Review: The Berlin Letters

Title: The Berlin Letters

Author: Katherine Reay

Publisher: 5th March 2024 by Harper Muse

Pages: 385 pages

Genre: historical fiction, cold war

My Rating: 5 cups

Synopsis:

Near the end of the Cold War, a CIA code breaker discovers a symbol she recognizes from her childhood, which launches her across the world to the heart of Berlin just before the wall comes tumbling down. November 1989 —After finding a secret cache of letters with intelligence buried in the text, CIA cryptographer Luisa Voekler learns that not only is her father alive but he is languishing in an East German Stasi jail. After piecing together the letters with a series of articles her grandfather saved, Luisa seeks out journalists Bran Bishop and Daniel Rudd. They send her to the CIA, to Andrew Cademan—her boss. Luisa confronts Cademan and learns that nothing is a coincidence, but he will not help her free her father. So she takes matters into her own hands, empties her bank account, and flies to West Berlin. As the adrenaline wears off and she recognizes she has no idea how to proceed, Luisa is both relieved and surprised when a friend shows up with contacts and a rudimentary plan to sneak her across the wall. Alternating storylines between Luisa and her father, The Berlin Letters shows the tumultuous early days of the wall, bringing Berlin, the epicenter of the Cold War, to life while also sharing one family’s journey through secrets, lies, and division to love, freedom, and reconciliation.

My Thoughts

I have read many of Katherine’s books and enjoyed them all. It was almost ten years ago when I read her Jane Austen retellings and just a couple of years ago The London House, which I still remember well. Her book,  A Shadow in Moscow was an incredible Cold War novel that was so sophisticated and compelling that I highly recommended it. Therefore I simply could not wait to dive into her latest, The Berlin Letters and it did not fail to impress me all over again. 

‘I don’t want to leave the DDR. Like my father before me, I want my hometown to change so it is a place where I can live, and thrive, and make choices, and share with my family and friends. Father’s opinions cost him his life. I wonder if mine will cost me my life too.’

On this occasion there are alternating storyline’s between Luisa and her father. This starts with Berliners waking up to find a wall has been erected dividing not only their city but also their loved ones. My heart was aching when I read this passage of families awakening and finding themselves separated. The way Katherine weaves the history of Berlin and the Cold War throughout (her research is amazing!) is truly incredible. This is pulse racing, edge of your seat writing as courage commands the heart on more than one occasion. 

‘It’s letting go of what you’re supposed to be doing for whatever comes your way. It’s about creating a future of our own making, not accepting the one they shove at us.’

Alternating between Luisa in the 1980s and her father Haris in the 1960s, this book is a superb example of not just key moments from history but a true emotional rollercoaster from parental sacrifice, to grandparents care to a child determined to uncover the truth at any cost. Berlin Letters is about family and choices, secrets and lies, courage and bravery. Katherine Reay has moved into my must read author list with this compelling tale. Do yourself a favour as you make the journey with Luisa and Haris as they take on a totalitarian regime in an effort to find the truth. The Berlin Letters is a book all lovers of historical fiction should read. 

“Don’t die in the waiting room of the future.”

This review is based on a complimentary copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. The quoted material may have changed in the final release.

Review: A Shadow in Moscow

Title: A Shadow in Moscow

Author: Katherine Reay

Publisher: 13th June 2023 by Harper Muse

Pages: 384 pages

Genre: historical fiction, Russia, mystery, WWII, Espionage, Thrillers

Rating: 5 cups

Synopsis:

A betrayal at the highest level risks the lives of two courageous female spies: MI6's best Soviet spy and the CIA's newest Moscow recruit. As the KGB closes in, a compromise must be struck if either woman hopes to survive.

Vienna, 1954

After losing everyone she loves in the final days of World War II, Ingrid Bauer agrees to a hasty marriage with a gentle Soviet embassy worker and follows him home to Moscow. But nothing deep within the Soviet Union's totalitarian regime is what it seems, including her new husband, whom Ingrid suspects works for the KGB. Upon her daughter's birth, Ingrid risks everything and reaches out in hope to the one country she understands and trusts--Britain, the country of her mother's birth--and starts passing along intelligence to MI6, navigating a world of secrets and lies, light and shadow.

Washington, DC, 1980

Part of the Foreign Studies Initiative, Anya Kadinova finishes her degree at Georgetown University and boards her flight home to Moscow, leaving behind the man she loves and a country she's grown to respect. Though raised by dedicated and loyal Soviet parents, Anya soon questions an increasingly oppressive and paranoid Soviet regime at the height of the Cold War. When the KGB murders her bestfriend, Anya picks sides and contacts the CIA. Working in a military research lab, Anya passes along Soviet military plans and schematics in an effort to end the 1980s arms race.

Alternating points of view keep readers on their toes as the past catches up to the present when an unprecedented act of treachery in 1985 threatens all undercover agents operating within the Soviet Union, and both Ingrid and Anya find themselves in a race for their lives against time and the KGB.

My Thoughts

I have read many of Katherine’s books and enjoyed them all. It was almost ten years ago when I read her Jane Austen retellings and just a couple of years ago The London House, which I still remember well. So, I knew I was in for a great read …. I just did not realise how great a read this would turn out to be. 

‘She laid down her pride and truly became the shadow she needed to become.’

A Shadow in Moscow is an incredible Cold War novel that is so sophisticated and compelling that I highly recommend it. Katherine masterfully interweaves two stories  - one of Ingrid starting in Vienna in 1954 and then Anya in Washington 1980 and the convergence of the two plots is mindblowing. I love the two viewpoints, the two eras, the two contrasting lives. There is just so much to this tale. 

“… you said you wanted to make the world a better place for her. So did I. Our ideas of what that world should be differed. They still do.”

This is a masterclass on how to write a spy novel. The richness of history interwoven through fact and fiction is seamless. To be in the mind and understand what these people went through is truly eye opening. Katherine so eloquently opens readers eyes to both the pros and cons of Soviet politics and philosophy in a way that was most compelling from the conclusion of WWII, to the Cold War and living behind the Iron Curtain. This is a fresh take on post war/Cold War spy novels - feminine at its heart with two incredibly strong female protagonists and their determination to build a better world. 

‘Nothing feels right here. Some people believe we are closer than ever to the utopian and global Marxist-Leninist world dream, but we aren’t. It’s slipping away because it was never attainable’

As the story draws to its tension filled ending you will be on the edge of your reading seat in this absorbing Cold War tale. Memorable characters detailing incredible tales of bravery and espionage that lead to shattering conclusions. Everything about this book is well done. As I stated at the outset, I have been a fan of Katherine’s books for many years, but this one … well I think it is top of the list. It is that good! Be sure not to miss it. 

“That’s the pain of the Cold War, Ingrid. Cold can burn low for a long, long time, never reaching the heat necessary to burn out . . .”

This review is based on a complimentary copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. The quoted material may have changed in the final release.

PURCHASE LINKS

AMAZON | BARNES & NOBLE | BOOKSHOP | GOODREADS | BOOKBUB

 

AUTHOR BIO

Katherine Reay is a national bestselling and award-winning author who has enjoyed a lifelong affair with books. She publishes both fiction and nonfiction, holds a BA and MS from Northwestern University, and currently lives outside Chicago, Illinois, with her husband and three children. 

WEBSITE | TWITTER | FACEBOOK | INSTAGRAM | PINTEREST | GOODREADS

Review: The London House

Title: The London House

Author: Katherine Reay

Publisher: 2nd November 2021 by Harper Muse

Pages: 352 pages

How I Read It: ARC book

Genre: historical fiction

My Rating: 4.5 cups

Synopsis:

Uncovering a dark family secret sends one woman through the history of Britain’s World War II spy network and glamorous 1930s Paris to save her family’s reputation.

Caroline Payne thinks it’s just another day of work until she receives a call from Mat Hammond, an old college friend and historian. But pleasantries are cut short. Mat has uncovered a scandalous secret kept buried for decades: In World War II, Caroline’s British great-aunt betrayed family and country to marry her German lover.

Determined to find answers and save her family’s reputation, Caroline flies to her family’s ancestral home in London. She and Mat discover diaries and letters that reveal her grandmother and great-aunt were known as the “Waite sisters.” Popular and witty, they came of age during the interwar years, a time of peace and luxury filled with dances, jazz clubs, and romance. The buoyant tone of the correspondence soon yields to sadder revelations as the sisters grow apart, and one leaves home for the glittering fashion scene of Paris, despite rumblings of a coming world war.

Each letter brings more questions. Was Caroline’s great-aunt actually a traitor and Nazi collaborator, or is there a more complex truth buried in the past? Together, Caroline and Mat uncover stories of spies and secrets, love and heartbreak, and the events of one fateful evening in 1941 that changed everything.

In this rich historical novel from award-winning author Katherine Reay, a young woman is tasked with writing the next chapter of her family’s story. But Caroline must choose whether to embrace a love of her own and proceed with caution if her family’s decades-old wounds are to heal without tearing them even further apart.

My Thoughts

‘The London House filled me with awe. Its personality was dark and foreboding as it rose up four floors before me that first morning … Stories and secrets lay hidden in each room and I was desperate to discover them.’

The London House by Katherine Reay, is a wonderful dual timeline historical fiction story about family secrets and misunderstandings.  With themes of love and loss, hope and truth, Katherine takes her readers on a journey from past to present with devastating repercussions.

‘In World War Two, no one can deny there was a real mix and mess of loyalties. It must have felt like the world was ending and life would never be the same. What’s more, the enemy was sometimes within your own home.’

This book is well researched with clever links of how secrets from the past can impact and alter life in the present. The characters are well drawn out with intriguing diaries and letters from the past engaging the reader. Events of WWII are detailed with secrets and lies in the life of spies proving a real page turner. Where is the truth to be found?

“Your aunt is one of those stories. A woman, daughter of an earl, no less, who worked as a secretary for the Special Operations Executive, then crossed the great divide and ran away with her Nazi lover? You have to admit, it’s compelling.”

Dig a little deeper and it is clear that there are themes of healing through searching for truths and bringing them to light. How one must let go of the past in order to move on. Lovers of historical fiction, especially WWII sagas, will enjoy this fascinating story wrapped around a family mystery that evolved into a journey of self discovery. 

Some truths, some absolutes, are above perception. I hope that comes across.” “Powerfully. It’s what makes what we went through, what we fashioned for ourselves, all the more real and even more painful. No one got out of their own way to see what was rather than what they perceived it to be.”

This review is based on a complimentary copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. The quoted material may have changed in the final release.

Review: The Printed Letter Bookship

Title: The Printed Letter Bookshop

Author: Katherine Reay

Publisher: 14th May 2019 by Thomas Nelson

Pages: 336 pages
How I Read It: ARC book
Genre: romance, contemporary, womens fiction

My Rating: 4 cups

Synopsis:

One of Madeline Cullen’s happiest childhood memories is of working with her Aunt Maddie in the quaint and cozy Printed Letter Bookshop. But by the time Madeline inherits the shop nearly twenty years later, family troubles and her own bitter losses have hardened Madeline’s heart toward her once-treasured aunt—and the now struggling bookshop left in her care.

While Madeline intends to sell the shop as quickly as possible, the Printed Letter’s two employees have other ideas. Reeling from a recent divorce, Janet finds sanctuary within the books and within the decadent window displays she creates. Claire, though quieter than the acerbic Janet, feels equally drawn to the daily rhythms of the shop and its loyal clientele, finding a renewed purpose within its walls. When Madeline’s professional life takes an unexpected turn, and when a handsome gardener upends all her preconceived notions, she questions her plans and her heart. She begins to envision a new path for herself and for her aunt’s beloved shop—provided the women’s best combined efforts are not too little, too late.

The Printed Letter Bookshop is a captivating story of good books, a testament to the beauty of new beginnings, and a sweet reminder of the power of friendship.

My Thoughts

‘Claire wove her way around ... so much life and literature packed into such a small space. A sanctuary. A haven. A bookshop.’

Katherine Reay has written some wonderful books that I have read and in  The Printed Letter Bookshop, she continues her literary theme, if in a somewhat different approach. This is a wonderful book for people who love books - YOU! There is no denying Katherine is a very good writer and this story, overall, engages the reader through a selection of interesting characters.

“As I said, don’t give up.”

Chris brushed my cheek with his fingers.

“Let’s simply trust we’re where we need to be.”

This is a tale of three women brought together through ‘The Printed Letter Bookshop’, their trials and tribulations and the bonds of friendship that form through it all. As the shop transforms, so do the lives of these three women. This is not an intricate plot driven tale, rather, more character orientated. Each character being on their own journey, yet drawn together through their love of books and Maddie who left the shop in their care after her death. Throughout, Katherine shines the spotlight on some serious social issues - divorce and teen issues for example, yet all brushed with understanding and forgiveness.

‘... something had cracked inside me. I thought, at first, it was the end—my security wrenched away piece by piece. But rather than break me, the cracks opened spaces that had never existed before.’

As a lover of books, there is so much to enjoy here concerning the power of a good book - how each story can be a lesson, teaching the reader about themselves and how to apply learnings to their own life. There are plentiful quotes and bookish references sprinkled throughout to delight any avid reader - all of which are considerately listed by the author at the conclusion. Let yourself loose in this bookstore ... who knows, a new title may speak to you.

‘I looked around my own apartment. Despite all the work I’d put into it, it felt like the home of someone I expected to be rather than someone I was. Or maybe it reflected someone I’d never become. Maddie’s home had been warm, inviting, and lovely—it wasn’t the quality of the pieces within it, but how they reflected her...’

Katherine Reay’s writing is a definite highlight here. There is much to be considered though both character and book references, but still presented in a light and easy way to consume. With strong themes of friendships and second chances, it encourages you to let go of the past or preconceived ideas of how your life should be, and instead, embrace the uncertainty. Some sections/characters work better than others and after a slow start, I ultimately delighted in The Printed Letter Bookshop and highly recommend it to all book lovers and those interested in female tales from a range of ages.

‘Aunt Maddie and her book list. Every title led me here . . . How had she known? And had she meant for me to read them in order? If she had, if she’d thought that far ahead and listed them with purpose, she could not have chosen better. Each story gently propelled me to question my own.’

This review is based on a complimentary copy from the publisher and provided through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. The quoted material may have changed in the final release.

Review: The Austen Escape

Title: The Austen Escape

Author: Katherine Reay

Publisher: 7th November 2017 by Thomas Nelson

Pages: 336 pages
How I Read It: ARC book
Genre: women's fiction, romance, chick lit, contemporary

My Rating: 4 cups

Synopsis:

After years of following her best friend’s lead, Mary Davies finds a whimsical trip back to Austen’s Regency England paves the way towards a new future.

Mary Davies lives and works in Austin, Texas, as an industrial engineer. She has an orderly and productive life, a job and colleagues that she enjoys—particularly a certain adorable, intelligent, and hilarious consultant. But something is missing for Mary. When her estranged and emotionally fragile childhood friend Isabel Dwyer offers Mary a two-week stay in a gorgeous manor house in Bath, Mary reluctantly agrees to come along, in hopes that the holiday will shake up her quiet life in just the right ways. But Mary gets more than she bargained for when Isabel loses her memory and fully believes that she lives in Regency England. Mary becomes dependent on a household of strangers to take care of Isabel until she wakes up.

With Mary in charge and surrounded by new friends, Isabel rests and enjoys the leisure of a Regency lady. But life gets even more complicated when Mary makes the discovery that her life and Isabel’s have intersected in more ways that she knew, and she finds herself caught between who Isabel was, who she seems to be, and the man who stands between them. Outings are undertaken, misunderstandings play out, and dancing ensues as this triangle works out their lives and hearts among a company of clever, well-informed people who have a great deal of conversation.

My Thoughts

I was excited to read this book, thinking it to be fun escapism. However, it proved to be so much more than that! Yes there was a romance and period dressing up, even the selection of characters revealed a subtle insight into their persona - but it is not just a simple retelling of a Jane Austen tale through modern eyes. The beauty and cleverness (if truth be told) of this story was placing someone from the present day into an Austen story and recounting it through their eyes and experiences. Combine that with homage paid to the great Jane Austen (‘Persuasion’ is here in all it’s glory with the misunderstandings and second chances) that one cannot help but be impressed.

“He twisted the book to see the spine. “Of course. Pride and Prejudice.” “I think they have one in every room.” “And why not? It’s a manual for life—setting right pride, prejudice, misconceptions, and self-illusions. Also some good fun.”

Oh! How I would love to go on such an ‘Austen Escape’ and lose myself in Regency England -  that alone would have been a fun tale. Yet that was a mere backdrop, in some ways, to the true message behind this tale. This is a book about friendships, forgiveness, growth and having the strength to be yourself. Each of the characters here have a checkered past, things they struggled to move on from and it’s good to take the journey into a fresh start with them.

“simply enjoy the costumes, the carriage rides, and the long walks, then sit here and check e-mail, work, or watch television.”

Then, of course, there is the insurmountable Jane Austen. You will relish the tributes to her books, the clever insights into the characters and plot with the inclusion of many a good quote. Fans of Austen will appreciate the many references, yet anyone would enjoy this character driven tale whether you were an Austen addict or not. Having read Katherine Reay's books before, I knew that she draws you into both place and person. This book demonstrates her ability to seamlessly switch between an escape to Regency England combined with the high tech of our modern world - ipads included! She will engage you with relatable characters and instill a sense of hope in you with a touch of realism.

“I mustered up a smile and looped my arm through hers. “We shall walk. When there are serious matters to discuss, Austen women walk.”

Take a break - though phones are allowed - and step inside an Austen character, not to discover who they are, but who you are! It’s witty, it’s fun and I highly recommend it to Austen fans for a sprinkling of all the famous and well loved characters she created, plus a whole lot more.

“She wrote with such precision that a single phrase evoked an emotional response. She elicited laughter, warmth, and even a sense of awe. Across two hundred years, I recognized her characters in the here and now. She wrote about people I knew.”

This review is based on a complimentary copy from the publisher and provided through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. The quoted material may have changed in

Review: Lizzy & Jane by Katherine Reay

Title: Lizzy & Jane
Author: Katherine Reay
Publisher:  Thomas Nelson (October 28 2014)
ISBN: 9781401689735

Pages: 352 pages

How We Read It: eARC

Genre: contemporary fiction, chick lit, food and drink
Our Rating: 2 cups 

Synopsis:

Lizzy and Jane never saw eye to eye. But when illness brings them together, they discover they may be more like Austen’s famous sisters after all.

Lizzy was only a teenager when her mother died of cancer. Shortly after, Lizzy fled from her home, her family, and her cherished nickname. After working tirelessly to hone her gift of creating magic in the kitchen, Elizabeth has climbed the culinary ladder to become the head chef of her own New York restaurant, Feast. But as her magic begins to elude her, Paul, Feast’s financial backer, brings in someone to share her responsibilities and her kitchen. So Elizabeth flees again.

In a desperate attempt to reconnect with her gift, Elizabeth returns home. But her plans are derailed when she learns that her estranged sister, Jane, is battling cancer. Elizabeth surprises everyone—including herself—when she decides to stay in Seattle and work to prepare healthy, sustaining meals for Jane as she undergoes chemotherapy. She also meets Nick and his winsome son, Matt, who, like Elizabeth, are trying to heal from the wounds of the past.

As she tends to Jane's needs, Elizabeth's powers begin to return to her, along with the family she left behind so long ago. Then Paul tries to entice her back to New York, and she is faced with a hard decision: stay and become Lizzy to her sister’s Jane, or return to New York and the life she worked so hard to create?

Our Thoughts:

“She was my Mom’s favorite, absolute favorite, to the point of naming her daughters after Austen’s most famous sisters.”

From the very title itself, this tale began with a Jane Austen reference we couldn't pass up. Lizzy and Jane is a story about two sisters who had a falling out when their mother died from cancer. When Lizzy, a New York restaurateur, takes a break to visit her sister Jane, who is undergoing chemotherapy, she thinks she’s there to escape her own stresses and recapture the ‘zing’ that is missing from her cooking, whilst building a bridge with her sister. Instead, she discovers what’s really missing from her life.

“I want to love what I’m doing. I want to not feel heavy all the time. I want to laugh like I used to – to be that kid in the picture…. I want to be whole. I want to be thankful.”

Cancer is a real struggle for all those involved. In today’s day and age, there would be few who have not been touched by it in some way – either personally or through a family member or a friend - which makes this book resonant and poignant on that level.

“I understand. I’ve been on both sides – afraid of where I am and where I’m going to finally feeling comfortable with the journey.”

This book is full of culinary descriptions and literary food references. We had never really considered how food is used in literature that much, but this idea is explored throughout the novel, as Lizzy takes inspiration from several classics for her new creations in the kitchen. In many respects, this story reads like a literary ‘Feast’ (name of the restaurant) for the senses. If you like food and the thought behind its inception, this will prove an intriguing component of the read. 

“It’s never about the food – it’s about what the food becomes, in the hand of the giver and the recipient.”

However, we struggled with the melancholy that permeated this read. The struggles, the misunderstandings – fights with harsh words, painful medical situations, recurrent family discord, insincere communications – not easy reading at times. The story is written solely from Lizzy’s perspective, which significantly limits your appreciation and connection with other characters on a deeper level.

Overall the author attempts to provide a reflection of real life and a message of forgiveness and second chances, reconciliation and realisation of what is truly important in life.

“It was about love and our definition of it, our striving for it. And it was about how that love gets accepted, returned, or rejected.”

Our Rating:

This review is based on a complimentary copy from the publisher (thanks to Thomas Nelson for providing us with an e-ARC) and provided through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. The quoted material may have changed in the final release.