4.5 stars

Wow. Just wow.

My overwhelming thought as I finish this book is “why didn’t I read this sooner?!”. This book is fantastic. It is wonderful.

This is the story of Annie, a photojournalist who always visits and photographs the dangerous places - wars, human rights violations, etc. This story is the wonderful tale of her multiple trips to Afghanistan - I feel as if I was there with her - the descriptions are so intense.

I’m excited to see there is a book 2 - I cannot wait to start it!

I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. The opinions stated above are mine without biases.

Wow, this book gets your heart racing! From the beginning the author immerses you into the harrowing life of Annie Hawkins Green, a war photojournalist. She is in Afghanistan on an assignment and things go very wrong. Eight years later she goes back to Afghanistan to teach a photography class in a school for girls ran by her best friend. She had no idea that being back there would cause the pass to haunt her. The author did a very good job showing what it is like for girls to life there and their culture. Very suspenseful and shows that no matter how well you think you may know someone you can be totally wrong. Definitely recommend!

Thanks to #NetGalley and the publishers of #BehindTheLens for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

this was a beautifully done story, the world was so interesting and amazing. The characters were interesting and I really enjoyed going on this journey.

All good things must come to an end so as this beautiful gem of a book that i loved every moment of no matter how long it was.
One of the reasons i loved it was because of the plot and the most beautifully crafted Relationships between our main character and her daughter, bestfriend,work and her love interest.
I loved a lot of things about this book and honestly i suck at writing a review right now but i hope you see how much i adored this book.

Debut novelist Jeannée Sackens mines her photojournalism career in this slow burn tale of war photographer Anne Hawkins Green.

Annie is returning to Afghanistan after eight years previously surviving a Taliban ambush that left her military escort dead and her nearly being accused of treason. Suffering from PTSD, now a single mum with the guilt associated with her career taking her away from her teenage daughter, Annie returns to teach young girls photography for her best friend Darya’s school.

The books strengths is Sackens real life experience as a photojournalist informing us what it’s like to be a war photographer, and, especially female in a boys club. She depicts the hazing from of her male colleagues, the ruthlessness of journalists to get their story and also the real life hazards associated with going into politically unstable regions.

My favourite scenes were her teaching her photography workshops, giving a reader a bit more technical insight into how a photojournalist works. This is largely because I’ve studied photography so I’m always down for a fictional photographer heroine! Additionally, the chemistry between Anne and her self-appointed guardian via sat phone Cerelli, her was a welcome addition of levity to the growing tension building.

However I did find the pace a bit too slow and there were times I felt the book could’ve edited down some bits to get to climax. I also can’t help but wonder if making the story close to home for Annie seemed a bit of a coincidence, especially as she discovers some truths about her friend.

Overall this is a fine debut. I understand Sacken is working on another Annie book which is certainly intimated given the story doesn’t wrap up neatly as one would expect. I look forward to it to more Annie in the aftermath of this and where it takes her.

Behind the Lens by Jeannée Sacken is more women’s fiction and suspense than mystery but I felt it important to push the boundaries for this debut book in the new Annie Hawkins Greene series. The author admittedly has never been to Afghanistan, but she knows how to do research and build a world, and Annie’s world is worthy of any reader’s full investigation. The story is breathtakingly real with emotion—serenity that can be broken with the report of a bullet that’s already found its target and Annie’s promise to a dead little girl in the middle of nowhere who knew how to write a warning Annie couldn’t read.

3.5 Stars

3.5 Stars

Behind the lens is a compilation of many themes---travel, culture, family, education, and war. It is a fictional story of a female photographer who goes to Afghanistan to teach photography at a school for girls. The last time she was in the country, the Taliban murdered two marines, and a small Afghani girl died in her arms.

I learned about the writing of the landays and the author's expertise with photography as she mentored her students. Throughout the book, Afghan dishes, the Dari language, traditional dress, and attitudes toward educating women and girls are also discussed. I always enjoy reading about the country of Afghanistan and its women and children, but not about spies, guns, military, or the violent side, which I know exists. This is where the book fell short for me. The violence and romance toward the end, despite being fictional, felt contrived—still a well-written and captivating novel that engaged me until the end.

I guess you can't judge a book by it's cover! I thought this would be a light, fun read but was I ever wrong! In Behind the Lens we are looking at what it's like to be a photojournalist in Afghanistan. Annie Hawkins Green witnesses a horrific attack on an entire village killing everyone including her military escorts. Years later she is asked to return to the area to help teach a photography class at her friend's all girl school. Supposedly this school is in a peaceful area but Annie has her doubts and nightmares from her past continue to haunt her. A real page-turner!

DNF at 38%. I simply couldn't get into this book. The synopsis was intriguing and I was interested in the POV of the main character as a female photojournalist in Afghanistan. It just wasn't for me and the book failed to captivate my attention.

From page one of Behind the Lens, Jeannée Sacken plunges her readers headlong into a foreign and often hostile culture—total immersion. With every turn of the page the tension slowly ratchets up to its explosive ending. Jeannée Sacken’s main character, war photographer Annie Hawkins Green, allows the reader to hitch a ride to Afghanistan in her camera bag. And it is a hair-raising ride beginning to end. If Annie doesn’t find trouble, trouble finds her. Add a touch of romance and Behind the Lens will top your list of unputdownables.

Unfortunately I couldn't get into this, I can't say any review as it just wasn't the story for me. Sorry I could not finish this.

A gripping tale set in Afghanistan, where photojournalist Annie Hawkins Green is ambushed by the Taliban and witnesses horrific deaths. When she returns eight years later, nightmares arise that leave her with a terrible foreboding. A fascinating fast pacer thriller and a classic piece of political fiction

I really enjoyed this book!

We all know about the war in Afghanistan, and we all know the hardships faced by soldiers and bystanders. What was a new perspective for me was the role of photo journalists, often in frontline and dangerous situations trying to tell the story. Also - highlighting the cultural differences and expectations of young women still blows my mind. It was a good reminder to be thankful for the freedom and opportunities I've been given.

I loved the characters, I loved their real relationships with each other, and I loved how our heroine was a middle-aged parent with a daughter back home. Seems relatable, right?

Who should read it? Honestly I think it would be well received by many! But if you're a fan of Janet Evanovich - Stephanie Plum books -- **moderate spoiler** there are some very strong similarities between Stephanie and Morelli (One for the Money) and Annie and Sargent Cerelli (Behind the Lens). Their banter and flirting made me smile!

The opening chapter of Behind the Lens drops the reader right in the middle of a perilous attack on a village in Afghanistan where our protagonist, Annie Green, a embedded war photojournalist, witnesses the massacre of an entire village including the two soldiers who escorted her and a lovely young child whose face Annie captured with her camera only seconds before she was felled by a sniper’s bullet. The iconic photograph wins Annie a Pulitzer but the incident continues to haunt her eight years later, not only in her conscious thoughts, but in the recurring PTSD nightmares she suffers once she returns for a short visit to the country to reunite with her best friend Darya and her family, and to teach a intro photography course at the girls’ school Darya has founded in a small town outside Kabul.
The tension never lets up as danger is everywhere and Annie slowly realizes that almost no one she meets are who they seem. The writing is first-rate and the action will keep you glued to the story as you immerse yourself in the story of the brave Afghan citizens trying to offer women and girls a better life to the military officers, including the gruff but charismatic Cerelli, who is drawn to Annie and puts himself in danger to protect her life. A sub-plot that explores the often-fraught relationships between teenager girls and their mothers fuels a deeper story you won’t see coming. Highly recommended not only for a superb, fast-paced plot, but characters that ring true to life and a glimpse of the humanity and tragedy playing itself out in a country wracked by civil war halfway around the world.

Behind the Lens

Rating: 5/5 🌟!!

Looking for the perfect mix of adventure and mystery? I’ve got the book for you!

Annie Hawkins Green is a seasoned photojournalist renowned for her Pulitzer winning portait of Afghan girl ,who died in her arms after their military routine visit to her village was ambushed killing the girl and her military escorts.

8 years later, Annie finds herself back in Afghanistan to help support her best friend’s school for girls in a peaceful village outside of Kabul and face to face with the man who rescued her. But is Wad Qol really as peaceful as it seems? After a car bomb at the supposedly safe checkpoint and an unnerving feeling later, Annie finds herself back in the action chasing ghosts and memories she thought she had tucked away.

An incredible debut from Jeannée Sacken, I COULD NOT put this one down. I was immediately sucked into Annie’s story and couldn’t wait to find out what the next page had in store. Sacken’s research and commitment to exploring Afghani culture was clear and made the story even more personal. I appreciate the dramatic and personal touches she brought to each of the characters and I can only hope for more of Annie’s adventures. 5/5 stars for me!!

Read if you like:
+ Adventurous female leads
+ You loved The Newsroom or Homeland
+ Middle eastern culture and story telling

Thank you so much to Jeannée Sacken, Ten16 Press and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review!

I found many details inaccurate, the fact checking non-existent, the story poorly written. Overall I find it difficult to enjoy and a disappointing experience.

A gripping tale set in Afghanistan, where photojournalist Annie Hawkins Green is ambushed by the Taliban and witnesses horrific deaths. When she returns eight years later, nightmares arise that leave her with a terrible foreboding. Are they just dreams or is her life truly at risk? A thrilling read in an exotic setting!

4 of 5 Stars

Pub Date 09 Mar 2021
#BehindtheLens #NetGalley

Thanks to the author, Ten16 Press and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

So this wasn't what I thought it would be I guess!
This book wasn't that good at all! The writing and the story just didn't do it for me!
Did not enjoy at all!

I wasn't entirely sure what to expect with this story. When I read it, there were no other reviews (something I read to decide if it's actually worth it or not). I went into this completely blind and unsure. However, the description was intriguing, and I wanted to know. That being said, I still don't know how I feel about this book, even after finishing it. It's a good read, but just something that comes and goes from your memory. I appreciated seeing Afganistan from the author's eyes, and it was clear that there is a great reverence and respect for the country that was not her own. There were moments that I was sucked in and others that I needed to push through. Was it good? Yes. Do I want to reread it? Not really. Am I going to recommend it to others? Nope. Will I remember much of it after I write this review? Nah.

Thanks to #NetGalley and the publishers of #BehindTheLens for the ARC in exchange for the honest review.