Sisters of the Resistance by Christine Wells

 Title: Sisters of the Resistance

Author: Christine Wells

Genre: Historical Fiction 

Synopsis: Paris, 1944: The war is nearly over, but for members of the Resistance in occupied France, it is more dangerous than ever before. Twenty-five-year-old Gabby Foucher loathes the Nazis, though as the concierge of 10 rue Royale, she does her best to avoid conflict—unlike her bolder sister Yvette, who finds trouble at every turn. 

Then they are both recruited into the Resistance by Catherine Dior and swept into a treacherous world of spies, fugitives, and intrigue. While Gabby risks everything for the man she is hiding from the Nazis, Yvette must decide whether to trust an enigmatic diplomat who seems to have guessed her secret. As the threat of betrayal draws ever closer, one slip could mean the deaths of many, and both sisters must make choices they might regret. 

Paris, 1947: Yvette returns from New York to reunite with Gabby and begin life anew as a mannequin for Dior, who is revolutionizing fashion with the New Look. But first, she must discover the truth behind Catherine’s terrible fate, while Gabby finds that there are many kinds of courage, and that love is always worth fighting for. - Back Cover

My Thoughts

I was so excited to win this book in a giveaway on Instagram! I had been wanting to read it, so when the author shared that she had some copies to give away I knew I had to comment.

You all know I love a novel with a time jump, and this novel is set in 1944 and 1947. It is refreshing to have two time settings that are not 100 years or 50 years apart, but rather only 3 years apart. There is not a generational mystery or pieces of information that seem 'lost to time,' but rather a highlight of how much and how little can change during, and just a few years following a war. 

I love that little pieces of the story come together as we learn about Yvette and Gabby's lives during and after the war. There are some curves along the way as the author expertly underscores that what the sisters believe to be true can affect them for years.

Comment below if you have read this book or have suggestions for others like it!

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The Duke & I by Julia Quinn

    

 Title: The Duke & I

Author: Julia Quinn

Genre: Historical Romance

Synopsis: In the ballrooms and drawing rooms of Regency London, rules abound. From their earliest days, children of aristocrats learn how to address an earl and curtsey before a prince—while other dictates of the ton are unspoken yet universally understood. A proper duke should be imperious and aloof. A young, marriageable lady should be amiable…but not too amiable.

Daphne Bridgerton has always failed at the latter. The fourth of eight siblings in her close-knit family, she has formed friendships with the most eligible young men in London. Everyone likes Daphne for her kindness and wit. But no one truly desires her. She is simply too deuced honest for that, too unwilling to play the romantic games that captivate gentlemen.

Amiability is not a characteristic shared by Simon Basset, Duke of Hastings. Recently returned to England from abroad, he intends to shun both marriage and society—just as his callous father shunned Simon throughout his painful childhood. Yet an encounter with his best friend’s sister offers another option. If Daphne agrees to a fake courtship, Simon can deter the mamas who parade their daughters before him. Daphne, meanwhile, will see her prospects and her reputation soar.

The plan works like a charm—at first. But amid the glittering, gossipy, cut-throat world of London’s elite, there is only one certainty: love ignores every rule... - Back Cover

My Thoughts

I have to admit that I have judged romance novels in the past. My grandma, lovingly called Nan, LOVED romance novels but I always saw them as cheezy books with Fabio on the cover in a shirt open to his navel. After watching Netflix's Bridgerton and seeing that it was based on a romance novel series, I thought I would give it a chance. Fresh off binging season 2 I picked up a copy of The Duke & I at the library. Part of my hesitation in the past was also that I was afraid that the book would be better than the series and ruin the tv show for me. I have only experienced one case when the book was not as good as the film/tv adaptation (Divergent).

As it turns out, I did like some aspects of the book better than the show. Book Daphne is way better than Netflix Daphne. While the novel follows the book in general, there are specifics in the book that are not the same. I also find that books are better for backstory than film adaptations, you can better understand the characters and their motivations. 

The novel really follows Daphne and Simon and very few of the other storylines from the tv series show up in the book. The queen is not mentioned in the book at all and Lady Whistledown is used at the beginning of each chapter to chronicle the passing of time, and to provide background information about the characters that the reader would not get otherwise. The other Bridgerton siblings are mentioned, but only Anthony gets much development as Simon's best friend. 

It may also be surprising to some readers who are fans of the show when Simon is described to have blue eyes and fair skin. The relationships of the upper class in the novel are historically accurate and non-interracial, unlike the color-conscious casting chosen by Shonda Rhimes. 

I was wrong to judge this genre, I enjoyed reading this book and plan to learn more about each Bridgerton sibling by reading each novel in the series. Then, like I do with Outlander, I can yell at the tv about how "that isn't how it happened in the book" but still love both anyway. 

Since these books were originally published between 2000-and 2006, I wonder if Nan read and enjoyed them too. I hope so!

Comment below if you have read this book or have suggestions for others like it!

To buy this book from Amazon now, click on the image at the top of the post.
To see more from the author, visit the website linked above