This book sat on my Kindle for way too long and I'm kicking myself! I can't believe I didn't read it sooner! If all goes as planned and COVID doesn't get in the way, I will be visiting Kotor next year on a trip that I have planned, so this book was a fun read, in that respect. As for the story, it started with a heartbreaking opening with our main character Sophie receiving news that no wife ever wants to hear. She and a friend go off to Montenegro for a little vacation and Sophie decides that this is a place that she could see herself living. While there, she finds letters written during World War II and a mystery ensues. This novel is a heartbreaking story of love, loss and finding oneself, and I highly recommend it!

Absolutely loved it. Even better than her debut and about a place I knew nothing if. Well researched and beautifully written

Tragically and suddenly bereaved, Sophie feels strangely drawn to an old house in need of renovation near Kotor in Montenegro. Taken there by her friend, Anna, on a restorative holiday following her bereavement, Sophie decides to cut her ties with the UK and the sad memories it holds, purchase the house and make it her home. Her decision is partly influenced by letters she discovers in the house dating back to the Italian occupation of Montenegro in World War II and her desire to understand the story behind them and why they have remained unread.

The stages of Sophie’s grief are convincingly portrayed and her decision to up sticks and move abroad doesn’t seem so unbelievable given her state of mind and the fact that Matt, her husband, was not only her best friend but the person she had relied on for almost everything. In fact, her first few months in Kotor pass in a kind of haze, with an overwhelming torpor permeating her, making it a challenge to even get out of bed some days. ‘She could have been a decaying Miss Havisham, moving among the sordid remnants of her misery.’

Gradually, though, the atmosphere of her surroundings seems to work its magic on her. She even observes parallels between Kotor’s ability to recover from disaster and her own process of recovery. ‘After the earthquake in 1979, the local craftsmen had rebuilt the entire town by hand, stone by stone, painstakingly reassembling it just as it had been for centuries before, but better, stronger, more able to withstand future tremors. Maybe it was possible to put things back together. To remake them.’

Having suffered the terrible misfortune of losing her husband, Sophie’s fortunes change as not only – conveniently - does a builder arrive on her doorstep who can undertake the renovations needed to the house but it’s not long before she meets two equally attractive males: Darko, who helps her translate the letters and provides details about wartime events in Kotor; and Anton (Ton), who is battling demons of his own. The dynamics of this potential triangle seemed fairly obvious to me but, surprisingly, it takes Sophie some time to work it out.

When the author contacted me about reviewing her book, there were two things that influenced my decision to say yes. One was the setting, as I’ve visited Kotor twice (although only as a one day stop a cruise) and was completely charmed by the place. I thought the author really captured the beauty of Kotor, its lakeside setting surrounded by mountains (reminiscent of Norwegian fjords) and the charming old town full of narrow streets and hidden squares. (The beer is pretty cheap as well.) There are some great photo’s of the location of the book on Rose’s website (see bottom of this post). The author also paints a wonderful picture of the open, welcoming people of Montenegro. I really enjoyed this aspect of the book and the insight into the wartime history of the country including some of the terrible events that went on during the Italian occupation.

The second element that attracted me to the book was the historical aspect provided by the mystery of the letters. The letters Sophie finds take her back to the wartime period and start her on a quest to find out more about the writer, Mira, and Dragan, the man to whom she is writing. This was a less successful element for me. Firstly, the letters seemed slightly unrealistic, with too many literary flourishes - more, I think, than you would put in a letter even if you had a poetic bent. For example this excerpt from one of the letters: ‘Her eyes were so red with crying, the lids so puffy, that she looked lie a paper version of herself left out in the rain to swell and bloat.’

But mainly I was greedy for more of Mira and Dragan’s story. I wondered if perhaps, alongside the letters and Sophie’s modern day experiences, this element might have worked as a separate narrative told through the eyes of Mira and/or Dragan. In fact, maybe it would make great material for a whole separate book (the historical fiction fan in me coming out here!).

There is a lot to enjoy about Under an Amber Sky and if you enjoy a well-written story set in an enchanting location, full of emotion but tinged with hope, then this is the book for you. I received a review copy courtesy of the author and publishers, HQ Digital, in return for an honest and unbiased review.

Thank you to Net Galley and the publisher for the ARC of this book which does not influence my review.

I love this book. It is heartwarming,, thrilling and enjoyable to read. .It is a story of starting over in grief,, finding a new life and embracing change along the way. When Sophie loses her husband she finds that moving away and purchasing a home in Montenegro where she is instantly enchanted with the house and its past occupants. She begins to enjoy her home as she researches their past and finds surprising information along her path. As she grows into her new life her home soon fills with new friends and a life she never imagined. This is a book for everyone one of us that has had to start over. It is hopeful that life can change for the better and a well crafted enjoyable story to read. I loved this book.

I received this ARC copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. So thank you netgalley and publishers.
This book is about Sophie she is in love with her high school sweetheart Matt. When a disaster occurs and her best friend Anna convinces her to go on a holiday to Montenegro. While there they look at a house in the Bay of Kotor and Sophie, who desperately needs a fresh start, decides to buy it. At first Sophie is in a depression but slowly her life seems to get better and her house start's filling with people. Sophie's house is already furnished with the belongings of former inhabitants. She finds a stack of letters written during WW2. The writer went through a different kind of suffering and Sophie can't help but feel a connection. Under an Amber Sky is a beautiful story about grief, longing, love and hope. I definitely feel a connection with Sophie and I loved her character, she is strong ♡  She might not want to go on, but she keeps fighting and love eventually has a healing effect. Her wounds will never disappear, but they do become manageable. I give this book a 4.5 star rating, well done! Can't wait to read more from this author!

Started well but found myself not wanting to pick it up and didn't complete the book. Not sure why I lost interest, sorry.

I haven't read Rose Alexander before but the back of this book intrigued me when Sophie finds a box of unopened old letters in an old rundown house I wanted to know their story. I'm afraid I was disappointed with this book and I ended up skim reading a lot of it. I enjoyed reading about the translation of the letters and her meeting the baby in the letters but everything seemed so rushed. One minute you were reading about something and then it was a couple of days later! I'm pleased Anna found happiness and Sophie finally let Ton in but the story seemed a bit far fetched in some places letting all of these strangers into you new home without knowing who they were, I know they were like family in the end but it didn't make sense to me. And I know it must have been heartbreaking being a young widow and I couldn't even comprehend what it would be like but my gosh it went on and on and on and on, I got slightly fed up reading it and I couldn't connect with any of the characters. Thank you for letting me read and review this book anyway.

“God used six days to make the earth and the seventh to make the Bay of Kotor”

The opening pages of the novel land with a punch. Sophie and Matt have been together for 15 years and Matt dies unexpectedly, which naturally throws Sophie into a deep period of mourning and loss. Where do you go, what do you do when you lose your partner at a relatively young age when the future should be opening up before you as a couple? Sophie’s friend Anna (with toddler Tomasz in tow) whisks her off to Montenegro for a break, and in a snap decision it is there that Sophie decides she is going live.

She has even found a suitable – if somewhat run-down – little house, on the edge of the Bay of Kotor. Even the prospect of heading into Winter doesn’t diminish Sophie’s commitment to this new stage of life. She has to find a strength of character, away from her friends and family, but in some ways this is perfect for her to engage with the grieving process.

A discovery in her house of a letters between two people called Mira and Dragon during World War 2 leads her to seek out the help of Darko, who over several weeks translates the writing for her. It is a poignant exploration of the period under Italian occupation where many men were imprisoned on the island of Mamula, where deprivation and death was rife. The split narrative enables the author to delve into the amazing – and often violent and sad – history of Montenegro, from the Romans through the war, the great earthquake of 1979 when much of Kotor had to be rebuilt and to the war of the 1990s. Her characters tour from the Roman mosaics at Visan to Herceg Novi which is apparently the sunniest town in the country.

From her window, Sophie can see Mount Lovcen, the symbol of Montenegro. As she finds her feet in this new country, her experiences always come back to the loss of her husband, it seems as though she will never be able to move on. Frank soon appears in her life, an amiable rogue, who lodges with her in return for renovations to her house (and his appearance on the scene, his character and his quick move into her house feel like random factors that do not sit easily in the narrative).

Before long the Winter moves into summer (and the different seasons are very important in Montenegrin culture, as the author outlines at the beginning of the novel) and she soon finds herself surrounded by friends and supportive people.

This is a poignant and charming novel, about a group of people with Sophie at the heart, who are making their way in a beautiful, foreign country. It is a delightfully described country in the novel, tiny “with a population not much greater than that of Glasgow” and after reading this, you will undoubtedly want to visit!

I have been looking forward to this book because it completely sounded like my kind of book. Unfortunately it didn't work for me.

I liked the beginning, I was feeling with Sophie but once she arrived in Montenegro I just couldn't connect with her. Everything felt distant and I missed the emotions. I also didn't quite understand how she could live almost a year with no job but still starting to renovate the house. She might have some savings but I doubt this is enough.
I loved that there were letters from the past in the book but somehow the connection between the letters and the present day didn't work for me and I couldn't get emotionally involved with the story.

I loved the scenery though. The descripstion of the bay were beautiful and Montenegro made a really nice change of setting.

I absolutely loved this warm hearted tale of heartbreak and recovery set in stunning Montenegro. Escapism at its absolute best, I raced through it during a wet weekend in the Scottish borders and felt myself transported to the stunning locations of this novel and wishing that I could be one of the charming and eclectic group of characters that find themselves moving into the almost derelict house with Sophie and helping her on her road to recovery. I need to visit Montenegro after reading this novel and have already been looking at flights to Croatia & car hires - it's THAT good! Rose Alexander has created a heartwarming read with a storyline mingling the past and the present in a thought provoking and enjoyable way. Absolutely recommend this for a perfect poolside treat.

This book was too depressing. I understand how Sophie grieve after her husband's death, but gosh this just went on and on and on. It was as though she just didn't want to move on. I had to put this down because it got to a point where I was no longer enjoying it. Good premise but depressing as heck. This was definitely not for me.

Wonderful writing, good plotting, and a great setting made this a quick and enjoyable read. Despite the way it starts= with the loss of Sophie's husband- this is a remarkably hopeful book. Buying a house in a. foreign country is a pretty radical step but it definitely worked out for her. I can't remember another novel set in Montenagro, which made this all the more special. I liked learning a bit about the region and its history. I'd not read Alexander before so thanks to Netgalley for the ARC- I'm going to look for her again. This is the sort of old fashioned, finding others and finding yourself novel that can really give you a boost.

Thanks Netgalley and the Publisher. What a really lovely written book about love, grief friendships and new beginnings. A must read

I really liked this book. The author set the scenes very well with lovely descriptions of Montenegro. The characters are dimensional and well thought out, resulting in a wonderful story of life, loss and eventually love. I enjoyed the way the author described the grief of losing a loved one so well. The roller coaster of emotions and that it isn't all over and done with in a matter of weeks. Great story.

Thanks HQ Digital and netgalley for this ARC.

Lovely, sad, enlighten- all this and more

5☆  Poignant and heartfelt read. Loved it!

Under the Amber Sky is beautifully written. It's about love, grief, friendships, new beginnings, a Journey of discovery.

When one phonecall changes Sophie's life forever, her world is turned upside down.

Sophie's best friend Anna is her rock and she feels that what Sophie needs more than ever is to get away.
So she persuades her to go to Montenegro with her.

It's here Sophie falls for the beautiful charm and people of Montenegro.
Sophie buys a very old run down house in desperate need of some TLC and quickly falls in love with it's need for some love.
Step by step Sophie starts to mend the house and her broken heart!

Such a heart breaking yet warm moment when Sophie starts to feel a sense of belonging.

When Sophie finds a box full of old letters she starts to read them one by one, discovering they are letters written by Mira to her husband who was a prisoner of war.
Sophie makes it her personal journey to find the missing link to see if there is someone to return the letters too.

I would like to applaud Rose for her stunning description of Montenegro.
I was literally transported into the book. If i closed my eyes I could see the island and it's beauty.

I loved Sophie I really felt her journey. The way Rose engages the reader with all of her characters is sublime.
 I felt Sophie's pain and heartache, her laughter and love, her determination and strength.

There are some difficult subjects raised within the book but Rose handles them with sensitivity and Grace.

Overall Under the Amber Sky is simply Sublime. I was cast under a spell and was completely enthralled.  Definetly a feast of different emotions.
I loved it!!

Perfect read for lovers of women's literature, readers who love adventure and emotional reads.

Would I recommend this book...... without a doubt.... YES!!!!

Sometimes a book just really resonates with you from the very first chapter and hits you where it matters the most and this was definitely the case with this second book from Rose Alexander Under an Amber Sky. I'd never heard of this author before and came across this book quite by accident drawn to it partly due to the beautiful cover but then I read the blurb. It sounded like just my kind of read and the fact it blended a modern day story with that of the past made me want to read this stunning book even more. The historical element was not the dominant storyline at all but arose at various times throughout the book and was told in the form of written letters discovered in an old house. Even from the prologue I could sense this was going to be a special book and one that I would remember for quite some time to come.

The prologue was dramatic and heartbreaking as our main female protagonist Sophie Taylor has to deal with the most life altering event a person will have to face. All Sophie's hopes, dreams and ambitions have disappeared in an instant as she hears the devastating news her husband Matt has dropped dead. Now there is no happy ending with beautiful children to look forward to. Her life has fallen apart with the imparting of a few words. What point is there in going on? How can she survive on a day to day basis without her soul mate, her friend, the love of her life, her one true love? 'She realised she herself would never walk in that free, purposeful way again. There never would be any point in walking anywhere ever, if it were always to be without Matt'.

Such heartbreak, loss and devastation radiated from the pages and I felt I could identify with every bit of it. The author never spared the range of feelings Sophie was experiencing and this book would have been vastly different if she had. Sophie is doubled up with pain at the loss of someone she thought would be there for ever. Who really expects someone aged only 32 to be there one minute and gone the next? In fact who wants to believe that any loved one will one day be gone be it sudden or expected? How can anyone come to terms that the person whom you loved so deeply is gone from your life permanently and not getting to say a proper goodbye must hurt even more. Sophie believes 'the power of her need for him will resurrect him'. If only this could be in anyway a reality? But sadly it cannot be and Sophie must begin to forge a new path and even though this road will be extremely difficult and uncertain with the help of unexpected friends and allies and elements of the past she may begin to navigate in a new more positive direction yet never forgetting Matt in the process. 'That was easier said than done when you felt as if you had no feet, and nothing to support you or to propel you forwards'.

Sophie's best friend Anna decides to take her away on holiday. It will be a break away from everything where she can begin to refocus and take stock of her life. The girls choose Montenegro, a country with a small population but with a tainted history. Instantly the author made a country I would have never given any thought to really come alive on the pages. Through such brilliant, beautiful, evocative writing the landscape and the people leaped off the pages. Even though Sophie was numb with grief, pain and sadness there is something about this place that gets to her and when the pair view an abandoned house that is up for sale Sophie makes what I honestly thought was a very rash and spur of the moment decision.

She decides to give up her old life in England at least for a trial period and she buys the house. Something about it must have been calling to her or else it was a means of escape. A totally different life from the one she had existed in previously but maybe the house and the country of Montenegro had some magic to work on Sophie even if she didn't realise it at the time. I'll admit I thought it was very strange to go on holiday and for a laugh to go and view a house and then next thing you end up buying it. Was the decision made in haste given the frame of mind Sophie was in? Was it a means of avoiding reality and the fact her life was crumbling and disintegrating? Surely someone should have said hold on a minute Sophie is this what is really best for you at this point in time? The discovery of a bundle of unopened letters in a dresser only intrigues Sophie more. She wants answers as to why these letters remained hidden. She feels drawn to them and I suppose urged on by Anna she takes the plunge and moves to Montenegro.' I can't see any way forward but to change everything'.

I enjoyed the fact it wasn't an instant healing for Sophie and everything is forgotten. Through the cold winter months in Montenegro all alone in the draughty, cold house it was like she was in her hibernation phase comparable to the season outside. This was her time to be solitary, to ponder over the good times and bad and figure out how she could move forward. Then just as Spring is around the corner and Sophie doesn't feel 100% but is not as apprehensive as before things begin to change slightly. The changes were unexpected but came in the form of various people. People Sophie perhaps didn't really want in her life but they could see she needed them.

As the chapters passed I could sense Sophie was growing in strength although tentatively at first. What made this so realistic was the actual comparison to real life. That grief isn’t just switched off over night. I'm not sure it ever disappears to be honest but slowly bit by bit as Sophie herself learns it becomes just that slightly bit more bearable and one has to soldier on regardless. 'She had always thought she couldn't do it alone, that she didn't know how. But maybe she could. Maybe she had just never the chance because she never had to but now she had to she would find that she was more than capable of rising to the challenge. Sophie was a character who showed such growth, development and maturity. She most certainly tries her best to come full circle and deserves nothing but admiration. The way she was written she really got under my skin and stuck inside my head and numerous times I found myself nodding along with everything she was saying or experiencing. It's clear the author has written from the heart and from experience.

As visitors become house guests, and then friends, Sophie started to open up more and I enjoyed how each person had something unique to offer. Frank the builder with his own chequered past, Irene in the latter half of her life and sailing solo from place to place and Ton, a journalist who has witnessed so much he too is afraid to fully disclose everything. Anna and her son Tomasz make a reappearance and the house almost became like a commune but in a good way. Everyone was there for each other to offer support if needed or just to keep a watchful eye. As well as the modern day story Sophie has the letters she found translated by Drako and through reading these letters Sophie finds herself identifying with the woman who writes them Mira. I wanted even more of these letters or even some chapters set in the period they were written but I came to understand these were a tool to help Sophie overcome her grief as she found things in Mira's story that were comparable to hers. So on reflection the letters were expertly placed at different points in the book and utilised well. I did think the second half was slightly weaker than the first half and it didn't impact me as much but still this was a phenomenal story expertly told.

Under an Amber Sky is a very impressive book and definitely one for the keeper shelf. I'm so glad to have discovered the brilliant writing of Rose Alexander and will look forward to what ever she writes in the future.

4.5 stars
Having already been tempted to buy this author’s previous book, I was equally smitten not only by the enticing cover, but by the premise of the story. I’m pleased to say that I was not disappointed. It’s a story that will by turns tug at the heartstrings; make you smile; make you hope; and by the end, will have totally pulled you into the lives of the inhabitants past and present of the ‘stone house’ on the Bay of Kotor.

Buying a house was the last thing on Sophie’s mind, when she found herself being dragged round an old house with her friend Annie and a hopeful estate agent, during a respite break to Montenegro. But something about the house and its history, combined with a need to escape her own reality, suddenly makes the idea seem less unrealistic. After Sophie moves in, she finds her life changed, by the lodgers she acquires – the jobbing builder Frank, the elderly sailor Irene; scatty artist friend and single mum to Tomasz, Anna and finally the troubled war photojournalist Ton. But the locals and neighbours also play their part in helping her feel part of her new community, not least local taxi driver Petar and his wife Sandra, and the tall attractive lawyer and translator Darko.

But this story is about far more than following Sophie on her journey forward. It’s a mystery and a love story set in the past between two of the previous inhabitants of the house Mira and her husband Dragan. Theirs is a story that sadly would have replicated the story for many Montenegrins, during the Italian occupation and civil unrest during WWII. The area of Kotor (Cattaro) in particular was annexed to Italy because of its small Venetian speaking population, largely due to the Queen of Italy being the daughter of the former King of Montenegro.

I must say, I’d be tempted to move there as well. While I might pass on the crumbling house (until it had been suitably renovated) I was totally taken by the description of the town and the people. Never having been to Montenegro, or knowing much about it, this book has certainly piqued my interest. The back story of the wartime occupation added an interesting if very poignant aspect to the story, which gave it another dimension. But it was also very much a story of the present as we get to know Sophie and her household. It felt at times like the house attracted its own inhabitants, all in some way needing their own makeover and renovation to make them complete. As the house was gradually restored and the gardens rejuvenated, similarly Sophie and her ‘motley crew’ also find their own restorative healing.

I was totally transported and involved with all aspects of the storyline. The characters are realistic and believable, especially Sophie who is someone you just want to hug and tell her it will all be OK. Real life of course, doesn’t come with that certainty and that makes the book a compulsive read to find out exactly how things will turn out. The back story of WWII and the more recent civil wars are a reminder that on the whole wars solve nothing but result in atrocities, divisions and memories that will haunt generations.

This is a heartwarming story, beautifully told and I have no hesitation recommending it.

I received an ecopy via NetGalley for the purposes of this review.

UNDER AN AMBER SKY by Rose Alexander is a beautifully written, emotional, heartbreaking tale of love, loss, strength, and hope, and is a book that will stay in your heart and mind long after you finish the last line.

Sophie Taylor is happily married to her childhood sweetheart, working as a teacher, and hopefully starting a family soon. But with one simple phone call her entire world is torn apart and the life Sophie knew no longer exists. Devastated and grief-stricken, she is persuaded by her larger-than-life best friend, Anna, to take a trip to Montenegro and it is there that Sophie clutches to a ramshackle, deserted house, like a lifeline. Knowing that she must move away from London where the memories will linger forever, Sophie quickly settles into Montenegro but she soon discovers that her grief will stay with her and disarm her regardless of her location. But this beautiful place has a power all of its own with friendships old and new developing and the magic of this special community taking root in Sophie's heart. And when she finds old letters from another heartbroken soul, Sophie will begin a quest of self-discovery that is linked with history and a deep connection between two women from different times.

UNDER AN AMBER SKY by Rose Alexander made me cry tears of sadness as I became really invested in Sophie and Mira's stories and made me breathless with the stunning depiction of the Montenegro scenery, and community that had survived so much, yet steadfastly opened their hearts to strangers. All of the characters in this tale are compelling in their own right - Anna and her little boy, burly and brusque Frank, formidable Irene, and contemplative Ton to name a few. Montenegro is described in such breathtaking detail that it is sure to fill readers with wanderlust for this special place. My only problem with this novel is that I didn't want it to end and I would love to know more about Sophie's future, and that of the rest of this group that has burrowed into my heart for the long haul.

UNDER AN AMBER SKY by Rose Alexander expertly handles devastating situations of death, war, and grief in such a way that you feel it too, and while these are harrowing subjects, this book is so much more than a sad tale. It is a story of love, strength, friendship and possibilities for the future, and is an outstanding novel.

I adored Under An Amber Sky by Rose Alexander. The book starts off with tragedy for Sophie and then follows her as she begins a new life in Montenegro. After stumbling across an old run down house in the Bay of Kotor, she decides to buy it and all it's contents. After discovering a bundle of letters from the 1940s she asks her new friend Darko to translate them and uncover their mystery.

As the year progresses, Sophie makes new friends, takes on lodgers and has friends from her old life come to stay.

This book really is beautifully written. You are easily transported to Montenegro and can picture everything Sophie sees. I read this on a couple of days and can highly recommend it. I look forward to reading more from this author.

Thank you to NetGalley, HQ Digital and the author for the chance to review.