It's well timed with the Armistice and the D-day landings anniversaries due. I welcomed a story about the ATA girls who are the dogsbody pilots of condescending and patronising men. I found it a sugary and snobbish account especially the spoilt brat women. Initially, it irritated me learning that the elitist women could drive an aircraft because they had a wealthy daddy. No expense was spared for the new project - accommodation at the Savoy hotel, dinner of steak at the Adelphi hotel, uniform supplied by Moss Brothers. Ouch - class structures in the 1940s. The ongoing childish feud between Lizzie and Ruby was tedious and seemed to be the main theme. The women did a wonderful job as ATA girls, but I think they had more depth and tenacity to give them real justice than the shallow characters in the book.

Thank you to NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This is a story that deserves to be told and shared! This book shares the story of three women who lead the charge of women pilots in WW2. I was able to attach myself to each of the characters - they were magnetic, making it hard to put the book down. In fact, I wish that I could continue reading about the lives of these women. I really enjoyed the book.

Focusing on three women- British ATA flyers First Officer Ruby Sanders and Commander May Jones and WASP American pilot Elizabeth (Lizzie) Dunlop, this is a WWII historical that focuses on the contribution of women pilots on both sides of the Atlantic during World War II. These women faced much criticism from their families and countrymen for stepping outside the projected gender roles and yet as revealed in the novel, had much better survival rates than the much lauded RAF. Not to mention that they also dealt with inequality in pay and came face to face with sexism on a daily basis.

I felt all the characters were relateable, although it took a while for brash American Lizzie to grow on me. I must confess that May was a personal favorite of mine as she had the added challenge of being in a high ranking position and yet found herself often being ignored by her male counterparts and the political figures of the time.

An absolute addition to any WWII era library!

I enjoyed watching the relationships grow between these women (and the men who were there for them). As always, it amazes me to see the courage and determination so many people had during the war. And if women hadn't seen a need and fought for the right to do the work - in this case ferrying planes to the men who would fly them into combat - how differently could things have turned out? These women played a huge part.

The book made me laugh, made me cry, broke my heart wide open, and in the end left me feeling that, despite it all, it was a full and complete and satisfying story. I will remember May and Ruby and Lizzie for a long time.

Thanks to Lake Union Publishing, NetGalley, and Soraya M. Lane for the ARC. I loved it!

Linda’s Book Obsession Reviews “The Spitfire Girls” by Soraya M Lane, February 2019

Soraya M Lane, Author of “The Spitfire Girls” has written a captivating, enthralling, intriguing and entertaining novel. The Genres for this book are Fiction, Women’s Fiction and Historical Fiction. The time-line for this novel is World War Two. The author describes her colorful cast of characters as complex, competitive and complicated.

Lizzie has been a pilot in the United States, and writes to Mrs. Roosevelt to ask if women can be pilots and fly during the war. She is informed that there is a program in England. Lizzie meets May and Ruby, two of the best pilots in England. At first there is competition and adversity between the American and English women pilots. There is the threat of German Airstrikes. The women are flying the planes blindly.

I appreciate that the author discusses the importance of friendship, sisterhood, family , love and hope. These are brave and devoted women who serve their countries, at less pay than the men that do the same thing. These women are fighting for their rights and lives. I would highly recommend this amazing story for those readers who enjoy World War Two fiction and history. I received an ARC from NetGalley for my honest review.

I have to admit that it took me a while to decide to read this book...I've read a lot of WWII books lately and I didn't think this book would be all that different from the others. I was wrong! This book got my attention right from the beginning. The fact that not only did women VOLUNTEER to make difficult flights to deliver planes for use in the war, but they FOUGHT for the right to do so is just amazing to me. These women had so much courage and determination. I thought the author did a a great job with the main characters - May, Ruby, and Lizzie. Each of these women had their own strengths and weaknesses and as the story progresses, the reader gets to see how each of them deals with their own personal challenges. I highly recommend this book!

Thank you to Lake Union Publishing and NetGalley for providing a copy for review.

The book had a kick butt premise, I mean people tend to forget about the Women pilots of WWII. Lane gave us some very stereotypical characters and it was fluffy and cute and heartwarming with dashes of loss thrown in. Overall it was a read I think most people would enjoy more than I did but I couldn't like it as much as I wanted to. I felt like Lane dangled this carrot before me and then took it away, the characters had no depth and this is the sort of book where she had every opportunity to make them as deep as the ocean if she wanted, and because they were so shallow the plot just didn't seem as genuine as it should have. Not to mention I did not like Ruby, and I also felt that there was no need to alter Lizzie just because she was an ambitious woman.

I would definitely recommend this to others who love heartwarming stories and historical fiction, it was just too fluffy for me.

I received this as a free digital copy from NetGalley in exchange for my honest opinion, this book will be published on February 26, 2019.

This is a well researched book, telling the story of woman pilots that trained and flew planes for the WASPS in the US and the AOC in Britain during WWII. Facing discrimination and disbelief that women could handle the big bombers, that even some of their male counterparts found challenging to fly, these woman took to the challenge and were soon ferrying these planes to airbases, freeing up the men for combat. Unsurprising, these women had to fight for pay equality as well.
The author, Soraya M Lane tells their story of challenges, danger and loss, while serving their countries with pride. It didn’t hurt to throw some romance into the story, just to point out that the need for companionship and support is needed, Wartime or not.
A very enjoyable novel and I thank the author, Amazon Publishing and NetGalley for my ARC.

I was intrigued by the description of a World War II story from the point of view of women pilots in the Air Transport Auxilliary. The story is fascinating in the descriptions of the flights without the benefit of radar or radio and of the general work to fly planes around the country. The girls (and men to a a degree) are rather stereotypical though - May, the young Commander, British, quiet, reserved, suffering quietly to herself about the loss of her beloved fighter pilot brother whilst trying to pull together a disparate group of women, Ruby tormented by her dreadful mother in law to be who clearly sees a 'gal's' duty to be with her family and sorting out wedding arrangements rather than taking men's work in the skies, and a fiance who initially agrees with Mama. Lizzie the archetypal in your face brash Yank who knows it all and does not want to be with the boring Brits. Ben, the quiet mechanic, who ensures that the planes are fit to fly and supports May to the hilt. And so on and on. We move through their trials and tribulations from ferrying planes from base to base to replace those lost; to May demanding equal pay when meeting up with Churchill and their excitement at being able to fly some of the big 4 engine bombers for the first time as well as the attitudes of many of the RAF personnel. It is clear that the author has researched her subject well - thanks for giving some references at the end, I shall follow up on some of these.. For me, it's too much of a Mills and Boonsie style but it does get the story of the ATA across in an accessible way I suppose. Thanks to NetGalley and Union Lake publishing for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

Women are strength. The characters in The Spitfire Girls demonstrate that throughout the entire book. I really love the story and lessons told in this book. The characters are all amazing and real. I can’t wait to read more by this author.

Thank you to NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This book is about 3.5/5 stars.

I was so excited to read this book because I have heard nothing but good things about Ms. Lane and I love novels about women in WWII. The story is objectively fantastic, really shining a light on the ATA in Britain and their essential role in the war effort. All of the characters have substance and the love stories are believable and not forced. Ruby was my particular favorite, with her patriotism, skill, and humble attitude. The book also doesn't spend too much time on aviation details, focusing only on the name and the type rather than on the nitty gritty of how to fly that particular plane (a welcome change as my Air Force pilot husband loves to talk about those details). The only downside to this book was the writing style. Conversations were awkward and stilted at the beginning of the novel and it was difficult to get into at first. It may be because this is an advanced copy, but there were also numerous typos and once instance where Ruby was called Rosie (there is no character named Rosie elsewhere in the book). These didn’t affect the overall storyline but they were definitely distracting. Once these are fixed, it would be a 4 star read for sure.

Thanks to netgalley for an early copy in return for an honest review
What a fantastic and fascinating insight into these amazing women and what they done for there country
Lizzie (very annoying) Ruby(star of the book) Polly(sweet girl)
May(The leader)
What a team these women made I feel as if I was flying planes with them
This really was a
RIP-ROARING EXTRAVAGANZA OF A BOOK.
can't praise this book enough and will be telling family and friends to read this amazing journey.

These are the stories I wish our history books taught us.

Spitfire Girls tells the story of the first female pilots during World War II. Lizzie is the daughter of a legendary American pilot with dreams of leading the United States’ first group of women pilots. She writes a letter to and eventually meets with the First Lady, Mrs. Roosevelt. Lizzie is set to Britain to join and learn about a group a women pilots ferrying planes.

May is the commanding officer of this group, with Ruby as her first officer. Lizzie is brash and bold and often offends her British counterparts. When she and Ruby, the two best pilots, are pitted against each other in a competition to be the first woman to fly a Halifax, a bomber, tensions rise and Lizzie learns a valuable lesson about herself.

Spitfire Girls is an engaging, historical read. I felt myself rooting for Ruby and crying with May, while getting fired up right alongside Lizzie. Their stories and lives an inspiration to all women.

Mixed with the perfect amount of romance and predictability, Spitfire Girls was an engaging and educational read.

I revived an advanced eBook from Netgalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Thanks to NetGalley for an advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

I loved this book! While I knew of the WASPs in the US, it was fascinating to read about the British side of the it and the British Air Transport Auxiliary! While this is historical fiction, I enjoyed knowing that the characters were loosely based on real women. These women were real trail blazers and showed that they were just as valuable as the fighter pilots,

I didn't want to put this book down!

I have really loved this book as it shows how fabulous strong women helped the war effort,May,Ruby,Polly are some of the first women to ferry planes during the war.They had to show that they could do this job in an era when women stayed home and kept house and raised children.These girls form a bond of friendship and work well together that is until they get a new recruit from america.Lizzie is loud,big headed and doesn't like to be told what to do, all of which puts the girls off getting too close to her.I can highly recommend The Spitfire Girls and worthy of 5* if not more.EXCELLENT BOOK.

War genre fiction is a favorite of mine and I certainly enjoy a book that educates me on a new aspect as to how women served during the war. A very good historical fiction.

I loved this book. I'm a sucker for most historical fiction but when you combine strong women fighting against gender stereotypes, I'm definitely in. This novel follows 3 women, who fight for the right to fly warplanes during WWII. They have to overcome gender bias, lower pay, and even the fact that they fly without instruments or radios! They demonstrate how important they are to the war effort and the fact that women can do anything men can do. I found it refreshing that the story didn't solely focus on romance. While there are definite sparks flying, (pun intended) the story is more about friendship, resilience, and the pursuit of your dreams.

It was well written and I honestly could not put this down. Fans of historical fiction will love this one. Thanks to NetGalley for providing and ARC for review.

I hope you’re ready to hear some gushing, because The Spitfire Girls absolutely blew me away!

Synopsis: WW2 hasn’t been easy for anyone. People have been lost, and there will only be more. However, this story follows three brave women who decide that sitting at home isn’t an option. They’re pilots and they know they’re just as capable to assist in the war effort as any man. Stepping up to work alongside the brave women of the ATA, they each play a pivotal role in ferrying planes, so that the male pilots could fight in the war.

Despite having no instruments or radios, less pay and sometimes very little respect, they are determined to prove themselves. But things don’t always go smoothly, they don’t always get along and in such turbulent times, the stakes are higher than ever.

This beautifully crafted historical fiction novel exceeded my expectations. Probably what stood out to me most about The Spitfire Girls was how unbelievably real it felt. Granted, it’s based on real events, but even putting that aside it felt so vividly believable. The more time you spend with the characters, the more they start to feel like friends; people who you hope will get home safely. I loved how invested I felt in the characters and how much I cared about what happened to them.

I have to talk about how wonderfully empowering this story was. Before reading this book, I had no idea about the struggles faced by female pilots during WW2 and have since been inspired to do my own research on the subject. They had to fight so hard to prove themselves, purely so that they could serve their country and help bring their boys home. This was reflected so wonderfully in the novel. It moved me so much, hearing about how these brave women put their lives on the line for such a noble purpose. It really shines a light on the efforts that women made during WW2 to assist their countries and ultimately fight for equality. As a woman, reading this story made me feel like I could do anything and the sky was literally the limit. I think this is such a special quality in a novel and it deserves to be recognised.

I loved how strong the female characters were and how much they developed throughout the war. They overcame so many obstacles that were thrown at them as well as battling against their own personal demons. The story is told from the perspectives of three main characters: Lizzie, Ruby and May. All three of them are very likeable (even if they don’t always like each other) and being able to view the story from their different perspectives keeps the reader emotionally engaged. The characters were written with so much depth and complexity, which made it a pleasure to go with them on their journey. I really liked this structure and thought it was very nicely put together. I also like how there was a bit of romance (which is always nice), but it was not the overall focus of the story. The focus was how strong and badass the women were.

The tension that comes with war is present – sometimes lurking in the background and sometimes rearing its ugly head. There are reminders throughout the novel that death is a very real possibility for these women, as well as for their loved ones. There are sad moments and happy ones, but the story is so beautifully crafted the entire experience is an enjoyable one.

I feel like I should end this review by thanking the author for the experience of reading her novel. It has been a long time since I have been so moved by something I’ve read, and I would not hesitate in recommending The Spitfire Girls.

Thank you very much to Netgalley and Amazon Publishing for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I really enjoy and appreciate Soraya M. Lane's emphasis on spotlighting women and their contributions to history. Having read her wonderful book "Hearts of Resistance," I knew I would enjoy this one, and I did. A beautifully written and well-paced story with vivid characters that read true to life and kept me invested in how their lives turned out. I loved learning about these fascinating and brave women who helped win WWII, even though they were handicapped by a lack of training and the inability to use the instruments the flying airmen were allowed to use. Highly recommended!

This is ok. I wish Lizzie, May, and Ruby had had more time together because it felt very brief. Or at least the part where they actually got along felt brief since most of the novel seemed to be Lizzie vs May and Ruby, which didn't always make sense in the later chapters when it showed their bond. That being said, it was an interesting book, though slow at points, but its biggest pitfall seems to be in the fact that the author does far more telling than showing. The amount of research is clear all throughout the novel, which is great, but I just don't think it was integrated as artistically as it could have been.

Ultimately, this novel is interesting, and for those of you who are interested in women's history and female=centric novels, then this is probably up your alley!