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.

This was a fairly quick read but it is also a must read. I enjoyed it and think others will as well. The author transports you to another time and place. You become engulfed in this story. A wonderful WWII historical fiction.

I would like to thank Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with a copy free of charge. This is my honest and unbiased opinion of it.

This new novel is a blend between history and romance, between present day and WWII. it's a book about family and love and forgiveness all put together with lots of research and likable characters. It's well written and one of my favorite books of the year.


The story - especially during the war is so well written that you feel like you are in London during the Blitz. The author did an excellent job of showing what life was like in London during this time. The characters were very likable and their fear was deeply felt. The dual time line plot was well done and I enjoyed both the present day story and the historical story. The author did a lot of research on what life was like in England and France during this time period and it made the story so much more realistic.

This is a story of love and forgiveness, family and friendship. It has romance, mystery, bravery, danger and most of all love. I read a lot of WWII historical fiction and this one ranks near the top of the list.

I had a hard time putting this book down! It had me both laughing and crying, which is the best kind of book!

All the elements of a great historical fiction novel. Romance, heartbreak, suspense, plot twists and turns. I felt great empathy for the characters and the plot moved along nicely. A wonderful read.

A Fire Sparkling blew my mind! I can't believe how well written this book is. Ms. MacLean has done such a superb job of writing two separate timelines (one around 1939 and one present time) that by the time I had finished reading the chapters for one time period, I had completely forgotten about the other. I was so immersed in the plot and the characters that my heart was right there in that time and place with them.
As Gillian learns about her grandmother's life during the war, the story is at times gut wrenching and difficult to read. However, the underlying thread of love and hope is always there. The suspense is palpable and the twists of the unexpected keep the story fresh and different. Ms. MacLean's research into the time and places of World War II must have been quite extensive and is greatly appreciated. This is a superb book!
I was given a copy of this book via NetGalley. All thoughts are my own.

Wow!!!! Did I love this story!! Filled with such amazing characters that went through so much heartache during the war!! Highly highly recommend!!!

I love historical fiction so much! A Fire Sparkling was hands down one of my all time favorite books! Julianne MacLean filled the pages with such rich history, such a beautiful love story and such a gut wrenching twist that ties the past to the present.

I could seriously go on all about what I loved about A Fire Sparkling but you need to read it for yourself. My words do Julianne’s words no justice!

I received a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. Thank you NetGalley.\

Historical fiction is quickly beocming one of my favorite tropes. This book was so amazing. I could NOT stop reading this.. seriously. i couldn't put it down until i was done with it. read this book, you wont' regret it. i promise.
This book had well-developed characters, an easy-to-follow storyline, and a beautiful writing style.
I will definitely be reading more by this author!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC of this outstanding book!

I was enthralled with this story from the start. In the 1940s part of the story, I loved reading about Vivian and Theodore’s courtship and love. Then April, Vivian’s twin sister enters the story and she is just as interesting and with a twisty story of her own. Reading about how April’s story connected with the present day story of Gillian and her father was so heart-wrenching at times, but in the most satisfying way as more information about the past was dispensed.

5 stars, I absolutely loved this book! If you enjoy romance, family, and historical fiction around WWII, you will love this book!

This novel is dealing with British women spies, which has become quite popular recently. While MacLean does not go in depth as others I have read it is a good story of family loyalty. A Fire Sparkling is very much a surface read and is a quick historical fiction read for those not wanting to be buried in a lot of details.

Another amazing story by Julianne Maclean. This truly is a story that will keep you up all night reading.
Gillian flees to her family in CT after the man she loves betrays her. Gillian is overwhelmed that her love cheated on her and unfortunately she walked in on them to have those images burnt into her mind.
Her father is eager to talk to her ever since he found pictures in the attic hidden in a small chest. Gillian and her father sit down with her grandmother to try to get answers to their many questions.
What was her grandmother, Vivian’s life like when she was in England before and during the war? How did she meet and marry Grampa Jack? Has too much time past to discover the truth? Will Gillian’s trip to England and Germany make anything clearer?

I highly recommend this book! I enjoyed an advanced copy to read in exchange for an honest review! 5 stars!

A modern-day mystery of old pictures of Gillian’s grandmother with a Nazi officer before the war leads to a great story of wartime love, secrets and sacrifices. I really enjoyed this book. It is a real page-turner! I received an ARC for my honest review.

Long before the days of Snapshot, a photo really was composed of people caught in a moment. So, there were no tricks of the eyes. No questions. When Gillian Gibbons finds 4 photographs beneath the false bottom in a sea chest belonging to her grandmother, and one of the photographs is of her grandmother with a Nazi soldier, and the inscription on the back says "April in Berlin, 1940", she doesn't know exactly what to think. A Nazi soldier??? So, Gillian and her father confront her grandmother, anxious to uncover the truth. But they are not. Not. Not. Prepared for the answers to their questions.

A very worthwhile look at a family in distress, relationships that are blurred, truth that isn't quite the truth.

I read this EARC courtesy of NetGalley and Lake Union. pub date 08/01/19

I was drawn into Gillian’s world rather early in this book and very much wanted her to find out more about the story behind the pictures that her father had found in a box in the attic with pictures of her grandmother and a German soldier even though her grandmother had been married to a British man during the war. The trail for answers leads to both London and France during World War II. I am usually quite good about figuring where a story is going but this one had several surprising twists for me, all of which kept me intrigued to learn more. There were one or two coincidences that seemed maybe a bit unreal and yet they didn’t stop me from thoroughly enjoying the story line. I don’t like to put a lot of spoilers in reviews but I will say that I did feel that the boyfriend that Gillian broke up with at the beginning of the story was possibly an unnecessary character. Other than giving her a reason to go home to see her Dad and Grandmother, the boyfriend didn’t add much to the story to me. This book has all the things I want in a great read, including an interesting story line with some twists and turns, likable characters, and happenings that often played with my emotions. This is my first book by Julianne MacLean and I would definitely read other books of this sort if/when she writes them. Her earlier books seem to be a little different in nature and I think this is her style that I prefer but I may try one or two of her others too since I enjoyed this one so much.

An excellent novel with a fascinating depiction of characters. I very much enjoyed this wonderful story and highly recommend it.

: "I received an advanced reading
complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own."


This book was beautifully written and a thrilling tale to read. I love historical fiction and I love all the little ways the plot unfolded. I look forward to more from this author!

There is always that one book that you hear people talking about that you HAVE to read. This is THAT book! The writing made me feel like I was in WWII Europe, as it was so detailed. The strong writing about the unbreakable bonds of family make this a must read! I highly recommend this!

Loved it!!! So many secrets. Vivian's story was my favorite part of the book. She lived a very interesting life. She had her share of tragedy. I definitely wanted to find out about the pictures Gillian and her father found hidden in the secret compartment of the chest. I loved the characters, story and writing style. I was not expecting the ending. There are many twists throughout the book. Was everything believable? No, but I still loved the story.

Definitely recommend the book. It was beautifully written. The book was historical fiction mixed with mystery, drama and a little romance. Loved the cover of the book. I look forward to reading more books by the author.

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

Wow. Just, WOW.

This book is not my normal genre, as I am not a fan of books that bounce between time frames, but this book does it with grace and elegance, telling a tale that keeps the reader drawn in with mystery, drama, and twists that are slightly predictable. Thankfully that predictability is not a bad thing, as it helps move the story along enough to make it a thoughtfully provocative book.

Great for travel and for a day when you can do nothing but read, as you will not want to put this book down!