Well done WWII fiction about three women, their lives. their loves and their friendship. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. A good read.

I really enjoyed this book! I enjoy books that are set during World War II. And Soraya Lane writes her stories with wonderful characters. I enjoyed the women and their relationships with each other. I enjoyed how their struggles throughout their time in the service and what they experienced were depicted. It wasn’t an easy time for the women but their friendships helped them. There was some romance along the way and also some surprises and twists to the story.

I received a free ARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. I enjoyed this book. The mix of medical themes and friendship is prevalent in this novel.

Review: I enjoyed this. I like a good historical fiction novel and this was one of them. It is about relationships, love, sadness, horrors, friendship and hope during the war. It is beautifully written and powerful. The characters are ones you feel for and are rooting for. I couldn't put this down. I loved it. 

This is the first of Soraya's books that I have read and I will be keeping my eye out for more.  If you like historical fiction this is one to defiantly pick up of the shelf.

The beautiful cover begs me to open and read the story and I wasn't disappointed. Scarlet, Ellie and Lucy are three incredible women who the Wives of War book is based on. I love that they were all different characters but circumstances bought them together. It's hard to know where to start when sharing thoughts because there's so much to cover. The characters were engaging, the scene was breathtaking and the writing was incredibly written to transport me far away from today!

One of the best things I like about this book is it's relatable to the history I was taught about at school and it also helps remember back to a time that with the next generation may be forgotten about. I havent read a war based story in a long time and I think this one was absolutely magical.

I felt the writing helped placed me right among the drama and I still feel the feelings I felt reading it.

I would highly recommend this wonderful story by an amazing fellow Kiwi.

I received an ARC of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I enjoyed this book. While it didn't 'wow' me, it kept my attention and I looked forward to reading it.

That being said, I thought the title was a little misleading. I didn't feel the book was truly about 'wives of war'; in fact, throughout 80% of the book, the women are not married. They are nurses, working in France near the front where the battle is raging. It was mostly about how naive some women were when they became nurses during the war; this part of the story was very well done and compelling.

I was glad to have the chance to read this book and am looking forward to the next by this author.

In “Wives of War” Soraya M. Lane brings us the story of three young women…Scarlet, Ellie, and Lucy. London, 1944…and the story begins with Scarlet and Ellie embarking on their first deployment as nurses. Their intentions are a little different. Scarlet is desperate to find her fiancé whom she has not heard from in months. She knows he is probably in France and she is determined to find him. Ellie would like to meet her soulmate and since most of the marriageable men are in the service and serving overseas, she decides to do her part as her brothers have done and enlist her services as a nurse. Lucy has been in France since the invasion and feels herself immune to the horrors, blood, guts and deprivations of war. This story follows these three women as they train, form bonds of friendship, and suffer the indignities and sufferings of war. Ms. Lane provides extremely poignant moments for the reader as she follows these women into war.

I really enjoy novels based during WWII and this one was no exception. I felt the dirt, sand, blood, stink and fear as these three women strived to provide their best to those soldiers who depended on them. Loved the book!

A compelling WWII drama about 3 women nurses who together brave the difficulties of war while reaffirming their friendship and support of each other.
The three women come from very different backgrounds but manage to find themselves thrown together by wartime and by the horrors of their traumatic profession. The three main characters are Scarlet, Ellie, and Lucy. Scarlet grew up privileged. Ellie grew up in a loving family, and has a positive attitude toward life. As they change, and assume different personalities based on the horrors they witness, they meet Lucy. Lucy is a strong nurse, confident in her abilities. Together they form an unlikely group of friends who depend on each other.
Reading about how these women grow into strong confident women is what makes this book stand out. Observing their individual approaches to the horrors of wartime they see is realistic. I highly recommend it.

Wives of War by Soraya M. Lane is part of a three-book collection that takes readers back to the World War II era. It is 1944 and Scarlet Alexander has joined Queen Alexandra’s Imperial Nursing Service (QA nurses). Scarlet is waiting for the train (and a little nervous) and is happy when Ellie O’Sullivan introduces herself. The pair are reporting for duty and final field training. Scarlet comes from a privileged background and is joining against her families wishes. She has not heard from her fiancé, Thomas is thirteen weeks and is worried about him. Scarlet feels nursing will allow her to look for Thomas. She knows he is still alive. Ellie has three brothers off fighting and she wishes to do her bit for the war effort. Ellie meets Dr. Spencer Black while training for the front and they are attracted to each other. Scarlet meets a soldier named James who makes her forget about her missing fiancé. Ellie and Scarlet are soon sent to France where are they inundated with injured soldiers. The unflappable Lucy Anderson is assigned to their unit as a surgical nurse. Lucy wants to enroll in medical school after the war. Rough conditions, little food and long hours are in store for these nurses. Their friendship will help them endure these difficult conditions along with hope and love.

I thought Wives of War was easy to read and had a good pace (in most sections). However, Wives of War is a book for readers who enjoy romance novels. Love is in the air for Lucy, Scarlet and Ellie and the war takes a backseat for the majority of the novel. The war in France plays out in the background while these ladies flirt (for the most part). I found the dialogue to be very American. It did not match up with the characters. Scarlet is upper-class British and should speak differently from Irish Ellie. There are a couple of British phrases tossed in here and there but they do not make the novel any more British. I also felt it was lacking in historical accuracy. I am rating Wives of War 3 out of 5 stars. I found Wives of War to be expected (predictable) and a repetition of basic details (how many times were we told Scarlet loved Thomas). I thought the characters were lacking and flat. They were not fleshed out and developed. Friendship blossoms instantly between the ladies (they just met), and then they fall in love just as quickly (Instant connection). I thought it was unrealistic (even for fiction). I wanted a story with more depth (about nurses working in Europe, their patients, etc.) with less focus on women finding husbands in the middle of a battle field. I wish the publisher had written the blurb differently (it is listed as historical fiction). If I had known it was a romance novel, I would have passed. My mother also read this novel and came away with the same impressions (which is rare for the two of us).

The One with the Normandy Nurses in Love
AUGUST 4, 2017 / SMITHEREENS / EDIT
Soraya M. Lane, Wives of War (2017)

Alright, please don’t roll your eyes just yet. I have nothing against a schmaltzy novel from time to time for a quick pick-me-up. I have been known to experiment with Amish romance and once with Nightingales romance, and I know it’s not everyone’s cup of tea, but I own it.

I can’t say I didn’t know what I was getting myself into when I chose this book on Netgalley on basis of the cover mainly. I can’t say my expectations were very high in the literary realm. I wanted to be swept off my feet by good feelings, by love stories and accounts of heroism and dedication and selflessness. I certainly didn’t want to think too hard, as I was looking for the perfect easy summer read.

Well, now I can’t go and complaint that the characters lacked a bit of depth, that the writing was not flourished enough and that the plot was a tad predictable? It’s called Wives of war, so when you get to meet 3 British single girls on their way to military hospitals on the eve of the Normandy D-Day, it doesn’t qualify as spoiler to tell you that they will end up… well, married.

This is fluffy romance fiction and readers who complain about lack of perfect historical accuracy in the way those girls talk and behave, or on the way nursing is described, have simply chosen from the wrong bookshelf.

The contract has been fulfilled: it was entertaining, I cared enough for the three girls to follow their adventures (yes, all the way to the altar) and it wasn’t disturbing or stressful (very few gory details about war injuries, thank you very much). It’s not unforgettable, but it was fun, and wholesome.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher Lake Union Publishing for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

In this story, we follow three young women – Ellie, Lucy & Scarlet – on their journey as nurses in World War II.

This book was such a great read. I have to say that I don’t enjoy reading romance books. However, during summer time I sometimes like to read books in that genre. Did I enjoy this novel so much because of summer? I don’t know but I’m glad that I picked this one up.

The characters and their friendship were well-written and I did not want to stop reading it. The Romance, however, was sometimes really cringeworthy. At least for me. I mean love at first sight for every girl? I don’t know how it was in the 40’s but honestly, love at first sight during the time of war? I know that they had to have at least one happy thought that kept them from becoming mad but falling in love with the first guy that smiles at you? I don’t find it realistic but I believe that everyone has another opinion on that matter.

What I found perfect though was the description of the determination of these nurses to do what they wanted to do. Especially Scarlet. As she lived a more privileged life at home than Ellie and Lucy, her parents did not want her to do her military service as a nurse in the battlefield. Because of obvious reasons back in the 40’s. Scarlet, however, doesn’t give a **** what her family thinks. She wants to show them that she can do it and she wants to find her fiancé. I think that this was the thought that helped her to survive all the hell she had to go through as a nurse on the field. And their friendship was honestly so great and perfect. If I have to choose my favourite character it’s probably going to be Lucy. She’s such a sweet girl with a tough character for that period.

The story is written in the P.O.V. of the three ladies. Which is not disturbing at all, it kind of makes sense. Even though I found the romance a bit too much I was really satisfied with the ending for Lucy, Ellie and Scarlet. It was simply perfect! And all three of these girls deserved to be happy at the end of the story.

Wives of War by Soraya M. Lane takes place during World War II. The story is about three women, each with their own reasons that decide to join the war effort as nurses. They each come from different backgrounds and would most likely never have become friends had it not been for the war.
Although, this book wasn't exactly comical the character Ellie seemed to be the funny, outgoing character. Ellie's character made it easy to imagine this as a movie. Some of the expressions in the book came across as modern, which made the writing style seem more like a young adult book and not what I would have expected for that time period. Overall the book was a pleasant story about friendship and romance - not a steamy romance. It was also about finding happiness despite their hardships.
I received this book in exchange for an honest review through NetGalley.

This is a story about three nurses during World War 2. Between all the war and horrific conditions, it was really difficult for Scarlet, Ellie, and Lucy to cope up in those conditions. But there was one thing for those women to keep going and that was their friendship and the hope for returning home safely and living their lives with their loved ones.

"Smile and the world will see the woman you want them to see, no matter how you feel inside. "

I found myself too comfortable reading this novel. I really liked how she had given the details of each scene and the characters. The story was written from the third person’s PoV but there were chapters for each of the three main ladies. I really liked how the whole WWII setup was shown. The details about the war camps and their hospitals felt really uncomfortable. It was heartbreaking to know how they lived during that war in those horrific conditions. All the three main protagonists displayed their story pretty well and it was good to know their backgrounds. I really liked the romance building there amidst all that horrors of war. Each of the love stories was lovely but Scarlet’s was really a conflicted one. I even imagined myself in her place thought what I would have done in that case 😛

Their friendship was portrayed very well. Without their friendship they wouldn’t have made that far in the war. Speaking of writing, it was simple. I felt attached to each of the characters and felt as if I am there with them, sharing their miseries and triumphs. The story was fast paced and didn’t bored at any moment.

I read some reviews, where readers had complained that all this instant-love felt unreal. I disagree with them, rather I think that this whole instant love was the thing that was moving the novel forward. There were situations in the war when soldiers get leaves for marriage and then returned to war. There was no guarantee that they will even make to their homes safely. Yet hope was the only thing that they could have relied upon. So showing this king of love where the characters instantly fell in love was not unreal for me. Rather I was happy for them.

"This war is going to be full of women who fall in love with men they’ll never see again. All we do is say goodbye over and over. "

So if you are into the historical romance genre, then you should definitely read it. Also, it can be a good summer read. This was a story to remember for a long time. WIVES OF WAR is an epic story of friendship, love and survival. It was an EPIC STORY OF FRIENDSHIP, LOVE and SURVIVAL.

Ellie and Scarlet meet other on a bench, waiting for a train to take them to serve their country as Nurses during WWII. Ellie is from a poor family in Ireland; Scarlet from the landed gentry of Britain. After a time, they are sent to France. To Normandy, to be exact. Scarlet is engaged; her fiancé is thought to be somewhere in France, and she is desperately seeking him to see that he is alive.

The saga of her search leads to heartbreak and horror worse than the nurses ever imagined, and they must rely on each other for friendship and support during these most difficult times.

I read this EARC courtesy of Lake Union Publishing and Net Galley; pub date 07/01/17

Book 44 of my 2017 Reading Challenge
read from July 15 - 26

***I received an electronic version of this book from NetGalley and would like to thank the author and/or publisher for the opportunity to read and honestly review it***

Wives of War by Soraya Lane

Summary (via Goodreads)
London, 1944. Two young nurses meet at a train station with a common purpose: to join the war effort. Scarlet longs for the chance to find her missing fiance, Thomas, and to prove to her family - and to herself - that she's stronger than everybody thinks. Nursing is in Ellie's blood, but her humble background is vastly different from Scarlet's privileged upbringing. Though Ellie puts on a brave face, she's just as nervous as Scarlet about what awaits them in France.
In Normandy, the two friends soon encounter the seemingly unflappable Lucy. Scarlet and Ellie are in awe of her courage and competence, but the experienced nurse is well aware of the dangers of the job they've chosen - and even she is terrified they won't make it home alive.
Pushed to their limits by the brutality of a world at war, Scarlet, Ellie, and Lucy will need to rely on each other - and the power of their friendship - to survive.

My Opinion
The title of the book is not entirely accurate but in a good way. It's more about the women as nurses instead of wives (none of the main three women are actually wives at the time they meet - no spoilers on if that changes by the end). There is love in the book but aside from a few melodramatic moments, everything is woven pretty naturally into the story. It's refreshing to read about true friendship between women. They support each other, there was no backstabbing or jealousy or drama even under the most stressful of circumstances.

The pages turned quickly and I really enjoyed the book. Once they were on the move for the last time I really wanted to know what was going to happen and stayed up very late finishing the rest of the book because I couldn't put it down.

A Few Quotes from the Book (these may be different in the final published version)
"No more moping or feeling guilty for being happy. [Scarlet] needed to enjoy that fact that she was alive and surrounded by other young people. 'It had better be something decent, because it's about time they did something fun for us.'
By the end of the week they could be gone, all of them, and they deserved something to smile about, even if it was just for one night."

"Around them, smashed amphibious vehicles littered the beach, with concrete remains that were impossible to decipher and broken tin hats and rifles. She had the daunting feeling that they'd just arrived in the depths of hell and they weren't escaping from it any time soon."

Wives of War is a simple book that can be finished in a couple of days and although a dash predictable, is a good light summer read.

We follow three points of view in this novel, that of Scarlet, Ellie and Lucy. Scarlet is an upper class girl with good breeding, engaged to Thomas but unwittingly in love with his brother James. Ellie is an Irish lass living in UK with a poor but hardworking family. She is the life and soul of the party who doesn’t handle the war front and its stark reality and harshness well at times. And Lucy is a strong, almost heroic character, a hard worker whose background is not clearly defined, but she is independent and wants to be a doctor in a time that females in the profession were scarce.

We follow the beginning friendship of Scarlet and Ellie as they meet on the train to go to their first deployment and we meet Lucy as a separate character already on the war field hospital. Each woman has her own reasons for being a nurse, but they find support, acceptance and even a kind of love between the three of them as the fury of the war takes over. Each woman has her own clearly defined relationship trials, falling in love with the brother of a fiancé, a doctor and an American soldier. True love doesn’t always run smoothly, and the love triangle between Scarlet and the two brothers was a tad boring because it took so much time, but all’s fair in love and war as they say.

Themes of commitment, love and domestic violence, unplanned pregnancy in a time when it was frowned upon and what true love will and won’t accept and many others are explored in this story. At times this book was too predictable, and yet at times it gives a sanitised glimpse into the very real conditions men and women found themselves in at the war front. The characters are drawn well enough to warrant interest in their storylines, but lack a certain believability, deficient in truthfulness to their characteristics and very real differences in how they were raised in an era that class still mattered.

This is a romance novel set in World War Two but leans more heavily on the romance than the historical fiction side of the equation, although care was taken to try and get some of the historical information correct. If you're not looking for complexity in your storylines then this book might be just up your alley, making it a perfect summer poolside read.

It's a very cliché book and a little bit predictable, I started skipping pages at the end. If you want to read a happy ending romance, this is a book for you.

Thank you Netgalley for this book.

This book was good but just not my general area that I read. I liked the characters and plot, I just wasn't super enthused for the story itself. Probably because I have been reading so many books set in this era.
Thank you to the publisher for a copy of the book!

A fantastic story about a difficult period in World War 2 Told through the eyes of three nurses who go out to nurse soldiers during and after Dunkirk.
The horrors of war are told through the eyes of Scarlet,Ellie and Lucie.
Each have their reasons to be there.
The story not only describes the horrific situations in which they bravely worked to save lives but more importantly the friendship that evolved between these women.

Ahhh. Historical fiction.

What is this book about?
In this book, three brave nurses join the war effort. They are afraid and unsure of what awaits them, yet they try to hide it and comfort each other. During the war, they develop a deep friendship.

Cover
I love this cover so much! When I first saw this book in a Kindle ad, I was immediately interested. I can't help judging a book by its cover! The background is a sky filled with smoke, probably because of the bombing. On the cover, there are three women, and I love the one standing in front the most. She looks so smart in uniform!

Characters
I admire all three of the women in the story. They are all strong and courageous. Lucy wants to become a doctor, although female doctors are unheard of then. Ellie always tries to lighten the mood when the three of them feel terrible. Scarlet is always willing to share with others and listen to what they have to say.

Conclusion
This book is amazing! 4.5 stars!