“The English Wife” by Adrienne Chinn goes between 1945 and 2001 following the life and family of Ellie Burgess. Ellie is a war bride who marries a Newfoundlander during the war and goes back to his home with him after the war is over, fracturing her relationship with her younger sister. In 2001, Ellie has a chance to rekindle a relationship with the niece she never knew. Family secrets will come to light whether anyone is prepared or not.
It’s been a while since I’ve read any historical fiction, so this book was a nice change of pace. WW2 is one of those periods of history I could probably read about endlessly.
Ellie’s niece, Sophie, is a character you want to root for. She bold and determined, but you can tell she’s missing out on some of the finer things in life. Once you begin to see her, you can feel the heart of the book.
I liked the characters in the book, but I kind of struggled with the dialog being based on accents. It was distracting and I worried more about what the words were supposed to be, rather than just enjoying the conversations.
In the end, I gave this book 3 stars. It was a good, quick read, but just had a few issues that I couldn’t get over.
Thanks to NetGalley and One More Chapter (Harper Collins UK) for the arc! Glad to check another one off of the #NetGalleyBacklist!

This was beautifully written but the plot was too slow in places
This book looks at family secrets and dynamics
A good book

Adrienne Chinn’s powerful story of two women across the generations is both captivating and heartbreaking. Set during two tumultuous points in world history, Chinn perfectly captures the raw emotions felt during such difficult times and pays homage to those who persevered through them. With moments of raw human connection sprinkled throughout, “The English Wife” is an emotional roller coaster that readers will find hard to put down. This moving saga deserves to be treasured and remembered.

I felt a little confused with this one, the three different timelines caught me off guard. I do really like a dual timeline historical, espeically when the atory jumps from the war to either present or a different time, but this with having three made it far too complicated, I hate to say it but at times it felt like hard work to read!

yet the parts set in 1945 were my favourite, I love the era and I liked the way that part of the story was written. There are characters and secrets in abundance and I liked the way everything entwined with the story, it's when parts of the plot started jumping about the other era's which boggled my mind.

I have read this author before and I thoroughly enjoyed those books, so this was a surpise as it had such a different feel to her other books, I will read her work again but its fair to say this was a disappointment!

Unfortunately this is currently a dnf for me. I couldn't get into it at the moment, but will try again another time when my focus is in a better place

A lovely read, evocative, descriptive and heartwarming. I'm excited to read more from the author in the future.

This was a brilliant read and is being featured on my blog for my quick star reviews feature, which I have created on my blog so I can catch up with all the books I have read and therefore review.
See www.chellsandbooks.wordpress.com.

The English Wife by Adrienne Chinn is a historical romance that is told from multiple points-of-view. I enjoyed the authors descriptions of Newfoundland and the remote town of Tippy’s Tickle. The country sounded rugged, remote, and beautiful. I could just imagine how cold it was living by the water from the author’s words. Ellie, Sophie, Sam, Dottie, Becca, Florie, George, and Thomas are just a few of the characters in the story. The POV originally alternates between Sophie and Ellie, but it branches out into the other characters along the way. In addition to the various POVs, the time period changes. The story begins in February of 1946 with Ellie sailing to Newfoundland. We also have Sophie in September of 2011 getting ready to return to the small inlet of Tippy’s Tickle on business. It then goes back to 1940 (moving forward through the war years) and 2001. The chapters are short which leads to a choppy flow. I would just get into Ellie’s story and then I am back to Sophie. It is a wonder I did not get whiplash. It leads to a confusing story. It felt like the author wrote two different stories and then took pieces from each to make into one book. I would put my book down and come back to it utterly lost. I had to backtrack to figure out which character was speaking and where I was in time. The story lacked continuity. Sophie and Ellie’s stories come together in the end with an expected conclusion. Secrets get revealed, but they can be discerned before they are revealed. I was not a fan of Emmett Parsons, Ellie’s son. He was an odd duck. I wish the author had taken the time to establish Ellie and Sophie in the beginning. They needed to be fleshed out and given life. While I liked Ellie, Sophie did not appeal to me. I felt that most of the characters were flat. I was also put off by the amount of foul language just in the first couple of chapters (it is in the rest of the book as well, just not so much at once). I really wanted to like The English Wife, but it just did not work for me.

I was not able to get interested in this book and I did not finish it. The characters and the plot were not able to catch or keep my attention.

A lovely dual timeline story that I really enjoyed. I found the start a bit slow but once I had engaged in it I was drawn in and there was a very good storyline. I especially loved the character of Ellie and the descriptions of Newfoundland that added it to my places to go list.

I can not believe I waited so long to read this book. It has been on my shelf in NetGalley since 2020, and I even had it on my Prime Reading list. I just never thought that much about it. Had I know it was so wonderful, I would have started it on one of those times when I didn't know what to read. Without a doubt this book ranks right up there with the best books I have read in years. The characters are so wonderful, and I liked all of them. Emmett was a little spooky, and his story line was a shocker. In fact, many of the endings to the story lines were shockers. I had no idea they would end up the way they did, except I kind of thought Sophie would come to here senses and knew where she belonged. What an enjoyable book.
I always hate to write much about the story for fear of giving too much in formation and one wouldn't have to read the book. Let's just say, I didn't have any preconceived ideas about the book when I picked it to read because it had been on my list way too long. I had no idea what it was about, but knew I should read it since NetGalley was so kind to let me read it and I wasn't doing my part to review it.
That being said, I would give this book more stars than are available to rate. The highest I can go are the traditional 5 stars for the following reasons: I loved the dialogue. I could picture the scenery in Newfoundland, and makes me want to go there. I have no idea of the place is read, and if so, has a resort been built??
I liked how the story wove in and out. Usually, I hate those that go from the past to the present and back and forth. This one did do that, but it went chronologically from the past and caught up with the present. We learned all about the "back story" and Ellie's life which was so important to the present day. She certainly was a strong, charming person and I really liked her. Florie, was so gentle and understanding and I could see how they would get along.
Glad to know Ellie and Agnes never warmed up to each other, since this happens in real families even now. I liked Sam from the beginning and I figured out where that story line was going with Sophia. It just took a little longer than usual.
It wasn't a good book, it was a GREAT BOOK and now what am I going to read? Thank you again NetGalley.

A beautifully written dual timeline historical tale THE ENGLISH WIFE begins at the end of the war and follows the story of war bride Ellie as she embarks on a journey of discovery from England to Newfoundland to join her veteran husband Thomas Parsons. It is told over time in different perspectives which all build into the present story set in 2011. There are several timelines over the course of the novel though every chapter is titled clearly for each timeline as the reader journeys alongside the two main protagonists.

Liverpool England, 1946: Ellie Parsons looks up at the imposing bulk of the RMS Mauritania berthed at the dockside as she bounces baby Emmett in her arms. His one blue eye and one brown eye gazes at his mother impassively whilst Ellie's 16 year old sister Dottie prattles on about icebergs and Newfoundland. Ellie looks lovingly at her father, Henry Burgess, wishing she wasn't leaving them but knowing that her new life awaits her in Newfoundland.

Ever since she met Thomas at a dance almost six years ago, her life had changed course from the practical marriage to George that was expected to an elopement to London with Thomas. When he was critically injured during the war, Ellie had no idea if he was alive or dead...until she received word that he was a prisoner of war. After that, he had spent four months in a hospital in London which she knew nothing about before being sent back home to Newfoundland.

Now here she was, about to board the imposing vessel that was to transport her and Emmett across the raging waters of the North Atlantic to a new life in a new country. And away from the one she knew and had loved. Ellie had no idea what awaited her in Newfoundland. She only knew that she would be with Thomas again...after two years of being apart. Would he be the same man she fell in love with?

En route to New York, 2001: A diversion to Gander, Newfoundland due to the attack on the World Trade Centre in New York has Sophie Parry worried. She is meant to be in New York for an interview at a top architectural firm tomorrow but this tragic event has put paid to those plans. Her aunt Ellie lives in Tippy's Tickle on the rugged coastline of Newfoundland and so after a battle of wills with someone called Sam, she arrives to meet her aunt for the first time. Her mother Dottie bore some unspoken grudge against her older sister to the point that Ellie's name was forbidden. Sophie had no idea what to expect when meeting Ellie...going only on what her mother had said over the years, none of it complimentary.

But Sophie was pleasantly surprised when she was welcomed with open arms by Ellie and her partner of some several decades, Florie. Ellie was nothing like her mother had described at all. She was warm and kind and Sophie felt at home in the cottage perched high up on the rugged coast with her aunt at once. She wasn't so thrilled to discover the man she'd had the run in with at the airport and who drove her up to her aunt's was actually Ellie's son-in-law. And during the time she spends there, Sophie gets to know the family that she never knew.

Norwich, England, 1940: Eighteen year old Ellie Burgess is an art student studying under the talented Dame Edith Spinks. She is soon commissioned with the job as Dame Edith's assistant which, between that and her art classes, keeps her incredibly busy. Engaged to childhood friend, George Parry, the couple plan to marry as soon as the war ends whilst in the meantime enjoying nights out at dance halls together or evenings in with Ellie's family. Ellie's little sister adores George and she thinks Dottie may have something of a crush on him which causes her to smile. George is a good man. Stable, reliable and trustworthy.

But one night Ellie meets Thomas Parsons and her whole world changed. Then after a tragedy that rocked her world, she abandoned her art classes and joined the Fire service while the war raged on. Life for Ellie was never the same again. And neither was it for George. Because Ellie had suddenly eloped with Thomas, infuriating her sister Dottie and breaking George's heart.

New York, 2011: It's been ten years since Sophie had been to Tippy's Tickle. Although she kept in sporadic contact with her aunt Ellie, she had lost touch with Sam who had irritated her no end in the beginning but had eventually grown on her in the short time she was there. Now her boss wanted her to head up a development of a resort hotel and spa on the very site of her aunt's house as lead architect. And he wants her to fly back there to break the news to the locals and convince them to sell.

But returning to Tippy's Tickle re-opens old wounds, not just for Sophie, but for her aunt Ellie also. And not to mention Sam. Will Sophie be able to convince the locals that this resort will be good for their little town? Bringing in jobs and money to the local economy? And will she be able to live with the consequences of what she's about to do to the only family she has left?

This dual timeline tale spanning seventy years sweeps us through the war years and its aftermath as well as surrounding the shocking attack on the WTC in 2001. Both Ellie's and Sophie's stories entwine and come full circle by the end in a way that will touch your heart.

I really enjoyed both stories but it was Ellie who I felt for the most. Sophie didn't appeal all that much to me but then I remember she was a product of her environment having been brought up by a very embittered Dottie. As a child, Dottie infuriated me. She came across as spoiled and a little entitled despite their little means. Dottie wanted far more than life could offer her and in the end that made her a very bitter woman. Even her grudge against Ellie was so small fences could have been mended long ago had she not held onto it and fed that bitterness. Ellie was a wonderful character caught an impossible situation. Even in her new life, she had her struggles and nothing was as she thought it would be. Personally, I thought she should have remained in England. The grass it not always greener on the other side.

The one thing that irritated me about the book was the way in which the Newfoundland language was written. It may well be how they speak but I found it distracting. I wasn't sure how it was actually spoken which made hearing it in my head. To my mind, the way it was written made their "language" seem as if they were uneducated or backward. And I doubt they were that.

THE ENGLISH WIFE is a sweeping tale spanning seven decades that is both heartwarming and heartbreaking. I love these types of books and I soon found myself lost in both Ellie's and Sophie's stories until they came full circle by the end. There were a few twists, some which left me with my mouth open and others that I saw coming. But either way, the story is one that will sweep you up and keep you embroiled there until the very end.

Perfect for fans of Lorna Cook and Kathleen McGurl.

I would like to thank #AdrienneChinn, #NetGalley, #OneMoreChapter for an ARC of #TheEnglishWife in exchange for an honest review.

This is a multiple timeline historical fiction with great characters and a lovely story! I found some parts of the story to drag a bit, but overall it was a good story with an interesting plot. The historical information and locations were beautiful! I loved learning so much about Newfoundland!

I was provided a gifted copy of this book for free. I am leaving my review voluntarily.

Ellie finds herself torn between two men, which is probably an emotional situation enhanced by the turmoil of living through war and in a city being bombed every night. Fear and anxiety are not the right bedmates for sensible decisions, but rather of emotional surges and bonds made during difficult times.

The relationship she has with her sister is one that becomes brittle over the years as Ellie follows her heart. Something she is forced to delve into again when her niece Sophie is forced to seek her out during an emergency.

It’s historical fiction – a family saga that carries destructive secrets through multiple generations.

Chinn accurately captures what happens when sisterhood and sibling rivalry doesn’t adhere to the rules of normal dysfunction and instead wanders into hatred and betrayal.

This was the part of the story that resonated with me the most – the relationship between the sisters. It isn’t always a tale of support, love and protection. Sometimes being the people we are supersedes any genetic or blood connection, which also means the reality can be painful or simply mean the term sisterhood is obsolete because the relationship is non-existent.

It may seem like prime-time drama and fiction, but I found that aspect in particular had an air of authenticity.

Chinn also navigates the waters of family and blood connections quite well, and the essence of feeling at home or as if you belong somewhere. In regards to Ellie’s path as the stranger and ‘foreigner’ who comes to comprehend that home isn’t necessarily where you were raised.

By the time I got to the end of this book, I was fully engaged. But it did start out a bit slow for me connecting with the characters and stories. I did enjoy Ellie’s character and how the author portrayed her. I want to read it through again to see if I get that elusive character connection earlier.

I voluntarily reviewed a copy of this book provided by NetGalley.

Time buries all wounds. Dig them out, and the wounds still bleed. Better to keep them buried.

Sophie- the year is 2011, Sept 9, the daughter of Dottie and George of England. Sophie is on her way to New York for the interview of her life when she is laid over in Newfoundland.

Ellie-Sophie's Aunt and the estranged sister of Dottie now living in Newfoundland. The English Wife.

Sam-the son of law of Ellie who has fate has it, meets up with Sophie

Thomas - the husband of Ellie that swept her off her feet and changed her course from England to Newfoundland.

These main characters are what drive this historical fiction. The narration is switched from beginning of 9/11 to the beginning of World War 2. The setting themselves set the prose to ironies of a time that has the unknown to what the future holds especially for our English Wife. Ellie and her sister Dottie relationship suffers when Ellie leaves her family and fiancé George for Thomas. That builds the tension but it doesn't stop there. Sophie comes into Ellie's life not understanding why her mother has not spoken to her sister for all these years. With many family secrets and dysfunctions the characters come together with a climax end that bring the families full circle. The type I did not see coming.

A special thank you to Harper Collins and Netgalley for the ARC and the opportunity to post an honest review

A dual time line story (well more than dual in reality) beginning in 1945 with English Girl Ellie leaving her home and travelling to a remote part of Newfoundland to be with her wounded husband. Then in 2001, on a momentous day in history, Sophie's flight to New York is diverted to Newfoundland and she seeks refuge with her estranged Aunt and her family.

It was interesting to learn about Newfoundland and its history and about the role it played in the war and in 9/11. The author drew the picture of the landscape and its remoteness so well.

I loved Ellie (not so much Sophie as she was a little selfish) and gradually through the revealing of the past and the payers of the story, we learn about her life and the estrangement from Sophie's family.

I loved this book and thought it was incredibly well written. The multiple timelines and layers could have been confusing but they just weren't - everything fitted together so well to make a great story.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for a review copy.

I was given a copy of the English Wife by Adrienne Chinn by the publisher in exchange for an honest review. The book is told by two Ellie during world war 2 and Sophie in 2001 and 2011. Ellie lives in Norfolk she is engaged to George. When she meets Thomas she realises she doesn't love George. Sophie is on a work trip to New York when her plane is diverted to Newfoundland during the attack on the twin towers. While there she visits her aunt Ellie and she's a very different part of the world from what she is used to.
I enjoyed this story, it was well written and I liked the characters.

Took me a while to get into this one, but it was enjoyable enough once I did.

Many thanks to NetGalley and to the publisher for allowing me to read a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This book had it all! Sweet story, heartfelt, lots of love. Very well written. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher.