Book review of The Club for Rebellious Ladies by Siobhan Curham

The Club for Rebellious Ladies by Siobhan Curham

 

The Club for Rebellious Ladies by Siobhan Curham

Who wants to be taught to be a wallflower, existing only so a rich man can bag a meek trophy wife? Not us. In our secret club, we have our own dreams. One day, we’ll run away to Paris, make our own money and fall in love for real.

Provence, 1919. When Elodie Sinclair is sent from Boston to a glamorous finishing school for socialites in training, she is determined to do all she can to rebel. Setting up The Wildflowers Club with best friends Genevieve and Lucille, the women make secret plans to escape their insufferable conversation classes. But just weeks later, a terrible scandal leaves the women reeling. And Elodie Sinclair is presumed dead.

2025. Looking for a fresh start after her drawn-out divorce, Rae Morgan finds herself in a crumbling clifftop manor house in Provence. The mysterious elderly owner, Madame Devereaux, speaks of a glitzy charm school and the tragedy that closed its doors. Though she refuses to say any more… until Rae finds a slip of yellowed paper titled The Wildflowers Club Vows left with the keys. Intrigued, Rae knows there is more that Madame Devereaux wants her to uncover.

Elodie Sinclair’s diary is hidden somewhere within the walls of the tumbledown chateau. If Rae finds it, she’ll discover a devastating secret hidden for a generation, and a spirited woman desperate to escape…

A totally gripping, sweeping and heartbreaking romantic tale full of mystery, lost love and enduring female friendship. Fans of Kate Quinn, Marie Benedict and Evie Woods will adore it.

The Club for Rebellious Ladies by Siobhan Curham

My review

This is another well-written, page-turning, dual timeline novel from one of my favourite authors, but with a difference. The focus isn’t on events from the historical period, rather it’s the social customs and norms of the time that are in the spotlight.

When life at a private French finishing school becomes unbearable for Elodie, she sets up a secret club, where a select few find freedom in opposing all the rules a lady in 1919 should obey. Their dreams are not to become dutiful wives, but to follow their north stars, push the boundaries and do all they can to achieve their passions. For Elodie, this was to make a name for herself in the Paris art scene, but when tradgey strikes in Provence, it leaves behind a mystery to be unpicked.

The Club for Rebellious Ladies by Siobhan Curham

Enter Rae, who finds herself in Provence in 2025, following her passion to bring to life a forgotten manor house. As work progresses, the former school slowly begins to reveal secrets from its past, including a diary detailing the exploits of The Wildflowers Club. As Rae tries to delve into the past, all sorts of adventures, in Paris and Provence, await her.

This book contained a delightful mix of forbidden love, loss and determination, with a huge emphasis on the importance of following your dreams. Add in heroines who will not be tamed, unlikely heros and decades of buried family secrets, and reading it left a huge grin on my face.

It will make a great companion to your summer holiday.

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Siobhan Curham

Author Bio

Siobhan Curham is an award-winning author, ghost writer, editor and writing coach. She has also written for many newspapers, magazines and websites, including The Guardian, Breathe magazine, Cosmopolitan, Writers’ Forum, DatingAdvice.com, and Spirit & Destiny. Siobhan has been a guest on various radio and TV shows, including Woman’s Hour, BBC News, GMTV and BBC Breakfast. And she has spoken at businesses, schools, universities and literary festivals around the world, including the BBC, Hay Festival, Cheltenham Festival, Bath Festival, Ilkley Festival, London Book Fair and Sharjah Reading Festival.

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Book review of The Resistance Knitting Club by Jenny O'Brien

The Resistance Knitting Club by Jenny O'Brien

The Resistance Knitting Club by Jenny O'Brien

Inspired by the true story of a woman who used knitting patterns to encode intelligence during World War Two.  

Guernsey, 2010. After a stroke, an elderly woman shocks her family by speaking perfect French – a language they never knew she possessed. As her granddaughter unravels seventy years of silence, a hidden wartime story emerges...

Paris, 1941. After her brother is declared missing in action at Dunkirk, eighteen-year-old Lenny Gallienne vanishes into Churchill’s secret army. In a bookshop on Rue de la Pompe, she poses as a simple shop girl while encoding intelligence from Nazi headquarters into knitting patterns. Each sweater smuggled to prisoners contains flight paths. Each scarf holds radio frequencies. Each mistake means execution.

Fellow agent, Harry Dennison is the only person who knows her real name. But when the SS close in, Lenny faces an impossible choice in the Metro tunnels beneath Paris – one that will haunt her family for generations. Because in the resistance, the most dangerous secrets are the ones you keep from those you love most.

The Resistance Knitting Club by Jenny O'Brien

My review

Set partly in Guernsey, as well as London, Scotland and occupied Paris, this dual timeline novel tells an emotional story of determination, espionage, heartbreak and above all family bonds.

Lenny is pushed to her limits, physically and mentally, but shows a resilience to adapt and keep going whatever her superiors and the Germans throw at her. Desperate to find a way to remember the morse code, Lenny practises it over and over again, in her knitting. This ingenious idea, born out of the practicality of a woman doing her best to be accepted into the male-dominated SOE (special operations executive) world, sparked a whole new adventure for her in this book, before circumstances led to the unravelling of her dreams.

The Resistance Knitting Club by Jenny O'Brien

The knitting element to this book intrigued me and really added that new edge to a genre I’m well-read in. I’m not a knitter but do know my knit and pearl stitches and just loved how something so simple as knitting was used in the storyline, although, I would have liked to have seen it play a more important role out in the field.

This book was an enjoying step back in time for those, like me, who love a book set during the Occupation of Paris.

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Author Bio  

Jenny O’Brien writes complex thrillers and heartbreaking historical fiction, as well as intriguing romances. Silent Cry, initially self published, topped the Amazon kindle chart in both the UK and the USA. Most of her books have followed suit. 

Jenny has over 40 years experience as a qualified nurse. She turned to creative writing as a hobby when her children were born. 

Born in Ireland, she now lives in Guernsey with her husband and children.

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The Resistance Knitting Club comes out in February, 2026. A blend of Jenny’s two hobbies - knitting and reading. For more check out The Resistance Knitting Club Facebook Page. Join the conversation as well as share your crafting projects. 

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The Resistance Knitting Club by Jenny O'Brien

Book review of The Case of the Body on the Orient Express by Kelly Oliver

The Case of the Body on the Orient Express by Kelly Oliver

The Case of the Body on the Orient Express by Kelly Oliver 

Paris, 1928: Agatha Christie and fellow writer Dorothy L Sayers board the Orient Express, bound for Constantinople. Christie in particular is looking forward to a break from recent dispiriting events in both her work and private life – the finalisation of her divorce from her philanderous husband Archie, and the miserly reception of her latest book.

But before the duo can settle in to enjoy the luxuries of their first-class journey, their journey is derailed when a fellow guest drops dead during the dinner service. And as the last person to speak to the victim, Dorothy finds herself a prime suspect in his murder.

As the train hurtles East, Sayers’ resourceful assistant Eliza and her friend Theo must navigate a maze of suspects. But with each passing mile, the stakes rise, and when another body is discovered, their search to find the killer before they reach their destination becomes increasingly complicated.

Can Eliza and Theo stay one step ahead, crack the mystery and clear Dorothy’s name? Or will this be one journey too far for the amateur sleuths? 

The Case of the Body on the Orient Express by Kelly Oliver

My review

I reached the end of this book and couldn’t decide what my favourite part of it was. With the vivid descriptions of the opulent setting of the Orient Express, the menus served in the dining car and the characters found on board, it felt like I was there. Then there were the mysterious circumstances surrounding the deaths to be solved that certainly got my brain ticking, as old flames and forgotten faces from the past all found themselves on the same train heading to Constantinople. But then there was Eliza, a woman to be admired and not messed with. She won me over from the moment she casually mentioned her forensics kit was included in her modest luggage for the journey to Constantinople with her employer Dorothy L Sayers. She had a mysterious and intriguing past that I couldn’t wait to discover. 

The Case of the Body on the Orient Express by Kelly Oliver

This book was also fully loaded with a rich cast of characters including George Orwell and Agatha Christie who were perfectly matched with the opulent setting of the Orient Express. I was so happy to board this train, and I really didn’t want the journey to end.

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Kelly Oliver

Author Bio  

Kelly Oliver is the award-winning, bestselling author of three mysteries series: The Jessica James Mysteries, The Pet Detective Mysteries, and the historical cozies The Fiona Figg Mysteries, set in WW1. She is also the Distinguished Professor of Philosophy at Vanderbilt University and lives in Nashville, Tennessee.

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The Case of the Body on the Orient Express by Kelly Oliver

Book review of The Girl from Normandy by Rachel Sweasey

The Girl from Normandy by Rachel Sweasey

The Girl from Normandy by Rachel Sweasey

Paris, 1940: Marie-Claire steps into the Gare de Lyon, not knowing it will be the last time she'll see her husband and son. Fleeing occupied Paris, she travels into the countryside of Normandy, and stumbles upon a chateau near Caen and a growing resistance movement. Soon, Marie-Claire finds herself working in a cafe in the quiet village of Sainte-Mère-Église, where she tries to come to terms with all she has lost – but little does she realise that her presence in Normandy will change the course of history…

1998: Half a century later, Esther is returning to the Normandy village she visited as a teenager, seeking a break from her monotonous life. Back then, she'd fallen in love with a rustic farmhouse and the family that lived there – not least the charming eldest son, Jules Joubert. But now, when Esther discovers an old annotated cookbook in the family kitchen, she begins to realise that the place she holds so close to her heart may hide more secrets than even the Jouberts realise...

What stories does the area carry? And could this trip change Esther’s life for ever?

The Girl from Normandy by Rachel Sweasey

My review

This book ticked a lot of boxes for me. It is a dual timeline novel, a format that I love, that followed the lives of two women, Marie-Claire, during the Occupation of France and Esther, a single woman living in Poole in 1990’s. It was Esther’s story that immediately captured my imagination. What was her history with Normandy and more importantly, how would her connection with Marie-Claire reveal itself. She was a character I really enjoyed getting to know as she negotiated some life-changing events.

Marie-Claire’s journey had a far more traumatic beginning as her little family fled the occupying soldiers in Paris. Her husband Benjamin was half Jewish and with no family support, her world dramatically changed in a heartbeat. Finding herself in Normandy, her skills in the kitchen and her burning desire to do anything she could to resist the Germans, gave her a much-needed focus and purpose. Her story was a fascinating one to read with many emotional ups and downs.

The Girl from Normandy by Rachel Sweasey

Despite some of the situations the characters found themselves in, this was a gentle read that mixed history with family sagas and life-changing events. There were many shared, extended family times, set around a French farmhouse kitchen table where the food, chatter and love came to life. The female characters especially, were strong and independent, and I admired their resilience to what life threw at them. As the book drew to a close there were a few unexpected twists that added another emotional element and put a smile on my face.

If you are a fan of historical fiction, especially set during the Occupation, I’m sure you would enjoy this book.

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Rachel Sweasey

Author Bio  

Rachel was born to English 10-pound-pom parents in sub-tropical Brisbane, Australia, and when the family moved back to Poole, Dorset, she was just 5 years old. She then grew up against the stunning backdrop of Poole Harbour where she sailed and played on the beaches of Brownsea Island and Studland, and walked across the Purbeck Hills, all of which inspired her imagination and provided the setting of her debut historical fiction novel set in WWII. Since then, Rachel has moved back to Brisbane, Australia.

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The Girl from Normandy by Rachel Sweasey

Book review of The Paris Promise by Suzanne Kelman

The Paris Promise by Suzanne Kelman

The Paris Promise by Suzanne Kelman

Paris, 1943: Keeping her eyes fixed on the Nazi officer, Antoinette slowly reaches under the pillow for the knife hidden there. Her hands are shaking, but she knows what she must do to save her husband and child…

When the Nazis invade Paris, Antoinette Valette’s world shatters overnight. In an instant, she goes from being a celebrated violinist, to fearing for the life of her Jewish husband and son. With nowhere to flee, hiding in plain sight is her family’s only choice.

But when their secret is discovered and her beloved husband is torn from her arms, Antoinette’s heart breaks. She knows she must act quickly if she is to save her son from the same fate. Desperate, she asks the Resistance to secure him a place on the last train leaving Paris. Holding him tightly against her chest, she promises she will find him again. But is it a promise she can’t possibly keep?

Alone and with nothing left to lose, when the Resistance ask her to use her musical talent to spy on high-ranking Nazis, Antoinette doesn’t hesitate. Playing her violin at elaborate dinner parties each night gives her the opportunity to listen to their conversations. And although she risks her life every day, it is the only way to get her family back.

But when a Nazi commander makes advances towards her, Antoinette realizes that she will have to make a dangerous and impossible choice. Can she find the strength to do the unthinkable, in the hopes that it will save her family, and countless other innocent lives?

The third gripping novel in the Paris Sisters series, this novel tells the story of the power of a mother’s love, in the face of unimaginable darkness. Perfect for fans of Roberta Kagan, Kristin Hannah, and Fiona Valpy. 

The Paris Promise by Suzanne Kelman

My review

Having enjoyed the previous books in this series, I was eagerly awaiting book three and looking forward to discovering the Occupation story of another of the Valette sisters.

Antoinette’s war differed from that of her sisters from the outset. As the wife of a Jewish musician, whose family was torn apart when the Nazi’s invaded Paris, her personal loss was heartbreaking to read. This traumatic time gave her the strength and determination to agree to work for the Resistance, using her music to infiltrate the occupying forces. The beauty of her violin playing contrasted with the risks, sacrifices and danger she put herself in and often had me holding my breath as I was dragged deeper into the book. I can’t imagine the emotions she felt as she made difficult decisions that would have repercussions lasting many years.

As with the previous books in this series, it is not just Antoinette’s war story that we follow. Suzanne Kelman is a master at cleverly crafting dual timeline novels that add another dimension and even more emotions to the story. We join Deanna, Antoinette’s granddaughter, as she sets out to uncover the mystery of a precious violin uncovered in her father’s attic. Unravelling her family’s mystery proves to be a journey that takes her to some dark places emotionally as well as some exotic locations.

This book, (and the previous two) are ones to add to your reading list this summer if you enjoy family mysteries, history and the Occupation.

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Suzanne Kelman

Author Bio  

Suzanne Kelman is a 2015 Academy of Motion Pictures Nicholl Finalist, Multi-Award-Winning Screenwriter and a Film Producer. As well as working in film she is also an International Amazon Bestselling Fiction Author of the Southlea Bay Series – The Rejected Writers’ Book Club, Rejected Writers Take the Stage and The Rejected Writers’ Christmas Wedding. Born in the United Kingdom, she now resides in Washington State.

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If you haven’t yet read the first two books in the Paris Sisters series, I recommend that you do – you can read my reviews here:

The Last Day in Paris

The Bookseller of Paris 

The Paris Promise by Suzanne Kelman

Book review of A Most Parisian Murder by Millicent Binks

A Most Parisian Murder by Millicent Binks

A Most Parisian Murder by Millicent Binks

Feathers, diamonds, showgirls, oh la la… Paris is everything Opal Laplume could dream of. But she wasn’t expecting to be cast as the lead detective in a murder case…

Paris, 1930. The Honourable Opal Laplume has just started working as a seamstress in the most glamorous cabaret in Paris. The stage is set for a spectacular opening night, but tragedy strikes when the star of the show, Valentine Beaumanoir falls from her hotel balcony.

The police believe it’s an accident, but Opal isn’t convinced. Witnesses heard Valentine shout for help before she fell. But if she was pushed, how could the culprit have escaped when her room was locked from the inside? And who left a perfect white rose on her bedside table?

When a deadly note to another dancer is found, Opal ditches her threads and thimbles to take charge of the case. Stepping backstage, she finds everyone had a reason to want Valentine dead. The chorus girls were jealous of Valentine’s spot in the limelight. But did one of them want the lead role that badly? Before she fell, Valentine called out the name of her beau, costumier Christophe. Could the show-stopping murder have been a crime of passion?

But just as Opal thinks she’s on track to solve the mystery, the theatre is rocked by a murder on stage, where once again the killer vanishes into thin air. Opal soon realises a bigger plot is unfolding. Can she keep her composure and catch the cabaret killer? Or will it be her final curtain call?

A Most Parisian Murder by Millicent Binks

My review

As Opal Laplume settles into her new life in Paris, sporting her unique style of headwear, and with her adorable companion Napolean at her side, it doesn’t take her long to realise that if she wants the truth about the mysterious disappearances happening to the cabaret cast, it is up to her to piece the clues together.

Opal was a fabulous character to get to know, and being with her in 1930’s Paris was a riot for my senses that put a huge smile on my face. Her observation skills were a gift, ensuring she picked up even the tiniest detail in every situation, and never failed to notice when something was amiss. The cabaret dancers were vibrant, as were the colours and textures of their costumes and feathery headdresses, and the arty society soirees she attended, with familiar names, swirling cigarette smoke and absinthe pipes all came alive from the pages.

I never doubted that Opal would succeed where the police had failed, but I wasn’t expecting the twists and turns this book gave me. It was one of those books that was easy to slip into, but not so easy to put down and I’m looking forward to reading more fabulous adventures from the Honourable Opal Laplume.

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Millicent Binks

Author Bio  

Millicent is a writer, former costume designer and burlesque performer from Suffolk. She now resides in North London with her husband and two cats, Queenie and Tarquin.

She has a BA (Hons) at Wimbledon College of Art in Costume Interpretation. Her writing credits include a column in the The London Evening Standard about her life as a burlesque starlet. She wrote the cover story “Alter Shego's” for The Sunday Times Magazine, in which she disguised herself as different women, took self-portraits, went out, introduced herself to random gentlemen and documented their reactions. This was optioned for TV by NBCUniversal.

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A Most Parisian Murder by Millicent Binks

Book review of The Paris Dancer by Nicola Rayner

The Paris Dancer by Nicola Rayner

The Paris Dancer by Nicola Rayner

A heart-wrenching and unforgettable story of courage, friendship and resistance, inspired by the incredible true story of a Jewish ballroom dancer in Paris during WWII, perfect for fans of The Paris Library.

Paris, 1938. Annie Mayer arrives in France with dreams of becoming a ballerina. But when the war reaches Paris, she's forced to keep her Jewish heritage a secret. Then a fellow dancer offers her a lifeline: a ballroom partnership that gives her a new identity. Together, Annie and her partner captivate audiences across occupied Europe, using her newfound fame and alias to aid the Resistance.

New York, 2012. Miriam, haunted by her past, travels from London to New York to settle her great-aunt Esther’s estate. Among Esther’s belongings, she discovers notebooks detailing a secret family history and the story of a brave dancer who risked everything to help Jewish families during the war.

As Miriam uncovers Esther’s life in Europe, she realises the story has been left for her to finish. Grappling with loss and the possibility of new love, Miriam must find the strength to reconcile her past and embrace her future. 

The Paris Dancer

My review

As she made her way to New York at the beginning of the book, it was the sadness radiating from Mim that was the first thing that struck me and pulled me in. I could feel her fragility and grief, even though at that point so much of her story is still hidden in the shadows. She was an easy character to bond with and I knew I needed to learn more about her. To begin with, the magnificence of the city seems to pale for Mim as she shuts herself away in Esther’s apartment, soon becoming lost in her great aunt’s past. 

The intrigue in Esther’s story that began in Paris just before the outbreak of the Second World War was as gripping for me as it was for Mim. They were a Jewish family who had fled persecution, and forged a new life in Paris, finding work behind the scenes in a music hall. From an early age, Esther had a feeling that she wasn’t like the rest of her family, but found her solace in her writing, something that also resonated with Mim. As she reads the scribbled memoir Esther has left her, secrets from the family spill from the pages and with neither Esther nor her sister Rebecca left to answer her questions, Mim isn’t sure where to turn. 

The Paris Dancer by Nicola Rayner

Her distraction comes from meeting two lively yet very different people, Bibi, her aunt’s elderly neighbour and Lucky, a dancer she sat next to on the flight. Bibi, never without a martini, always made me smile and was there to offer a different perspective on the past. Lucky just wants to help her find the dance that is hers that can free her from her sadness. I loved the way they began to explore New York through different dance experiences and how dancing was the movement that propelled this book forward, entwining both the past and the present-day storylines.

I am no dancer, but even I could feel the passion that flowed through the dancers and onto the pages. This added another layer of emotions that worked so well against the harsh reality of the difficult lives the characters were living and the decisions that were made. The consequences of which never left them.

If you enjoy historical fiction set during the Occupation, add this book to your 2025 reading list. The characters will stick with you long after you finish the last page. 

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Nicola Rayner, The Paris Dancer

Author Bio  

Born in South Wales, Nicola Rayner is a novelist and dance writer based in London. She is the author of The Girl Before You, which was picked by the Observer as a debut to look out for in 2019, optioned for television and translated into multiple languages. Her second novel, You and Me, was published by Avon, HarperCollins, in 2020. In her day job as a journalist, Nicola has written about dance for almost two decades, cutting her teeth on the tango section of Time Out Buenos Aires. She edited the magazine Dance Today from 2010 to 2015 and worked as assistant editor of Dancing Times, the UK’s leading dance publication, from 2019 until 2022. She continues to dance everything from ballroom to breakdance, with varying degrees of finesse.

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The Paris Dancer by Nicola Rayner

Book review of The Paris Bookshop for the Broken-Hearted by Rebecca Raisin

The Paris Bookshop for the Broken-Hearted by Rebecca Raisin

The Paris Bookshop for the Broken-Hearted by Rebecca Raisin

Can you ever swear off love, in the city of love?

Coco is having a hell of a month. She’s lost her boyfriend and her business, been forced to uproot her daughter to move back in with her parents in Paris, and now an infuriatingly handsome stranger is yelling at her for acting like a tourist… Right underneath the Eiffel Tower.

Storming away from him – and swearing off men for life – she decides she’s going to take the first job that comes her way.

Then, as if fate hears her, later that day she stumbles into a little bookshop – but not any old bookshop. This one comes complete with a café, cocktail bar, reading room and secret tunnel of books, and just a little hint of magic in the air. So when Coco’s offered a job selling books there, it feels like the perfect fit.

There’s only one problem… propping up the bar in the bookshop is none other than the grumpy, gorgeous stranger she’d met earlier that day…

A totally romantic, bookish and gorgeously escapist romantic novel, set in Paris in Springtime. Perfect for fans of Emily Henry, Abby Jimenez, and Sarah Morgan.

The Paris Bookshop for the Broken-Hearted by Rebecca Raisin

My review

I can’t tell you how happy I was to be back in Paris with Rebecca Raisin. After reading a number of her novels, I just love her wonderful ability to take me away from the stresses of life and immerse me in her written world, where smiles are guaranteed along with that warm glow of feeling loved.

This time we find ourselves in a bookshop frequented by those who have lost a love, for whatever reason, and where quirky owner Valérie, knows just what to serve them to brighten their mood and restore their faith in love. It’s not just the regulars to the bookshop and book club who need her help, new member of staff, Coco, is bringing a whole load of baggage to Paris with her, following the collapse of her life in London. She is hurting and cynical, but Valérie knows the signs and just how to help the magic of healing. 

The other members of the book club are vibrant, argumentative, yet extremely protective of each other, especially when one of them needs a little extra support. They all had their different reasons for finding their way to Valérie’s door and needing the book club, and I warmed to them all. It doesn’t take Coco long to find her feet and realise how she too can help, but accepting their help for her pain is going to be a tougher ask. 

The Paris Bookshop for the Broken-Hearted by Rebecca Raisin

The bookshop itself was a place of dreams, full of nooks and crannies, piles of books stacked here and there, comfortable, cosy areas to read as well as a bar, where Valérie dished out her famous potions and passages. I could picture myself whiling away a day there, if only such a place really existed!

It was also nice that there was a little cameo role from Anais, owner of the literary themed boutique hotel in Rebecca’s previous novel, Christmas at the Little Paris Hotel. I do hope there will be more French escapes from Rebecca Raisin in the future.

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Rebecca Raisin

Author Bio  

Rebecca Raisin writes heartwarming romance from her home in sunny Perth, Australia. Her heroines tend to be on the quirky side and her books are usually set in exotic locations so her readers can armchair travel any day of the week. The only downfall about writing about gorgeous heroes who have brains as well as brawn, is falling in love with them–just as well they’re fictional. Rebecca aims to write characters you can see yourself being friends with, people with big hearts who care about relationships and believe in true, once-in-a-life time love. 

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You might enjoy these previous books, also romances set in Paris, by Rebecca Raisin – read my reviews here:

A Love Letter to Paris 

Christmas at the Little Paris Hotel  

The Paris Bookshop for the Broken-Hearted by Rebecca Raisin