Really enjoyable read. Good characters and a Good story. Well worth a read. Think others will enjoy.

Daisy was not happy she couldn’t get a hold of her mother - Lorraine- who had turned off her phone to save the battery. They were at the Surf Ballroom- it is the Fireman’s Ball they are honoring Daisy’s late father and Lorraine's late husband Sid. The original Surf Ballroom had burnt down and no one ever did figure out why it had burnt and was rebuilt. into the one they were in today.which was built in 1948. Lorraine was eighteen.Lorraine and Sid had met at The Surf Ballroom so most thought. Sid had died last year. Sid had volunteered for the fire department for many years. When Lorraine was younger anything could send her mother to her bed like when her son -Pete- had left to go to boot camp and again when he was leaving to be shipped out. Then Lorraine's father was hiring Nazi’s from a POW camp as he couldn’t do everything on the farm himself now that his son was serving his country. Lorraine mother was totally against it. Sid had to keep up a grueling schedule since Pete went away to boot camp. Sometimes he was too tired to even eat before falling asleep. Now Pete was being shipped off and Sid couldn’t do it alone. Lorraine had been a inspiring singer when in her teens. Lorraine’s parents fight over Sid’s use of the men from the POW camp on the farm. But Lorraine is intrigued with the POWs who work on their farm and becomes friends with a German soldier named Jens who plays the saxophone. Lorraine is also dating her first boyfriend named Scotty. Lorraine is torn between the German soldier Jens and and Scotty who is from a good family. Many people in the town they lived in didn’t like the POWs because many of their loved ones had died fighting the Germans. Lorraine’s son in law Harry is the fire chief and wants to use the technology they now had to figure out why the original Surf Ballroom had burned down. When her son in law mentioned it to Lorraine she changed the subject.
I had mixed feelings about this book but I still liked this book but it bounced around a lot and there were too many elements in the story. I liked that the author showed the tension and the mistrust of the German POW soldiers.. Also the German people during and after the war. I felt this was similar to a couple of other books. I loved the relationship between Lorraine and her father. There were some characters I would have like to know what happened to them. I didn’t especially like the jumping from the 1940s to the 2000s So I had mixed feelings about this book

Loved this book
Didn't want it to end
Highly recommended

I hated so many characters in the first chapter that I had to put this down.

Lorraine Kindred returns to the Surf Ballroom for the first time in years. The original Surf Ballroom was destroyed by a fire and rebuilt. So many memories and life changes occurred here for Lorraine. She sang there with famous big time bands. It was the last place Buddy Holly sang. Her memories take her back to a time in the 1940’s when she had to make a choice for herself and love. She has also been keeping a secret since the fire, one that her Son-in-Law is trying to discover. Will the ghosts of the pasts catch up with her?

This book was not at all what I thought it would be. It was SO much better, though. The fact this book is centered around an actual famous ballroom is unique. I had never heard of it (guess I’m not a Buddy Holly fan). I had also never heard of German prisoners of war being held in camps in the United States. I consider myself an educated person and love historical stuff, and I have NEVER heard of that before. I can’t imagine how hard it was for families like Lorraine’s that sent one child off to war and used the enemy prisoners for much needed free labor. I’m sure there was an emotional struggle as well as a social stigma. Because of this book, I actually did a little research on these camps.

The aspects I really enjoyed in this story, were when Lorraine has gone away to college and really has to face her future head on. Does she take the easy path, marry the hometown boy and make her mom happy? If so, her future is set. She will have a beautiful home and the future most young girls want, but without her music. Does she follow her heart and risk alienating her family? She may be living from paycheck to paycheck, but she would be singing and traveling with the man she loves. As much as the story was centered around this ballroom, it was really a coming of age story. The way it wrapped up was perfect to me. I thoroughly enjoyed this and would highly recommend it. Four out of five stars for me.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for providing a copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

I knew that this would be a special book from the first page. Stars over Clear Lake by Loretta Ellsworth tells the story of Lorraine. This story is narrated in two timelines. One is in the 1940s and the second one in 2007. In 2007, Lorraine goes to a Ballroom which sparks memories of events that took place in 1943. The story shifts between the two timelines connecting the past and the present. We find out about events that happened in the 1940s which reveal the secrets of the present day.

This book just made me feel good. I wanted to keep reading it. I needed to know how it would all end but I had to stop myself from rushing through it. Each time that I picked it up, it felt like I was being reunited with a long, lost friend. I loved the moments but didn’t want them to end. Lorraine is an amazing protagonist in both timelines. I loved how different she was. She had dreams and aspirations that she was committed to despite the hostile environment that she lived in which unfortunately did not allow her to yearn for a different kind of life.

There are many characters that I loved in this book. I will just mention two of my favorite ones without explaining much so as not to spoil the book. The first one is Lorraine’s dad. He now joins my list of favorite literary dads. His relationship with Lorraine reminded me of Hans Huberman and Liesel in The Book Thief. The two were so close and it was a delight to get to know them through the chapters. I loved Jans. Oh, this man was something else. I just liked everything about him.

There are a number of major and minor themes interwoven in this lovely tale. The role of women in the 1943 society was a minor theme but it still played a major role in the story. I can’t imagine what it was like to be a woman in that era. Marriage was considered as being enough for women. That title Mrs. was supposed to be all that a girl needs. If you wanted more, that implied that marriage wasn’t enough which was unacceptable. I loved reading the little details about life back then.

Love and societal expectations are major themes in this book. There was a lot of prejudice in that era. The war was going on and so sides had been chosen. The book is set in Iowa. However, there is a Prisoner of War (PoW) camp in the town. The POWs are Germans. In the story, we get to meet a group of them. We get know their character. Some were good people but others weren’t. Nevertheless, the rest of the town just thought of them all as Nazis. The relationship between the locals and the POWs was made worse by the fact that a lot of men in the community had died at the war. Many families were grieving and to them, the POWs represented the enemy who tool their loved ones. In the midst of all this, there is love. Familial love that knows no boundaries, friendships that may seem odd due to the differences but they worked and love between different couples. Needless to say, not everyone accepted all these relationships.

Stars over Clear Lake by Loretta Ellsworth will break your heart. There are chapters that I struggled to get through. I wanted to know what would happen to the characters but I was afraid of the truth. There were other characters that had a different ending than what I would have liked. I was also very torn about other characters that were not bad but things couldn't work out for them. Most of the chapters made me smile though. There is one relationship that I really loved to read about. They reminded me of Noah and Allie in The Notebook. The relationship was so well portrayed. It was realistic and cute and I just loved this couple. I can’t stop thinking about some of the scenes involving them. The writer did such a wonderful job with this relationship. She created passion between the two characters that made me feel like I was part of their story. I wanted them to be together and each obstacle just broke my heart.

I have already said this but I loved this book. It had memorable characters and the storyline was beautiful, heartbreaking and yet a delight to read. I liked the 1940s time period more than 2007 although both were necessary for the story. I was pleasantly surprised to find out that the historical aspects of this story are actually based on reality. The POW camp in Iowa which later became a museum is still there. It is called Algona. In the story, a lot happened at the Surf Ballroom which later burned down in 1946 but was rebuilt at a different site and is still standing. Yeah, the Surf still exists today and it did burn down in 1946 in a fire although in this case, the author created a story about what caused the fire. Clear Lake is an actual place in Iowa. There are a lot of things that I can mention about the setting and history but let me just say that I truly loved this detail. I don’t know anything about Iowa so it was lovely to find out so many different things about the place and its history. I loved how history and fiction were interwoven to create the masterpiece that is Stars over Clear Lake by Loretta Ellsworth. I highly recommend this book especially to fans of historical fiction.

The book touches upon the tensions and mistrust of the German people(in this case, soldiers) during and after the war. As well, Loretta Ellsworth weaves an emotional cord about the relationships between mothers and daughters, while also confronting the expectations families had in regards to their daughters during the concentrated time period.

I was drawn to this book because it took place mainly during my parents' era and they had talked about dancing at clubs in the Midwest like The Surf.

The writing was a bit disjointed at times, but the story kept me captivated nonetheless. I did guess the 'secret' long before it was revealed, but of course had to keep reading to make sure I was right!

There was a bit more 'sappy romance' than I usually read, but it was such a nice story, I didn't mind (and I realize the 'sappy romance' is what most people will like most about the book!)

Overall, I did enjoy the book.

I received this ARC from netgalley.com in exchange for a review.

The story line drifts back and forth from WW2 era to current day 2007. Lorraine lives on a farm with her parents. Her brother Pete recently shipped off to France to fight in the war. Her father uses POW'S to help work the farm while Pete is gone.

In current day, elderly Lorraine is now widowed and living her life in retrospect. The Surf Ballroom was a local attraction that pulled in big names of that era like Jimmy Dorset and Buddy Holly. One night it burned down with no real suspects or conclusions.

I feel this story could have worked better if either the ballroom or the POW camps in the US storyline was the focus.

3☆

It has been a while since I have read something like this and it really hit me with the emotions. I really enjoyed every moment of this tale. The structure of this story was amazing and I really enjoyed the build through. Epic writing.

The cover of this novel captivated by attention...however, the story line captured my heart. Loved this story. Have recommended it to all three of my libraries.

Unfortunately, I was unable to finish this title, therefore I will not be leaving an online review

I was given this book from NetGalley in exchange for a honest review. Beautifully written and deeply moving story. Highly recommend.

Lorraine is a teenage farm girl during WWII. With her brother freshly enlisted, her family struggles to do the daily tasks of the farm until offered workers from the neighboring POW camp. Enter Jens, a German citizen (NOT a Nazi, but a conscripted soldier), who changes Lorraine's life. Stuck between the mores of the day, her ambition for music, and her passion for two different men, Lorraine has some hard choices to make before the novel ends... all this mixed with a modern timeline of a historical arson.
I liked quite a few things about this book. Ellsworth's prose is lilting and compelling, and the scenes move with real energy. I've been to many of the places described in the book, and people familiar with Iowa will enjoy the nods to Northwestern Steakhouse, the Grotto, and other locales. Even if you're not from the Midwest, Ellsworth brings you there in the book.
This book is one of nuance-- and it has to be when dealing with the difficulties of war and "the other." Recommended.

Crossing boundaries both physically and emotionally, this is the story of a young American girl who falls for a German POW during WWII. With a clever and balanced use of flashbacks, the story begins in 2007 when Lorraine and her daughter are at The Surf Ballroom - somewhere that evokes strong memories for Lorraine. From here we are transported to a farm in Iowa at the start of the Second World War and the life of Lorraine and her brother Pete.

A coming of age tale that encompasses prejudice, pride, patriotism, mental health, and the burning endurance of love that traverses boundaries.

I really enjoyed this book and highly recommend it for readers of WWII fiction from authors such as Annie Groves and Hilary Green.

In a time where it was expected for a woman to only marry and provide a good home for their spouse and family, Lorraine Kindred had other aspirations for her life, to become a well known singer. Everyone was encouraging of her dream, except her mother, she on the other hand wanted Lorraine to follow in her footsteps, and marry a local boy and settle down. The problem was then men on her mother's approved list didn't hold a candle to the man she loved with all her heart, a man that she knew that her mother would never approve of, nor let her marry. So she is left to decide whether she should follow her heart and be disowned by her family, or do what is expected and settle for a life she knows she will never be happy with...

After reading the synopsis for this one I was immediately taken with what I found, there was just something about it that spoke to me and had me wanting to dive in and devour every last page... and what a story it turned out to be!! From the very first page I was hooked, wrapped up in the touching story line, feeling the emotion behind every word, and left completely mesmerized. This was my first experience with Ms. Ellsworth's work, and I have to say I was quite pleased with what I found, she kept me completely enthralled from start to finish with this beautifully written tale, and turned me into a lifelong fan!

Highly recommend this one, Lorraine's heart wrenching journey is sure to touch the recesses of your heart, and move you beyond words!!

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this title.