The Light Behind The Window: A breathtaking story of love and war from the bestselling author of The Seven Sisters series

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You may be right. It's only coffee. So let's also talk about forged identity papers. Based on this book I'd assume 90% of citizens in France during the war had forged papers. Need new papers? Your local aristocrat can have them whipped up overnight! Don't know any aristocrats? Head to the nearest cottage; the peasantry can meet the same deadline for half the price! (I am assuming on the price thing; money is never mentioned and it's never hard for anyone to obtain anything in this book.)

Constance makes for a believable heroine and a steady pair of eyes through which to see the de la Martinieres and the events that unfold, and it was hard not to feel for her as she got so caught up in their affairs. Emilie, although not as immediately likable as Constance, grows as a character and it is interesting to watch her mature. Riley also has a whole host of other characters, most of whom are well portrayed, particularly Edouard, Sophia and Frederik in the past story. There is also a certain character from Riley's previous book Hothouse Flower who makes for a welcome presence. Falk is perhaps a little too caricature, however, makes for a dangerous presence in the story. In the modern day I felt it was rather too easy to see through Sebastian's character and Alex, although immensely likable, seemed altogether too forgiving and victim. Perhaps for this reason parts of the modern day story did seem a little cliche and not entirely convincing. The Light Behind The Window: A breathtaking story of love and war from the bestselling author of The Seven Sisters series The detailed descriptions of the castle, the French society during WWII, the hint of mystery about the de la Martinieries' history, and the current-day love story make this book another amazing, mesmerizing, and fantastic Lucinda Riley novel. La Côte d’Azur, 1998: In the sun-dappled south of France, Emilie de la Martinières, the last of her gilded line, inherits her childhood home, a magnificent château and vineyard. With the property comes a mountain of debt—and almost as many questions . . . Booklist A fast-paced, suspenseful story flitting between the present day and World War II . . . Riley expertly weaves Emilie's story into a dual narrative . . . A real old-fashioned romance which manages to have a compelling narrative as well as something of a history lesson in the Special Operations Executive. Brilliant escapism

A little slow to initially get going, the story soon builds pace, particularly when we start to follow Constance's story. The parts set in war time France are fraught with an atmosphere of tension and danger, and are a gripping read, especially the sections with the Germans to hand. The parts set in modern day Yorkshire also have a strong sense of setting and contrast well to the warm and ripe vineyards of the south of France. TW; rape (I put it in one of the spoilers, but just in case someone wants to go through and read them all.) Her books have been nominated for numerous awards, including the Italian Bancarella Prize, the Lovely Books Award in Germany, and the Romantic Novel of the Year Award. In 2020 she received the Dutch Platinum Award for sales over 300,000 copies for a single novel in one year – a prize last won by J. K. Rowling for Harry Potter. A notebook of poems leads her to the mysterious and beautiful Sophia, whose tragic love affair changed the course of her family history. As Emilie unravels the story, she too embarks on a journey of discovery, realizing that the château may provide clues to her own difficult past.

I was completely taken in by the story, I loved the story and will be passing it onto my Nan so she can read it (When it arrived in the post she was instantly eyeing it up!). I will definitely be talking and spreading the word about Lucinda’s new novel. This is by far my favorite Lucinda Riley book. I loved her detail about the French and English countryside and absolutely loved the specifics of the ancestry of Emilee's family. Digging into a family's history is my favorite historical thing to do. The ending is wonderful. Air raids are boring to sit through apparently but don't damage anything, apparently, and travel is smellier but apparently everyone does it. Cousins from Vichy France apparently head to Paris for holidays without any difficulty. A few month after the war Constance wants to go home so she just does, without difficulty. In reality it took people months to find passage home. A sweeping, engrossing work. Riley is talented, delighting in the small details of aristocratic luxury and the pastoral countryside . . . The heroines of [The Light Behind the Window] struggle to master circumstances seemingly beyond their control, a common thread in Riley’s work. A tale of family secrets, wartime espionage, and loyalties gained and gambled, The Lavender Garden will appeal to fans of historical fiction, Kate Morton, and Helen BryanEmilie de la Martinieres is the sole surviving member of her family and is left with a chateau with vineyards and another home in Paris. Both homes are filled with memories and contents worth millions. But, the millions won't be Emile's because of the debt her mother mounted over the years. Emilie needs to decide if she should sell or keep the chateau. She never had to deal with finances and was doing it alone until a complete stranger, Sebastian, came on the scene. The present day story follows Emilie de la Martinieres, a young but vulnerable heiress, who is struggling to find her place in life following her mother's death. Always rather an outsider in her family, Emilie is unsure of what she should do when she inherits the grand chateau that has been in her family for generations, however, as she slowly comes to learn more of her family's past, perhaps it will help with the decisions that have to be made for the future. The interwoven story is that of young British agent Constance Carruthers, who during her time in France in WWII finds herself embroiled deeply in the affairs of the de la Martineres, a powerful family with complex and dangerous connections to the enemy! Yet when Emilie strangely finds her own path to cross that of Constance's grandson Sebastian, she too is drawn into a web of deceit! Just one other thing before I wrap this one up. The way Emilie throws in at the very end that she can’t have kids feels rushed and makes zero sense. It doesn’t add anything to the story. Yes, there’s Anton but that storyline could’ve happened without her whole melt down. I just personally think that that scene was random and poorly done. An aristocratic French family, a legendary château, and buried secrets with the power to destroy two generations torn between duty and desire. A fast-paced, suspenseful story flitting between the present day and World War II . . . Riley expertly weaves Emilie’s story into a dual narrative . . . A real old-fashioned romance which manages to have a compelling narrative as well as something of a history lesson in the Special Operations Executive. Brilliant escapism