BLOG TOUR: The Spanish Girl - Jules Hayes

 

A country torn apart by war.

Two love stories divided by decades.

One chance to discover the truth... 

Feisty journalist Isabella has never known the truth about her family. Escaping from a dangerous assignment in the turbulent Basque country, she finds her world turned upside down, firstly by her irresistible attraction to the mysterious Rafael, and then by a new clue to her own past. 

As she begins to unravel the tangled story of her identity, Isabella uncovers a story of passion, betrayal and loss that reaches back to the dark days of Spain's civil war - when a passionate Spanish girl risked everything for her country, and for the young British rebel who captured her heart. 

But can Isabella trust the man she's fallen in love with? Or are some wartime secrets better left undisturbed...? 

Heartbreaking, gripping historical fiction about the tragedy of war, and the redemption of love. Perfect for fans of Angela Petch's The Tuscan Secret and Kathryn Hughes' The Letter.

What did I think?

I didn't think I was going to enjoy The Spanish Girl as much as I did; I found it a little hard to get into at first but once I did I was completely enthralled.  I was so captivated by the story that it made me cry at a particular heartbreaking and poignant moment and if that's not an indicator of a good book, I don't know what is!

The dual timeline of 1937 and 1976 works beautifully as both storylines are interlinked and I was equally fascinated by both.  Rather than time flicking back and forth in alternate chapters, Jules Hayes has chosen to group together a good chunk of chapters for each timeline and this really works well.  I felt it helped me to get to know the characters better and made them more memorable when the timeline changed.

Jules Hayes's writing is incredibly authentic, although a little too much at times with a lot of Spanish phrases (followed by translations) but as I don't speak a word of Spanish, they ended up being slightly redundant, although appreciated, words in the prose for me.  I also know very little about Spain's civil war and the Franco regime but the details in the book certainly felt very historically accurate to me.

It may be an era that is often written about but I've never read wartime fiction set in Spain and the effect of war is no less devastating.  The descriptive and emotive writing completely overwhelmed me at times as I was so immersed in the book that I felt as if I was actually there; I could hear the drone of planes overhead and the whistle of bombs as they were dropped.  It's absolutely stunning writing from Jules Hayes.

Poignant, immersive and compelling, The Spanish Girl is an impressive piece of historical fiction; it's beautifully written and highly recommended.

I received an ARC to read and review for the blog tour; this is my honest and unbiased opinion.

My rating:

Buy it from:

Amazon UK

Amazon US

About the author:

I have a degree in modern history and I'm fascinated with events from the first half of the 20th century, which is the time period my historical fiction is set.

My work has been longlisted in the Mslexia Novel Competition, and shortlisted in the prestigious Bridport Short Story Competition.

I live in Berkshire, UK with my partner, daughter and dog. Before writing stories, I was a physiotherapist.

Jules Hayes is a pseudonym for JA Corrigan who writes contemporary thrillers. Falling Suns by JA Corrigan (Headline Accent) was published in 2016. 

Website: https://www.jules-hayes.com/

Twitter @JulesHayes6  - http://www.twitter.com/JulesHayes6

Facebook Author Page: JulesHayesAuthor - http://www.facebook.com/JulesHayesAuthor

Instagram: JulesHayes6 - http://www.instagram.com/juleshayes6

Follow the tour:

Spanish Crossings - John Simmons

Spanish Crossings is an epic tale of love, politics and conflict, with the yearning but elusive possibility of redemption.

A woman's life has been cast in shadow by her connection to the Spanish Civil War. We meet Lorna in Spain, 1937 as she falls in love with Harry, a member of the International Brigade who had been at Guernica when it was bombed.  Harry is then killed in the fighting and Lorna fears she might have lost her best chance of happiness. Can she fill the void created by Harry's death by helping the child refugees of the conflict? She finds a particular connection to one boy, Pepe, and as he grows up below the radar of the authorities in England their lives become increasingly intertwined. But can Lorna rely on Pepe as he remains deeply pulled towards the homeland and family that have been placed beyond his reach?

Coming through the war, then the post-war rebuilding, Lorna and Pepe's relationship will be tested by their tragic and emotive history.

What did I think?

I have come to the conclusion that John Simmons is a natural storyteller; his books are intricate and meaningful and he continues to amaze me with his latest novel, Spanish Crossings.  His previous novel, Leaves, was one of the first books I reviewed when I first started my blog in 2015 and I consider it to be among my favourite books of the 21st Century.  Spanish Crossings is completely different to Leaves, in that it is based on real events: The Spanish Civil War, however, John Simmons has woven a beautiful and intricate story around this true event.  

When Lorna met Harry it was love at first sight but, before their life together even begins, Harry is cruelly taken away from Lorna when he is killed fighting in Spain for what he believes in.  When England takes in Spanish child refugees, Lorna sponsors a child, Pepe, and she is able to channel her grief for Harry into love for Pepe.  Even from a young age and many miles from home, Pepe has strong political beliefs and he and Lorna seem well matched.

When Lorna and Pepe naturally fell in love, I felt that Pepe changed.  He became secretive, suspicious and jealous and my feelings towards him changed.  I was disappointed in Lorna for not standing up to him, then I remembered that this was pre-war England and men ruled the roost.  When Lorna has their son, Jimmy, to think of she does get a bit tougher and makes a difficult decision that she will have to live with for the rest of her life.

There's something so very special about John Simmons' writing.  Take the passage about the doodlebug attack in London: I had goosebumps, it was so vivid that I could smell smoke in my nose and had a ringing in my ears as the dust settled.  It must have been terrifying and for John Simmons to portray that terror through his writing is no mean feat.  As greedy as I am for books, I don't want John Simmons to churn out a book every year; quality such as this is definitely worth waiting for.

Based on real events, Spanish Crossings, is a wonderful historical novel that both educated and delighted me.  A recommended read.

I chose to read an ARC and this is my honest and unbiased opinion.

My rating:

Buy it from Amazon