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A review by herreadingroom
The Hidden Palace by Dinah Jefferies
4.0
The Hidden Palace is the second book in the Daughters of War trilogy and is set in a dual timeline spanning from Malta in 1925 to Devon, England in 1944.
In Malta we follow the story of Rosalie Delacroix who flees from 1920s Paris and the strict control of her parents to fulfil her dreams of becoming a dancer. In Devon the book picks up the story of Florence Baudin from where the first book in the series, Daughters of War, ended. Florence has fled war torn France after discovering a secret about her heritage that could put her life in danger and so escapes to the relative safety of England. It is here that her mother, Claudette, makes an impassioned plea to Florence to help her to find her missing sister Rosalie so that she can make amends for a wrong she feels she has done to her in the past.
This is a lovely, easy read that sweeps you off your feet and carries you away with it. It’s total escapism, romantically evocative and leaves you with a nice rosy glow.
I had read the first book in this series which gave me an added perspective but this book works perfectly well as a standalone. There are clearly several strands left dangling at the end in preparation for the final book in the trilogy, but equally if you didn’t want to continue with the next book you will feel this one has been left in a good place.
Fans of historical and romantic fiction will absolutely love this book. Dinah Jefferies has worked her magic again!
In Malta we follow the story of Rosalie Delacroix who flees from 1920s Paris and the strict control of her parents to fulfil her dreams of becoming a dancer. In Devon the book picks up the story of Florence Baudin from where the first book in the series, Daughters of War, ended. Florence has fled war torn France after discovering a secret about her heritage that could put her life in danger and so escapes to the relative safety of England. It is here that her mother, Claudette, makes an impassioned plea to Florence to help her to find her missing sister Rosalie so that she can make amends for a wrong she feels she has done to her in the past.
This is a lovely, easy read that sweeps you off your feet and carries you away with it. It’s total escapism, romantically evocative and leaves you with a nice rosy glow.
I had read the first book in this series which gave me an added perspective but this book works perfectly well as a standalone. There are clearly several strands left dangling at the end in preparation for the final book in the trilogy, but equally if you didn’t want to continue with the next book you will feel this one has been left in a good place.
Fans of historical and romantic fiction will absolutely love this book. Dinah Jefferies has worked her magic again!