I love M.J.’s books but this one wasn’t my favorite. I couldn’t get into the story for whatever reason. As always though, her writing was superb.

I absolutely adored "The Jeweler of Stolen Dreams" by M.J. Rose. From the moment I picked it up, I was transported to the enchanting streets of Paris. The author's vivid descriptions brought the city to life, making me feel like I was right there alongside the characters. The story itself is a perfect blend of mystery, romance, and intrigue, keeping me guessing until the very end. The characters are well-developed and complex, each with their own motivations and secrets. I found myself deeply invested in their journey and rooting for them every step of the way. Overall, "The Jeweler of Stolen Dreams" is a captivating read that I highly recommend to anyone looking for a thrilling and immersive escape.

Disclaimer: I received a digital advanced reader copy from the publisher via Netgalley. All opinions are my own.

Clever little book but not for me. I can definitely see many loving this but it was different than I expected. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher!

This was one that kept me guessing!
I had never read anything by the author or anything similar to this book. I liked it, but it would not be a reread for me.

The Jeweler of Stolen Dreams is the fourth novel in the Daughters of La Lune series. Violine Opaline is psychometric. She can learn stories of the past by touching jewels. A senator named Paul Osgood hires Violine to examine the contents of a trunk that he inherited from his aunt. As Violine explores the hidden contents of the trunk, she comes across the story of Suzanne Belperron, a famous jeweler who fought in the French Resistance. Violine not only discovers Suzanne’s story but also the secrets of Paul Osgood’s past.

I really love Violine. She was a woman who was always afraid of her power. As the novel progresses, she no longer becomes afraid and is willing to use her own powers. She is also very guarded and is afraid to trust love again. Therefore, I found her to be a very interesting protagonist. I rooted for her to find her happy ending.

As for Suzanne, her story did not appeal to me. I did admire her talent. However, she did not seem to play a major role in her own story. Instead, it seems more like she is overshadowed by her friend, Dixie. Dixie seems to be a more interesting character, and has more involvement with the French Resistance. Thus, Suzanne does not do much in her story. Thus, I think the story of WWII should have been narrated by Dixie instead of Suzanne.

Overall, this novel is about secrets, family, and friendship. I really liked all of the characters. They were all very interesting. It was also great to revisit the La Lune family again. I did think that this was the weakest of the Daughters of the La Lune series. There was less romance than the other novels. Nevertheless, it was still an enjoyable and fast-paced read. It was filled with mystery, paranormal, and action. The Jeweler of Stolen Dreams was very atmospheric and well-written. While it was not as spellbinding as the other novels in the series, it was still engaging enough for me to read in one sitting. I hope that there will be more novels in the series because I love the La Lune family! I recommend this for fans of The World that We Knew, The Alice Network, and Chateaux of Secrets!

Wow! I really loved this book. From the beginning the story setup held my imagination. The writing is very brilliant. In the story each characters shared their journey through the years. The story is a page turner and a great read.
I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.

I received an ARC through Netgalley, for an honest review.

This is something different from my day-to-day reading and I enjoyed it. I liked how the historical facts intertwined with the fiction of this story. My favorite part was the paranormal of this story. Violine's gift to see the truth behind objects, their history, and what happened to the people who possessed them, it's not an easy gift.

Suzanne Belperron's story is exquisite, and there's clearly really detailed research. This woman was a survivor and she fought with every fiber in her. I like how these two timelines are presented, and also you can see the differences between these two periods.

Great mystery throughout the plot, a secret society, a paranormal gift, the '80s vs WW2, amazing background research, love, and great characters.

Valuable jewelry discovered in a false bottomed trunk ✔️
Flashbacks to WWII✔️
Set in the 1980s✔️
Heroine has affinity with objects to share their stories ✔️
Fast paced plot ✔️
Mystery and intrigue✔️
A book worth reading

The Jeweler of Stolen Dreams is a compelling fictional historical mystery/romance by M. J. Rose. Released 7th Feb 2023, it's 280 pages and is available in hardcover, paperback, audio, and ebook formats. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links and references throughout. I've really become enamored of ebooks with interactive formats lately.

The story is written in a dual alternating timeline around two women, one secretly engaged in the French resistance during WW2 and the other, an appraiser of antiques who also has psychometric talents. She can sense an object's past by touching it.

The author uses a first person point of view for Violine's experiences in the modern day, alternated with Suzanne's diary entries from the past. The voices are distinct enough that it's never confusing to keep them straight. The light paranormal element ties into a thriller/shadow organization plotline which is compelling and has thriller overtones.

There are ties to some of the author's other books/series, with similar world building and paranormal elements, but this is a standalone and won't suffer in any way by being read by itself without previous familiarity.

Four stars. This is a well written and immersive story with an appealing protagonist and fascinating framework taken from actual history.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.

3,5 stars

The book follows two storylines: one in 1986 and the second in 1942 in occupied France. Suzanne Belperron was a jewelry designer in Paris during WWII. Violine Duplessi works for an auction house and has a job to appraise an old trunk, which has some secrets. Suzanne and Violine’s lives are intertwined when Violine tries to solve the mystery regarding the old trunk.

I hadn’t realized this was part of a Daughters of La Lune series before I started reading, But I love the series, so that was a good thing. I loved both timelines but didn’t really care for the romance in the 80s timeline. I would have wanted to learn more about Violine’s gift and what she could learn about objects with it. In Violine’s family, the women have some kind of gift, and in Violine’s case, it’s understanding the secrets of the object’s owner.

Having a story set in Peris is always going to be a plus for me. Add in that this story had real people in it and that makes it 10 times more interesting for me. Love that the story had multiple POVs. With the story having themes of magic, mystery, and romance it was right up my alley. I enjoyed reading the author's note at the end to!

I liked the premise of this story quite a bit. I also liked the modern and historical stories and the way they tie together. Some of the modern conflict was difficult to believe. I feel like I should have liked this one more. For some reason, this just fell flat for me. I couldn't really make a connection to it. I wanted something more and it didn't quite deliver.
I appreciate netgalley for letting have the ARC for this story.

I was really excited to read this book but it just didn’t grab me. I kept trying, but it just took too long to develop and I lost interest.

"A captivating tale of two passionate women separated by decades but united by a shared vision. One, the famous jeweler Suzanne Belperron, fighting to protect her company and rescue the man she loves. The other, a young auctioneer whose exceptional gifts reveal a secret that endangers her very life."

“Only one thing saves you, and that is not losing sight of beauty.”

"Paris, 1942. Suzanne Belperron is known as one of the most innovative jewelers of her time. Elsa Schiaparelli and the Duchess of Windsor are just two of her many illustrious clients. What no one knows is that Suzanne and her dear friend, American socialite Dixie Osgood, have been helping transport hundreds of Jewish families out of France since the war began. But now, the war has come to Suzanne’s front door—the Nazis have arrested her business partner and longtime lover, Bernard Herz"

"New York, 1986. Violine Duplessi, an appraiser for a boutique auction house, is summoned to visit the home of Paul Osgood, a scholarly lawyer and political candidate who aspires to take over the Senate seat of his recently deceased father. Paul has inherited everything inside Osgood Manor, from the eighteenth-century furniture to the nineteenth-century Limoges china. But a vintage Louis Vuitton trunk is what calls to Violine, with the surprising but undeniable thrum of energy that can only be one thing: the gift passed down to her by La Lune, the sixteenth-century courtesan"

"Since childhood, Violine has been able to read an object’s history and learn the secrets of its owners by merely touching it, but she silenced her psychometry when it destroyed her last relationship. Why has it returned now?"
Overall stars - 4
Writing Quality - 9 /10
Image / Illustration Quality - 9/10
Character Development - 10 /10
"Couldn't Put It Down"-ness - 9 /10
Intellectual Depth - 8 /10
Originality - 9/10

Entertaining historical fiction. However, having read so many good reviews I expected more from this book.
There was a je ne sai quoi that made me delay reading the book and kept me postponing reading it.

Thank you NetGalley and AuthorBuzz, Blue Box Press for accepting my request to read and review The Jeweler of Stolen Dreams.

Published: 02/07/23

Mixed feelings on this one. I was enticed by the premise. As the story unfolded, my imagination got the better of me. I was torn between finishing the book and not knowing how it ended. I chose to finish. However, this changed me: the cruelty in life, and being drawn for many years to World War II nonfiction, memoirs. biographies, psychology, and fiction put my senses on high alert.

The synopsis tells you what you need to know. I'm not repeating it.

I will say, I didn't like the love story. I thought the writing was middle grade to possibly young adult, however, the subject matter was too much for middle grade. The Author's Note is helpful and was welcomed. (Not always, sometimes I feel this space is used to fix what should have been written in the story.)

The time period, the jewelry in conjunction with stolen dreams, and events led me down a rabbit hole I would have never entered voluntarily in a fictionalized story. I'm going with three stars, I was so distracted differentiating between what I was reading, where the story went, and where it was going and all that simultaneously restricted my thought processes.

This is a different type of story than I usually read but I found it so interesting.
Listened to this on audio and the narration was fantastic. It had to be challenging given all of the French names and places but the narrators nailed it. The story rotates between the past and present of two women whose stories are interwoven. Once I got through the first few chapters, it was easier to understand what was happening.
This is a historical story about a jeweler during WWII. The story itself is fictional, however most of the details about the jeweler herself are real. There is romance, suspense and mystery which really kept me involved in the story.
It also really reminds you of the atrocities that occurred at the hands of Hitler and the Nazis and how we must make sure nothing like that ever happens again. My heart really broke for everything the people had to endure. But Suzanne Belperron is an inspiration and I am happy to have learned about her bravery and talent.

This book is full of fascinating character development, intricate plot twists ,and a deep exploration of the world of precious gems and jewelry. The author’s vivid descriptions and attention to detail create a truly immersive reading experience.
Many thanks to AuthorBuzz and to NetGalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest feedback.

If writing is an art than in my opinion M. J. Rose is one of the worlds most talented artists.

Since 2017 I have been waiting for this next installment in the Daughters of La Lune series. This book did not disappoint. I simultaneously wanted to race through the story and sit a savor it. Rose infuses her writing with such beauty that it is nothing less than breathtaking. She doesn't just give readers a story, she invites readers to embrace an experience.
In this book we follow the intertwined story of jewelry designer Suzanne Belperron and appraiser Violine Duplessi. When WWII arrived on their doorstep, Suzanne and her influential friends sided with the Resistance. They utilized every weapon in their arsenal to assist Jewish families fleeing the Nazis. As a jewelry designer Suzanne had some very inventive ways of subverting the Nazis. Violine was a member of a secret society that had sworn to repatriate any and all items that they came across as being stolen. As a descendant of La Lune Violine had the ability to sense the history of objects she touched. One seemingly insignificant appraisal assignment brought Suzanne's story to Violine's doorstep and threatened her very life.
Both women were passionate with the ability to love deeply. Both were courageous and utilized their gifts to help others. Both had secrets that were best left undiscovered.

I received a copy of this title via NetGalley and the publisher Blue Box Press.

I loved this story of strong female women dealing with the pains of our history. The dual timelines really brought this story to life. I’m new to MJ Rose but I’m definitely a fan!

I received an advance copy. All thoughts are my own.