The beautiful cover and promising premise really had me excited for this ARC.
And in terms of WW2 books this one is definitely standing out. It is such a unique way to tell a story that could have easily been unbelievable but isn't.

However, it gets quite confusing at times which might be the reason why I just didn't feel a connection to the characters. The story kept me turning the pages and it was an enjoyable read but if i could have had an emotional connection to the characters this could have been an absolute favourite book of all times.

Thanks to Netgalley, the publisher and the author for this ARC for an honest review.

The sliding doors of WW2, two people linked by their dreams. The twists and turns of the 'what ifs' is captivating, bringing fortune and sorrow to both.

Although they found themselves on opposite sides of the war, I was drawn to both characters and wanted both to find happiness with Sophie and their own taken on the world.

Thanks to #netgallery and #faberandfaber for access to #TheTwoLovesOfSophieStrom

An absolute delight of a book.

It’s the 1930s in Vienna, Austria. Herr Hitler has his eye on Austria and tensions are rising. On an unfortunate evening, our main character’s life is upended when anti-Semite yobs set fire to his house. In that moment, the narrative splits - in one timeline, Max survives with his parents. In the other, Max’s parents perish in the fire and he is adopted into a well-to-do Aryan family and renamed Hans.

Two sides of the same coin, Max and Hans live out their different lives - aware only of each other through their dreams.

The story is phenomenal. I loved the dual perspectives in this book and how they were portrayed. It’s both heartwarming and heart wrenching. A definite five stars!

An unusual idea for a storyline. Two possible outcomes when Max’s parents’ shop is burned to the ground. It details what occurred for each scenario. I found the characters and storyline interesting but have to admit I did struggle at times to connect or isolate the two strands.

I am a lover of historical fiction, and having read more books than I could count set during WW2 I have to say I found this interpretation particularly refreshing. For those of us old enough to have seen Sliding Doors, it is perhaps not an original concept. However, it was extremely well written, at times thought provoking and highlighted a different take on the events faced by Europe during Hitler’s reign of terror.

The only reason this was a four star for me and not a five, was due to some parts of the story being overly embellished whereas other, more prominent and interesting themes seemed to be rushed over. Other than that this was a very enjoyable read.

The Two Loves of Sophie Strom starts in Vienna 1933 with the story of Max Spiegelman. One fateful night, a tragedy so earth shattering causes his life to split in two. Max grows up as a Jew in the 1930’s where there is suffering at every turn for him and his friends. The other half to Max is adopted and renamed Hans, he grows up as a nazi. In both time lines they meet Sophie, is it possible for love to change the course of history.

This story gives the impression initially as similar to Sliding Doors, one of my favourite films and what drew me to read this book, but after a couple of chapters I realise it was not really that similar. I also love stories written on different timeline, but it didn’t quite make that one either. There were a couple of elements to the book that just didn’t sit right for me and left me feeling a little disappointed.

I found the book to be well written, the characters where built well and as the reader I felt I got to know them.

I would recommend this book to someone who wants to read a well written love story but not if you’re specifically looking for a sliding doors theme.

Thank you NetGalley for the advanced reading copy.

This is a really novel book, unlike anything I've read before. It tells the story of Max, a 13 year old Jew in Austria, whose father's musical instrument shop has been set on fire. It is at this point that the story splits in two - we follow both Max and his alternative version, Hans, who exists in a parallel timeline. Hans is adopted by a local family, and joins the Hitler Youth and, later, the SS - which is contrasted against Max's experiences of being persecuted for his faith. They are both, however, connected by a link - Sophie Strom.

The novel skilfully weaves both timelines through life in 1930s Europe and WWII. Although the concept of the story had the potential to come across as unrealistic, the author managed to execute it in a believable and thought-provoking way. It was at times a slightly confusing read, and I sometimes struggled to remember the differences between Max and Hans. I also felt the book lacked a little depth, and would have liked further development of the other characters. Overall though, it was a very enjoyable read!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for kindly providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review. #TheTwoLovesOfSophieStorm #NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

Allow me to tell you a story and borrow from the sliding doors theme of this book for a moment.

Some months ago when browsing Netgalley, the cover of this novel caught my eye. I read the blurb but didn't request a copy, mainly owing to my heaving Netgalley shelf. Some months later, I received an email from @FaberBooks asking if I would be interested in taking part in a blog tour for the book. and recalling the sliding doors premise, I agreed to take part and I'm so glad I did. The Aoife in the multiverse who didn't read this book is all the poorer for it.

Sam Taylor, novelist and translator, has translated some of my favourite books (Leila Slimani's Adele and Lullaby). This is his fifth novel, and it's a story set in the lead up to and duration of World War II.

The book opens in a house in Vienna in 1933, home to 13 year old boy Max Spiegelman and his parents. When the house is set on fire one night as the Nazis are rising to power, 13 year old Max's life is split in two. In one scenario, he is left disfigured, orphaned and adopted by an Aryan family who change his identity - Max becomes Hans. In another, he saves his parents and escapes unharmed to face life as a Jew in 1930s Austria.

The two boys dream of one another and are unavoidably tethered to one another, with their fate in one another's hands and in the hands of their one love Sophie Strom. The story moves to France and to the resistance movement, where only one story can emerge from the flames.

I was captivated by this novel. Beautiful writing, a gripping story full of heart and a literary pageturner exploring themes of love, faith, autonomy, choice, dreams and the subconscious, it kept me up far too late and led me to shed a tear. For anyone who enjoyed books like All The Light We Cannot See and In Memoriam, this will appeal. Recommended. 4-4.5/5 stars

Thanks to NetGalley and Faber&Faber publishing for the ARC, all thoughts and opinions are my own and I did not get paid to write this review.

This book was fantastic, I love a good romance and this was very well written. I enjoyed it as a quick read before starting my next ARC. The characters were well written and the romance was believable, nice writing and a good story arc too.

Very cleverly written, it took me a few chapters to get in to the flow of the dual time line of Max and Hans but once I did, wow what a beautiful, and complex story. Max and Hans could be classed as good and evil, but as you get to know them you realise that its not as straight forward as that.

Thanks to NetGalley and Faber and Faber for allowing me to read The Two Loves of Sophie Strom

I found this a little hard to follow at first. The book has two timelines which are closely interwoven as 'Max's' identity splits into two and he lives two very different, but closely linked lives, which I did find confusing. However, once war breaks out and the two protagonists characters developed (and their lives separated more distinctly) I found myself intrigued as to how it would end. It is a kind of 'sliding doors' narrative which reminded me of 'The Time Traveller's Wife' and that need to keep track of any small detail because the plotting is so intricate and vital to a full understanding.

Sophie is a complex character in both timelines and her relationship with Max/Hans is troubling at times. I realise her marriage to Eduoard was a device to complicate her relationships but her lack of compassion when he is taken by the Nazis was quite hard to read. It seemed like it was convenient for her that he was removed from the picture so allow space for Max/Hans.

The growth and self-awareness which develops in Max/Hans and their shared experiences (which impact on their separate lives in different ways) is very clever. As one character sleeps, he learns what his alter-ego is doing and this, in turn, affects choices and, ultimately, Max's destiny.

This is a book which merits a second read, I feel. Now that I know what is coming, I think I will get so much more out of it. A great read for anyone who likes historical WW2 novels, but a little difficult to get into at first.

This story begins in 1933 Vienna. Nazi Germany’s propaganda against Jews grows apace, spreading to Austria and overhauling the lives of so many, including Max’s (the novel’s protagonist) who, as a child, cannot understand why his family suddenly becomes the target of haters and subsequently an arson attack. This traumatic incident causes his life to be split between two parallel realities: one where his parents died in the fire and he is adopted by an Aryan family, and another where they survive. Thus the novel’s premise is set, and it’s interesting to see how the lives of Max and Hans (his Aryan counterpart) diverge. Strangely, the eponymous Sophie is not the main character but merely appears as the primary love interest of Max/Hans and remains largely one-dimensional. I must admit, while I found the novel's themes very interesting, I struggled to get into it. I didn’t find the characters that believable or compelling and was disappointed that the novel seemed to merely scratch the surface of the important themes it introduced.

The Two Loves of Sophie Strom by Sam Taylor absolutely blew me away. So much so, that I bought the audiobook to listen to while I read and when I just did not want to put it down

I would just like to give a nod to the incredible narrations of Beth Eyre and Jot Davies, navigating some incredibly difficult subjects with integrity, empathy, accuracy and skill. A truly brilliant performance

1933 - A house fire awakens Max, a 13 year old Jew in Austria. His fathers musical instrument shop has been set ablaze, and not by accident. It is at this point, the reader starts to see two versions of the timeline. One side of Max remains the same, half of his face burned by the fire, causing him to be bullied relentlessly. For his looks, for his faith.

The other side of Max exists in a parallel timeline, where Max's parents have perished in the fire, and he is adopted by a German family, the Schattens. Max's family knew the Schattens, their youngest son had died but they still had their eldest, who despised Max. The parents decide to rename Max, calling him Hans and giving him their surname, telling him to lie about his past life. They new what was coming with the change in Austrian politics. As Max (Hans) gets older, he joins the Hitler youth, and later, the SS.

The two sides of Max have one link, and that is Sophie Strom, a girl they meet at their new school, a girl whose hair has been cut off and is the target of bullies. A girl who is the daughter of a bohemian, a divorcee, and who is gifted on the piano and fearless in nature. A girl who understands that each side of Max sees the other in his dreams

An exceptionally intricate plotline, but one that tells both sides of living through 1930's Europe, WWII and the holocaust. Accurately portrayed, incredibly well researched and with a stunning supporting cast, from the cocky, loud Jentz with a gentle heart and the utterly vile Karl and Bauer, who I really, really despised. (there were many characters I disliked, but these two most of all) The french teacher came out with some real gems but was a fleeting character

An absolutely stunning novel and equally brilliant audiobook. I cannot recommend this book enough

Thank you to Netgalley, Faber and Faber Ltd | Faber & Faber and the author Sam Taylor for this incredible ARC. My review is left voluntarily and all opinions are my own

A very different read for me and I'm not sure whether I enjoyed it it or not. It was written very unusually but, the story was interesting. I had to concentrate on all the characters which made this book a bit of a slog. So, I'm giving it 3 stars. My thanks to netgalley and the publishers for giving me the opportunity to read this book in return for an honest review.

I enjoyed the book which tells us the story of the German invasion of Austria and then Paris in an unusual way. At the start of the story we meet a young Jewish boy who wakes up one day to find that his families music shop and the flat where they are living above it are burning. Simultaneously the story splits into two parallel universes. In one universe, the young boy survives the fire, only to have his parents die and for him to be adopted into a Nazi following family. In this reality his name is changed to hands and he becomes a member of the Nazi party and is involved in the extermination of the Jewish population of Paris.
In the other reality his parents are saved and managed to escape to Paris which is soon occupied by the Germans.
In both realities, the young boy is in love with the same woman the Sophie Strom of the title and this ties the two stories together.
Both fashions of the young boy are aware of the other and see their life in the form of dreams. This allows them to have some warning of some of the notable events in the story and thus they are able to influence each other lives.

I love the concept of the story, although I did a little complicated towards the end of the book. I found the magical reality believable and it allows the author to approach the issue of whether your upbringing can influence how you turn out as an adult as the boy starts in the same position pretends up into very different places in his life.
The story is fast moving and interesting. I’ve read a lot of books at this time of the world history but this one is quite unique because of its alternative worlds. There were times when I didn’t quite believe the characters reactions to their life in particular and it quite hard to believe that the version of the boy turned out to be a Nazi and so hateful so easily.

The author has a clear easily read prose style and the book was an enjoyable read.
I read an early copy of the novel on the NetGalley UK. The book is published in the UK on the 2nd of May 2024 by Faber and Faber Ltd.
This review will appear on NetGalley UK Goodreads and my book blog bionicsarahsbooks.WordPress.com.

After publication it will also appear on Amazon UK

The Two Loves of Sophie Strom is unlike any other book I have read. Initially, it seems like it’s “Sliding Doors” set during Nazi occupied Austria. However, it’s more than that, as Max and Hans both dream of eachother and get glimpses of what could have been.

It’s an original and thought provoking read. At some points , it can get confusing as you try and remember the differences between the two lives - eg if this person is an enemy in this life or are they a best friend? As you would expect, it’s tense and harrowing in places . I wasn’t fully invested in the love story element, I feel there was enough going on with the danger faced. However I know the love story was needed for Hans’ character arc. I feel the middle of the book could be shortened to keep the pace up.

I would recommended this book to people who are a fan of historical fiction, metaverses and parallel worlds.

Thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the chance to review an advanced copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

This is a such a unique concept that I couldn't wait to read it. I was completely immersed in the lives of Max and Sophie and Hans and Sophie and I was intrigued to see how the lives/worlds of Max and Hans would connect. I cannot convey just how much this booked moved me. It's one that will stay with me.

True rating 4.5
Thanks to #NetGalley and #Faber&Faber publishers for an #ARC of #TheTwoLovesofSophieStrom.

This book brings the reader on a journey and a half. How does a split second decision change your life? In this book we discover just that, with WWII beginning and ending in the background.
I loved this book. I found it so interesting to read and will read again. My only issue is the names (Max/Hans) confused me, they weren't different enough to keep each identity separate.

Too recent a time and trauma for metaphysical and cerebral games? Rated 2.5

This was a disturbing and deeply uncomfortable/discomforting read, one which I became increasingly ambivalent about, the more I read it.

On the one hand, the ‘Sliding Doors’ idea, coupled with what was happening in terms of the history of Freudian thinking, psychoanalytical theory, in the 1920’s and 1930’s, in the interwar years and beyond in Germany and Austria, was an interesting and compelling exploration.

So, as the blurb already reveals one thirteen year old Jewish boy, Max. in someway splits into two, on one traumatic night. Far right ideology, demonising Jews, is already arising. Max dreams that his father’s music shop is being torched. His dream is prophetic, and wakes him. He is able to save his family. Another version of Max loses his family in the fire, is hideously scarred, and is ‘rescued’ and adopted by a family with growing sympathy for right wing politics. In this version, Max is renamed as Hans, his Jewish identity hidden, and he adopts Nazi beliefs. Max and Hans are at the same time enemies, and also deeply connected, as they dream each other. There is a certain confusion for the reader as, if you like, the more supernatural elements get brought in, so the worlds connect with each other, mirror each other, and yet raise the questions of id, and ego. Who dreams whom, whose dream?

Something in this felt a bit too ‘clever concept’., intellectual game Where I began to feel uneasy was, that particular and terrible time of history is still too recent. There are still people whose grandparents may have been young. That whole time, all those events, the trauma of it all are of course playing out in some form again with current events in both Israel and Gaza.

The relationship between Sophie and Hans felt particularly distasteful. My own sense was that the author was violating her character and in some way this also trivialised this terrible history.

I have read other fictions around this period where it seemed as if there was greater sensitivity to the still aliveness of that historical time and place

However - for all the above reasons, and more - I think this would be an EXCELLENT read for book groups,. So many discussable issues

I did struggle to get into this book as the main character which wasn’t really Sophie but Max/ Hans kept changing. Whilst the ethos I understood I did find it confusing. Thanks to Sam and their publisher. Thanks also to NetGalley