Book Review: “Jasmine Nights” by Julia Gregson (with thanks to lovereading.co.uk)
Beautiful, exquisitely written and captivating, Jasmine Nights will have you reading it from day..to night…
Published by: Orion
Author: Julia Gregson
Available: Paperback/Hardback
About “Jasmine Nights”: The author of the bestselling “East of the Sun” returns with a lush novel about a young singer who is recruited by the British Secret Service during the height of World War II.At twenty-three, Saba Tarcan is a talented but naive singer who dreams of being more than just another act playing in small clubs and talent contests in Wales. So when the opportunity arises to join a group that will entertain the troops in the Middle East, she jumps at the chance. She must leave behind her overprotective family and cut short a burgeoning love affair with a young fighter pilot, Dom, whom she met when she went to sing in the hospital where he was recovering from burns after his plane had been shot down. When Dom follows Saba to Cairo, the difficulties of combining their two intense lives are compounded. Dom, addicted to flying, refuses to stay grounded, while Saba finds she’s suited for life on the stage and on the road. When it turns out that Saba is also uniquely qualified for a secret mission, she is asked by the Secret Service to spy on a Turkish impresario and his associates. But it’s a mission that will jeopardize not only her own safety, but also the love of her life…
“Jasmine Nights” is a powerful story of danger, beauty, and love set amidst some of the most exquisite and dangerous cities of the Middle East
What first amazed me was the beautiful landscape Julia Gregson had written about
in careful, descriptive words that made me believe I was there—in that place and
time of her novel. I hadn’t read a wartime novel before, but after reading this,
I would definitely consider choosing the genre. What I liked about Jasmine
Nights was that it surprised me, and I couldn’t have predicted what would happen
on the next page. One of my favourite things about reading Jasmine Nights was it being partly based in Cardiff, Wales, which is very close to where I live in Wales. It made the book even more relate-able in ways that I didn’t think would be reflective. The character of Saba was magnificently written about, and
though she was very focused on her own future, she blended well with Dom, her
love interest. Above all, this love story wasn’t like anything I had read
before—more wonderful and powerful. I couldn’t have chosen a better ending,
either. It was purely magical!
