Out of Splinters and Ashes

Out of Splinters and Ashes is a well written romance. I definitely enjoyed the plot and characters as well as the author’s writing. I highly recommend this book.

This mesmerizing period piece is perfect for historical fiction fans, romance fans, WWII aficionados and anyone who enjoys a tangled mystery and that describes me to a T. I liked everything about this book, including this author’s writing style because much of the story is revealed through innuendo while both of Cate’s grandparents meet her questions with cryptic comments and odd behavior that I found just as confusing and infuriating as she did. As Cate struggles to understand the combative relationship between her grandparents she has to deal with the continuous intrusion of an inquisitive German stranger and a fiancé who is obsessed with appearances. This multi-generational family drama engaged my imagination as well as my emotions and I highly recommend it. I read a complimentary copy of this book provided by NetGalley and all opinions expressed in my voluntary review are completely my own.

This book wasn't what i expected it to be . First few chapters were boring but Historical Fiction is my favorite genre so it kept reading .

Catherine and Dietrich unravels the history of their grandparents . Cate's grandpa and Dietrich's oma/grandma had a secret . They never told what happened between them in August 1936 , Berlin . But past never stays in the past everything starts reveling . The story was a bit boring in the starting but it's a good read .

This book had a lot of promise. a lost romance, political intrigue, a mystery to uncover and the discovery of love in the next generation. Unfortunately, for me at least, it didn't quite live up to this promise.
Although the storyline was interesting it got lost somewhere in the pages and the plot seemed to swirl around lacking any real cohesion. Although everything was revealed at the end, I spent much of the book scratching my head and struggling to keep a grasp on the characters or what was happening.
The other problem with this book was that I didn't really care about any of the characters. The original love story between the runner and the writer that forms the basis for the whole story didn't really shine through and I couldn't become emotionally invested in it. In the modern day storyline, I couldn't make myself feel much sympathy for either the Grandmother and Grandfather or Cate and Dietrich. I don't know if it was me, but ultimately the book just didn't come together and drag me in.
It wasn't an awful read, but I went in expecting much more than it ultimately delivered and I was left feeling a little flat. This one just wasn't for me.
I received a complimentary copy of this book through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Out of Splinters and Ashes was an interesting book. There was a lot of innuendo in the book...you are left hanging with a few clues dropped here and there throughout. This is based on WWII and the present day with a lost love and political mystery. It was a struggle to try to figure out what was going on and how the story was going to be resolved.

I was hoping to enjoy the book more than I did. It was just a little abstract and difficult to follow the characters and where things were going.

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.