Dare Not Tell is a historical fiction story by Elaine Schroller. The tale starts with Joe Parker, an Australian soldier who found himself fighting for another country's victory in France during the First World War. Joe is also a naturally closed-off man, not releasing the horrors of his battles to his should-be confidant, Annie. His quietness also hid the fact that he knows his missing brother, Robbie, has most likely died a painful and torturous death. Eventually, his demons threaten to show as, years later, the Second World War looms on the horizon. Joe meets a young nurse, Sophie Holt, who seems to understand his heavy burden and pain. However, can Joe forgo his marriage and risk the family that he and Annie have created to pursue the ever-so understanding Sophie? Or will death be the end of him?

Dare Not Tell by Elaine Schroller is a wonderfully written piece that exposed me to the true horrors of the Great War and the two decades that followed it. The empathy and sorrow that Schroller created within Joe’s life were beautifully described and portrayed the terror of war. The fatalities within Dare Not Tell show exactly how life was easily thrown aside during this period in time. I also really enjoyed the forbidden love that blossomed between Joe and Sophie. From the marriages of different suitors to the complicated past that Joe seems to be stuck in, it felt like the pair were never meant to be, yet at the same time, they were the perfect match for each other. I would recommend this book!

Dare Not Tell by Elaine Schroller is a wonderful story that follows a war hero’s battle with trauma while fighting to save his marriage. Australian Joe Parker thinks that his past demons have been caged. His wife, Sophie, a wartime nurse, feels comfortable and assured that she knows her man very well. All of this changes when they visit the site of Joe’s fiercest battle, Villers-Bretonneux. The sudden surge of memories is disturbing. A trip to the French Alps plunges Joe into another debilitating and disturbing experience when he feels as though the walls of the Chamonix Valley are closing in on him. As Joe’s disturbing memories begin to surface, his sanity is threatened and Sophie wonders if she really knows the man she married. Can they navigate the dangerous mindscapes of Joe’s experience together or will it break the bond that holds them together?

Dare Not Tell is an immersive story with strong, realistic, and multilayered characters. It has psychological depth and solid historical hints. Readers follow the characters from France to Australia and back to France, and the author deftly handles the effects of war-induced trauma on the protagonist. The characters are deeply flawed, believable, and elaborately written; they instantly pull the reader in and it is easy to feel a strong connection with them. The author writes brilliantly about the experience of war, love, loss, and the quest for redemption. Dare Not Tell is an affecting tale, deftly plotted and expertly executed. From the strong historical settings to the skillful handling of characters, from the mesmerizing prose to the compelling psychological conflict, the author features one of the best accomplishments in the area of trauma, love, and healing. This novel shows that war is far more than anything readers imagine it to be.

Dare Not Tell by Elaine Schroller is a historical romance novel spanning two decades from 1917 to 1939. When Joe Parker and his wife, Sophie, receive an invitation to visit the Australian war memorial at Villers-Bretonneux, it sparks a trip down memory lane to when Sophie first met Australian soldier Joe as a wartime nurse in Paris in 1917. The two formed an instant bond and exchanged letters during the Great War as they found a kindred spirit in each other. Despite losing correspondence and living on different continents, fate intervened again years later as they became one at last. However, as they traversed their way through France in the present, Joe's wartime memories haunt his dreams, putting a strain on their relationship. A German spy further adds to the tension.

Author Elaine Schroller tells an engaging tale about a couple of star-crossed lovers who find comfort and solace in each other's company at some of their lowest points in life. Joe's constant struggles with his PTSD-induced nightmares were deftly handled, and it adds a sense of authenticity to the narrative that makes the story all the more enthralling. Joe and Sophie are genuine people, and their relationship forms the heart of the story. You are instantly drawn to their story as both of them are likable characters who are easy to root for. This is the finest example of slow-burn storytelling. I had a wonderful time reading Dare Not Tell, and I would highly recommend it to other readers who enjoy historical fiction and romance novels.

Dare Not Tell by Elaine Schroller is a historical novel in which the past comes back to haunt the protagonist, threatening to destroy his sanity and marriage. When faced with the horrors of the past, can he still reconnect to the present and to what matters most in his life? It has been twenty years since Australian war veteran Joe Parker fought in France. At a time when he believes he has buried his demons, he undertakes a visit to the site of his cruelest battle, Villers-Bretonneux, together with his American wife, herself a wartime nurse. It is then that buried memories begin to surge. Things get worse when they visit the French Alps, and the walls of the Chamonix valley seem to close in on Joe, like the most horrible experience in the trenches. Sophie, his wife, begins to wonder if she knows Joe. How much has he hidden from her, and can she ever trust him again? This book takes readers on an emotional ride as Joe and Sophie struggle to deal with Joe's trauma while facing challenges with their marriage.

While Dare Not Tell will appeal to fans of historical novels, it is a well-crafted psychological thriller that explores the theme of war trauma. The novel is everything that a great thriller should be, and I adored the way Elaine Schroller explores the protagonist's inner world, allowing Joe’s anguish and pain to come across in the writing with unusual vividness. The interpersonal relationships are brilliantly written and in dazzling prose. Joe’s hidden secrets ignite the conflict. The momentum of the novel grows in magnitude as the plot progresses. In Dare Not Tell, Elaine Schroller unfurls a gripping, emotionally and psychologically rich narrative that explores trauma from a unique perspective.