Now and then I need an escape from my usual crime/psychological thriller reads, I was browsing Netgalley and the book description for You Let Me Go caught my interest. Firstly, because I appreciate a book with a dual timeline, (one timeline is set in the present, and the other is set in Brittany during the German occupation in 1941) and secondly I love historical fiction so this book ticked both boxes for me. 

Morane is left devastated when not only does she loose her beloved Grandmother Rozenn, but she learns her sister is the sole inheritor of the family home in Cornwall. Why did her grandmother turn her back on her? Perhaps the answers lie in an old letter Moran finds, which inadvertently takes her on a journey into her grandmother’s past, when Brittany was under German occupation. In her pursuit for the truth, she realises she never knew her grandmother at all as she uncovers secrets that tore a family apart. 

I genuinely enjoyed Rozenn’s story, Graham brings her story to life, I especially liked reading about her life in Brittany. The descriptions of her family living in a small French village occupied by the Germans, made it obvious how hard life must have been for Rozenn, not knowing who you could trust, and living in constant fear. The choice she makes weren’t necessarily the right ones, but they were made in fear. Ultimately all she wanted to do was protect her family. I found it tragic that these choices led to devastating consequences that shattered a loving family into a million pieces. You Let Me Go has all the elements needed for an enjoyable read, deeply rich characters, engaging dialogue and a compelling story line. A poignant, heart-rending story about love, guilt and betrayal.

Morane is really close to her grandmother Rozenn Caradec, as a child she loved visiting her house Vue Claire on the south coast of Cornwall and she thought she knew her grandmother well? At ninety six Rozenn passes away and she leaves her entire estate to Morane’s sister Gwen and Morie inherits only a silver compass that no one in the family ever has seen before. Morie has recently had a terrible time, now add this and did she do something to upset her grandmother?

When the sisters go through their grandmothers things, Morie finds some old photographs and a couple of pages of a letter. Morie assumes her grandmother must have left some clues behind, she knows Rozenn grew up in Paris, her father was a doctor, whenever they tried asking her about her life during WW II and she would change the subject. Morie decides to visit St Martin in Brittany France, nothing can prepare her for what she uncovers about her grandmother's past, the Guillou family and what happened to them during the Second World War.

You Let Me Go has a dual timeline it goes between present time and 1941. It’s a story about WW II, family, secrets, regret, suffering, lies, disloyalty and betrayal. It’s also about Morane discovering the truth about her beloved grandmother, coming to terms with what has happened in her own life, finally moving on and new beginnings. I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review and four stars from me.

I went in to this book not exactly knowing what I would expect by the ending.

I won’t lie, it is a slow starter. For the first 40% of the book, it felt as though it was written for the reader to bide their time whilst the story grew in the background, which was so disappointing. However, once this point was reached and one of the characters, Morane, had made the decision to go to Brittany to discover the truth of her Grandmothers past, things really good interesting!

The chapters took turns in telling the reader either about the past, present or future. Most of these were based on Rozenn, was a Parisian who went to live in St Martin with her parents, twin sister Claire and her brother Yann. Yann was meant to have gone back to Paris or reported himself to duty to help the Germans, but the family kept him hidden at home. Rozenn who could see the troubles and problems that were being faced with this, found a local boy, Luc who was to help Yann get across the sea to Britain. However, on the night of the escape, things went awfully wrong, and the suspense of the last few chapters made it all the more thrilling when it finally came out.

Morane, was Rozenn’s granddaughter, who after discovering a letter hidden in her late grandmothers bedroom decided to investigate further. Morane went to the house where Rozenn and her family lived, and found out the truth which lie, ironically, between the family homes four walls.

I’ve kept this review rather sketchy, because honestly, you need to read it to understand why this book was such a good read! The only disappointing side, was the build up was too long which could disengage people to keep going. If you are going to read this book, give it the chance! Keep pushing through, because honestly, I have been going round my house for the last two hours yelling ‘OH MY GOD, I DIDN’T SEE THAT HAPPENING’.

Spellbinding. The book centers on Morane, the grand-daughter of Rozenn. Though close to her Grandmother, Rozenn leaves the family home to Morane's sister and leaves an old silver compass with initials on it to Morane. Morane has lost her boyfriend, her business is struggling, and she focuses on what could have made Rozenn turn her back on her?

Morane finds clues that lead her to Brittany which was under German occupation in 1941. The story seamlessly move from Rozenn's point of view starting when she was a teenager and living in Paris - taking us up to how she and her family fled to Brittany and what happened to her and her family. Her part of the story is fascinating and I was a bit sad to leave her behind when it switched to Morane's point of view. Morane's story, at times, was not as page turning, but still interesting. as she wound her way through clues. The ending was a bit too tidy but perfectly satisfying. I could see this movie on the big screen!

‘You Let Me Go’ by Eliza Graham

This book sounded really intriguing and I subsequently enjoyed it as expected. ‘You Let Me Go’ is a dual narrative format following Rozenne with chapters switching between today and the 1940s in a tale of family secrets. I enjoy historical fiction, and this is set during World War 2, so was right down my street. I’m also a sucker for a vivid book cover, and this one certainly drew me in!

Thanks to Netgallery and Amazon Publishing UK for the advance copy in an exchange for an honest review.

This book has everything I love it: a story following a home, the intertwining of family and a dual story line.

This story follows Rozenne growing up with her Dad as a doctor during the war.

The other storyline is from years and years later when Rozenne passes. She decides to leave her estate to only one of the Granddaughters ( when there are two) leaving the family to wonder. This leads one of the Granddaughters on an exploration of her families history for answers.

This book covers all kinds of issues including family lies, deception, fear from the war, strength and love.

What a beautiful cover! That drew me into the book immediately.

Thank you to NetGalley and Amazon Publishing UK for an ARC of this lovely book!

This book was a dual timeline story involving two granddaughters lives in recent years and their grandmothers late teen years in WW2. It was a mix of romance, war, betrayal and family ties. I loved absolutely everything about this book apart from it was a slow starter for me and I was tempted to stop reading at some points but I'm glad I didn't. It seemed to be setting the scene for the first 40% of the book.

After the initial bit though, I couldn't put the book down. It was intense and had me gripped and constantly wanting to find out what happens next. The originality of this book was great, so much was involved and the dual timeline definitely made it interesting. I enjoyed the characters, they was described well and each unique. The quality of the writing was well done. The plot kept twisting and turning and even till the end I didn't guess what the plot would end like.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book and rate it 4 stars, only because it was a slow starter. If not it would have been 5 stars as the story was amazing.

This book has a dual timeline which I always favor. It goes from present day back to the world war two era. Two sisters have just lost their grandmother and one sister inherits the coastal home while the other only gets a silver compass. Morane feels as though something is amiss because her inheritance was so much less than her sisters even though she was very close to her grand mother so she starts to delve the her grandmother's past and is very shocked at what she finds.
I enjoyed this book very much and I highly recommend it!

Thanks to Net Galley for allowing me to read this arc for my honest review.

This wonderful dual timeline historical fiction is a very enjoyable read. Set in 1941 World War II and present time its a novel about family secrets and family love. How events of one night changes the course of an entire family forms the crux of this novel.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC of this novel.

Book review on my site with link to Amazon.also reviewed on Goodreads.

Read my 4-star review of You Let Me Go by Eliza Graham

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3823157299

I loved this book! I love historical fiction and dual time lines. Set in present time and also in 1941 during the German occupation in France.. It is the story of Morane who is devastated by the death of her beloved grandmother Rozenn and then heartbroken to learn her sister is the sole inheritor of the family home in Cornwall. She feels her grandmother turned her back on her and needs to know why. She finds an old letter linking her Grandmother to Brittany under the German occupation and she decides to go to France in search of answers. We also have Rozen’s story set in Paris and then Brittany in 1941. It is tragic and heartbreaking. Beautifully written and gives us a glimpse of a life in France during the occupation.

Available to pre order now to be released on 25th March 2021

https://www.amazon.co.uk/You-Let-Me-Eliza-Graham-ebook/dp/B08HN92DLQ

I will be honest. I almost DNF'd this book. I found it very slow and I really didn't care for the characters.

I love Morane and her love for her grandmother. When Morane discovers the letter and goes to the house to investigate, she realizes the truth was a lie. It was a good read after 60% of it but I was disappointed.

My thanks to Lake Union Publishing and the author for an opportunity to read and give an honest opinion of You Let Me Go by Eliza Graham.

This is much more of a historical novel than Women's Fiction. The majority of the book takes place during several months in Brittany after the German Occupation. The present day, and, I believe what was intended as the major part of the novel, involves the death of a beloved grandmother and the bequest of her lovely house in Cornwall to the elder of her two granddaughters.

The historical aspect of the book is well-researched and much more interesting than the contemporary sections. Told in alternating chapters, we meet Rozenn, the grandmother, and Morie, her younger granddaughter. Morie is in a bad way after her grandmother's death as her boyfriend, a gambler, has stolen all the profits of their joint construction business and abandoned her. As if that weren't bad enough, she suffers from the emotional scars following an accident, which is barely described and not until the last part of the book..

It would have been a much stronger novel if the early sections had moved along a bit faster. Having said that, the eleven weeks Rozenn and her family spend in Brittany and the introduction of her parents, older brother and twin sister (very well characterized), had taken up more of the early sections. Still, there is enough suspense and description of deprivation and fear brought on by war to make for interesting reading. . It's worth moving through the early days in Paris to see how the plotting comes together with much excitement towards the end. But don't be surprised if you guess the ending very early on. It seems inevitable..

This is a character driven book that is a quick read. It was sent to me by Netgalley for a review. The book was Kindle free. It is not my favorite type of reading but others might like it.

My rating:

Plot: 4 out of 5 stars
Writing: 4 out of 5 stars
Character development: 4 out of 5 stars
Overall: 4 out of 5 stars

Recommended for readers of:

Women’s Fiction
Historical Fiction



Review:

This is a beautiful story about family, the bonds between sisters but also a story about self discovery overcoming hurt and finding your place in life. The plot is told over a dual timeline. The present time tells the story of Morane as she tries to uncover why her grandmother left her out of her will and made her sister the sole inheritor. The second timeline set in the past tells the story of her grandmother’s life during the German occupation in France. The characters are interesting and well developed their actions feel realistic as they are explained well.

Overall:

A vividly written story, that is captivating and interesting. The plot starts of slow but is well developed and it kept me occupied from the first to the last page. The characters were nice and felt realistic. If you like historical fiction or enjoy dual timeline plots this book is for you!

Review copy provided by Netgalley at no cost to me.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Family relations, history and descriptions of Brittany ,Paris and Cornwall. What starts out with a will leaving their grandmother's estate to one sister and a compass to the other sets up a story line that goes back to pre WWII. What family loyalty means and how one misunderstanding will alter those relationships,

The story has a slow start, but it knows how to keep the attention of the readers. Brittanie is one of my favorite places. I haven't visited it in a long time (Bad Corona..) so i liked that it took place at the coast of Brittanie. Fun to follow Morie when she gets to know her family history.

Now this is my kind of book...historical fiction, interesting premise, twisty mysteries and questions, atmosphere and suspense all wrapped up in a dual timeline. One timeline is the present in Cornwall and the other in 1940s German occupied France, one as good as the other. The suspense is not of the nail biting variety but seeps into your mind which can be a good thing if done well as it is here. However, this book was unputdownable and I read it in one sitting. It is about choices, family relationships (refreshing!), betrayal and consequences.

Rozenn, Morane and Gwen's grandmother dies, willing her home to Gwen rather than Morane who receives a silver compass. Everyone is surprised and Morane tries to hide her disappointment and resentment. Morane, however, happens upon an intriguing old letter which starts a chain reaction, one which includes research and uncovering family secrets, changing lives. Rozenn has a mysterious past which is full of layers and several characters contribute to unraveling them. Actions resulting from the war change the course of events and the reader does not know what will happen until the very end.

If you prefer your Historical Fiction less gritty, this is for you. It is fascinating but without the graphic details of some others. I like the little extras which add authenticity such as the Breton names.

My sincere thank you to Amazon Publishing UK and NetGalley for the privilege of reading this wonderful book! I enjoyed it very much.

Such a pleasure to read, chopping in and out of present and past to finally come together at the end.

I was instantly drawn to this book but the gorgeous cover and the synopsis. Part historical fiction/part mystery this dual timeline novel follows two sisters and their grandmother. The grandmother dies leaving almost everything to one sister. Morane finds this to be odd since she is so incredibly close to her grandmother but is left with nearly nothing. Morane decides to delve into her grandmothers past (WWII era when Rozenn was only a teen) and discovers that she actually knew very little about the grandmother that she adored so much.

This one was a tad bit of a slow started but once the background story was built it really took off and I ended up wishing it were longer at the end. Its more historical fiction than women's literature. The suspense of the last few chapters made the slow start completely worth it.

Thank you Netgalley and Amazong Publishing UK for the ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review!

The imagery and the dual story line with part of the story being set in WWII makes You Let Me Go a winner in my book!

Disappointment, family secrets, a twisting, turning path to figuring them out and family relationships will pull me in every time and this book was no exception. I enjoyed the well-rounded characters and definitely found Morane and Rozenn to be the type I'd like to sit and chat with.

Eliza Graham has a talent for making the reader feel as if they are in the story. It's such a wonderful gift and I'm grateful she shares it with readers like me.

Pick the book up for a well told tale that will leave you wanting to read faster to figure out what happened, but slower so it doesn't end.

Thank you to the author, publisher, and Netgalley for providing an ARC at my request. All thoughts are my own.

“You Let Me Go,” a historical fiction novel by Eliza Graham, explores how trauma or a family secret percolates down through generations and affects both children and grandchildren.

Rozenn Caradec is dearly loved by her two grand-daughters and the feeling is mutual. Time spent together on Vue Claire on the Cornish coast is precious and full of memories, something Morane and Gwen are grateful for once their grandmother passes away. What shocked the girls the most was that Morane seemed to be snubbed in the will and neither girl could figure out why their 96 year old grandmother had been so uncharacteristically cruel. Gwen was left the entire estate and Morane was left a simple engraved silver compass. Adding to the hurt is the fact that Morane is in pain; she has lost her boyfriend, her job and is dealing with pain associated with an accident.

As the girls start to go through Rozenn’s memorabilia, they find photos and letters which confirm her childhood in Paris and teen years in occupied Brittany. Morane knows there must be a reason for her grandmother’s choice, so she heads to Brittany to search for clues to her past. Morane discovers that sometimes the truth can be painful and that humans will go to great lengths to protect loved ones. She also comes to terms with the idea that there was a side to her grandmother that was kept hidden and that she didn’t really know her at all. Her world is turned upside down with the discovery that her grandmother had an identical twin, Claire, and that the girls once had to make a terrible sacrifice on a remote Brittany beach. Regardless of the reasons for this heartbreaking decision, there’s generational trickle-down issues and questions arise. Can Morane live with what she finds? Is it enough to help her repair her sibling relationship?

A little difficult to get into at first, this dual timeline story alternates between present and 1941. If you stick with it, you’ll be rewarded with a moving story about a family with secrets and how betrayal and regrets are the biproducts of keeping it hidden. Another reward of sticking with it is that you’ll be treated to an ending that you will not see coming! You’ll also uncover the author’s message about how important it is to accept our past, learn from it, draw a line and move on. Growth comes on the other side of the line. The account of the Guillou family during WW2 is a heartbreaking multigenerational story with lessons for all of us.

Thank you to Eliza Graham, Amazon Publishing UK, Lake Union Publishing and NetGalley for the advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

A granddaughter who’s didn’t inherit anything from her beloved grandmother except for a compass.

A grandmother with secrets she never told anybody.

This book tells the story of Rozenn during 1941 France and how her granddaughter Morane goes on a journey to the Bretagne to find out what her grandmother never told her.

I really enjoyed this story. The lives of people during the German occupation are described in a realistic way and I could picture Rozenn and her family in her day to day life.

I also really enjoyed Morane and her discoveries and the “Happy End”.
But something was missing in the way Morane and her sister’s careers were described - maybe I missed something while reading. Anyway, it felt not complete enough. I could somehow understand Morane’s disappointment at not having inherited the house (or half of it) and on the other hand I didn’t care that she didn’t inherit.

The twist at the end was a bit shocking but still foreseeable.

All in all it was a book I really enjoyed reading.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with a copy.

ctual rating: 4.5


**Disclaimer:** I would like to personally thank Amazon Publishing UK, Eliza Graham, and Netgalley for this exclusive read of “You Let Me Go” in exchange for a review and my honest opinion of the book. The Publisher, Netgalley, nor the author has paid anything in monetary value for this following review. All thoughts are of the reviewer.


This book was a very surprising and interesting read. Before I finished this book, I had really felt that that special ingredient was missing in this book. When I had starting to get to the end of the book; that is when it had really, really sucked me in.

While this is a historical fiction book, I would say that 50% does take place during the Second World War in France and the other half takes place in modern day England.

In the present time aspect of the book, we are introduced to sisters Gwen and Morie. While they were close when they were younger, their relationship in the previous years has been hanging by a thread. This thread only starts to stretch when their recently deceased grandmother, Rozenn, leaves her home to the oldest sister, Gwen while Morie is left with a compass.

Morie’s life has been quite the rollercoaster lately as well. From learning of an ex-boyfriend’s betrayal to the crumpling of her business. Her dad and sister think that Morie is on the brink of a nervous breakdown.

In order to also set aside some of the guilt that Gwen feels from Morie getting left out of the will; Gwen asks for her help with renovations with Vue Claire. Until one night, after a crime had taken place at Vue Claire; Morie finds a letter that is set to change everything she has ever known. Her life is about to change. Will what she learns destroy her family and the memory of her beloved grandmother?

In the past aspect of the book, we learn of Rozenn’s family. She is 18 when her family leaves for the village port of St. Martin. Her father is a doctor and is sent to the restricted zone as the new doctor there. What should be a new opportunity for the family has the family on edge. In a town where everyone knows everyones business. One mouth to the Nazis will put the whole family in danger.

Rozenn will reset at nothing to protect her family, even if this includes to letting those know what could break her family apart forever. Rozenn quickly learn how to use her contacts to get what she wants. However, will those contacts help or hurt her when she needs them.

If you are a fan of historical fiction, then You Let Me Go is for you. If you are into quick, fast-paced books then I suggest looking elsewhere. The book really did not start opening up until towards the end. If you are patient, I promise this book will be worth it in the end!

This is my sort of book, historical fiction with a dual timeline, this book did not disappoint. Morane is devastated when her beloved Grandmother Rozenn passes away. She then discovers that her sister has been left the family home in Cornwall where they spent many a holiday visiting their grandmother. Morane is left a silver compass. While helping her sister with renovating the cottage she finds a page of a letter that has links to a village in Brittany. She decides to visit the small village to revisit her grandmothers past. The story is told from Moranes's perspective and also Rozenn's, back in 1941 during German occupation.
I received this book from Netgalley and publishers in exchange for an honest review

This was a wonderful story about family and regrets and what happened in a small island town when they were German occupied. I loved the historical information, something I hadn't read much about for this area. I loved the perspective of the two storylines - the current granddaughter and then the grandmother in her youth. It was a great well to tell the story. I was nervous we wouldn't get the final details but we do, and I loved them. Great story, well told.

This is just the kind of historical fiction that I like to read! Wonderful story with amazing characters! Highly highly recommend

Long Buried Family Secrets Find Closure. Here, we get an interesting spin on this oft-travelled subject and technique. So many books of this genre want to take place primarily in the past with only the occasional jump to the future (ala Titanic), but here Graham sticks remarkably close to alternating every single chapter past and present. The past storyline is, perhaps, a touch more urgent, as it involves hiding a brother and trying to smuggle him out of France in 1941. But the present storyline has more of the "women's fiction" elements of a woman trying to find herself after the tragic loss of her grandmother soon after the loss of her significant other and business partner... and stumbling across things about her grandmother that had never been known in the family, which leads to her quest and ultimately the resolution of both timelines. Both timelines worked quite well, and it is indeed rare to see a single book blend elements of the two distinct genres together so effectively - which speaks to just how good Graham is. Very much recommended.

I really enjoyed this one! I couldn't read it fast enough. I don't typically read this genre, but this one was intriguing. I couldn't wait to finish and see how the plot tied together. The transitions between the main two point of views was perfect and seamless. I look forward to reading more from this author!

Family First

A story of two sisters in modern day and a story of two sisters during WWII. A family secret, and a daring escape.

Morane and her sister Gwen often visit their grandmother at her seaside home Vue Claire. When their grandmother passes away she leaves Vue Claire to Gwen and a shiny silver compass to Morane. What Morane can't understand is why the house was left only to her sister and not to both granddaughters. This leads Morane to try and find out what happened to her grandparents during the war.

During the war two twin sisters Claire and Rozenn lived in Paris. Their father was a doctor. When the German Occupation happened they moved to the country by the sea to hide her brother Yann from the Germans so they would not send him to a Labour camp. When Rozenn set up a rescue boat for Yann to leave for England the rescue went horribly wrong.

These two stories are told as the young woman Morane researching the past after the death of her grandmother. The story is sad and it is happy, The ending is a surprise, but it is a good ending.

I enjoyed reading this book and I would recommend it.

Thanks to Eliza Graham, Amazon Publishing U.K., Lake Union Publishing and NetGalley for allowing me to read a copy of the book for an honest review.

Ah yes, another WW2 novel with alternating viewpoints and a modern day narrator uncovering secrets of the past, while the past plays out in alternate chapters.

In modern day Cornwall, Morane is doubly devastated by her grandmother's death and the fact that her grandmother mysteriously left her home on the shore to her sister and her sister alone. Compelled to uncover the reason behind the oversight, Morane goes on a journey to Brittany where she uncovers the truth of her grandmother's mysterious past during the war, one she refused to talk about while she was alive. What she discovers is the story of a family doing their best to survive the horrors of the war, while doing what they thought was best for themselves.

Though I feel like I've read this type of story many times before, You Let Me Go was compelling and I enjoyed the development of the main characters across generations as they come to terms with the truths of their lives and how to best share those truths with their families.

The book was OK, not my favorite. I would give it 2.5 stars. The beginning was very slow and I found it hard to get into the story. I didn't care for the characters- Rozenn and Morane. Rozenn wasn't very nice to her sister. I didn't understand the scene with Theo. It didn't fit in and seemed unnecessary, plus he's barely mentioned throughout the rest of the book. If Yann was really trying to hide from the Germans, he did a horrible job of it. His family risked everything for him and he does the opposite of keeping himself hidden. I'm certain everyone in the small community knew he was there. Morane refused any help from her family, even though she obviously needed it. She reminded me so much of Rozenn. The story didn't become interesting until Morane visits France and all is finally revealed about the family.

Recommend giving the book a try, it just wasn't for me. I loved "The Lines We Leave Behind" and look forward to reading more books by the author. I love the cover of the book.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Amazon Publishing UK through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

This book had everything I love to read about, the Second World War, a dual time-line and a story that I could really get my teeth into. This was a first read by this author and I really enjoyed it. My thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for giving me the opportunity to read this book in return for an honest review.

The cover of You Let Me Go by Eliza Graham caught my eye and drew me into the story. The story is told with alternating timelines. But don't let that distract you. The story started a bit slow. But keep going as you won't be disappointed. A very solid read with intense moments and good character development. The story held my interest throughout, after a bit of a slow start.

#YouLetMeGo #NetGalley

★★★ 3.5 stars

What drew me to this book initially was the premise and two things I further noted - Cornwall and dual timeline. I seemed to be drawn to stories set in Cornwall, particularly one that is dual timeline. And the mystery to one's past sounded like an exciting aspect I looked forward to peeling away.

But...I won't lie. YOU LET ME GO is a slow starter. So slow I wondered when it was ever going to get there. I wouldn't say the first half of the story is superfluous because it does give you the background of what's to come. I just wish it got there quicker. It's not until the second half of the book, after Morie makes the decision to travel to Brittany to uncover the truth of her grandmother's past that things really start to get interesting. Does it make trudging through the first half worth it? I think so...eventually.

Devastated by the loss of her beloved grandmother Morane is equally at a loss to learn that her sister Gwen is the sole beneficiary to inherit Rozenn's beautiful home, Vue Claire, in Cornwall. All that Morie had been bequeathed was an old silver compass with initials engraved on the back. Feeling somewhat guilty, Gwen assures Morie that she would have the deeds changed to reflect both sisters as co-owners. But Morie refuses. Rozenn had her reasons...if only Morie could understand why.

Having suffered her own tragedies in recent times with an accident (not fully revealed till about halfway through), the loss of her business and partner, Morie is now struggling to rebuild her own business as a property manager rebuilding and renovating properties for clients. Her business is based in London but her heart is in Cornwall, and so she finds herself making any excuse to travel back to Vue Claire and help Gwen redecorate the house. It's while she is there that she makes a puzzling discovery. A single page from a letter in a hand Morie didn't recognise. The contents are equally puzzling as they don't appear to make much sense despite her name being mentioned. Who wrote this letter to Rozenn and why did the writer mention making contact with her? She has received no communication from anyone to do with Rozenn. So what is this all about?

The letter takes her back to some old photos she'd come across in an old album along with some sketches of birds and mice. It seems her grandmother had a deft hand at drawing though she never seemed to pursue it, choosing instead to become an architect. Some of the photos seem to puzzle her also...particularly two of Rozenn as a little girl in the 20s, sitting on a beach. In one she appears serious and contemplative whilst in the other she is beaming at the camera. And although the photos appeared to be taken on the same day, she is wearing two different bathing costumes. Why? It made no sense to Morie at all. Then when she discovers a second page to the letter it is then that Morie makes the sudden decision to travel to Brittany and to the village St Martin, which is mentioned more than once. What does St Martin have to do with Rozenn? And more importantly, what does it have to with her?

It's 1941 and eighteen year old Rozenn has had to leave all that she knows and love in Paris as she and her family travel to St Martin to live for an indefinite period. France under German occupation is a dangerous place and the family need special permits to travel to the village port of St Martin, a restricted zone. But they are desperate. Germany is bringing in forced labour for men of working age, and that includes Rozenn's brother Yann who has only just recovered from his time in a German camp. As French residents, they are required to register with the German authorities as to where they are living and while they are registered in St Martin, Rozenn's brother Yann is not. And so they keep him hidden in the outbuildings of the house on the cliff in which they now live...a far cry from the pampered lifestyle of their apartment in Paris.

In the village, Rozenn keeps to herself while not drawing attention to herself or her family but a woman with her looks is not forgotten in a hurry. She meets some of the locals - Luc, Martine and a delightful Irish woman, Madame O'Donnell. But she still yearns for Paris. Life in the house on the cliffs is primitive at best. In Paris she had a bidet; here the privy is in an outbuilding. But like her family, Rozenn had to make the best of things. It wasn't forever...just until they could get Yann to safety. Her doctor father didn't appear to be making any headway with this so Rozenn made enquiries with local boy Luc about fishing boats aiding an escape. It was a dangerous move, as Luc reminded her, for if they were caught...but Rozenn's family were desperate. It wouldn't be long before the Germans discovered an unregistered man living in their outbuildings and then they would all be punished.

The boat was to take Yann to Britain, where he could maybe join the Free French and fight for their freedom, but on the night of the escape things go horribly wrong...changing the course of Rozenn's history of which she would never speak again.

So what became of Yann? And Rozenn's family? And their primitive house on the cliff? How had Rozenn come to be in England? And why would she never talk about it? And what is it about St Martin that holds the secrets to Rozenn's past?

After the initial first 50%, I couldn't put the book down. But that first half was dreadfully slow and seemed to be weighed down with a few unnecessary aspects and could have moved a little quicker had they been removed. For example, Theo. I don't understand the point of his presence at the beginning. It didn't go anywhere, it wasn't integral to the story and then he was barely mentioned throughout the rest of the book...so why was it even there? And the constant referral to Morane's "accident" throughout the first half without actually saying what it is until she gets to France...what's the big secret? Again, not integral to the story. It was just an incident which occurred that didn't seem to be wholly important, except to keep Morie from actually moving forward. Once it was revealed, I was like...so, that's it?

That being said, YOU LET ME GO is a compelling tale taking us back to the past as well as keeping us in the present. It alternates between 1941 and the present day in each chapter from Rozenn's and Morane's perspectives. There is one chapter from Rozenn's sister Claire's perspective towards the end but apart from that, it is Rozenn and Morane's story. At first I was confused as to where I was as there was no "header" as such to each chapter letting the reader know in which era the chapter is set, but after a while you become familiar with how the story is told and it no longer becomes an issue...but at first it was.

Although I didn't much care for Rozenn, her story was intriguing but she wasn't very nice to her sister and she was a bit of a snob. The villagers could see it and the reader can see it. The turning point for her was probably the escape which was more than likely a penultimate time in her life. I think part of Rozenn remained as such because even after her death she seemed to be unreachable. No one, not even her son or granddaughters, knew anything of her past apart from the fact she came from Paris. Was she ashamed of the part she played in whatever became of her family? Did she feel guilty that they may have all been captured and thus suffered at the hands of the Germans while she got away? Guilty that it was meant to be Yann's escape, not hers? I don't know. Rozenn was a closed book both during her life and after her death.

I wasn't particularly enamoured with Morane either, but I applaud her doggedness at seeing her journey through. She got her answers in the end as did the reader. She just she seemed to be submerged in her misfortune a little too much whilst refusing help from those around her. And then when she found something to sink her teeth into she kept second guessing herself. I don't know - maybe it was that, maybe it wasn't. It's just something about her didn't endear me to her.

I did, however, thoroughly enjoy the second half of YOU LET ME GO which was intense and had me engaged from 50% onwards. I found myself trying to work out what went wrong, what happened and what it all meant. There were twists and even I didn't guess how it would end.

If you love your books quick and fast-paced, then this one isn't for you. The beginning is very slow and did not really start until about 50% but if you are patient, I promise it will be worth it in the end.

I would like to thank #ElizaGraham, #RachelsRandomResources, #Netgalley and #AmazonPublishing for an ARC of #YouLetMeGo in exchange for an honest review.

You Let Me Go is a dual timeline book set in WWII France and modern day England. The opening almost had me quitting the book but I kept going and after a few chapters was interested in how it played out. It's tough to summarize this book about a beloved grandmother and her secrets. Eventually most of the secrets come to life and are resolved. I enjoyed the timeline set in rural France during the war a bit more than the modern story but this is a solid 4 star book. I'd recommend it to my book club.
Thanks to NetGalley and Amazon Publishing UK for my advanced reader copy of this book.

I received this novel as an ARC from NetGalley. Although it is a WWII novel it occurs in dual timelines spanning 75 years and decades of family history. I recommend this for anyone who enjoys the little known stories of WWII.

I really enjoyed this book. It was very well written and had a nice pace to it. I would recommend this book for others to read.

This was a simply wonderful read! I may have a penchant for WWII based historical fiction, but even putting that aside, You Let Me Go was filled with great characters, locales and enough tension to light up the night.

These little known stories, such as this off the coast of France in Brittany, intrigue me. This was no exception. Rozeen’s family fleeing there from Paris to hide her brother from the German’s was a small story with far reaching impact felt by their family 75 years later. The taste of mystery had me guessing the identity of the traitor and I’m sure it will you too.

The beautifully drawn descriptions of landscape, architecture and design were so realistic I couldn’t help but see it in my mind’s eye. Just an added bonus to a compelling book.

Again, I may be partial to this setting, but still so enjoyable!

Thank you #NetGalley for the chance to offer my opinion.

This was a wonderful read about Rozenn and her family in WWII in France and about difficult decisions in very hard times and their ripercussions on her granddaughters in present times in England. There are secrets in Rozenn's past that she can't bring herself to speak about, not even to her closest granddaughter Morlane. When she dies Morlane is going to find out who her grandmother really was and what happened in Britanny all those years ago.
The narration is beautiful, with greatly described settings that bring you inside the story. Furthermore the taste of mistery throughout the book will keep you engaged from start to end. Also Clare's character will earn a special place in your heart.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The story that unfolds in You Let Me Go is told in alternating chapters from the point of view of Rozenn and her granddaughter Morane, transporting the reader between Nazi occupied France in World War Two and present day Cornwall – the Helford River area to be precise. Having been fortunate enough to visit that part of Cornwall in the past, I could easily imagine the creeks described in the book.

For quite a while the reader knows more about Rozenn’s experiences than Morane does but it’s still interesting to witness Morane piecing together the fragments of information she discovers about her family’s history.

Beyond the obvious blood relationship between Rozenn and Morane, I admired the way the author introduced other more subtle connections between the two women such as their natural flair for design and appreciation for architecture. Most significantly, they share an abiding sense of guilt for their part in events that were, in some cases, not their fault. ‘Guilt could wind its fingers around you and refuse to let you go.’

The book also explores the often difficult relationships between siblings: the rivalry for parental affection; the burden of responsibility for care of younger members of the family; the similarities that can remind you only too painfully of your own shortcomings or flaws. At the same time, the story includes joyful family moments, often recorded in photographs or through treasured objects.

Being a historical fiction fan, I found myself particularly drawn to the parts of the book dealing with Rozenn’s wartime experiences and the realities of daily life under German occupation. However, I could also understand Morane’s curiosity about her grandmother’s past, if only as a distraction from the situation in which she currently finds herself – a failed relationship, financial worries and a struggling business. As Morane describes, ‘I felt an urge to delve into Rozenn’s past, find out who’d she’d been before she’d become an architect, a wife, a mother and grandmother’.

On her arrival in the Breton village to which her grandmother’s family fled from Paris during the war, Morane is perhaps fortunate to find people who were around at the time or can pass on the recollections of older family members. As the two storylines converge, the final pieces of the historical jigsaw fall into place revealing the complete picture, as well as some neat links between past and present. In fact, you could say Rozenn designed the perfect ending to ensure any rifts that might remain are healed.

You Let Me Go is an absorbing story of family secrets and how choices made in the past can reverberate down the years.

I have read several books by Eliza Graham and I think that You Let Me Go is one of her best.

I loved the dual timeline narrative, in present time by Morane and in 1941 by Rozenn, they both gave me a real sense of how they were both struggling in life - Morane with her money and business problems and Rozenn with her family problems and the fear of living under Nazi occupation in a small French village.

I could totally understand Morane's need to find out about her grandmother's decision to leave the cottage she loved to her sister and not her. I was willing her to discover more about her grandmother's past.

The writing is slow and steady going, gradually building up to the truth of what really happened and the suspense was a real page turner.

A great read that I thoroughly enjoyed.

You Let me Go is a cleverly written timeslip which moves between 1941 and the present day. Marie and Morane's French grandmother Rozenn Caradec has just died. Morane anticipated her house by the river in Cornwall - Vue Claire - would be left to her and her sister to share. Instead it is Marie who inherits, while Morane's only gift is a silver compass. with her great grandfather's initials FJG engraved on it.

Morane is an interior designer with a troubled past. She was involved in a riding accident that resulted in the death of a child - something she cannot put out of her mind. Because of this she cannot bear to be near horses.. She has also broken up with her partner Nick, whose gambling has wrecked both her life and business. With a lull in jobs she agrees to spend time at Vue Clare to help Marie redecorate. Agreeing to house sit while Marie and her husband are away, she discovers mysterious notes in Rozenn's room. She decides to head for France to try and uncover more information about Rozenn, grandfather Luc, and the reasons they came to England in 1941.

Absolutely loved this book. A wonderful story. The author has created a totally authentic feel for life in France during World War 2. The story moved seamlessly between past and present as it reveals the truth about Rozenn's family. It's an absorbing read I found very difficult to put down.

Thank you Lake Union Publishing, Eliza Graham and Netgalley for an Advanced Review Copy of You Let Me Go. A definite five star read!

Morane is troubled, not only has she lost her beloved grandmother Rozenn, she is also suffering post-traumatic stress following a tragic accident and a crippling financial blow to her business. The realisation that she has been left out of Rozenn’s will raises more questions than answers, especially as she knows something is missing, something Rozenn was trying to explain but the stroke had robbed her of her ability to speak. There are some clues, a compass and a few pages of a longer letter, written in French, that mentions a small fishing village in Brittany. Her obsession with the past and her decision to leave Cornwall, looking for answers, leaves her Dad and sister concerned by her actions, but gives her a focus as she thinks about the future.

In this book we also get to follow Rozenn as her family leave Occupied Paris for a fishing village in Brittany. Her father takes up the respectable position of the local doctor, but they have a secret that must be kept from the villagers as they settle into their new life. The hardships, lack of food and living in constant fear of interrogation isn’t easy for Rozenn, who came across as strong, determined and quite different to her siblings. I felt her frustrations with her family and the situation, as she questioned her parent’s motives. She might have missed the city life she was forced to leave behind, but the descriptions of the coves, cliff tops and stone cottages of Brittany made it easy for me to imagine her falling in love with the coast. I also found it interesting to see the comparisons of life in Paris and then Brittany during The Occupation.

In France, Morane finds herself in a close-knit community, where the local people are wary of questions from so long ago, but a good Breton name and the ability to speak French slowly opens some doors. With so few survivors still alive, a lot of what she initially learns, gives rise to more seemingly unanswerable questions.

I love a good mystery and as events from the past and the present slowly unfurled, I tried to piece together Rozenn’s story and work out what had happened to fracture her family all those years ago.

If you like historical fiction, with plenty of mystery, family drama and heartbreak, I’m sure you will enjoy this one. With its choice of location and plot, this book certainly had something different to other books set in Occupied France that I’ve read.

This is a poignant dual timeline story, a family saga from occupied France in the 1940s to the present day. The prologue gives clues about the story's secrets and the heartbreaking discoveries to follow.
Two sisters Morane and Gwen, find their relationship strained when their beloved grandmother Rozenn bequeaths her house to Gwen. Morane has already suffered, and now she feels rejected by her grandmother. A chance discovery leads Morane on a quest to find out about Rozenn's life in occupied France, which has surprising consequences.

The dual storylines are well written, both full of vivid characters and emotion. The historical timeline is particularly engaging, as it conveys the horrors and stark choices of life in occupied France. The familial relationships are relatable, and the plot twists keep the reader engaged.

This is a family saga of betrayal, forgiveness, love and sacrifice with a satisfying conclusion.

I received a copy of this book from Lake Union Publishing via NetGalley in return for an honest review.

YOU LET ME GO is more than historical fiction, this is a dual timeline story that brings it bang up to date.

Admittedly, it’s a slow burner, but all of that background info only adds to the story as a whole. I guess it could be a little trimmer, but I’m not complaining because, for me, all those details really pay off once the second half gets going and Morane (Morie) heads off to Brittany to look into her grandmother’s past.

Morie had always been closer to her grandmother Rozenn, much more so than her sister, Gwen. It , therefore, came as no surprise to see her portray similar traits to Rozenn as the truth unravelled. This made Rozenn’s decision to leave her Cornwall home entirely to Gwen such a mystery. It made little sense, if any, and proved to be the catalyst for Morie’s trip to France. Was she peeved? You bet. Did she struggle to hide her feelings? Absolutely. Which is why putting some distance between herself and her sister seemed to be the right thing to do …before she could say something she might later regret.

Morie, you see, had had her own fair share of troubles up to that point – a horse riding accident, a failing business due to her partner’s gambling addiction. So this news from Rozenn’s will was the nail in the coffin. By going to France maybe she would be able to understand her grandmother’s decision.

Arriving in St Martin, the village from which her grandparents left France for Cornwall, Morie met up with ancestors of villagers who knew Rozenn and Luc. There was some initial reluctance to tell Morie anything, and the puzzle seemed to be missing more pieces than ever until she met with Madame O’Donnell, whose father remembered Rozenn’s family. It was during a conversation with him that Morie discovered her grandmother was not an only child – that she had a brother and a twin sister. So why had she kept their existence a secret all these years?

Piecing the past together, Morie encountered yet more surprises. Including one that would change her own life forever, and which proved her grandmother had made the decision about the Cornish house for a very good reason.

The second half of the book became compelling reading. The author paced the chapters perfectly, swapping point of view at critical times that meant I just had to read on. By the end, I had an inkling as to what was to come for Morie, and it was just as delightful and emotional as I expected.

Neither Morie nor Rozenn are the most instantly likeable of women, but their personalities grew on me and I thoroughly enjoyed how the story came to its conclusion. I would recommend this book to anyone who loves dual timelines and who can hang in through the slow start. It’s worth it.

You Let Me Go is not my usual genre. I found the cover appealing and thought I would give this book a go. I wasn't disappointed. I really enjoyed it. It was a slow burner at the start but I continued with it enjoying the vivid detail and characters.
It tells the story of Rozenn and her grand daughter Morane. Morane doesn't understand why her grandmother's house was left to her sister and not to both of them. She goes in search of what happened to her grandmother during her earlier years in France.
It is well written in a dual timeline, each chapter alternating the two viewpoints. Morane is present day Cornwall and Rozenn is from 1941 and the Nazi occupation of France in WW2. The story gave an insight into their own struggles in life, Morane and her financial and business and Rozenn and her family relationships. The book was full of mystery and suspense, family drama and heartbreak. I found the characters very interesting and descriptions vivid. It brought an authentic feel to France and Cornwall.
I would definitely recommend this to others.
A story full of family drama and suspense.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me an ARC in exchange of an honest opinion.

Book description:
A secret family history of love, anguish and betrayal.
After her beloved grandmother Rozenn’s death, Morane is heartbroken to learn that her sister is the sole inheritor of the family home in Cornwall—while she herself has been written out of the will. With both her business and her relationship with her sister on the rocks, Morane becomes consumed by one question: what made Rozenn turn her back on her?
When she finds an old letter linking her grandmother to Brittany under German occupation, Morane escapes on the trail of her family’s past. In the coastal village where Rozenn lived in 1941, she uncovers a web of shameful secrets that haunted Rozenn to the end of her days. Was it to protect those she loved that a desperate Rozenn made a heartbreaking decision and changed the course of all their lives forever?
Morane goes in search of the truth but the truth can be painful. Can she make her peace with the past and repair her relationship with her sister?

At first glance, this is yet another dual time line story set in modern day and in France during World War II. What the reader gets is so much more than that. This is a book about love, respect, family and betrayal in both time periods. It has strong loving families, a bit of mystery and a bit of romance - what more can you ask for in a good book.

Present time: Morane and her sister, Gwen. both adored their grandmother, Rozenn. She was always there for the sisters, took them to Paris and her home in Cornwell was their favorite place to visit. She was a strong but isolated woman who refused to talk about her past. When she died, she left her beautiful home in to Gwen and only left a gold compass to Morane. Morane was devastated at the turn of events but decided to make the best of it and help her sister redecorate the house. She finds some pictures and a partial letter that she's never seen before and decides to find out more about her grandmother's past in France during the war. What she finds is painful and she must learn to live with the truth.

1941. Rosenn and her family move from Paris to a small town in Brittany to save her brother from being put back into the German army or into a camp. As the family tries to keep her brother hidden, they are surrounded by German troops and nosy neighbors who want to learn more about the doctor's family that has moved from Paris. Rosenn's brother means the world to her and she starts working with some shady characters to get her brother out of France and safely to England. The deeper she gets into her plans, the more dangerous it becomes for her family. When she makes a split second decision, it changes the course of her entire life and that of her family.

This was an interesting look at a grandmother and her granddaughter and how they approached their lives and losses. I preferred the modern day story to the WWII story because I didn't particularly like Rosenn but I understood how the regrets of past affected the person that she became. The two story lines are both well written and give us more of an understanding of both women and their connections in different times.

My only problem with his book is that the first 20% is very slow. I almost gave up reading it but am very glad that I kept on and was rewarded with a great story.

I received a ARC copy of “ You Let Me Go” from the Author and the publisher through Net Galley. Thanks to all.
“Let Me Go” follows one of the plot devices common in many current novels : a story that moves from now into the past, fueled by the death of a relative and the discovery of an object or letter linked to a mysterious past life.so get ready for chapters that vary in place, time and protagonist .
Morane is dismayed at the death of her beloved grandmother Rozenne, to whom she was very close. But Morane is dumbfounded when inherits nothing more than the engraved compass her grandmother was holding in her hand at the time of her death. Obviously it meant a great deal to Rozenne, but neither Morane nor her sister Gwen ever recalled seeing . Morane is upset that the home in which she has live with her sister for years was left entirely to Gwen, even Gwen is amazed; both think that there was some oversight in the will, but no. as Morane goes through her grandmother’s things , she also finds letters and photos of her grandmother’s past unknown to anyone else. A past in German occupied Brittany, in which her grandmother was involved with dangerous people and events. The engraved compass points the way to life the granddaughter never imagined her grandmother led.

Here the setting shifts to occupied France, to a village in Brittany. We are introduced to the youthful Rozenne and her. Family. The German iron hand is begging to be felt, as young Frenchmen are conscripted into labor battalions and neighbors are arrested for anti- German talk. With this , the author sets her plot in motion, and the novel flows and expands.. Morane goes to France to find out all she can about those dark days and her grandmother’s part in them. MS Graham gives us a good principal character, or characters, and an interesting scenario. I thought that the chapters featuring the French village were the best part of the book? The historical setting of a small village in Brittany laboring under the Nazis oppression brings the reader an idea of the daily struggle facing the French and the danger for those who resisted. I am not much of a fan of switching times and principal voices, but the author used them to let the story tell itself, as it were. It is a good story , so I cannot spoil it with more of a synopsis , and well written.
I recommend the book with the caution that the reader be patient as the story take a bit of time to get going. Once it does, it is worth the reader’s time and attention.
Summary: a good story ,well written and enjoyable. Content warnings: not much to offend,. Some romantic love, some violence, since the book is about wartime France.

You Let Me Go is historical fiction written with a dual timeline of Rozenn, a teenager whose family has to leave Paris during WWII for the coast of Brittany. The other part of the story centers around Morane who was very close to her grandmother Rozenn and after her grandmother dies she finds out her sister Gwen inherits her estate and she is left with only a silver compass! Morane wants to learn more about her grandmother's past after seeing some old photographs and only part of a letter that doesn't make any sense to her. This leads her on a voyage of discovery where she discovers secrets about Rozenn and her family that changed everything!

Two sisters share their grandmother’s estate but why does one get a lovely Cornish house whilst the other inherits a mystery. The story switches from the present day back to occupied France in the Second World War. This is an exciting and very moving story. We eventually find the missing house in France that Morie inherits.Jews, traitors and betrayals happened in the War and Morie finds out the mystery surrounding her part of the inheritance. This is a moving and life affirming story well worth reading.