Power and Obsession by Catherine McCullagh dragged me in instantly with its view of an alternate history.
This story is set in the UK during the Second World War. It gives a view of how things would have been if England had been invaded and taken over by Nazi Germany.
With England now under German rule, the English must fight to survive. Their King and his family have fled the country to remain safe.
The Germans in control invite the Duke of Windsor to return to the country and promise him the crown. He had previously left England and his crown behind to marry.
Then we have Emilia Shaw. An acquaintance asks her to apply for a job in the offices of the ruling Germans. She ends up working for the very good-looking but ruthless SS General Oskar Voight, and all the while she is running a very high risk as she works for the resistance.
This book was a captivating read full of suspense. It gives a scary view of what many say came so close to being — with the Germans ruling England and their documented plans for the country. How very different our world would be today if this had occurred.
This is a 500+ page book so it’s one that you can really get into. There is a little bit of everything with mystery, romance, and suspense. The super awesome thing is that at the end of the book, it says those magic words — to be continued…. I can’t wait for more.
A selection of our Beauty and Lace Club Members are reading Power and Obsession by Catherine McCullagh. You can read their comments below, or add your own review.
Im a Mum of 3 beautiful girls.
An avid reader that loves to travel but lacks the funds to venture far and wide constantly. A perfumeaholic with an addiction to beauty and skincare.
If not found with my head in a book or on a plane I can be found spending hours upon hour in Doctors and Hospital waiting rooms as part of my job as a Carer
I absolutely loved part 2, full of intrigue and excitement. I could have read a whole book on part 2.
Part 1 was good too, it was very gentle as to what the war was like and it was also an alternative story about what could have happened. The focus was a romance novel rather than war. Sometimes I felt a bit uncomfortable liking and being impressed by a German soldier, but I think that was the point, showing how people had to do what they did to survive.
The only negative I have to say is I found it odd the swear words were blanked out. (e.g. F—-) We’re reading about war but we can’t read a swear word?
Power and Obsession is a weighty novel that whilst I enjoyed, did frustrate me at times.
It provided an alternate history set during WWII with a focus on an occupied London. As the German presence grows, so to do the resistance, and this is what moves the plot along.
It’s many characters, and there were many, interacted, double crossed, fooled and betrayed making it hard to keep on top of who was working for who. The ending (at least of this novel) ties it altogether, thankfully without feeling rushed as is seen in many other stories.
My frustrations with this novel are with the size, and due to this, the ability to lose traction with what is going on. Its 500 plus pages meant that I had to read it over multiple sittings, often having to read back to remember where I was.
The ending references more to come and this both intrigues and scares me. I’m keen to know what happens next but reluctant to commit to another weighty tome.
I enjoyed reading Power and Obsession. It was an alternative story as if The UK had been taken over by Germany during the war.
I thought Emilia was very brave to join the Resistance by getting a job with the SS and spying for them.
I’m looking forward to the next book as it said “to be continued” at the end of this one.
Overall a good book to read.
This book is a fascinating insight into what life in England might have been like had the Germans succeeded in invading during WW2. Emilia is a young English woman who works for both the top General of the SS and, secretly, the resistance. It’s a fine balance, remaining safe while taking information to her resistance contact. There are other characters: police, SS officers, Gestapo, as well as everyday English people creating a situation where we don’t know who Emilia should trust. She becomes very friendly with her SS boss who seems to be falling in love with her.
The book is well-written and the premise is intriguing. There is scope for further editing and development of characters, but overall I enjoyed it very much. Thank you Beauty & Lace and Big Sky Publishing.
Power and Obsession presents a reimagined 1941 London, gripped by Nazi occupation. The story follows Emilia Shaw, a translator secretly working as a resistance spy while navigating the dangerous attentions of SS officers and the police.
The book’s premise is filled with political intrigue, suspense, and many characters. While the concept is compelling and the action tense, i at times struggled with the pacing and possibly the editing- is hard to pin point – the story felt drawn out in parts- it is a big read for those that struggle with books over 500 pages- However, the novel offers a fresh, alternative history with an engaging focus on resistance and power dynamics. Will be interesting to see what it continued in the next chapter.
Thankyou for sending it to me to read-