Black Roses (Clara Vine #1) by Jane Thynne

From Amazon

Terrifying secrets, torn loyalties, love versus duty, the gripping story of a young actress caught up in highly dangerous events in 1930s Berlin...

Berlin, 1933. Warning bells ring across Europe as Hitler comes to power. Clara Vine, an attractive young Anglo-German actress, arrives in Berlin to find work at the famous Ufa studios. Through a chance meeting, she is unwillingly drawn into a circle of Nazi wives, among them Magda Goebbels, Anneliese von Ribbentrop and Goering's girlfriend Emmy Sonnemann. As part of his plan to create a new pure German race, Hitler wants to make sweeping changes to the lives of women, starting with the formation of a Reich Fashion Bureau, instructing women on what to wear and how to behave. Clara is invited to model the dowdy, unflattering clothes.
Then she meets Leo Quinn who is working for British intelligence and who sees in Clara the perfect recruit to spy on her new elite friends, using her acting skills to win their confidence. But when Magda Goebbels reveals to Clara a dramatic secret and entrusts her with an extraordinary mission, Clara feels threatened, compromised, desperately caught between her duty towards - and growing affection for - Leo, and the impossibly dangerous task Magda has forced upon her.

My thoughts

I was leant a copy of this by a friend at a local Library Reading Group that I go to. I'd never heard of the book or Author before, but was quite interested in reading it when I read the blurb on the back.

This was an interesting premise loosely based on historical events and featuring real historical figures, Jane Thynne has woven a series based on a fictional actress called Clara Vine. Clara Vine travels to Germany to find work as an actress. A chance meeting with someone soon sees her among the company of some influential Nazi wives.

She soon finds herself as an unwitting spy, she is in the perfect social clique to keep her eye on what is happening and report back to Leo Quin who works for the British Intelligence service. However, she is soon taken under the wings of Magda Goebbels. Magda confides in her and is told a secret that she is entrusted with and a mission. Clara is torn though as in her heart, she has developed feelings for Leo and is at a loss as to what to do, as she feels that she is betraying him in more ways than one.

I thought the premise sounded a good one, the execution though wasn't always that great as the story at times was a little slow due to some of the historical content. I liked the character of Clara Vine and felt that she will develop throughout the further books in this series.

I gave the story a 3 stars or 6/10. If I come across any of the other books in the Clara Vine series then I will be tempted to read them, to see what direction Clara goes in.