Review: This is the first time I've had the opportunity to read a book prior to it's release, and I will admit, I had no idea what to expect. Usually, I visit other blogs and websites to get a feel for whether or not I might be into it but that's obviously not a  luxury I had this time. Instead, I'm excited that you get to hear about it first from me!
Let me start this off by saying I'm a huge fan of historical fiction from the WWII era. I've read a LOT of books from that time period, so achieving four and a half meows from me is an achievement. But this one isn't completely about the war - more so, the complex relationships during the war and how it brings some people together or pulls them apart.

The Wartime Sisters started off as a story I can relate to within the first two chapters. Have you ever fought with a sibling? Maybe you felt like your parents treated you both differently with different sets of expectations? Maybe there was jealously, some resentment in there? Ruth can tell you all about how her sister is the pretty one and how her parents make her feel like she should dumb herself down to attract a man. Millie can tell you about how dull Ruth is with her math and little sense of adventure. But things change as they grow up and their parents pass away unexpectedly.

The secrets these two keep from each other are big ones that impacted the outcome of paths of their lives. When tragedy seems to strike again, they find themselves reunited in Springfield where one is the wife of a war officer and the other is a war widow. The relationships with other women on the base threaten to tear them apart again or bring them back together. 

The author does a wonderful job of exploring complex relationships and how each character seems themselves and others. You experience characters growing and learning and you start rooting for them to stand up for themselves. I was so sad when this book ended!

If this WWII-era relationships and secrets is something you're into, you'll definitely want to read this when it is released at the end of January 2019!

I wasn’t sure about reading The Wartime Sisters when I got approached to review it. I am not a fan of historical fiction. I have been burnt by too many books that were dry and uninteresting to read. I was afraid that this was going to be the case with The Wartime Sisters. And I almost turned it down. But something about the blurb caught my attention. With that, I decided to accept the request.

The Wartime Sisters is the story of Ruth and Millie. Ruth and Millie have been estranged since their parents were killed in an automobile accident. Before the accident, Ruth resented Millie. Ruth blamed Millie for stealing her boyfriends, for being popular and for being the apple of their parents eye. Millie, however, doesn’t understand why Ruth is so cold and distant to her. When Millie’s husband dies overseas, she writes to Ruth, asking for help. Ruth agrees to let Millie and her son live with them. When Millie arrives in Springfield, she finds that Ruth hasn’t changed. Ruth grows more bitter the longer Millie stays with them. But Ruth and Millie have secrets. Secrets that could destroy their relationship if they came to light. Can Ruth get over the past to help Millie in the present? Or will she allow past resentments color what she thinks of Millie? Can Millie trust Ruth enough to tell her about her secret?

I didn’t like Ruth one bit. I didn’t like how she treated Millie. I thought it was disgusting that she held on to old resentments. She was afraid that Millie was going to one-up her. I wanted to shake her and say “Get over it!!“. What she did the night of her parents funeral was awful. The author did try to change her character by having her confront Grace Peabody. It didn’t matter. I didn’t like her.

I liked Millie and I felt bad for her. I liked how the author wrote her side of the story. I understood why she left out parts of her story when she moved in with Ruth. I do think that she was unfairly judged by people. They saw how good-looking she was and thought she wasn’t that bright. Which was far from the truth. She was also stronger than most of the women in this book.

I liked Lillian. But I didn’t understand why she was getting her own chapters until later in the book. She was an amazing woman. She had been through so much in her life and she still looked on the brighter side of things. She didn’t dwell on things she couldn’t change. What she did for Millie was nothing short of amazing.

Aria was brought in later in the book. Again, I didn’t understand why she was getting her own chapters but I soon realized why about the same time I understood why Lillian did. She brought an outside perspective to Ruth and Millie’s relationship. She was the only person in the book who dared to call Ruth out on her treatment of Millie. She also was the only one who stood up to Grace and her husband when things were going down. Aria was a true friend to Millie.

I liked how the author wrote Millie’s secret into the book. I also liked what she did to get rid of it. That was also a turning point in Ruth and Millie’s relationship.

I loathed Grace Peabody. She was a nasty woman who got everything that she deserved. I do wish that her husband got the same treatment.

I did like that I got a better understanding of what a woman did to support her soldier/country during World War II. I thought it was fascinating what Millie did. I also liked the location. Having grown up in the NE part of MA, I love it when any part is represented in a book. Double kudos if it is in a positive light.

The end of the book was sweet. I liked that Millie and Ruth were moving towards a better relationship. The author did a great job at ending all the storylines. I had a question about the Aria/Fitz one. Other than that, perfect!!

What I liked about The Wartime Sisters:

The storyline
Mille
How Millie’s secret was written in and out of the book
What I disliked about The Wartime Sisters:

Ruth
Grace Peabody
Aria/Fitz relationship left up in the air
I gave The Wartime Sisters a 4-star rating. I liked the storyline and Mille. I also liked how Millie’s secret was written in and out of the story. It was Ruth who killed the book for me. She was miserable the entire book.

I would give The Wartime Sisters an Adult rating. There is no sex. There is no language. There is some mild violence. I would recommend that no one under the age of 21 read this book.

I would reread The Wartime Sisters. I would also recommend this book to family and friends.

I would like to thank St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for allowing me to read and review The Wartime Sisters.

All opinions expressed in this review of The Wartime Sisters are mine.

**I chose to leave this review after reading an advance reader copy**

I enjoyed the story of the different lives the sisters led. having two sisters myself, the petty arguments and assumptions of what the other is like is very real. The ending was well done and shows that family is family...whether blood or not.

This book was spot on about this time in history. It was very interesting to read how peole lived and worked during the war. Characters were wonderful and I did not want the book to end. Looking forward to more books from this author.

The Wartime Sisters by Lynda Cohen Lolgman is a intriguing novel centered around two different types of war. Part of the story occurs before WW II and during the war. The plot revolves around a very conflicted relationship between two sisters. Their mother relates to each quite differently. She favors the younger more attractive and outgoing sister. This creates a deep resentment in her older sibling and makes it quite difficult for the sisters to co exist. They try to lead separate lives but also need each other and share a past. Its at the end of the book that they get together and vocalize the conflicts they felt growing up. This enables them to establish a satisfying and peaceful relationship. Their war has ended.

The Wartime Sisters by Lynda Cohen Loigman was a book that was very hard to put down. This is my first book by this author and I absolutely loved it. I just recently became a huge fan of Historical Fiction and this book was right up my alley. This was a very well researched and written book with well-developed characters. I would love to see it made into a movie. I will definitely read more books from this author. Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for my ARC.

Two estranged sisters; Ruth and Millie, raised in Brooklyn are reunited at the Springfield Armory in the early days of WWII. Ruth the older of the two resents how her parents have always doted on her younger, prettier sister, Millie. Breaking free from her sister's shadow after the death of their parents, Ruth enjoys her life as an officer's wife and her job at the Armory. When Millie arrives as a war widow and once again is the center of attention, old resentments surface and both sisters fear their secrets are about to be exposed. Told from both points of view, it is easy to understand how they each perceive the other as being the problem in their sibling rivalry.

"During World War II, the armory again turned to women to overcome the labor shortage. By June 1943, somewhere between 11,300-11,800 people worked at the armory, and of that number 43 percent were women." Loigman has written a poignant story capturing that time in history and crafting a story that brings the reality of their lives to the reader. Even in wartime, a hierarchy and snobbishness exist among the women workers and the officer's wives belying the strength that is required to survive the hard times. The Author's Note provides background on the Springfield Armory and is a welcome addition in the book. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and will go on to read her first novel, The Two-Family House.

I found this book very easy and enjoyable to read. I just finished a WWII novel that took place in Europe so I was glad that this novel took place in America and focused on the relationship between Ruth and Millie with the war as a backdrop. It was interesting to get the perspective from each sister and to understand how each sister was hurting. I would definitely read more from this author. Thanks to Netgalley and St. Martin's press for an advanced electronic copy.

This book struck a particular chord with me. Although separated by 2 or 3 generations, I too grew up about 30 miles from Springfield and my parents read the Springfield paper every morning. The story is set in a time I could relate to, and as a child I spent "vacations" with an aunt who took me to Forest Park and to the tearoom in Steiger's department store. Later as a young mother, I took my own children to Forest Park and bought their snowsuits in Steiger's. Although I moved from there many decades ago, I'm wondering how did I never know the history of the Armory?
I loved this book and couldn't put it down. The estranged sisters were so well drawn and gives the reader a hometown look at war, women's place in society, parental bullying, deceit , betrayal and also familial loyalty.
Kudos to the author.for an exceptional and unique novel about WWII.

Thank you NetGalley for this ARC.

This was a good book. I love how complex the relationship between the sisters was. It bounced around in time a bit but it was well done. I was well written, i wanted to keep reading it and it came to a close nicely.

I would read from this author again.

Sisters Ruth and Millie, a few years apart in age, are at odds with one another through almost 30 years of life. Ruth, the older, is noted as reliable, responsible, plain and boring. Millie is expected to get by with her looks and her friendliness. Oh how Ruth resents Millie. WWII throws the sisters together again as Millie’s husband, Lenny, signs up to serve. Millie joins Ruth at the armory and takes a job. This period of time allows Millie to regain her footing and for Ruth to relax her defenses. Coming together as sisters, without rancor, is not easy for these two. I lay the blame for their differences with their mother who seems to be caused so much with her own actions and many words.

This novel was wonderful. The writing was great, the story was compelling, the characters were well fleshed out. I honestly have nothing critical to say about it except that I cried at several moments! I have two sisters of my own and it brought up all the feels.

This was my second novel by the author and I am a fan!

This one fell flat for me. I thought the stories going back and forth in time were slightly confusing and not properly fleshed out. I had hoped that this would be more about the war and less about the sisters and their awkward relationship but it was not, it really was about the sisters. I won't recommend this to anyone but I'm sure I'm in the minority. Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I got sent this book to review- I liked the premise
Then I started reading and I did not want to put it down, carrying it around while I did as much ad I could.

2 sisters are not close:
1- her missteps were red wine spilled on a tablecloth
other- only a small wrinkle in tablecloth

1 sister hopes to fix their relationship. A seam sewn crooked is better than a hole.

Words never get chance to be spoken

A nice Jewish girl from Brooklyn, tries to assimilate to a new life in a new place while helping her son adjust to a new life. Problems from the past arise and need to be dealt with so as not to infect their new life.

I highly recommend this book!!

P.S.
Update -
I actually opened my Kindle hoping I could read more of the story, then realizing that I had already finished the book, I wanted more of the characters's story... maybe write a sequel ?!

Hard to put down novel that transports you completely back in time. It was extremely easy to get lost in this novel. The character development was great, and as a reader you were able to really feel the all the emotions associated with the often difficult relationships.

This is actually a 3.5 - I chose to round down a bit, rather than up. This is probably my own bias because I’ve been reading so many books set in the WWII timeframe. I have enjoyed almost every one of them, but I’m tired of them, too. Not sure if that makes sense...

This book touches on family relationships, women in the workforce during WWII, and the way the Springfield Armory was important to the area. It was a good, enjoyable read; very well done. I really appreciated the author's research, and the way she worked a very real aspect of WWII into enjoyable women's fiction.

I received this book as an ARC from NetGalley.

This multi-faceted historical novel examines relationships among people. As the title indicates, the main characters are two sisters growing up in pre-WWII Brooklyn, NY. They could not be more different: one is beautiful and popular, the other is plain but highly intelligent. Their mother sets them up for a lifetime of strife.

The story shifts to WWII at the Springfield Armory in Massachusetts. Women were an important part of the war effort in this facility that manufactured M-1 rifles for our fighting men overseas. Both sisters eventually live there. Their lives and status on base were very different.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading about the sisters and learned much about how important the Springfield Armory was to the war effort.

Thank you, NetGalley and the publisher, for providing me a copy of this page-turner historical fiction novel! Ruth and Millie are sisters with parents who are strict and a mother who has high expectations from responsible Ruth, the elder, and unrealistic dreams for beautiful Millie, the younger sister, which only creates a gulf between the sisters that expands almost beyond repair when their parents are unexpectedly wiped from their lives.

This story digs deeper than just their relationship. I loved the wartime threads that were the intricate part of the story, including things like the Springfield Armory and its importance during the war-something I'd never heard about before.

There were many interesting characters in this story filled with strong women, heart, suspense, mistrust, and family all during the horrors of war. I highly recommend this book!

I Loved this book! 2 things I love to read about! Sisters and war! I was such an amazing story right from the start! Highly recommend! #negalley#wartimesisters

This was a very interesting book! The sibling rivalry was intense and neither understood that it was their mother who seemed to like to continue it. I liked to learn about the Armory and the work it did during the war. The social status and the gossip was also interesting. I was rooting for the characters and hoped for the best outcome for each!