In Darkness, Look for Stars: An absolutely gripping, heartbreaking and epic World War 2 historical novel

Name: In Darkness, Look for Stars: An absolutely gripping, heartbreaking and epic World War 2 historical novel
Rating: 5 (2 reviews)

Clara Benson

Apr 2020 · Bookouture

5.0

2 reviews

Ebook

350

Pages

Eligible

About this ebook

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘Utterly captivating.’ Goodreads Reviewer

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘I was completely hooked.’ Goodreads Reviewer

⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘One of the best books I have read.’ Goodreads Reviewer

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘Fantastic… My heart was in my mouth.’ Shaz’s Book Blog

Paris, 1941: Going against her mother’s orders, spirited Maggie devotes herself to the Resistance. Her life is a whirlwind of forged passports and secret midnight runs, helping Jews escape Paris, which grows more dangerous by the day. Under the cloak of darkness, she bids farewell to Emil, who flees the city with the Nazis hot on his heels.

Emil is bound for Maggie’s sister, Cecilia, hundreds of miles away in the South of France. Innocent and shy Cecilia is shocked to the core when Emil turns up, seeking refuge. Up until now, she has lived a sheltered existence: wild and dangerous Emil turns her world upside down. Her life is on the line as she risks everything to protect him and soon she is drawn into the secret work of the underground Resistance.

As each day passes and the war rages on, Cecilia cannot help being drawn to Emil… But as the Nazis close in on them, she faces a terrible choice. Exactly how far she is willing to go for love? Her decision will haunt her for the rest of her life…

An evocative, riveting and stirring tale about the tragic realities of war, the fine line between loyalty and lies, and the power of love, even in the darkest of times. Fans of The Nightingale, The Letter and All The Light We Cannot See will be spellbound by this magnificent historical novel.

Readers absolutely love In Darkness, Look for Stars:

‘Amazing… One of my favourite stories… A brilliant story that is full of twists and turns… I felt like I was on the edge of my seat the whole time while reading… A must-read.’ Chells and Books, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘Oh my word, this was definitely an emotive and additive read, and then some… I felt myself well up… I fully immersed myself in the story and I knew that nothing much would be done for the rest of the day as I would be too busy reading!... I was too hooked… Superbly written… I became so emotionally involved with certain characters that every time they felt pain, I felt pain… The author uses such vivid and realistic descriptions that I actually felt as though I was part of the story myself.’ Ginger Book Geek, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘Amazing… I truly loved this book… Clara Benson does a masterful job of bringing her characters to life… Fans of All the Light We Cannot See will thoroughly enjoy this book.’ Historically Yours, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘Stirring, captivating and electrifying… So poignant it could sever readers’ heartstrings… A wonderfully written historical novel, In Darkness, Look for Stars was the first Clara Benson novel I read, but it shall certainly not be my last.’ Bookish Jottings, ⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘A beautifully devastating book. Highly emotional and utterly captivating from the first page to the last.’ Loopyloulaura, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘Fantastic… The author captures the relationships beautifully over the split time spans and intertwines them seamlessly. A real page-turner filled with suspenseful twists and turns.’ Goodreads Reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘This book was so good! The characters were so well rounded, you felt like you actually knew them! The plot was so good you didn't want the book to end!’ Goodreads Reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘Beautifully written.’ Goodreads Reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘First of all, what a lovely title and so apt during these dark times!... Heartbreaking as well as heartwarming. An insightful look into what war can bring but what we can get out of life when everything is crumbling around us. There’s plenty of war stories out there, but this one stands out.’ The Book Trail, ⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘I have read lots of books in the war fiction genre and found this book to be one of the best I have read!’ Goodreads Reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Ratings and reviews

5.0

2 reviews

Cathy Geha

April 17, 2020

In Darkness, Look for the Stars by Clara Benson Conflict, resistance, love, betrayal, ambition...and so much loss. This story was one that did have some happy moments but with war there is tension, fear and ultimately more loss than many can bear. The fight to survive and do what one perceives to be right is not easy and always takes a toll. This story is set in the years of 1940, 1942 and 1949 moving seamlessly from one period to the other in a well scripted story that had me on the edge of my seat. I worried about the pilot dropped behind enemy lines and then about the girl who helped me to safety. I then wondered what would happen to Alec and Maggie and others as they were introduced. I hoped that the people I cared about would make it out unscathed or at least alive but not all of them did. This book really made me think and feel and wonder what I would have done if I found myself in the shoes of Maggie, Cecilia, Harriet or even Rose. I was sad at times and wished the some of the characters had an easier time of it. Having been through a few wars I know it is never easy, people suffer and difficult decisions do not always provide the outcome desired. Life is hard and the characters in this book did not have it easy. What I liked: * Maggie: strong, resilient, focused on doing what she believed to be right. * Harriet: intelligent, caring, moving on with her life as she took on a job that was not easy * Cecilia: suffering losses that broke her in more ways than one – enjoyed seeing her transformation * Rex: a delightful boy who deserved more than he had in those first years of his life * Alec: a good man who made it through the war and found his HEA * Emil: a man of principle * The portions that described music in colors * The plot, writing, characters and story * That it moved me, made me feel and care and as if I was in the story * Thinking about my parents during their romance of the same time period * That the characters faced tough choices in real life situations * The real feel of the story * Meeting a new author and loving the story she told What I did not like: * War – I hate it and wish there was a way around it and this book made me realize this once again * Sensing something was going to happen, wanting to caution the characters and knowing I couldn’t save them from what was coming. Did I like this book? Definitely Would I read more books by this author? Without a doubt Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for the ARC – This is my honest review. 5 Stars

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