Greetings you guys! It’s our last Friday before school starts again on Monday. I can’t believe our holidays are over… It feels as if we haven’t done anything but migrate from Blogger to WordPress. I guess most migration journeys does take some time and we are ever so happy in your new destination. Some unpacking and sorting still needs to be done, but we will get there. But not today. Today we will curl up with great book and just relax a bit.
*Yea right. As soon as my Mommy press “publish”, she is going to find something else that she just quickly wants to tweak. Mark my words.
We are busy reading the most wonderful review book that we received from The History Quill Book Club. Think Cabaret, ‘Allo ‘Allo, Moulin Rouge ….
Secrets & Showgirls by Catherine McCullagh Published by Big Sky Publishing on 03 February 2021
Genres: Historical Fiction
Pages: 360
Format: ARC
Source: The History Quill Book Club
Buy on Amazon
Goodreads
Le Prix d’Amour, a vibrant Paris cabaret, is caught in the crossfire of the occupation. Everyone is being watched, and some of Le Prix’s colourful performers are hiding dangerous secrets. Monsieur Maurice manages Le Prix d’Amour, a successful Parisian cabaret, which boasts glitzy performers and sassy showgirls. But with the German occupation in June 1940, Maurice treads a fine line between his German patrons, the French police and the Gestapo as he hides the dark secrets of his performers. Two of his lively showgirls, Lily and Poppy, soon join Maurice in the hunt for an informer who threatens to betray them. With the Allied landings, the tension builds and Maurice is pushed to his limits as his performers finally take the fight to the invader in their own flamboyant way.
Secrets and Showgirls portrays an occupied Paris in which exotic cabarets existed uneasily under the heel of the invader. It follows the antics of Maurice, Lily and a glittering array of characters, but never loses sight of the battle to survive that characterised the life of the everyday Parisian.
Yes, it really is as good as it sounds. Let’s share some snippets from this fabulous book by linking up with a few beloved Weekend Book Friends.
For our first stop, we will pay a visit to Gilion over at Rose City Reader to share our Book Beginnings. Every Friday you can link up and share the first sentence of your current read (or the one you plan to devour over the weekend), as well as your initial thoughts and impressions. Hashtags are the one thing I do know on social media, so simply #bookbeginnings so we can find each other. Secrets and Showgirls open with the following lines:
She was tall, lamp-post thin and slightly giraffe-like as she gazed up at the lifeless neon sign. ‘Le Prix d’Amour’ she read aloud to no-one in particular, her freckled nose wrinkling its incomprehension, ‘the price of love’. She stopped and stared, dropping her bulging tapestried carpet bag and tatty, overstuffed suitcase on the pavement at the front of the building as she studied the sign. ‘So what is the price of love?’ she asked, as if expecting the premises to explain itself.
Just to clarify, this is not a love story. Or not only a love story. It’s more about friendship, believing in a common course and hiding each others secrets and flaws.
We are only at about 41%, so the next snippet, we will have to choose randomly. Our next visit will be to Freda over at Freda’s Voice who hosts the Friday 56. Don’t show up empty handed though!
- Grab a book (Yes, any book. But it might get you to your other Friday activities a bit quicker if you just grab the book you are currently reading)
- Turn to page 56 or 56% on your e-reader
- Find a sentence or two (your other Friday activities might determine this)
- Post it!
- Remember to post your link on Freda’s Voice and to visit the other guys in the linky.
- And last but not least, don’t forget to list the title of the book and the author as well.
Half an hour later they were still the best part of three kilometers form Le Prix. They began to walk in the shadows, ducking into alleyways and skirting doors and entrances in case they needed somewhere to hide quickly. Crossing the street was the most dangerous proposition. It was a dark, moonless night, but that was less than reassuring as the girls had no idea who might be lurking in the various doorways and entrances as they passed. They moved quickly and nimbly, grateful now for the athleticism that was a prerequisite of their profession.
There are so many brilliant elements we enjoy about this book. My Mommy is sometimes laughing out loud at the showgirls’ crazy antics even in Occupied France, but the seriousness of the Occupation also do not go unnoticed. We can’t wait to finish reading this one so that we can tell you all about it.
Just before we go and enjoy our latest read, let’s quickly hop over to Billy for the Book Blogger Hop.
The Book Blogger’s hop’s purpose is to give bloggers a chance to follow other blogs, learn about new books, befriend other bloggers, and receive new followers to your own blog. Every week, there will be a prompt featuring a book related question. It’s hosted by Ramblings of a Coffee Addicted Writer and I guess he hops around like a bunny due to all the caffeine. Hence his name.
Oh that’s an easy answer. A gothic old house. If it’s set on a cliff, even better!
Our last stop for today is all about me. I have to sit up with all this editing and and tweaking and not get enough time to read, so my Mommy can really dedicate one small part of her post to me.
I love doing the Friendly Fill-Ins. It’s a lovely way to link up with fellow blogger and a few feline friends. Friendly Fill-Ins is hosted by 15 and Meowing and Four-Legged Furballs. They come up with a couple of sentences, and then you have to fill in the blanks. This week’s questions will of course be answered by yours truly. My answers are the bold and italic type.
Have a wonderful weekend!
Gothic houses? Yes, that’s my catnip too!
I like that phrase – my catnip. ? Looking forward to Fraterfest coming up and all the scary reads.
Migrating a blog is a big thing! Congratulations on the move. And love an old gothic house, for sure!
The problem is reality keeps on interfering! Back to school this week, so there’s no time to play around more. Will get to it eventually.
Crater is coming up, so yea for scary, gothic reads!
Can’t go wrong with an old house- at spooky time haha- and I love that second snippet, when they’re crossing the street!
I am very excited to start planning my Fraterfest books for next week’s readathon. Need to see which gothic ones are still lurking in the shadows.
I think I’m going to have to add this to my tbr. 🙂
Lauren @ Always Me
I don’t think you will be disappointed!
Changing over from blogger is time consuming. Thank you for participating in the fill-ins, great answers. I am sorry your dad doesn’t understand that you want food- maybe your mom can explain it to him. You are very brave. Have a nice weekend. XO
Hi Ellen! The migration really is a long and time consuming journey, but it’s worth the ride! Ashley’s template is so amazing and possibilities with WordPress is so much more. So glad we’ve made the decision.
LOL, I am luckily here most of the time when it’s feeding time, but Elza is one of those brats who thinks she needs to be fed all the time.
Hope you will have a wonderful weekend too!
I love the new look of your blog! It looks so fresh! I am currently reading a dual-time line and enjoying it. I hope to get a little cleaning and a LOT of reading done this weekend!
Hi there Cindy! I normally enjoy a dual time line story, will take a look at your book now.
Thanks so much for the compliment. It really is a lot of work, but to me, it’s worth all the trouble!
I agree. I still need to take the time and work on some things on my own blog! It’s a process 🙂
It’s a never ending story. I am very glad I’ve made the decision to get someone to host for me. I am a bit over all the techni stuff.
Secrets and Showgirls looks really good. I’m going to have to look for it. Have a great weekend!
I have spotted a cat in there, but then again, it was war time and we do rather not want to know what happened to all the pets.
Otherwise it is a really enjoyable read!
WWII is my favorite time period to read about, so this immediately catches my attention. Thanks for sharing! Hope you have a great weekend! 🙂
WWII is one of my favourite genres as well. With this new template, I can make icons for graphics and I plan on making one for WWII, just because I read so many books set in that era.
I am enjoying Secrets and Showgirls a lot, think you might too.
i love gothic lit and a house is always a must in it!
Here is my link:
https://twogirlsandtheirbookishlife.blogspot.com/2021/10/book-beginnings-ex-hex-by-erin-sterling.html
Gothic won’t be gothic if there isn’t a house in it for sure!
Great excerpts! I especially enjoyed the descriptions in the opening lines. Thanks for sharing, and for visiting my blog.
I was excited to read the book when I read the synopsis, but that opening line really pulled me in as well.
Thanks for returning the favor!
I’m a huge historical fiction fan, and love books set in Europe during WWII–so this book has me intrigued. Thanks for sharing it!
Same here! Historical Fiction is easily my favorite genre. Not all that much history in here than how the showgirls perceive the war.
Let me know if you get to read it and if you enjoy it!