Reviews

The Jeweler of Stolen Dreams by M.J. Rose

rainelle_barrett's review against another edition

5.0

Wow! I really loved this book. From the beginning the story setup held my imagination. The writing is very brilliant. In the story each characters shared their journey through the years. The story is a page turner and a great read.
I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.

suey_library's review against another edition

4.0

I will be the first one to admit, I did not know how much I missed reading Historical Fiction until diving into The Jeweler of Stolen Dreams by MJ Rose. This definitely lived up to the expectation when I read the synopsis and I enjoyed it immensely.

When it comes to Historical Fiction, I am all for an unrealistic world building but this, this felt so real. The entire storyline, the timeframe and the interactions made it seem like this was actually happen. The historical research that was collapsed with the more fiction aspects were so well written - the hint of paranormal added so much more subtle entertainment. Of course, no surprise my favorite historical world are based in WWII, so the political push and pull of Suzanne with how it impacted Violine. Just obsessed.

Overall, I loved it! I also did not realize this was a series, though The Jeweler of Stolen Dreams can be read as a standalone, I am definitely going to go back and read the others in the series! The writing style was just perfect. Dare I say that MJ Rose is going to be sitting next to my Kate Quinn Historical Fiction obsession. I love finding new authors who write woman with such passion, relatability, and humbled that you just become transfixed as reader. Chef's Kiss!

***Received an Advanced Copy through GedRedPR in exchange for an honest review.***

freyanightwolf's review against another edition

3.0

I received an ARC through Netgalley, for an honest review.

This is something different from my day-to-day reading and I enjoyed it. I liked how the historical facts intertwined with the fiction of this story. My favorite part was the paranormal of this story. Violine's gift to see the truth behind objects, their history, and what happened to the people who possessed them, it's not an easy gift.

Suzanne Belperron's story is exquisite, and there's clearly really detailed research. This woman was a survivor and she fought with every fiber in her. I like how these two timelines are presented, and also you can see the differences between these two periods.

Great mystery throughout the plot, a secret society, a paranormal gift, the '80s vs WW2, amazing background research, love, and great characters.

blovesbooks80's review

mysterious slow-paced

3.0

jcwlib's review

adventurous inspiring mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.75

dual timeline historical fiction focused on mysterious jewels found in a hidden compartment. I enjoyed the strong female characters and the overall mystery.

lizsbookreviews21's review against another edition

medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

I loved Suzanne’s chapters the most, soley because of all the dramatics and how we got to get a glimpse of living in Paris while the Nazi’s had control of it. It did have a twist that you don’t find out until the very end, but you can  start to make the connections pretty early on

shawnna_reads2's review

emotional hopeful tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.5

naialana's review

emotional inspiring mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? N/A
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.5

terriep's review

adventurous emotional inspiring mysterious sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.5

Thanks to #netgalley & #blueboxpress for this advance copy and the opinions are entirely my own.
Since the plot is well outlined in the blurb, I won't rehash it here. 

This book started a little slowly for me but after a couple chapters I was entranced. It's been a while since I read a WWII story, and even though the technique of two timelines is common in WWII stories, it worked well with this book.

There were a few places where I lost the family connections between the characters but that may be my failing more than the author's.  I absolutely loved the two main characters - told mostly in first person by Violine but with inserts of Suzanne's meticulous journals. Those two women are fierce in their beliefs, and are shown to be strong in the face of their fears.

Although I enjoyed Violine's part of the story with the touch of magic/paranormal ability that allows her to feel stories, I preferred Suzanne's story. To me it had more substance, more drama, and the writing is so vivid and evocative, I felt I was right there in her studio and beside her as she worked with the resistance and shared her fears when her lover is arrested. Truly outstanding writing.

I heartily recommend this book for readers that like a solid historical fiction story, who enjoy fiction based on real people and events, and who want to read about women who overcome difficult circumstances. This would be an excellent book club selection. 

anndudzinski's review

adventurous informative mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? N/A
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

I’m always excited when M.J. Rose has a new book coming out.  I became a fan when I read The Reincarnationist because I love the way Rose blends fact with fiction, bringing famous or little known characters to life, with a twist of magic.  Magic and great historical fiction?  How can I say no?

Here’s the blurb:  1986: Violine Duplessy accepts a commission from Senate-hopeful Paul Osgood to appraise and auction off furniture from his home.  Among his possessions is a Louis Vuitton steamer trunk that belonged to his aunt.  Violine finds a secret compartment in the trunk, filled with valuable jewelry whose provenance concerns Violine.  What she doesn’t disclose is her gift of psychometry, the ability to tell an object’s history simply by touching it.  She views this gift more as a curse, since it’s caused tragedy in her life that she’s still recovering from.  Regardless of where her knowledge comes from, she knows she needs to confirm that the jewels weren’t stolen, leading her and Paul on a hunt through Paris, where they might stir up secrets best kept buried.

1942:  Despite the Nazi occupation of Paris, Suzanne Balperron has managed to keep her jewelry studio open and her resistance work quiet.  With her friend Dixie Osgood, she collects and sells jewelry donated by Jewish families trying to raise funds to flee from France.  The most dangerous part of the work is undertaken by Dixie, until Suzanne’s lover and business partner is arrested and she must determine just how much she’ll risk to save him.

Two historical fiction timelines - I can’t ask for much more.  Granted, the 1980s timeline could have been set in just about any time period, except that it made a lot more sense for people who had actually lived through WWII to still be alive and active in business.  I loved that aspect of this book since in the 80s, I was too young to pay attention to anyone who had lived through the second World War.  From New York, to Paris, to the South of France, this book covered almost all of my favorite places to read about.  The facts of Suzanne Balperron’s life are so seamlessly blended with the fictional aspects, I didn’t question anything (but do want to learn more about her and will probably try to find one of the memoirs listed as a resource.)  The powers passed down through Violine’s family are also really well done and, frankly, intriguing.  One of my biggest gripes in “witchy” literature is how inherent powers aren’t well presented.  There was none of that here.  As always in Rose’s work, the occult aspects are naturally woven into the storyline.

My one complaint, if you could call it that, is that the denouement felt rushed.  While I’d guessed the antagonist beforehand, it wasn’t really revealed - merely mentioned in passing as if there was a conversation that had been edited out.  I would have liked a bit more punch from the ending and I still had a few questions about the emphasis on French privacy laws; although, that could just have been me not picking something up.

Overall, a great read and if you’re not familiar with the author, this is a good book to start with.