Review: Bellegarde by Jamie Lilac*

*I received a copy of this book in eBook format via NetGalley in return for this review. All reviews published on Yours, Chloe are completely honest and my own, and are in now way influenced by the gifting opportunity.

Title: Bellegarde
Author: Jamie Lilac
Genre: Young Adult Historical Fiction

Trigger warnings:  Death Of A Parent, Bullying, Classism

Rating: ★★ 

 Evie Clement has perfected the art of avoiding attention as she works at her family's bakery and dreams of a life where she can trade dusting flour for designing dresses. Her focus is on honing her sewing skills - she doesn't need to be fawned over by some teenage boy.

Least of all Beau Bellegarde - the playboy of Paris, the second son of the ultra-wealthy Bellegarde family, the most popular guy in their prestigious high school. Others may swoon over his rakish charm and winning smile, but not Evie.

Unfortunately for Evie, Beau needs her. His conniving step-brother has roped him into an impossible bet: turn the biggest wallflower they know into the winning Bellegarde Bloom at the annual Court of Flowers Ball, or lose his entire fortune.

Evie can't understand why Beau has taken an interest in her, but she can't help but be intrigued. As she befriends Beau, entering a world of high-status parties, she has to ask herself one question... why?

 

Bellegarde is the debut novel from YA author Jamie Lilac. A historical retelling of the classic 90s romcom movie She’s All That (which is in itself a retelling of Pygmalion, the play which was adapted into the musical My Fair Lady), our story swaps 20^th century America for the ballrooms of 18^th century France.

I want to preface this review by saying that although my thoughts are not overly positive at all, I do recognise that I perhaps was not the intended audience of the book. Bellegarde is perfect for the reader who wants a historic twist on a cheesy 90s romcom but isn’t too fussed about historical accuracy or authenticity. Personally, these are things that I need from a historical fiction novel and my review does reflect this, but I can still see this being an enjoyable read for other readers and especially a teenage audience.

To start with the things the book does well, both of our protagonists were well written. The story is told through a largely dual POV narrative, sharing the perspectives of both Evie and Beau (with occasional input from one of our antagonists Rachelle) and this did help us to connect with both characters. Evie was a headstrong female main character with admiral drive and passion, something I think would be inspiring to a teenage reader. Beau was an incredibly charming male main character and love interest for Evie who, again, I’m sure teenage readers will love. There is a wide range of supporting characters (although admittedly some are written with more depth to them than others and some are completely pointless inclusions altogether) and I was particularly drawn to Evie’s friends who live on the houseboat. I think they were really interesting characters who could make for fantastic protagonists in another story should Jamie Lilac choose to make this a series. I did also really warm to Jo and Mia as characters and exploring their relationship as a same-sex couple in 18^th century France could provide an alternative pathway for a sequel.

My primary criticism of this book is that it felt like for most of the book the narrative simply forgot it was supposed to be set in the 18^th century and mistook itself for a contemporary fiction novel set in a modern-day American high school. We did have occasional references to Marie Antoinette (if you know your French history enough to pick up on them) but that was largely it. The use of repeated unintentional anachronisms, unfortunately left the book feeling like a poorly-executed attempt to jump on the bandwagon of period dramas such as Bridgerton. This was particularly surrounding the language choices made by the characters but also a significant number of the events read as contemporary fiction too. The fashion also was not completely authentic to the time period either, which was a significant flaw in the story given how much of the narrative focused on Evie’s passion for fashion design. Whilst her designs are meant to be ahead of their time, the use of things like zips meant that they felt more like 21^st century fashion than styles you’d expect from 18^th century France.

The whole idea of a group of young men choosing a girl to make the subject of their bet like they were shopping for meat at a livestock market was sickeningly misogynistic. Whilst I do understand that the blame for this largely lies with the source material the story is based on, it did feel like the book made no attempt to adapt this aspect of the story for a more feminist 21^st century audience, which was disappointing.

I did also find that I wasn’t rooting for Evie and Beau’s relationship, which is a shame as I think that is a pretty crucial thing to need from a romance story. She had far more chemistry with the Duke character and their relationship had far more to it than the one which was the focus of the story unfortunately.

Overall, I was regrettably really disappointed with this novel. As I’ve said, younger readers or anyone who wants a cheesy rom-com story without minding about historical authenticity and accuracy might like this book but it just wasn’t for me. 

Review: The Girl From Norway by Emma Pass*

 *I received a copy of this book in eBook format via NetGalley in return for this review. All reviews published on Yours, Chloe are completely honest and my own, and are in now way influenced by the gifting opportunity.

Title: The Girl From Norway
Author: Emma Pass
Genre: Historical Fiction

Trigger warnings:  War, Domestic Abuse, Emotional Abuse, Drink Driving, Car Accident, Guns, Affair, PTSD Induced Nightmares

Rating: ★★★★★ 

1942. When Hedda Dahlstrøm flees her abusive husband and Nazi-occupied Norway with her eight-year-old son she doesn't know if they'll make it out alive. In her desperate journey to safety she'll find safety on the rocky shores of the Shetland Islands, rescued by Canadian Flight Sergeant Bill Gauthier.

As WWII's destruction rages at their doorsteps, can love find its way through the rubble?

The Girl From Norway is the latest historical fiction novel from author Emma Pass. It is the perfect combination of mystery, drama and romance, all set against the Second World War landscape of the RAF base in Shetland and Nazi-occupied Norway.

The dual-perspective narrative begins as two separate stories – one about Hedda’s escape from Nazi-occupied Norway with her son and one about Bill’s experiences in the RAF – but they quickly converge when they both find themselves on the Shetland Islands. The story is fast-paced and packed full of action from the very first chapters. I was worried it wouldn’t be able to maintain this momentum once Hedda reaches the safety of the Shetland Islands but, after a number of slower-paced chapters setting the new scene and covering Hedda’s adjustment to life outside of Nazi-occupied Norway, the action quickly returned as the RAF and islanders try to determine the identity of an island spy traitor leaking information to the Germans.

The story was clearly impeccably researched and historical details were seamlessly woven into the narrative. I also appreciated both the inclusion of Shetland dialect throughout the story and the nods to the Norwegian language and this really supported the authenticity of the story.

As the book blurb suggests, there is a blossoming romance between Hedda and Bill throughout the story and this makes the book perfect for fans of a good historical romance. Theirs is a slow burn love and definitely not without its bumps in the road but I really enjoyed this aspect to the story overall as they were a perfect match for each other.

Both of our dual protagonists – Hedda and Bill – were fantastically written with such depth to their character. Hedda was an incredible female protagonist and her strength and courage amazed me throughout the story. Her relationship with her young son Eirich was beautiful and he was a lovely little character himself. I loved seeing his developing relationship with “Mr Bill” as he called him as it blossomed into the father/son relationship the young lad deserved. Bill was another fantastic character and I thought the book really authentically portrayed the mental and physical impact of both his experiences serving on the front-line and of the accident which injured him and resulted in his redeployment to the Shetland Islands. I didn’t find myself particularly connecting with his relationship with his fiancée and it was therefore very difficult to root for them at all. That aspect of the story was quite predictable but I do appreciate that it just served as another barrier for Hedda and Bill’s love to overcome.

Hedda’s emotional abuse at the hands of her husband Anders was also very well portrayed. Although he appears in person very little throughout the story, his voice was a constant presence in the narrative, constantly playing in Hedda’s head in it’s cruel and demeaning tone. Anders was a truly vile character, which is just credit to how well written he was. Whilst being mindful of avoiding spoilers surrounding the island spy plotline, the other primary antagonist of the book was also very well written and I did pat myself on the back for my immediate suspicions of them being well-placed.

The primary setting of the story, a fictional island part of the Shetland Islands, was fantastic and I loved meeting all of the different island inhabitants and seeing them come together as a community.  I find the history of the Shetland Bus – a transport link established between Nazi-occupied Norway and the Shetland Islands during WW2, used to smuggle people (including SOE agents and refugees), arms and equipment in and out of the enemy territory – to be a truly fascinating part of Second World War history which isn’t talked about enough within historical fiction so it was exciting to see it play such an important role in Hedda’s story.

I also can't review without giving a nod of appreciation to the beautiful cover art. The imagery and colour palette were perfectly chosen.

Overall, The Girl From Norway is a fantastic piece of World War Two fiction and perfect for fans of the genre and anyone who likes a good spy mystery. Hedda and Bill’s story is endearing and truly moving and I was hooked from cover to cover.

Review: Secret Sister by Sophie McKenzie*

  *I received a copy of this book in eBook format via NetGalley in return for this review. All reviews published on Yours, Chloe are completely honest and my own, and are in now way influenced by the gifting opportunity.

Title: Secret Sister
Author: Sophie McKenzie
Genre: YA Crime Thriller

Trigger warnings:  Car Accident, Cult, Death Of A Parent, Kidnapping

Rating: ★★★★  

Two sisters, two very different lives: the next edge-of-your-seat thriller by Sophie McKenzie, author of the bestselling, Girl Missing.

Asha has spent her life on an island community built on the principle of truth. But she discovers she has been lied to about something huge – a secret sister called Willow.

Willow has always believed her twin sister died years ago. So when she receives a message in the middle of the night from a girl claiming to be Asha, she doesn’t know what to think.

Can they piece together the truth about their pasts and find their way back to each other?

Secret Sister is the latest YA novel from the Queen of teen thrillers Sophie McKenzie. It’s told through a dual-perspective narrative, sharing the perspectives of both Asha and Willow, twins separated as toddlers.

The story had me gripped from the very beginning, even as an adult reader. It is very well-paced and packed full of tension and drama, making it a fantastic YA crime thriller for teen and adult readers alike. Although Secret Sister exists in the same universe as the Girl, Missing series, the links felt tenuous so the story felt like more of a standalone book and could easily be read as one.

The cult-like island community Asha lives on was very carefully crafted and had me hooked. With a storyline involving this community and kidnapping, Sophie McKenzie has definitely continued her record of not shying away from hard-hitting topics in her YA fiction but, as always, she explores them in a way which feels age-appropriate to the target audience. This makes her books the perfect introduction to the world of crime thrillers for young readers.

One of my favourite things about Sophie McKenzie’s books is that she writes authentic teenage characters. This was particularly captured by her portrayal of the self-confidence issues that are so common in teenagers, particularly surrounding their appearance. Both Asha and Willow were very well written, strong, determined female characters with strong voices who will be relatable to teenage readers. I also appreciated the blended family representation as it’s so important that young people see themselves and their family type represented in the fiction they are reading. I would have liked a slightly more in-depth exploration of Asha and Willow’s experiences getting to know the sister they didn’t know they had/thought they had lost but do appreciate that this may not have fitted in with the tense, high-action plotline very well.

I did find that the resolution of the story felt rushed and anti-climatic as a result. It would definitely have been more impactful to drag out the tension by a few more chapters. I do also think it would have been nice to have a more depth exploration of some of the other members of the island community. They were all ultimately very complicit in the illegal actions of the main antagonists of the story but this wasn’t explored in any major depth, which I thought was a shame as it could have been a really interesting plot point.

Overall, Secret Sister is a good YA crime thriller novel which will be enjoyed by teenage readers. I’m excited at the prospect this has of introducing a whole new generation to the world of Sophie McKenzie’s writing. I hope they enjoy it as much as we did.

I wanted to end this review by saying that the opportunity to read and review a new Sophie McKenzie book made me quite emotional as her books are so nostalgic for me. Her ‘Girl, Missing’ series was a favourite of teenage Chloe and still holds a special place in my heart (and on my bookshelf). It was the first book series which really had me completely enthralled and the first novels that I read in single sittings. I remember taking the first book out of the school library one day, reading it in one sitting that evening and running back to the library at lunchtime the following day to take out the rest of the series. Sophie McKenzie’s writing is so special to me for this reason and I want to thank her and Simon & Schuster for this reviewing opportunity.

Review: The Air Raid Book Club by Annie Lyons*

 *I received a copy of this book in eBook format via NetGalley in return for this review. All reviews published on Yours, Chloe are completely honest and my own, and are in now way influenced by the gifting opportunity.

Title: The Air Raid Book Club
Author: Annie Lyons
Genre: Historical Fiction

Trigger warnings:  Death Of A Spouse, War, Antisemitism, Miscarriages

Rating: ★★★★★

 As the bombs began to fall, the book club kept their hopes alive...

London, 1938. Bookseller Gertie Bingham is facing difficult times, having just lost her beloved husband, Harry, and with a lingering sadness at never having been able to have a child of her own. Struggling to face running the bookshop she and Harry opened together, Gertie is preparing to sell up and move away when she is asked if she would be willing to take in a young Jewish refugee from Germany. Gertie is unsure and when sullen teenager Hedy Fischer arrives, Gertie fears she has nothing left to give the troubled girl.

But when the German bombers come and the lights go out over London, Gertie and Hedy realise that joining forces will make them stronger, and that books have the power to bring young and old together and unite a community in need in its darkest hour...

The Air Raid Book Club is the latest novel from USA Today bestselling author Annie Lyons and her first venture into the world of historical fiction. It is a powerful story of friendship, fortitude, found family, community and - at the heart of everything - the power of books.

At the heart of this story is an ode to the power of literature. Chapters start with a quote from a famous novel or author and the plot is centred around how books can connect communities and bring joy in even the darkest of times. The prologue shares a beautiful bibliophilic romance with Gertie meeting her future husband Harry in her family-run bookshop and the couple bonding (and ultimately falling in love) over their shared love of books. This bookish love story is later mirrored when one of the young booksellers working at Bingham Books starts a romance with a local publisher’s representative. Each chapter is filled with characters having lively discussions about the latest books they have been reading and it is these books which provide a bit of light against the darkness of Blitz-torn London. The story even has a dog called Hemingway! As a bookworm, the entire novel felt like a big hug (even if it did tear at my heartstrings on several occasions) and it was so clear that this was all inspired by the author’s own love for literature.

Alongside the story of the bookshop, the novel also tells the story of Hedy, a German Jewish teenager who leaves Germany on the Kindertransport and is taken in by Gertie. Although Kindertransport children have been featured in a range of other historical fiction novels, this is my first time reading a story focused on the German Jewish teenagers displaced by the war and this really set the novel apart from other works of a similar nature. I loved seeing the relationship between Hedy and Gertie develop over the course of the book, particularly through their initial bonding over a shared love of literature, and it was a beautiful example of the found family trope within historical fiction.

Annie Lyons writes incredible characters with such depth and heart to them. Even the eclectic range of background characters had well developed characterisation and I did find myself falling a little bit in love with the entire community of that small London borough. It would take me forever to go through all of the characters I connected with and why I loved them so much but, aside from Gertie and Hedy, a particular shoutout goes to Betty, Elizabeth, young Billy, Charles and the wonderful Uncle Thomas, the self-proclaimed oldest bookseller in London. It was also fantastic to see some LGBTQ+ representation within the story as this is so often missing from historical fiction.

Although an ultimately very heartwarming story, The Air Raid Book Club also covers more challenging subject-matter, particularly through its powerful exploration of grief. Gertie is grieving the loss of her beloved husband Harry and Hedy is processing the unknown fate of her family as they are persecuted by the Nazis for being Jewish. The story also covers Britian’s policy of internment during the Second World War, when tens of thousands of UK resident German and Austrians were suddenly classed as ‘enemy aliens’ and faced internment. This is an aspect of Second World War history we often see crucially missed out of historical fiction, with most stories simply sharing refugees coming to the UK from occupied Europe and immediately being able to settle here without question, so it was wonderful to see this explored so powerfully within the story.

The story is slower-paced at times but I think this actually really worked to capture the everyday mundanity of life for those on the Homefront over the six years of the war. This does make it a lighter read compared to other Second World War historical fiction books but I don’t think this takes away from the value of the book at all, it’s just something to be mindful of if you tend to prefer action-packed fast-paced war novels.

Overall, The Air Raid Book Club is a powerful and moving story which beautifully captures the importance of books and their power to connect communities. I can’t help but think it would make the most wonderful TV series or film and I was completely enchanted by the story and the characters alike. It is truly astonishing that this is Annie Lyons’ first historical fiction novel and I really do hope we see her work more in the genre in the future. This is a must-read for both fans of historical fiction and anyone who likes books about books. Is it too soon for me to read it again?

Review: Safiyyah's War by Hiba Noor Khan*

  *I received a copy of this book in eBook format via NetGalley in return for this review. All reviews published on Yours, Chloe are completely honest and my own, and are in now way influenced by the gifting opportunity.

Title: Safiyyah's War
Author: Hiba Noor Khan
Genre: Middle Grade Historical Fiction

Trigger warnings:  War, Antisemitism, 

Rating: ★★★★★

War comes to the streets of Paris and Safiyyah’s life changes for ever.

Her best friend’s family have fled, and the bombing makes her afraid to leave the mosque where she lives. But when her father is arrested by the Nazis for his secret Resistance work, it falls to Safiyyah to run the dangerous errands around the city.

It’s not long before hundreds of persecuted Jews seek sanctuary at the mosque. Can Safiyyah find the courage to enter the treacherous catacombs under Paris and lead the Jews to safety?

Safiyyah’s War is a beautiful and touching story of resistance, bravery, family and community from author Hiba Noor Khan.

Prior to reading Safiyyah’s War, I was not aware of the heroic actions of the Muslim community of Paris during the Nazi occupation in supporting resistance work and protecting Jews from persecution. It’s an area of history which is nowhere near talked about enough as it should be so it’s fantastic to see their actions memorialised in a book.

Hiba Noor Khan is a truly gifted writer and a standout author within middle grade/children’s fiction.  Her magical story telling ability has crafted a gripping a well-paced narrative which will engage both young and adult readers alike and the vivid descriptive language truly made 1940s Paris come alive on the page.

Safiyyah is a beautifully written character with such depth to her character despite her young age. She was an authentically written young character whose bravery will inspire generations of young people.

This middle grade book needs to be in every school library and added into every World War Two history curriculum. Although it’s a middle grade story it’s also a must a read book for adult readers who will equally take so much from the story. It is a moving story which will stay with readers for a long time.