I love a good historical fiction novel set during WWII - there's such a rich history that's perfect to mine for high-quality stories. Part of the narrative is set in present time: Gillian Gibbons finds her life crumbling after a betrayal and heads to her grandmother for comfort. However, her life is turned upside down when she discovers a picture of her grandmother with a Nazi officer during the war. Her search for the true story behind her grandmother's history unfolds in a captivating, twist-filled tale.

Although I wasn't crazy about the sections of the novel that followed Gillian's story, the chapters set during WWII were so interesting and I fell in love with all of the characters. MacLean is really gifted at turning the reader's expectations upside down - I loved the fact that there were so many surprises (even when I felt sure I knew where the story was heading). The writing felt a tad clunky at times, but overall, I was completely absorbed by the story, which included so much heartbreak, bravery, and resilience. The historical details all felt really authentic to me as well - a necessary component in a historical fiction book.

I'll definitely be recommending this book!

Not sure why feedback wasn’t already sent! Such a great historical fiction! Really enjoyed this book. Have been recommending to friends since! Great characters and back stories, enjoyed this one!

I loved this book sooo much. It was very moving and it touched my heart in a special way. I loved the charecters and the story. The writing is also superb.

Absolutely great book! Really enjoyed readying this... very well written with a lot of substance! Would definitely recommend!

I received a complimentary copy of this book through Netgalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
After Gillian finds her boyfriend cheating on her, she runs to her grandmother's home where her father has just made a startling discovery of his own. In a hidden compartment of a trunk in the attic are pictures of his mother and another man not his father, obviously in love. The pictures are dated the year before he was born. When they confront her with the pictures, Vivian reluctantly shares her story. Seamlessly transitioning between Vivian's past and the present, the story is beautifully written and full of surprises.

A wonderful historical fiction. There is mystery, suspense and family drama set in World War II and the present.
It kept me in suspense all the way until the very end of this book.. The transition from timelines was smooth, and the story well plotted. Th novel is a wonderful, detailed, story of love, anger, endurance and hope.

I loved this book. The characters are wonderful and the setting is great. A sad time yes but a beautiful story also. I’ve read a couple of very sad book with the WW2 setting and this was a nice and different take on the era. While it was emotional in many ways and places it was also told with such heartfelt love and realism.

I’m very happy I read this one and have loved all I’ve read by this wonderful author.

Thank you #NetGalley for this book. This is my honest review and I’m very sorry it took me a bit to get to it. Life got in the way.

A huge 4 stars and high recommendation from me.

I adored this book. Such an interesting generational novel. Loved this one!


Many thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for my ARC. All opinions are my own.

Multigenerational story that was so well done. I loved the history, and the writing was excellent. Really enjoyed this journey through time.

Life isn't always in black and white. It's not what we always expect and, as they say, hindsight is 20/20.

Gillian is nursing a broken heart and returns home for solace. Her relationship with her father hasn't been close for a very long time but an intriguing cleverly hidden, black and white photograph sets them off on a quest that will forever change both the past and the present. As their search continues, they are plunged into a tumult of emotions, unanswered questions and a glimpse into the past they could never have imagined.

I've read plenty of historical stories surrounding WWII and have never read this type of plot before.
Get a box Kleenex.

A great story and beautifully told. I loved the shifting timelines and locations.

Thanks for allowing to me to review this book.

Loved it! Great read for fans of the genre- it's well written and the characters are engaging. This is one I'll recommend to others.

This was a remarkable family saga filled with secrets. I was captivated from the beginning and had to keep turning the pages. There are two timelines that weave together beautifully.
Many thanks to Lake Union Publishing and to NetGalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

This multi-generational, dual timeline story is a unique twist on WWII historical fiction. The plot was fantastic, the character development authentic and timely, and the plot twists unexpected and well planned. This book is on the larger side but I blew through it in two days, completely caught up in this beautiful story. This was spectacularly written, the author clearly put a lot of time and energy into her research. I absolutely loved this novel and give it the full 5⭐️’s! Thank you @amazonpublishing for this advance reader in exchange for my honest review.

Wonderful story with great characters and all the emotions!

When Gillian Gibbons discovers the man she loves and lives with is cheating on her, she retreats to the Connecticut farmhouse her father and 96-year-old grandmother share. She hasn’t seen her father in over five years and their reunion is somewhat awkward at first but her father is desperately glad to hear from her: he’s uncovered a secret in the attic that might change the meaning of his entire life.

Gram came to this country with her young son, Edward, after the World War II, as the wife of her second husband, Grampa Jack. Her first husband, Theodore Gibbons, a deputy cabinet minister working with Churchill, had been killed in the Blitz along with her sister, April. After his death, Gram and Edward had gone to the country to stay with Theodore’s aristocratic family on their estate. But while doing her part in the war effort, Vivian had met and fallen in love with the American flyer, Jack Cooper, and after the war ended had married him and lived in the farmhouse since then. Or at least that is what Edward and Gillian had always believed.

While Edward was in the attic inspecting the roof, he’d come across his mother’s antique sea chest. The old chest was a familiar item; Gillian had always called it a “treasure chest.”) But, as Edward had examined it, he’d discovered a secret drawer inside with pictures of his mother and a German Nazi officer in Berlin dated only months after her marriage to Theodore. The photos made it clear that the two were very much in love. With so many questions and concerned that he was the son of a Nazi war criminal, he and Gillian decide to talk to Vivian and get some answers.

The story is Gram’s revelation of what the pictures were and what happened in the war. While her son and granddaughter listen, they gradually come to terms with the real history behind their family as well as the other issues in their lives that were keeping them apart. The retelling is an emotional story with lots of action and history and the things people do for love and country. The author obviously did a lot of research to bring the reader a solid thriller with twists and turns that really held my interest and kept me up reading late into the night. I highly recommend this book to readers of historical fiction.

A Fire Sparkling is a WWII novel like I have not read before. There are three POV characters and the story takes place on 2011 & from 1939 to 1945. The story begins when Edward finds a secret and shares it with his daughter Gillian. One day while in the attic Edward finds his mothers sea chest and discovers that it has a hidden compartment. What do you do when you find photos of your mother, the war widow of a British deputy cabinet minister, with a Nazi Officer. This story revolves around his mother's telling of a story over sixty years old.

I enjoyed this book so much that I read the 400+ pages book in just a couple of days. I would recommend any fiction reader to read this one.

This is a dual-timeline historical fiction novel that tells the story of a woman who has a much different past than what her family originally thought of her. I found it very easy to read and with how many twists the story took, I wanted to follow this to the very end. I would highly recommend this to anyone who enjoys novels about World War II.

I wasn't a huge fan of the "current day" timeline and story and I wasn't a fan of Gillian as a character in general. She fell very flat for me and I think that her story almost detracted from the rest of the narrative which is why I ultimately went with a three star rating.

This book has everything that makes historical fiction exciting to read: Betrayal, heartache, romance, danger , suspense throughout and great well crafted charcters set in dual timeline. I loved this book. Well done to the author. .Thank you to the publisher and to Net Galley for the opportunity. My review opinion is my own.

This is historical fiction set in 1939 also in a duel timeline of present day. In the beginning of WWII we meet a woman Vivian with secrets that reveal themselves over time. later in the book The author takes us to Britain during the war and so well writes of the bond of family and the great losses people endured. The present day was the story of a daughter who returns to her Father''s home after her boyfriend cheats on her. She finds a cache of photographs that show her great grandmother with a Nazi officer and the mystery begins. of why a Nazi officer was with her grandmother and does her Father truly know who his own Father was ! Unnerved they ask Vivian and the story begins to unfold .

This is a wonderful well crafted story that I enjoyed to the last page. The way the author unfolds the story is truly captivating. Very well done to the author.

Thank you to Netgalley for giving me the chance to read and review, "A Fire Sparkling" by Julianne MacLean. A work of Women's Fiction that is unforgettable. The story centers around both the past and the present time. There were many times I was surprised by the events that took place. A beautiful cast of characters. This isn't the typical World War 2 historical fiction book. The story is unique and leaves me wanting to read it again.

I received A Fire Sparkling by Julianne MacLean as an ARC from NetGalley. A Fire Sparkling is a historical novel that flips between current day and 1939 and war is starting in Europe. Gillian catches her boyfriend cheating on her at his 50th birthday party and she returns home to her father and grandmother to figure out what she should do about the relationship. Her father tells her about a discovery in made in the attic of her grandmother's house and they learn that her grandmother's past is not what they thought it was. The story goes back in time to 1939 and her grandmother fills them in on her real life story. I really enjoyed this book. It was well written and I enjoyed the characters. I highly recommend to anyone who enjoys historical novels.