Reviews

Shelby Morrow Journals, 1929-1935, Book One by A.C. Holmes is an evocative historical novel that throws us into the harrowing life of Shelby Morrow. Born into a wealthy but dysfunctional family, Shelby is sent to live with her loving aunt after suffering trauma. While attending boarding school, she forms a deep bond with Cecile Verrault, the daughter of a powerful industrialist whose ties to Nazi Germany will soon shatter their friendship. As Shelby moves to France, she becomes entangled in the Verrault family’s dangerous political machinations. Torn between her love for Martin, an Austrian doctor, and the ruthless forces surrounding her, Shelby must decide whether to fight back or become a pawn in their sinister game. This sweeping narrative of love, betrayal, and survival offers a poignant glimpse into a turbulent era.

Author A.C. Holmes has an incredible eye for the little things that evoke a time and a specific sense of place, and this richly detailed historical setting brings the era to life with remarkable authenticity for a totally immersive story. I thought that the character development was especially well-achieved, and Shelby is a powerful protagonist whose resilience and emotional depth make her someone you want to admire and follow. There's a great sense of balance in the narration without ever leaning too far into sentiment or dry historical matter and the blend of romance, espionage, and political intrigue stays exciting and relevant. Overall, Shelby Morrow Journals, 1929-1935 is a powerful and moving portrayal of love and defiance against the rise of fascism that I highly recommend for its realism and heart. I can't wait to read the next installment in the series.

Reviewed by K.C. Finn for Readers’ Favorite

Shelby is born into a dysfunctional family, surrounded by detached parents and a cruel brother. Unwanted, abused, and traumatized, she is sent to live with her great-aunt, who provides her with a nurturing environment. Eventually, Shelby's path intertwines with the influential Verrault family after attending boarding school in her teen years. Octave Verrault, a powerful and controlling industrialist, develops an unhealthy obsession with her. Nevertheless, her voyage to France with the Verrault family is met with new, intriguing experiences as she learns more about herself and the world around her. Meanwhile, political and social tension is on the rise in response to Nazi fascism in Europe. When Shelby finds love with Martin, an Austrian doctor, Octave deliberately disrupts their union. Nonetheless, amid the danger and growing tension, Shelby is determined to reunite with Martin again. Read A.C. Holmes's Shelby Morrow Journals, 1929-1935, to discover how this gripping story concludes.

Shelby Morrow Journals, 1929-1935 tells the story of a young woman's turbulent journey to self-discovery. It is an uninhibited portrayal of Shelby's inner strength as she attempts to take control of her destiny in a world steered by wealthy and authoritative men. Through her troubling and astounding life experiences (which are captured well in her fascinating journals), readers are taken on an extraordinary journey. Even though her story is initially heartbreaking, it swiftly becomes a tale of inner healing, resilience, freedom, opposition, and love. The historical setting contributes another degree of complexity to Shelby's story. The budding romance between her and Martin is overshadowed by the political uncertainty created by the Nazis throughout Europe. This constant looming threat is also what unites people in the most unusual ways, as in Shelby and Martin's case. Their love shines like a beacon of hope in those dismal times, making this a must-read for history and romance fans.

Reviewed by Richard Prause for Readers’ Favorite

Shelby Morrow, Journals 1929 – 1935, Book One by A. C. Holmes is the haunting tale of Shelby, born to wealth, navigating through the strictures and hypocrisy of high society in the United States, only to find herself whisked off to France and Germany as the Nazi movement comes into full bloom. The book opens in 1973 with two men reminiscing about Shelby when she was 14 and attending a girls’ academy in Atlanta. One of them has a mysterious letter dated March 1933 — she is trapped by Verrault, who invited Germans to his house, a doctor and nurse giving her drugs for a concussion from “a nightmare trip to Bavaria.” She has fallen in love with a doctor who was rounded up in the Nazi purges. She is planning a rescue but is not sure she will survive.

A. C. Holmes’s first-person narrative pulls the reader into a surprisingly intimate connection with Shelby as she relives the events that led to the mysterious letter. The reader is carried along with her as if they were her best friend while Shelby struggles to overcome a series of traumas to be her own woman in a time when society’s constraints were abundant and knowledge of sexuality was not readily available. While Shelby is most often a passive passenger in this tale, she has sudden bursts of bold interactions that hint at more to come. Shelby Morrow, Journals 1929 - 1935, Book 1 is an intriguing novel that leaves the reader with the promise that the following books in the series will see Shelby living life on her own terms.

Reviewed by James R. Olsen for Readers’ Favorite