This is a beautiful and fascinating novel that will keep readers hooked.” San Francisco Book Review, ★★★★½An art director with a conscience. A client with a past. A World War II survivor who’d rather forget his own.What if a 70-year-old letter from World War II changed the course of your life? While attending Valor of the ’40s, art director Stephanie Britain stumbles upon a flea market selling … Stephanie Britain stumbles upon a flea market selling letters from the war. She buys a handful, hoping they’ll inspire the redesign for a client’s website at her branding and design firm. At first, she’s drawn by the lost art of penmanship, but soon discovers a hidden treasure nestled inside declarations of love from homesick soldiers.
Stephanie enlists a coworker to translate one and realizes it’s not a love letter after all. When a shocking discovery about a client causes Stephanie to question her principles and dedication to her firm’s business, she’s forced to make a difficult decision—one that could give her peace of mind, yet ruin her career in the process.
Contemporary fiction with a historical touch, AMONG THE BRANDED explores family life, an unexpected friendship, and moral conflicts that make us wonder what’s more important: our livelihood or our beliefs.
Praise for AMONG THE BRANDED:
“This is a beautiful and fascinating novel that will keep readers hooked.” —San Francisco Book Review
“The plot is highly engaging, and the burgeoning friendship and connection between Stephanie and Izzy is heartwarming and intriguing.” —SPR
“The supporting cast of characters are interesting and believable.” —Awesome Indies
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I fell in love with Izzy while listening to this story. The relationship that develops between Steph and her family and him is beautiful. The professional decision that Steph makes is courageous and so right. This is story that entertains, but also educates and reminds us of another dark time in our history that we must never forget.
I received a gifted copy in exchange for an honest review.
My review on the book: Many of you may know that I am a sucker for all stories WWII. I totally adored this story!!! Izzy is such a great man! Talk about a positive role model!!! He was so funny too. I cried for Izzy three times in this book. Amazing job to the author for creating those feelings! All of the characters were pretty amazing except for one. I will let you all figure out who he is! Lol! I also wanted to mention that this book is a Kindle Unlimited book!!!! So, get on it folks and read this book!!!
/5 stars from me for the book.
Audio review: I think the narrator,Kimberly M. Wetherell, did a fantastic job!!! I could clearly understand her. I LOVED all of her character voices! It really helped me visualize the characters better. She made the story feel that much more real! So, if audiobooks are your thing, grab this one up!!! You will not be disappointed! I promise!
/5 stars from me.
5 well deserved stars!
I’m so glad this was put on my radar to read.
A moving, emotional, tug-at-your-heartstrings read. The characters are powerful and well-developed. At the heart of the story is a 70-year-old letter that is connected to one of my favorite book characters ever, Izzy. A child who was a victim of the horrible war actions of World War II. So moving, powerful, with a bit of historical fiction weaved into this contemporary fiction, I was so immersed in this story and did shed a few tears, without giving spoilers away. I will say that this book touched my heart in a very special way and I’m so glad I read it(via audiobook, which was the best, read through the voice of the fabulous narrator, Kimberly M. Wetherell).
Thank you, Linda Smolkin, for writing this lovely book that touched my soul and for bringing attention to this horrible time in our history through a fabulous modern way and for creating the beloved Izzy, who will forever remain with me.
This is a lovely and endearing story. All of the characters felt like family. It is so sad that history is not really taught anymore along with respect. Stephanie’s children learned that and for this, they had a better appreciation for what Izzy had to endure.
This story is very character driven. Therefore, you can not help but become immersed in the story and lives of everyone. Instantly, I fell in love with Izzy. As I listened to the audio book; I had a vivid image of everyone as if there was a mini movie playing in my head.
It is hard to believe that this is author, Linda Smolkin’s debut book. It reads like a seasoned professional and Linda’s fourth or fifth book. I will be checking out more books by this author.