Jasmine Nights

I love reading novels set during World War II and I particularly enjoy those that approach the subject from an unusual perspective or cover aspects of the war that we don’t often hear about. Jasmine Nights does both, so it really should have been a book that I loved. Unfortunately it wasn’t. I had no problems with the style of Julia Gregson’s writing, the settings – wartime Cairo, Alexandria and Istanbul – were fascinating to read about and there was certainly enough material here to form a compelling story. It just lacked that special spark that would have transformed it a book that I could wholeheartedly recommend.

I liked both main characters but their romance never felt very natural or believable to me. A wartime love show more story should be very emotional but this one left me unmoved and I would have preferred more focus on the spying storyline instead. I knew female entertainers sometimes acted as spies during the war, but I’ve never read about the subject in a novel before and this was what had initially attracted me to this book. Sadly, I found this aspect of the story disappointing too. There was a lot of build up but it seemed to take such a long time before Saba found herself in any real danger and for a book about wartime espionage it was strangely unexciting, without any of the suspense and tension I would have expected.

I did enjoy the descriptions of life as part of ENSA and the variety of colourful characters Saba meets in the troupe, particularly one of the other singers, Arleta, who becomes a good friend of Saba’s and was probably my favourite character. This was not quite enough to rescue the book for me, though, and for what was quite a long novel I just felt there was not enough depth, not enough emotion and none of the magic I was hoping for in a book that had sounded so promising. show less

Jasmine Nights by Julia Gregson is a historical romance set during the chaos, heat and danger of the Mid-East. Saba is a young English/Turkish singer who joins the British Entertainments National Service Association. She is one of a small troupe of performers who are sent to Egypt to entertain the troops. Dom Benson is a pilot who while recovering from burns he received when he was shot down, meets Saba. It isn’t long before these two are in love but the war rages on. The Germans are getting ever closer to taking over Egypt and Dom will be in the thick of the battle. Saba has been recruited for some undercover work and soon finds herself juggling her singing, her information gathering and her relationship with Dom.

The author gives show more each of her main characters their own personal journey and as the story moves toward it’s conclusion, the danger increases as Saba is sent to Turkey and instructed to sneak a German deserter out of Istanbul. Dom is involved with round-the-clock bombing runs as the British, and then over-tired and exhausted, he goes on one more run.

I enjoyed Jasmine Nights, this wartime love story was a good escape read with an exotic setting and characters were sympathetic and interesting. show less

Full disclosure: I've never read a Julia Gregson novel before. I know, that probably makes me a terrible historical fiction fan, but I was just never drawn to any of her books before. Then, I had the opportunity to read Gregson's newest novel, Jasmine Nights, and the concept seemed incredibly compelling -I mean, what's not to like about WWII-era female spies in Cairo with a little romance on the side? Virtually everything I've read about Gregson's other novels praised her writing skills and moving character relationships, so I knew I was in for a treat with Jasmine Nights.

The young an naive Saba Tarcan has always wanted to be a singer. She inks out a living between contests and clubs in Wales, but with World War II reaching its peak, show more Saba's dreams are on the line. When the British Secret Service recruits Saba for an elite spy mission in North Africa and the Middle East, she jumps at the opportunity, even though it will take her away from Dom, a dashing fighter pilot recovering from his wounds. Saba's life as a singer-spy on the road takes her dangerous places where one wrong move could be the end. Through twists of fate, Saba is reunited with Dom, and the sparks fly despite the dangerous battles surrounding them.

After reading Jasmine Nights, I found myself torn. There were some truly excellent aspects of this novels, but some weaker elements that kept it from reaching its full potential. First, I love the premise behind it. Female singer WWII spy? Count me in. But it seemed to take a very long time for there to be any real sense of danger -or for Saba to really become involved with her spy duties. It was almost like Gregson was trying to find a way to rectify the spy storyline with the romance, and it ended up becoming somewhat disjointed. But once the book finally got into the danger, I was on the edge of the my seat and could not stop flipping pages.

Then, the romance storyline: it went from zero to a thousand miles in hours in (what felt like) a few pages. One minute Saba and Dom have a sweet blossoming romance and the next they have a deep, passionate relationship that's far outside of Saba's naive comfort zone. It felt like this all moved far too quickly and didn't seem natural at all.

Despite these plot and character issues, Gregson is strong writer who creates a vivid landscape of WWII Cairo that feels real. But, bottom line, Jasmine Nights could have been so much better, but the disjointed plot and uneven pacing make it difficult to become fully involved in. show less

This is a significant step up from ‘East of the Sun’, good as that novel was. The quality of the writing and the story was consistently high throughout, and it had a good blend of adventure and romance. This is writing that’s interesting to read even when there is not much going on plot-wise, rich in detail, and even characters and events on the periphery of the plot are given an impressive depth. The section where Barney is on leave and “bored shitless, reduced to playing bridge with some brigadier and the matron from the local hospital” had me laughing, it was just exquisite.

To read this book is to be immersed in the sights and sounds of the Middle East, and the kiss-blowing glamour of the entertainers and the swarthy world show more of the fighter pilots are both depicted with skill.

If a central theme emerged from the novel, it was perhaps the transience of everything in wartime, be it political social or spatial, there was a sense of everything shifting constantly.

If the romance between the two protagonists appeared to be conjured out of nothing, it hardly mattered. I thoroughly enjoyed this novel; to have it supplied free on the Early Reviewers programme was frankly a bonus. show less

A really enjoyable historical novel, set against the backdrop of wartime Britain, Turkey and Egypt and featuring dashes of theatricality and espionage. Gregson is a wonderfully descriptive writer and the sights, sounds and smells of 1940s Cairo, Alexandria and Istanbul are very vivid. The love story at the centre of the novel was touching and multi-dimensional (though unashamedly flawed as well - who knows whether Saba and Dom's love will endure?). A fun summer holiday read.

Received as part of Librarything's Early Reviewer Programme.

World War 2 pilot Dom is in hospital after a bad crash when his life is turned upside down by a beautiful woman with an even more stunning voice. There's is an unlikely pairing, he an upper class university man, she a half Welsh half - Turkish songstress. It's a brief meeting, but it affects them both.

Saba is ready to spread her wings, feeling trapped at home by a conservative father who doesn't like her singing now she is an attractive woman. Fate lends a helping hand in the form of an interview for a spot with ENSA, to be part of a team entertaining the boys overseas. The assignment takes her to the Middle East, where she gets her chance to sing. There is glitz and glamour, show more and a whole lot of sand, but Saba takes to the lifestyle with its eclectic characters and the danger, which is heightened when she captures the eye of a British agent.

Dom is not a passive character in the book, he decides to go up again, despite the crash. Maybe it is the high, a way to exorcise demons or just to be alive. Like Saba, he feels trapped, his scars are not just physical. He is posted to the Middle East, where a big push is being co-ordinated, this is their chance.

I would say that Gregson captured the feel of a black and white wartime flick, the drama, the clothes, and a storyline that has enough bangs and close calls to keep you turning those pages. There were a couple of niggles, which could be down to a pernickety British reader, but the were some jarring vocabulary moments (airplane and the See you ON Tuesday doesn't really work as an insult). However, I would say that this is a good book to swept up in. show less

Jasmine Nights was one of those books that just sucked me in. Once I started reading it, I couldn't put it down. It is the story of Saba, who has a gorgeous voice but whose family does not want her to be a singer. And it is the story of Dom, a pilot still recovering both mentally and physically from a plane crash that nearly killed him, and the memory of his dead friends. World War II is in full swing, and both of them end up getting out of England into Egypt to help the war effort. Dom is finally flying again. Saba is working with the ENSA singing for the troops. When Saba gets a chance to really help the war effort by going undercover, she worries about keeping the secret from Dom. And all the while the war is still going on, and Dom show more could die any day on one of his many flights.

I so loved this book. I loved that it was told from a different perspective. I've read many books that take place in the US on the homefront, and even about the men at war, but I've never read a book in the perspective of an English woman in Africa during the war. It was so interesting. I also loved that she entertained the troops, because I always hear stories about the performances that singers and dancers would put on for troops, but I've never read a book about those people.

I was enchanted by the Egypt brought to life in this book. There is a constant fear of being attached by Germany, yet the people there still have lives, still work, still try to find happiness and entertainment wherever and whenever they can. The descriptions bring Cairo and Alexandria to life.

My favorite character was actually not Saba (though I really did love her!). Arleta, Saba's friend in ENSA, was just so extravagant and out there and I just adored her. She reminded me of main character's blond haired English friend in the movie Under the Tuscan Sun (do you know the lady?? I can't remember her name..). Anyway, Arleta seemed so superficial in the beginning but turned out to be quite the lady. Saba also changes throughout the book. She is kind of scared to get out there and be herself in the beginning, but the slow transformation was so much fun to see.

I highly recommmend Jasmine Nights. While it wasn't perfect, it was a really wonderful book. Definitely the kind of book that you could read on the beach or on a porch swing in one day. show less