The Last Correspondent is a fantastic Historical Fiction novel based during WWII. The author, Soraya M. Lane, likes to use strong female characters in her books and this book does the same. The Last Correspondent is a captivating read about two female correspondents trying to succeed in a male-dominated world. These two women risked their lives so that they could report back to the U.S. the events that transpired in Normandy, France. Their courage, perseverance and resilience are incredibly inspiring.

I think the author did a great job with the plot. Normally Historical Fiction books are a slower read for me, but I found this to be fast-paced and really enjoyable!

Readers with an interest in WWII and stories of unsung war heroes will enjoy this book.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for providing an eARC of this book. All opinions are my own.

This was a great book with a strong heroine! Ella Franks is a journalist using a man's name. When her secret is discovered she loses her job and becomes a journalist is France during World War 2. While in France she meets Danni Bradford who is a photojournalist and her friend Andy. Andy's sister Chloe has followed her boyfriend to France. The three women become friends and they help each other through the tough times of the war. I loved the friendships between the women. This is a story of friendship and survival and I really enjoyed it! I received an advanced readers copy and all opinions are my own.

This is a lovely historical fiction story about WW2. It is set in Europe (with several settings and several story lines), but revolves around two women doing what is definitely at that time considered men's work. They are journalists, one photographer and one writer, trying their best to send news home about the front lines. The story is expertly told, and has drama even though none of it is unpredictable. You learn to love the characters, and truly hope they succeed. Overall, a fantastic story! I definitely would recommend it.

Had I realised that this book would be little more than a boosted Mills and Boon style romance - feisty heroines and mean, nasty men trying to get in their way whilst sed.ucing them with harsh words and scathing looks, I really wouldn't have bothered. To convert the Normandy Landings and the work of the French Resistance into something SO superficial took some kind of sad determination.

Everything in this just comes too easily. Find boat, hide on boat, get to the beaches before all the accredited journos. Want jeep, steal jeep, drive into a scene of death and destruction, find a Resistance man who 'just happens' to be exactly the one they're looking for. Honestly, it's weekday, mid-afternoon television romance for those who don't want to have to think too hard.

I've read about the lives of other female war correspondents - both WW2 and later - and this book singularly fails to pay respect to the bravery and efforts of those women. It also fails to give any sense of the practical aspects of HOW correspondents get their stories and their photos back to their papers. And WHY make two of the three women Americans? Was that an attempt to sell more copies in a bigger marketplace? Weren't British girls good enough for this author to let them have an adventure too?

On the plus side, it's a quick read so my suffering wasn't extended. It read more like a screenplay than a novel. There was very little depth to any of the characters. This one definitely wasn't for me.

I got it both as a review copy and as an Amazon Prime first read.

I WISH I COULD GIVE THIS BEAUTIFUL BOOK ALL THE STARS IN THE UNIVERSE!
I LOVED THIS BOOK!
THIS IS MY FIRST ,FAVOURITE HISTORICAL FICTION READ.
I COULDN'T PUT IT DOWN AND I WAS LIVING ALL THE EMOTIONS WITH THESE 3 WOMEN, it was inexplicable,

The song that kept playing in my head while reading this book was "IT IS A MAN's WORLD" by James Brown
This is a man's world
This is a man's world
BUT IT WOULD BE NOTHING, NOTHING
WITHOUT A WOMAN OR A GIRL!

Set in the early 1940s of WW2 a tale of not one but three INTREPID, SAVAGE WOMEN. It is inspired by true events and characters during that time.

Ella whose love for writing was greater than anything else in the world, even greater than her life.

Danni whose love for photography is the reason of her being, who DOESN'T TAKE "NO" for an answer and loves to flout all the rules of being a LADYLIKE and demure WOMAN.

Chloe a successful glamorous model in London who loves hard and can do anything for the man she loves Gabriel.

It talks about the horrors and impact of war and how one can never be the same person once he/she has witnessed it, its like a SCAR THAT CANNOT BE HEALED.
Ella and Danni step right in the mouth of the SHARK and relentlessly continue to tell the story of WAR as UGLY and GRAPHIC AS IT GETS undeterred and unfazed by any perils that fall on their paths to success.

I LOVED ALL THE CHARACTERS!
LOVED THE CAMARADERIE between ELLA, DANNIE and ANDY.

THANK YOU SORAYA M.LANE for giving me my first FAVOURITE HISTORICAL FICTION BOOK!

Thank you NetGalley and the publishers for sending me an EARC in exchange for an honest review.

I absolutely loved this book. Thank you to the author for reaching out to me to read in exchange for an honest review. This was a truly captivating story set during a time of war that touched on love, loss and friendships like no others that I read about before. I highly recommend this book.

Soraya Lane has written several books about strong women who are trying to do their part during WWII but are restricted simply because they are women. Her new book follows that main theme but gives us three strong women trying to overcome the prejudice against women during this time in our history.

Danni is a photojournalist who feels that it is her duty to take pictures so that people in American can see what war is really about. In Italy, she gets restricted to the field hospital (one of the few places were women were accepted as nurses) by Gen Patton. As D-Day approaches, she knows that she has to get to France but women correspondents were strictly prohibited.

Ella is a writer who has just lost her job as a reporter for using a male pseudonym. She knows that writing is the main part of her life and when she is offered a job to go to London to write about women's roles in the war, she jumps at the chance. Once she gets to London, she realizes that she wants to write about more important subjects and knows that somehow she has to get to France for the invasion.

Chloe is a flighty Vogue model who despite the war, manages to travel from London to Paris to be with her boyfriend who is now part of the Resistance. Once there, she finds out that he considered her to be a fling while she thought that they were both in love. She starts out as being very naive and selfish but with her growth during the novel, she too becomes a strong woman.

All three women are determined to follow their dreams no matter what happens even as they are in the midst of a war and frequently in personal danger. Their friendship with each other helps them all become stronger as they help each other through some perilous situations.

The one thing that I didn't like about this novel were the romances. Finding love in war is great but at times, these women who were supposed to be strong sure relied on the man that they fell in love with to save their day!

This fantastic novel is about war and survival, friendship and love and most importantly about strong women who are able to follow their dreams no matter how hard the men of the world try to keep them in their places.

THE LAST CORRESPONDENT by Soraya Lane is a beautifully-written and emotional work of historical fiction that is inspired by true events and people. It is the story of three courageous women whose paths cross in war-ravaged France during World War II. Ella Franks is an American journalist who loses her job when her editor finds out she has been writing under a male pseudonym. With nothing left to lose, she heads overseas determined to become a war correspondent. Danni Bradford is a daring British photojournalist that has made her way into the male-dominated world of war reporting, but she soon learns she will be left behind when only male correspondents are allowed to cover the unfolding events in Normandy. She will stop at nothing to be part of the delegation that will witness the landing at Omaha Beach. Later Ella and Danni will meet Chloe, the sister of Danni’s partner, Andy who has stumbled into the French Resistance and whose life is in danger the longer she remains in France. The three women must band together if they are to survive their perilous circumstances. The story alternates between the points of view of the three main characters. I found myself cheering for the strength, resilience and compassion these brave women exhibited. THE LAST CORRESPONDENT is a gripping story of friendship, loyalty and survival that will stay on my mind for a long time to come. Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the chance to read an early copy.

This was a wonderful historical fiction based during WWII about 2 female Correspondents trying to catch a break in a male dominated world. I'm in awe at the level of detail the author put in describing the efforts women had to go through to prove their ability and talent. I believe I'll be thinking about this book for a while. These brave and amazing women risked their lives to show America what was happening in Normandy.

In the latest WWII fiction by Soraya Lane, we follow three women as they navigate their way through Nazi-occupied France. Each are fighting their own battles within. Danni, the most celebrated photojournalist of her time, is determined to document the raw truth of what war looks like, even if that means losing everything. Ella is a small-town American journalist who is trying to find out what she's made of - she just wasn't expecting to sail across the world to do it. Chloe is a painfully naive, immature model who sneaks of into the middle of a war zone to be reunited with her love, only to find herself in the thick of the Resistance.

I HATE the stereotype of "tough professional woman incapable of showing emotion" so many authors go to, and after being introduced to Danni I was afraid that's where we were going with her. She was tough, obstinate, and thick-headed. There's a scene where her partner is describing a pretty traumatizing thing they experienced and I thought, "here we go ... Another one who refuses to be human." Ella was my favorite. She was brave AND had emotional intelligence, even if anything louder than a sneeze made her shake in her boots. It was endearing to see such vulnerability in a character who still remained strong. Chloe was irritating as I suppose she should have been - she was sheltered and spoiled and had no clue about what the realities of war consisted of.

But then, they all started to grow. Danni has the most emotional response to something out of everyone and learns to show that vulnerability. Ella grows a spine but remains the emotional anchor for all three women. And Chloe grows up and fosters one of the biggest events in their lives. While Ella started as my favorite, now I couldn't tell you who I loved more. The character arc for each was developed beautifully. Lane took her time with each, and even though it's a fairly short book, you didn't feel rushed. There were no unanswered questions or moments of "but what about...." And there is one paragraph - maybe 4 sentences long - about a little boy holding a man's hand that was the most heartbreakingly beautiful of the entire thing.

I love that Lane focuses on strong, every day women without being stereotypical in their representation. She writes them true, and they make an impression. So thankful I was able to get an ARC from her and NetGalley, so many thanks to them both. As promised, my honest review in exchange.

This book pulls no punches as it follows three women across France in the harrowing last days of WWII. All three are struggling to find themselves as they try to persevere in a man's world. It's bad enough that a war is raging all around them. But they have to fight their battles among their own ranks too. Their lives come together in unexpected ways as the harsh realities of war rain down around them. Danni and Ella are just as good at their jobs as their male counterparts. Maybe better than some. But they find themselves restricted at every turn because of their gender. Chloe just wants to be with the man she loves, but is finding that difficult under circumstances she could never have anticipated. This is a gritty novel that tells the story of women who just want to do their jobs to the best of their ability, but find themselves stymied at every turn. Still, as they keep trying, they have to learn to navigate a reality they didn't expect. The suspense builds with every chapter, and it kept me reading late into the night. I highly recommend this story and will be reading more books by this author. Thank you to NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for the advance reader's copy.

A fantastic read full of strong women wonderful men a book I enjoyed it.from first to last page.I was transported from my reading chair back in time to this fascinating time in history.#netgalley#amazonuk

What I had hoped would be a fantastic feminist WW2 novel ended up reading like a 12 year old girl’s war fantasy day dream. With the plethora of WW2 novels to choose from, this one falls to the bottom of the pile.

If you love historical fiction that portrays strong female characters and their dramatic, horrific and brave experiences of war, this novel is for you. Set in the early 1940s and inspired by the true accounts of female war correspondents during WWII, Lane tells the stories of war from the perspective of Ella, an American journalist, Danni, an American photographer, and Chloe, the little sister of a British male journalist, Andy.

Ella and Danni are badass women bucking prejudices and restrictions against women reporting on and being around war. Even when told over and over again that they don't belong, or they're not allowed, or they shouldn't be there, their passion and duty to report on the war is unwavering. Chloe is young, naive, and a bit selfish, but the war changes her, as it does everyone, and she grows into yet another badass woman.

The narrative centers around the horrific events of the historic day when allied forces landed on Omaha Beach of Normandy, France, known as D-Day. This invasion ultimately turned the tides of war leading to victory over Nazi Germany.

This story is fast paced and truly gripping; the pace of the narrative and the content itself had my heart racing and my stomach flip flopping. The story moves along very quickly but that adds to the urgency of what the characters are experiencing. Ella and Danni have a single goal: get the truth from the front lines to the front page.

Even though the narrative is fast paced, it still allows for sufficiently developing characters. The Last Correspondent has a little bit of everything a historical fiction novel might have; friendship and family conflicts, love and romance, action and suspense, history and realism.

This novel is one of my top-ten reads of 2020 and I highly recommend it.

Thank you @netgalley, @amazonpublishing, and author, @sorayalaneauthor, for the Advanced Review Copy of THE LAST CORRESPONDENT in exchange for an honest review. All opinions herein are my own.

PUBLICATION DATE: November 1, 2020

I’ve enjoyed previous books by this author for her strong female protagonists and solid historical settings. This book felt rushed to me. The dialogue was generic and, while it was set during the Normandy invasion, it didn’t really get into the meat of it. These female correspondents were selfish rather than strong and stupid rather than brave and they needed men to save them. It had much more of a romance feel than historical fiction. I was not overly impressed with this one. I know that an immense amount of research goes into these books, but I got more history out of the author’s notes than the bulk of the book.

Many thanks to NetGalley for the ARC of this book. I’ve always loved Soraya’s stories and this one is no different!! This book follows Ella, a journalist and Danni, a photographer, as the two make their way to Normandy and cover the D-Day invasion. A third woman, Chloe, has her own tale and is interwoven with Ella and Danni. I held my breath for most of this story as I never knew what was going to happen. Adventure, twists and turns, love, and the war are all vital pieces of this story. I highly recommend this book as Ella and Danni were true heroes and lead the way for women correspondents within the war. The battles and choices they had to make weren’t easy ones and they were brave to pursue their dream.

Three brave women, three different personalities, all with the same goal. It's 1943, and though it is not only dangerous and no women are allowed to travel to the front lines, these women make it their ultimate goal. Told from a different perspective than other WWII books, I found it interesting and enjoyable. This well written book should be on your list of "must reads" if you are a fan of HF. My thanks to NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The Last Correspondent By Soraya Lane

5 Stars

I have read many books by Soraya Lane, but this one was my favorite so far. This story follows Ella, Danni, and Chloe. Three women facing the war and facing it like the men around them. Ella and Danni land on the beaches at Normandy. They captured and told stories of the brave men, friends some, that died that day. Chloe becomes wrapped in the war in ways she knew nothing about until she had to be strong.

This story was amazing. It was so well written and once again, I was blown away by this author. From the brave characters, to the beautiful scenes of the country, to the horrors of war. Soraya is able to bring each story to life in such a way that the book becomes real. The scenery, the smells, the characters. Its almost as if you are in the book. Or at least, that is what I get from this book.

Overall, no complaints. The Last Correspondent was a story of war, love, determination, and bravery. It was amazing and action packed from start to finish. It is an amazing read.

Reviewed  By

Stormi Ellis

The blurb for this was intruquing and as I had read another of Soyara's books and enjoyed it, I requested it. The first part was good and I liked Danni and Ella as they were strong independent women who were opening up opportunities for the next generation of women journalists and then the story changed as they became romantically involved and seemed to lose their spark.

When journalist Ella Franks is unmasked as a woman writing under a male pseudonym, she loses her job. But having risked everything to write, she refuses to be silenced and leaps at the chance to become a correspondent in war-torn France. A totally engrossing tale that takes you ‘cross the globe and into the lives of fierce women. I highly recommend this book.