This is a very interesting and unique story that takes you on not one but two journeys, two scenarios. It is thrilling, I like the war aspect and setting and I love the characters. I like the story of these two peoples lives and how they panned out and I never felt confused by the double stories.

A great read overall and one I enjoyed. The writing was well done and the characters were very interesting.

Thank you NetGalley and Faber and Faber Ltd for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book.

This was an interesting concept for a story about the two paths that life could take a person. The journey of max as both a jew in hitler's Berlin or a member of the Hitler Youth is mapped. Of course the parallel lives couldn't happen in reality but it is an interesting thought expeiment. I found the intermingling of the two lives a little far fetched but overall this is a good read

Such an interesting premise. When young Max has his house burnt down in Vienna in 1933, his life splits in two. Max saves his parents and life continues as a Jewish family as Austria slides over to the fascists. On the same night his alter ego loses his parents and is adopted by an aryan family and becomes Hans. They remain connected by the dreams of each other and the girl they fell in love with before the split. How their lives diverge as one joins the Resistance and one rises in the Nazi SS, and converge again in Paris with Sophie provides some fabulous twists and turns. Their fate lies with each other even in alternate realities. Really well written, keeps you guessing until the end.

Due to health issues cannot write a proper review now even if I enjoyed this book. as it's well plotted, heartbreaking and thought provoking story. I liked the good storytelling.
A more extensive review will follow
Recommended.Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine

A gripping sliding doors love story with rich, well developed characters. Told in parallel timelines the main character is Sophie Strom, a talented pianist. In the first timeline Sophie becomes a pivotal figure in the life of Max, a 13 year old Jewish boy, who is left with severe burns following a fire at his father's musical instrument shop. His alter ego, Hans, is adopted by a German couple and he is encouraged to join the Hitler Youth. Without overdoing the historical element the book takes us through what life was like in pre war Austria, the rise of Nazism and the lead up to the Holocaust. It is very moving and for readers who enjoy historical fiction, this is one not to miss. Thanks to NetGalley and Faber & Faber for the opportunity to read and review The Two Loves of Sophie Strom.

This was such an interesting set up and really kept my mind engaged throughout. Once I had grasped the narrative drive , I was hooked.

I was immediately hooked by the book's intriguing premise, as well as its fascinating historical context. Though a little confusing at times, this was an exciting and inventive read filled with rich characters. Hard-hitting, too, deftly examining some of the darkest moments of our history with real heart and hope.

A really great and thought provoking premise. Sliding doors stories are always compelling but this one had added heft because of the subject matter, raising questions about morality and evil. Excellent.

This book opens in a pre world war II Austria. A Jewish boy's life is turned upside down by a house fire that he sees in what appears to be a prophetic dream. His life moves on as both the only survivor of that fire AND as the son of a family saved by that dream.

it is a really fast paced book that features the same characters in the lives of Max and Hans the alter egos of our MC One a Jew the other embedded in an Aryan family. There were times when i struggled with which persona was the original and which the dream - in fact I would swear that it altered through the narrative. However this book portrayed the years of WWII in an inventive and unique way.

i was fascinated by the way the plot unravelled. Sophie, our titular character falls for both the personnae and her life is ultimately saved by the connection between the two. I could argue that really sophie is not the MC and the title might be better focused on Max / Hans but this is jusut a personal niggle. For me a 3.5 star book but i will round it up to 4

This is going to be one of my top reads for 2024, I can feel it. What a phenomenal story, with rich characters who capture the essence of humanity in the cruelest of situations. The dual voices following the ‘sliding doors’ moment leave one feeling a range of emotions, from fear, to dread, to hope…all why wanting justice in the one of the darkest periods in modern history. As ever, I cannot begin to imagine the risks that resistance members took to save the lives of people but I like to imagine that they inspired even some of their enemies to think about their impact on mankind. I was so engrossed that I truly forgot it began as a love story. Give it a read if you can!

Beth Eyre and Jot Davies deliver exceptional performances, skillfully navigating the complex and challenging subjects with integrity and empathy. Their narration enhances the depth and emotional impact of the story.

Set in 1933, the novel opens with a house fire that changes the life of 13-year-old Max, a Jewish boy in Austria. The fire destroys his father's musical instrument shop and leaves Max with severe burns, leading to relentless bullying. The story unfolds across two parallel timelines. In one, Max is left scarred and isolated, while in the other, he is adopted by the German Schattens, who rename him Hans and force him to conceal his past. As Hans, he joins the Hitler Youth and later the SS.

Both timelines intersect through Sophie Strom, a gifted and fearless piano player who endures bullying herself. She becomes a pivotal figure in Max's (Hans’s) life, and his dreams connect him with her.

The novel provides an intricate portrayal of life in 1930s Europe, WWII, and the Holocaust, vividly depicting both sides of the conflict. Taylor’s research is thorough, and the supporting characters, from the compassionate Jentz to the despicable Karl and Bauer, add layers to the narrative. The brief yet impactful presence of the French teacher offers memorable insights.

Wow what a story! I loved this sliding doors story Set during WW2. The characters were beautifully written and could really get a true sense of what they were feeling. This book was full of hope, love and desperation a story of survival in a world at war. Would 100% recommend.

I would have preferred this as a straight story. I have no for sometime that I don’t particularly like dual time line stories, but apparently I don’t get on with parallel time lines either! I found myself uncomfortable with the subject matter despite it being well written with good characters. Many thanks to NetGalley for an arc of this book.

A fantastic book. There is a sliding doors theme of this book of historical fiction set in Europe from the 1930s, which drew me in from the first page. The story’s of Max and Hans alternate each chapter. The two characters are connected. The story illustrates how each choice we make can be life altering. Thanks to NetGalley, author and publisher for an advanced copy.

So very clever, a little different from the Sliding Doors premise that other stories replicate.

13 old Max is an Austrian Jew, and in 1933 his whole life splits apart - into two.

Through two different narratives we follow Max and the characters he meets, in two different lives and with two different sets of consequences (Sophie is a key anchor connecting the threads of the two stories). Gradually each version of Max works out that when they dream they flit into the other Max, and learn from this changing their ongoing story.

I found this concept fascinating, did lose the plot a little at the beginning of who was who, but I quickly decided that didn't matter at all, and it all started to fit together neatly. Highly recommended.

I love alternative history novels, and was looking forward to this one. It had a great premise. I found the delivery a little confusing at times but it was a poignant story, with vivid characters and strong emotions. It could have done with more editing to make it cleaner - the first and last thirds of the book were great. Perfect for fans of All the light we cannot see.

I received an advanced reading copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to NetGalley, Faber and Faber, and the author Sam Taylor.
An interesting and original premise, but I found this quite a frustrating experience. The plot often didn't quite line up and the writing, at times, was painfully facile. Once I started I actually double checked that it wasn't a YA novel.
I'm a big fan of WW2 fiction but I think the romantic focus of this story meant that I'm not quite the right audience for this one.

A romantic fantasy set in 1930s and 1940s Germany which tells the story of Max, whose life split in two after a traumatic house fire when he is a young boy. In one life, his parents die, he is injured and later adopted by an Aryan family. In the other, his parents live and he grows up as a Jew in Nazi Germany. In both lives he meets and falls in love with Sophie Strom. The concept is original and different but doesn’t detract from the tender and thought provoking story at the heart of it.

2,5 stars

I can't really put my finger on it but something really rubbed me the wrong way about "The Two Loves of Sophie Strom". I think I might habe enjoyed it a lot more if the two lives of the protagonist hadn't been aware of each other.

An intriguing parallel-lives tale, with graphic constructs of how nature/nurture/environment affects outcomes, plays out beautifully in this novel. Initially, I wondered if the author was portraying shadow selves - the unconscious element of personality in conflict with the part the ego does not want to acknowledge.
The common bond of these two selves is in their love for Sophie – and hers for them, despite the direction Hans takes. The interconnectedness and emotiveness of the two men is fascinating.
I really enjoyed the beginning and the final third of the book but feel the middle could have been given better pace, but would highly recommend it.
I received and enjoyed an ARC courtesy of Faber and Faber and Netgalley.