Set in Portugal during ww2 this is a fascinating story with lots of unexpected twists and turns. I haven’t read anything set in Portugal during the war so I was intrigued to read this one, although it wasn’t as exciting as other war books I’ve read it was still an enjoyable read. This has a duel PoV and timeline which was a bit annoying at times. The characters were well written.
Thank you to Netgalley for an advanced copy of this book, all opinions expressed are my own.

I want to boost this review with the word Fate or better say bashert

First things first, I want to thank the autor and Net galley for this Arc and giving me the opportunity to read such a wonderful book.

Took me a while to rearrange my thoughts after finishing this book because of the emotional train that ran me over after finishing it.

Listen to me, readers. This book is going to be THE one you need. Whether you are in a book slump, or in a binge reading mood, this book needs to be a must and is going to shake your feelings and mess with your emotional and social conscience. Now to my Portuguese readers, you need to read this book because from a non Portuguese author is the first time I see Portugal being so lovely described, used as a lovely setting and the land of such a wonderful main character. Take this as my open letter to all of us Portuguese readers and why you should read this book.

This is a story about Lily a ghostwriter that is stuck in downhill and decides to take a break when she receives the opportunity of a life time: To tell the story of A late Portuguese singer, beloved by many, who died tragically in a plane crash years and years ago.

I present to you our Evelyn Hugo from Portugal, but instead of a movie star she is Sofia Castello a former Portuguese varina who ended up being a renowned fado singer and a spy for the Allies in WWII.

Who is going to tell her story? Sofia itself who is not dead and is about to drop Lily dead with the revelations to come. But, OH, wasn’t she dead? No. She is well alive and now she is ready to share to the world her true story. A story about an orphan, to a humble varina to the voice of Portugal. But she has secrets up her sleeve, stories about love, betrayal, trust, friendship, grief, resilience, and regret.

Sofia is such a strong woman. She is brave, but sometimes scared, she is humble, has a big heart that got broken too many times, but she is fierce-full, she stands for herself and for the others especially the minority. And her story deserves to be told.

As Lily, we get more affectionate to her while we listen to her story and we get eager to know more about her past and her past relationships. Why she isn’t dead? How is she alive? Why she faked her death? Who was she running from? Who she loved? Who she trusted? Who was really Sofia Castello?

The pacing and the plot are well structured while they feed enough information to keep the reader interested and hooked, and at the same time not disclosing enough details to keep you reading until you find out the secrets. The story is built to go step by step to each important part of Sofia’s life.

All the characters have layers, dreams, ambitions, fears, regrets, and love in their constitution. What makes this novel even more aspiring and their ending very satisfactory. Be prepared to have a drop jaw and the tears in the corner of your eyes while reading this book. And of course big dramatic and cinematic revelations for such a dramatic life of a singer in the end.

I want to take a minute now to talk about the beautiful Portuguese setting of Portugal in the 1940s. It is very rare to read a book set in Portugal-my native land. I really loved reading about the places I have been to and belong to my life, and I know are part of my past. This helped me conect even moreto the story.

This book explores our culture, language, nationality, architecture, gastronomy, our music, our past. In a nutshell: Us. I love how the author gives true meaning to the word saudade- such a Portuguese strong word- and talks about how Portugal was important in the second war, and is still important. Bringing visibility to my beautiful country. Besides that, this book being released at 25th April, such an important date to the Portuguese history, means a lot to us.

Thank you for this lovely story and for portraying my country my culture and my language in such a vibrant a heartbreaking story. I feel seen, I feel loved. Thank you for making such a strong character and make her Portuguese. In the name of all Portuguese girls who had to fight something in their lives and be a little like Sofia knowing that “Sometimes the things that seem like the end of the world are actually the prologue for something truly delightful, we thank you for this portrait.

★★★★ 4.5 stars

A wartime secret must be told before it's too late...

I love a good dual timeline tale weaving the past with the present and a few secrets along the way. The premise to this one drew me in as something a little different. The war is merely a backdrop for this story not the main event. And it serves to depict a heartbreaking tale that is emotionally charged as well as mysterious.

Lily is looking to leave her pitiful life behind and embark on a holiday in the sun after nursing a broken heart for the past ten months. So when she walks into her agent's office overlooking the dreary London landscape, the offer Jane makes her is one that is too good to refuse.

Lily has been asked for personally by name to ghostwrite the autobiography of wartime singing sensation Sofia Castello, who tragically died in a plane crash flying from Lisbon to London in 1941. Or did she? The journey she takes to Portgual to meet the elusive Sofia is one of love, grief, friendships, betrayal and secrets.

Stepping into the Portuguese sunshine, Lily feels at once rejuvenated and that this ghostwriting job came at just the right moment in time for her. But little did she know the part she would play in rewriting history or that she would find happiness there herself.

The setting in Portgual is just perfect. I could feel the sunshine on my face, the water lapping at my feet and immersing myself in the sapphire seas. The colours so richly depict the character, the personalities and reflect the resilience of this beautiful story.

There is so much to say about this book that I think is best left to experience for oneself.

A beautiful tale that will stay with me for some time to come.

I would like to thank #SiobhanCurham, #Netgalley and #Bookouture for an ARC of #TheLostStoryOfSofiaCastello in exchange for an honest review.

This review appears on my blog at https://stinathebookaholic.blogspot.com/.

In The Lost Story of Sofia Castello, Lily Christie a struggling writer is offered the chance to ghostwrite the biography of a woman she and the public believed long dead—Sofia Castello, a glamorous singer from the World War II era. Believed to have died in 1941, Sofia is actually alive, in her eighties, and hiding in a quaint cottage on the Portuguese coast in Lisbon. Curious and desperate about the writing project landed from her Friend Jane, Lily travels to meet Sophia Castello and is soon carried away into a stunning tale of wartime bravery, hidden love, and heartbreaking sacrifice.

As Sofia recounts her life as a Varina before becoming a singer —she retells the dangerous world of Nazi-occupied Europe while secretly aiding the Allies—Lily finds herself increasingly fascinated by Sophia's emotional story. Sofia's story is marked by her bond with a young orphaned German girl named Judith who tries to escape the German gestapo who tried following her. Judith has a cousin in America and where she awaits an escape route to America followed by a series of high-stakes performances where each move could become a disaster. But beneath Sofia’s compelling narrative lies a deeper mystery. She’s keeping something back. And as the truth begins to surface, Lily realizes she may be entangled in a story more dangerous than she ever imagined.

I could flip the pages quickly with lot of interest in where the author takes you through a past and present Lisbon and London retelling a warm story of the horror and the courage of characters of the war. The novel is a bit slow but has a lot of suspense awaiting in the storyline leaving behind a Portuguese that lingers in the mind of a reader.

Thanks to Netgalley and Bookouture Publishers for an advance copy for my honest review.
Find this review and tour on Novel Nerd Blog: https://smithareading.blogspot.com/2025/04/book-on-tour-lost-story-of-sophia.html
Review:

★ ★ ★ ★ ☆ (4.5/5)

🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
Book Details
Title- The Lost Story of Sofia Castello
Author- Siobhan Curham
Genre- Historical Fiction

Book Summary
It’s the year 2000 and Lily Christie is sent to Portugal to ghost write a famous singer's life story. The problem is that this singer perished in an airplane accident during World War II. The story seamlessly slips between the two time periods.

What Makes This Book Special
This book was one of the best ones I have read this year! I read many books about WWII but never from a character’s perspective in Portugal. Get ready to be transported to Lisbon, along with the scenery and food. I was craving a pastel de nata when I was done!!! Thankfully, there is a bakery by me that sells them. But I digress.
Many thanks to the author, Bookouture and NetGalley for a complimentary copy of the book. The opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.
#TheLostStoryofSofia Castello #SiobhanCurham #NetGalley #Bookouture #BooksOnTour #BookLove #Bookstagram #NewBook #ILoveBooks #BooksSetInPortugal #HistoricalFiction

I really enjoyed this mystery story centred around singer Sofia Castello who supposedly died in plane crash in the 1940s, and the writer Lily Christie who is tasked with writing the singers biography only to discover she didn't really die and has been carrying secrets her whole life. Similar in ilk to The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo, this was a lovely story and perfect holiday reading!

This was a fascinating dual timeline book. The story of Sophia and why she disappeared and then the writing of her biography in the modern day.

I found myself drawn to this book; every spare minute I'd read a page or two.
Lily is a ghostwriter and needs to get away for a break. Her manager tells offers her a job to write the momoir of a 'dead' WW2 singer in Portugal.
Whilst in Portugal, Sofia tells about her life, her loves and the secret as to why she faked her own death.
Whitst away, Lily soon discovers herself again and her younger self.
The book flows between 1941 and 2000 perfectly. It has great descriptions of the locations and London during the blitz.

This is historical fiction, with a dual timeline giving us the story of the ghost writer too.
I enjoyed the perspective of people living in Lisbon during WW2, not a perspective I’ve ever read before.
I did think some of the writing was a bit overkill at time - it was easy to read some sections just reading one sentence per paragraph. However, i thought the story was superb. Perfectly paced, intriguing, enough reveals throughout the book to keep the interest levels high, and a very satisfying ending.
This was my first from this author and I’d happily read more.

I thought this was a really good book, really hard to put down. I liked Sofia and her strength during troubling times. There were some surprises I wasn’t expecting too. It’s perfect for all historical fiction fans

What a lovely but really rather sad story. Lily Christie is a ghostwriter, her marriage of 18 years has ended badly and she is struggling with life. Then her literary agent, Jane offers her the job of a lifetime, to travel to Portugal to meet Sofia Castello a famous singer during WWII who tragically died when her plane was shot down by the Luftwaffe! But Sofia is still alive and living quietly on the Portuguese coast. A dual timeline story with a heartbreaking tale to tell, the plot was very good with red herrings (not sardines) that had me totally fooled.

Briefly, Sofia was plucked from obscurity at the age of 16 and very quickly became a famous and wealthy singer. She met a refugee from Germany called Judith who she became close to and tried to help avoid the gestapo who were looking for her, or rather a valuable item she was carrying. In her position she was also able to help the Allies and it was this that caused the Nazis to target her. Now nearly 60 years later she is ready to tell her story, but why was she insistent on having Lily as her ghostwriter?

Sofia’s decision to fake her own death was based on things she believed at the time and her desire to lead a more private life. Her rise to fame was quick and probably not easy to deal with and now she could go back to obscurity. Sofia was a wonderful feisty woman with a great sense of humour and I really felt for her friend Judith who had a tragic life during the war. I loved to see the close relationship between Sofia and Lucy grow and how Lucy stood up for herself despite risking losing her job. A story full of passion, secrets, grief and second chances. A very enjoyable read.

What I loved:
Storyline!
Plot twists
Setting in Portugal during WW2

What I didn’t:
More details of the setting since you don’t see much Ww2 fiction set in Portugal
Past POV execution—I would Have preferred being immersed with present tense rather than past tense. It just made it feel like the book was telling rather than showing.

What a page-turner!
The mystery and twists within the plot had me racing through the book - and there were some real shocks contained within the story! Such a superbly-crafted story and I was completely absorbed.

The setting felt unique - I cannot recall previously reading a World War Two based novel with a Portuguese location. I’m always glad of the informative, educational aspects of a book - in this case, learning about Lisbon being a hotbed of both spies and refugees during the war. Do read the author’s note at the end for some really interesting points about her inspiration for this book.

Fascinating characters and an extremely clever plot that really show off Siobhan Curham’s skilled writing. A thoroughly enjoyable book!

Thank you to the publisher, Bookouture, for a digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

The Lost Story of Sofia Castello is a gripping, immersive and emotional tale. It will take you on a whirlwind journey of love, betrayal, grief, secrecy, profound friendships and of course resilience.

The setting for this book couldn't be more perfect. The picturesque beauty of Portugal that the author describes, is a juxtaposition of an otherwise heavy book. I loved each and everyone of these characters. They were all crafted so beautifully, especially the women. Their strength and determination, as well as loyalty to each other, was palpable, and made me love this book even more.

They had great banter and I even found myself chuckling at a few scenes. Sofia is quite the force to be reckoned with. Yet, the character development of Lily is not something that we can overlook. The ending was beautiful but also bittersweet in a sense. So much was lost but so much was also gained. This is one that will stick with me for a long time. I loved every minute of it.

Thank you to Netgalley, Bookouture and Siobhan Curham. For my eARC of this book. All opinions are my own. Pub date April 25th, 2025.

An absolutely captivating read that conjures up so many different emotions. I found it so hard to put down.
The dual timeline was so well written and kept me engaged the whole time. It's set in World War II in Portugal and opened up so much information that was happening in that period. The characters were very easy to invest in because the sheer quality of the writing and the pace of the story,
I found it to be a very easy read and easily compelling. I will certainly be looking for more by this author

Thankyou to Bookouture and also NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read and review this advanced reader's copy.

I really enjoyed this book.
A captivating and emotional read, 'The Lost Story of Sofia Castello' by Siobhan Curham is a beautifully crafted novel that explores themes of friendship, love, resilience, and loss against the rich and tumultuous backdrop of Portugal during World War II.
The dual timeline is well-paced and structured, drawing the reader into the world of relatable characters with a strong focus on a resilient and inspiring female protagonist.
The writing is engaging and easy to read, making it a compelling page-turner.
This is a thoughtful and engaging read that will resonate with anyone who's experienced the complexities of life and human relationships.

A big thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for the opportunity to read and review this advanced reader's copy.

Look out for this book. Publication date: April 25, 2025.

Gripping tale of friendship, love, secrets and mystery. Love and lost followed by friendships being uncovered in many different ways.

In my experience of Curham's "The Lost Story of Sofia Castello," I found the reading experience challenging. While there were some unexpected twists, I felt that the story's overall concept was familiar and had been executed more effectively in other works, particularly Reid's "The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo," which shares a similar storyline but is better crafted. Though I managed to finish Curham's novel, it required considerable effort on my part.

this was such a perfect and beautiful book. it fit right amongst this genre but it stood out amongst them too. incredible. ive never seen this take on it before so was absorbed from start to finish and no in between.

everyone thought Sofia was an incredible singer. everyone thought she was dead. but decades later writer Lily is called upon to writer her memoir. Sofia was a singer of the time. and during war years she would have to use that voice as a front towards the Gestapo. but her nights were spent looking after those in need. and eventually she went on to use her fame to help the Allies. but something happened which changed her life forever and caused those around her to think she died. and now Sofia is finally ready to tell her story.

this is such an intimate and elegantly told story. it doenst shy away from the heartbreak and heart thumping moments of that time. and once again we are reminded of those horrors. and how and whoever you were living at that time it must have felt so scary. i felt that throughout this book. that tension, that danger, the fear. i dont know how they managed it. and for those that went above and beyond, that literally put themselves in harms way for either their loved ones or those who need saving, then i cant be in awe of them enough.
what Siobhan does so brilliantly is weave the humanity throughout this book. both with her telling and scene setting and mostly with the characters she gives us. and this book has some wonderful characters. she also manages to make you care about the past and present characters in equal measure. so you want to turn the pages rapidly to learn more about them. i was turning rapidly until the end!
not only that but she helps us see an arc and linkage throughout time and characters. and how other stories can help us heal. or help us learn. or at least like many when reading these books...they help us sit and think. which we never should stop doing about this time in our history. these stories be it fact or fiction need to be read again and again.

Talk about a heart wrenching book. I love historical books around World War 2. The story of Sofia Castello is just an incredible one. I love how the book was written. The transition between what's going on in the book world to Sofia telling her story is such an easy transition and easy to follow along with. The ending was perfect and I'm so glad with how it all ended. If you're looking for an entertaining story about a singer and a spy from World War 2 this is a great book to read.