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3.89 AVERAGE
3.89 AVERAGE
3.5 rounded up
This was a fresh take on the dual timeline WWII historical fiction genre. Full of dark family secrets, misunderstandings and espionage. I loved how this story grabbed me from the start trying to solve the family mystery of the black sheep thought to be a Nazi collaborator.
Caroline grew up hearing stories about her great aunt who was judged to be a traitor during WWII, but was that the real story?? When an old flame approaches her with a story he's writing, the two team up to dig into the past, uncovering truths long buried.
Great on audio, narrated by Madeleine Maby, this is perfect for fans of Natasha Lester or Kelly Rimmer. Much thanks to NetGalley for my advance review copy.
This was a fresh take on the dual timeline WWII historical fiction genre. Full of dark family secrets, misunderstandings and espionage. I loved how this story grabbed me from the start trying to solve the family mystery of the black sheep thought to be a Nazi collaborator.
Caroline grew up hearing stories about her great aunt who was judged to be a traitor during WWII, but was that the real story?? When an old flame approaches her with a story he's writing, the two team up to dig into the past, uncovering truths long buried.
Great on audio, narrated by Madeleine Maby, this is perfect for fans of Natasha Lester or Kelly Rimmer. Much thanks to NetGalley for my advance review copy.
adventurous
emotional
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Solid historical fiction. Loved the string female characters.
I've seen nothing but rave reviews for this book, so I was expecting it to really blow my socks off. It didn't. In fact, it turned out to be just an okay read for me. Here's what I liked:
- It has an intriguing people-in-the-present-digging-into-the-past premise, the kind that always appeals to me.
- The characters are likable and sympathetic.
- It's a clean read with no graphic language, violence, or sex.
- It's a fast, easy read with a hopeful, mostly happy ending.
Here's what bugged:
- The characters—both past and present—don't exactly leap off the page. They're pretty bland.
- The past story is presented through a series of letters. And not very exciting ones at that. Because of this, that storyline is a lot duller than it should have been. I would have preferred more of a traditional dual-timeline setup, where I felt like I was right inside the action. That would have made for a more compelling read. The letters just made me feel removed from the most interesting aspects of the story.
- Neither of the romances in the book are at all spark-y. Where's the love?
- I kept expecting some big twists or something to create a bit of suspense or tension and that never really happened. It was always pretty obvious where the story was headed. I would have liked more mystery.
All considered, I thought THE LONDON HOUSE was just okay. I definitely went into it expecting something more engrossing, more complex, and more suspenseful. I didn't think I would be bored by it, but I was. Bummer.
- It has an intriguing people-in-the-present-digging-into-the-past premise, the kind that always appeals to me.
- The characters are likable and sympathetic.
- It's a clean read with no graphic language, violence, or sex.
- It's a fast, easy read with a hopeful, mostly happy ending.
Here's what bugged:
- The characters—both past and present—don't exactly leap off the page. They're pretty bland.
- The past story is presented through a series of letters. And not very exciting ones at that. Because of this, that storyline is a lot duller than it should have been. I would have preferred more of a traditional dual-timeline setup, where I felt like I was right inside the action. That would have made for a more compelling read. The letters just made me feel removed from the most interesting aspects of the story.
- Neither of the romances in the book are at all spark-y. Where's the love?
- I kept expecting some big twists or something to create a bit of suspense or tension and that never really happened. It was always pretty obvious where the story was headed. I would have liked more mystery.
All considered, I thought THE LONDON HOUSE was just okay. I definitely went into it expecting something more engrossing, more complex, and more suspenseful. I didn't think I would be bored by it, but I was. Bummer.
78 pages in and I was bored. However I did learn a lot about fashion designer Elsa schiaparelli and the Lobster Dress. This book was mostly letters written in the past. Very long letters.....
Entertaining! I enjoy documentaries where people try to recreate the past through letters & journal entries, so I enjoyed this story of discovery.
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
The London House was well-crafted. There is such a good balance of both the exploration of relationships and the delving into history that gives it strength. This is a story of generations, and the impact of hiding the truth, gathering clues and deciphering the past. Caroline, when confronted with a truth about her family’s past seeks out why and hat has been covered up for so long. Did her friend Mat really uncover the right story? Did her great-aunt have an affair with a Nazi soldier and defect to Germany during WWII? Why is her father so against on uncovering anything in their family’s history? Caroline travels to London to trace her roots and uncover as many paths that her family had left generations before.
This book was about the lives of two distinctly different Carolines, and yet there were so many similarities between Caroline and her namesake aunt. It was as much a search for historical answers as it was about Caroline finding herself and her place in her family. It was also refreshing to see the positive portrayal of women in in the war years. There was such vividness in the descriptions of Paris, and the Schiaparelli fashion house added a certain glitz and glamour to the depressive trauma of a war riddles Paris. The London house itself, Caroline’s family home, was so interesting, and the way in which we are introduced to it, and the renovations undertaken by Caroline’s mother gave it such a grandiose feel.
This book was about the lives of two distinctly different Carolines, and yet there were so many similarities between Caroline and her namesake aunt. It was as much a search for historical answers as it was about Caroline finding herself and her place in her family. It was also refreshing to see the positive portrayal of women in in the war years. There was such vividness in the descriptions of Paris, and the Schiaparelli fashion house added a certain glitz and glamour to the depressive trauma of a war riddles Paris. The London house itself, Caroline’s family home, was so interesting, and the way in which we are introduced to it, and the renovations undertaken by Caroline’s mother gave it such a grandiose feel.
Interesting plot with a moving storyline. I did feel the character development was a bit lacking, especially in the relationship side of things. It felt really stretched to have Mat suddenly be so devoted to Caroline through a lot of deep emotional waters. Perhaps attempting to develop a new relationship isn't best done while across the ocean from each other and struggling to work through one's identity and family history and neglect. Worth the read, it just felt like it slogged along at times.