“You don’t trust me?”
“I don’t trust this war.”
Jenny Ashcroft, The Officer and the Spy
Title: The Officer and the Spy
Author: Jenny Ashcroft
Genres: Historical Fiction, Romance
Pages: 480 (Paperback)
Publish Date: May 16th, 2023
My Rating: ★★★★¼
Read: 4/22/2023 – 4/25/2023
Review:
With a unique setting, great characters, romance, and let’s face it — a gorgeous cover, The Officer and the Spy was a treat to read.
During her annual trip to Crete, Eleni meets Otto, a German man who’s also visiting the island. So begins a summer romance. Come 1941, the young lovers reunite but are turned now enemies due to the war. Will love prevail, will the effects of war reach them, too?
The contrast between past and ‘present’ (in this case, interview transcripts from 1974) is fantastic and the book is well organized. Eleni and Otto have a nice chemistry. Their romance flows well with the more action-packed portions of the book. I also enjoyed the moral exploration of some of the realities of war. My only quip is that it runs long with some scenes feeling dragged out much longer than they needed to be. Still, I enjoyed the book very much.
A huge thanks to Harper360 for sending me a free ARC of the book to read and review!
Likes & Dislikes:
What I liked:
- The interview transcripts scattered throughout the book. It gave a good change of perspective without being excessive.
- A unique setting for this genre.
- A good balance of action and romance.
- Great dialogue.
What I didn’t like:
- Several scenes dragged. The book could have been a good 100 pages shorter while still getting the story across.
Afterthoughts:
Again, I have to point out how great the setting of this book is. I think I’ve only read one other WWII novel involving Greece (and only in passing). Definitely an overlooked area of WWII.