Filled with history details.
Raw and emotional.
Disability representation
Love blooms in unexpected and difficult times

The story is set during world war 2, when Guernsey is occupied by the Germans. Emile is deaf and finds a job at the French House. Isabella works at the house to. They were together a long time before Emile lost his hearing and both are married but unhappy. A lovely book,well written.

A beautifully written historical novel set against the backdrop of German occupied Guernsey during World war 2. Interesting and sympathetic characters and an unusual love story.

A brilliant read and one I really enjoyed. The characters are loveable and varied, the plot is one that is engaging and medium paced. I found myself completely drawn into the story and enjoyed the writing style.

Fascinating historical novel with beautiful scenery and interesting characters. I enjoyed the rarely discussed of the German occupation of Guernsey, an overlooked part of World War Two. The novel swept me away and I did not want to put it down. Highly recommend to lovers of historical fiction.

A gorgeous well written story. Loved the characters and the way the story was told. Definitely recommend

I really enjoyed this book. The story is set in Nazi occupied Guernsey. Emile was left totally deaf after an accident in Canada as a young man where he was hoping his sweetheart Isabelle would be joining him. But on his return to Guernsey he discovers Isabelle has married. Now a husband and father to 2 teenaged girls, he has to accept that he and Isabelle were not meant to be. However, they find themselves working together at the French House under Nazi occupation. I loved the characters in this book and the plot is full of twists and turns. Thanks to NetGalley for a preview copy.
Copied to Goodreads.

If you like to read historical fiction then this is the book for you! It is breathtakingly captivating and you become encapsulated within the story very quickly. A fantastic book.

I’m a sucker for historical novels, particularly those set in the British Channel Islands during the Nazi occupation. It is an almost incredible period of history and anything that sheds light on this is, to my mind, worthwhile. And so, a well-researched and well-written, even lyrical novel set in this location, at this time is likely to be a winner for me.

However, romance novels are not really my thing… and the pre-publication reviews do make 'The French House' appear to be a romance novel with an almost incidental Channel Island backdrop (and to be fair, it could be argued that is not too far from the case). Indeed, based on the promotion and reviews you might be let to believe that this is simply historical ‘chick lit’ but that could hardly be further from the truth. The research and period detail included feels so vibrant and real that I was happy to go with the romantic basis of the narrative and actually quite enjoyed it, although I am still not sure I am the ‘target’ audience…

But really, the book is about isolation: British Channel Islanders cut off from, and to an extent, abandoned by, the rest of their country; the good Germans trapped in Hitler’s obsession with invading and holding onto British territory; the individuals who make up a family being pushed away from each other by trauma; but not least, the isolation is exemplified by Émile, the lead character being profoundly deaf. This obviously affects all of his relationships and perceptions of the world but it does not detract from the fact that he is the ‘hero’. This is not a box-ticking exercise nor does it make him someone to be pitied, it is just part of his makeup. Bravo to the author for including someone with a disability in a key role in an entirely natural way and without feeling the need to find a ‘miracle’ cure before the end of the book.

Of course, no novel is not without flaws and on occasion 'The French House' can tend towards being both mawkish and a touch fanciful but all in all, it is a beautifully written account of a very dark period of recent history and gives it a very human face.

'The French House' can of course be read simply as a ‘romance’, but it is a shame to purely promote it as such: it may be picked up by those looking for historical romance and will probably sell very well, but it is very likely to be missed by another large readership who are looking for something more but will have no inkling they will find it here.

A different take on the Second World War and how it affected the Channel Islands. I have read a few books based here during the war, but this is the first one that took us to Germany and then France to show us the horrendous conditions that prisoners had to endure in the camps. We also saw how the German Officers - some who didn't want to be there coped as well.
I enjoyed the book as it took us in many directions dealing with a lot of the characters personal lives but it didn't feel that we were losing the way with the story and it blended nicely back together at the end.

Set in Guernsey during World war two this is a novel fraught with emotion. The story of Isabelle and Emile intertwined with the Nazi occupation. A good read,heavy at times.

I loved this historical novel, following the lives of Isabelle and Emile in Guernsey during the Second World War. Isabelle and Emile were in love but due to family pressures and events outside of their control by 1941 they are both in unhappy marriages.

I was really drawn into this story from the first page. I hadn't realised before reading this that Guernsey was occupied by Nazis during the war. It was fascinating to read the impact of the Nazis occupying their small island (including the billeting, food shortages, interrogators, arrests and deportations.) The characters are so well written and the horrors of the war are shockingly portrayed. I was willing the love story between Emile and Isabelle to have a happy ending but equally by the end I emphasised for Letty who had also had a difficult life.
A beautifully written and captivating story that I would recommend.

A good read. Set in Guernsey during the second world war it's the love story between Isabelle and Emile who are both in unhappy marriages after their relationship ended years previously but who are drawn together again. It's a very believable story and there are some very raw and emotional writing at times about how the germans treated the people. A story of love, friendship and war and it's a great first novel by this writer

Absolutely adored this book and the story of Emile. Isabelle and Letty. Their respective love stories and experiences as Guernsey residents during the second World War are captivating
This is so well written that I could see the characters and the island in my imagination and I didn't want the story to end. Make sure you read this book, it's brilliant and well researched.

Jacquie Bloese had written a beautiful and compelling story. I was completely enthralled with the history, characters and the dreadful consequences of love and loyalties of the people of Guernsey under German occupation. It was a moving story of how love can endure through the most awful circumstances. Beautifully written and a compelling read.

A beautiful love story that stands the test of time although it had to beat many hurdles including world war 2 and separation of many years.
Set on the island of Guernsey it deals not only with the horrors of the German occupation but also the bigotry of that era in regards to pregnancy outside of marriage, respectability, class and disability.
It is a brilliant read that grasps you from the very first page

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book. I have chosen to write this honest review voluntarily.
The impact of the horrors of war and occupation by an enemy is present throughout this book, and causes extra heartache around the long-lasting love affair at the heart of the tale. I thought the pressures of 'what would people think' were portrayed realistically, and the relationships are described in a way that provokes emotions in the reader. The narrative seemed slow but it covers a long time and this reflects how each character is affected accurately.
The story was beautiful, well-written and each character engenders empathy.

The setting for The French House is German-occupied Guernsey during World War 2.
Among the islanders, we have Emile who is deaf following an accident, married to Letty but not happy.
Maud, Emile & Letty's eldest daughter feels as though she doesn't fit in with her family.
Isabelle, who works at the French House, mourns a lost love while residing in a loveless marriage. And Peter, who although German, prefers to hold a paintbrush and live in peace.
As the lives of these people become intertwined, real feelings are brought to the fore as war wages on.
An enjoyable book that looks at life as people tried to live through a harrowing time in history.
Netgalley ARC

The author has written an interesting historical book about life on occupied Guernsey during World War 2 and during the course of the story she has revealed some unknown facts about this time as well as describing a heartbreaking love story. I knew little about this period although I was aware that the Channel Islands were the only part of the UK to be occupied by the Nazis.
Emile is deaf, unemployed and existing in a loveless marriage with Letty. He feels isolated due to his disability but manages to hide behind it when he does not want to communicate with his wife who is also a difficult woman. They have little in common but remain together out of habit or perhaps necessity.
Isabelle is married to Ron who does not treat her well- she is fearful of her home life and enjoys spending as much time as possible at the French House where she works. Isabelle and Emile were once a couple but things did not work out. However when he applies for a gardening job at Hauteville House things become complicated and their home lives become more unbearable.
All the characters in the book have something to hide. Peter, the German officer billeted at Isabelle’s house is isolated too due to his love of drawing and his romantic attachments which would not sit well with the Third Reich. Peter and Isabelle form an unlikely alliance which does not look like it will end well.
Maude, Emile’s daughter feels she does not fit in but her parents will not answer her questions and her father finds it difficult to communicate with her, not only because he is deaf.
This is a compelling read about a difficult period in Guernsey’s history- the close knit community of this small island feel violated by their Nazi invaders but are forced to cooperate through fear of retaliation. Small rebellions are easily found out as Maude finds to her cost and betrayal is round the corner for several characters. There is a fine line between friends and enemies as Isabelle discovers during the course of the novel.
Not only is this a story of wartime occupation, it is also a heartbreaking love story which looks impossible to resolve happily.
I definitely recommend this book to readers who like well researched historical fiction. It has certainly inspired me to visit Guernsey and the “French House”.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for my arc.

Absolutely loved this novel, congratulations to Jacquie Bloese.

The main characters connected to Victor Hugos house in Guernsey are trapped -

Emile is trapped and frustrated by his disability ,his wife and the German occupiers in 1943.

Isabella is trapped by her abusive husband ,uncaring mother and controlling Germans.

Peter a homosexual ,sensitive German censor is himself trapped by the Nazis
and Guernsey is his prison too.

Powerful.