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ajs_reads_2's review against another edition
2.0
The synopsis sounded interesting and it started out good but unfortunately, it got worse as it went on for me.
The story was just very weak for me. There was no build up to anything. It felt like it just went from one plot point to another and it told what was happening instead of showing it. The conversations also felt unnatural as if the dialog just served to tell us how the characters felt and move along to the next scene.
Other nitpicking things bothered me as the story went on:
- editing issues like a pen turning into a pencil in the middle of a scene, characters standing up then being described as still seated, phrases being repeated multiple times
- injuries that characters should not have survived and then them being miraculous saved
- romance storylines that were bland and cliché
I wanted to like this one but it just didn't work for me. A lot of other WWII womens fiction is recommend over this one.
The story was just very weak for me. There was no build up to anything. It felt like it just went from one plot point to another and it told what was happening instead of showing it. The conversations also felt unnatural as if the dialog just served to tell us how the characters felt and move along to the next scene.
Other nitpicking things bothered me as the story went on:
- editing issues like a pen turning into a pencil in the middle of a scene, characters standing up then being described as still seated, phrases being repeated multiple times
- injuries that characters should not have survived and then them being miraculous saved
- romance storylines that were bland and cliché
I wanted to like this one but it just didn't work for me. A lot of other WWII womens fiction is recommend over this one.
tentabi's review against another edition
adventurous
informative
inspiring
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
cateck's review against another edition
5.0
Another amazing book from Soraya M. Lane! Her ability to tell you a story that takes you right into World War ll is incredible. Specifically showcasing women and the roles they carried in the war. This book told from female war correspondents view was so good and so terrifying at the same time. I can’t wait to read more of her books.
jove64's review against another edition
4.0
Women war correspondents in WWII is a great topic. There's a lot to work with in terms of historical material. Lots of good stories to tell. In this novel, Lane weaves together the stories of 3 women. Danni is an ambitious photographer willing to push the boundaries to advance her career and tell the stories that need to be told about the war in Europe. Ella is a journalist who has written under a male pseudonym to get published back at home but is somewhat cautious about taking on the established ways of working. She takes an opportunity that is beyond her dreams, and then slowly allows herself to be more bold. Chloe is a fashion model who is relatively insulated from the war in England and just wishes it would end. Annoyingly naive and privileged, she defies her brother's advice to risk going into occupied France to be with her lover. It's a toss up whether this was brave or foolish.
The stories of these 3 women start off separate but slowly interweave in interesting ways. Each of the women grows in interesting ways. Danni, fiercely independent, learns to trust others. Ella grows more confident and independent. And Chloe gets a clue and some judgement and ambition of her own. There are romance story lines for all 3 women but these are less well developed. The male characters are not as well developed. The story lines for Danni and Ella are the most nuanced and interesting. Chloe's story line jumps from naïveté to confident career woman a bit too easily. And the romantic story lines hit the main notes but with little development. This is partly a constraint of trying to do all of this in one book.
That said, the strength of this book is really in the developing relationship between the women. If you're here for the romance, it is definitely a sub-plot. The main story is about these women growing and developing in difficult circumstances, supporting each other to discover and achieve their dreams. In that Lane does a great job.
I enjoyed this book but I had also recently written another based on the same historical premise which means I can't help but compare them. [b:The French Photographer|42086847|The French Photographer|Natasha Lester|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1538114380l/42086847._SY75_.jpg|65639001] focused on one woman correspondent (a photographer) and made the romance a stronger element of the book. With fewer story lines to weave together, [a:Natasha Lester|4078079|Natasha Lester|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1573386177p2/4078079.jpg] was able to develop the male protagonist more and give more nuance to the romantic story line.
The stories of these 3 women start off separate but slowly interweave in interesting ways. Each of the women grows in interesting ways. Danni, fiercely independent, learns to trust others. Ella grows more confident and independent. And Chloe gets a clue and some judgement and ambition of her own. There are romance story lines for all 3 women but these are less well developed. The male characters are not as well developed. The story lines for Danni and Ella are the most nuanced and interesting. Chloe's story line jumps from naïveté to confident career woman a bit too easily. And the romantic story lines hit the main notes but with little development. This is partly a constraint of trying to do all of this in one book.
That said, the strength of this book is really in the developing relationship between the women. If you're here for the romance, it is definitely a sub-plot. The main story is about these women growing and developing in difficult circumstances, supporting each other to discover and achieve their dreams. In that Lane does a great job.
I enjoyed this book but I had also recently written another based on the same historical premise which means I can't help but compare them. [b:The French Photographer|42086847|The French Photographer|Natasha Lester|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1538114380l/42086847._SY75_.jpg|65639001] focused on one woman correspondent (a photographer) and made the romance a stronger element of the book. With fewer story lines to weave together, [a:Natasha Lester|4078079|Natasha Lester|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1573386177p2/4078079.jpg] was able to develop the male protagonist more and give more nuance to the romantic story line.
ashleyfuhr's review against another edition
5.0
I really enjoyed this story by Soraya Lane. I have read a lot of her work, and this definitely stands out as one of her better novels.
Following female war correspondents as they fight to be heard in a world dominated by men, this story takes you alongside a writer and photographer who bend and break the rules to get access to the front lines, They are adamant about bringing the raw truth of war to the world, but are hindered by sensorship and their gender.
I think it's important to point out that this is a FICTION ROMANCE novel, as well as a historical piece. If you're looking for a gritty WWII novel, this probably isn't the one. While there are moments of intensity, they are largely smoothed over to instead showcase the growth and thought process of the character(s). The war is not the focus of the story, the women are.
This is definitely a book I would read again and recommend to a friend.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a free, electronic ARC of this novel received in exchange for an honest review.
Following female war correspondents as they fight to be heard in a world dominated by men, this story takes you alongside a writer and photographer who bend and break the rules to get access to the front lines, They are adamant about bringing the raw truth of war to the world, but are hindered by sensorship and their gender.
I think it's important to point out that this is a FICTION ROMANCE novel, as well as a historical piece. If you're looking for a gritty WWII novel, this probably isn't the one. While there are moments of intensity, they are largely smoothed over to instead showcase the growth and thought process of the character(s). The war is not the focus of the story, the women are.
This is definitely a book I would read again and recommend to a friend.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a free, electronic ARC of this novel received in exchange for an honest review.
kittietta's review against another edition
5.0
I loved this book! Has great gripping war scenes, wonderful love stories, great stories of friendship that develops during difficult times. Covers what female's went through to get equality during the time of WWII. The characters are life like and I really liked them.
Giving a 5 star rating
Giving a 5 star rating
oviyabalan's review against another edition
5.0
Three strong, daring women. Three awesome, loveable men. One of the finest, fast-paced historical fiction there is. I was stunned by the interesting details. I applaud the author for this wonderful story. I definitely recommend this to everyone who likes to read about strong women.
Thanks to Netgalley for the arc.
Thanks to Netgalley for the arc.
jenbsbooks's review
3.25
Included in KindleUnlimited, audio&text - my subscription is coming to an end, so KU books have been pushed up on my TBR list. This was fine, WW2 historical fiction/romance. I didn't really feel like I learned anything noteworthy or new.
3rd person/Past tense ... we have three main POVs ... (1) Ella - a journalist from the US (2) Danni - a photographer from the US (3) Chloe- a model from the UK. The timeline stays pretty much chronological, starting in July 1943 for all three women.
While technically this dealt with some difficult situations (death and injury of war) it all still felt a little light. Maybe that was partially because these women were on the outside looking in, literally. They were "covering" the war, as a journalist, as a photographer, not actually IN the trenches themselves, even though they were in dangerous situations. The way things came together and wrapped up also had a bit of an "after school special/Hallmark" feel, even when everything wasn't absolutely happily ever after. There were some character deaths to mourn, but still a little unrealistically positive and perfect.
Title tie in and cover ... no "ahhh" moment or feeling, just felt a little thrown on. Ella is the "correspondent" ... is that supposed to be her on the cover? Why does she get top billing when it's more a story of all three women. I'm never sure what a better title would be, or cover image, but this came off generic to me.
Personal Pet Peeve ... I wish the Table of Contents included the POV/Headings. It's such a help in audio to be able to glance at the chapter and see the POV listed as well (with constant stop/starts in can be all to easy to forget which POV is happening, and often having to wait a little before it is again revealed within the chapter text). Also, I often want to review a portion here and there, and maybe knowing it was in a Chloe section, I know which chapters to turn to if the header is included in the TOC, instead of having to flip through them all to find what I'm looking for.
No proFanity - a little sex, although nothing explicit, mostly closed door. Violence/gore was fairly mild for a book about war as well. Pretty PG.
3rd person/Past tense ... we have three main POVs ... (1) Ella - a journalist from the US (2) Danni - a photographer from the US (3) Chloe- a model from the UK. The timeline stays pretty much chronological, starting in July 1943 for all three women.
While technically this dealt with some difficult situations (death and injury of war) it all still felt a little light. Maybe that was partially because these women were on the outside looking in, literally. They were "covering" the war, as a journalist, as a photographer, not actually IN the trenches themselves, even though they were in dangerous situations. The way things came together and wrapped up also had a bit of an "after school special/Hallmark" feel, even when everything wasn't absolutely happily ever after. There were some character deaths to mourn, but still a little unrealistically positive and perfect.
Title tie in and cover ... no "ahhh" moment or feeling, just felt a little thrown on. Ella is the "correspondent" ... is that supposed to be her on the cover? Why does she get top billing when it's more a story of all three women. I'm never sure what a better title would be, or cover image, but this came off generic to me.
Personal Pet Peeve ... I wish the Table of Contents included the POV/Headings. It's such a help in audio to be able to glance at the chapter and see the POV listed as well (with constant stop/starts in can be all to easy to forget which POV is happening, and often having to wait a little before it is again revealed within the chapter text). Also, I often want to review a portion here and there, and maybe knowing it was in a Chloe section, I know which chapters to turn to if the header is included in the TOC, instead of having to flip through them all to find what I'm looking for.
No proFanity - a little sex, although nothing explicit, mostly closed door. Violence/gore was fairly mild for a book about war as well. Pretty PG.
caslater83's review
3.0
Good book.
This book was okay. I think it needed a "Cast of characters" page to help us remember everyone better. The interaction between characters is well done is good. I hated that Andy didn't make it, but his death drove the story further, so it turned out well. I felt sorry for Chloe. She loved her man so much, but he loved his work more than her. Danni and Ella start off with a tumultuous relationship, but Andy's death forges their bond. War is hell and you must either come to terms with it or be consumed. All in all, a good story.
This book was okay. I think it needed a "Cast of characters" page to help us remember everyone better. The interaction between characters is well done is good. I hated that Andy didn't make it, but his death drove the story further, so it turned out well. I felt sorry for Chloe. She loved her man so much, but he loved his work more than her. Danni and Ella start off with a tumultuous relationship, but Andy's death forges their bond. War is hell and you must either come to terms with it or be consumed. All in all, a good story.