Book Review with Featured Author: The Secrets of Latimer House by Jules Wake

The Secrets of Latimer House 

by Jules Wake

 

Publisher & Release: One More Chapter, Harper Collins, August 30, 2021

Setting:  WWII 1943, England

Genre: Historical Fiction

Length:  Full Length

Rating: 3.5 Gold Crowns

Book Description: 

In the war against Hitler every secret counts…

 

Society heiress Evelyn Brooke-Edwards is a skilled interrogator – her beauty making her a non-threat in the eyes of the prisoners.

Farm girl Betty Connors may not be able to type as she claimed, but her crack analytical skills soon find her unearthing covert connections.

German ex-pat Judith Stern never expected to find herself listening in to German POW’s whispered conversations, but the Nazis took her father from her so she will do whatever it takes to help the Allies end this war.

Billeted together in the attic of Latimer House – a place where secrets abound – Evelyn, Betty and Judith soon form a bond of friendship that carries them through the war. Because nothing is stronger than women united.

Tucked away in the Buckinghamshire countryside, Latimer House, a grand country estate, stands proudly – a witness to some of greatest secrets of WW2.

Used by the SOE to hold Nazi prisoners of war, this stunning historical novel is inspired by the untold story of the secret listeners of ‘M Room’ who worked day and night to help the Allies win the war. A must-read for fans of Dinah Jefferies, Fiona Valpy, Elaine Everest, Jean Fullerton and Deborah Burrowes.

 

Buy Links:

 

Amazon: https://smile.amazon.com/Secrets-Latimer-House-gripping-historical-ebook/dp/B093D2DCJ7

Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-secrets-of-latimer-house-jules-wake/1139348297

KOBO: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/the-secrets-of-latimer-house

Google Play: https://play.google.com/store/books/details/Jules_Wake_The_Secrets_of_Latimer_House?id=qAkrEAAAQBAJ

Audible: https://www.audible.com/pd/The-Secrets-of-Latimer-House-Audiobook/B09DGNX2PW?qid=1630325006&sr=1-1&ref=a_search_c3_lProduct_1_1&pf_rd_p=83218cca-c308-412f-bfcf-90198b687a2f&pf_rd_r=GV9V35GFCMG55SX1864Y

 

 

Add to Goodreads & BookBub:

 

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/58181149-the-secrets-of-latimer-house

BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/books/the-secrets-of-latimer-house-by-jules-wake

 

Vikki’s Musings

 

Thanks go to the publisher and Net-Galley for the complimentary digital copy of The Secrets of Latimer House by Jules Wake. I voluntarily agreed to read and review this novel prior to publication. My opinions are my own, and nothing has influenced my rating.

 

The Secrets of Latimer House is a well written novel, and the central theme is based in part on a true historical fact regarding the “M Room”, and I enjoyed that. However, the execution of this was a bit superficial. The basis of the story is the friendship between three young women and how the war affected them with a great deal of emphasis on their love life.

 

Whenever multiple characters are primary, the depth of them is less than what is found in most novels, whether they are historical fiction or romance. It becomes a bit convoluted to follow multiple characters. It helped that the three women come from vastly different backgrounds.

 

While I enjoyed the romantic elements involving the three women, there wasn’t as much heart pounding action I’ve come to expect in most of the WWII novels I read, and I’ve read quite a few of them this year.

 

If you enjoy historical fiction set during WWII with engaging characters and an interesting plot, then you will like The Secrets of Latimer House. This is the first book I’ve read by Ms. Wake, and from what I can tell, her other works are romances, which explains why this novel leans heavily on that aspect of the story. I love romance, but the book description is a bit misleading since it focuses on the women and their work at Latimer House. Nonetheless, this was an enjoyable read, and I will check out the author’s other books. Several of the book descriptions sound delightful. Happy reading!

 

Author Bio:

 

Jules Wake's earliest known declaration that she planned to be a writer came at the age of ten. Along the way she was diverted by the glamorous world of PR and worked on many luxury brands, taking journalists on press trips to awful places like Turin, Milan, Geneva, Paris, Brussels and Amsterdam and occasionally losing the odd member of the press in an airport. It gave her the opportunity to eat amazing food, drink free alcohol as well as providing opportunities to hone her writing skills on press releases and to research European cities for her books.

Eventually the voices in her head persuaded her it was time to sit down and write the novel she'd always talked about. Her debut novel in 2014, was quickly followed by the bestselling From Italy With Love, published by One More Chapter, HarperCollins, which reached number 1 in the Amazon Kindle charts. 

 

Social Media:

Website: http://juleswake.co.uk/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jules.wake

Twitter: https://twitter.com/Juleswake

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/juleswakeauthor/

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/juleswake/_saved/

BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/jules-wake

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7289627.Jules_Wake

 

Book Review with Featured Author: All Night Long with a Cowboy by Caitlin Crews

All Night Long with a Cowboy 

by Caitlin Crews

 

 

Publisher & Release: St. Martin’s Press, August 24, 2021

Setting:  Cold River, Colorado

Genre: Contemporary Western Romance

Length: 363 Pages

Heat Level: 1 Flame

Rating: 4 Gold Crowns

Book Description: 

USA Today bestseller Caitlin Crews returns with All Night Long with a Cowboy," another emotional romance in her stunning cowboy series Kittredge Ranch.

If you play with fire…

One of the most notorious cowboys in Cold River, Jensen Kittredge always has willing women with sweet smiles vying for a place in his bed. So when the prissy high school librarian sidles up to him in the most disreputable bar in town with a scowl on her face, he has no idea what to make of it. Much less the attraction he feels toward the bespectacled creature who wants something from him… but not that. Yet.

Someone gets burned…

Harriett Barnett doesn’t care for dens of iniquity— or the insolent cowboy she certainly shouldn’t find attractive. But one of her students needs her help, and if she needs to corral the infamous Jensen to save him, she will. Trouble is, the town’s favorite Kittredge brother is a lot more than she bargained for. Harriett's happy little life is orderly and neat, just how she likes it—until Jensen blows it all apart with his particular brand of addictive passion. Can a modern-day schoolmarm really tame the wildest cowboy in town? Or is Harriet headed for a terrible fall?

 

Buy Links:

Amazon: https://smile.amazon.com/Night-Long-Cowboy-Kittredge-Ranch-ebook/dp/B08R2K6XV8

Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/all-night-long-with-a-cowboy-caitlin-crews/1138461933

KOBO: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/all-night-long-with-a-cowboy

Google Play: https://play.google.com/store/books/details/Caitlin_Crews_All_Night_Long_with_a_Cowboy?id=ESIQEAAAQBAJ

Audible: https://www.audible.com/pd/All-Night-Long-with-a-Cowboy-Audiobook/162461759X?qid=1629804098&sr=1-1&ref=a_search_c3_lProduct_1_1&pf_rd_p=83218cca-c308-412f-bfcf-90198b687a2f&pf_rd_r=A66ZTFZ5NAFHY4D2ZEEZ

 

Add to Goodreads & BookBub:

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/56269080-all-night-long-with-a-cowboy?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=XXZHiJYQSw&rank=1

BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/books/all-night-long-with-a-cowboy-by-caitlin-crews

 

Vikki’s Musings

 

Thanks go to the publisher and Net-Galley for the complimentary digital copy of All Night Long with a Cowboy by Caitlin Crews. I voluntarily agree to read and review this unique novel prior to publication. My opinions are my own, and nothing has influenced my rating.

 

All Night Long with a Cowboy is an emotionally charged western romance set in small-town USA. The novel is well-written with endearing characters and a unique plot. The pacing pulled me in from the start and kept me engaged until the end.

 

Harriett Barnett is the heroine, and I thoroughly enjoyed her character. It’s what makes this book unique since she’s an introvert who is the local librarian in Cold River. She’s not the typical heroine as many romances have in this sub-genre. She’s not a hard riding cowgirl, so that’s what makes this tale unique.

 

She isn’t sure about becoming involved with the hero, but the attraction is too irresistible to ignore. I felt her confusion and anxiety on whether to believe this handsome cowboy could possibly be interested in her for anything other than a fling. She has never entered into a intimate relationship, let allow one that could only be temporary.

 

Jenson Kittridge is the hero, and he doesn’t do permanent. The guilt from his past has him convinced he doesn’t deserve the love of a good women. This is why he only has unemotional hook ups with women who know the score. 

 

When he meets the pint-sized heroine, he’s amazed by the strong emotions she stirs in him. I loved seeing the way he copes with the revelation his feelings are so much more than he’s ever enjoyed. Harriett has him agreeing to things he never has in the past. Against his better judgement, he finds himself mentoring a troubled teen. 

 

The romance between Harriett and Jenson surprises both characters. Harriett, because she’s never become friends with anyone like Jenson, and Jenson, because he doesn’t have female friends, especially one who has his emotions churning in ways that has him wanting to run to his cabin, fearing what is possible if he stays. All though this pair are so different, they are perfect for each other, and I wanted them to find their happy ending.

 

If you enjoy contemporary western romance with characters, you’ll want to hug them and tell them “It’s okay,” then you will love All Night Long with a Cowboy as much as I did. This is the second book in Ms. Crews’ Kettridge Ranch series, a spin-off of her Cold River Ranch series. I read the previous novel as well and both are engaging reads, and I can’t wait to read the next one. Happy reading!

 

Author Bio:

 

USA Today-bestselling, RITA-nominated, and critically-acclaimed author Caitlin Crews has written more than 100 books, including Frenemies, Princess from the Past, A Royal Without Rules, and Undone by the Sultan's Touch. She's won fans with romances, Harlequin Presents, women's fiction, chick lit, and work-for-hire young adult novels, many of which she writes as Megan Crane (including the dystopian Viking romance Edge series). These days her focus is on contemporary romance in all its forms, from small town heat to international glamour, cowboys to bikers to military men and beyond. She's taught creative writing classes in places like UCLA Extension's prestigious Writers' Program, gives assorted workshops on occasion, and attempts to make use of the MA and PhD in English Literature she received from the University of York in York, England. She currently lives in the Pacific Northwest with a husband who draws comics and animation storyboards, and their menagerie of ridiculous animals.

 

Social Media:

Website: https://megancrane.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MeganCraneAndCaitlinCrews

Twitter: https://twitter.com/megancrane

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/meganmcrane/

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/meganandcaitlin/_saved/

BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/caitlin-crews

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/3013309.Caitlin_Crews

 

 

Book Review with Featured Author: Along Came a Lady by Christi Caldwell

Along Came a Lady by Christi Caldwell

 

Publisher & Release: Berkley, August 24, 2021

Setting:  Regency England

Genre: Historical Romance

Length: 316 Pages

Heat Level: 1 Flame

Rating: 4.5 Gold Crowns

Book Description: 

The brooding, illegitimate son of a duke meets his match in the determined woman hired to transform him into a gentleman from USA Today bestselling author Christi Caldwell—perfect for fans of Bridgerton.

Rafe Audley lives to thwart his father, the Duke of Bentley. The ne’er do well who abandoned his children claims he wants to make up for his failures, but Rafe only cares about protecting the people of his mining community and providing for his three siblings, who've been his sole responsibility since childhood. So far, Rafe has turned away the duke's man of affairs, solicitor, and other interlopers, until the clever duke sends the unlikeliest of people to convince Rafe to join English High Society—a bold and intriguing woman.

Edwina Dalrymple has never failed a charge. She's quite adept at successfully transforming young women of the gentry and daughters of newly minted lords to take their place in society. Taming a bastard son of a duke will be child's play, plus this job promises to enhance her reputation within the ton. All she has to do is fetch the wayward Rafe and groom him to be presentable to Polite Society. 

As the tenacious teacher and her domineering, stubborn, refuses-to-be-taught pupil engage in a fiery battle of wills, their chemistry ignites and the true lesson becomes clear: opposites attract and hearts must be heard.

 

Buy Links:

 

Amazon: https://smile.amazon.com/Along-Came-Lady-Dukes-Sins-ebook/dp/B08TTWF6VB

Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/along-came-a-lady-christi-caldwell/1138668537

KOBO: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/along-came-a-lady

Google Play: https://play.google.com/store/books/details/Christi_Caldwell_Along_Came_a_Lady?id=8bMWEAAAQBAJ

Audible: https://www.audible.com/pd/Along-Came-a-Lady-Audiobook/0593458273?qid=1629401241&sr=1-1&ref=a_search_c3_lProduct_1_1&pf_rd_p=83218cca-c308-412f-bfcf-90198b687a2f&pf_rd_r=850HKKPBFDJ5847DFJFA

 

Add to Goodreads & BookBub:

 

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/56982982-along-came-a-lady

BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/books/along-came-a-lady-by-christi-caldwell

 

Vikki’s Musings

 

Thanks go to the publisher and Net-Galley for the complimentary digital copy of Along Came a Lady by Christi Caldwell. I voluntarily agreed to read and review this emotional novel prior to publication. My opinions are my own, and nothing has influenced my rating.

 

Along Came a Lady is another well-written Regency romance with delightful characters and a heartfelt plot. The pacing pulled me in from the first page and held my attention to the last, and there’s no slow-down in the middle!

 

Edwina Dalrymple is the lovely heroine. She’d had to find a path professionally that will give her access to the ton as a woman who can train young debutantes to face the rigors of high society. Because of her illegitimacy, she carries a lot of shame and doesn’t believe she can fit in anywhere. I could feel her emotions and sympathized with her. I loved her grit and her never take no for an answer!

 

Rafe Audley is the hero, and his loyalty to his family won me over right away. He’s had to carve out a place of importance as a foreman in the coal mine. When his powerful father finds a way to circumvent his determination to never give in to the man who sired him and abandoned him and his sibling, my heart went out to him.

 

The romance between Edwina and Rafe is sweet and grows into what I believe is an abiding love. Another aspect of this romantic tale is the sexual tension between the pair. I love this in Regency romance. I truly wanted them to find their way to each other. This is difficult since both suffer from feelings of abandonment and find it nearly impossible to trust anyone. At least Rafe has his siblings who support and love him. Edwina has no one.

 

If you enjoy Regency romance with endearing characters and an emotionally charged plot, then you will love Along Came a Lady. Ms. Caldwell is an amazing author. I have yet to read one of her books that didn’t pull on my heartstrings. Happy reading!

 

Author Bio:

 

USA TODAY Bestselling, RITA-nominated author CHRISTI CALDWELL blames Julie Garwood and Judith McNaught for luring her into the world of historical romance. While sitting in her graduate school apartment at the University of Connecticut, Christi decided to set aside her notes and pick up her laptop to try her hand at romance. She believes the most perfect heroes and heroines have imperfections, and she rather enjoys torturing them before crafting them a well-deserved happily ever after! 

Christi makes her home in southern Connecticut where she spends her time writing her own enchanting historical romances and caring for her three spirited children! 

If you'd like the latest information about Christi's releases, future books, and free bonus material, be sure and subscribe to her newsletter! 

 

Social Media:

Website: http://christicaldwell.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorChristiCaldwell/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/christicaldwell

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5297089.Christi_Caldwell

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/christicaldwellauthor/

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/caldwell0119/

BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/christi-caldwell

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/kindle-dbs/entity/author

 

 

Book Review with Featured Author: What Shows the Heart by Karen A. Wyle

 

What Shows the Heart by Karen Wyle

 

Publisher & Release: Independently Published, July 13, 2021

Setting:  Late 1800s, Cowbird Creek

Genre: Historical Romance

Length: 268 Pages

Rating: 4.5 Gold Crowns

Book Description: 

Will he reveal his secret? Will she expose her heart?

After Jake, son and grandson of preachers, tried and failed to protect Mamie from small town cruelty, Mamie left their small town to fend for herself. Neither expected to see each other again. Now, many years later, Jake is a bitter man with little beside regrets, and Mamie, after much struggle and hazard, runs the thriving parlor house in Cowbird Creek. Can they make a future together, or will the shadow of Jake's past overtake them both?

 

Buy Links:

 

Amazon: https://smile.amazon.com/What-Shows-Heart-Cowbird-Creek-ebook/dp/B099DHLCM9

 

FREE on Kindle Unlimited

 

Add to Goodreads & BookBub:

 

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/58742467-what-shows-the-heart

BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/books/what-shows-the-heart-cowbird-creek-book-3-by-karen-a-wyle

 

Vikki’s Musings

 

Thanks goes to the author for suggesting I read and review What Shows the Heart by Karen Wyle. Since it’s part of Kindle Unlimited, I borrowed it. 

 

What Shows the Heart is a lovely historical romance set in the late 1800s. I enjoyed the characters, especially the women in the “Parlor House”. I also enjoyed seeing the characters from the first two books in this series. The pacing pulled me in from the start and kept me engaged until the end.  

 

Mamie is the heroine, and what an unusual female lead. Even though Mamie’s profession is far from typical for an historical romance, it worked for this story. She is protective of her girls and determined to succeed against all odds. 

 

Jake is our hero, and I LOVED him from the start. His softer side pulled into the story, and my admiration for him grew. His acceptance of Mamie’s position as the owner and operator of the Parlor House, had me melting.

 

The romance between Mamie and Jake is sweet and lovely. The tender touches, the building of the sexual tension is amazing. I enjoyed being part of their love story, and they are perfect for each other. I truly wanted them to find their happy ending.

 

If you enjoy historical romance with endearing characters and a unique plot, then you will love What Shows the Heart as much as I did. I have thoroughly enjoyed this heartwarming series. I am so glad I found Karen Wyle’s books. Happy reading!

 

Author Bio:

 

Karen A. Wyle was born a Connecticut Yankee, but eventually settled in Bloomington, Indiana, home of Indiana University. She now considers herself a Hoosier. She is an appellate attorney, photographer, political junkie, and mother of two daughters.

Wyle's fiction includes various varieties of science fiction, historical romance, and afterlife fantasy -- so far. She has also written one nonfiction resource, explaining American law to authors, law students, and anyone else interested in better understanding the legal landscape. 
Her voice is the product of almost five decades of reading both literary and genre fiction. It is no doubt also influenced, although she hopes not fatally tainted, by her years of law practice. Her personal history has led her to focus on often-intertwined themes of family, communication, the impossibility of controlling events, and the persistence of unfinished business.

 

Social Media:

Website: https://www.karenawyle.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KarenAWyle

Twitter: https://twitter.com/KarenAWyle

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kawyle/

BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/karen-a-wyle

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5252444.Karen_A_Wyle

Book Review with Featured Author: Devil in Disguise by Lisa Leypas

Devil in Disguise by Lisa Kleypas

 

Publisher & Release: Avon, July 27, 2021

Setting:  1880, London

Genre: Historical Romance

Length: 379 Pages

Heat Level: 2 Flames

Rating: 3.5 Gold Crowns

Book Description: 

New York Times bestseller Lisa Kleypas returns with an enthralling and steamy romance between a Scot with a mysterious past and strong-willed lady looking for adventure—and love. 

“The devil never tries to make people do the wrong thing by scaring them. He does it by tempting them.”

Lady Merritt Sterling, a strong-willed beauty who runs a shipping company, knows London society is dying to catch her in a scandal. So far, she’s been too smart to provide them with one. But then she meets Keir MacRae, a rough-and-rugged Scottish whisky distiller, and all her sensible plans vanish like smoke. They couldn’t be more different, but their attraction is powerful, raw and irresistible.

From the moment Keir MacRae arrives in London, he has two goals. One: don’t fall in love with the dazzling Lady Merritt Sterling. Two: avoid being killed.

So far, neither of those is going well.

Keir doesn’t know why someone wants him dead until fate reveals the secret of his mysterious past. His world is thrown into upheaval, and the only one he trusts is Merritt.

Their passion blazes with an intensity Merritt has never known before, making her long for the one thing she can’t have from Keir MacRae: forever. As danger draws closer, she’ll do whatever it takes to save the man she loves . . . even knowing he might be the devil in disguise.

 

Buy Links:

 

Amazon: https://smile.amazon.com/Devil-Disguise-Lisa-Kleypas-ebook/dp/B08LQ3PBNS

Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/devil-in-disguise-lisa-kleypas/1137971654

KOBO: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/devil-in-disguise-9

Google Play: https://play.google.com/store/books/details/Lisa_Kleypas_Devil_in_Disguise?id=prcEEAAAQBAJ

Audible: https://www.audible.com/pd/Devil-in-Disguise-Audiobook/0063093162?qid=1628452138&sr=1-1&ref=a_search_c3_lProduct_1_1&pf_rd_p=83218cca-c308-412f-bfcf-90198b687a2f&pf_rd_r=3DZPWEVKHFVYD2CKPPV0

 

Add to Goodreads & BookBub:

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/51178326-devil-in-disguise?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=WUL7QH3muP&rank=2

BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/books/devil-in-disguise-by-lisa-kleypas

 

Vikki’s Musings

 

Thanks go to the publisher and Net-Galley for the complimentary digital copy of Devil in Disguise. I voluntarily agreed to read and review this book. My opinions are my own, and nothing has influenced my rating.

 

Devil in Disguise is a well written historical romance with engaging characters and a unique plot. The pacing pulled me in from the first page and held my attention to the last. This one is a bit light on the historical aspect, but it didn’t lessen my enjoyment.

 

Lady Merritt is the heroine, and she’s a very determined, strong-minded woman and runs her late husband’s shipping company with a firm hand. I liked her character and enjoyed her interactions with others.

 

Keir MacRae is the hero, and his honor and integrity is impressive. The mystery surrounding who wants him dead pulled me in, but alas it fizzled and didn’t end up nearly as exciting as I had anticipated.

 

Now about the romance. While I believe in love at first sight, this went too fast for me. The instant jump into bed just didn’t work for me. There was no sexual tension build up which is an aspect of historical romance I love. The sexual scenes are too focused on the physical rather than the emotions of the characters.

 

If you enjoy historical romance that have a lot of spice and graphic sexual scenes, then Devil in Disguise may work better for you than it did for me. It may all be on me because my reading preferences have changed over the last eighteen months. Happy reading!

 

Author Bio:

Lisa Kleypas is the author of a number of historical romance novels that have been published in fourteen languages. In 1985, she was named Miss Massachusetts and competed in the Miss America pageant in Atlantic City. After graduating from Wellesley College with a political science degree, she published her first novel at age twenty-one. Her books have appeared on the New York Times bestseller lists. Lisa is married and has two children.

 

Social Media:

Website: https://lisakleypas.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LisaKleypas/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lisakleypas/

BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/lisa-kleypas

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/27847.Lisa_Kleypas

 

Book Review with Featured Author: I'll Be Seeing You by Rosie Archer

I’ll be Seeing You by Rosie Archer

 

Publisher & Release: Quercus Publishing, 08.05,2021

Setting: WWII, England 

Genre: Historical Fiction

Length: 352 Pages

Rating: 4 Gold Crowns

Book Description: 

A World War 2 saga to warm the heart. Three women become friends when working in their local picture house. When life is so tough for everyone, a trip to the pictures is the perfect way to escape, to dream of romance and hope for the good things peace will bring.

It is 1943 on England's war-weary south coast where the conflict seems never-ending. After the heartache of the previous year, Connie Baxter now appears to have everything a girl could want. There is Ace, a man who loves her. She enjoys an enviable lifestyle despite the deprivations of war. She has friends and a job she adores as an usherette at the Criterion cinema. But appearances can be deceptive and Connie is struggling in more ways than one.

Then, to compound Connie's problem, her nemesis, Cousin Marlene, returns home. Secrets come to light, revealing jealousies that could shatter Connie's world once more, and Connie realizes that Ace isn't the man she thought he was. 

In the darkest days of war, the glamour of movies and their stars can lift the bleakest of moods, while friends make the good times better and the bad times bearable.

 

Buy Links:

 

Amazon: https://smile.amazon.com/Ill-Be-Seeing-You-nostalgia-ebook/dp/B08X4B1ZMG

Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/ill-be-seeing-you-rosie-archer/1138875872

KOBO: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/i-ll-be-seeing-you-32

Google Play: https://play.google.com/store/books/details/Rosie_Archer_I_ll_Be_Seeing_You?id=jGAfEAAAQBAJ

 

Add to Goodreads:

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/57176353-i-ll-be-seeing-you?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=l4acs8Z7G3&rank=1

 

Vikki’s Musings

 

Thanks go to the publisher and Net-Galley for the complimentary digital copy of I’ll be Seeing You by Rosie Archer. I voluntarily agreed to read and review this novel. My opinions are my own, and nothing has influenced my rating.

 

I’ll be Seeing You is a well written historical novel with engaging characters and an enthralling plot. The pacing pulled me into the story from the beginning and kept me enmeshed until the end. I enjoyed the history of cinema during WWII. I can vaguely remember going to the movies as a very young child, watching the organ rising from below, the cartoons, and news reels playing on the big screen. 

 

Connie Baxter is the main protagonist, and I enjoyed her character a great deal. She has a bit of a whimsical side, especially at the start. She shows a great deal of growth, giving her more depth. She’s a loyal, willing to help her friend, Queenie, deal with grave life decisions. I also loved her relationship with her aunt.

 

Ace, the man in her life is not the hero in this tale. I found him a fascinating character, even though he’s not really a good man. Ace does have a great deal of kindness, so it’s hard to not develop a soft spot for him.

 

What I liked the most about this story was that it shows how ordinary people deal with the horrors of war. It shows how life goes on, even when the world is falling apart. While the moral compass in these characters is not stellar, their flaws make the plot believable.

 

If you enjoy historical fiction with a fantastic array of characters, and a plot that takes you back to a different time than you have lived, then you will enjoy I’ll be Seeing You as much as I did. Rosie Archer adds plenty of tidbits of what it must have been like to live during WWII. Happy reading!

 

 

Author Bio:

 

Rosie Archer was born in Gosport, Hampshire, where she still lives. She has had a variety of jobs including waitress, fruit picker, barmaid, shop assistant and market trader selling second-hand books. Rosie is the author of several Second World War sagas set on the south coast of England, as well as a series of gangster sagas under the name June Hampson. 

 

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