While the story itself was interesting, the cadence and lack of emotions in the narration of the audiobook were hard to be engaged by. The Narrator has a fantastic voice, I just felt like the reading was rushed and lacked personality. I tried to reduce the speed but it came with a strange echo. For this novel, I would personally stick with reading it myself.

This was such a well written book with adventure and suspense and a little romance. I really enjoyed the story. It was made even better by the narrator, Harriet Collings. Her voice was the perfect fit for this book. I can’t wait to read more from Dianne Haley and listen to more from Harriet Collings.

Dianne Haley’s historical novel, The Watchmaker's Daughter, puts us behind the scenes during WWII in Switzerland where we find Valerie Hallez working for the Resistance. Valerie delivers watch repairs for her father while at the same time smuggling messages that will help move refugees across the border to safety. Valerie's working with the Resistance causes much tension between father and daughter since Albert's business receives lots of support from the Germans and keeps his business afloat.
This book kept me in high anxious mode: I found myself getting anxious while I listened waiting for something to happen, for someone to get caught, wondering whether Valerie's boyfriend, Philippe, was safe while he fought to protect his country.
This is the type of suspenseful historical novel I enjoy, and Haley did not disappoint!

I listened to the audiobook, narrated by Harriet Collings, in just one day because I could not put it down. This is one book you may want to read in hard copy or as an e-book. The narration was not well done. I could not tell who was speaking due to the same voice being used for all characters. There was no difference between a male or a female speaking, and it took away from the gripping ambiance of the story. This did not take away from the suspense and excellent writing of Haley though who deserves 5 stars for this soon to be bestseller!

Thanks to #NetGalley, Bookouture Audio, and the editors for this advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

Valerie Hallez doesn’t care if Switzerland has been invaded by the Nazis or not, she knows that the Third Reich is a cancer, a plague upon Europe. Even though her father has warned her not to get involved, Valerie is working with the French Resistance by smuggling information in the watches her father makes. Her most dangerous work involves hiding Jewish girls in the family workshop at night, if she’s caught, she will surely be executed. While she may be willing to risk her own life, is she willing to risk the life of her lover, Philippe? Her current mission will surely bring about his death and she must choose between freedom for Europe and the life of the man she loves. This is a heartbreaking story, made even more relevant by the current atrocities being committed against the people o

** THIS IS A REVIEW OF AN UNCORRECTED ARC ***

Are easy-to-read & no-long-descriptive thriller books part of your TBR / read interest? If yes, then congratulations, you found the right book for you!

“The Watchmaker’s Daughter” follows the story of Valérie and her friends during WWII in their attempt to help the French Resistance in smuggling messages between France and Switzerland. I think that the element that makes this book stand out is the clear and direct writing style and lack of ambiguity of its characters. I was really impressed!

Also, did I mention that this is a debut book?

Special thanks to NetGalley, Bookouture Audio, and the editorial team for giving me the opportunity to review the ARC in audiobook format and to you, my reader, for taking the time to read this honest personal book review.

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#LifeLongLearning #TheWatchmakersDaughter #NetGalley