Review: CODE NAME HÉLÈNE by Ariel Lawhon
Code Name Hélène by Ariel Lawhon Also by this author: I Was Anastasia
Published by Doubleday Books on March 31, 2020
Genres: Historical Fiction
Pages: 464
Source: Netgalley
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FTC Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley. All opinions are my own.
One of the things I love about reading historical fiction is that I often learn of important historical figures that were previously unknown to me. Such is the case with Ariel Lawhon’s latest novel Code Name Hélène. Set in Europe during World War II, Code Name Hélène follows the adventures of Nancy Wake, an Australian-born socialite who is living in Paris when World War II breaks out. When we first meet Nancy, she is working hard, trying to be taken seriously as a journalist in a man’s world. When the war breaks out, however, Nancy finds her true calling as a spy and ultimately becomes one of the leaders of the French Resistance.
I had never heard of Nancy Wake and was fascinated to learn what a huge part she played during the war. I was also a big fan of the way the author delivers Nancy’s story to us, using several interweaving timelines, one for each of the code names Nancy acquired through her work for the Resistance. We get to see Nancy in action as an oblivious mistress, Lucienne Carlier, as she smuggles documents and people across borders to safety. When the Nazis learn of Nancy and quickly become frustrated by her uncanny ability to evade capture, they nickname her ‘The White Mouse” and put a steep price on her head. Knowing she is in imminent danger, Nancy flees France and begins training with the Special Operations Executive where she earns a new code name, Hélène, and is air dropped back into France with a new mission. As Madam Andre, this final mission is to do whatever it takes to arm the French Resistance and drive the Germans out of France.
I was completely riveted by Nancy’s journey from start to finish. It is fraught with danger and suspense at every turn, and I just found myself more and more inspired by Nancy’s formidable presence and spirit. She’s fearless, brash, resourceful, and has a take-no-prisoners attitude. Working in what could only be described as a man’s world and wearing her signature Chanel red lipstick, Nancy ultimately commands respect from all of those around her, even those who initially refuse to accept the authority of a woman in a war zone. Heck, at one point, she even kills a Nazi with her bare hands!
As awe-inspiring as her career in espionage was, I also loved that the author chose to include a glimpse into Nancy’s personal life as well, most especially her relationship with Henri Fiocca, the love of her life. Watching how the war impacted their relationship was almost as gripping as watching Nancy order men around as a Resistance fighter.
Code Name Hélène is an inspiring story of bravery, resilience, love, and sacrifice. If historical fiction and strong women are your thing, this is a book you want to check out.
About Ariel Lawhon
Ariel Lawhon is the critically acclaimed author of THE WIFE, THE MAID, AND THE MISTRESS, FLIGHT OF DREAMS, and I WAS ANASTASIA. Her books have been translated into numerous languages and have been Library Reads, One Book One County, and Book of the Month Club selections. She is the co-founder of SheReads.org and lives in the rolling hills outside Nashville, Tennessee, with her husband, four sons, and black Lab—who is, thankfully, a girl.
Top Ten Tuesday – 10 Reads That Will Put a Smile on Your Face
Top Ten Tuesday was created by The Broke and the Bookish in June of 2010 and was moved to That Artsy Reader Girl in January 2018. It was born of a love of lists, a love of books, and a desire to bring bookish friends together. Top Ten Tuesday has been one of my favorite memes ever since I started blogging, so huge thanks to Jana for taking over the hosting duties!
This week’s TTT topic is Genre Freebie (pick a genre and build a list around it! i.e., best/worst romances, non-fiction for travelers, memoirs for foodies, classics that feel timeless, romance novel kisses, science fiction that feels too real for comfort, women’s fiction for newbies, etc.). I went a little rogue this week because I couldn’t really think of a genre I wanted to focus on. Instead, and especially in light of what’s going on in the world right now, I decided to focus on humor. Specifically, I’m sharing books that I think are such fun reads they’ll put a smile on your face and will make you forget about your troubles for a little while. All ten of these have plenty of laugh-out-loud moments and, at least for me anyway, were major mood lifters. My list is heavy on rom-coms and YA contemporaries, and you knew The Bromance Book Club and something by Christina Lauren would make an appearance, didn’t you? Anyway, here’s my list. Happy Tuesday!
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10 Reads That Will Put a Smile on Your Face
1. TO ALL THE BOYS I’VE LOVED BEFORE by Jenny Han
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2. MY LADY JANE by Cynthia Hand, Jodi Meadows, & Brodi Ashton
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3. THE FLATSHARE by Beth O’Leary
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4. THE BROMANCE BOOK CLUB by Lyssa Kay Adams
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5. SAVE THE DATE by Morgan Matson
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6. THE GENTLEMAN’S GUIDE TO VICE AND VIRTUE by Mackenzi Lee
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7. WHEN DIMPLE MET RISHI by Sandhya Menon
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8. RAYNE & DELILAH’s MIDNITE MATINEE by Jeff Zenter
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9. JOSH & HAZEL’S GUIDE TO NOT DATING
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10. SIMON VS. THE HOMO SAPIENS AGENDA by Becky Albertalli
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Question: What are some of your favorite fun reads?
Review: THE HONEY DON’T LIST by Christina Lauren
The Honey-Don't List by Christina Lauren Also by this author: My Favorite Half-Night Stand, The Unhoneymooners
Published by Gallery Books on March 24, 2020
Genres: Contemporary Fiction, Romance, Women's Fiction
Pages: 320
Source: Netgalley
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | The Book Depository
Goodreads
FTC Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley. All opinions are my own.
I admit that I was very late to jump on the Christina Lauren bandwagon, but ever since I read my first book by them, I’ve been hooked and their latest collaboration, The Honey Don’t List, has only made my love for their books continue to grow.
What a fun read this was! Celebrity scandals have always fascinated me anyway, so I was drawn to this story as soon as I realized what it was about. The fact that the story begins in a police station with the celebrity assistants being interviewed only served to whet my appetite all the more. Something dramatic and potentially scandalous has clearly happened and I was immediately flying through the pages wanting to know what had transpired.
Melly and Rusty Tripp are the celebrities in question. Famous in the world of home décor and remodeling, Melly and Tripp have captured the hearts of their fans, not just because of their design talents but also because they have such a wonderful relationship. They are America’s sweethearts and they’ve even written a book about their lives together and have a new Netflix series in the works. To cap off their success and promote their new book and show, the Tripps are going on a book tour together. There’s just one problem: they actually despise each other. Enter the real stars of The Honey Don’t List, the two personal assistants, Carey Douglas and James McCann, who have been tasked with the nearly impossible task of keeping the book tour from imploding by making sure Melly and Rusty don’t kill each other or otherwise expose that their marriage is basically a sham.
I adored both Carey and James from the start. I was tremendously sympathetic to them both right away since my instinct would have been to resign. Carey can’t resign though because 1) she desperately needs the health insurance, and 2) she has been with Melly since the beginning and feels obligated to be there for her. Even though she is high maintenance, Melly has been like a mom to Carey. James is equally stuck in his position, primarily because his last job ended in disaster, with the firm he worked for wrapped up in some huge scandal. James needs to rebuild his resume and a hugely successful organization like Melly and Rusty’s is just what he needs. I love a good underdog story and both of our protagonists are clearly cast in that role.
The book tour is of course a total train wreck with plenty of laugh out loud moments, which is exactly what I was hoping for from a Christina Lauren read. What really had me captivated though was the growing relationship between Carey and James as they are forced to team up and try to save the day, so to speak. Even though they initially don’t like each other very much, it’s clear they have off-the-charts chemistry. I loved all of their moments together, whether they were scheming about how to do damage control with respect to Rusty and Melly or whether they were just truly opening up to one another and having meaningful conversations. There are also plenty of flirty and sexy moments as the pair gets closer and closer, so yes, there’s lots of rom-com style goodness in The Honey Don’t List, also exactly what I’m looking and hoping for when I pick up a Christina Lauren book.
Hilarious and heartwarming, The Honey Don’t List is the perfect book to pick up if you’re looking to escape reality for a while. It’s sure to leave you with a smile on your face.
About Christina Lauren
Christina Lauren is the combined pen name of long-time writing partners and best friends Christina Hobbs and Lauren Billings. The #1 international bestselling coauthor duo writes both Young Adult and Adult Fiction, and together has produced fourteen New York Times bestselling novels. They are published in over 30 languages, have received starred reviews from Kirkus Reviews, Library Journal and Publishers Weekly, won both the Seal of Excellence and Book of the Year from RT Magazine, named Amazon and Audible Romance of the Year, a Lambda Literary Award finalist and been nominated for several Goodreads Choice Awards. They have been featured in publications such as Forbes, The Washington Post, Time, Entertainment Weekly, People, O Magazine and more. Their third YA novel, Autoboyography was released in 2017 to critical acclaim, followed by Roomies, Love and Other Words, Josh and Hazel’s Guide to Not Dating, and the Publisher’s Weekly starred My Favorite Half-Night Stand, out in December.