Monday, April 27, 2020

The Socialite

GIVEAWAY
CIESIELSKI, J'NELL
THE SOCIALITE

Glamour, treachery, and espionage collide when an English socialite rushes to save her sister from the Nazis.

As the daughter of Sir Alfred Whitford, Kat has a certain set of responsibilities. But chasing her wayward sister, Ellie, to Nazi-occupied Paris was never supposed to be one of them. Now accustomed to the luxurious lifestyle that her Nazi boyfriend provides, Ellie has no intention of going back to the shackled life their parents dictate for them -- but Kat will stop at nothing to bring her sister home.

Arrested for simply trying to defend himself against a drunken bully, Barrett Anderson is given the option of going to jail or serving out his sentence by training Resistance fighters in Paris. A bar owner serves as the perfect disguise to entertain Nazis at night while training fighters right below their jackboots during the day. Being assigned to watch over two English debutantes is the last thing he needs, but a payout from their father is too tempting to resist. Can Barrett and Kat trust each other long enough to survive, or will their hearts prove more traitorous than the dangers waiting around the corner?

My Review:

I'm always amazed at the different approaches various authors bring to one topic. I'm a huge fan of World War II fiction and I don't think I've ever come across a novel with this unique approach -- the war, in occupied France no less, from the perspective of the upper class. Displaced English socialites who get an up close and personal look at life among the Nazi elite in Paris. Fascinating and chilling.

There's such a disconnect -- especially for Ellie who is so self-centered that she's willing to look the other way while living out her fantasies with her Nazi lover. Have to say, I'm not a fan. I just wanted to smack her upside the head...a lot. :-) (And, if I was her sister, I'd have left her there and hightailed it back to England when the going was good.)

So, Ellie is the catalyst that sets a series of events in motion and brings Kat running to the rescue -- only little sis doesn't want to be rescued. Spoiled brat! Gah, but that girl had me fussing and fuming! (Can you tell? I've talked more about her than the main characters! Taking a deep breath and focusing cohesive reviewer thoughts.)

This is Kat and Barrett's (squeeaaalll -- we'll get to him in a sec.) story. She's the eldest daughter of nobility. She always does what is expected, tamps down her individuality in order to abide by her father's dictates. And then she meets Barrett in the middle of occupied France and he challenges her to start thinking for herself. To open her eyes and see what is happening around her. Their relationship is volatile. Charged with passion and clashing wills and blocked by a chasm of class distinction. An emotionally sucker-punch kind of romance.

And now we come to Barrett (giddy, fan-girling sigh.) A rakish Celt with a Scottish burr? Yes please! Kat might be the one of noble birth but Barrett is the noble one. He's overcome a lot in his life and now he's charged with extracting two spoiled rich girls out of Paris. What starts out as a mission turns into something so much more complicated. And makes for a compelling read.

This is another Thomas Nelson (Christian publisher) that doesn't have any faith content. I would definitely not categorize it as Christian Fiction. It is clean, though there are some pretty steamy kissing scenes and some graphic violence.

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

If you would like a chance to win a copy of  The Socialite leave a comment below or email me at kavluvstoreadATyahooDOTca. If you add an email to your comment, remember to use AT and DOT instead of @ and . in order to protect yourself from spammers. If you enter the draw via email, please add the title to the subject line so it's easy to spot your entry. Draw will be held and winner announced on Saturday May 2 2020 . Offer open to International Readers. Good luck

45 comments:

  1. I'm a fan of World War 11 fiction too, Kav. Count me in, please!

    ckbarker at gmail dot com

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Definitely one for your collection, Cheryl. Good luck!

      Delete
  2. I have been looking forward to this story since I read the authors fantastic debut last year. Your review has me even more excited for this one!

    ecriggs1990(at)aol(dot)com

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I've only read one of her other books but I'll definitely look for more. Good luck, Liz!

      Delete
  3. Ohhh this sounds amazing!! I love WWII fiction, and I agree that it's so neat to get different perspectives of the era from different authors.

    pocoauthorATgmailDOTcom

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I am stunned at all the different WWII themes in fiction. Good luck, Nicole!

      Delete
  4. So....many layers to this story with some very irritating characters, set during the disarray and danger of WWII. I typically like WWII historicals. Thanks!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yep -- it all makes for a fascinating read. Good luck, CC!

      Delete
  5. Very interesting. Thanks. teshawATsbcglobalDOTnet

    ReplyDelete
  6. Looks Great 👍
    LOL 😆 LOL 😂 LOL 🤣 AT ⏩ smack her upside the head...a lot. :-)
    Thanks for the chance
    iamabho AT gmail DOT com 💜💙💜

    ReplyDelete
  7. World War II books have always been interesting to me! Its crazy to see how much the world has changed! Thank you for the opportunity! mryscrtz462 AT gmail DOT com

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Always good to have stories like these to help us remember. Good luck, MrysCrtz!

      Delete
  8. OH!MY! The cover is gorgeous. KAV, thank you for your excellent review. I'm looking forward to reading "The Socialite"!

    psalm103and138atgmaildotcom

    ReplyDelete
  9. I am a big fan of WWII fiction. I’m reading one right now about lady pilots that flew test runs for repaired planes and towed targets for practice. They did this in the states to free up men to go overseas and fly in England.
    I’ve heard a lot of good things about The Socialite! Would love to win. paulams49ATsbcglobalDOTnet

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Oh, that sounds interesting. So many fascinating details about this period in history. Good luck, Paula!

      Delete
  10. I love the WW2 era. This sounds like a great read❤️Melmo2610ATgmailDOTcom

    ReplyDelete
  11. I am SO excited to read this story! It sounds so good! And that cover...😍

    dmandres5 at gmail dot com

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I know -- lots of cover love going on today. :-) Good luck, Melissa!

      Delete
  12. Next on my TBR pile. Let’s dance my book twin.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Ohhh, yes! Let's see, forties? How about a twin jitterbug? lol

      Delete
  13. WOW! "THE SOCIALITE" sounds unique and like it would be a wonderful book to read. I've never heard of a story from that angle before, but sounds amazing. The way you describe the characters has me going "now that's a book for me".

    Thank you for the opportunity to win a copy!
    2clowns at arkansas dot net

    ReplyDelete
  14. Thank you for giving us reviews we can trust. This sounds like quite an interesting book.

    pmkellogg56[at]gmail[dot]com

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks for reading my reviews. Good luck, Pam!

      Delete
  15. Okay so I'm not a huge fan of WW1 or WW2 stories, maybe I haven't read the right ones? I'm willing to give a new-to-me author a shot to woo me over to the other side though.

    Agreed--disappointing Thomas Nelson doesn't deliver a faith message being a Christian fiction publisher. I've almost stopped reading anything new by them.

    I do love this cover, so beautiful!

    teamob4 (at) gmail (dot) com

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I think it's a time period genre you either love or hate. I got the bug when I was a kid and checked out The Silver Sword from my school library. Good luck, Trixi.

      Delete
  16. I love WWII stories.
    mauback55 at gmail dot com

    ReplyDelete
  17. I love this author's books. I look forward to adding this one to my read pile. Thanks for the opportunity.
    ldwrncpn at Comcast dot net

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. She's pretty new to me but I'll be reading more of books for sure. Good luck, Lori.

      Delete
  18. I haven't read anything of J'nell's yet. This sounds like an interesting view of the time/war.

    pattymh2000(at)yahoo(dot)com

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It really is an interesting approach. Good luck, Patty!

      Delete
  19. This story has a fascinating time period & setting.
    turtle6422 at gmail dot com

    ReplyDelete
  20. I have always been a very tentative WW2 reader, but I've read so many great ones lately, that I find I'm no longer scurrying away from them in trepidation anymore. I do still find many of them difficult to read, but the feel-good hope that so many authors infuse into their stories makes all the difference.
    tlhcoupon(at)hotmail(dot)com
    tlhcoupon(at)hotmail(dot)com

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. The market is exploding with WWII fiction, isn't it? And they are difficult reads, but important ones too, lest we forget. This one is quite unique for the genre. Good luck, Terrill!

      Delete
  21. My Dad was in the Army during World War II. I wish I had asked him more about when he was stationed in Japan. Love to read this.
    pbclark(at)netins(dot)net

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It's interesting that so many didn't want to talk about the war once it was over and yet those stories are a real legacy for the generations to come. That's why I appreciate this kind of novel. Good luck, rubynreba!

      Delete
  22. Thanks for the giveaway!

    ladysnowangelphotos(at)gmail(dot)com

    ReplyDelete