An emotional and well written novel about Emily, a young woman facing down death in the wake of WWI. The Spanish flu takes so much but she finds love and purpose as a nurse. A good read.

I would like to thank Bookouture and the Netgalley website for allowing me to read this book. Being a big fan of books based on true stories, I had to read this book.

Emily is a 20 year old nurse, she works 12 hour shifts day and night, she's broken, dried up, she can't cry. She has no choice, lack of staff and her colleagues catch the deadly flu.

Having trained as a nurse in London, she learns on the job, she gives her all to her work. She looks forward to the good times, the end of the war in Europe and the return 

Europe and the return of her childhood sweetheart Lewis.

But when the Spanish flu arrives in England, Emily is put to the test. Women and men will die until a cure is found. Emily and her colleagues will only be able to soothe them in the meantime. Lewis on her way home will catch that Spanish flu. She meets Dr. James Cantor and together they find a way to help the patients and try to stop the epidemic. Will Emily survive if Lewis dies?

I was immediately drawn in by the story so well told by the author, I was immediately attracted by the beautiful cover of this book, emotion throughout the book, endearing characters all making me not let go of the book from beginning to end. I love the author's writing so addictive, can't wait to discover another of her novels.

If you like true and unforgettable stories and emotion read this book absolutely.

A highly emotional plot and some startling parallels to the Covid crisis. Emily is a wonderful character to follow.

Really, enjoyed this book. I wasn’t sure what to expect, but wow, what a great book it was. I highly recommend this story.

I loved all Kate's previous books about nurses, so wsa sexocted to receive a copy of this and it didn't disappoint
The story centres around Emily who is working in a London hospital in 1918. War is ending but a new deadly enemy threatens lives. I found found the parallels between the Spanosh flu and the Covid crisis interesting, especially as the main advice was wear a mask and wash your hands.
I loved Emily as a character and enjoyed watching her grow and learn from heartbreak and loss
Another excellent read

While WWI is not one of my favorite time periods to read about, this book was an emotional story. With well-developed characters and a touching tale. You will find yourself immersed in Emily’s life. And she is an amazing young lady … strong, independent, brave, compassionate, and dedicated. This is definitely a book to put on your to-be-read list.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookoutre for my advanced review copy. All opinions and thoughts are my own.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Rating: 3.5 stars.

Beautiful writing and a captivating historical setting had me interested. You can definitely draw parallels between real life events and fiction. The pace was okay, although felt a little too fast sometimes. Being a personal preference, I like to get to know the characters well enough to care about the story, but sometimes it felt like we didn't have a chance to do that. I liked how the author portrayed the events presented here, especially with the disease and the ongoing pandemic. Recommend it, I think more people will enjoy it more than I did too!

A heart-wrenching read that depicts life for a nurse during the pandemic of 1918. Especially given the current state of the world, this book is poignant and hits close to home. Conveys the exhaustion and the terror, but also the support that gets people through. Emily is almost done her training and is finally going to be a nurse at St Marylebone Infirmary. Her passion for nursing, her belief in her colleagues, and her strength is tested as the Spanish flu hits: a deadly pandemic that overwhelms hospitals and does not have proper treatments. The flu not only affecting strangers, but her friends and family too. Throughout this, we get to know Emily's friends and a handsome new doctor as they all struggle to keep going right on the heals of WWI,

I found the story viscerally moving, you cannot help but root for Emily and her friends, and think about the current state of hospitals in this pandemic - 102 years after the Spanish Flu. I loved the passion for nursing, the descriptions of the wards and the care, but found there is an abrupt change partway through the story that felt distanced from the action and a sudden ending that left me feeling a bit detached.

I think this is definitely a book I want to reread after we get though COVID - right now it was just too close to home for me.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for providing me with an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review. My opinions are all my own.

The author wastes no time dropping the reader right into the heart of St. Marylebone Infirmary, as the staff deals with both shell-shocked soldiers from the last vestiges of WWI and a new, deadly disease. It goes without saying that it is quite natural to draw parallels to the current world situation and what is described in this book. The author keeps the pace of the action moving, and I think that would be my one (minor) complaint. Things seemed to skim along quickly, characters are introduced, events occur…all at a rapid pace. It was obvious that author did the necessary homework to convey the horror of shell shock and the uncertainty brought about by the pandemic. But do yourself a favor and lose yourself in the historical setting instead of trying to compare. You’ll probably enjoy it more. 3.5 stars. For a detailed review, please visit Fireflies and Free Kicks. Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for a digital ARC of the book.

I prefer novels written in first person POV instead of third person, especially in historical fiction. I feel like seeing the world through the main character's eyes allows me to connect with their universe and their feelings more. The idea for this story is amazing, but it was a DNF due to the POV. Thank you for the opportunity to review this ARC!

This book was really easy to read and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Emily is training to be a nurse during the Spanish Influenza. It read much like the last has and at points I could see similarities between the two pandemics. Really enjoyed this book!

I picked When the World Stood Still up, planning to read a couple chapters before bed. Over two hours later I finished it, incredibly happy despite the very little sleep I was going to get before work this morning. I certainly was not expecting how quickly I would be absorbed into this story and I would have gladly forfeited more sleep to follow Emily for longer.

Emily is an incredibly likable character. She's young and relatively carefree for someone working as a nurse during WWI while her fiancé is fighting. Persistent and hardworking, she is incredibly intelligent and kind. Emily's family is supportive and she's developed friendships with her fellow nurses. Suddenly, with the end of the war seemingly closer every day, the influx of flu patients rises, their symptoms more severe, and more and more people are dying at what feels like an impossible rate.

These days, any pandemic stories are going to hit differently. I loved that while the subject matter was dark, the stakes were high, and the losses were real and painful, the narrative kept moving. There was no time to sit and wallow, Emily had to keep working so we had to keep moving. So much happened in just over 200 pages it seems incredible looking back. I felt connected to the characters and they by no means felt shallow, but there were a few plot points tidied up a little too quickly and definitely too easily to be entirely believable. It also feels there were a few paths hinted at but not fully explored. For example, Alma's seemingly fluctuating feelings towards Emily were never quite explained. For someone who had a POV chapter early on and looked to be a central character, Alma felt a little brushed off and forgotten somewhere in there. And I would have loved more James. He had the potential to be great, there just wasn't enough. Above everyone else, I think Lewis deserved more time and information. Whether through more interactions with the nurses or Emily's family, or even more POV chapters, I needed more justification for his actions and the choices he made both throughout the war and after.

All in all, a captivating read with a beautiful story. Maybe slightly underdeveloped, a little too fast-paced, but well worth a read.

When the World Stood Still is a historical fiction story about a nurse trying to heal men from the war to be faced with the Spanish flu. Amazing characters in this story where you come to not only know the doctors and nurses but the patients themselves and this writer,Kate Eastham has a way of drawing you in on the many emotional feelings. You can tell must research went into the writing of this story. Grab tissues,you will need them. Follow their lives and see what happens to these characters as they fight their own war in the hospital and in their own personal lives. Received from Net Gallery!

Trainee nurse Emily Burdon is working in a London hospital at the end of World War One. She dreams of peace and the safe return of her fiance Lewis who is fighting in France. But then the globe faces a new threat as the war ends but the far more deadly Spanish Flu is unleashed. Will Emily get her happy ending...?
When The World Stood Still is an historical drama and romance. The relationships between staff and patients as well as the medical detail is reminiscent to me of Holby City set 100 years ago. Highly dramatic and thoroughly enjoyable. My only criticism is that it was over too quickly and I felt the ending was a bit rushed. I want more! I'd love this to be continued in a sequel...
Emily is a determined young woman, passionate about her career but ready to give it up for love. She is dedicated to her career but also prepared to throw it away for family and love. She makes friends easily and is popular in her nursing team as well as amongst the patients.
Ooh I got angry with Lewis when he arrives back on the scene! We see chapters of him in France and he seemed a likeable chap but when he gets back to London there are secrets which I won't spoil as well as the changes due to his experiences in the trenches.
The juxtaposition between the Spanish Flu and the current Coronavirus was hugely enjoyable. The protective measures and horrendous experiences in the wards is highly emotional and authentic, even more so given the current global situation. I thought the medical cases and WW1 experiences were handled sensitively but author Kate Eastham doesn't pull any punches.
When The World Stood Still was hugely enjoyable, rich in history and drama.

I really enjoyed reading this historical fiction book! I generally don’t look for books set during the first War, for some reason my preference has been the Second World War. But with the age of Covid and being a pharmacist, the time of the Spanish flu intrigued me on multiple levels. I think this book did a good job of getting a fictional story in while still staying true to the events of the Spanish flu and its devastating results.

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

A sensitive and well written novel of WWI and the Spanish Flu epidemic. Reading this novel through the COVID pandemic struck a tone for my review. The bravery and selflessness of these London nurses echos the brave front-line health care workers of today. Historical fiction at its best, highly recommended.

Kate Eastham’s latest historical novel When the World Stood Still tugs at the heartstrings and will have readers reaching for the tissues as they find themselves engrossed in this dramatic and emotional wartime tale.

At twenty years old, Emily Burdon has seen her fair share of anguish, misery and despair as a nurse working in London. When she isn’t tending to the wounded soldiers returning broken from the war, Emily looks after the malnourished and desperate patients from the poorhouses. Having thrown herself wholly into her work, Emily keeps waiting for happier times and for the return of her childhood sweetheart, Lewis. However, little does she realise that there is another enemy waiting in the wings who is just as dangerous and deadly as the enemies’ bombs: the Spanish Flu which is threatening to wreak havoc all the world and leave nothing but destruction in its wake. With no cure and nothing much they can do, Emily and her fellow nurses can only tend to their patients as best they can. But with limited resources and nothing to offer them but hope and prayer, the situation gets more and more desperate with each passing day. However, there is light at the end of the tunnel for Emily as her sweetheart is coming back from the war.

Unfortunately, her happiness is transient because Lewis catches the deadly flu on his way back home, just as a new doctor arrives to head up Emily’s ward. Hailing from Prince Edward Island, Canadian doctor Doctor James Cantor is far from home and the chaos of wartime London is far removed from the rugged beauty of his homeland and although him and Nurse Emily initially clash, they soon find common ground in their love for helping patients and stopping the spread of this pandemic. Yet, Emily cannot help but worry about Lewis and about the future. Can Emily survive this pandemic with her heart intact? Or is she about to find herself forced with making an impossible decision?

Kate Eastham’s When the World Stood Still is a beautifully written historical novel that is not only heart-rending and absorbing, but beautifully captures the courage, strength, resilience and dedication of medical professionals who put their lives at risk daily for their patients – something which we can appreciate more and more, especially during these troubled times.

Kate Eastham knows how to make history come to life and in When the World Stood Still has written an atmospheric and emotional novel with a loyal, passionate and kind-hearted heroine readers cannot help but admire and fall in love with.

A superb historical novel that deftly blends romance, intensity and pathos, Kate Eastham’s When the World Stood Still is brilliant page-turner from this exceptional storyteller.

Thank you to Net Galley and Bookouture for the chance to read and review this book. The opinions expressed are my own.
This story takes place in 1918 London at the St. Marylebone Infirmary. It lets the reader see the many struggles and heartache the nurses face at the Infirmary, but the main character is Emily Burdon, a 20 year old nurse in training. She is treating soldiers wounded in the war as well as waiting for her fiance to come home from the war. When it seems things couldn't get any worse, the Spanish flu hits. This is a great story-very well written with great character development. It is also very relevant because of the Covid-19 epidemic we are going through. Emily discovers a lot about herself as well as learning to live in the moment. I really liked it and I plan to read more by this author!

Thank you for the advance reader copy of this novel. I enjoyed this historical fiction about a nurse working during the time of the influenza pandemic. This novel was timely given the current coronavirus pandemic. The author did a great job portraying emotions through her characters.

"Emily’s faith and courage are put to the test." If this isn't the most true statement of the entire book. Nursing during a pandemic or an outbreak does exactly that. As a nurse myself who recently worked through a respiratory outbreak in my own "ward", the realism in this book is uncanny. Some of the challenges Emily faces may be different due to the times and our medical knowledge, but her emotions and heartaches are similar.

The romance between Emily and a new doctor assigned to her ward made me smile. It added something positive to such a dire situation.

I loved this book and couldn't put it down. Well done, Kate!