajā kā tumši rēgi. Medija ir neatlaidīga un pamazām noskaidro atbildes un palīdz Žannai rast sirdsmieru.
Šis bija negaidīti ievelkošs stāsts par draudzību, nodevību un mīlestību. Grāmatas 544 lapas puses (kas pie tam maksimāli aizpildītas ar tekstu gana smalkā drukā) šķita tīrais nieks, jo es biju “pilnīgi iekšā grāmatā”. Šķiet pēdējā grāmata no kuras tik ļoti nevarēju atrauties bija Kristīnes Hanas “Lakstīgala”.
Autore ir neticami prasmīgi savijusi stāstu ar detektīva cienīgiem elementiem, kad paliekot pēdējām 100 lapas pusēm, joprojām īsti nevarēju būt pārliecināta vai manis izvirzītie pieņēmumi par atrisinājumu būs patiesi. Grāmatā paralēli atapoguļoti notikumi 1939. un 1919.gadā un mani, protams, visvairāk interesēja pagātnes notikumi, tomēr arī tagadnes notikumi ar romantisko noti nebija peļami, turklāt visu lieliski atsvaidzināja patīkams humors.
Taisnības labas gan jāsaka, ka pašas beigas prasījās aizkustinošākas un pēdējās 40 lapas puses, manuprāt, bija liekas, bet 500 aizraujošo dēļ, esmu gatava uz to pievērt acis.
Taču kopumā es ļoti iesaku šo grāmatu vēsturisko romānu cienītājiem - tiešām ļoti aizraujoši un lika apstāties laikam.
4,5⭐️
Londona, 1939. gads. Eva un Žanna - divas jaunas sievietes - nešķiramas draudzenes, kas, ieguldot visu savu enerģiju, cenšas iekarot vietu modes pasaulē un viņām tas lieliski izdodas. Krāšņā pirmskara Londona ar izsmalcinātu uzdzīvi, grezniem tērpiem un dižciltīgām manierēm. Eva, kas nākusi no trūcīgas ģimenes, sapņo par mīlestību, drošību un skaistām, dārgām lietām.
Karš un pašas vājība uz izsmalcinātību Evas sapņus izgaiņā vienu pēc otra, lai gan, satiekot Grejamu - kādas ariatokrātu ģimenes atvasi, bija tik tuvu sava sapņa piepildījumam.
Londona, 2019. gads. Amerikāņu žurnāliste Medija dodas uz Londonu intervēt Žannu, lai kopīgi ar savu draudzeni veidotu ekapozīciju par Žannas modeles karjeru un modi II Pasaules kara ietekmē. Darbs šķiet skaidrs, tomēr intervējot Žannu Medija nojauš, ka Žanna noklusē sāpīgus pagātnes noslēpumus, kas viņu vajā kā tumši rēgi. Medija ir neatlaidīga un pamazām noskaidro atbildes un palīdz Žannai rast sirdsmieru.
Šis bija negaidīti ievelkošs stāsts par draudzību, nodevību un mīlestību. Grāmatas 544 lapas puses (kas pie tam maksimāli aizpildītas ar tekstu gana smalkā drukā) šķita tīrais nieks, jo es biju “pilnīgi iekšā grāmatā”. Šķiet pēdējā grāmata no kuras tik ļoti nevarēju atrauties bija Kristīnes Hanas “Lakstīgala”.
Autore ir neticami prasmīgi savijusi stāstu ar detektīva cienīgiem elementiem, kad paliekot pēdējām 100 lapas pusēm, joprojām īsti nevarēju būt pārliecināta vai manis izvirzītie pieņēmumi par atrisinājumu būs patiesi. Grāmatā paralēli atapoguļoti notikumi 1939. un 1919.gadā un mani, protams, visvairāk interesēja pagātnes notikumi, tomēr arī tagadnes notikumi ar romantisko noti nebija peļami, turklāt visu lieliski atsvaidzināja patīkams humors.
Taisnības labas gan jāsaka, ka pašas beigas prasījās aizkustinošākas un pēdējās 40 lapas puses, manuprāt, bija liekas, bet 500 aizraujošo dēļ, esmu gatava uz to pievērt acis.
Taču kopumā es ļoti iesaku šo grāmatu vēsturisko romānu cienītājiem - tiešām ļoti aizraujoši un lika apstāties laikam.
4,5⭐️
emeryclarke's review
4.0
Solid, solid book. Karen White does a wonderful job combining a historical fiction novel and a modern romance novel into one beautiful story. If I had one complaint it would be that mentally transitioning between the historical fiction sections and the modern romance was a bit of a mental and emotional shift. Besides that I would reccomend this book to anyone who enjoys Historical Fiction and or Romance novels.