An Amazon Charts and Washington Post bestseller.From the USA Today bestselling author of A Curve in the Road comes a spellbinding novel about one woman’s love, loss, and courage during wartime.After a crushing betrayal by the man she loves, Gillian Gibbons flees to her family home for a much-needed escape, but when she finds an old photograph of her grandmother in the arms of a Nazi officer, … her grandmother in the arms of a Nazi officer, Gillian’s life gets even more complicated. Rattled by the discovery, Gillian attempts to unravel the truth behind the photos, setting her off on an epic journey through the past…
1939. England is on the brink of war as Vivian Hughes falls in love with a handsome British official, but when bombs begin to fall and Vivian’s happy life is destroyed in the blitz, she will do whatever it takes to protect those she loves…
As Gillian learns more about her grandmother’s past, the old photo begins to make more sense. But for every question answered, a new one takes its place. Faced with a truth that is not at all what she expected, Gillian attempts to shine a light not only on the mysteries of her family’s past but also on her own future.
This gorgeously written multigenerational saga is a heart-wrenching yet hopeful examination of one woman’s struggle to survive, perfect for fans of The Nightingale and Beneath a Scarlet Sky.
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This story is set in a historical period of time. The characters could have been a member of anyone’s family. The story has many moving parts, two of which are a love story and a mystery. The first chapter sets the stage for the characters lives that intertwine deeply. You will experience many emotions through out this novel.
This is a superbly written story that will leave you wishing for more and more.
Don’t miss out on this awesome book, it is a must read!
A Fire Sparkling by Julianne MacLean will take you back to England during WWII. This is a love story with twists, turns and suspense that will keep you turning pages well into the night. Gillian has had a disturbing revelation about her boyfriend – she walked in on him and another woman. Her heart is broken and returns to he childhood home – back to her father and grandmother, Vivian. Her father is upset because he has discovered photographs of his mother with a Nazi officer. Gillian and her father, Edward, confront Vivian about the photo. The story of what happened in England, Berlin and Paris is wonderful, surprising and heartwarming.
The plot and characters are well developed. I loved the story about Vivian and her husband Theodore. I also loved hearing about April and Ludwig. If you like romance, history and suspense, you must read this story. I received it as a gift, and I always review every book that I read.
Julianne has taken WWII history and romance and combined it together to make a wonderful novel. I could not put this novel down! I was intrigued from the beginning and the book kept me interested all the way to the very satisfying end.
Julianne has written this novel so vividly that you will feel like you are there. Her descriptions are so accurate you honestly seem to be in Britain. She has created a very authentic sense of place & time. Her characters are very well developed for a multi-generational story. This is a story of twins that inherited the mother’s beautiful singing voice. This is a story about how family, war, adventure, twists of circumstances, curves in the road, tragedy, and redemption change the path of your life.
Julianne is an exceptionally talented author who knows how to grab you from page one, keep you interested with emotional, intense, suspenseful, romance, drama, secrets, and wraps it all up with redemption, love & joy! Julianne delves deeply into human emotions.
I highly recommend this novel! You will not be disappointed! It is so exceptionally written I hope that it wins award after award. IT IS SIMPLY THAT GOOD! Once you start this book you will not want to put it down! This novel is a very powerful story and you will be swept away!
I received a complimentary copy of this book from Julianne MacLean through NetGalley. This review is completely based on my own opinions.
Outstanding! 5 stars plus
The Fire Sparkling is an intense, emotional and well developed story with strong, endearing and believable characters. A fascinating novel about the love, loss and courage! This wonderfully written multi generational saga is a heartbreaking yet hopeful struggle for survival of a lovely female character that will capture your heart. I finished this novel in tears of sadness and joy! Be prepared to be swept away into the past!
Julianne MacLean has written such of a beautiful and touching story about two endearing women from three generations! Vivian, 96 years old, who has experienced dramatic events during the WWII period. Ms. Maclean is a talented storyteller who never disappoints me! She tells us the poignant and dramatic period when people of Great Britain were courageous and so brave in order to survived during the war against Germany. ‘A Fire Sparkling’ starts with old photographs that will forever change the life of sweet and charming women, their family and dear friends. We will discover their family secrets so far forgotten and lost. Truth will be revealed! Fortunately, a solid bond will unite them all. Memories will take them on a roller coaster ride of emotions! Get ready to shed a tear or two. Lots of ups and downs! Some scenes are so intense and emotional!
This novel will catch your interest and sweep you away. Thank you Julianne MacLean for writing this spellbinding novel.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book that I received from her publisher and Netgalley! All thoughts and opinions are my own.
This was a beautifully crafted novel about life life interrupted by war. A gripping page-turner that had it all–romance, suspense, tragedy, adventure, and redemption. I could not put it down.
A Fire Sparkling is an age old puzzle that’s waiting to be solved. MacLean holds nothing back. Gillian’s road of discovery taps into the substance of humanity. Betrayal thrusts a woman into her family history. Heartache becomes the catalyst for exposing a truth that is not as cut and dried as it seems to be. Turns out the facts are stranger than anything she could have ever dreamed up. Fire of Sparkling delves into darkness of mind, before the heart can see the light. This is the tale of two women, who found strength in facing weakness and helping others do the same. Words have power and MacLean is shouting at the top of her lungs with this emotional stunner.
Firstly I would like to say that I’ll read anything Julianne writes because she is exceptionally talented. I love her books and all the twists and turns of her plots and this novel was no exception. I was completely fascinated by April and Vivian’s beautiful story as both tried to survive the devastation of World War II. By the end of the book I just wanted more…. more about April, Vivian, Gillian, Theodore, Jack and Ludwig. More about a grim, battle-weary London and all its compelling war stories. There are a few difficult scenes of wartime violence that are hard to read, but I consider this one of the best books I’ve read in the past year. I only wish Julianne could turn this novel into a book series. I would recommend this book to everyone.
If you like historical fiction, mystery, suspense and family drama, you will want to read “A Fire Sparkling”!
This novel put me in the throes of World War II with Vivian, a young woman with many secrets.
I could not stop reading until the skeletons were out of the closet. It kept me in suspense all the way until the very end of this book.
Told in the present and then back to 1939, this is one amazing journey.
It is like nothing I have read.
The transition from timelines is so smooth, and the story so well plotted; that it makes for a wonderful, detailed, story of love, anger, endurance and hope.
Truly 10 stars!
Wow! I can say with complete certainty that this is a book I will never forget. The characters seemed. so realistic and the story was so haunting. I know that there truly were very real people as brave and heroic as the characters in this book. They fought and sacrificed to make a world a better place doing World War 2. Many thanks to the author for heightening our awareness of it. The story clutches at my heart and will not let go.
1939 is when this story starts off. The beginning of Germany invading Poland, then France, then England.
What some of the characters went thru and it really sorta pulls you in, in reading about the bombs that were dropped on England and the families that lost a lot.
Romance, lost love, happy ending.
What an incredible novel of WWII and family secrets!
This novel grabbed me from page one and wouldn’t let me go. The twists and turns along the way pushed me onward so quickly and I couldn’t read it fast enough. The writing was amazing and story structure flowed just right.
Unforgettable, heartrending novel of courageous women grappling with grief and loss but finding hope amid their turmoil. A must read split time novel!
A fire sparkling it took me several months to pick this book, it was seating on my wishlist forever and now I’m asking myself why did I wait this long to read this amazing book? but finally, I did it and I really love it.
A Fire Sparkling is written as a dual time story, spanning from present to past, it is the story of Gillian, she flees to see her family, wanting to spend some time alone, trying to recover from the betrayed and the hurt she is feeling, she didn’t expect to be going through, she thought she already found the love of her life but this was not the case. Now determined to have some distance and recover her peace of mind not knowing her life and the life of her entire family was about to change forever. some truths were hiding, and not ready to be unleashed but Gillian found in her grandmother’s house some photos of her posing with a Nazi officer, Gillian, and her father felt a little concerned and disturbed by these findings, especially since her grandmother hasn’t the same energy to be able to question her about such things.
Gillian is determined to find the whole story of her grandmother, her father somehow feels betrayal by the hiding facts of his real father, but at the same times, he also is intrigued and wants to know the real story of his mom.
What a magnificent book and story I really love it, we get to hear the real story of April and Vivian, two identical twins with very different characters and aspirations but at the same time very lovable and kind…
let me tell you something about this book nothing is what it seems I love how the author took us on a journey where we thought something was that way but then BAM nothing was like we thought and this is what made this book so amazing because it was not predictable and the things that we didn’t saw coming at the end we understood why and were mindblowing.
I cried with A fire Sparkling, but I also felt happy to see how strong was April and that we got to meet great sensible characters like Vivian and Theodore, they really gave so much to this story, the love, the tenderness, the hope this is what inspired me whenever I was reading the love of Vivian and Theodore as well as the love April had for her officer and Jack.
I really don’t want to give more away I was having a hard time describing my feelings for the book but in fewer words, it is a great book and it will keep you hooked from the beginning until the end.
A great book that takes several unpredictable turns. The plot has you rooting for all of the characters in both the present and the past (the book is told in two time frames). The book is wonderful, and I highly recommend for any WW2 lover.
I fell in love with MacLean’s writing when I picked up A Curve in the Road and could not wait to read her latest novel. There was no disappointment! In A Fire Sparkling, Julianne Maclean’s lyrical writing crafts a gripping family saga that takes the reader into the heart of WW2. The action moves through the tragic horrors of the London blitz to fully engage us in France with the brave men and women involved in the dangers of the French Resistance. The story of identical twins Gillian and April is filled with romance, heartbreak, suspense and secrets and lies that lead to unexpected plot twists. Moving easily between the dual timeline of WW2 and 2011, I found the story to be an emotional yet satisfying read that has stayed with me long after the end. I highly recommend it.
Loved this book could t put it down didn’t want it to end but also wanted to know the ending x x
A Fire Sparkling by Julianne Maclean
Fantastic Historical WWll Novel that will melt the deepest critic’s heart. The beautifully written storyline is powerfully emotional and takes you into the characters lives and along their journey’s of survival and hard choices through WWll. This is one of the best books I’ve ever read! The plot is creative, engaging, and very complex with several unbelievable surprise twist and turns you will never see coming! I was literally on an emotional rollercoaster that left me choked up and flipping the pages as quickly as I could to find out what happened next. It deserves 10 Stars!
I think the 2,681 customer review ratings of 4.7 out of 5 Stars speaks volumes.
Happy Reading
Such a lovely read! Interesting characters with many twists and turns. The ending wasn’t at all what I was expecting, but was great!
My rating: 5
Full of exciting twists and turns, A Fire Sparkling kept me enthralled until the satisfying and shocking ending. Every time I thought I could guess what was going to happen next, Julianne MacLean threw a mind blowing curveball. This book is both gutwrentching and heartwarming at the same time with well developed characters and a plotline that kept me hooked until the very last page. A Fire Sparkling is perfect for book clubs as the twists are so shocking I yearned to discuss them with others along with the discussion questions in the back of the book.
What an amazing story with so many secrets and twists. A Fire Sparkling by Julianne MacLean deserves a review. It kept me intrigued the whole time. Most of the story took place during World War II, but would go back to present day as well where Gillian’s grandma told her story after Gillian’s dad found pictures of his mother with an SS Officer in a secret compartment of a chest in the attic. Gillian is also dealing with her own issues in present times. The author really connects the reader with the characters and takes you back in time. This was a real gem and I would highly recommend this book.