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4.38 AVERAGE
4.38 AVERAGE
Exceptional.
A very decent length but well worth reading this immersive tale.
A very decent length but well worth reading this immersive tale.
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
emotional
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:
Yes
Absolutely exceptional
I cannot begin to express how much I absolutely adored this book. I'm not normally a fan of historical romance books but this grabbed me completely and utterly.
Mila was just everything, from the swagger and the confidence to the vulnerable and yearning child within who wanted nothing more than to belong. I found myself riding the highs and lows with her, feeling for her completely. Cissie was wonderfully infuriating and clueless but ultimately in the end completely devoted.
I found myself going from laughing out loud to crying while reading this book. It was one of those books that you want to devour as quickly as possible but at the same time you know you are reading something so great it should be savoured. Jo's writing is poetic and stunning I became so lost in this book and this spectacular cast of characters. Their journey is chaotic and beautiful. This has firmly made its way into my all time favourite list. I cannot wait until Jo brings out more books
I cannot begin to express how much I absolutely adored this book. I'm not normally a fan of historical romance books but this grabbed me completely and utterly.
Mila was just everything, from the swagger and the confidence to the vulnerable and yearning child within who wanted nothing more than to belong. I found myself riding the highs and lows with her, feeling for her completely. Cissie was wonderfully infuriating and clueless but ultimately in the end completely devoted.
I found myself going from laughing out loud to crying while reading this book. It was one of those books that you want to devour as quickly as possible but at the same time you know you are reading something so great it should be savoured. Jo's writing is poetic and stunning I became so lost in this book and this spectacular cast of characters. Their journey is chaotic and beautiful. This has firmly made its way into my all time favourite list. I cannot wait until Jo brings out more books
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
inspiring
sad
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
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
emotional
hopeful
tense
medium-paced
Content Warnings
Graphic: Homophobia, Mental illness, Antisemitism
Moderate: Confinement, Drug use, Physical abuse
Minor: Misogyny, Violence, War
adventurous
emotional
funny
inspiring
mysterious
slow-paced
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Does Jo Haven realize her own breathtaking skill as a storyteller? That's hard to say. I'd imagine she knows she's talented, but looking at the unpretentious way she weaves literary narrative into her sweet, genuine love story, I'd say her humility equals her talent.
And she is a *very* talented storyteller.
Jo's characters are truly alive, and her flavorful narrative brings to life the colors and smells of the 1930s in a way rarely found in the pages of a romance novel. She invites you to Berlin on the eve of the Second World War, where you will soak in the cheerful streets and fast nightlife amidst the growing menace of the Third Reich. Events of global importance, milestones of the coming apocalypse, are glimpsed numbly from inside the Nessian's champagne-soaked world of denial. You watch with growing tension, knowing full well what draws closer, as powerless to shake Mila and Jack awake as Cecelia is. Havens will take you to Paris, too, glittering and bright, and she paints a scene that feels obscene and wrong - the story's geniuses partying as the fires of global war are lit. She creates a paper-thin veneer of luxury, and you watch the vultures circling outside.
At its core, Berlin is a story of true love, through and through. It has everything I love - love at first sight, a hint of possessive ownership, the willingness to sacrifice everything for that person you love more than life itself. And found family, wrapped around your shoulders with a warm blanket.
And at the end of the day, it's a spy thriller, too - and it goes eyebrow-deep in scientific technicalities. Physics, astronomy, math that makes your head spin. Aviation, engineering, espionage - all researched with fathomless depth. When you add Jo's upmarket literary flair, delivered with effortlessness and modesty, you realize that you have been privileged enough to enjoy a truly exceptional book.
This is an historical romance, a spy thriller, a work of literary fiction thick enough to sink your teeth into and have a hard time pulling them back out.
Unparalleled detail. Skillful buildup of tension. A sweet, heartfelt romantic arc. Prose that's beautiful and singular and avoids self-adoration.
The literary world needs more authors like Jo Havens, and more work like Once in Berlin.
And she is a *very* talented storyteller.
Jo's characters are truly alive, and her flavorful narrative brings to life the colors and smells of the 1930s in a way rarely found in the pages of a romance novel. She invites you to Berlin on the eve of the Second World War, where you will soak in the cheerful streets and fast nightlife amidst the growing menace of the Third Reich. Events of global importance, milestones of the coming apocalypse, are glimpsed numbly from inside the Nessian's champagne-soaked world of denial. You watch with growing tension, knowing full well what draws closer, as powerless to shake Mila and Jack awake as Cecelia is. Havens will take you to Paris, too, glittering and bright, and she paints a scene that feels obscene and wrong - the story's geniuses partying as the fires of global war are lit. She creates a paper-thin veneer of luxury, and you watch the vultures circling outside.
At its core, Berlin is a story of true love, through and through. It has everything I love - love at first sight, a hint of possessive ownership, the willingness to sacrifice everything for that person you love more than life itself. And found family, wrapped around your shoulders with a warm blanket.
And at the end of the day, it's a spy thriller, too - and it goes eyebrow-deep in scientific technicalities. Physics, astronomy, math that makes your head spin. Aviation, engineering, espionage - all researched with fathomless depth. When you add Jo's upmarket literary flair, delivered with effortlessness and modesty, you realize that you have been privileged enough to enjoy a truly exceptional book.
This is an historical romance, a spy thriller, a work of literary fiction thick enough to sink your teeth into and have a hard time pulling them back out.
Unparalleled detail. Skillful buildup of tension. A sweet, heartfelt romantic arc. Prose that's beautiful and singular and avoids self-adoration.
The literary world needs more authors like Jo Havens, and more work like Once in Berlin.