I really enjoyed this contemporary novel. It starts off with three American backpackers planning their last night in Paris which ends in disaster. The tale is told in the first person by the protagonist, Jessica. We watch her cope with the aftermath of an event where she barely survived and how she processes guilt, grief and the traumatic stress of a survivor.

This book also deals with the topic of platonic friendships between people of the opposite sex. Patrick is an exuberant and flamboyant character who has an eye for antiques and often finds valuable Objet d'art in flea markets and online auctions. He persuades Jessica instead of heading back to her parents to take one last roadtrip. They drive, in his dilapidated 2CV to the south of France in search of junk shop treasure. It is never implicitly stated that Patrick is gay but he reminded me of some gay guys I have known.
Once in the south of France Jessica is drawn to this sewing box a junk shop and once she gets it home discovers it has secrets and a history relating to a family Heugonauts. This family where persecuted for their religion and forced to flee to the UK whilst one daughter remained and she wrote the account that Jessica finds hidden. Jessica is then drawn to find answers to the outcome of their plight and travels to the UK for research.

The pacing of this book is very nicely done, it is a gentle sort of book in a way but there is always something happening to drive the plot forwards. There is a romantic subplot, which in many ways seems a little bit contrived and a little bit unnecessary.

This book has been listed as a Christian book, which would probably have put me off reading it had I noticed this, because I am not Christian. This would have been a shame as the religious aspect with the present day characters is very downplayed and did not detract from the story. If however the reader was religious it may add something to the feeling of the book.
This is an interesting book, and well worth a read. I enjoyed it, and the element of the historical research where fascinating. There are enough twists and turns to keep the plot engaging.

I intend to publish this review on the

Oh my!!! What a wonderful novel—gripping from the opening pages. The story opens in 1695 then moves to present day France. The narrative shifts between Adeline’s story during the Huguenot persecution to a present-day terrorist attack suffered by Jessica. A sewing box is the link between the 2 stories. A few plot twists keep you on your toes in the early portion of the book, then it settles down into a lovely story of “enduring with courage, resisting with wisdom, and persisting in faith.”

This was a well written book with two story lines that just didn't fit for me. The Huguenot piece seemed very random to place with a French shooting. I get the emotional connection and loved Grant but in the end, this book just didn't do it for me. I'm rating it a 3.

The story grabs the reader from the prologue, where we learn about Adeline Baillard, a French Huguenot in the 17th century France whose life hangs in the balance.
Fast-forward more than three hundred years to the eve of the Paris attacks, where we meet Jessica, an American tourist. She and her housemate Vonda have come to visit their other housemate, Patrick, who has taken time from his business to attend art classes. Things go terribly wrong the night before they leave Paris for a week of flea market shopping for Patrick’s store.

Phoenix masterfully weaves the two stories together in ways that will surprise the reader. I don’t want to spoil anything by saying more about the story. I can assure you that Jessica and Adeline’s stories will make you question what you know about grief, recovery, relationships, friendships, and loyalty.

This is one of my favorite books of the year. The haunting stories will linger long after you turn the last pages.

Enjoyed this story from page one...my attention was held until the final chapter. Have shared this novel w/ all of my reading friends....

A very well written book with a good plot and character development. I enjoyed the writing and will be reading more of this author's work.

This story is told in two separate time periods. The historical aspect was gripping and I wanted more of Adeline's story. Jessica's story was interesting but in my opinion, the stories were unbalanced. The story of the Huguenots' persecution was full of depth and reliance upon the Lord during some horrific times and it seemed to overshadow Jessica's story. I wanted more spiritual depth from Jessica than was given. Adeline stood strong in the Lord yet Jessica seemed lukewarm. It was a good book that could have been fabulous yet, wasn't...

I really loved the title of this book as well as the cover. The characters are written well. I would highly recommend this book.

5 plus stars

Our book opens in 1695 with a woman named Adeline Baillard who is recounting the history of her family in the Protestant movement in France. The Edict of Nantes allowing for the tolerance of religion in France is overturned. This leads to the ongoing persecution, torture and killing of the Huguenots (Protestants.) The remainder of her family has escaped to make a life in another region of France.

We then meet Jessica in the present day as she narrates her story. She and her roommates are going to Paris at last! One their last night there, Jessica and Vonda go to a concert. What Jessica really wanted to do was to go to the art show with their other roommate Patrick. Jessica and Vonda’s world explodes as terrorists begin shooting into the crowd at the concert.

The description of what happened to Jessica the night of the terrorist shooting was very real and horrifying. The reader is there with Jessica as she both hides and crawls along the floor trying to escape the shooters. I almost cannot take in what the poor woman suffered.

Patrick tries to convince Jessica to stay in France with him while Vonda has gone home to the States. She agrees and off they go on a “treasure” hunting trip to Southern France. In an old barn/shop Jessica finds a small wooden box that appears to have been a 17th Century sewing box. It speaks to her and she wants to have it badly. After she buys it, she examines it more closely and finds a very old notebook and some documents.

Jessica learns through the translation of the document that it was written by Adeline Baillard who was introduced at the start of this novel. She goes on a quest to learn what happened to the Baillard family following the persecution of their relatives and friends in 17th Century France. Indeed, she is almost driven to learn what happened to them.

Accompanied by her new friends, Mona and Grant, brother and sister and Connor, Mona’s 5-year old son they journey around France and to England looking for clues and seeking what happened to Charles and his family after they fled France.

This is a remarkable novel. I absolutely loved it! It is both very well written and plotted. There is not one wasted word. The desire to find out what happens is such that the reader wants to ignore all else in the world. The suspense is built slowly and one almost doesn’t realize it. This is my first Michele Phoenix novel, but it won’t be my last. Upon finishing it, I immediately went to Amazon and checked out her other books. I am going to heartily recommend this to all my friends.

I want to thank Netgalley and Thomas Nelson for forwarding to me a copy of this most wonderful book to read.

I really couldn't wait to read The Space Between Words by Michele Phoenix. I enjoy a good treasure hunt to follow some aspect of history and making it come to reality for me. When I read the synopsis to the book, it caught my attention, so naturally, I wanted to read the complete novel to see what would happen. Unfortunately, this novel really didn't do it for me.
In the beginning, Phoenix has the main heroine, Jessica, roaming through the story after a huge terrorist attack at a local concert. Yes, the novel is relevant for the crazy world we live in with all the terrorist attacking people. This time I got an inside look for someone who had to survive and relive the attack after it happened. From the first chapter, I am introduced to the Ballard family who left France while being prosecuted for their faith. The past is the clue to the treasure hunt in the present.
There were moments that made me question the plot. First, Patrick is so important to Jessica, but I found out that he was not really there after the attack. He appeared to be there, but only in Jessica's imagination. The rest of the story focused on finding out if Adeline Ballard is still alive. Her letters, which were found in a sewing box at a flea shop, left a lot to be desired. While Jessica and Grant, who I suppose is the hero of the novel, run across France and England trying to solve the mystery, the ending left much to be desired. I wasn't happy with where the novel ended up.
As for the forced romance between Grant and Jessica, it didn't seem realistic enough for me. Even Jessica denied they were in a relationship for the most of the novel. Grant had feelings toward Jessica, but Grant's sister kept trying to make it more than it was. I think the romance shouldn't be in the story. It didn't fit the type of story that Phoenix was going for.
Overall, The Space Between Words by Michele Phoenix left a lot to be desired for the type of story she was trying to write. The characters were lackluster and really not defined enough for me. As for the plot, it had a wonderful premise, I believe Phoenix really didn't deliver what she promised to the reader. I don't recommend this book.
I received a complimentary copy of The Space Between Words by Michele Phoenix from Thomas Nelson Publishing, but the opinions stated are all my own.

This beautifully written book would be perfect for fans of "Sarah's Key" or "What She Left Behind." The narrative is split between a modern day survivor of the terrorist shootings at the concert in Paris, and a French Huguenot family escaping from religious persecution in 17th century France. There were several plot twists that happen fairly early in the book that were surprising, and I enjoyed the quest the MC took to solve the mystery of what happened to the family from centuries earlier. Like "Sarah's Key" and "What She Left Behind" this novel's narrator also finds an object in present day that leads to a discovery of someone who lived long ago. I find that I enjoy this type of story telling as it reveals parts of the story little by little.
Each of the characters in the story were well developed and likable. The author draws comparisons between modern day Syrian refugees in Europe with the Huguenot refugees as a natural part of the narrative without sounding preachy about it. Also, the struggles Jessica has with nightmares and facing reality portray PTSD that survivors of these sorts of massacres have to deal with.
I definitely recommend this book.