Shirley Dickson NEVER disappoints! I highly recommend this to any lover of historical fiction! This book took me on a journey that I won't soon forget. It was such a nice escape read, and the writing style had me visualizing the story so well in my mind. A very emotional 5 stars read!

This is a super fun read. I really enjoyed this one!

Many thanks to the author, the publisher, and Netgalley for my ARC. All opinions are my own.

Resilience, love, heartbreak and loss wrapped inside the pages of this poignant story. Young May had her heart broken and her life changed forever by Billy. Deja vu will history repeat itself with Richard? So many losses and still May continues to pursue her dreams finding ways to move forward instead of giving up. Loved how each relationship offered her words of wisdom that encouraged her in her quest for living as a family. Tears came to my eyes reading the passages portraying the horror of war and the loss of loved ones, smiles and laughter reading about the love for Billy, Richard, Derek, and the new life, and appreciation for friends and all that can entail - Etty, her fellow nurses, and her supervisors. Each character was brought to life and each relationship so realistic. Loved this read. Many thanks to Shirley Dickson, Bookouture, and NetGalley for affording me the opportunity to read this heartfelt story.

Love Endures

Wow! This is a powerful love story set in WWII. It will keep you reading and once you start you will not want to stop until the last page is read. There are not many loves that can overcome the obstacles of what May and Richard go through.

May's mother is ran over by a trolley car when they are coming home from the cinema. May's father finds someone new and puts May out. Luckily May had applied to be a nurse at the hospital and is accepted. There she meets a porter named Richard and falls in love. But can her secret from her past keep her and Richard from being happy? Is there a future ahead or heartbreak?

This is a very moving and lovely story of a young woman with a life of problems to sort out and in the middle she falls in love. Can she find her way forward to a bright future as a nurse or are there other roads she will follow.

This story is a tearjerker at times, but it is a really good story and the ending is fantastic. I loved that is had some of the same characters from 'The Orphan Sisters". While that book was about Etty and Dorothy ,this book is about Etty's best friend May. I am so glad I read it and I would recommend it.

A big thank you to Shirley Dickson, Forever (Grand Central Publishing), and NetGalley for allowing me to read a copy of the book for an honest review.

Emotion-Charged WWII Story that will leave you deeply moved. I highly recommend this book.

May Robinson witnesses the tragic death of her mother and her life changes in that moment 360 degrees by a freak accident. Secrets can destroy your soul, but May promised her mother to always keep this skeleton in the cupboard no matter what happens.

May devotes herself into learning to become a nurse. While in training she meets Richard who claims he is a conscientious observer. She wants to know what led him to make this decision? If she is going to be further involved then she needs to know more about the person, but does that mean she needs to tell him the truth about the family secret?

The author does such a incredible piece of writing on the touchy subject of family dynamics of hidden skeletons and whether you should disclose everything to someone you are in a relationship. I personally am convinced the characters are believable and very strong because the storyline is so poignant. The flow of the book is phenomenal.

I would definitely recommend this book to my family and friends.

I received an advanced copy from NetGalley and these are my willingly given thoughts and opinions.