The Bell and the Blade by Paullina Simons

In this unforgettable, epic, soul-gripping novel set in 1944, a group of Allied soldiers parachute into occupied Belgium and join forces with female resistance fighters to combat evil.

The Allied soldiers are led by Fletcher, a highly intelligent man, as sharp as a blade, but with a mission that weighs heavily on his shoulders. He doesn’t want to lead, but he’s the only one who can get this job done.

He is joined by Rafael, his exact opposite. Rafael is reckless and rebellious – but when he arrives in Belgium, he is brought to his knees by his love for local girl Louise.

Louise is a radiant beauty in the midst of war. She dreams of peace, and happy times – and together, Rafael and Louise’s love eclipses everything around them.

But it is Charlotte, the leader of the local freedom fighters, who is the most compelling. She has worked to become invisible, hardened by loss, but when a bond builds between her and Fletcher, nothing will stop her from protecting the man she loves.

Added to the other soldiers and freedom fighters in this story is a man from the Congo who serves a King and an orphaned Jewish boy, and their unlikely but unbreakable bond.

All of them are hunted by an SS officer hellbent on their destruction as they race to prevent the bomb of all bombs from being created. Unlikely alliances and love blossom amid despair and danger.  The Bell and the Blade is classic Paullina Simons at her best – this novel is heartbreaking but unputdownable. It will take you to the depths of despair, but also to the highest heights. Romantic, thrilling, in places darkly funny, it is epic in scale and emotion.

Reviewer: Karen McMillan

Pan Macmillan