Blog Tour Review: The Socialite by J’nell Ciesielski

Thanks to the publisher for providing me with a free copy of the book.

Synopsis (from Goodreads):

As the daughter of Sir Alfred Whitford, Kat has a certain set of responsibilities. But chasing her wayward sister, Ellie, to Nazi-occupied Paris was never supposed to be one of them. Now accustomed to the luxurious lifestyle that her Nazi boyfriend provides, Ellie has no intention of going back to the shackled life their parents dictate for them—but Kat will stop at nothing to bring her sister home.

Arrested for simply trying to defend himself against a drunken bully, Barrett Anderson is given the option of going to jail or serving out his sentence by training Resistance fighters in Paris. A bar owner serves as the perfect disguise to entertain Nazis at night while training fighters right below their jackboots during the day. Being assigned to watch over two English debutantes is the last thing he needs, but a payout from their father is too tempting to resist. Can Barrett and Kat trust each other long enough to survive, or will their hearts prove more traitorous than the dangers waiting around the corner?

Review: I love historical fiction, and have often enjoyed WWII fiction, but don’t read it very often anymore. It’s hard to find a story that feels original and/or really grabs your attention because the genre is so saturated. Despite all of that, I wanted to give The Socialite a try; something about this book was calling my name. So yes, I went into it feeling a bit hesitant, but it turned out to be a great reading experience.

First, I loved the pacing of the story. As a reader, we jump right into the action on the first page, and the story takes off running. I loved the intensity created by the pace, and the fact that there was always something unexpected happening to keep me on my toes. It also helped me make me feel invested in the story, and that’s what I need to stay focused on and intrigued by the story.

In addition to the pacing, I really enjoyed the sister relationship that was the focus of this storyline. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: show me a story about sisters and I’m in. Having sisters means I’m always curious to see behind the curtain of other sister relationships. I love getting a glimpse into how that dynamic plays out for others, so a book focusing on that relationship always calls to me.

If the synopsis intrigues you, and if any part of my review speaks to your reading preferences, I highly recommend you add The Socialite by J’nell Ciesielski to your TBR. It just hit shelves this last Tuesday, and it’s been a standout read for me. I can’t wait for others to dive into Kat and Ellie’s story.

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Book stats: paperback, 368 pages, Thomas & Nelson, April 14, 2020

Thanks to TLC Book Tours for organizing this tour. The rest of the tour stops can be found Here.