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bookswithmaddi's review against another edition
2.0
The chances of me moving this down to 2 stars is really probable. It started off as a five star book and slowly made its way down. Between ridiculous metaphors, cringeworthy abrupt moments and just pure ANGST this book just wasn’t for me. The concept was wonderful but the execution was just lacking. I loved the characters but towards the end of the book they just REALLY frustrated me. If you’re a fan of angst 100% read this book.
eulsie's review against another edition
2.0
Y’all know that famous picture of that sailor kissing a nurse in the middle of the street during the end of WWII celebrations? So imagine what kind of life she led, who was was, and what happened to her after that camera snapped that photo. That’s basically what this book is about (fictional though it is). What if the girl in that photo had a cool story?
IM SO SAD. THE POTENTIAL WASTED... and it wasn’t the writing or the plot. It was Gwen, the main character, that bothered me the most. While she had a lot dumped on her plate, she was so whiny and repetitive that I grew to really be sick of her. If the she were more developed and deep, and not so flat and one dimensional, this book would’ve been so good.
John, her love interest and former POW in Europe, didn’t move me at all! For someone with ptsd, a new daughter, and a wife that left him, he has a lot to deal with that’s more important than Gwen being a pain in the rear. I wanted to like him, but he was just as flat as Gwen!
I love WWII era stories, and I will give some credit where it’s due— I thought the setting was well written. I liked Dot, Gwen’s friend. And the audiobook narrator was great. But that’s about where the pros end and a long list of cons start.
Ugh, that was disappointing, but hopefully I’ll read a great book next that’ll make up for it.
IM SO SAD. THE POTENTIAL WASTED... and it wasn’t the writing or the plot. It was Gwen, the main character, that bothered me the most. While she had a lot dumped on her plate, she was so whiny and repetitive that I grew to really be sick of her. If the she were more developed and deep, and not so flat and one dimensional, this book would’ve been so good.
John, her love interest and former POW in Europe, didn’t move me at all! For someone with ptsd, a new daughter, and a wife that left him, he has a lot to deal with that’s more important than Gwen being a pain in the rear. I wanted to like him, but he was just as flat as Gwen!
I love WWII era stories, and I will give some credit where it’s due— I thought the setting was well written. I liked Dot, Gwen’s friend. And the audiobook narrator was great. But that’s about where the pros end and a long list of cons start.
Ugh, that was disappointing, but hopefully I’ll read a great book next that’ll make up for it.
freckleduck's review against another edition
3.0
Interesting story. At times the writing felt awkward, the interesting narrative held the story together and helps the reader keep reading.
tffnymtg's review against another edition
5.0
I really enjoyed this book. it was everything I needed at just the right time.
jenlynnhill's review against another edition
3.0
I thought this was a decent book. A little out there with the main character being the nurse from the infamous post war kissing picture, but decent. It was a little predictable, and at times a little slowly paced, but overall, not bad.
atf1216's review against another edition
3.0
I really did like this book. It was a simple, straight forward good book. I had put it down for a few months but it was a quick, easy read and showed a little bit into the months after the war ended.
treparker73's review against another edition
3.0
Sweet
I love the history of the time of this book. Yes, awful war was around, bit times seemed simpler. The love story wasn’t easy here. Much like real life it took work.
I love the history of the time of this book. Yes, awful war was around, bit times seemed simpler. The love story wasn’t easy here. Much like real life it took work.
jseargeant's review
Originally published at Novel Escapism
Everyone else was celebrating. V-J Day, 1945. But Gwen Mullen returns to her apartment and her heart drops to the floor. There’s a soldier looking for her and she knows exactly why he has come. Almost a year prior, Gwen’s roommate left her baby in Gwen’s care and took off. Now her husband has returned home and is looking for his wife and child. Gwen is about to lose the little girl she has come to love as her own. Still, Gwen helps John learn to care for his daughter, even though she knows he will eventually take her away. This book has an interesting premise but the execution was slightly lacking. The plot felt choppy and melodramatic. Also, it had a weird shifting voice. The chapters from Gwen’s point of view were in the first person but the chapters from John’s were in the third person. I don’t know what purpose it served other than to be distracting. If Ms. Creel wanted to convey only Gwen’s inner monologue than she should have found a way to convey John’s feelings and actions from Gwen’s point of view.
Everyone else was celebrating. V-J Day, 1945. But Gwen Mullen returns to her apartment and her heart drops to the floor. There’s a soldier looking for her and she knows exactly why he has come. Almost a year prior, Gwen’s roommate left her baby in Gwen’s care and took off. Now her husband has returned home and is looking for his wife and child. Gwen is about to lose the little girl she has come to love as her own. Still, Gwen helps John learn to care for his daughter, even though she knows he will eventually take her away. This book has an interesting premise but the execution was slightly lacking. The plot felt choppy and melodramatic. Also, it had a weird shifting voice. The chapters from Gwen’s point of view were in the first person but the chapters from John’s were in the third person. I don’t know what purpose it served other than to be distracting. If Ms. Creel wanted to convey only Gwen’s inner monologue than she should have found a way to convey John’s feelings and actions from Gwen’s point of view.
popolover's review against another edition
3.0
A unique take on post WW2 America. It had a little bit of everything: A love story, losses, addiction, sadness, and happiness. A great little time killer book.