The Violin Makers Daughter by Sharon Maas
Stacey • July 28, 2019
A riveting tale of impressionable Sarah, an apprentice violin maker and non-practising Jew in the midst of a raging war, systematically spreading throughout Europe. The first time the Nazi’s appear they decide to hide their Jewish background and stay in their beloved family home. The terrorizing wait to see if they can remain hidden and be left in peace…. The ultimate betrayal eventually comes to call and their status of Aryan decent has come into question and they are given a week to provide the paperwork… The countdown begins.
The time has come to flee but they cannot flee together. They must separate and go in smaller groups. Sarah must go alone and she must leave first. Her life depends on her ability to blend in, keep her head down, trust the people she does not know, to keep her safe. She must learn to keep her emotions in check. Keeping the despair of leaving her family from bubbling to the surface and her blind hatred for all Germans under wraps as to not draw attention to herself.
On her journey she mets Ralf, German and a soldier. She still can’t bring herself to trust him, even after her saves her life. Now he’s on the run too and agrees to get Sarah safely to where she needs to be. During their journey he will do much more than just protect her…. He will teach her to avoid detection, master her emotions, be brave and how to survive… He shows her that just as a war can destroy and create hate, It doesn’t have the power to stop an all consuming love.
Hiding their identities and deny who they are as the race from safe house to safe house, Ralf and Sarah continue their journey together. All too soon Ralf is captured and Sarah has a choice to make.
The weight of the world seems to rest on the shoulders of young Sarah. Having no world knowledge and being held in practically like a hostage in her home by a war she doesn’t understand and the full gravity of it being held secret by her parents. All she wants to do is make violins and put the love and careful attention to detail into each and every one. When the pounding on their door comes that night and Sarah now knows what her parents were keeping from her. She must leave the safety of her home, of her family and make the dangerous journey to safety. The rough terrain and the soldiers everywhere. Not knowing who she can trust, keeping a part of herself hidden so she can remain undetected. She has to keep her wits about her and ultimately her eye on the prize.
You can feel the emotional rollercoaster she is on. You literally watch her throw off her adolescences and transition into womanhood in such a quick succession, it would make anyones head spin. It really comes to a head when she is saved by a young German Soldier, Ralf who is now on the run too, having risked his life to save her and her friend Eric.
The journey is, at times, agony to read. Sarahs hatred for all Germans is so black and white that she can’t, at first, see there is so much grey all around her. Everything she says, everything she does, every small detail has to be just right in order to avoid detection. She has no life skills to help her on this life or death quest to safety. She is learning as she goes.
The whole book from start to finish is like watching Sarah mature from a naive caterpillar into a butterfly of knowledge. Her full transition from child to woman is painfully played out and you will feel every emotion right along with her. My heart was so full to bursting and the tears were hard to bite back knowing she was wholly dependent on herself and trying to navigate her feelings for a man she barely knows and didn’t trust in the beginning. No experiences to draw on and no Mother to ask. The whole book had me reeling with the simplicity of tale and the complexity of a world that we today, cannot comprehend. You could almost hear the footsteps of the Soldiers along the cobble stone streets and feel the pounding on the front door.
I’ve never read any of Sharon Maas’ work before, which is shocking to me as I am an avid historical fiction reader. This book was right on the money for me. You can feel the fear of the unknown, the hatred and the violence of a time that the author herself, didn’t live through but really has a way with the written word. I felt like I was living through 1940s France. The hairs on my arms would stand on end whenever she came to a check point. The air of silent terror really played out well through the whole book for me.
I really felt love can conquer all, even hatred. Historical fiction enthusiasts should really add this to their reading pile. If you enjoy having your heart beating as fast as a drum, having sweaty palms so slick you can barely hold the book any more and breathing so quietly so the Nazi’s can’t hear you, then this is the read for you.
Sincerely, The Lioness
I just finished Much Ado About Hating You by Sarah Echavarre Smith and here are my thoughts. Micah is just doing her job. She is there to financially audit the University's English department.. Aidan is pushing back against her presence. Micah likes to unwind by reading steamy fanfiction… Little does she know that the man she can't stand at work… Is the one writing her into a hot frenzy… I am always a sucker for a Shakespeare retelling and this one was quite brilliant.. Taking Shakespeare and making it smutty…. Clever… I really liked the dynamic between Micah and Aidan in person and the one they had online not knowing who each other were. It was a clever way to do an enemies to love and I am here all day for that. They did both have their annoying moments though but it was easy enough to move past that. I liked the audiobook but it was one of those books that would have been a great read as well. I loved the writing and the streamy scenes were amazing! Read this if you like Forced proximity Enemies to lovers Spicy banter Online romance Shakespeare retelling Secret identity Workplace romance All in all a solid little audio! 4 stars #muchadoabouthatingyou #shakespeareretelling #sarahechavarresmith #enemiestolovers #bookreview #bookalorian #bookblog #readerblog #bookrecs #bookrecommendations #bookinfluencer #spicy #spicyread
I just finished Sand, Sequins & Silicone by Pia Mia and here are my musings. Princess is a pop star and her career is at its peak.. It may look glamorous from the crowd but the reality is loneliness… Well this was exactly what I needed… This was my kind of summer romance read. Now it kind of reads like a memoir which I thought was a clever way to highlight the career of a young pop artist in a fictionalized story. Now, going in, you have to realize that this is more YA than adult. Some of the banter was juvenile but think about it logically…. She’s been raised into stardom… Of course she is going to sound bratty! I think the author did an amazing job of bringing the realism to life. Hollywood is fickle and this felt really saw and realistic to me. It was well written and had some really delightfully funny moments. I really enjoyed it. It wasn’t a heavy read but it sure was an entertaining one. 4 stars Thank you to @wbywattpad & @piamia for my gifted copy! OUT NOWWWWW #wattpadbooks #wattpadreads #sandsequinsandsilicone #piamia #summeread #beachread #summerromance #debutnovel #bookrecs #bookishrecommendations #bookalorian #bookreview #bookblog #litdulterous #readersofig #wattpadinfluencer
I just finished The Man made of Smoke by Alex North and here are my musings. Dan’s life could have ended when he was a child. He came dangerously close to a notorious serial killer. He grew up to be a criminal profiler. When his father goes missing, presumed dead, he returns back to the place where it all started. There is so much that points toward the killer who still hasn’t been captured in all these years. Do you know what I love the most about Alex North? He writes these horror/thrillers with these undertones of supernatural but they are never actually supernatural. It's clever… It's a real skill. I love his style. Now I got a paperback ARC… An ALC and I got it from, book of the month, I had to. It was creepy AF. I love books that bring you in and raise the hairs on the back of your neck. The only thing about the book was the pace was slower than I needed but I think it painted the backstory really really well. He knows how to build tension. It's like a creeping fog, not the boom boom racing heart but a dark omnibus vibes. ADORED IT! Read if you like Small Town Island Father/son dynamic Multiple POVs Serial killers "Nobody sees," the man says. "And nobody cares." That was bone chilling! BONE CHILLING! I loved how complex Dan was. He was really a raw and thoughtful dude. It was mildly heartbreaking, a little more emotional than I am used to but dang.. Solid book! 4 stars Thank you to @celadonbooks for my gifted copy #themanmadeofsmoke #alexnorth #horror #thriller #horrorreader #thrillerreader #celadonbooks #bookreview #bookblog #readerblog #bookishvlog #bookalorian #litdulterous #bookish #booksofig #igreads #booktok
I just finished Climbing in Heels by Elaine Goldsmith-Thomas and here are my musings. 3 ladies… 3 paths…. Sisterhood… Watch them climb their way to the top in their high heels… Sex… Drugs and all the power… I got some real Devil wear Prada heels from the synopsis. All 3 of these women are secretaries at the hottest agency in Hollywood. Set in the 1980s it really takes out down to the nitty gritty of the seediness of the world of films being all about what men want. They take what they want and all 3 of them are very different but they have the same goals. I thought it was really well written, tad slow for my liking but I thought it was an excellent story… Women pushing the status quo in the 80s? HECK YEAHHHH. It was very well done. I actually blew through it in one sitting. I loved the whole vibe of the book… My biggest issue… Too many side characters.. I think it should have been kept tighter with the characters. It got a bit lucy goosy in the middle but the ending more than made up for it. I am one of those readers who need the grit, glitz and glamor and this book had it. If you like books with women who push past that glass ceiling… Grab this one. Be aware there is a lot of cocaine and sex.. Check the triggers before picking up. 4 stars Thank you @stmartinspress for my gifted copy. #climbinginheels #elainegoldsmiththomas #historicalfiction #bookalorian #litdulterous #bookreview #bookblog #fbreader #smpearlyreader #bookinfluencer #booksbooksbooks #bookreaderofig #igbooks #bookloversofig
I just finished The Ripple Effect by Maggie North and here are my musings. Stellar is on burnout.. Her job as an ER doc has brought her to her knees and she needs to find a new job. She didn’t expect it to come from Sunshine psychologist Lyle. A man she has been avoiding since they hooked up a year ago… The only way she can really help his business is to help him with a fake engagement.. Her hardness to his softness might just be what the doctor ordered.. Big fan of when the girl is the grump and the man is the sunshine. I love sunshine men! This one was different. I kinda liked how Stellar was written. It was a unique and clever way of bringing the kind of FMC that writers usually avoid. Big fan. I loved the first book in the series and this one was just as good. I like that it's not your normal trope book. The author kinda flips the trope script and goes against the grain. It's refreshing. The slow burn is even quite delicious. I am more an instalove gal but this one really built the best kind of tension and I am here all day for that. Read if you like Fake Engagement Found Family One Night Stand Forced Proximity Black cat/golden retriever Joyous! 4 stars! I love books like this! Gimme more! Thank you to @stmartinspress and @netgalley for my gifted paperback and ebook! #therippleeffect #maggienorth #canadianauthor #canadareads #canadianbooktok #canadianbookstagram #slowburnromance #fakeengagement #forcedproximity #blackcat #goldenretriever #romanceread #bookalorian #litdulterous #lionessofliteracy #bookreview #smpearlyreader
I just finished We Can Never Leave by H.E. Edgmon and here are my musings. There's a world between worlds.. A Caravan of inhumans looking for others… They awoke in the world with no memories. 5 teens wake one morning to find the caravan of their people has disappeared. The 5 of them have to work together to uncover the mystery before something terrible happens to them too. Wow… Just wow. I kind of just sat for a moment and felt all the feels when I was done. If you read my reviews then you know I am not a fan of slow moving books. This one had teeth so the speed actually wasn’t a negative. The teens did a lot of fighting and that was a tad irritating. A lot of really cool things happen and they kind of spoil it haha. I could have done with less POVs, it was a tad messy but I see what the author was trying to do. The writing was quite excellent and I was pretty much sucked in. Read if you like Queer rep YA Contemporary fantasy Unreliable narrators It's a rich and complex story with some excellent twists. Lots of secrets, a great mystery and an entertaining read. It was hard to give a rating for but I think its a solid 3.75 Thank you to @netgalley and @wednesdaybooks for my gifted copy. Out now #wecanneverleave #yahorror #yafantasy #lgbtq #lgbtqrep #pridemonth #HEedgmon #netgalley #kindlereader #bookinfluencer #booklover #litdulterous # bookalorian #readersofig #readersofacebook #bookloversofig #wednesdaybooks
Cold Eternity by S A Barnes Halley is on the run and finding a job on a ship with a cryo program seems like the ideal place to hide… Things aren’t what they seem. The hologram hosts are glitching… They don’t act like a computer program. Halley can feel something isn’t right here and what is slithering around the vents… It started out slow… I was a tad bored at first… Once Halley is on that ship.. GAME ON! It felt like coming online and you could feel the tension. I actually really enjoyed it. I am very specific about my sci-fi and this one was exceptional! The narration was excellent and I enjoyed the heck out of it. The plot was insane! I was totally grossed out and engrossed in equal measures. It felt like a warning too… It was excellent. 4.5 stars Thank you @netgalley and @macmillanaudio for my gifted copy! Grab your hardcover here https://amzn.to/4l5P3tE Grab your ebook here https://amzn.to/45YoLVW Grab your audio here https://amzn.to/4ld21WH #coldeternity #sabarnes #horrorbook #horroreader #scifi #scifireader #booklover #bookreview #bookblogger #readervlog #bookvlogger #readingallday #bookalorian #litdulterous #lionessofliteracy #literaryinfluencer
I just finished Bury Our Bones in the Midnight Soil by V. E. Schwab and here are my thoughts. A wandering stranger, a wild girl….. A hunger so real… Time.. Endless. A girl with a tender heart offered her freedom at a price no one should have to pay. A girl running from her past when a one night stand leaves her with questions…. 3 time lines… 3 womens lives all intertwined… This is like Addie LaRue on steroids. I normally hate books that have more than one timeline but this worked. It worked really well. I often find myself enjoying one timeline more so I get frustrated with the ones I don’t but that didn’t happen to me. This book will sit with you. The kind of book that is more character driven the plot heavy but the writing is so beautiful and slow pace will have you fully submerged into the story in the best kind of ways. Do you like vampire stories? How about sapphic vampire stories? This one is for you. The book is full of toxic love. These women burn for the kind of world that isn’t made for them. They are women ahead of their times. Read if you like Feminine Rage Morally Grey Characters Cat and mouse games Lovers to enemies!!! I loved the writing, I loved the slow creepy factor it had going on. I think I would have preferred the audio more but this was 4.5 stars for me. Thank you to @netgalley and @torbooks for my gifted copy!!!! #litdulterous #bookalorian #bookreview #BuryOurBonesintheMidnightSoil #veschwab #horrorreader #hprrprbook #vampires #sapphicvampires #sapphic #historicalfiction #torpublishing #booklover #bookblog #litdulteouspodcast #booktalk #bookchat #bookish
I just finished Shaw Connolly Lives to Tell by Gillian French and here are my thoughts. 16 years ago Shaw suffered a great loss. Her sister went missing. Never to be found. She knows her obsession to find the truth has pushed her husband away but she cannot stop. Especially when Anders Jansen calls her… Telling her he committed the crime. Playing with her. The more she tries to ignore him… The more he escalates and she is putting everyone in danger for the truth. WHOAAAAA This book was something else! I was gripped, I tell ya… GRIPPED!!! It was chilling!! Bone chilling! I could feel how close the stalker was getting as the book went on. It was excellent. Dark and gritty with a hot mess of an FMC. I wasn’t much of a fan of Shaw’s but I kind of think we weren’t supposed to. Respect her yep.. Like her? NOOOOO. My biggest problem was that we knew what was going on pretty early in the book. I would have liked more of a mystery. The pace was really awesome and I was lucky to get an audiobook version along with the paperback copy. The narrator did an amazing bringing the book to life for me. The pacing was a bit weird in spots and it was slower than I like my thrillers. I also felt that the police not investigating the calls before was a bit weird to me but all in all I enjoyed it. I liked the writing style and I definitely will try this author again. 3.75 stars. Thank you to @netgalley @macmillanaudio and @minotaur_books for my gifted copy and ALC. #shawconnollylivestotell #gillianfrench #thriller #booklover #bookreview #bookishreview #bookblog #readervlog #litdulterous #bookalorian #booksbooksbooks #readreadread #booktok #bookstagrammer
I just finished Six days in Bombay by Alka Joshi and here are my thoughts. Sona is a nurse and when Mira comes to her hospital having a miscarriage they strike up a friendship. Sona is devastated when she dies but finds that MIra has left her a task. To deliver paintings to some of the people who matter to her, also leaving her a painting too.. After losing her job at the hospital, Sona is set on the adventure of a lifetime. Firstly I am a massive, MASSIVE fan of Alka Joshi so I had high expectations of this book. It didn’t disappoint. The stage is set in an epic fashion. Sona is a wonderful character and I love how much depth there was to her. Mira is an interesting character. We get the version of her she wanted Sona to see and you get a different version of her with every person Sona gives a painting to. It was fascinating. I loved the plot. It was fully immersive and the narration was on point!! I love her writing style and this standalone book might be my favourite of hers to date. It was clever, well paced and entertaining from start to finish. 5 stars Thank you @netgalley and @harlequinbooks for my gifted ALC #alkajoshi #sixdaysinbombay #historicalfiction #bookreview #audiobook #audiobooklover #audiobookreader #readersofig #bookalorian #litdulterous #lionessofliteracy #bookblog #booktalk #bookishpodcast #bookchat
