Published April 10th, 2025 by Simon & Schuster UK
Historical Fiction, Historical Romance, Romance Novel, Military Novel
Welcome to my review for this immersive story. Thank you to Simon & Schuster UK for sending me a copy of the book in exchange for my honest review.
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ABOUT THE BOOK:
The Golden Hour is an epic dual timeline story which interweaves glory-seeking desert archaeologists, priceless treasures, Nefertiti’s tomb and the decadent cabarets of WW2 Cairo with restless expat lives in bohemian Beirut.
Archaeologist Lucie Fitzgerald’s mother is dying – she’s also been lying. As her home, the ‘Paris of the East’, Beirut, teeters on the brink of war in the ‘70s, Polly Fitzgerald has one last story to tell from her deathbed. It’s the story of her childhood best friend Juno and their life in ’30s Cairo. Lucie travels home to be with her dying mother and discovers the truth about her family, Juno’s work and their shared search for the greatest undiscovered tomb of all – Nefertiti’s.
From the cities to the deserts, this transporting and moving story of a lost generation transformed by war is a study of great love and sacrifice in all its forms, the perfect novel for fans of Santa Montefiore, Lucinda Riley and Victoria Hislop.
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MY REVIEW:
Polly Fitzgerald is dying. So her daughter, Lucie, travels home to be by her side. But as she sits by her mother’s deathbed, Lucie is unprepared for the final story that she will tell her. Transporting us to Cairo on the brink of World War 2, Polly tells Lucie the story of her childhood best friend, Juno, and what happened in Cairo in the 30s. It is a story of the unbreakable bonds of friendship, of forbidden love, long-held secrets, and unspeakable tragedy.
I’ve always been fascinated by Ancient Egypt so I knew that a story about Archaeologists, priceless artifacts and the search for Nefertiti’s tomb would be one that captivated my attention. Beautiful, immersive, fascinating and transportive, I was pulled in from the opening pages. Exquisitely written, skillfully interwoven and full of evocative imagery, Kate Lord Brown had me in her thrall from beginning to end. She expertly kept me in the palm of her hand by rationing the reveals as she moves between timelines and narrators. I was on a knife-edge of suspense and couldn’t stop reading.
At the centre of this story are three compelling women who were a joy to read. They and the other characters were richly drawn, making you care about them and I quickly felt invested in their lives. I was even rooting for the forbidden romance between two of the characters. But there were so many questions I needed the answer to, and I was powerless, unable to stop listening until all was revealed. But when they were I was unprepared for just how much they would break me.
So, if you’re looking for a summer read full of exotic escapism, this is the book for you.
Rating: ✮✮✮✮✰
*I listened to this on Bookbeat. Click here to get 90 days listening free (ends 28 July)*
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Kate Lord Brown graduated from the Courtauld Institute of Art and KLC Design School. She was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts and gained a MA in creative writing from the Manchester Writing School, MMU.
Kate has written six novels including The Perfume Garden which was shortlisted for UK Romantic Novel of the Year. Kate’s other novels, including The Beauty Chorus and The House of Dreams, are twentieth century historical fiction with heart and she is always looking for those gems of forgotten history which make you think ‘why doesn’t everyone know about this …?’ Her books have been translated into numerous languages and have been top ten bestsellers in the US/Canada, UK, Germany, Norway and Spain. Kate lives in Somerset with her family.
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Thanks for reading, Bibliophiles xxx
Emma's Biblio Treasures 