I enjoyed reading Jenny Ashcroft’s Meet Me In Bombay tremendously and was thrilled to get approved for her new novel Under The Golden Sun!

This novel highlights WWll and is set in Australia! Rose travels to Australia as a nanny to orphan Walter leaving behind her family, her fiancé and not caring for the war! The slowly building love and trust between Rose and Walter was very charming to read and Jenny has a way of weaving the story in such a delicate fashion!

Rose has to make sure Walter has been handed to his wounded pilot uncle, Max. Read this beautiful book to find out if Rose finds Max and hands Walter to his uncle to return back to England or will she have to stay longer?

Thank you @stmartinspress @netgalley for the gifted galley of this charming novel that is set to hit the shelves in March 15, 2022

The book follows Rose, a young woman who is struggling and a bit lost at the beginning of the book. Her relationship with her fiancé is not where it once was, and she is dealing with a recent loss. She comes across an advertisement in the newspaper - someone looking for a person to escort a child to Australia - and Rose, on an impulse, responds to the ad.

This is one of those historical fiction books in which the war is a backdrop rather than a main character. Certainly we don't forget that it is wartime, but in absence of the war, the core of the story would remain unchanged. I have been reading a lot of WWII historical fiction that focus on the atrocities head on, so this one was a bit of a relief in that sense.

I do recommend this book who enjoy a generally feel good story, with touch of romance and unravelling the past. Thank you to NetGalley for for this ARC.

The author has given us a beautifully written story of love, loss, and love again. We begin Rose Hamilton’s story as bombs are dropping during WWII, and fate has her answering a want ad for a Nanny that will travel to Australia
Now the weather is horrible and Rose shows up as a partly drowned individual, thinking she is just making an appointment, but in reality she is about to change her life forever!
We meet precocious Walter, a darling four year old orphan, and journey with him back to his roots. Now this journey takes months on a ship, but the danger is the enemy torpedoing or bombing as they journey with a convoy, not an easy trip, but traveling and meeting kinder spirts, and new friends for both Rose and Walter.
Her arrival in Australia leaves a lot to be desired, but keep page turning, answers come, and surprises. New relationships, and shortly dear friends and new family, all the while worrying about family caught in the madness of war.
People you get the feeling you’re not going to like, well, they sure surprised me, and old relationships that show up, well, this is where you won’t be able to put the book down.
Is this Rose and Max or Rose and Xander, and I know whom I wanted for her, but keep reading right to the wonderful Epilogue!
I received this book through Net Galley and the Publisher St. Martin’s Press, and was not required to give a positive review.

~Live. Do That Well, Do It Joyfully~

This book will sweep you into the life of Rose Hamilton. She is loving, earnest, sincere, and has a beautiful heart. Yet, Rose is deeply lonely. She has just lost a baby girl. She still has her fiance, family, and a job in England, but she begins to rethink her life. She sees an ad to travel to Australia with a young boy, Walter who has just lost his mother. Rose decides she really cares for Walter and will bring him on a dangerous sea bound journey to Australia even though WWII makes this dangerous. She arrives in Australia and is on to Narrawee where Walter’s family lives. Rose starts to envision a life there. Can love of the land, a new family, and love in her heart change her decision and stay in Australia. Sometimes, the answers are simpler then we think.

Thank you NetGalley, Jenny Ashcroft, and St. Martin’s Press for an ARC of this book.

This is a book you don't want to miss! It's a well written story set in the Australian Outback during World War II. The author brings the story to life with her words; you feel like you are there. This book will make you laugh, cry and feel every emotion in between. I absolutely loved this book and highly recommend it!
I received a complimentary copy from St. Martin's Press via NetGalley and was not required to write a review. All opinions expressed are my own.

Pub day: 3-15-2022

With more than half the book is set in Australia this was a very unique take on WWII. Being well removed from the act of war made this a tamer read but still powerful in the effect it had on everyone, everywhere. The story also touched on the treatment of aborigines and the groups fighting for Aboriginal rights.

This is very much a historical romance with lovely character and relationship developments. It was a rather slow story but filled with some nice themes of self discovery and finding ones place in life. This also really made me wish I could cuddle a koala immediately!

⚠️ suicide, racism

This is a story about a woman named Rose and a little boy named Walter who have both experienced devastating losses. They are brought together in England on a journey to get Walter home to the family he’s never met in Australia. The story is set during WWII, but does not have the typical WWII focus, which was an interesting twist.

This book started out pretty slow for me, so I really wasn’t prepared for all the emotions I was feeling toward the end. It started getting really good once Rose and Walter finally made it to Australia after months in transit via ship. At that point, I didn’t want to put this book down because I needed to figure out who Walter’s father was and what happened to him. I also needed to know if anything was going to happen between Rose & Max, the injured soldier who was Walter’s uncle. I wanted to find out more about Esme’s story and learn why Lauren was so angry.

I loved the main characters in this book. Rose, Vivian, Walter, and Walter’s Australian family (Max, Esme, and even Lauren and Hannah) were all such endearing characters. Each of them showed character growth which made them feel real and relatable. Even Xander, Rose’s fiancé, was a great character, though one you loved to hate—no growth from him, but he did keep you wondering. However, there were so many other characters that it was hard to keep them all straight.

I loved Rose so much until about 90-ish% in when I was about ready to throw my Kindle across the room for the bad decisions she started making. She frustrated me until she FINALLY decided to speak her mind and follow her heart. I literally was tearing up, which doesn’t happen often to me…then the ending made everything so worth it.

While the author’s use of long, complex sentences made this book hard to read in some parts, her use of asides in the sentences made it feel like we were getting a glimpse into the characters’ inner dialogue. I liked that the author alluded to some things without immediately revealing them, which made the story a bit of a mystery and kept me guessing. The plot was intriguing due to little twists so you didn’t know what to expect next.

I would have only given this book 3 stars at the beginning, but it was a solid 4 stars once they got to Australia.

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and author for an advanced copy. All opinions are my own.

Thank you so much for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for my honest review! Under the Golden Sun was an exceptional book. This was a very well done WW2 book and those are my sweet spot in HF. Very emotional and beautiful story!

A book covering WWII but through the setting of Australia. A young boy needs an escort from Britain to Australia, and Rose answers an advertisement for the Nanny job. What follows involves a bit of history and a bit of drama with a splash of theatrics thrown in to round out the story.

I found it to be a bit slow in parts and the amount of detail at times pulls the reader away from the story. It was a bit choppy and slow moving at times, this the 3 star rating. Thanks to NetGalley for the early read.

Under the Golden Sun is a riveting novel set in England and in Australia during World War II. Rose follows her heart and answers an advertisement for a companion for a young boy being sent to Australia. The story includes glimpses into English life during the war, war-time travel, and adventure in the outback. The threads of relational drama are woven throughout. Jenny Ashcroft does a masterful job of bringing her characters to life and giving them complex personalities. Once the trajectory of the book became obvious, I could not put it down. I highly recommend this novel.

Another fabulous historical fiction novel, Under the Golden Sun by Jenny Ashcroft! A must-read for those who enjoy stories taking place during World War II. You are going to love the story and the characters like I did. This is the perfect novel to read on a Sunday afternoon with a cup of tea!

SYNOPSIS:

England, 1941. The world is at war. London is under siege as the German blitz pounds the city without warning, without mercy. Rose Hamilton did her part as a member of the Women’s Auxiliary Air Force until she was unfairly discharged following a tragic loss. Working as a secretary on a Devon farmland, Rose is out of harm’s way, but she needs to contribute to something greater than herself to truly recover.

Answering a newspaper advertisement for a companion to accompany an orphaned child to Australia, Rose becomes enchanted with four-year-old Walter Lucknow. Shy, imaginative, and kind, the boy lost his parents and has been living in near seclusion with his elder great aunt. As heir to a wealthy Australian cattle station, Walter must return to his homeland and his mother’s family.

Leaving her own family—and fiancé—Rose braves the long, dangerous voyage across Pacific waters where war is imminent to see Walter safely home. But upon arrival, Rose learns the truth about Walter’s relationship to the Lucknows and the land he’s supposed to inherit, a truth that haunts the boy’s Uncle Max, a wounded pilot scarred inside and out. And as Max opens his heart up to Walter, Rose is drawn to the man’s strength and compassion, finding herself torn between returning to England and staying with the child and man she’s grown to love.

After a slow start this story picked up with Rose and Walter's voyage to Australia. It was interesting learning about the history of the aborigines. Walter's 'family' certainly had issues to overcome. It's interesting to read about WWII in different settings as in this novel. The ending was predictable but satisfying.

A Leap of Faith

A very different story set in Australia during WWII. This is a book of families, of love and forgiveness. Set in 1940's on a cattle station in Australia against the wilds of the country during a time of war.

The story begins in England in 1941. Rose is working as a secretary on a farm in Devon after losing her commission in the woman's auxiliary service when she suffers a tremendous personal loss. Her uncle Lionel has asked her to meet him in London for her birthday dinner.

She has been feeling a bit down and needs to do something different than being a secretary on the farm. As she is reading a newspaper while riding on the train to London to meet her uncle she spies an advertisement which sparks interest. It is an ad for a companion to accompany a young orphan to Australia. She decides to check it out and ends up taking the job as she is taken with four year old Walter.

Rose leaves her family and her fiancée to travel the dangerous journey from England to Australia with a four year old child to take him to his mother's relations the Lucknows. When she arrives at the cattle station she soon learns the secrets of his relation to the Lucknows. Now she has a choice to make. Stay with Walter or return to England.

I love the story behind the aboriginal people in Australia it was very interesting to me , It is something I know very little about. I loved the bravery of the Lucknow's and Rose in defending Walter against those that were unkind toward him because of who his father was.

I enjoyed reading this book. What a wonderful story of love and forgiveness. I loved the setting, the characters and the story written around them all. The past and the present and the perceived future for this family was wonderfully written. I would definitely recommend this book.

Thanks to Jenny Ashcroft for writing a wonderful story, to St. Martin's Press for publishing it and to NetGalley for making it available to me.

Yet another beautiful historical fiction written by Ashcroft. I was pulled in from the very beginning. I completely fell in love with all the characters. There were multiple times where I laughed at Rosie or Esme's wit! There were beautiful relationships: friendship, romantic, and maternal. With complex characters that were just trying to get through each day and keep moving forward. And despite the challenges of being in the middle of a war, on top of the challenging personal struggles of the respective characters, there were still reminders to live and laugh and love. That life is too short to have any regrets. I laughed and I cried! Highly, HIGHLY recommend!

3.5 stars.

The first 1/3 of this novel was very slow and I struggled to keep reading it. I thought that part of the story could have been significantly condensed. As it went on, the novel did become better - the relationships between the characters became more developed, the storyline picked up and the pace became more consistent. I did enjoy the latter part of the novel and it did have a satisfying ending. I thought this novel lacked some of the charm and effectiveness of the author’s 2019 novel, Meet Me In Bombay.

Thanks to St. Martin’s Press and Netgalley for an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

Awwwww I enjoy reading anything written by Jenn Ashcroft. This historical fiction taking place during WW II. Rose answered an advertisement to accompany a minor orphan across the sea to Australia. Such a beautiful story. The orphaned boy Walter weaves into Rose’s heart. Rose and Walter become close on the journey. Will Rose be able to leave Walter in Australia?

I’ve said before that I’m always on the lookout for a unique story. When it comes to historical fiction I want to be swept away to a time and place that I know little to nothing about. This beautifully-written story ticks those boxes, as well as being a heart-tugging novel of love and war, loss and hope. When we meet Rosie, she is living in England in 1941, recovering from a tragic loss, engaged to a man she can’t trust. She’s a bit adrift, searching for something to get her life back on track, when she answers an advertisement to be a companion to a young boy who is suffering as well. From there, we are taken with Rosie and Walter on a journey to Australia, in the midst of a war, to reunite him with a family he’s never known. When they arrive at the cattle station that belongs to Walter’s family, they have no idea what to expect, how they will be welcomed, what secrets will unfold, and what wonders and adventures await them! I was totally immersed in their stories, as well as the vastness and beauty of the cattle station and of Australia itself. Always in the background is the war, as its effects reach the distant shores, as well as the concern and worry for loved ones fighting in Europe and elsewhere. The author also writes about the prejudices against the aboriginal people in Australia, which, shamefully, parallels the bigotry that existed in America at that time in history. But never lost against the splendor of the setting, or the horrors of wartime, is that this is ultimately a book about love, family, and home.

Jenny Ashcroft's Under the Golden Sun is a captivating World War II historical love story set against the raw beauty of Australia. In Under the Golden Sun, we meet Rose who accepts a job to be a travel escort and companion to 5 year old Walter, on a journey to Queensland. Rose grows to care deeply for the child. This was a really well written story. It could be a bit slow at times but overall I really enjoyed it. It really made me want to visit Australia even more now too!
Thank you Netgalley for my advanced readers copy in exchange for my honest review.

Rose Hamilton has experienced an incredible loss and doesn't know how to find her way back from it, or back to her fiancé Xander. When she sees an ad seeking a companion to accompany an orphaned child on a voyage to Australia, she's inexplicably lured to respond, and within weeks, she's boarding a ship with five-year-old Walter, whom she instantly adores. When they reach Australia, however, things aren't as they were supposed to be, and Rose knows she can't leave Walter until she ensures his safety and happiness. And what if Walter isn't the only reason Rose wants to stay?

Trigger warning: Miscarriage

Under the Golden Sun took me a few weeks to read, which surprised me since I tend to devour historical fiction rather rapidly. I would read 1-2 chapters nightly, put it down, and then not pick it up again for several days. Again - Very unlike me. But because I kept picking it back up, there was something in the story that kept me going.

This book is a different take on and setting for WWII than I've ever read, which I was surprised by and enjoyed. It tackled the time period from the perspective of a family in London who are not victims/survivors of Hitler, and then from the continent of Australia, whom I never even think about within the context of WWII... Or any war, frankly. I wouldn't say that the war is the central focus of the plot, but it definitely is heavily threaded throughout.

I found Rose, Xander, and Max's storyline to be a bit predictable, and frankly, I wish Rose had been able to be happy and fulfilled without a man.

If you liked The Four Winds by Kristin Hannah, I think you'll enjoy Under the Golden Sun!

Rose is on her way to a birthday celebration with her family, and a newspaper advertisement for a travel companion for a small child catches her eye. Her life is fairly unsettled and she gives in to her curiosity to go directly to the home of the advertisement to inquire about the job that day. With the war underway, an interesting relationship with her fiancé and other family members, she jumps in and meets young Walter, and is soon on her way overseas to accompany him to his new home in Australia. Upon arrival in Australia, Rose's expectations of Walter's family fall flat and she is determined to stay until he is comfortable and feels safe without her. Rose begins to explore life in Australia while her heart continues to grow for young Walter. This is an interesting view of the war from this part of the world, and I enjoyed the different setting.