My Review for Descended by Ingrid J. Adams

Descended is so beautifully written, I couldn’t get enough! Indigo knows he is a little different from his peers. He’s way more in tune with his feelings and surroundings than any of his other friends, and it feels like most of them just don’t ‘get him’. Everything about his story touched my heart, his rapport with Cordelia and the loving way he was accepted into hers and Robbie’s family.

I guess Descended is a coming-of-age story, nothing is trivialised or made to appear worse than it is. It is just all about growing up and the issues that come along with all that and Ingrid J. Adams masters the whole thing brilliantly.

The story is set in the early 90s, and at that time I was in the latter half of my teens. Many of the references that the author makes in relation to music and whatever else was happening at the time melted my heart a little as I remembered what I was doing, who my friends were and the fun times I was having.

Descended is the first in the series and I absolutely cannot wait to find out what is in store for Indigo, Cordelia and Robbie.

Thank you to the author, Ingrid J. Adams, for the opportunity to read and review Descended.

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My Review for His Secret Wife by Lisa Timoney

I really enjoyed His Secret Wife by Lisa Timoney, and for a couple of days, all I did was read, sitting in the sunshine in the garden. Cora and Harry both found their way into my heart and I loved that with the innocence of childhood, they were probably the best thing that happened to each other. 

Elle is married to Rob, Jen is married to Bill and we realise from the beginning that Rob and Bill are the same man, who actually believes he is doing the right thing for both families! I did question how someone can be so deceptive and think he can keep things going with two wives indefinitely. Well, he certainly gave it a good go!

The author covered the kids’ diagnosis with differing forms of ADHD, with incredible knowledge, and she obviously did her research well. The story made me think about how difficult it must be for parents and teachers, whose children are perhaps a little different from their peers and how hard it is, as a child to try to fit into what is considered ‘normal’.

I will definitely be reading more of Lisa’s books and I would highly recommend His Secret Wife if you want something to read that you honestly won’t be able to put down.

Thank you to Avon Books UK for the opportunity to read and review His Secret Wife by Lisa Timoney.

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My Review for To Dream of Shadows by Steve N Lee

Good luck reading this without sobbing your heart out! I love historical WWII fiction and this is nothing like anything I have ever read before. From start to finish, it is simply amazing. Loosely based on true events, it is everything I could ever hope for in a book. It is heart-warming, heart-wrenching, emotional, horrific, and an absolute love story.

There were many times throughout the book when I just couldn’t believe what I was reading. I was angry at Rudi (Heinz), a German SS officer. I was scared for Inge, the eighteen-year-old Jewish woman who often should probably have kept quiet but who was forever sticking up for her camp mates. I haven’t read a book in a while that kept me hooked from page one, right the way through to the end. I had no idea how it was going to end, and what was going to happen to our mismatched couple. I wanted to turn the pages fast, so I found out what was going to happen and I wanted to turn them slowly because I didn’t want this wonderful story to end.

If WWII fiction is your thing, then I cannot recommend To Dream of Shadows enough. I promise you will not be disappointed. If you haven’t read anything like this before and you want to dip your toe in to the historical fiction water, then give this a try. 

Thank you so much to Steve N Lee for providing me with the opportunity to read and review a copy of To Dream of Shadows. It will definitely be included in my most favourite books on 2023.

Book Description

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. Discover “To Dream Of Shadows”.

Author Bio

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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My Review for The First Spark of Fire by Marion Kummerow

Most of us are more than aware of the events of the Second World War, however I’m not sure many of us know of Hitler’s rise to power, and the lead up to the outcast and mass extermination of the Jewish population.

Based on real-life events, Marion Kummerow gives a huge insight into this, in The First Spark of Fire (German Wives #1), the first in a new series, from this incredible author. We follow two very different families, Edith and Julius, who are wealthy, want for nothing and have always been at the forefront of society. Our other family is Helga and Heinrich, who often struggle to keep themselves and their young family afloat, and that doesn’t get any easier once Hitler is in charge. Edith and Helga are German, whilst their husbands are Jewish and they both stand by and support their family as a difficult time approaches.

As in her other books, Marion Kummerow deals with extremely sensitive issues throughout with compassion and empathy. I found the book slow to begin with, but it soon picked up pace and now I can’t wait for the second book in the series to discover how Edith and Helga deal with the next decade.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for the opportunity to read and review a copy of The First Spark of Fire by Marion Kummerow.

Book Description

Germany, 1938. ‘No,’ she cries out as she falls to the floor, fear clutching desperately at her chest, ‘They can’t have taken him, they can’t have taken my husband.’ As her tear-filled eyes dart wildly around the empty room, she realises she has no one to turn to. She is his only hope. But how can she possibly save him?

When shy, beautiful Edith first met Jewish-born Julius it was love at first sight. Julius swept her off her feet, whisking her from humble beginnings into the sparkling society and glittering ballrooms of Berlin’s powerful elite. It felt like all her dreams had come true.

But her perfect world begins to crack with rumblings of the Nazi party growing in power and influence. Every day there are new laws to strip Jews of their money and their freedom. And there are even more frightening rumours, of horrifying camps, and people disappearing in the night…

Then when Edith’s own brother Joseph enlists as an SS officer, and her whole family turn their backs on them, she knows that it is only a matter of time before they come for her husband. She pleads with Julius that their only chance is to run away and start again. Who cares about worldly possessions if they can still be together, their lives intact? But despite everything, he refuses to believe he is in danger.

Then one terrible night, the sounds of cries and breaking glass ring out across the city as the Nazis wreak their destruction. Edith’s worst fears have been realised— Julius has been taken.

For so long, Edith has led a sheltered life, secluded from the real world. But the only way to save her beloved husband is to defy the Nazis and put herself in grave danger. Can she draw on every bit of strength she has to fight for love and save him… or is she already too late?

A totally devastating, powerful, and ultimately uplifting story, perfect for fans of The Tattooist of Auschwitz, My Name is Eva and Sold on a Monday.

Author Bio

Marion Kummerow was born and raised in Germany, before she set out to "discover the world" and lived in various countries. In 1999 she returned to Germany and settled down in Munich where she's now living with her family.

Inspired by the true story about her grandparents, who belonged to the German resistance and fought against the Nazi regime, she started writing historical fiction, set during World War II. Her books are filled with raw emotions, fierce loyalty and resilience. She loves to put her characters through the mangle, making them reach deep within to find the strength to face moral dilemma, take difficult decisions or fight for what is right. And she never forgets to include humor and undying love in her books, because ultimately love is what makes the world go round.

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My Review for The Stable Boy of Auschwitz by Henry Oster and Dexter Ford

I have just closed this book, and a shiver went right through me, as it did throughout the time I was reading it. We all know about Auschwitz and many of you will have read fiction books based on actual events throughout this time, indeed one of my favourite genres is historical fiction. However, I have never been as moved and affected as when reading The Stable Boy of Auschwitz. ‘A heartbreaking true story of courage and survival’, as stated on the cover; honestly, this is an understatement. Henry (Heinz) Oster was just eleven years old when the Second World War began and this book is his memoir as he revisits those heart-wrenching and traumatic years of his childhood.

The first three chapters are primarily about the history of the Jewish people and how Adolf Hitler came to be in power. The next fifty-four are an account of Henry’s horrific story, how he coped and how he endured and survived the Holocaust. Told from a very personal viewpoint, The Stable Boy of Auschwitz is just one man’s account. Never forget that, sadly, there were hundreds of thousands more like Henry.

The Stable Boy of Auschwitz is a must-read for anyone who has any interest in the horrors of the concentration camps during WWII and is an educational read for anyone who needs to know more. In my opinion, this is something every person should be aware of, and something that must never, ever be forgotten.

Thank you to NetGalley and Thread Books for the opportunity to read and review a copy of The Stable Boy of Auschwitz by Henry Oster and Dexter Ford.

Book Description

This heart-wrenching memoir from a Holocaust survivor reveals the terrible realities of life in Auschwitz—and how a courageous young stable boy survived against all odds to tell his story.​ “ I couldn ’ t last much longer. But just as I was beginning to give up, I found myself in the Auschwitz stables, with rows of stalls filled with horses.” Henry Oster was just five years old when Adolf Hitler took power in 1933. He was the last survivor of the 2,011 Jews who were rounded up by the Gestapo and deported from Cologne. Assigned to back-breaking labor in the Auschwitz horse-breeding stables, Henry clung to the belief that if he made himself hard to replace, he might stay alive.

Henry was one of the 2,011 Jews who were deported from Cologne, through it all, he found the strength to survive and was one of only 23 to emerge alive from the concentration camps after the war.

How did one starving boy, alone and forgotten, survive this ultimate hell on earth? The Stable Boy of Auschwitz is the heart-breaking, mesmerizing, and unforgettable true story that will destroy your faith in humanity . . . and then build it back up again.

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