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This will be my placeholder for the time being and will change should I decided to buy the audiobook soon. Thank you for understanding!

I received an arc of this title from NetGalley for an honest review. I could not get into this audiobook as it did not hold my attention for any length of time.

Though flashbacks and multiple perspectives, Lees weaves a story of the women in the Resistance networks through WWII occupied France, the missions they complete, the people they save, and the men that underestimate them. While knowing there's a mole and traitor among their ranks, the Resistance factions of Lyon and a few outside cities attempt to free a captive who is integral to making sure a mission to stop the German occupation can be successful.

While the story pulls a reader into a war time love story, the intensity of the missions, how they carry out, the danger and secrecy is palpable. While there were some places I felt the story dragged, I was not ready for the way the story ended.

#arc #netgalley
#thesilencebeforedawn

I really enjoyed listening to this book. I loved that there were so many strong female characters, and for the most part they had bigger roles in the book than the male characters.
The narration was good as a narrator I don’t like can really put me off.

Wow, this is a superb historical fiction book, set in France in 1944, during World War 2. I absolutely loved it, and I really enjoyed it.

Marianne is part of the resistance, and as a secret agent, we are taken on an adventure with her as she goes against Hitler's men, with the help of some friends. We are shown her falling in love with her fiance Jack, and them having to separate, as they both play important roles in the war. Later in the story, Marianne can't trust Jack, as she thinks he is working for the other side, but is he, or is he still on her side? Will brave and strong Marianne be able to survive and fulfil her role?

This story is really fascinating, inspiring, heartbreaking and shocking, and it really kept me engrossed as I listened to the wonderful audiobook narrator telling the story.

I look forward eagerly to the 2nd book in this series, which comes out on the 23rd of November 2022.

I highly recommend this book, it is really amazing!

Many thanks to the author, narrator, publisher and NetGalley for a copy of this book.

Love, love, love this audiobook! It kept me entertained on many a housework chore. It’s exciting, has great characters and held my attention. I’m looking forward to the next part!
My thanks to NetGalley and Bookoutre Audio for granting me a copy in exchange for my honest review.

The Silence Before Dawn by Amanda Lees Narrated by: Sofia Zervudachi was set in WW2 and is the first book in the new Resistance Series and what a brilliant start to this promising series. I loved it I was gripped from the beginning till the end. It was a lovely read/audiobook and all the characters were brilliant. I am looking forward to the second book within this series.

The narrator was excellent.

Big Thank you to Netgalley and Bookouture publisher for providing me with an audiobook ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed listening to this audiobook which, although a work of fiction, is based on the true stories of women secret agents during World War II.

As you can imagine, there is an abundance of tension as the Resistance and SOE (Special Operations Executive) undertake their dangerous missions with the ever present threat of being discovered by the Gestapo.

The main character of Marianne is excellent and such a strong character as, in fact, are the rest of the cast. What I particularly liked is that the central focus is on the female protagonists and it depicted their bravery, commitment and sense of duty excellently.

The story, as you can imagine given the subject matter, is intense but riveting and compelling and I cannot praise the narrator enough - what an excellent job Sofia Zervudachi has done; there are quite a lot of characters, both male and female, and she made each one unique.

This is the first in a series and I very much look forward to finding out what happens next and I must give my thanks to Bookouture Audio and NetGalley for enabling me to listen to and share my thoughts of The Silence Before Dawn.

The book is strong in female characters that organize and lead the resistance in WWII. The heroine suffered during the book but was very strong in her will to succeed. It was a refreshing audiobook on a female perspective leader. I had moments of heart wrenching worry over her fate and fate of her loved ones. I enjoyed the narrator as she had beautiful elocution, bringing to life the voices of the characters. The book kept me on edge, waiting to listen to next segment. Very well done.

I enjoyed this book. It is well written with evocative and descriptive narrative. There are numerous twists, turns, surprises and shocks, keeping the reader in suspense all the way through, never guessing the outcome or the identity of the traitor. It's a great book for anyone who is interested in this genre and period of history. However you have to be able to overlook some rather unlikely scenarios and aspects of the story. Particularly the highly unlikely scenario of the French Maquis taking orders from a very young English girl who is barely out of school. It is well documented that many members of the Maquis were petty criminals or sometimes even hardened criminals. It simply isn't believable that such men would serve and obey Marianne. Likewise, it's just not believable that Klaus Barbie and his fellow Nazis were so incompetent. The Nazis efficiency and attention to detail is well documented through this period of history. I would've liked to know more about the traitor's motivation but I appreciate this is the first book in a series, so perhaps this aspect will be covered in future books. All in all a good book. My thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the advance copy in exchange for my honest unbiased review.

This genre of novel is one of my favourite and I have read MANY over the years. This is a detailed and well plotted story based on the French resistance during WW2. As is my custom, I will not be describing the storyline here as I believe that the blurb writers do a better job without giving away crucial parts of the plot.
There seems to be a trend at the moment to showcase strong female leads in fiction and film, Of course we applaud such action and can enjoy the novel approach for entertainments sake. However, this book is not realistic and goes too far with some of the ways the women manage to manipulate, At times this becomes a little irritating but nether less, it is a good story, well read and I look forward to the fun of reading/listening to the next instalment!

I had read the book and had really enjoyed it.
However, as an audiobook, I felt differently. The narrator was for me not convincing: the tone she used was in a way too languorous which did not fit with the story. I could not feel the tension in the same as in the book.
I received a complimentary ARC from NetGalley and I am leaving voluntarily an honest review.

Thank you to the publishers, author and NetGalley for the free copy of this audio book.

Lots of action and history, which in my opinion is a great combination! Very interesting story, and the narrator was great.

Thank you NetGalley and Bookouture Audio for accepting my request to audibly read and review The Silence Before Dawn.

Author: Amanda Lees
Published: 09/13/22
Narrator: Sofia Zervudachi
Genre: Historical Fiction

Narrator Sofia Zervudachi did a nice job. This book required a host of emotions. Her voice is soft and calming in dangerous situations, and confidently stern when necessary. She also did quite well showing compassion.

The story itself is long and boredom set in repeatedly. With the respect to the time period and subject matter I tried to stay focused. There is a lot of planning that goes into the missions. There are detailed conversations necessary to move forward. However, I didn't find the story to be plausible. While this is a fictitious tale, I needed it to make sense.

I do understand that sex is powerful. I also know that the Germans didn't have reasonable standards and people were disposable. The women in this book were far more aggressive and successful in situations that weren't explained.

Sadly, this is a 2 star read for me. It appears this will be a series, and it stops here for me.

Nazi occupied France 1944
Marianne is the leader of a network of French Resistance fighters, most of them men. She is young, and female, but she is good at what she does & the men trust her. However, when their safe-house is compromised, it becomes apparent that there is a “mole” in their midst. As more betrayals follow, they link up with another Resistance group led by Juliette.
Can the women, and their networks, rescue some of their colleagues from Nazi imprisonment & also discover who the traitor is before too many more secrets are passed on and more lives are in danger? Marianne is heard to say “trust no one”, but when evidence points to Marianne's fiancée being the traitor, will she follow her head or her heart? Can she discover the truth?
There were possibly just a few too many characters to fully keep track of, but they were generally believable. I really liked that the story was complex with many unexpected twists. There were perhaps a few too many dramatic moments for it to remain entirely believable, but it was well paced, had plenty of tension and is most definitely not a cliched love story!

I like books that subtly educate me, particularly around history. I had no idea about the Traboules – the secret passages in Lyon – and had not heard of Klaus Barbie who was nicknamed “the butcher of Lyon”. Similarly I was not aware of “la Milice”, the French militia, or of two SOE (Special Operations Executive) operations: Operation Dragoon and Operation Jedburgh. I think I might have got a deeper understanding/appreciation for the story if I had been aware of some of these facts before reading the book, but you can definitely read this book without any prior knowledge!

The book does feel slightly unfinished, and I am left with unanswered questions, but as the first in a series I expect that some will be answered in the next instalment. I will be interested to see what happens next for Marianne, Juliette, Suzanne, Jack & the resistance fighters.
If you enjoy fast paced historical fiction and/or World War II French Resistance stories, I would definitely recommend this book.

For months Marianne’s resistance group has been working in Nazi occupied France in 1944, when suddenly they are attacked. Who could have been the traitor? How did the German soldiers find them? All evidence leads to Marianne’s fiance. Unable to believe it, Marrianne, and her friends set out to prove his evidence. Based on a true story, this book reads with reality and is great.

I would recommend it to all WWII lovers. The narrator, Sofia Zeruvdachi is great. .
This novel taught me a lot about the Resistance movement with a strong woman protangonist.

Thank you to Netgalley and fHatchelle U.k Publishing for providing me with an audiobook ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The Traitor

The time is 1943 somewhere in the south of France. A resistance group is working to free France from the Nazi's. When a traitor informs on them they are surprised by the Nazi's in a farmhouse where no one but those in the group knew they were meeting. This means someone within the resistance group is a mole. When the evidence points to Marianne's fiancée she is heartbroken.

Three of them are taken by the Nazi's and set to go before the Butcher of Lyon the most famous and cruel Nazi. Now a group of resistance fighters ran by women resistance must somehow rescue them from the Nazi's before more details of the resistance are given to the Nazi's and more lives are in danger.

Marianne truly wants to believe her fiancée Jack is not the traitor even if the evidence proves otherwise. In trying to free them she puts her life on the line and herself in great danger as well as others.

This is a story of brave women that gave all to save their country from the Nazi's. They did not give up, they were fearless and fierce. They undertook dangerous missions right under the noses of the Nazi's. They were caught, tortured and some murdered by the Nazi's as they tried to save their country. These women suffered both mental and physical torture and sometimes they even found that friends, family and fellow resistance would betray them for money and power. It was a sad state when you could trust no one and everyone was suspect

I loved the characters and the setting. The narrator was good and the accent was perfect for the story. It was filled with suspense and a bit of mystery. I listened to the audio book while doing my evening walk. I became engrossed in the book and walked a lot longer than usual. I need to listen to more like this.

The novels such as this about the resistance and the brave men and women that fought this battle in the midst of the Nazi's are inspirational and shout of courage and determination.

This was a good book and I enjoyed listening to the audio book. I would recommend it .

Thanks to Amanda Lees for writing a great story, to Sofia Zervudachi for the wonderful narration, to Bookouture Audio for publishing it and to NetGalley for providing me with a copy to listen to and review.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for the opportunity to listen to this audio book in return for an honest review.

Synopsis
Nazi-occupied France, 1944: I tear open the envelope, extracting a sheet of folded paper. I read it, my heart cracking with every word. There is no mistaking the name of the man who betrayed us. Jack. My beloved fiancé – and now, a traitor.

For months, Marianne’s resistance network has carried out courageous missions from a remote farmhouse in southern Provence, aiding the Nazis’ downfall. But one fateful night, they are viciously ambushed as German soldiers storm in, scattering, capturing or killing every last person there.

Mourning the loss of her friends, Marianne will need every ounce of courage to survive. Not only has her life as a secret agent been critically compromised, but her heart has been shattered. Because Jack, her darling fiancé and fellow spy, fled in the chaos – and is accused of being the traitor who betrayed them.

Desperate to believe Jack’s innocence and that their love was true, to her horror Marianne discovers he has been seized by the Butcher of Lyon, a Nazi more brutal and ruthless than any other. Now it is more imperative than ever that Marianne finds Jack – before he reveals the names of every undercover agent in France, or before he is murdered for remaining loyal.

So Marianne sets out on the most dangerous mission of her life, and the most personal. With her tight-knit group of fellow women agents by her side, she risks everything to rescue Jack. Can she save her fiancé before it’s too late – and change the fate of the war in the process? Or is she blind to the heart-breaking truth, and simply sacrificing her own life?

Based on true stories of the fearless women secret agents – and their tales of bravery, betrayal and love – this is the first book in the heart-pounding, heart-wrenching and totally addictive WW2 Resistance series. Perfect for readers of The Nightingale, All the Light We Cannot See and Ellie Midwood.

I haven’t read many historic wwII based fiction books. So I’m purely going off of my own opinion but I found a lot of the plot a little hard to believe. It was really heavy on the romance, which was lovely but wasn’t really what I expected. That said the style of writing is lovely, even if I struggled to connect with the characters a bit. The narration was superb.

The Silence Before Dawn (WW2 Resistance Series #1)
Amanda Lees
This series is based on actual events.
The year was 1944, the location Nazi occupied France.
This is the story of Marianne; she lived on a farm in the French Providence and was one of the leaders of the French Resistance fighters. One night Marianne’s network was attacked; many were taken captive, and many were killed. There was a traitor in their midst. An envelope was placed in Marianne’s hand inside was a folded piece of paper with the name of the traitor. Marianne was heartbroken for the name on the paper was Jack, her fiancé. Could the paper be a fake? She can’t believe Jack would betray her, their people and their cause. Jack was taken captive by Lyon-Nazi Klaus Barbie. She was desperate to rescue him for he would be tortured. Marianne’s network was determined to stop the Butcher of Lyon.
Women played an important role in WWII. The Germans rarely suspected they were being played by a woman. The women made very good spies; they gathered information by whatever means.
I often wonder if people today, whether male or female would have the fortitude to resist Hitler. Would we sit back and just let it happen. Frankly, I believe we would just give up. Oh, I’m sure there are some seasoned/mature citizens that would fight to the death but I’m not sure that would be enough. We have become a spoiled people. We prefer to be fed by the government. We prefer to sit on our laurels with our hand stuck out waiting for a handout. The resistance movement of WWII were real men and real women. They were willing to give their lives. I admire the people that assisted in bringing down Hitler and his minions.

Marianne is a spy and works for the resistance. In fact, she is one of two women running their own groups in this story which was a unique aspect of this genre that I really enjoyed.

Marianne receives a note that points to her fiance as a traitor. There had been evidence of a traitor for sometime and now, everything she thought she new and believed is up in the air as the resistance fights back against the Germans.

There are several very strong female characters in this book which was so much fun to read about. I love how the author incorporated this part of history into her story and I cannot wait to see where the rest of the series goes. I was stunned by the traitor and truly did not see that part of the story coming.

Sofia Zervudachi did a phenomenal job narrating this book. Her voice and ability to change for the characters and through her voice give weight to what was happening was so very well done. I will definitely be looking for other books done by her.

I received an audio copy of this book from Bookouture Audio voluntarily. All views are my honest opinion.