The Jeweler of Stolen Dreams

Written by M. J. Rose

Narrated by Tavia Gilbert and Caroline Hewitt

A captivating tale of two passionate women separated by decades but united by a shared vision. One, the famous jeweler Suzanne Belperron, fighting to protect her company and rescue the man she loves. The other, a young auctioneer whose exceptional gifts reveal a secret that endangers her very life.

"Only one thing saves you, and that is not losing sight of beauty."

Paris, 1942. Suzanne Belperron is known as one of the most innovative jewelers of her time. Elsa Schiaparelli and the Duchess of Windsor are just two of her many illustrious clients. What no one knows is that Suzanne and her dear friend, American socialite Dixie Osgood, have been helping transport hundreds of Jewish families out of France since the war began. But now, the war has come to Suzanne's front door-the Nazis have arrested her business partner and longtime lover, Bernard Herz.

New York, 1986. Violine Duplessi, an appraiser for a boutique auction house, is summoned to visit the home of Paul Osgood, a scholarly lawyer and political candidate who aspires to take over the Senate seat of his recently deceased father. Paul has inherited everything inside Osgood Manor, from the eighteenth-century furniture to the nineteenth-century Limoges china. But a vintage Louis Vuitton trunk is what calls to Violine, with the surprising but undeniable thrum of energy that can only be one thing: the gift passed down to her by La Lune, the sixteenth-century courtesan.

Since childhood, Violine has been able to read an object's history and learn the secrets of its owners by merely touching it, but she silenced her psychometry when it destroyed her last relationship. Why has it returned now?

While inspecting the trunk, she senses it holds a hidden treasure and finds a hoard of precious jewels that provoke nightmarish visions and raise a multitude of questions. Who owned these pieces? Why were they hidden inside the trunk? Were they stolen? Could their discovery derail Paul's campaign and their burgeoning attraction to each other?

So begins a search that takes Violine to Paris to work with the Midas Society, a covert international organization whose mission is to return lost and stolen antiques, jewels, and artwork to their original owners. There, Violine will discover both her and Paul's surprising connections to the trunk-and to Suzanne Belperron, who silently and heroically hid an amazing truth in plain sight.

Told through Violine's first-person account and Suzanne's diary entries, The Jeweler of Stolen Dreams is a riveting story of magick, mystery, romance, and revenge. Inspired by the real-life legend Suzanne Belperron, it marks yet another masterpiece by New York Times and Wall Street Journal bestselling author M.J. Rose.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Brilliance Audio
• Release date: Feb 7, 2023
• ISBN: 9798400123764

M. J. Rose

New York Times bestselling author M.J. Rose grew up in New York City exploring the labyrinthine galleries of the Metropolitan Museum and the dark tunnels and lush gardens of Central Park. She is the author of more than a dozen novels, the founder of the first marketing company for authors, AuthorBuzz.com and cofounder of 1001DarkNights.com She lives in Connecticut. Visit her online at MJRose.com. 

Reviews for The Jeweler of Stolen Dreams

[7przrxgt7n · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I enjoyed this book very much. The storyline was the most intriguing part for me.

[kimkimkim-7 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Suzanne Belperron is the focus of this story. A fascinating woman, brilliant designer, innovative jeweler and member of the resistance. Of course there are other people in this story but is truly all about this little remembered woman who deserved so much more attention. Told in a dual timeline, Belperron inhabits the Paris of 1942 during the time of the Nazi occupation and all of its horrors. 44 Years hence, 1986, another woman with self-enforced dormant psychometric powers, despite her hesitance, is going to try to unravel history and secrets that have gone unnoticed for decades. There is a force of evil, a romance to be discovered, a mystery to be solved - there is a great story waiting to be told.One of my issues with MJ Rose’s books is the wordiness, so many words, so much repetition, pare it down and it will always be better. The story was interesting , really interesting even when some of the parts were a bit “out there” but that is fairly typical of MJ Rose’s writing - always a little ethereal, just asking the reader to suspend belief to make it all work.Thank you Blue Box Press and NetGalley for a copy.

[fredreeca · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Violine has been called in to appraise an estate. When she runs across an old Louis Vuitton trunk, she knows the dimensions are not quite right. What she discovers is a hidden compartment full of jewelry. When she touches the jewelry she sees vivid images of people in distress. The more she delves into the situation the more dangerous her world becomes.Violine starts to investigate the names on the boxes of jewels. She discovers that they are not names of jewelry stores from the past but names of people, people lost during the Holocaust. Violine heads to Paris to work with the Midas Society to return these jewels to the rightful owners. But, it is not as easy as she thought.No one does dual timelines like M.J. Rose. I have been a fan of her books FOREVER! I love her history and the mysticism she puts into her books. And to say I loved this story is an understatement. I also loved Violine. Her strength is paramount to this story. The way the author weaves in her talent to read objects and see the past add so much to this tale.Need an engrossing story from start to finish…THIS IS IT! Grab your copy today!I received this novel from the publisher for a honest review.

[katebaxter_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This was an enthralling and captivating historical fiction piece with a touch of magical realism. Some of the characters are well known players of history and the others, are well crafted characters of the author's wondrous imagination. The story line juxtaposes 1986 New York City against 1942 Paris. New York City auctioneer, Violine Duplessi, has always been a bit different. As a child, she suffered the ridicule of her classmates who would not or could not embrace Violine's extraordinary gifts. It was such a burden to Violine, that she tried desperately to negate and ignore her gifts. That is, until she's called to an estate to help assess the inherited holdings of U.S. Senate candidate, Paul Osgood. An old empty trunk from WWII of his deceased Aunt Elizabeth Estelle Osgood's, had been housed in the attic and apparently had some secrets of its own. In alternating chapters, renowned jeweler, Suzanne Belperron, an operative of the French Resistance, relays her fears and anxieties for her friends who have been seized by the French Nazi sympathizers and thrown into prison camps. One of whom is her business partner and soulmate. She strives to rescue him and others at great peril. Paul's Aunt Elizabeth - Dixie to her friends - was a very close and dear friend of Suzanne as it turned out. Together, they were partners in crime doing their Resistance work.This was truly a fascinating read about an amazing woman of WWII Paris. Suzanne Belperron's jewelry designs were spectacular and pushed the design and color envelope - a designer ahead of her time, perhaps. The 1986 portion of this story envelopes a mystery as Violine seeks answers to the trunk's secrets. Eventually, the two stories intertwine and all is made clear to the reader.Ms. Rose's writing is fluid, descriptive and quite poetic at times. The mise en scène was such that one could envision the winding streets of Paris and the noisy ones of New York City; smell the wafting aroma of french baguettes and croissants; the tangy odor of freshly spilled blood; and the intoxicating scent of a full blown rose. All in all, this was a most enjoyable read and this reader eagerly looks forward to disappearing into other works by this gifted author.I am grateful to Ms. Rose and her publisher, Blue Box Press for having provided a complimentary copy of this book through NetGalley. Their generosity, however, has not influenced this review - the words of which are mine alone.Publisher: Blue Box PressPublication Date: February 7, 2023No. of pages:ISBN: 978-1957568270