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4.38 AVERAGE
4.38 AVERAGE
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Loveable characters:
Yes
I absolutely loved this one! Amelie was a fantastic character and I loved the tension between her and Finn. This storyline was adventurous, romantic, and suspenseful. I would have loved it to be even longer than it was! I read a lot of WW2 fiction, but this one was unique with the Hollywood storyline and Amelie traveling back home to Sweden. A lot of WW2 novels take place in Germany or France or America. This one was a different setting than I have read before!
I’m so glad I was lucky enough to read the eARC of this book via #netgallery.
The Starlet Spy is the second book I’ve read from this author and I enjoyed just as much as the first. And isn’t this cover gorgeous? I love World War II historical fiction. This book dives right into the action as Amelie Blake is quickly immersed in her role as a spy and used to help in the war effort. The Swedish background was an enjoyable setting. Secrets and lies with many plot twists abound and I was turning pages quickly to see what would happen. Finn and Amelie would be thrown together in a lot of circumstances. (One of my favorites was when Amelie told him of their first encounter.) The author’s notes were wonderful. I appreciated the historical facts the author was able to work in the story. I will happily read another book from this author!
First of all--that cover!!! LOVE! It actually reads a bit more Roaring Twenties than the 1940s to me, but I am totally not complaining, haha. Absolutely beautiful.
Secondly, the book itself. Fantastic! I knew I was in for a treat between the author and the book series: this is the fifth of seven by McDaniel, and all have been five stars to date--same with this one. And, I've read all ten (!!) in the _Heroines of WWII_ series prior (though, as ever, they are each standalone and do not require reading in order) and have enjoyed them all.
Finn was a bit of a slow-burn hero for me, but he definitely won me over by about the halfway point; Amelie was always entertaining, and I literally LOLed at times as she played her role even outside Hollywood. It was so interesting to learn about how actors/actresses may have been involved in the war efforts during that time, too!
The plot is full of adventure, twists, and turns, and I was definitely caught by surprise (also in a good way) at the climax and denouement. The faith element was well done, too!
I found the author's note super informative, and definitely recommend reading it for more on McDaniel's writing experience and all of the history she brought into the book. Truly fascinating!
I received an eARC of the book from the publisher via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.
Secondly, the book itself. Fantastic! I knew I was in for a treat between the author and the book series: this is the fifth of seven by McDaniel, and all have been five stars to date--same with this one. And, I've read all ten (!!) in the _Heroines of WWII_ series prior (though, as ever, they are each standalone and do not require reading in order) and have enjoyed them all.
Finn was a bit of a slow-burn hero for me, but he definitely won me over by about the halfway point; Amelie was always entertaining, and I literally LOLed at times as she played her role even outside Hollywood. It was so interesting to learn about how actors/actresses may have been involved in the war efforts during that time, too!
The plot is full of adventure, twists, and turns, and I was definitely caught by surprise (also in a good way) at the climax and denouement. The faith element was well done, too!
I found the author's note super informative, and definitely recommend reading it for more on McDaniel's writing experience and all of the history she brought into the book. Truly fascinating!
I received an eARC of the book from the publisher via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.
It's 1943. A Hollywood bigwig approaches Hollywood star Amelie Blake with an offer to play the lead role in his upcoming film--with a catch. He actually wants to recruit her to spy. The United States Office of Strategic Services (OSS) needs someone to infiltrate the Swedish elite. Amelie is regarded as a ditzy blonde, as that's the sort of role she often played. Her mission is to find crucial documents, but rich shipping magnate Finn Ristaffason gets in her way at every turn. The Germans have invaded, and anyone could be a spy, a German informer, or a freedom fighter. How can she tell the difference?
It was slower moving than I expected, but a huge plus for me was the total absence of graphic rape-threats and suchlike that too many of these tales seem to have to feature. (I know it happened. I don't need to read fiction about it.) I liked Amelie, who tries to navigate this tense, dangerous world with her morals intact. Interesting read.
It was slower moving than I expected, but a huge plus for me was the total absence of graphic rape-threats and suchlike that too many of these tales seem to have to feature. (I know it happened. I don't need to read fiction about it.) I liked Amelie, who tries to navigate this tense, dangerous world with her morals intact. Interesting read.
I NEVER miss a book by Rachel McDaniel. She has quickly become an absolute favorite of mine. I love her stories. I really enjoyed this book. The setup with an actress becoming a spy was a fun one and I was definitely guessing throughout the story. Great read!
adventurous
emotional
funny
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
The Starlet Spy by Rachel Scott McDaniel is one of many Heroines of WWII books written by various authors.
Amelie Blake is a Hollywood bombshell turned OSS spy seeking the vital manuscript of infamous physicist Niels Bohr. Who would ever suspect the “less than brilliant” starlet? Which, of course, is only the roles she plays in her movies. In reality, Amelie has a sharp mind and quick wit which she uses when she encounters Finn, a mysterious man from her past.
This book had a wonderful premise, but it dragged along at times, and there were entire portions of the book where the actual mystery felt like a side plot instead of the main reason for the book. The character of Amelie felt unfinished. The premise for her character was excellent, but her character description and capabilities were rarely highlighted in the actual solving of the mystery. I did find her sarcastic, self-deprecating inner dialogue amusing. However, the reveal of her “past” with Finn was just not at all what I was expecting and felt superficial and immature.
This book just didn’t work for me. I am sure there are many who will disagree with me and find this book enjoyable.
Thank you NetGalley and Barbour Publishing for an advanced ecopy to honestly read and review. All opinions are my own. Publication date was August 1, 2023.
Amelie Blake is a Hollywood bombshell turned OSS spy seeking the vital manuscript of infamous physicist Niels Bohr. Who would ever suspect the “less than brilliant” starlet? Which, of course, is only the roles she plays in her movies. In reality, Amelie has a sharp mind and quick wit which she uses when she encounters Finn, a mysterious man from her past.
This book had a wonderful premise, but it dragged along at times, and there were entire portions of the book where the actual mystery felt like a side plot instead of the main reason for the book. The character of Amelie felt unfinished. The premise for her character was excellent, but her character description and capabilities were rarely highlighted in the actual solving of the mystery. I did find her sarcastic, self-deprecating inner dialogue amusing. However, the reveal of her “past” with Finn was just not at all what I was expecting and felt superficial and immature.
This book just didn’t work for me. I am sure there are many who will disagree with me and find this book enjoyable.
Thank you NetGalley and Barbour Publishing for an advanced ecopy to honestly read and review. All opinions are my own. Publication date was August 1, 2023.
WW2? yep. Spies? yep. Hollywood glamor? Yep. Sweden and the secrecy around its involvement during the war with getting famous Jewish scientists into its country? Yep.
This new offering from the fabulous [a:Rachel Scott McDaniel|19531612|Rachel Scott McDaniel|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1568715958p2/19531612.jpg] has the markings of a book I'd pick up in a heartbeat. The cover is so swanky! I loved that this book was written in the 1st person narrative with Amelie's thoughts and actions. I feel that helped the book since she is supposed to be pretending to be a certain persona.
Also, her "secret gift"? I LOVE learning about that skill! It's fascinating to me. I loved how it even comes to play in one of the end scenes--not how I imagined it would be.
Amelie and Finn have a great story that stays interesting the whole book. For the record I TOTALLY caught the double meaning of one of the character's words in the middle of the book--so I was NOT surprised by the ending. LOL. I was happy to be correct.
this is a solid book and I recommend it to anyone who loves the topic of WW2, spies, and Hollywood!
Happy to give it 4 solid stars!
**I received this book from NetGalley and was not required to write a positive review. All opinions are 100% my own!
This new offering from the fabulous [a:Rachel Scott McDaniel|19531612|Rachel Scott McDaniel|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1568715958p2/19531612.jpg] has the markings of a book I'd pick up in a heartbeat. The cover is so swanky! I loved that this book was written in the 1st person narrative with Amelie's thoughts and actions. I feel that helped the book since she is supposed to be pretending to be a certain persona.
Also, her "secret gift"? I LOVE learning about that skill! It's fascinating to me. I loved how it even comes to play in one of the end scenes--not how I imagined it would be.
Amelie and Finn have a great story that stays interesting the whole book. For the record I TOTALLY caught the double meaning of one of the character's words in the middle of the book--so I was NOT surprised by the ending. LOL. I was happy to be correct.
this is a solid book and I recommend it to anyone who loves the topic of WW2, spies, and Hollywood!
Happy to give it 4 solid stars!
**I received this book from NetGalley and was not required to write a positive review. All opinions are 100% my own!