I was so excited to receive approval for this book. The cover art intrigued me, as well as it being WW2 fiction. This is my first book by Melanie Hudson, and I look forward to reading more by her. I loved the setting in this book and the writing style hit the mark for me. It was easy for me to connect to the characters.

This historical fiction follows two couples in different timelines (1940s and present day). Eliza is an artist in WWII and in an unhappy marriage; then meets Alex on the midnight train and everything changes. In present day, Ellie finds herself inheriting a cottage and meets Joe on the train. The two stories parallel as you follow their journey. I love a good historical fiction, and the descriptions throughout this book are done particularly well. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the advanced reader copy.

The cover alone evokes atmosphere and nostalgia! And then you open the book and become immersed in two timelines, one from the 1940s and one at the present time. A trip on the Orient Express is on my to do list so am always attracted to train stories. The author describes scenery, trains, historical bits and characters beautifully. Symbolism plays a key role, too. The time and clock ties are charming, as is the name Meadowsweet Cottage. This book is about loss, love and life. And hope.

Eliza and Alex meet in the 1940s during the war. I like that the horrors of war aren't glossed over as they are important to know about. Eliza is a married nurse and war artist. When she meets Joe her life is instantly changed. So is his. Ellie goes on an adventure and meets Joe on a night train in present day and they immediately click. But Ellie has a secret. They all do. And they also keep secrets from others in their lives.

The characters of Eliza and Alex are described well but I didn't feel the same about Ellie and Joe, especially Joe. It seemed more energies were spent on the others, leaving him a little flat. Still a very enjoyable read!

Women's Fiction and Historical Fiction fans ought to read this and other books by Melanie Hudson.

My sincere thank you to HarperCollins UK, One More Chapter and NetGalley for the privilege of reading the e-ARC of this delightful book!

I’ve always wanted to ride a sleeper train, so the opening chapters of this book grabbed me instantly.

There are two stories told. Eliza and Alex, back in the 1940s and Ellie and Joe in present day. I liked both, but Ellie and Joe weren’t quite as fleshed out as Eliza and Alex- I didn’t feel as attached to them.

Eliza and Alex meet on the train and begin a romance that spans countries and years. There are a lot of coincidences involved, but it’s a good, gripping tale and it is well paced and written.

For me, this book was let down by the ending. It felt rushed and rather like the author couldn’t make up her mind so left it ambiguous for the reader to draw their own conclusions. I find this incredibly frustrating and it ruined a good story for me. I wanted to know how the two couples were linked- I love dual timeline historical fiction but this was not completed well.

It’s a good story and I’d read more by this author, but this one fell at the last hurdle. Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for my copy of this book.

"The Night Train to Berlin" is an enjoyable read set in the current day and WW2. The two women are linked by ownership of a cottage at Porthcurno, with the current resident being the granddaughter of the friend of the first. You need to believe in fate, serendipity or major coincidences to buy in to the story but it is well-written and rolls along nicely.

Thanks to Net Galley and the publishers for the opportunity to review this book.

The Night Train to Berlin

I made it five sentences into this story, and I knew I would be hooked. The authors style of writing, right from the start is clear, descriptive and enticing. In five sentences, I was in that train, right with Alex, wanting to see what was next. And that was just the prologue.

The events leading up to that point are gripping. The perspective jumps between two women. Eliza, a woman in 1944 England, and Ellie, a woman in present day England.

Both of their stories start on the night train. And on that train, both women meet a man who within just four hours completely captures her heart. The intellect and wit in their simple dinner conversation astounded me. I was glued to the page, and as the story jumped from one timeline to another, I was left guessing how the nights would end. And then Elizas story merges with Ellie’s in a way, through a journal she kept of all her experiences and her art. We get to live this heartbreaking romance than endures a war and all odds, and gives such hope and aspiration to Ellie. Who has her very own intriguing story to tell.

Not only is this a truly beautifully written story, it captures your attention from the start and just pulls you into it. It is about strong and courageous women who choose to really live their life. Not just giving us one romantic story, but two, that are linked in more ways than one.

A Night Train to Berlin is a story that drops you into the heart of World War 2 and truly has you seeing the horrors lived and courage of the people involved, and reeling from the beautiful romance-the light-in the midst of such darkness. You won’t want to put it down.

As far as stories go, this one is exceptional. However, I did have some qualms about a few things in the story. I appreciate that the romance was kept to clean content, however, I struggle with stories where the romance is an affair.
The belief of reincarnation is not one I personally share, while a sweet sentiment that their love is so deep it covers space and time.
And swearing; in a clean novel, I expect there to be no F words, even in the heart of a war.
I understand the elements to the story and why they are there, just personally could have done without those ones particularly.
Please do not get me wrong, this is a beautiful story and I enjoyed every page of it, despite these factors.

Religious content: There is the belief of reincarnation alluded to throughout the book.
Sexual content: Some kissing and a closed door scene. A women has an affair.
Language: Some mild swearing, and a few F words.
Violence: The story of Eliza takes place in WW2. She works as a nurse and a War Artist, painting everything- all of the horrors of war. While not overly descriptive, the story paints enough of a picture for you to grasp how sad and awful those events were. Some of which are the epitome of war; shooting, fires, bombings, death, etc.

Thank you NetGalley and One More Chapter and the author, Melanie Hudson, for the advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I must confess I have very mixed feelings about this book. It is undoubtedly very well written but it lacks of that little something that made me literally love The Wedding Cake Tree ( the characters are still with me and this is one of those books that I am going to read again and again, for comfort ). Would I recommend it? Of course I would, but I'm afraid it was a bit of a disappointment.
Still, I appreciated the masterful description of the scenery, so vivid I swear I shivered with cold when Eliza crossed the river; the details of both train journeys and the synchronicity of the story lines ( perhaps too many coincidences, which felt forced into the story line, rather too implausible even for fiction! ).
The ending is another matter entirely. An open ending is not wrong per se, but it felt like the author rushed to end both story lines and the result isn't exactly satisfying.
Nice read, but not outstanding.
Many thanks to HarperCollins UK, One More Chapter, NetGalley and the author for an early copy.

Who are you going to meet aboard, The Night Train to Berlin? Anything is possible when you stroll down the train aisle, in a to die for emerald green gown. I absolutely loved this historical fiction novel, set in a dual timeline, present day, and 1944.

Eliza a beautiful, independent young artist, also known as Lady Arbuthnot, is taking the night train to Cornwall. To have some down time, at her cottage along the sea. She meets Alex, a dashing bomber pilot, and the two hit it off. Creating a spark that cannot be extinguished, no matter how hard Eliza tries. Fast forward to present day. Ellie, a chronically ill, violinist, also on a train, bound for Cornwall. Is fighting her own battles, but hers are within her own body. Not being able to go out and experience what healthy people take for granted, She is off on a grand adventure! To her Great Grandmothers cottage, the exact same cottage Eliza was heading for in 1944. While sitting down for a 1940's style evening, she is sat with Joe. A man that catches her eye and her heart. The connections between these two women's lives makes the book even more enchanting, and the characters even more enjoyable.

The book hooks you from chapter one, and you are flung back into the trenches of WWII. Melanie Hudson is able to capture not only the emotion that is plentiful, when faced with the horror of World War II. She is also able to capture a softer side to the horrors. A wonderful friendship and love that begins aboard a night train, between Eliza and Alex. Also, a best friend who knows Eliza inside and out, Nancy. Both strong, independent, courageous women. Who want to do all they can during the war, and become nurses.

Everyone needs to get aboard, The Night Train to Berlin! It is a fascinating tale that keeps you riveted to the very last page, and keeps you wanting for more. I need more Eliza and Ellie in my life!

Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC. 1944 - Lady Eliza, in a marriage of convenience, is riding a train to Penbrook where she has a cabin of her own. On this trip she meets Alex who immediately catches her attention. Eliza, a war artist and Alex, a member of the press have different orders but will one day meet again in Berlin. Present day, Ellie on the same train with a weekend reenactment of the 1940's, meets Joe. They too share life and love on this train while she explains the journal she holds so dear about a lady named Eliza. This book was yet another frustrating story of two people that so want to be together but keep passing due to the war but still a sweet read. #thenighttraintoberlin #melaniehudson #apr2021

This was cute, the perfect lighthearted afternoon read! If you're looking for a historical fiction romance, I recommend this one. I particularly enjoyed the characters and their development in such a short amount of time. Overall, a happy little read.

Already a fan of this author, this fabulous fictional read - a dual timeline historical fiction romance fest - is set against the backdrop of WW2 and the rugged Cornish coast. Could anything be more wonderful for a weekend read? The story takes you into the past and will demonstrates how love binds people together no matter of time or distance.
This book is absolutely dripping with emotion; warm, sentimental, yet strong, independent women who fight for what they want, are determined to make things happen and don’t care if they go against the norm. I couldn’t get enough of each characters story; I feel I feared the inevitable and I should have just enjoyed and savoured every moment just as the characters all do.
I love historical fiction and this book just caught me by the heart and journeyed me through time, I felt so caught up in the lives of these wonderful women that I was gutted when it came to the end. I wanted more!
The ending is one you can draw so many conclusions from; I think I will opt for the nicer, romantic happy ever after..
Highly recommended. I cannot wait for more from the author.

Thanks to NetGalley and HarperCollins for a free copy of this book! I was so excited to receive my approval email. However, I did not care for this book. I had a very hard time connecting to any of the characters, and some of the storyline just seemed too unrealistic. I wish I had a better review, but I just couldn’t get into the book.

Unexpected Encounters

A tale of two sets of lonely people. Both meet on the night train to Berlin. Ellie and Joe in present time, Alex and Eliza in 1944 during WWII. Both couples are escaping from their current life to find peace and make choices about their futures. Both couples fall in love and spend time in a cottage in Cornwall on the beach.

As they ride the Night train they have a magical evening and fall in love. Circumstances will take them in different directions, but they end up finding each other again. A broken clock figures in both stories and is a prominent part of the story. I liked the sentence used "Choosing to live a life with an open heart and an attitude of hope rather than one of dread and fear." as well as the phrase they used with each other "And All Shall be Well."

The book was a good clean romance story, the conversations they had were insightful and meaningful. The description of the countryside both during and after the war were very descriptive. During the war scenes the story was rather real and true to life.

I did like reading the story, especially that of Alex and Eliza. I liked how Eliza was strong and held up for her rights as a woman, good story. I felt sorry for Alex, it was very sad. I did not care for the ending, it rather left me hanging. I kept waiting to see what would happen....and the book was done.

It was a good read and I would recommend it, but you have to make up your own ending, I made up a few different ones.

Thanks to Melanie Hudson, Harper Collins U.K. , One More Chapter, and NetGalley for allowing me to read and advanced copy for an honest review.

I am on a kick with excellent WWII fiction! This was another winner from Melanie Hudson. I have enjoyed her other books, and though she is a religious writer, the religion elements are very small. This was an excellent, unputdownable novel!

With grateful thanks to netgalley and melanie hudson for an early copy in return for an honest opinion.
Firstly can I say this is my first time reading this author and hopefully not my last.
The night train to Berlin is a slow burning tale told with a twin timeline in the present day and in the 1940's.
A Tale of love and loss and about taking opportunity's when you can, seize the moment as one never knows if it will ever return. The love between Eliza and Alex in the 40's and Joe from Leeds and Ellie present day. A clock not working stuck at 3.15 pm what is the significance and a wonderful journal with beautiful words and sketches and paintings what do they have in common.
I absolutely adored this beautiful magical tale can highly recommend.

Toot! Toot! All aboard! A 1940s themed sleeper train car journey from London to Penzance? With champagne and silver service? Sign me up.

This is an absolutely delightful dual timeline historical fiction featuring an epic romance set against the backdrop of WW2 and the rugged Cornish coast. Hop aboard! It’s a train journey into the past and you’ll be witness to love that echoes through time.

Paddington station present day:
As we journey along we’ll meet Ellie Nightingale, a woman in an emerald green vintage Christian Dior silk dress who meets romantic Joe Burton from Leeds. Having brought a book each to dinner thinking they’d rather be absorbed in a tale, they set aside their books and take a chance on conversation. It changes the direction of the rest of their life. Thinking they’d said their goodbyes on the train, they went their separate ways until fate and a note tucked away in an antique clock brought them together once again.

Paddington station, 1944:
The second story also begins on the Cornish Riviera, a sleeper train. A wounded RAF pilot, Alex Levine, takes a chance and strikes up a conversation with the lovely lady, Lady Arbuthnot, seated beside him at dinner. He soon finds out that she’s going to her cottage to paint and have time to make a life-changing decision. After disembarking in Penberth Cove, this couple, too, find a second chance at love. When war sends them into the battle as correspondents, the dream of meeting up again gives them the fortitude to continue.

Stuffed full of emotion with rich, engaging characters (including strong, intelligent women) set against the backdrop of WW2, you won’t want to miss this read. It’s extremely obvious that the author has poured her heart and soul into the pages; in every chapter there’s a giant hug reaching out from the pages. This is one of those books that will stay with you for a long time. I took the whole first day of my week off to deliciously savour every word of this incredible book. It took forever for me to find the words to express myself...and even then, they aren’t adequate enough. You MUST read this book - it’s historical fiction at its finest!

This is my first book by this author and I quickly added her to my 'auto-buy' list.

Thank you Melanie Hudson, HarperCollins UK, One More Chapter, and NetGalley for this spectacular advance copy. I received it for free and am voluntarily leaving my honest review.

I received a free e-ARC through Netgalley.
Trains are a big part of this book which goes back and forth from present-day with Ellie and Joe and then back to the Second World War with Alex and Eliza. They each fall in love during a train journey to Cornwall and their stories interconnect in several ways. Each must learn to make the most of the opportunities that come their way to be happy and not dwell in regret. A captivating story with the romance of the 40s leading the way.

This is the story about two beautiful souls and how their outlook changed due to the other, and the consequences of this change on their lives during WWII. Loved the Cornwall setting. Author brought it to life with her vivid descriptions.

The past story takes place during WWII. Eliza, married to a lord, bound by conventions, not able to break boundaries, not able to live the life the way she wanted. She meets Alex on a train, both going to Cornwall to make some decisions, get some perspective. Eliza is full of optimism despite seeing atrocities of war on her job as a war nurse and a war artist. Alex was a pilot, scarred for life, holding a complete opposite view of Eliza.

The stories of adventurous, fierce women in history who had created their own path have been included and they were an inspiration to Eliza. It was great learning about them as I’ve never heard of them bearing one or two. I’ve made a list to do further research as they all seemed to have led interesting and fearless lives.

Eliza wasn’t a lovely character like you expect that heroines tend to be. She looked like someone you might encounter IRL. Sometimes she comes across as a calculating woman, determined, gifted artist, .... She couldn’t do what she wanted for being a woman in a world run by men but this hasn’t stopped her. The one side of Eliza made me dislike her, which was how she has disrespected her marriage. When one character questions Eliza’s behavior, love the answer Eliza gave, which was “Try not to judge someone until you’ve walked a mile in their shoes”.

Apart from the above good points, I have some niggles with this book: It took me a while to warm up to the characters as the story took too much time in establishing these characters. Story picks up pace in the second half, but most of this part was dedicated to war efforts. It has made me feel like I was reading non-fiction not a fictional story based on real events. I couldn’t invest myself in the present story and found it a little boring. The ending isn’t neat and left to the reader's imagination.

“Dear Rosie” was my favorite book by this author; hence I went to this book with high expectations. To me, this book isn’t on par with her previous book.

Thanks to NetGalley and Harper Collins UK/One More Chapter for providing an advanced copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

I'm a big fan of this author, Dear Rosie Hughes is one of my favourite books. I struggled with this book to be honest, the pace was slow and for the first half of the book I found myself skimming the pages. The second half was better and I really warmed to Eliza and Alex, not so much Ellie and Joe. The message and sentiment around the clock was lovely, but overall I was dissatisfied with it and found the ending to abrupt. I dontvlike books where I'm left to guess the ending.

I was delighted to receive this read from the publisher as I thoroughly enjoyed the "The Last Letter from Juliet" written by author, Melanie Hudson. I am not fond of reading stories that toggle between two time periods, however I decided to give it a try. The story involves two couples and their love story...Ellie and Joe in the current day, and Eliza and Alex, from the past.

What to say about this book...Only that I wished the pace would have been a bit faster in the beginning. I became bored early on and by the fourth or fifth chapter I had to put it down. Although, the story itself seemed interesting from the description, I just couldn't get past the grammatical and run on sentences. The numerous mistakes clearly distracted me from enjoying the story at that point and detracted from the flow of it as well. In fairness to the author, I decided to continue the story and surprisingly it picked up and held my attention...especially the end that I truly found to be profound and loveable,

Oh, there was a clock and hope of meeting the one you loved...whether in the past or in the future...there would be a meeting. It would be a meeting at the same place, same time and hoping to meet that same person that you loved. Thats when my heart warmed for Ellie and Joe but turned heartfelt for Alex and Eliza. I enjoyed the second half of this story more than the first. Not sure how to quantify my rating as there was parts that were good and some that were not so good. I believe my rating would have been a little higher had it not been for the editorial mistakes. There is still an interest in this author's works, however my interest will be something other than historical war genre.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for this ARC for a fair and honest review. All opinions expressed are those of my own.