You need to sign in or sign up before continuing.
Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.97 AVERAGE
3.97 AVERAGE
A great read. So many compelling characters, interesting story and good writing.
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
It felt like two separate books which I didn't really enjoy. The first half of the book taking place in occupied France was brilliant and I was very invested. However, the second half was not as good and i really struggled to finish it.
2.5 stars. This is a great story, but not a very well-written book. The back and forth changes in tense and point of view were exceptionally jarring and annoying, to be honest. Part 1 and Part 2 felt like two completely different books. Part 1 would get 4.5 stars, but Part 2 doesn't come anywhere near that. I get what the author was trying to do, but it was not done very well. There were parallels between the present and the past, but too many of them were of the "smack you in the face" variety and the gratuitous sex scenes felt forced and pointless. They could have been handled much more gracefully.
So, even though I enjoyed the story, I didn't really enjoy the book. It's a shame - could have been great!
So, even though I enjoyed the story, I didn't really enjoy the book. It's a shame - could have been great!
Loved how the storyline was unpredictable. Right until the last page, I did not know what to expect. It's more than a love story. It's a story that explores the core of the human heart, and how far are you willing to go for your dreams and your love.
I loved it. It brought out emotions in me. And that's what I love about any book. I loved the twists and how two different stories from different eras can intertwine. I really didn't see certain things coming. Very exciting book. I was skeptical at first but i was pleased in the end.
This is the story of Sophie Lefrevre during World War I. The Germans have invaded France, and her husband has been taken off to fight. She moves to a small town to help her sister and her sister's children and run their families hotel and restaurant. The German Kommandant has taken a liking to Sophie and a painting she has kept in her house. It is a painting her husband - an artist - did of her before he left. She goes down a dangerous road with this Kommandant in the hopes she can save her husband, and it leads to her being sent away from her sister.
The other main character in this story is Liv Halston. In Liv's house hangs this painting of Sophie. She and her husband bought it while on their honeymoon. Now that Liv's husband has past away, she has become attached to the one last thing that reminds her of her husband. It has been several years since he has done, and a chance meeting of a new guy who brought life to Liv once again leads to trouble with the painting.
This book has its good parts, but the parts with Liv just drove me crazy. The story of WWI and Sophie and her family and their struggles to survive while the Germans were stripping them of everything they own, was well told and intriguing. The story of Liv just didn't make much sense. She was extremely attached to this painting and when the family comes looking for it - because it was thought to be stolen by the Germans in 1919 - she has a fit and doesn't want to give it up. She ends up having to sell her house and uses almost all of her money over a painting she bought for $300 10 years ago.
While I understood in the end a BIT where she was coming from, the reality of this is - if you have a painting in your house that was stolen by Germans from people who were held captive and you had a chance to give it back.....you give it back. This part of the story just made me roll my eyes one too many times to make me recommend this book. IT is a shame, really, because like I said - the parts about Sophie were really good.
The other main character in this story is Liv Halston. In Liv's house hangs this painting of Sophie. She and her husband bought it while on their honeymoon. Now that Liv's husband has past away, she has become attached to the one last thing that reminds her of her husband. It has been several years since he has done, and a chance meeting of a new guy who brought life to Liv once again leads to trouble with the painting.
This book has its good parts, but the parts with Liv just drove me crazy. The story of WWI and Sophie and her family and their struggles to survive while the Germans were stripping them of everything they own, was well told and intriguing. The story of Liv just didn't make much sense. She was extremely attached to this painting and when the family comes looking for it - because it was thought to be stolen by the Germans in 1919 - she has a fit and doesn't want to give it up. She ends up having to sell her house and uses almost all of her money over a painting she bought for $300 10 years ago.
While I understood in the end a BIT where she was coming from, the reality of this is - if you have a painting in your house that was stolen by Germans from people who were held captive and you had a chance to give it back.....you give it back. This part of the story just made me roll my eyes one too many times to make me recommend this book. IT is a shame, really, because like I said - the parts about Sophie were really good.
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
There are great books. And then there are great books that leave you feeling a certain way when you are done because you don’t really know how to go on without the characters. This book was the later for me. I was completely enthralled by every detail and the connection of past and present was superb. Really enjoyed and looking forward to reading more by this author.
4.5 Stars
Overall GREAT book, JoJo Moyes is amazing at scene building & character development. However the court scenes were drawn out for too long in my opinion but other than that I would recommend to others
Overall GREAT book, JoJo Moyes is amazing at scene building & character development. However the court scenes were drawn out for too long in my opinion but other than that I would recommend to others
emotional
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated