Wow! It's been a while since a book made such a deep impact! This one totally blew me away and will stay with me for a long time.
Covering present day Paris, Prague behind the Iron Curtain and Berlin after The Wall came down, this is substance combined with delight.

Laure is the curator of the Museum of Broken Promises. A wonderful space in Paris cramped with 'fragments of lives that have not gone according to plan'. One of the objects is a piece of her own life which leads the reader to Prague and Laure's experience with communism in her early twenties.
We move back and forth between cities, getting to know the young woman she was and how she became the strong woman she is. Also included are parts of her time in Berlin, facing the result of a collapsed regime in a country trying to pick up the pieces.
Having visited these cities myself, both before and after the fall of communism, I can honestly say the mood in this book is so accurate it took me right back.

'The Museum of Broken Promises' is one of a kind.
A pageturner filled with indepth characters set in an impressive environment. An absolute must read!

Thank you Netgalley and Corvus for the ARC.

The non-linear narrative creates a sense of mystery, which is entwined with betrayal, sadness and pain. A journey through Europe and the pain of a women. Wonderfully written. Beautifully crafted.

An interesting story. This is a slow starter that becomes intriguing and compelling reading. It is beautifully written the whole way through.

Thank you to Netgalley for my copy.

I've read all of the author's books, so was keen to read this one. I took a while to get into the storyline, but once I did I found it compulsive reading. Set between 1986 Prague and now in Paris the story of Laure's earlier life unfolds.

This is more of a 3.5 star review, but I’ve rounded up as I particularly enjoyed the last few chapters.

Set in a Europe where communism and capitalism are at odds with each other, and informers on all sides are an unidentifiable presence, the Museum of Broken Promises is the creation of Laure Carlyle. Laure’s story from England, through Paris, Prague and Berlin is told through snapshots of the various decades – her employ as an au pair to the Kobes family (the father Petr, an executive officer at a pharmaceutical company, but also highly involved with the communist state), and her love affair with the dissident musician Tomas Josip.

Who betrays who? A story of intrigue, betrayal, and the broken promises of the story’s title.

For a debut novel, I initially found the writing style a little clunky with a lot of over-stylisation, but the further I got into the story and wanting to know what happened, the less this bothered me.

I loved this book which kept me awake till after 4am this morning. I couldn't put it down It is beautifully written, intriguing and challenging. The central character reveals herself gradually and as the story unfolds you come to empathise with and understand the choices the character has made.

The descriptions of Paris and Prague bring them fully alive and in particular the portrayal of the everyday experiences of those trying to survive Eastern Europe through the whirlwind events of the late eighties is vivid and engaging.

I enjoyed the storytelling - and the premise of the museum.I'd love to visit it- perhaps make one or two donations too. perhaps Ms Buchan could be encouraged to open it!

I love Elizabeth Buchan and while I felt this was very different from some of her previous novels , it did not disappoint. A really tragic story which gave an insight into a country and period of history I knew nothing about. The premise of the museum of broken promises was really poignant and added to the love story which unfolded. Would make a brilliant book club book.

I loved this book. The concept of a Museum of Broken Promises intrigued me, and the reader is gradually drawn into a love story set in Prague before the Velvet Revolution. The story flits between a number of time periods, and the story of Laure and Tomas is gradually unfolded; a story which resonates in the present day. A beautifully-written and compelling story, set in a (to me) unfamiliar place; I couldn't put it down.

Laure Carlyle works as an au pair for the Kobe family. After living with the family in Paris, they are relocated to Communist Czechoslovakia, where life quickly changes and Laure has to rapidly learn and comply with the rules of the strict regime.
She learns that as a foreigner she is in a privileged position, and not to be trusted. In fact, there doesn't seem to be any trust and amongst anyone, and it dawns on Laure that her employer, Petr, is working for the Communist party and responsible for potentially putting both her life and her new found friends' at risk.
The book is written in flashbacks , with each chapter flowing easily to the next. It is full of insight into the repressive and suspicious regime, where surveillance of individuals is commonplace.
Very enjoyable mix of mystery, romance and recent history with a good ending.

I really enjoyed this.Set partly in the latter days of the Cold War, 1990s Berlin and modern day Paris, it tells the story of Laure who fell in love in Prague and the repercussions of that love affair. It is beautifully written and I particularly liked the Prague and Paris parts. A museum of broken promises, what a lovely idea! I was desperate to find out what happened to Tomas and read the book over a couple of days. If you are interested in the Cold War and Eastern Europe then this is the book for you. I am off now to look up the books the author suggests for further reading!