Bunny's Reviews: WWII

Showing posts with label WWII. Show all posts

Tuesday, November 7, 2023

Black Fox One Review Spotlight

Welcome to the tour for Elyse Hoffman’s Black Fox One. Read on for more details!

Black Fox One is the latest historical fiction novel by Elyse Hoffman and a truly gripping addition to the collective of books in this genre that she is known for.

Prepare to return to the World War II era where the Nazis are seeking the extermination of the Jews. In this book you will be introduced to two young characters who have grown up with a specific set of beliefs being instilled in them - the Jews are bad, they must be removed so that Germany can have a beautiful future. Jonas and Ava believe that a bright future awaits them, until it all comes crashing down.

Black Fox One is an engaging story where the author gives you glimpses of the youthful years of young Ava and Jonas. Ava stands out next to Jonas with her dark hair and her dark eyes. Your first thought is going to be that she's different. However, she's been raised to believe that she is well and truly German. That she will one day serve her country proudly, and Jonas will one day join the SS and do the same.

The author doesn't linger in their youthful years, but gives readers just enough to set the stages for their developing romance as they age. The antics these two get into is quite humorous. You'll smile at their childish moments, but the story is always quick to move forward.

One day, out of the blue, Ava simply disappears. Jonas, understandably, is heartbroken. What happened to her? Where did she go? Because it's not just her that's gone. It's her entire family. Years go by with no answers, and Jonas throws himself into doing his part for his country. He's determined to use this route to find out what happened to Ava, and in a roundabout way, he does. But it's not something that he could have ever expected.

This book is absolutely gripping and a serious page-turner. The author draws you in with each page. Jonas is the main focus of this story. He's the one that the author chooses to focus her attention on and follow. Jonas believes that what he is doing is right. Having earned the nickname of the "Fox Hunter." He's been part of the destruction of families, and he's been determined to bring down the Black Foxes. He aspires to one day own that silver skull ring that one of his superiors owns. Until he hears her voice for the first time in years.

This book is a tale of choices, and redemption. Jonas has always believed that he would have both the woman he loved and his country, but when he's shown a different path...a different choice, it's one that he has to take steps to take. What if everything he's ever known was a lie? Can he come out the other side of this deadly fog before it steals everything from him?

Elyse Hoffman truly shines with this book. Readers of historical fiction will devour this book as it brings to life engaging characters who are fighting for their lives, but for those that they care about as well. Jonas is an interesting character to "watch" as he struggles with everything that he has ever known. Will his love for Ava be enough? Can he truly walk away from everything and everyone that he's come to know over the years while Ava was "gone"?

Even if you are not an avid reader of historical fiction, and the era that surrounds WWII this author is one that you should consider reading. Her books are enlightening, and enjoyable, and will keep you page-turning to the end. Highly recommend this book/author to all.

5 out of 5 stars

Thank you to Elyse Hoffman, and R&R Book Tours for the opportunity to read and review this book. I look forward to what comes next.

Black Fox One: A Gripping WW2 Story of Love, Resistance, and Courage

Publication Date: November 1, 2023

Genre: Historical Fiction

A deadly mission to hunt down the resistance’s top soldier will make SS Officer Jonas Amsel question everything he kills for…

Jonas Amsel and Avalina Keller, devoted Nazis and best friends, have a bright future in Hitler’s Third Reich. Ava, a talented gymnast, wants to serve Germany in the Olympics, and Jonas, who has loved Ava since they were children, wants nothing more than to marry her and start a family. When he is about to propose, however, Ava and her entire family vanish without a trace.

Jonas blames the Jews for Ava’s disappearance and throws himself into a career in the Nazi Party. He serves the Reich under the ruthless Chief of the Gestapo, Reinhard Heydrich. Jonas becomes particularly good at capturing members of the Black Foxes, an anti-Nazi resistance group, earning Heydrich’s respect and the moniker of “the Fox Hunter.”

Impressed by Jonas’ skills, Heydrich gives him his most difficult task yet: capture the elusive Black Fox One, the Black Foxes’ most deadly and mysterious operative. No Nazi who has pursued Black Fox One has returned alive, but Jonas is determined and confident. Capturing Black Fox One might bring him one step closer to finding Ava.

But while he is hunting Black Fox One, Jonas makes a shocking discovery, forcing him to make an agonizing decision. He must choose between his love for the Reich and his heart, torn between the lies he has been taught all his life and the new truth before him.

Black Fox One is a thrilling World War II story of lost love, bravery, and the hard road to redemption

Available on Amazon

About the Author

Elyse Hoffman is an award-winning author who strives to tell historical tales with new twists. She loves to meld WWII and Jewish history with fantasy, folklore, and the paranormal. She has written six works of Holocaust historical fiction: The Barracks of the Holocaust five-book series and The Book of Uriel. Elyse’s books are the way to go if you love history and want to read some unique stories.

Elyse Hoffman

Book Tour Schedule

November 6^th

http://rrbooktours.com Landing Page

https://www.instagram.com/brendasbookstack/?igshid=YTQwZjQ0NmI0OA%3D%3D – Review

https://www.instagram.com/emilyusuallyreading – Review

November 7^th

https://www.instagram.com/bookboundwithjen/ – Review

https://justmeandmyblogreviews.blogspot.com/ – Review

https://bookwormbunnyreviews.blogspot.com/ – Review

November 8^th

https://www.instagram.com/shygirlediting/ – Review

https://www.instagram.com/bookgrlobsessed/ – Review

https://www.instagram.com/booksawyer/ – Review

November 9^th

https://www.instagram.com/mommyandherbooks/ – Review

https://lshadowlynauthor.com/ – Review

https://rissreviewsx.wixsite.com/website – Review

November 10th

https://www.instagram.com/calhoun.crew/ – Review

https://www.instagram.com/what.lillian.reads/ – Review

https://www.instagram.com/paperbacksandsketchbooks/ – Review

https://www.instagram.com/tkeyahreads?igshid=OGQ5ZDc2ODk2ZA%3D%3D – Review

Book Tour Organized By:

R&R Book Tours

Monday, December 19, 2022

Fracture Spotlight

Welcome to the book tour for Elyse Hoffman's Fracture, a heart-wrenching WW2 story of forbidden love and torn allegiances. Read on for more details!

Fracture

Publication Date: October 18, 2022

Genre: Historical Fiction/ Forbidden Romance/ LGBTQ2+

Franz Keidel is a monsterous SS soldier: loyal, hateful, and devoted to Hitler. With a cold heart, he hunts down his Führer’s enemies, but one fateful mission will fracture his shield of ice.

While hunting for Jews, Franz stumbles across a familiar face: Amos Auman, his childhood friend. Amos is the only source of joy in Franz’s life, but he is also a Jew. Unable to bring himself to kill his friend, Franz vows to protect Amos from his fellow Nazis.

As Franz spends more time with Amos, bringing him food and books, he falls in love with his kind-hearted friend. How could he fall in love with a man, a Jew? How can he continue to hate Jews when a Jew has thawed his icy heart?

And what will Franz do if he has to choose between Amos and his loyalty to Hitler? What choices does he have when he is already beyond redemption?

Add to Goodreads

This book will grab your heart, make a fist, and squeeze until there is nothing but a dried up husk left. It’s awful. You have to read it! No, seriously. There are so many feels going on here. The author lifts you up then smashes you down, over and over again and I guarantee you’ll ask for more. Plus, that ending! Oh, my. This is a story that will not leak from my brain any time soon. - A Voracious Reader

Available on Amazon and free for KU

About the Author

Elyse Hoffman

Book Tour Schedule

December 19^th

R&R Book Tours (Kick-Off) http://rrbooktours.com

@2manybooks2littletime (Review) https://www.instagram.com/2manybooks2littletime/

Liliyana Shadowlyn (Review) https://lshadowlynauthor.com

Bunny’s Reviews (Spotlight) https://bookwormbunnyreviews.blogspot.com/

December 20^th

Books Blog (Spotlight) https://www.booksblog.co.uk/

Book Reviews by Taylor (Review) https://www.bookreviewsbytaylor.com/

@read.em.of.you.got.em (Spotlight) https://www.instagram.com/read.em.if.you.got.em/

December 21^st

Cheryl’s Book Nook (Review) https://cherylsbooknook.blogspot.com/

Timeless Romance (Spotlight) https://aubreywynne.com/

Lady Hawkeye (Spotlight) https://www.ladyhawkeye.com

@kellyatx (Spotlight) https://www.instagram.com/kellyatx/

@calmstitchread (Spotlight) https://www.instagram.com/calmstitchread/

The Magic of Wor(l)ds (Spotlight) http://themagicofworlds.wordpress.com

December 22^nd

Reads & Reels (Spotlight) http://readsandreels.com

@adlynsreadingcorner (Spotlight) https://www.instagram.com/adlynsreadingcorner/

@ witchinglybookish (Review) https://www.instagram.com/witchinglybookish/

December 23^rd

@ashe_and_ink (Review) https://www.instagram.com/ashe_and_ink/

The Faerie Review (Spotlight) http://www.thefaeriereview.com

Latisha’s Low-Key Life (Review Out of Tour/ Spotlight) https://latishaslowkeylife.com/

@sadiesspotlight (Spotlight) https://www.instagram.com/sadiesspotlight/

Book Tour Organized By:

R&R Book Tours

Thursday, December 15, 2022

Where David Threw Stones Review Spotlight

Welcome to the tour for Where David Threw Stones by Elyse Hoffman. Perfect for fans of The Book Thief.

Where David Threw Stones is an engaging historical fiction novel that the minute you start reading, you're not going to want to put this book down.

David is a little Jewish boy who recently lost his parents to a terrible car accident. They were murdered and while he was in the car with them, he survived the crash. He was a step away from being put into the system, but his paternal grandfather stepped forward to claim him. Now, he's off to a small town of Brennenbach, Germany. This small town houses a dark secret. David's grandfather is determined to shielf him from it, but then the family pup, Mozart, goes missing - David takes a dangerous risk. He's been told - don't leave the house after a certain time, and he's about to find out why.

David is an engaging character that will have you feeling a variety of emotions as you read this story. He's a Jewish boy living in the aftermath of World War II. There is still anti-Semitism feelings running rampant throughout Germany. So it shouldn't come as any surprise to the young boy that Brennenbach is no exception. He proudly wears his Kippah, but his grandfather shows signs that it just might not be a good idea. David's guilt plagues him concerning his parents, so he refuses to remove it. By doing so, it sheds light on a secret that his grandfather has been keeping for years.

I found this book to be so engaging I couldn't put it down. There were moments in this book that I had mixed feelings toward David. One minute I was feeling bad for him, and then I was disappointed in him. I totally understood his desire to stick to his faith and the standards that they hold. However, when it causes chaos and loss for his grandfather I was disappointed in him. Of course, he had no idea of that particular fact, and I thought - "well, if the grandfather had simply said something" but would it have really mattered? Who knows.

The deeper the story goes, the more you learn about the characters. You get flashbacks in the appropriate areas and it really fleshes the story out even more. You're eyes are absolutely going to blow wide when the curse makes an appearance in the storyline. It adds another level of drama to the story as David finds himself in quite the predicament again and again. Things go well for awhile, but then all it takes one misstep.

There are twists, turns, surprises, and so much more in this book. I absolutely love when the story ties into the title as well. It's absolutely perfect.

This book is a must read for lovers of historical fiction with unique twists that will keep them coming back for more. I've never read "The Book Thief" or "Beyond the Tracks" but if you've read those books and enjoyed them, then I'm sure you will enjoy this book as well. The attention to detail, the character development all lend themselves to create a truly engaging story. I look forward to reading more by this author in the future.

I am rating this book a well earned 5 out of 5 stars.

Thank you to the author, Elyse Hoffman, and R&R Book Tours for the opportunity to read and review this book.

Where David Threw Stones

Publication Date: September 27th, 2022

Genre: Historical Fantasy/ Historical Fiction/ WW2

“Welcome to the Brennenbach of Midnight! The Curse Hours have begun.”

West Germany, 1968

When ten-year-old David Saidel’s parents are murdered, he is sent to live with his grandfather in the anti-Semitic village of Brennenbach. Miserable and lonely, David finds solace in his kindly Grandpa Ernst, who has one strict rule: never go out after midnight.

When David breaks curfew to search for his missing dog, he discovers why Ernst is so serious about his curfew: Brennenbach is cursed. When midnight strikes, the town is thrown back to 1943, the height of Hitler’s reign.

The Nazi ghosts that infest Brennenbach are just as dangerous as they were in life. They’re hunting for David, thinking he is the last member of a family they’ve been ordered to destroy.

Through the help of a little girl named Maria Rahm, David sets out to end the Curse before it claims more victims.

Award-winning author Elyse Hoffman has crafted an expertly woven tale of World War II’s horrors – perfect for readers of Marcus Zusak’s “The Book Thief,” or Michael Reit’s “Beyond the Tracks.”

Check out the wonderful reviews on Goodreads and grab a copy today!

Available on Amazon

About the Author

Elyse Hoffman

Book Tour Schedule

December 12^th

R&R Book Tours (Kick-Off) http://rrbooktours.com

Books Blog (Spotlight) https://www.booksblog.co.uk/

Book Reviews by Taylor (Review) https://www.bookreviewsbytaylor.com/

Latisha’s Low-Key Life (Review) https://latishaslowkeylife.com/

@latishaslowkeylife - https://www.instagram.com/latishaslowkeylife

December 13^th

@read.em.if.you.got.em (Spotlight) https://www.instagram.com/read.em.if.you.got.em/

@ashe_and_ink (Review) https://www.instagram.com/ashe_and_ink/

Liliyana Shadowlyn (Review) https://lshadowlynauthor.com/

The Faerie Review (Spotlight) http://www.thefaeriereview.com

December 14^th

Cheryl’s Book Nook (Review) https://cherylsbooknook.blogspot.com/

@hazels_bookstagram (Review) https://www.instagram.com/hazels_bookstagram/?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y%3D

@calmstitchread (Spotlight) https://www.instagram.com/calmstitchread/

@amber.bunch_author (Spotlight) https://www.instagram.com/amber.bunch_author/

December 15^th

@marvsbooks (Spotlight) https://www.instagram.com/marvsbooks/

Bunny’s Reviews (Review) https://bookwormbunnyreviews.blogspot.com/

Stine Writing (Spotlight) https://christinebialczak.com/

Rambling Mads (Spotlight) http://ramblingmads.com

December 16^th

@2manybooks2littletime (Review) https://www.instagram.com/2manybooks2littletime/

@fathomsamidstthelines (Review) https://www.instagram.com/fathomsamidstthelines/

Reads & Reels (Spotlight) https://readsandreels.com/

@elinasbookstagram (Spotlight) https://www.instagram.com/elinasbookstagram/

Book Tour Organized By:

R&R Book Tours

Wednesday, July 13, 2022

Dreams of Democracy Spotlight

Welcome to the book tour for A Dream of Democracy by Helmut Siewert and Cheryl Bartlam du Bois!

A Dream of Democracy

Publication Date: April 25th, 2022

Genre: Historical Fiction/ WW2

A DREAM OF DEMOCRACY is a ten-year-old boy’s escape from the Russian invasion of East Prussia at the end of WWII in January 1945. With his mother and sister aboard his aunt’s horse-drawn wagon, they fled with thousands of refugees from the barbaric Red Army. Since Hitler and the German Army failed to evacuate or protect German civilians on the Eastern-Front, they ran for their lives on the wagon train west with Russians soldiers on their heels who were determined to seek revenge from Hitler’s previous invasion of Russia–pillaging as they went, raping women of all ages and killing the men and boys.

Available on Amazon

About the Authors

Helmut Siewert was born in East Prussia in 1934 and survived the Russian invasion at the end of WWII at the age of 10. He emigrated to America where he became a successful businessman. He now lives in Florida with his third wife after his second wife died.

Cheryl du Bois is a writer and screenwriting instructor who has written many books and screenplays during her career. She has a BFA from VCU and took graduate courses at UCLA and AFI in film and writing. She lives in Florida, where she writes full-time