The Hidden Palace: the most spellbinding escapist historical novel of WW2 Malta from the No. 1 Sunday Times bestseller (The Daughters of War, Book 2)

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I felt the problems in the book could have been solved with better editing as there were so many soft edges, like the people trafficking, which could have a much more exciting storyline instead of a damp squib. A tender, moving and at times heartbreaking story”― SINEAD MORIARTY --This text refers to an alternate kindle_edition edition. This second book is a dual timeline featuring Florence the youngest sister, and Rosalie, their aunt who left Paris in 1923 for Malta.

Florence Baudin had escaped France, thankful for her life, but sad to be leaving her sisters, Helene and Elise. The relationship all of the sisters had with their mother Claudette was strained and I was glad to see this was explored in much more detail. With thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my digital ARC to read in exchange for an honest review.But if you are new to this series this can easily be read as a standalone as plenty of background information to the previous story is provided.

I enjoyed reading of her transition to Malta and although I could sense deep down that leaving Paris in the way and on the terms that she did was not what she truly wanted she knew that to be independent and follow her dreams she had to forge her own path without the support of her family. This is the second book in the series and after loving the first one, I was very excited to start reading. The unresolved tension is completely understandable and didn’t change my enjoyment of the happy ending Florence finally gets. I enjoyed reading a book set in the wars that wasn’t in France, Germany or Britain; Malta’s experience has significantly added to my understanding of this period.Riva’s life takes a different direction when she meets two influential men Robert Beresford and his uncle Addison Darnell. I felt it sometimes slowed the book down, when I would have preferred a slightly faster pace at times.

I really enjoyed Daughters of War and I was intrigued to see what happened in this book and it did not disappoint. The Hidden Palace is the 2nd in the Daughters of War trilogy by Dinah Jefferies and was an excellent read. Things developed for Florence in England and she grows in strength as a person but yet guilt does eat away at her too.The air of innocence about her was completely gone and not having her sisters being so reliant on her to provide for the household through her garden meant that she has to change and focus her mind on other things. With thanks to Harper Collins and Random Things book tours for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. As a teenager she missed the heat of Malaysia, which left her with a kind of restlessness that led to quite an unusual life. To calculate the overall star rating and percentage breakdown by star, we don’t use a simple average. However, the previous story was gradually revealed, explaining the complex family background of Florence and her two sisters.

Fast-forward to the final months of the Second World War, Florence is sent on a mission to find out what happened to Rosalie. We reunite with the characters just after Florence and Jack have arrived in England in 1944 having survived the treacherous journey from France and across the Pyrenees mountains. I did find some of the descriptions to be a bit long, especially of the gardens, the weather and the area around them. At the end of the first book Florence escaped from occupied France with Jack, including a gruelling walk through the Pyrenees.She won’t speak to Florence about certain things but she reveals she is desperate to find her sister who disappeared from Paris many years ago. Things for Rosalie are not all smooth sailing and romance, danger, secrets and tragedy all feature for her amidst the street of Valetta. I wasn’t too sure about Jack at all, but eventually warmed to him as the story unfolded and his past was revealed. I did think for the author not to be able to travel to Malta whilst writing this book due to Covid meant that some of the descriptions of this unique island didn’t spring to life as much as I would have wanted to. Here's what Santa Montefiore said: ‘My ideal read; mystery, love, heart-break and joy – I couldn’t put it down.