Love in the Shadows: A page-turning historical fiction romance by Emma Nichols

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


This is my first read by the author and, wow, was I surprised by how much I enjoyed it. This is another one where the blurb is longer than my damn review. I’m just not feeling very wordy but want to make sure other people get a chance to discover this book.

Two women brought together by their ideals despite being on opposite sides of the war become embroiled in more than either of them anticipated. In the crucible of war, can their love defy the odds?

From the celebrated author of Madeleine and Don’t Tell Me Who to Love comes Emma Nichols’ Love in the Shadows — a gripping story of resilience in the face of adversity, weaving the bonds of love and resistance during World War II.

Johanna Neumann, a once-acclaimed pianist, is forced to leave her high-society life in Berlin to support her military husband, the newly appointed Kommandant of Erstein. With her son enlisted in the Hitler Youth and her dreams of music silenced by the clamor of conflict, she grapples with the harsh realities of her new existence in a place where she is neither welcome nor trusted. Haunted by loss and loneliness and disillusioned by her husband’s transformation, she, like many, yearns for an end to the war so she can go back to her beloved homeland before her young daughter, Astrid, is recruited into the Nazi regime.

As Johanna tries to navigate her restricted life in the heart of war-torn 1943 Alsace, a flicker of hope emerges in the form of Fabienne Brun, a spirited dairy farmer turned French Resistance fighter. Their connection is undeniable, and that is more terrifying than the war, but is Johanna delusional in hoping for a future together, if they survive the war?

Find out, in this epic love story that will keep you turning the pages to the end.

Historical fiction is my jam and this one was very well done. The romance takes a backseat to the resistance/historical parts – at least for me they did. Our MCs growth as a couple felt organic and true, as well as the actions/reactions of many of the side characters. I was completely engrossed throughout and look forward to reading more by Nichols.

I bought the audiobook from Libro.fm while it was on sale and am definitely happy with the purchase. It’ll be one I read again for sure. The narrator, Jessica Jeffries, did a great job.



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