Book Review: The Last Sketch + Giveaway
The Last Sketch
Gosia Nealon
270 Pages
Published September 1, 2021 by Indies United Publishing House, LLC
They both hold tight to a terrible secret. When they cross paths in war-torn Europe, will their destinies lead to ruin… or victory over evil?
Poland, 1944. Wanda Odwaga will never stop resisting. As the Nazis occupy her beloved homeland, the twenty-three-year-old artist vows to do whatever it takes to help the underground movement mobilize against Hitler’s forces. But she’s devastated when the Gestapo storms her house in search of rebel leaders, killing her heroic father and leaving the face of his murderer forever etched in her mind.
New York. Finn Keller longs to balance the scales. Having escaped Germany with his mother as a teen, he’s disgusted his estranged twin brother has become a ruthless Nazi henchman with a vicious reputation. So when a covert government agency approaches him with a dangerous undercover mission, Finn willingly risks his life to play his part in turning the tide of war.
Still grieving her unforgivable loss, Wanda’s thirst for revenge takes an unexpected leap forward when she once again encounters her father’s killer. And as Finn dives deeply into the role of impersonating his cold-hearted sibling, he’s captivated by the beautiful Polish woman frozen in front of him… her eyes blazing with the promise of murder.
Can these two players in a deadly game survive the ravages of a sadistic conflict?
The Last Sketch is a breathtaking World War II historical fiction novel. If you like engaging characters, exhilarating espionage, and a dash of enemy-to-lovers romance, then you’ll enjoy Gosia Nealon’s powerful drama.
My Review
I liked this book. I was instantly transported back in time, where I could see everyone and everything. Historical fiction readers of this time period may want to check out this book. It is a nice, quick read. The circumstances that people like Wanda had to endear is tragic and for those that did survive, they will never forget. As the story showed, family or particularly brother was pitted against brother. Which was not an easy thing to endure as well.
The romance between Wanda and Finn was real and sweet. It did not distract from the story or overpower it. Over the course of the whole book, both Finn and Wanda grew to be strong people. This was especially true for Wanda.
While, I did like this book; I found that despite everything I could never form a strong connection towards the characters. It was sad what they went through but I could never fully emphasize with them. Yet, there was enough good things about this book that I would read another by this author.
About the Author:
While Gosia Nealon is a proud New Yorker, she was born and raised in Poland. Her journey to the Big Apple revealed a wealth of cultural differences, but also the values that connect us all. Like the fierce desire to protect family, find love, and ultimately, discover who we are and why we’re here.
Gosia’s award-winning short stories have always delved into life’s biggest questions, but it was the drama, sacrifice, and tragedy of WWII that led her to pen her debut novel, "The Last Sketch."
Growing up in Poland, Gosia heard many firsthand accounts of the war, told from a perspective rarely captured in mainstream literature. She was compelled to breathe life into Wanda and Finn, two young people falling in love in the midst of the most terrifying conflict of our time.
When Gosia isn’t tapping away at her laptop, she’s often walking the streets of New York. With her husband and two young sons in tow, they search for the most succulent pierogi, transporting them back to the cobbled streets of her childhood.
Links:
https://www.gosianealon.com
https://instagram.com/gosian18
https://twitter.com/GosiaNealon
https://www.facebook.com/GosiaNealonHistoricalFiction
Amazon: https://geni.us/the-last-sketch
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/58649989-the-last-sketch
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