𝘊𝘢𝘱𝘵𝘪𝘷𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘦𝘹𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘰𝘳𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘢𝘳𝘺!

Wow, this book! How can I express how much I loved it. Historical fiction, moving, enthralling, thought-provoking, brutal and breathtakingly beautiful. And that twist!
This is my second book from this author and both took my breath away!

Thank you Suzy Approved Book Tours and Forge Books for this tour invite.

𝗠𝗶𝗱𝗻𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗠𝗮𝗿𝗻𝗲 by Sarah Adlakha released August 9, 2022.

https://www.instagram.com/booksandcoffeemx/

4.5🌟

Wow this is one of the best historical fiction books I’ve read in so long! Historical fiction fans, put this one on your TBR!

Set in France this WWI story is inspired by true events of The Battle of the Marne, with an alternate timeline. What would of happened in the war if the Germans had won?

A story of love, complexities and heartaches of war, chosen family, resilience, bravery, strong female protagonists, compelling friendships, and loss.

This felt like such a unique and memorable story. I was swept away by Marcelle and George and invested in their stories. The switching POV’s was done seamlessly!

The writing was strong and effortless and the audiobook narration was dynamic and done perfectly.

Highly recommend for fans of The Alice Network and The Nightingale and love a sliding door 🚪 moment!

4.5 🌟

This is my second book by Sarah Adlakha, and you can now count me as a big fan!

Set in occupied France during WWI, this is an intense, gripping, and romantic read, with a twist of time warping.

Marcelle, a French nurse, is being used as a spy; even her family is unaware. She meets and befriends an American soldier George Mountcastle who is fighting alongside his friend in the Second Battle of the Marne. Yet the Germans are victorious! Both Marcelle and George are captured and imprisoned. After Marcelle suffers great losses, she and George turn to each other, for love and for hope.

I loved how this intertwines an alternate timeline. When in 1991, Marcelle received, from America, a journal from a man named George, whom she had only met twice. This sets the stage for decisions to be questioned, and could history be rewritten?


Grab this one today if you're a fan of historical fiction, thought-provoking plots, and great characters!

Thank you @suzyapprovedbooktours @forgereads and @sarahadlakha for this gifted copy.

🎧 I was lucky enough to listen to the audiobook; thank you to @macmillan.audio

This book is so interesting and I enjoyed how well researched it was and how well-written. I listened to the audiobook and went back a few times because I wanted to fully understand what was going on, but therein lies the magic of exploring an alternative timeline. I thoroughly enjoyed the possibility of changing history and the result. The narrators did a fantastic job with this unique story.

Thanks to the author, Sarah Adlakha, and NetGalley for this ARC on audio. The female and male narrators did a fine job with various accents (French, German, and American) in this historical fiction novel set during WWI in France 1918. The Battle on the Marne was the very last battle of WWI when the Russians, Germans, and a group of American Allies were involved and by winning this battle it would mean winning the war.

There are interesting characters, including twin adult sisters, Marcelle and Rosalie, both strong French protagonists, the first a spy for the French resistance. Then there’s George, a US ally, who has become smitten with Marcelle. There are other important characters as well who add to the suspense and outcome of the story.

There is torture and rape and horrible wrongs, as well as starvation and imprisonment, against women and men alike, especially if the Germans find our you are a spy or that you've lied about anything. Deeply gut wrenching.

There was one part that was confusing since there was unexpected time travel or perhaps deja vu towards the end of the war. It quickly became clear that characters had met in the past. Did they have a chance to change history? Should they? I had to replay it to make sense of some parts, but it was captivating and suspenseful with strong and mostly reputable and dynamic characters.

Bravo to this author for such a unique and heartfelt story. I particularly enjoyed when Marcelle, as an older woman, received a soldier’s diary that was written about her. Her daughter has to help her read it and I wish there would have been even more focus on that. Read this novel - it won't disappoint.

I missed the last 10% of the ending - it just wouldn’t play. Not sure if it was mountain wifi or the audio.

I really enjoyed this story's focus on World War 1 and the post-era events. There is a focus on the idea of second chances, and it really circles around choices made during the final events of the war. This was a time that I hadn't read much about before, so I really enjoyed learning about it!​​​​​​​​
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There is of course, this element of changing time, and I really enjoyed it. I don't want to give too much away here, but it's such an interesting story. I just want to give a tiny shout out to the author here. This is the second book I have read by Sarah Adlakha, and I'm quickly becoming a fan. Her other book, She Wouldn't Change a Thing is another great time-travely read and I recommend it as well!!

What would you do if you woke up on a day in your past?

That is what happens to George Mountcastle in this book set during WWI.

George, an American soldier meets Marcelle, a French spy, and feels an immediate attraction for her, but because of the war they lose touch. Later, George stops his best friend, Philip, from a brave act that would have won the battle but at the cost of Philip’s life. Due to George’s choice, Germany and Russia defeat the Allies and the world changes.

George and Philip are both captured and taken to a German POW camp where George sees Marcelle again. Marcelle is being tortured and George knows he needs to save her. George and Marcelle escape from the POW camp, along with Philip and Marcelle’s twin sister Rosalie, and they run to France where they build a life living under German rule.

The world is a different and cruel place. Yet, Philip can’t help feeling that something is not right. They continue for several years, living in terrible circumstances. When tragedy strikes, George wakes up and it is 1918 again. Can he make things right? Can he change history? And, if so, what will it cost him?

I enjoyed this brilliant story. It is told in alternating timelines through the points of view of both Marcelle and George. The characters are well-developed and the storyline is intricate and well-researched. I liked each of the four main characters and wanted the best for them. It was interesting to speculate how different the world could be if certain choices were not made. Read this if you enjoy historical fiction.

Thank you @sarahadlakha
@forgereads and @suzyapprovedbooktours for my gifted copy. My thoughts are my own.

"Midnight on the Marne" is set in two time periods and told from multiple perspectives If that's confusing, wait until you start reading. The story is convulded. We're meant to understand that this story takes place in France an alternate WWI timeline, but we're only really told this in the book blurb. The events that would make this clear are not revealed until the end. The characters' choices are illogical and most of the dangers they escape are very deus ex machina and not due to any sort of historic realism.

If you do choose to read this book, do not go for the audiobook. The voice actors give the characters "French" accents when they speak dialogue, but in a world where everything is in French, hearing the actors speak English with an accent immediately creates a disconnect. The female narrator was only able to do one accent, so when two French women spoke to one another, it was impossible to know when one character stopped speaking and another began. Worse than that, her French accent sounded German, which made it all that much more confusing when the Germans actually entered the story.

Thank you to the author, publisher and Net Galley for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I enjoyed listening to Midnight on the Marne. It was an interesting story that held my attention. I learned a lot about life in France during and after WW1. The characters were well developed and interesting. I felt like I was right there alongside the characters. I highly recommend this if you like WW1 stories.

I really tried because I was gifted a copy of this book by Booksparks, but historical fiction is just not for me! I was hoping that I'd like it on audio, because it's usually an easier way to listen to a book I wouldn't normally choose, but I have too many other books to read to keep going with it.

I'm sure it's a great story, I just don't like historical fiction and never have!

In a Nutshell: An alternate history set around WWI. I liked the complicated and innovative storyline. But I think I would have adored this book had I read it instead of heard it. (The audiobook narrators are fabulous, nothing against them.)

Story Synopsis:
1918. The final battle of WWI begins on the banks of the River Marne. If the American soldiers don’t stop the Germans, the latter might take over the valley and proceed to Paris. Unfortunately, the Germans do win and thus starts a history different from the one we’ve heard. Life under the Germans, and later the Russians, isn’t easy, and we get to see this from the viewpoint of a French family comprising twins Marcelle and Rosalie and their found family, which includes two American soldiers George and Philip. How does this version of history end?
The story is written as an indirect flashback, with the current time being 1991, where an aged Marcelle has received some journals from George, which narrate events that she can’t remember. Most of the story comes from the WWI time period.

Where the book worked for me:
😍 In a saturated historical fiction market where most authors want to write about WWII, reading about WWI was a refreshing experience. I hadn’t heard of this second battle of Marne, so learning about it was a plus.
😍 Even better was the alternate take, which reveals how different circumstances would have been for a German-occupied France. The reason for the ‘sliding door’ scenario wasn’t very convincing to my ears, but it was still a novel idea, and implemented very well.
😍 The author has done her research excellently, and it shows! Don’t miss her note at the end of the book.
😍 All the characters are well-sketched and have layered personalities. The women aren’t pushovers but have strong personalities and an independent voice.
😍 I love how realistic the author makes a complex concept of going back in time for a redo of events. When a change in one event can affect so many outcomes, how do you take a call on implementing the variation? It offered plenty of food for thought.


Where the book didn’t work for me:
😔 The Goodreads blurb reveals too much. I didn’t understand why it had to mention that “George wakes up back in 1918, knowing that he must make different choices for the greater good.” This doesn’t happen until the final 10-12% of the book. So all the while, I kept waiting for George to begin his version of ‘groundhog day.’ It spoiled my fun. Secondly, there was a certain mystery as to why the 1991 Louise couldn’t remember the events from George’s journal. The blurb killed this suspense as well. The ‘going back in time’ angle should have been in the blurb without mentioning George.
😔 The audio format reduced my satisfaction. I am left with many questions, some of which might have been answered had I read this. (Details below.)


The audiobook experience:
The audiobook, clocking at 10 hrs 45 min, is narrated excellently by John Pirhalla (voicing George) and Saskia Maarleveld (voicing Marcelle.) I can’t praise the narrators enough! For a book that has characters from so many nationalities, voicing them distinctively had to be a tough experience. But both the narrators imbue the characters with a genuine accent that enhances the experience.
Despite this, I will not recommend the audiobook to anyone except the most focussed of listeners. The timeline of the story is very complicated, and there are plenty of characters with important roles to play. If you can’t pay attention throughout, you will find yourself lost. And for an almost 11 hour book, having 100% concentration isn’t easy.
Furthermore, there are some books for which you feel like flipping back a few pages to search for some reference or reread a specific part. This book made me want to do that many times, but there are no flip-backs possible in audios. The 30 second loop-back button simply isn’t a good enough substitute.

Overall, I did enjoy this unusual look at a fictitious variant of the post-WWI era. But if I ever have a chance to reread this book, it will be through a physical or digital copy.
I had read the author’s debut novel, “She Wouldn't Change a Thing” exactly a year ago in August 2021. That too was an unusual time-travel story with an outstanding ending but with some pacing and plot development issues. I was glad to see that her second foray into fiction no longer contains those issues, and will keep an eye out for her future works as well.
Strongly recommended to those looking for an unusual historical fiction with some magical second chances thrown in. Do note that as a story of war and post-war experiences, there are some brutal scenes in the narrative.

3.5 stars. (Rounding up because the audiobook is the main reason I am rating it so low. The story was totally my kind of story.)

My thanks to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for the ALC of “Midnight on the Marne”. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the audiobook.

Midnight on the Marne is a different sort of historical fiction. The question behind this book is - if you could go back and change something you did, would you? Even if it meant losing something or someone very special to you?

We get a lot of details of the Second Battle of the Marne, a decisive battle in World War I, which helped win the war for the Allies. But in this book, things didn’t go so well for the Allied troops and Germany wound up winning the war and occupying France. We see all of this through the eyes of several people, mainly George, an American solider, and Marcelle, a young French woman, who also serves as a spy against the Germans. Together, George and Marcelle, with Marcelle’s sister Rosalie and other “found family”, they endure hardships for years, including Russians overtaking the Germans and being just as brutal, if not more so.

Interspersed with this difficult story, we have a very old Marcelle, who has received some journals from the American, George, who she barely remembers. Her daughter, Juliette, reads to her from George’s journals. They are both pretty confused by George’s narrative, since it’s not how Marcelle remembers things.

It took me quite a while to get fully immersed in this story, but eventually I did.

The audiobook is beautifully narrated by John Pirhalla and Saskia Maarleveld. When I saw Saskia Maarleveld was involved, I knew I wanted to listen to this book, as she is one of the best narrators I’ve had the privilege to listen to.

Thank you to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for the opportunity to listen to an advance copy of this audiobook. All opinions are my own.

Thank you to Macmillan Audio for my ALC in exchange for an honest review!

Pub date: 8/9/22
Genre: historical fiction, sci-fi
Pub date: George lives through the Second Battle of the Marne twice - can his second time change the past?

I love time traveling/speculative fiction, and a turning point like the Second Battle of the Marne is a perfect setting for such a story. Narrators John Pirhalla and Saskia Maarleveld brought the characters to life - best friends and soldiers George and Philip and sisters Marcelle and Rosalie. It took me a bit to get into the story, but once I did, I was hooked. The second part of the story - after George goes back in time - was especially strong, and the ending was lovely.

I love how Adlakha merged the sci-fi and historical fiction genres, and I think that historical fiction readers will find this one refreshing and unique! I also enjoyed Adlakha's first book, She Wouldn't Change a Thing, and I'm excited to see what she writes next!

If you were able to go back in your life and relive some of it, would you change decisions that were made? Would those decisions affect things in the future, or would the outcomes still be the same?
Set in WWI in France, the story follows Marcelle, a nurse and a spy, and George, an American soldier who falls in love with Marcelle. The characters were amazing and felt real and the dual story line was interesting. I enjoyed listening to the audiobook as there were multiple narrators and each of them kept it engaging. I loved all of the historical references and that this was based upon real events. The twists and turns throughout were great too. This was a story about war, family, survival, and choices.

**I received an advanced listening copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review**

With a historical fiction market flooded with World War II stories, it was refreshing to take a step back and listen to a story set during World War I, at the close of the war. This, though, is slightly different, with a bit of alternate history ties and a just a touch of magical realism to the storytelling. Following two characters, the chapters alternate between their perspectives and will periodically flash forward to the year 1991, as the female character Marcelle reflects back on her real experiences during the war.

Admittedly, I was a little confused during the storytelling – maybe I had not fully grasped from the synopsis that this was an alternate history telling, or maybe because of listening to the book rather than physically reading it – but about halfway through the narrative, I started to grasp the storyline. There are graphic instances described in this book, so not for the faint of heart. What I appreciated the most about this was the stark look at poverty and survival in a post-war landscape. The author goes a bit more in-depth into the descriptions of this than in other fictional accounts I have read about the devastation and lack of support systems after a war.

The audio version has two voice narrators, male and female, whose readings correspond to their respective characters’ chapters. Both kept my interest and kept me listening to the story.

A good book for those who like alternate history tellings or asking “what if” questions about historical episodes.

Midnight on the Marne by Sarah Adlakha is a fascinating and unexpected tale set in France during WWI. It started off as a great historical novel, and then some of the character’s lines started to confuse me a little. I realized there was more going on than just a straightforward historical look at one of the battles in France. There was a lot of character and story development in the beginning, so by the time the twists and turns came, I was fully enthralled. Marcelle is a strong female lead who carries a large part of the story. I love the glances from the journal to her version, then to the final version. George is an honorable man, and you can’t help but root for him. I love his loyalty and his deep love for Marcelle. Philip rubbed me the wrong way at first, but eventually grew on me and surely earned his place in this story. Rosalie had a place but was pretty quiet in the background. Other key characters will have to be discovered as you read! Overall, an engaging and creative twist on a great story. The narrators, John Pirhalla and Saskia Maarleveld did a wonderful job of capturing the story and bringing it to life. Accents and cadence were delivered perfectly, in my opinion. I received a complimentary audiobook from the publisher via NetGalley and all opinions expressed are solely my own, freely given.

Midnight on the Marne
by Sarah Adlakha and audiobook Narrated by John Pirhalla; Saskia Maarleveld is a great historical fiction that takes place during WWI. I really enjoyed it.

I definitely like reading about WWI and the post-war era. I could definitely read so many more books that incorporate either of these timeframes.

I liked that this book had plenty of historical details and facts added into the narrative to give reference. I also liked the twists, turns, and surprises.

The audiobook was narrated well. The pacing and plot were appropriate and it all wrapped up nicely. I would definitely read more from this author in the future.

4/5 stars

Thank you NG and Macmillan Audio for this wonderful arc and in return I am submitting my unbiased and voluntary review and opinion.

I am posting this review to my GR and Bookbub accounts immediately and will post it to my Amazon, Instagram, and B&N accounts upon publication on 8/7/22.

https://www.instagram.com/p/ChCTeB-Awwo/?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4830510605

https://www.bookbub.com/reviews/4095092312?source=link_share

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/midnight-on-the-marne-sarah-adlakha/1139985361?ean=9781250774590&bvnotificationId=3eb05c40-17dd-11ed-9742-0a26cf6d9fad&bvmessageType=REVIEW_APPROVED&bvrecipientDomain=hotmail.com#review/215090234

https://www.amazon.com/review/R1YPAAELPLQZUE/ref=pe_1098610_137716200_cm_rv_eml_rv0_rv

This book takes place in France during WWI. George rescues Marcel and her sister Rosalie from a German prisoner of war camp. They all work for the resistance and are trying to escape France for their safety. Things don’t go quite as planned and suddenly life takes a different path.

I listened to the audiobook which had great narration! The writing was wonderful and at times pretty graphic about the atrocities of war. I loved the characters and how perfectly matched George and Marcel were. I didn’t really like the way the book ended, but was glad it ended with everyone happy.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillian Audio for the Audiobook in exchange for my honest review!

World War 1 books are on of my favorite historical fiction time periods. This book combines World War 1 as well as alternative history, which is another favorite. So I was excited to read this one.
This did not disappoint! Adlakha did an excellent job of creating an alternate World War 1. We feel the ravages of war straining this family. Yet in the back of our heads we know that there is still some other option out there. So as we fall in love with the people in this little family, we are wondering what if it happens another way.
I listened to this on audiobook and it really enhanced the reading experience. The narrators were excellent in differentiating the different people. Even though we hear from different people, I always knew who was talking. I could even tell when George was speaking English or French! Listening to it on audiobook really immersed me in that world.
Thank you to #NetGalley and MacMillan Audio for the chance to listen to #MidnightontheMarne

Midnight on the Marne
By: Sarah Adlakha
Narrated By: John Pirhalla & Saskia Maarleveld
Review Score: 3 1/2 Stars

Five Key Feels

-This is a really powerful book that has an alternative universe element as well.

-I enjoyed the dual narration, it added so much to the story.

-Adlakha did such a good job of weaving real history into this story.

-George’s entire character arc is so well written.

-I found this book hard to follow at times, especially the jumps between the present and the past.

——

Midnight on the Marne was kindly provided as an ARC by Netgalley and Macmillan Audio. Thank you for allowing me to read this wonderful book!

Release Date: 8/9/22

Midnight on the Marne is a powerful story about World War One. It follows a series of characters, and provides an alternate history to what would have happened if the Soviet Union overtook France.

This book was intense, thought provoking, and heartbreaking. There was so much going on that it was a little hard to follow at times. I enjoyed George as a character the most, in all the stories he tells.

I really enjoyed Midnight on the Marne as an audiobook. The different narrators really added to the characters they voiced. I liked this book, and do think lovers of historical fiction would enjoy this book!


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