I enjoyed this read. The characters had me invested from the very first page to the very end. I felt like I was on a roller coaster of emotions as a reader and that’s what made me enjoy the book. Cannot wait to check out more books from this author in the near future.

Really enjoyed this book. Great plot and engaging, believe characters. I was drawn right into the story. Would definitely recommend.

Another fun and historical read! I really enjoyed going on this adventure with Lizzie and Ruby and I highly recommend you take this journey too!

In The Spitfire Girls, Soraya M. Lane tells the story of three brave women who are also highly skilled pilots. They have no doubt that their place is not at home but helping their countries win the war. They know they won't be able to fight or serve in combat situations but they desperately want to help in any way they can, other than knitting socks or working in the factories. Lizzie Dunlop is an spirited American pilot determined to do her share. The American military isn't willing to let women fly yet but she isn't giving up. She'll do whatever it takes, even if it means going to speak to the President and his wife to get their support. At the height of World War II, she goes to join the British Air Transport Auxiliary, a civilian organization made up of women pilots who are ferrying damaged planes to be repaired and the freshly repaired planes to the men who will be flying them in combat. Her goal is to show the American government how useful the women pilots can be and to make her fighter pilot daddy proud. From the moment, Lizzie arrives she is turning heads with her audacity. She sets out to show that she is the bravest, most talented pilot out there. The word team player isn't in her vocabulary and definitely isn't in her skillset. She's so incredibly different from the sweet, petite Ruby who is only shy on the ground. Ruby isn't at all diminutive in the sky. It's the responsibility of their matter-of-fact leader, May to bring them together and help make them a team. She certainly has her hands full in trying to help Lizzie realize that none of what they're doing is about her. They're trying to help win a war and they have to do so while being held to a higher standard than the men pilots. The women May leads not only have to do their job better they're doing so with less equipment than their male counterparts. They're flying without instruments and without radios. May has to convince Lizzie to work with the team as they try to make sure that everyone comes home and to prove that they are just as capable as the male pilots.

Soraya Lane has, once again, written an powerfully touching story highlighting strong, intelligent talented women. The women she writes about weren't real but the groups these women flew with actually existed and assisted in World War II. They truly helped turn the tide of the war. Soraya does enough research that the characters she writes could easily describe the women who actually were part of these organizations. I always learn so much when I read Soraya's work. I love how complexly written her characters are. Nobody is all bad or all good. Every single characters has their flaws and their talents and strengths. The scenarios faced in The Spitfire Girls show how much research Soraya does and how committed to detail she is. I have truly enjoyed everything I've written by her.

A great read. I enjoyed reading it and it has a great plot and characters. I also look forward to more books from the author.

Thanks to Netgalley and publisher for the opportunity to review this digital copy of The Spitfire Girls. It was an easy read that started well but I found that I wasn’t drawn in by either the characters or the plot.

This book was different from many that I have read about WWII. It was refreshing to come at this with a new perspective, a different type of hero, and get a "not your usual war story" feel.

If you are looking for a great weekend read, you found it!

I will never tire of WWII stories of strong women! Women who have bucked tradition and societal norms to go our and make a difference. Soraya Lane is the best at writing strong women in history!

Lizzie is a skilled Texas pilot trying to convince the President and Mrs Roosevelt that women should be helping with any war efforts by ferrying airplanes to the front lines to free up men for battle. She is sent to Britain to join a squadron of women pilots doing just that for their country, to learn and train on developing her own squadron back in the United States. She meets and befriends Ruby, another skilled pilot and her top competition, and May, the commander in charge of the squadron, but also a fine pilot in her own right. Each woman is trying to balance her needs with that of her country's, while trying to make a name for women pilots.

I love a good historical fiction novel, and this one had the twist of a great romance novel, which made me enjoy it even more. I found myself cheering for Lizzie, Ruby, and May, and hoping they would succeed in their careers, and with the loves they met along the way. With such relatable characters, and interesting turns of events, I would highly recommend this book.

I loved the idea of a book that highlights the female aviators of WWII. As the daughter and granddaughter of war pilots, I was looking for something more heavy on the aspects of flying. Very little of the story actually involved the woman in the air. This story really highlighted the the women's personal lives and is more of a romance novel.
While I did appreciate some of the history of the WASPs and the A.T.A. in the story, I felt the all around research of the time was not thorough. For example, I highly doubt that in worn torn London thick steaks were being served and that champagne was flowing (especially since France was occupied by the Germans ). I also felt that both the British and American personas were off. I could tell the author was neither American or British. It was said over and over that America was not affected at home by the war (which is just not true on so many levels). Lizzie, herself, was more of a characture of an American than an actual person. I really don't believe a woman of the 1940's (especially a well bred one from the South) would have been as rude as Lizzie was. This was an ok read for me but not what I was expecting.

I'm sure you have heard the saying "Anything boys can do, girls can do better." Well, that quote is quite close to what this story portrays. A brave young group of women decides that in World War 2 that they can fly planes just as well as the men and help in the war effort. This book shows the brave women who fight danger and ridicule around every turn to help out. In most stories you see of the war, you see that women stay close to home, or they are nurses, but this book shows the brave of the brave: the ones not tucked away at home or in a hospital, but the ones that are tucked away in an airplane cockpit.


So far I have read each one of Soraya Lane's books, and each one is better than the last. They are full of history, touches of romance, danger, and most feature brave women that go above and beyond the norm for that time period. I absolutely loved this story. The characters are rich and detailed and so easy to love. The story is written in such a way that you can't help but be captivated.


This is a story that I will tell any lover of historical fiction about. The ending was just awesome! I think I even let out a "You go, girl"! This story was just, and I loved every minute.

Having read The Huntress, which told of women pilots in WW2 from Russia, it was interesting to hear the story of British and American women pilots during this same time. All of these women made such courageous contributions to the war effort and constantly put their lives on the line. I have read many different WW2 historical fiction novels and it was neat to see this history from different perspective.

I found The Spitfire Girls by Soraya M. Lane to be such a pleasant and enticing read. It tells the story of three women pilots, two from Britain and one from America and their experiences flying for the British Air Transport Auxiliary. While they all have great flying abilities, their personalities couldn't be any different, creating dynamic relationships between them. Each character faces unique situations and challenges that help them to grow and prosper; all while proving to the world that they can be just as successful if not more than their male counterparts. I greatly enjoyed this novel and loved learning about the historical impact that women made during WW2.

Thank you Lake Union Publishing and NetGalley for a copy of this book for my honest review.

Interesting WWII novel - As the quote at the end of the book says, “We will not again look upon a women’s flying organization as experimental.” Not only did the women pilots in this book (and in real life) learn they could do so much more than given credit for, but so did the Army Air Force.

Thanks to Lake Union Publishing, NetGalley and Soraya M. Lane for an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

🌟REVIEW🌟

I have to admit I actually quite liked this book. I got sucked in with feelings for the 'main' women. And the ending was just lovely! I did like the fact that in the epilogue it states the book has been written with a mix of fact and fiction! And that women really did help ferry planes in 1940's!

Was a nice need and had a bit of a 'pick me up' feel towards the end :)

I have received this ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

The Spitfire Girls was surprisingly good! Once I started this ebook, I couldn't put it down. Not even to do my actual work. The girls in this book were such bad asses and I love how they wouldn't let the manly nay-sayers make them stop doing what they love: flying planes.

Speaking of these wonderful pilots, we get to meet Lizzie, Ruby, May, and a bunch of other wonderful ladies. Now this type of lifestyle is a bit frowned upon because men are idiots. They just love to think they are more superior.. well maybe just in this book? Ha - we all know most men think they are better at anything and everything. So yeah, it happens a lot in this book plus in our every day lives.

For Ruby, it's her fiancé and his mother who seem to think that war is just for men. Pish posh, but yeah let's go with what Tom says for a second. Well, after seeing his beautiful and talented fiancé flying one gigantic plane (that the men in this book have only dreamed about being able to fly) he has realized what a douche canoe he is. Oh lord, I was about to punch him in the nuts until he finally redeemed himself.

Then there's Lizzie who likes to think highly of herself. Like she's better than any other female or male pilot out there. I mean, she is.. but she doesn't need to boast about it publicly all the time. It does suck that she gets severely pushed off of that little pedestal but it does make her a lot more likable. For the longest time, I just annoyed with her but towards the end I definitely ended up like her a lot more.

Heck, all of the girls in this book were lovable. They each had their own voice and I loved getting to see them improve their flying techniques as well as fall in love. Oh lord, the ending was freaking adorable. I loved the little reunion - it kind of reminded me of that one baseball movie.. like girls playing baseball because the men were off to war.

Oh lord, this is gonna drive me nuts.. what is it called..

Tom Hanks is in it I think?

Some blonde woman too?

WAS MADONNA IN IT?

Hold up, lemme google this shit.

HA - A LEAGUE OF THEIR OWN.

I knew it! Okay, I'm done!

The Spitfire Girls is a good WWII historical fiction that is well written and has great characters. A very interesting story and I would read more from this author.

Historical fiction describing the women who ferried planes to help the war effort in England and the US during WWII, the writing was a bit lighter than I anticipated. Although some serious issues were attempted, the three women, May, Ruby and Lizzie, were not described with as much depth as would have been required of a group of women taking on the prejudices against women flying. A light take on the subject, easy to read, but left me wanting a little more.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me a copy of this inspiring historical fiction novel.

Interesting WWII novel - As the quote at the end of the book says, “We will not again look upon a women’s flying organization as experimental.” Not only did the women pilots in this book (and in real life) learn they could do so much more than given credit for, but so did the Army Air Force.

'The perfect ladies’ plane’, that’s what they used to call the Spitfire, although I doubt they were ever designed with women in mind. – a quote from the epilogue.

These courageous women made a great contribution in both England and the US during WWII, willing to risk their lives while faced with discrimination from almost everyone -including the male pilots and often times, their own families.

Three women’s life stories are told here, all with flying skills but very different personalities. Women who must overcome their differences to step up and help their country during WWII.

It’s an enjoyable, informative read!

I give The Spitfire Girls a 4.5 star rating for this beautifully written WWII historical fiction novel. Soraya M. Lane is a new author for me and I enjoyed her writing style and topic. The book focused on three pilots, that happen to be women, who wanted to help with the war efforts by using their skills. May helped to create and manage a women's division for the British Air Transport Auxiliary, which was not an easy task in a man's world. Lizzie came from America to learn the ropes so she could set up the same division for the United States military. Ruby, a unsure petite British pilot, found herself in the middle of a contest with an extremely competitive and sassy Lizzie.

The friendships, scares, and tension from the war bonds these women in more ways than one. This will be a great addition to anyone who loves to read a different story about strong women who beat the odds to help with the war flying war planes for the military.

“I received an Advance Review Copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

This book follows the lives and work of three women pilots during WWII. I hate to say this but I really disliked the book. May, the leader of the women pilots, was weepy and prone to break down. She only seemed comfortable in the arms of her mechanic, who she eventually fell for. Lizzie, the American pilot, was arrogant, over-the-top, and a complete caricature. Ruby had a little bit of promise, but she continually obsessed over her fiancee and her relationship with her soon to be mother-in-law. These were not the strong determined women that I expected to read about. Overall, a complete disappointment.