4 stars

Grace Lafferty is a wing walker after the Great War and she's determined to get to the World Aviation Expo, prove her scrappy team's worth, and earn a coveted Hollywood contract.

Henry Patton, a Great War veteran and mechanic, joins her barnstorming team and he questions her ambition, but Grace continues her test of the powers of the sky despite her attraction to Henry and others' urging.

I really enjoyed this one. Historical fiction is such a rare commodity just because I know a lot of people are not ready to go to that extra degree of intensive research.

I personally have grown bored of the 1800s etiquette and novels (Sorry, Jane Austen) and have moved my attentions to other periods in history, post World War I as one of these.

I could definitely see how much effort Trueblood put into shaping the era of this novel and it made the time period so vivid and rich for the reader. It definitely wasn't one of America's brightest moments in history, but it was like you, the reader, were plopped in that time period experiencing that thrill of sneaking alcohol.

It's a time period some people aren't too familiar with, but I think Trueblood did a great job of establishing the setting and customs without being too lush or descriptive.

I also thought that Grace was an admirable woman and her personal character growth, although not as easily detectable for most of the novel until the end, was a good story and a good lesson learned. She becomes a better person by the end yet still keeps her independence and ambition--the modern woman truly can have it all.

There were a few things I wasn't too peachy-keen on just with plot. The "government" was an antagonist for a good section of the novel and sometimes it almost felt like the government was a caricature--that's literally the only way anyone addressed an aviation regulation department, and I would have liked it to go more into how the people who work for the government aren't necessarily as evil as the government.

This idea of the government was just a little too simplified in my opinion.

Despite this, the other antagonists had a nice sort of redemption arc and I enjoyed reading about them because they didn't feel as cartoon-villain-y as the "government" did.

Also, for a large part of the novel, it did feel like not a lot was happening and all the characters were trying to do was get more money so they could finally get to that aviation expo Grace had been dreaming of.

Things definitely got a lot spicier at the end, but the beginning was a little slow for me even though there was a solid amount of character interaction and buildup.

I also thought the action scenes were a little short and not as thrilling as they could have been. It felt like they were over with one flip of the ebook page, but I wanted my heart to be pounding and Grace participated in death-defying tricks. I wanted to be scared and short of breath as I hoped she was okay.

I didn't really get that and although it keeps some of the mood, I was kind of expecting a little more excitement in the novel.

But one of the things I really loved was the portrayal of PTSD in this book. Henry and a couple others, like one of Grace's friends, experience this and it's depicted in the novel very nicely. I can't comment on the realistic nature of this, but I did think this was executed well and was not only interesting and tactful, but helpful for the reader to understand what a lot of people from that time were going through.

Overall, I really enjoyed Trueblood's debut, Nothing But Sky, as it is a well-written slice of what life was like after the Great War, as well as an overall entertaining and interesting novel. I would definitely recommend to those looking for historical fiction from less-written about time periods!

Making a living as a barnstormer in the early 1920s is rough—but Grace has a plan to stay in the air. All she and her team have to do is win the 1922 World Aviation Expo in Chicago—a shoe-in with the Showstopper, her death-defying new stunt. They just need the money for the entrance and hangar fees. But a rival stunt group keeps interfering as they try to lure Grace to wing-walk for their team, and their intimidation tactics are only growing more and more dangerous...

I love watching the old videos of wing-walkers and barnstormers, who pushed their rickety cloth and wood biplanes to the limits, so this book was a definite winner. Grace was perhaps the only downside to the story, as she is arrogant, self-centered and behaves in a way that just didn't seem true to the era (I'm not an expert, but she definitely wouldn't have stood out in 2018). She does have a learning curve towards humility and compassion, however, and slowly begins to learn that other people's dreams matter as much as hers, and that it can cause people to do crazy things.

All told, it's an exciting book with cameos from amazing historic figures like Bessie Coleman (omg).

I received this ARC from NetGalley for an honest review.

I LOVE this book, and I can't wait for it to be out in the world for everyone to read.

Until I read NOTHING BUT SKY, I had no idea crowds flocked to watch wing walkers in the 1920s, but I loved learning about it. That's what's so fantastic about historical fiction--you get to learn about pieces of history you had no clue existed. I read about these stunts with my mouth hanging open, and then I went to watch the YouTube videos she mentioned in the author's note to discover real people actually did this stuff. It's crazy but amazing and I wouldn't have known anything about it without this book.

The historical setting is so rich, with tidbits about popular music and film, fashion, the economy, and daily life sprinkled into the narrative. It's very well done. I love being sucked into another time.

I love how the romance develops in the story, with both Grace and Henry growing together. Just the right blend of tension.

I will be posting an interview and giveaway with Amy Trueblood on my blog the week before the book releases.

Grace is a strong, independent, daredevil, who has no fear. She is a young women with a love for performing daring feats with her team, whom she considers her family, as a Barnstormer performing for county fairs and special events. She feels most alive when she is walking on the wings of an airplane flown by her uncle. Her parents and sister died of the Spanish flu when she was a young girl so she was sent to live with her uncle in Lincoln, Nebraska.
The storyline was good, I didn’t really realize there were several young women that truly performed in these “Flying Circus” shows. The writing style was done well, the characters were developed with enough background to understand their lives. Grace’s main goal was to get to the World Aviation Expo in Chicago in the early 1920’s with the winner receiving a contract from a California movie company. I grew up not far from Lincoln Nebraska so I could easily imagine a county fair with a special aerial acrobatics show. This was a really quick read, I listened to it on my Kindle.
I thank Net Galley and North Star Editions/Flux for allowing me the opportunity to read this book for my review.

*I received a free copy of this ebook through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.*

This was a great book, and I really enjoyed reading it. I had never heard of barnstorming and wing walking before, so it was fascinating to learn about that part of history and the people who did it. Personally, I would be terrified of performing tricks on airplane wings, especially the ones that Grace came up with. I still can't figure out how the Showstopper worked without her losing all her teeth. Or, you know, falling to her death.

I really liked the characters. Grace (18) was strong and stubborn, but she wasn't infallible. I appreciated that she eventually recognized and admitted her flaws and then tried to overcome them. She reminded me a lot of Sonora in Wild Hearts Can't Be Broken, to be honest. Henry (24) was both tender and gruff, which was understandable considering his history. He managed to be . . . I don't know, a damaged character without being a typical damaged character. He was still strong and whole, even though he may not have seen himself that way. The other characters (Uncle Warren, Daniel, Nathan, Rowland) were also well written and distinct.

Note: Can't recall anything bad.

My rating: 3.75 stars
Grace is an eighteen-year-old young woman who is a daredevil who walks on the wings of planes. This was a part of history that happened after WWI and was called Barnstorming and went on through most of the 20's. For Grace's story though while it is fiction it is based on several real-life women.
Grace, her uncle, Nathan, and Daniel are a team with two planes. Daniel and Grace are the 'stunt' people and they do amazing daredevil tricks. All the men are very protective of Grace and don't want her to do a lot of the stunts that she comes up with. Grace is determined though and doesn't let them stop her from achieving her dream of them getting a big contract that will provide them with some financial security. One problem, they need a new mechanic again... This is something that's a reoccurring problem for the crew and they are out of options it seems until Henry shows up and gets the job. Henry, Nathan, and Daniel are all war veterans and while only Henry talks about it it does affect the others as well.
Overall I really did like this book. I loved how strong of a character Grace was and how she didn't take anything from anyone. She knew what she wanted for her and her team and wasn't going to let anything stand in their way. And there was a lot at times, between the government, an opposing team doing everything they can to stop them, and financial troubles. I loved Grace's friendships though and how they had side stories as well. I do wish we had gotten to know more about Nathan and Daniel though and even the Uncle. Besides them being important parts of the team and very protective of Grace, I didn't really feel like we knew them at all.
I also really wasn't expecting the romance part of this book, and when it started to happen, I kept hoping it wouldn't. I didn't mind the characters together, I just wished it hadn't of become a bigger portion of the book towards the end.
I did like how the side effects of WWI were talked about with the PTSD episodes that Henry has.
I'm very interested to see what the author writes next as I did really enjoy learning about barnstorming.

I was wowed by the gorgeous cover and a fascinating blurb and was very happy to have a chance to read Nothing But Sky early. Unfortunately the story didn't impress me as much as the cover did. The writing was just OK, I didn't feel any emotional connection to the story or the characters. The book has the case of telling, not showing, the story. It has death-defying aerobatics, near-fatal accidents, family tragedies, and a budding romance but I felt zero emotion or excitement while reading it. The characters and their relationships lack growth and development that make for a good story arc. The ending is too neat with everything tied up too perfectly, even the secondary characters get their dreams realized without any efforts on their part (not very realistic). I was rolling my eyes at how convenient everything fell into place at the end. At least the book is short, so I didn't spend a ton of my time on an unsatisfying read.

I have never read a story centered around the world of barnstorming and bonus: set in the Roaring Twenties, but Nothing But Sky introduced that world beautifully. Grace is one of those characters where no one tells her what she can and especially cannot do and ends that sentence with an exclamation point by proving it. Loved her!

The relationship between Grace and Henry is a sweet one. The hate to love scenario is my biggest guilty pleasure and I got a little of it here (honestly wish there had been just a tad bit more, but that's just my preference). You can definitely see their relationship evolve though. Both go from questioning and doubting each other to becoming big advocates and support pieces for each other. Warm fuzzy!

I will say that it did slow down for me about half way/a little passed half way through and it had me concerned, but it didn't take long to pick back up again (thankfully!) and I was firmly invested through the end.

Enjoyable, sweet, and triumphant - definitely recommended!

Just a very average YA romance. Not that it was badly written or that the characters weren’t likeable. The writing style was very enjoyable and easy to read and the character were adequately characterised. There just wasn’t anything special about it. Everything was as a reader may expect a YA romance to be. The main character is a daring young woman who reluctantly falls in love with a charming, damaged young man who thinks he is unworthy of her. All the plotpoints are there: difficult start, reluctant attraction, misunderstandings. All the bunch.
There’s lots of action, the romance is absolutely dramatic, more than it is necessary (but I speak from the standpoint of a non-romance reader), dialogue are good.

The only thing that stands out is the setting. Though not absolutely original, the 1920s barnstorming setting is quite unusual and is handle well by the author. It is clear that she did a lot of research in this area and it pays off, since the setting really comes to life, at least as far as the barnstorming is concerned. As for the 1920s larger setting, that’s less accurate, but is characterised enough to create an era atmosphere.

It’s a well-executed story, just nothing special.

I knew I needed to read this the second I read the description. Wing Walkers I mean that's pure awesome. This book did not disappoint. It was an adventurous historical fiction that kept my attention all way through. Very enjoyable! 5/5 stars.

A determined eighteen-year-old female main character with a backbone of steel, and the stubborn will to succeed. For Grace, there is no glory without risk; the safe life is far too dull to even contemplate.

Told first person perspective through her eyes, when male protagonist, Henry, steps onto the scene, it’s for the reader to question through her defensive viewpoint whether his behavior and reactions are of a chivalrous hero, or of “this is a man’s world” sexist-chauvinism.

Now, I am not a fan of in-your-face feminist agenda, and thankfully this story does NOT overstep that line. There is a good balance to the strength of Grace’s character in a historical timeframe where most careers beyond housewife, child-rearing, or office secretary were not considered fit for females—most especially a dangerous one such as wing-walking. She is not without her vulnerabilities and gentleness, but she admirably faces life’s challenges without dissolving into a helpless puddle of tears and despair either.

Henry quickly proves to be one of two extremes—the quiet mechanic going about his business or the short-tempered, opinionated war veteran. Although at first Grace and he seem destined to rub each other the wrong way, there is reason to his stubborn ways: He’s seen how mistakes cost dearly—and still faces the reminder through his PTSD. The subtle glimpses of his gentleness testify to his good intentions, even if they rarely seem to come across in the right way. This “flaw” in his character only serves to make him endearing and relatable. I liked him very much.

Grace seems determined to walk as close to the edge of danger as she needs to achieve fame. Henry admires her bravery and determination, but yearns to protect her. I loved seeing their relationship grow; how they learned about each other through conversation and circumstances—and were able to understand and respect each other as that relationship grew. The spark between them was realistically built, not on a shallow foundation of physical attraction alone, but on who they were as hoping, dreaming individuals each with their own past and future to face.

The softly growing romance between them takes the passenger seat through most of the book, in a story driven primarily by The Soaring Eagles performances in the sky, the competition with another team determined to destroy them, and Grace’s dream of securing her team’s future in those skies. The pace moves swiftly from location to location, following their shows around the country, with moments of character development and danger and intrigue in-between to keep the story moving and interesting. It was well-written, and the characters were believable and interesting.

The romance does build stronger and more intense later on. Some mild violence and a couple of swear words, otherwise it is a clean read that encourages the bond of family and the pursuit of dreams.

The title really says it all. For Grace, there is “Nothing But Sky.” But with great risks, dreams and trust come at a high price. People are complex and not always who they appear to be; their actions have reasons beyond the surface. The author did a wonderful job of showing this through good character development.

I finished this book feeling content and glad for the lessons learned and the strength Grace had to never give up. I would highly recommend it!

I received an advance reader copy from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I'm a big fan of the 1920's era. The clothes, the glitz and glam, the wish to have fun and enjoy life after a devastating war; thinking of that vibe alone transports me to Hollywood or New York. But this was a different kind of setting for that era, being Lincoln, Nebraska. Not some place I particularly want to visit, but an enchanting setting for a fantastic historical novel.

My experience with the term 'barnstorming' is limited. AKA the goofy themed Barnstormer coaster at Walt Disney World. Never did I dream it was a way of life in the 1920's. And what a life it was, walking on the wings of an airplane five hundred feet above the earth and kicking in to a handstand. Fearless is the word that came to mind while reading this book, and that is exactly the word to describe Grace Lafferty. An 18 year old orphan with big dreams, Grace is a brave and stubborn character I adored. She knows what she wants and damn any man who is going to try and stop her. She is a character many of us women should aspire to be like in this day and age. In fact, a lot of the characters were very much likeable. Each one stood out on their own and had their part to play, which I appreciated. No wasted space. Even the villain was a neat character one wouldn't expect to find in Lincoln.

Historically, I saw nothing wrong with this book. You can tell the amount of research that went into this was astronomical. From aviation terminology, to the news of the day, prohibition, to the fashion and speak, it was like being inside an old movie. I was pleased to find that several characters mentioned were in fact real people and pioneers in the aviation field. Likewise, the emotions and feelings of those who had experienced war firsthand were heart-breaking and highly believable. The magic of the era shone through very easily, even if it was set in the atypical setting of the rural mid-west.

The plot itself was a delight. Considering how unique this premise is, I thought the story might fall into that usual rut of being predictable and boring, relying entirely on that magical premise to keep it afloat. That was not the case here. It moved along at the perfect pace and walked that line of being exciting and repetitive just right. Taking into consideration how much of the novel involves Grace in the air, it did not come across as boring. And I'm pleased to say that the major plot twist reveal at the end threw me for a loop. I never came close to guessing what would go down. The ending itself was a little too ... perfect, but that's Hollywood for ya, I suppose.

An easy 5/5 stars.

This book had me from the first chapter. Grace is the type of protagonist that I love, strong and daring, in a time when that was looked down upon. This was beautifully written, I loved the family dynamic and the love/hate romance and that it was unlike what I've been reading or ever have read.

Highly recommended.

3.5 stars

I received an e-galley through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Nothing But Sky is a story about Grace Lafferty who is a wing walker aka she literally stands on the wing of a biplane to perform tricks. The book follows her and her team towards the World Expo in 1922 where they want to win the grand prize: a Hollywood contract. With the help of their new mechanic, Henry, The Soaring Eagles begin their journey to Chicago and the World Expo.

This book has some great character development, especially regarding Grace. When we meet her, she is very stubborn and even a bit selfish. However, at the end of the book, <spoiler> she recognises her growth and takes into account her team's wishes.</spoiler> I always love to see some good character development since I want the characters I read about to grow into a better self.

Furthermore, this book has a great family element. The Soaring Eagles are Grace's family and she loves them. <spoiler> I loved Grace's relationship with her Uncle Warren. It was flawed but it felt natural since they were kind of forced upon each other. </spoiler> Furthermore, it is really nice to see male/female friendships in this book. Nathan and Daniel really took up some brotherly roles regarding Grace.

Moreover, this book has some great sexual tension. I personally love that so that was a huge plus for me when reading this book. The foundations for the romance are carefully laid down so there is no insta-love. The romance itself was very nice <spoiler> however, from the ending of the book, I gathered that it is only the beginning of Grace and Henry's relationship. </spoiler>

Since this book takes place just a few years after World War I, Amy Trueblood really did well, in my opinion, by portraying what the trenches did to the minds and bodies of the young men who fought in World War I. Henry, Nathan and Daniel all fought in WWI and all still carried those scars after they came home. <spoiler> Henry has a few PTSD episodes, and I was glad that the author went there. It is an ugly side of the war but it is what happened. </spoiler>

Overall, the author - as she said in her author's note - really took her time to research the era. This includes the clothing, the language, the mechanics of the planes, the aftermath of WWI, and of course she researched wing walkers and barnstorming. I really appreciate her effort and the time she took to do this. I think it paid off well in her story.

<spoiler> Finally, I want to talk about the betrayal. Trueblood really did a good job by making Henry the Red Herring. I doubted him many times although I thought he would have his excuses. Since he was new to the team, both the audience and Grace think he is the most likely suspect. Moreover, since Nathan and Grace go way back, both the audience and Grace do not doubt his loyalties. Therefore, the shock is all the higher when the truth comes out. I did not see it coming at all so that makes it, in my opinion, a well-done plot twist. </spoiler>

This book was something completely unexpected and wonderful. While it somehow manages to be under 300 pages it never feels rushed, in fact, I quite enjoyed the pacing. Overall, a very fun and pleasant read.

1922 and the war is over. Barnstorming has become popular and so has wing-walking, stunts done by both men and women, hanging from bi-planes while people below watched. These people risked their lives doing stunts on planes that are constantly being repaired. Grace Lafferty lives in this world. She is determined to make a name for herself in spite of her gender, in spite of the fact that she is a woman. More than determined, with a strong personality, she pushes herself to do more stunts, her goal to get to a competition in Chicago and win the prize that will get them to Hollywood.

Henry is a soldier back from the war who suffers from memories of that war, but also determined to attain his goal of owning his own garage. Hired as a mechanic to repair and keep her planes in working order, they immediately clash.

Of course, we have the villain who wants to take Grace down and prevent her from her goal. With a cast of characters the story is woven with all the necessary elements that make this a good novel. Well researched, well written I am glad to have received this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Highly recommened as you step back into a time that no longer exists.

I had to dnf this book at 37%

I received an arc from netgalley for my honest opinion of this book and boy am I disappointed.

Grace is an eighteen year old girl who performs stunts with her uncle's barnstormer team. She's hoping to earn enough money to enter them in a contest that'll surely keep them financially stable. But when Henry, the team's handsome new mechanic, starts pestering Grace about her and the team's safety, she has to put aside her attraction to him and do what's best for her team.

Here are the issues I had:

My biggest problem with this book is that the main character Grace, is the worst. She's annoying, selfish, and a hotheaded idiot. She wont accept help from anyone, and claims to act this way because she's trying to get her team to a competition. It seems to me like the only person in her team that truly cares about the competition is her. We're supposed to feel bad for her/think she's strong because the book is set in a time where women are looked at as weak, but she has no redeeming qualities. She has two female friends, and she's so rude to them when they want to doll her up/take her for a night out. She refuses to wear the dress they offer her because "putting on fancy rags, or rouging my cheeks is not going to make me a different person." NOT WITH THAT ATTITUDE IT WONT. Literally every character cares about her safety except for her. I don't know, maybe she changes later on in the book but it was impossible for me to keep reading.

The relationship that's obviously going to develop between Grace and Henry felt uber forced. They share a moment where he helps bandage her hands and it's supposed to make us feel something, but really I'm just bored with it.

The positives:

This book was very clearly well researched. The author made sure she knew what she was talking about and not just throwing random airplane terms out there hoping no one would notice.

Henry has PTSD from fighting in WWI and that's not something that I've ever seen represented (at least in the same way). Henry has full on episodes that take him back to the battlefield and I think it's important to see that war doesn't leave those who've left the battlefield.

That's it. Nothing else was great. I'm really disappointed because I love historical fiction but this did nothing for me. This book was a hot mess.

2/5 stars because I think it could be an interesting story without Grace.

I chose this book because I had nothing to read and now that I finished it I can say it was one of my favorites of this year. I’m a lot into aviation so I also knew this historical novel was for me.

I found barnstorming – I’d never heard of that – a very interesting way to attract readers like me and I also can say it was a good choice to focus the story. The characters were well constructed and I saw an evolution on each of them. I absolutely loved Grace and all her thoughts because she’s a strong woman and always fights against society stereotypes.

This isn't a quick story which you can read in a few hours but a story you should take with calm. Though, I wasn’t bored in any time. There’re lots of words related to aviation which can lead you to think it's a difficult read but it’s not. The author makes all that easier so we can enjoy the read. I can only say I will probably always recommend this book.

Book requested via NetGalley.
Thank you to the publisher for the opportunity.

A fun, fast read with lots of drama talking about the barnstormers who did stunts with old military planes. I didn't really know much about this period of history and learned a lot reading it, the author's obviously done her research. The love story wasn't one I got particularly invested in, which let the book down for me a bit, but the in-air high jinxes and threat of sabotage more than made up for it.

Grace is a driven young woman with a mind of her own, striving to succeed in a time where women were barely getting their foot in the door to be heard and valued. She struggles to be taken seriously by the men in her life, but she handles it pretty well most of the time. She's very strong in her sense of self, which I found to be a delightful surprise. I enjoyed the historical detail and the danger of barnstorming and planes as well. Well written and fun!