Omg these 2 are just so freaking cute together 😍😍😍

⭐⭐⭐⭐·5 August Moon Stars

Review

Well this book has lots of feels, and plenty more to go round 😭

Imagine if you will you are 13 years old, and in love with a boy band - as all, or most 13 year olds are.

This boy band is huge HUGE (think One Direction big!) touring the world, filling stadiums, the whole thing.

Now, imagine if your Dad won tickets to go and meet the band backstage after watching them live in concert 😱😱

Can you imaging how exciting that would be??

Then imagine your dad lets you down and can't take you, so you ask the only other person you want with you, your mum.

She agrees to take you, and can see how excited you are, so she goes to the concert with you and your three friends and also backstage to meet the band.

You have the obligatory photos and chat with the band for a while, and you and your friends are on cloud 9 for months to come!

Now imagine that you find out months and months later that your mum has been sneaking around, and secretly shagging the lead singer of the band, who is only 8 years older than you, your mum is 39 years old. 😱

This book takes the teenage heart-throb Love Story and flips it on its ass!

No, it's not the young girl falling in love with the lead singer, but an older divorcee who suddenly finds herself desirable again.

And so what if he's younger than her! if it was flipped on its head and she was dating an older man people wouldn't bat an eyelid (You go girl)

Unfortunately though, the fans do not see it that way and we get a small glimpse into the life of a pop star.

🎧🎧 This book was actually narrated by the author herself, at the beginning I was a little bit dubious it didn't sound right.

However once I started getting into the story I think her voice fitted perfectly, her English accent was excellent as well as her French, I'm not sure whether she is part French or lived there, but her accent was Steller.

After checking her authors page on Goodreads, I realised that she's actually an actress and starred in a couple of big movies, do you remember Seven Pounds with Will Smith?? yep that's her!!

For a debut novel, I think we may be seeing a lot more of Robinne Lee, and I for one cannot wait!

⭐⭐⭐⭐.5 Heart-breakingly beautiful stars

Before starting this book i knew that it was going to be a tough one, I was not silly enough to think that it was going to be a fluffy romance, but ahh this book!!

I also did not know that it was based on a true story, i know obviously Auschwitz is true, but this is also the true story about Lale Sokolov and his "romance story" with the love of his life Gita.

The horror that one man can endure and feel has been put into this book and is sometimes overwhelming, and that is a good thing, it should never be forgotten what happened in these camps, it should never be forgotten what these people went through.

Lale was taken to Auschwitz in 1942 he was 26 years old.

He offered his services when the Nazi's came to his town, he was told that one member had to go and help them and the rest of the family would be saved, Lale stepped up to the mark, his older brother had a wife and a child so he thought that it would be best for him to stay and look after her.

At that time he and the rest of the world were unaware of the horrors that he would see and endure, he just thought he was helping his family!

On arrival he was stripped of his name and given the number 32407 which was tattooed onto his arm, along with the thousands of other arrivals.

He was set to work, firstly lugging bricks, and then on the rooftops of the new buildings of the ever extending camp.

One day he got really sick with typhiod, a desease that was swarming through the camps, a man took care of him, his name was Pepan.

Pepan was the man that had Tattooed him on the day that he arrived at the camp, after that Pepan took him under his wing and used him as an apprentice, he taught him the trade and also how to keep his head down and his mouth shut!

One day Pepan disappeared, so Lale was crowned the new "Tetovierer" (Camp Tattooist) - Lalel never saw Pepan again.

Because Lale was fluent in 5 or 6 languages he learned to hover around and collect information, and because of his new job he was given preferential treatment, he was given better lodgings and extra helpings at dinner, which Lale saved and gave out to his friends in Block 29 where he was first stationed.

While he was tattooing new prisnners one day he met Gita, he tattooed her arm with the number 34902, he never forgot that number, they tried to meet each other and sometimes managed fleeting glances and stolen kisses, much to the dismay of his German Officer in charge of him, his extra rations soon started to go to her.

He also managed to gain gems and money from dealings with some of the other prisoners, so he started exchanging these for extra food, this was like currency in the camps and Lale soon became the man to go to for anything.

There are, as you would think, a lot of harrowing stories inside this book, but also a lot of love.

My heart was in my mouth a few times, especially with Josef Mengele hovering around and telling him that he will be next!

The Authors Notes, and Following at the end of the book is beautiful and the Afterward from Lale and Gita's son Gary made me tear up.

🎧🎧 - Narration by Richard Armitage was outstanding, his accents were wonderful and his voice was just perfect for this story.

Save a credit for this one guys, it is well worth it.

Prepare yourself

Vicci

P.S - I had the opportunity to visit Auschwitz a couple of years ago, and it was truly the most strange place i have ever been, it is still as grim as it is portrayed in books and pictures, and the government and workers there have done well to keep it as it should be, a museum that portrays the horrors that went on there.

They haven't "Disneyfied" it, and they are very respectful.

You cannot just go and walk around chatting, you have a guide and you go around in small groups, you have earphones on and the guide talks into a microphone so you don't hear anyone else talking.

Krakow itself is beautiful, and seeped in history and well worth a visit.

We should never forget!



Learn more about Lale and his story here:- The Tattooist of Auschwitz - and his secret love

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Beautiful Friendship Stars

Get ready to buckle yourseves in for this one guys it's a feeler!

Gahhh it's beautiful, Beautiful, BEAUTIFUL!!!

If you've ever read a book by Amy Harmon you will already know how her books affect you, however, if you haven't, then you are in for a treat, and I guarantee that you will want to binge read everything she's ever written.

This story follows three friends from childhood to adulthood, two of these friends got married to each other, the other friend was always in love with one of them, she was the loser!

Mercedes is the best friend anyone can ever have, she's staunchly protective, brave, kind, beautiful and has a wonderful personality, she's also in love with her best friend Noah.

Noah wants be a doctor when he grows up and loves spending time with his two best friends Mercedes and Cora.

Cora loves her two best friends, she doesn't really know who she wants to be, so when Mercedes wants a kitten Cora gets a cat, when Mercedes says that she wants to be a beautician when she grows up, Cora wants to be one too, when Mercedes takes an interest in Noah, Cora decides to step in.
Mercedes being the kind of girl she is steps aside and lets her best friend marry the man of her dreams.

She's the bridesmaid at the wedding and the godmother of their child and she's also there when their two worlds come crashing down.

With a small cameo from one of Amy's previous books which you do not have to have read, this book keeps you enthralled and wanting to be part of The Three Musketeers.

🎧🎧 Narrated by Almarie Guerra, a new narrator for me did an outstanding job all of the characters had their own voices and I believed every word she said.
I will certainly be looking out for other titles that she has narrated.

Pick up this beautiful story as soon as you can you won't be disappointed!

Vicci