Every time I read a new book by Siobhan Curham I fall a little bit more in love with this authors wonderful writing style.

Following the story of Ruby, a young woman who has taken on a rather dangerous volunteering roll driving the ambulances down dark roads throughout the blackouts, she certainly seems to have a very strong mindset to take on such a job, something I am sure most of us would avoid.

Whilst helping save lives, a man called Joseph joins her team. As most of the men have gone off to fight in the war, Joseph certainly attracts the attention from the locals, but all Ruby cares about is his willingness to save lives alongside her – and when she learns of his reasons to stay behind, she takes it upon herself to stand up for this man.

Fast forward to 2019 where we meet Edi, a recently divorced woman who has moved to London in search of a new life for herself. Whilst aquainting herself with her new home, Edi discovers something hidden beneath the floorboards in the loft, something which allows her to connect with the people who occupied this house throughout the war.

This is the perfect distraction for Edi, as she loses herself within this war time love story and follows the tales of sorrow and deceit through the letters left behind.

I fell in love with this book instantly. The story is told in such a poignant way, it really pulls you in to the lives of the characters you encounter throughout it, and gives you a real sense of how troubling their lives must have been living through these years. The characters are wonderfully developed and have detailed personalities, each of them having their own unique story to share with hs along the way.

I adored the dual timeline in which this story was told. It really allows the reader to connect with both the past and present occupants of the house, and you can truly feel the emotions in which these characters experience throughout.

An emotional, utterly captivating story that I lost myself in. I loved everything about this book.

I love world war books and this one is no exception.

It has two timeline 1940s and 1999.

It kept the pace going all throughout the book and had some heartbreaking moments in the book.

This kept me interested from the first page all the way to the end.

Set in two time lines from 1940 and 2019 onwards this tells the story of two women. Ruby is in 1940 and has had a privileged upbringing never having had to work. With war upon the country there is a need for help and she and Joseph- someone who lives in the same house which is divided up into flats) volunteer as ambulance drivers. Joseph is a conscientious objector but feels helping the injured is a step forward. Ruby has been able to drive for many years but come the ambulance test she is given a massive lorry to drive. 2019 and Edi has moved into the top floor flat of her new home having left her husband at long last. She bumps into Pearl who lives downstairs and Pearl tells her that she is an author. Curiosity gets the better of Edi and orders one of Pearls books which is about 3 friends who share a house but there is murderous intent along the way. When Edi accidentally finds a hidden army shirt in her loft with possible blood stains and a bullet hole- could fiction really have been true? I really enjoyed this. A different read with interesting characters and I learnt a little more about the war years. Who knew that the Savoy had its own shelter complete with a dance floor ,that in the early war years the Eastend had fewer shelters and that vagrants were not allowed in. A wonderful, very enjoyable informative read.

(amazon done- misfits farm)

Told in two time lines, the 1940s and 1999, this story evolves as Edi, a soon to be divorced woman, rents an apartment in London and encounters Pearl, an author. Curious to learn about the gregarious Pearl, and her books, Edi purchases one of her books whose setting is in that very same building Edi currently lives in. Curious about what just might be in the attic, Edi finds some things that piques her attention, and starts Edi on a journey into the past inside the pages of Pearl's book.

There is a rich history in many families coming across generations who had relatives who fought in World War 2. If their stories are shared, we begin to understand the sacrifices, the bravery, and the true grit and stamina, so many displayed.

In this story, we meet Ruby, an upper class British young woman who had lots of opportunities to see the world, she possesses a quick witty tongue and is not afraid to speak her mind. She owns a building where tenants live and being a bit on the bossy and friendly side, she is drawn to the people living there.

Challenged by one of her tenants, a conscientious objector, named Joseph, she enlists herself into the ambulance corps rescuing people fallen by the Blitz bombing, side by side with Joseph. They develop a relationship of sorts, each one learning important lessons from one another. Amid the gruesomeness of war, they find a common bond, each endeavoring to help their fellow man.

Also living in the building is another couple, where the husband is off to war, but when he comes home for leave, he brutalizes his wife, Kitty. Along the way, Ruby encourages Kitty to embrace the care and devotion of another man, the local butcher, and forget about her abusive husband. As Kitty does, and as feelings develop between Ruby and Joseph, we find both tension and danger lurking and learn not all enemies are those we are fighting against, but there often exists others that are home grown.

This was an interesting story that made me ponder and realize the contributions that conscientious objectors often made to the war effort, being of the mind that they would never kill another. What people endured during this time is both amazing and affirms the strength particularly that of the British populace during the Blitzkrieg of their homeland.

I recommend this story to those who enjoy the drama of the war mixed in with bits of history and family tales. It was definitely a different take on the war and the mingling of the past and present.

Just absolutely beautiful. Loved loved loved this amazing book. Poignant, heart breaking and yet joyful. Celebrating beauty and love in the midst of war
A wonderful book, one to savour and reread. Please do read this one. It is an ansolute triumph.

It was London in 1940 and Ruby had just volunteered for the ambulance service, working through the night with the bombers flying overhead, dropping their bombs, hoping all the while that she would live to see another day. Her driver, Joseph, also lived in one of the apartments in her building and although they hadn’t started off on the right foot, she was warming to him, as he’d proven over and over what a kind, compassionate man he was. As the days blended into weeks, the horror of war didn’t leave them. The survivors were overcome; those who didn’t survive cut Ruby to her core. They did all they could and sometimes it wasn’t enough. The Blitz was ongoing and never-ending.

When Edi moved to the centre of London in 2019, she hoped she would have a new start away from Marty, her husband of ten years and soon to be divorced ex-husband. The apartment was lovely, the other inhabitants made her feel welcome. But when she ventured into the attic one afternoon, she found something which would send her on a heartbreaking journey to find out more about previous tenants…

Beyond This Broken Sky by Siobhan Curham is a gripping, intense story of heartbreak and love, of courage and strength, of terror and intimidation – it’s my first by this author and I’d like to read more. Set in the two time periods, I enjoyed the 1940 days best, seeing Ruby grow from her ditzy self to a caring friend, also seeing how much Kitty changed. A thoroughly enjoyable read which I highly recommend.

With thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my digital ARC to read in exchange for an honest review.

I always really enjoy reading a book of Siobhan Curham’s - the details of the historical elements are so vividly described and her characters brilliantly engaging. The dual timeline works really well with Ruby’s wartime story linking nicely with Edi and Pearl in the present. The mystery element in Edi’s timeline adds a nice touch of intrigue and creates just enough tension to move the story along at pace.

In 1940 London, Ruby, Kitty and Joseph face the Blitz together but in unique ways. Ruby uses her sunny disposition to cope with tragedy. Kitty relies on friendship. Joseph becomes a conscientious objector and ambulance driver. Will these three friends survive the war with their lives and dreams intact?
In 2019 London, Edi eagerly reads the story of Ruby, Kitty and Joseph as she recovers from a broken ankle and a broken marriage. Based on an old shirt she found in her loft, she wonders if the story is in fact based on real events. Only her landlord Pearl can tell her for sure. Will Edi discover the truth in time?
"Beyond This Broken Sky" shares a story of the strength of the human spirit. It's also a romance novel, which isn't clear until the second half, most of which I skimmed. Based on the beginning, I thought it was a mystery. While romance isn't my preferred genre, I enjoyed the story, and the writing makes the story easy to read. There are also plenty of funny parts that made me laugh out loud. I connected emotionally with the characters,too, and appreciated their interactions. I wouldn't search out additional books by this author, but I did enjoy this book.
Note: trigger warnings include war violence, death, profanity, and some sexual content.

This is a lovely dual time line novel where, frankly, the modern story featuring Edi is only a device to get you to the wonderful tale of Ruby and Joseph during WWII. Ruby, a privileged woman, is the object of some scorn by her neighbor Joseph, a conscientious objector until, that is, he gets to know her. Turns out there's more to her than a woman who runs seances- she's also taken Kitty who has an abusive husband currently away at war, under her wing, and she does good works. She joins him in driving an ambulance, a tough job in any circumstances but especially after a bombing. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. I liked this for the different point of view it brings to the WWII London story. It wasn't easy for Joseph to be an objector and many didn't respect the fact that he worked hard to help his country in a different way. It's an emotional story and one I enjoyed very much.

I honestly don't know where to begin my review or even how to begin to review this book. I absolutely loved BEYOND THIS BROKEN SKY so much that I never wanted it to end. I found myself encapsulated within the story and every aspect of it. I kind of wished I was Edi, uncovering the mystery for myself.

Set predominantly in 1940 London, Ruby Grenville lives what some may perceive as a charmed life of privilege and entitlement in the ground floor flat of the building she inherited from her parents in Pendragon Square. At least, that is how Joseph, one of her tenants in the top floor flat, views her and with some distaste. In fact, he tries to avoid her at all costs but when the scream of the air raid siren sounds one afternoon he is loathe to discover his landlady exiting her flat behind a troupe of others she had obviously been entertaining with one of her seances again. In the midst of a war and the woman is profiteering from others' misfortunes for nothing but pure greed because she certainly doesn't need the money. But what Joseph doesn't know is that Ruby holds these seances to help give a little hope to those who have loved and lost...and she certainly doesn't charge for it. Ruby herself has found comfort in talking to her father whom she lost in the Great War over twenty years ago and she wanted to bring some of that same comfort to others.

Joseph is not the standard hero one would find typical to such a story. Instead of being a brave soldier fighting for King and country, he is a conscientious objector, a pacifist who often finds himself sneered at and subjected to plenty of contempt and ridicule by others. Why should he remain safe on terra firma while their husbands, fathers, sons and brothers are off fighting for King and country? They don't understand, nor do they want to. But Joseph is different kind of hero. He gets stuck in and helps on the home front, showing compassion and kindness where it is needed most. He fights for the underdog without having to take a life.

A seemingly carefree spirit, 34 year old Ruby lives life to the full with endless chatter and laughter often in her wake, spreading cheer where she can. She takes young Kitty under her wing and tries to bring her out of the shell her abusive husband Reg has put her in. As he is, thankfully, seconded to Newhaven serving King and country for the war, Kitty is able to enjoy life a little more with his absence. But still she lives in fear that he will come home on leave and knowing that the war won't last forever, there will be a time when he will return for good. Not one to let anything get in her way, Ruby decides to change the locks on the main door to the building and on Kitty's flat, in case Reg does decide to return for another round at his wife's expense. Kitty fears this will only anger Reg more but Ruby refuses to let that deter her as Kitty deserves some happiness in life...and not with that poor excuse for a husband either.

Then Ruby notices the looks the young butcher Freddy has been giving Kitty and that they are reciprocated. And a light goes off in her brain as she endeavours to bring these two together to enjoy a little happiness. But despite her obvious attraction for Freddy, Kitty reminds Ruby that she is a married woman...but Ruby sees that of little consequence and "only on paper". But Kitty knows different. There will be a time when Reg will return and if she dared to step out with another man, she knows she will pay...dearly.

Joseph watches Ruby's matchmaking with mixed feelings. Wondering how could the woman involve herself in something that doesn't concern her whilst at the same time knowing Kitty didn't deserve the treatment her brute of a husband dished out on her. He took pity on Kitty knowing she was in a most difficult situation in which he could see no real way out. Unless Reg became one of the war's casualties. But where he was posted there were no hostilities so that was hardly likely to happen. And Ruby herself. The woman was an enigma he couldn't figure out. Never having to work a day in her life she made things that were of no concern to her her business. And the endless chatter! Did the woman never shut up?

When one day Joseph gave Kitty a pamphlet on volunteer services, he was shocked to hear Ruby ask why didn't he ask her. Why not, indeed? Surely she could not be interested? It would mean having to get dirty, entering danger zones to rescue the trapped and injured, driving through blackout unable to see where you're going and certainly not dressed as if one has just stepped off a Paris runway! But interested, Ruby was. So together, the three of them signed up as volunteers - Kitty as a first aider, Joseph as an ambulance driver and Ruby as an ambulance attendee, having failed her driving test much to her disdain. Even more to her disdain, and Joseph's, is when the two are paired together. This is going to be a long shift, the both of them think.

However, there is more to Ruby and Joseph that the other thinks. Just how they view each other - she as an entitled carefree flibbertigibbet who wouldn't know a hard day's work in her life, and he as a dull and sombre and even depressing individual who wouldn't know how to smile or even laughter if it bit him on the proverbial - will change in the coming days and weeks as they work alongside each other rescuing and saving lives. They then begin to see each other in a different light and that maybe there is a reason they each are the way they are. Joseph is surprised to discover there is more depth to Ruby than shopping, fashion and lipsticks while Ruby discovers that Joseph is a truly kind, compassionate and selfless man.

So in the midst of war, what does the future hold for these three friends? Can they find romance whilst battling the enemy? Can they fight in the face of danger? Can they overcome in the face of heartache? And can they move on to live life to the fullest and be the happiest they can be without regret?

This story set during wartime is then cleverly woven into the present day where Edi moves into the flat she has just bought upstairs in a building situated in St George's square. She has recently moved from Manchester to take up a position as editor-in-chief of a magazine leaving her husband behind who, feeling threatened by the fact his wife was no making more money than him, belittled her achievements to inflate his own ego. When she makes a startling discovery in her loft, Edi slips and loses her footing on the ladder, falling and breaking her ankle in the process. She is bedridden and decides to read a book she had ordered on Amazon written by her downstairs neighbour, Pearl, upon discovering she was a writer. Soon Edi finds herself immersed completely in the story that she begins to draw parallels to some startling coincidences. Pearl is a slightly eccentric 77 year old whose presence Edi begins to find extremely suspect.

I absolutely loved BEYOND THIS BROKEN SKY. And I loved Ruby. She was an absolute hoot! I could almost hear her endless chatter and see Joseph rolling his eyes in the dark. Their tentative friendship was amusing to watch unfold as well as their mutual exasperation for the other. But the characters were developed in such a way that you couldn't help but fall in love with them anyway. Ruby masqueraded as a carefree spirit but she hid a broken heart. Joseph came across as sombre and depressing while he concealed a deeper pain. And Kitty was a vulnerable young woman caught up in a loveless and abusive marriage with seemingly no escape. This journey they now found themselves on would change the course of their lives forever.

The dual timeline was intricately woven together with Ruby, and Joseph's, third person person perspectives in 1940 with Edi's first person narrative in the present. But the way the author transitioned these stories so they wove together seamlessly was different, original and rather clever. I won't say how it was done but it was somewhat unique.

Another unique aspect is the author peppered some little known facts from the war and the Blitz in London. Most books of this sub-genre detail the many more well-known aspects of the time, whereas BEYOND THIS BROKEN SKY reveals some of the lesser known ones. Such as the availability of air raid shelters - particularly in the East End where the working class lived and the area that was targeted the most due to the docks - the turning away of vagrants to public shelters (because they stink out the place) and the Savoy with its own shelter below ground complete with beds, bar and a dance floor.

What was also unique was the two "epilogues", which threw me at first...but it soon became clear. Although I do think the book could have finished at the end of the final chapter without the second Epilogue. I thought that would have been an appropriate way to end it...but it was still a satisfying end regardless. The pace is steady and the book very easy to read.

BEYOND THIS BROKEN SKY is exciting and addictive from start to finish and I didn't want to put it down. It is a most unique WW2 story I have ever read and incredibly well written. I loved every minute of it and didn't want it to end.

I have no hesitation in recommending this book...particularly for fans of WW2 fiction and dual timeline stories.

I would like to thank #SiobhanCurham, #NetGalley and #Bookouture for an ARC of #BeyondThisBrokenSky in exchange for an honest review.

Onomatopoeia Higgledy-Piggledy

A World War II romance set in London during the Blitz. This is such an endearing story of friendship, love and courage. Ruby, Kitty, Joseph, Freddy and Reg as feature as characters in this story. They all live in a home in London with different flats in the same building. They all decide to volunteer to help with the war effort during the Blitz. Ruby the landlady and a lady used to privilege, Jacob the conscientious objector, and Kitty the abused wife of the soldier Reg. Ruby is a colorful character which uses the phrase her father taught her Onomatopoeia Higgledy-Piggledy over and over to calm herself in times of stress. As far as I can determine it means the sound or buzz of chaos.

In a dual story line Edi, Pearl and Heath all live in flats in the same building in London in 2019. Edi is the newest tenant. She finds something in the attic that disturbs her and she connects it with a book she is reading written by the landlady Pearl who live in the bottom flat. As she reads the book the story of the WWII romance comes to life.

Although the story switches between the two timelines it is very easy to read and I had no trouble finding my place. I loved the story and the ending which was a surprise. I would recommend this book.

Thanks to Siobhan Curham, Bookouture, and NetGalley for allowing me to read an advanced copy of the book for an honest review.

The main story in Beyond This Broken Sky takes place in London during the WWII air raids. Ruby seems to be a carefree, nothing can go wrong, sort of gal. But when she is teamed up on an ambulance team with the Joseph, a conscienscious objector and the man who lives in the upstairs apartment, we see a much different side to her.

Joseph is not the standard hero of a story. Instead of the brave soldier, we have a pacifist. As a conscienscious objector, he is subjected to a lot of derision from the peopl of London. They don’t understand why he can’t join the fight alongside their husbands, brothers, sons, fathers. But Joseph is a hero in another way. His is kind and compassionate, thoughtful, and pretty selfless. And I loved when Ruby decides that he’s an ok guy and starts to stand up for him a little.

But there’s a lot more to this story than Ruby and Joseph – although they do the place as our mains. Kitty is the sweetest, most vulnerable person I’ve seen on a page in a long time. And if there’s a heartbreaking romance in this book, it’s going to be her. But romance isn’t the main theme. The main theme is overcoming, moving forward, and living life to your fullest with no regrets.

And this theme carries over into the present dya side of the story. I felt like this didn’t fit quite as well as some of the dual timelines I’ve read recently. It almost felt unnecessary and unconnected. I enjoyed Edi, and Pearl was a hoot, but most of their story just left me confused. In the end, it all comes together in an interesting way – but I’m not sure if it was really needed.

**I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book**

Set in 1940s London in a house which Ruby, Joseph and Kitty are sharing during the blitz and they all believe this will lead to an ultimate invasion of England. Ruby is a wealthy woman who regularly talks to her dead father, and has a really quirky chapter, Joseph is a conscientious objector and Kitty an abused wife, whose husband is away on war duty.

This story tells their lives, adventures and romances during these times, including Ruby and Joseph’s adventures driving ambulances. Alongside this there is a current time line with Edi who has moved to London and is divorcing her husband. A discovery she makes in the flat she is living in indicates a more sinister backdrop to the 1940s story, that could end up endangering them all.

Be aware once you start reading this book you won’t want to put it down, and it had me reading into the early hours of the morning. Within the book there is a good depiction of the harshness of living during the blitz, as well as social issues that were ongoing during the early years of the war. You grow to love the main characters, and the book does take you through a real rollercoaster of emotions due to this love of the characters.

The story gives you highs, lows and takes you on a real journey. It would best be described as a book focusing on life during the war with some romance and mystery thrown into the mix. Towards the end we also see some good twists in the story. I have to say I totally loved this book and am now wanting to read more by this author. I am happy to highly recommend this book and know most people will really enjoy the story it tells.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for providing a copy of this book for me, for an an open and honest review.

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for an early review copy.

It’s 1940 and Ruby works as a volunteer for the ambulance service, to dangerous as she’s driving along dark roads during blackouts. Every survivor she saves from the rubble, helping to fight against the enemy bombers, those that leave nothing but destruction in their wake.

Joseph, he’s unable to fight but still, will do everything he can to save innocent lives. As he’s not in uniform, people look and treat him with suspicion thinking he’s the enemy or those helping them.

Determined, to protect him is Ruby, this man whose rescued so many, and along the way, captured her heart. Even if, this means making a choice between saving her own life and risking everything she’s got for his.

Back to the present, 2019, Edi whose recently got divorced now feels lost and alone, moving to London to start a new life.

But when she makes a discovery, that’s hidden beneath a loose floorboard in her attic, one that reveals a secret about the people, lived there in the 1940s.

Gradually, uncovering a wartime love story that’s full of danger and betrayal. She’s feels inspired by one incredible woman, the legacy that can be left by a single act of courage.

Highly recommended.

With thanks to netgalley and bookouture for an early copy in return for an honest opinion. Fabulous book of great historical fiction Ruby is quite an amazing lady and definitely made the book first time reading this author and can highly recommend.

Excellent book.

My full review is at https://hoodcp.wordpress.com/2021/03/20/book-review-beyond-this-broken-sky-by-siobhan-curham/

A story of war, loss, and finding one ray of hope worth surviving for.

Genre: Historical Fiction
Page Count: 316
Date of Publication: 20th April, ‘21
Rating: 4/5

ARC provided by Netgalley and Bookouture

Synopsis
1940, London. Ruby and her two tenants — Joseph and Kitty are living at the time of the outbreak of World War II. Soon, the city is bombarded by German airplanes. As they experience Blitz, witness ever-stood buildings crumbling down and people struggling to breathe under its debris, they feel compelled to serve their nation and people in any way possible.
Ruby and Joseph work as ambulance drivers and Kitty caters to the injured with first-aid kits. Just when they think they’ve been saving lives, they also have to see people giving up right in front of their eyes; hoping to catch one sight of their loved ones. The more time they spend rescuing people; the more they think they’re nearing their own death; the more they try to find reasons to survive every day, to breathe every second. Wars have rather monstrous impacts than crushing down buildings and people underneath them; wars leave lasting scars on the souls of people who witness them firsthand. Often time, war forces people to hope against hope.
2019, London. Edi has just divorced her husband and moved to London to work as Editor-in-Chief of a magazine. As she unpacks and strolls around in her new apartment, she finds a stained Khaki uniform hidden in her attic. All Edi has wished for is a new, welcoming, and feel-good house. It’ll need more than just a change of city for her to regain her faith in love and happiness; it’ll require a push from a tale of true love.
Despite not having any prior relations, two women from different centuries come together to tell an uplifting tale of hope and faith.

Some Insights

Writing: For a novel set in the time of World War II, Curham’s writing makes it pretty easy to imagine the characters as real humans and the surroundings they were living in. Following a parallel timeline is rather easy than the ones I’d read before and all because of one secret that’s revealed within the first quarter of the book.

Narration: The narrative shifts from the first person for Edi set in 2019 to 3rd person for Ruby and Joseph from 1940. There’s also a shift from Ruby to Joseph’s perspective, but it only adds up to their characters. All of the characters are given enough page count so the readers know what they are thinking, their secrets, and the reasonings and train of thoughts behind the decisions and the kind of people they are and why. It gave me time to get to know the characters a bit better, like them even.

Story: I solely expected it to be a novel heavy on the scale of loss and death in the Britain War, but it explores the minds of the people living through it and the effect it can have on the decisions they make. This is a story about finding one reason to live when all of your other materialistic possessions have been snatched away. To my utter surprise, this is also a story about a writer finding the first word of inspiration for her novel.
Some instances purely caught me off-guard; when the skyline of the city is getting foggier and grayish as the days are passing by, there are people still living a normal life than the majority of the population, hotels serving delicious seafood and tea, even concerts during the lunchtime! I was determined to do my own research before I blindly believe the author. For the life of me, Curham has supported those instances with facts and help from the real-life experience of her grandmother as she’s mentioned at the end of the book.

Characters: From the very beginning, I was invested in the lives of Ruby and Joseph, and not so much of Edi’s. Ruby is a free-spirited woman who has traveled the world and is the very definition of a feminist at the time. She wears a wedding ring on her ring finger and calls it her ‘Ring of Freedom’. When she even feels a tinge of doubt or fear in her gut, she has her papa’s support and word of advice, and never does she shy away from speaking her mind. Though she can be a bit of a chatter-box altogether!
Joseph had the ill-fate of experiencing the aftermath of World War I and that was when he decided to be a conscientious objector. He’s made a promise to himself to not take the lives of others, even if they were the evil Nazis, but he won’t cease helping people either.
Kitty is a woman who has lived the entirety of her life in the shadow of a man and has feared him just the same. She doesn’t know that she’s been wishing for a way out until the war outbreaks and she helps others, finding a new meaning for herself too.
Edi was the person I was least interested in, at first but as I neared the end, she became the very definition of me as a reader. Edi still has a lot to figure out as an individual now that she’s divorced, but for her to start believing in love again, she would need to give herself some time.

End: There are two ends to two stories; one that I saw coming and the other one that astonished and made me smile. The ending of the novel is the dream of any reader — to see the characters one has grown to adore come back to life so one can devour more of their characters. I found the end oddly satisfying, despite Curham leaving some lose threads, but they often slip away from the mind to pay notice to.

Recommendations
This is a book for lovers of Historical Fiction and parallel timelines. If you’re in search of lovable, relatable, and funny characters, I’d recommend this book for you. I’m not much of a romance reader but a story that does it seamlessly as a side-plot is something that I enjoy reading; if you’re the same, Beyond This Broken Sky would please you just right.
An easy book to sail through but with some figments that can prick your eyes and warm your heart.
Want to read more from the genre? The Book Thief by Markus Zusak and All The Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr are two of the best from the genres, and I recommend both. They are absolute tear-jerkers and filled with heartaches. Check them out too!

Final Thoughts
I was expecting a book filled with characters and scenes that would break my heart into pieces but I was laughing at the comments exchanged between Ruby and Joseph. Ruby is definitely my favourite character of all, even though she made me question her wits once or twice.
Parallel storylines are one of my favourite narration tools of all time and it was certainly done differently in this one. I’d hate it if any books make me question my preference. Though I was highly conflicted for the major part of the novel whether I liked the way Edi finds out about Ruby and Joseph, but by the end, I’d made peace with it. For me, the end of the story was a major selling point. As I said earlier, one that every reader enjoys.

'It seemed that the more violence the Germans inflicted upon London, the more acts of love it inspired. A line from one of her favourite Dickens novels came to her mind: “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times.” He really could have been writing about the Blitz.'

Happy Reading!

Beyond This Broken Sky by Siobhan Curham is a great WWII-era historical fiction novel that has it all: history, mystery, suspense, wonderful cast of characters, and a dash of romance to make for an addictive novel.

I really enjoyed Ms. Curham’s previous book, An American in Paris, so I was excited to see what she came up with next. I was not disappointed.

This is a dual timeline narrative between present day Edi and 1940s Ruby. When Edi discovers hidden items within the floor of her new residence in London along with a unique encounter with her author/neighbor Pearl and the story she tells...the second story involving Ruby unfolds.

The reader is then placed smack in the middle of the action and bombing within London in WWII, the reader gets to experience the atrocities, the fear, but also the camaraderie and boundless faith that the citizens of London exhibit during this unique time.

I enjoyed how the author was able to peel away the mystery by weaving between two stories. I have to say that I really liked Ruby the most.
Strong, stubborn, and fierce however the transition and changes Ruby undergoes as she is exposed to so much is really what drew me to her. The ability to learn, adapt, and overcome is what shows one’s true character. The dynamics and relationship between Ruby and Joseph really added another layer of complexity and interest to the book. They both seemed to learn from one another, and I really enjoyed that change.

I enjoyed the dual stories, and they were entwined nicely, and I also enjoyed the respective endings as well.

Another great read from one of my new, favorite authors.

5/5 stars

Thank you NG and Bookouture for this wonderful arc and in return I am submitting my unbiased and voluntary review and opinion.

I am posting this review to my GR and Bookbub accounts immediately and will post it to my Amazon, Instagram, and B&N accounts upon publication.

I've read a lot of dual timeline WWII stories lately, but this one was different. The historical part was told via a book written by the daughter, telling her parents story during the war. That was a neat twist!

Current - Edi is divorcing her husband and moves into a new apartment building to start over. There she discovers a host of quirky neighbors, including Pearl - who is an author. Curious, Edi purchases Pearl's first book - a WWII story set in the location of their building. The book is where the dual timeline in the past comes into play.

Past - Ruby, Joseph, and Kitty live in the apartment building and start helping an ambulance service during the war. This part follows their story - full of adventure, romance and wartime heroism.

Unless I missed it in reading, we never learned why the tin that Joseph had in the beginning of the story and hid in the loft was so important, That left me puzzled.

Thank you to NetGalley for a digital ARC in return for my review.

This book is lengthy in volume but there is romance, drama and mystery involved. Short chapters are a plus!

As I would read, I asked myself the questions: Will the war change Ruby’s free spirit? Will Ruby & Joseph fall in love? Will Kitty find true love?

I enjoyed how the author twisted the plot, within the 1940 to 2019 timeframes. Two epilogues are included and I enjoyed the second epilogue.

Last, I would pay more than the asking price of $3.99 for the Kindle pre-order on Amazon. I would refer this book to family and friends.

Thank you for the opportunity to read the digital copy.