Thank you NetGalley and author Ros Rendle for a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. I never tire reading books from this time period, WWII. The title, with its evolving double meaning, proved good. Overall, I liked the story and the characters in this book (I didn't read the preceding book). However, I felt there was a lot of dialogue that was trite and unnecessary making it a choppy read. The author had the benefit of history to write the book, but took too many liberties in using facts now known from the timeframe which a common person, or even a person in the French resistance, would not have known. This made the story seem somewhat unbelievable at times. Although, Delphi, Flora and Edith were English, much of the dialogue spoken by the pure French characters used English slang and phrases (i.e.. Bloody, lad, leg it, chuffed, cheeky, etc.). I was disappointed in the author's transposition of her culture onto another.

1927 & after spending ten years in Australia, Delphi Strong is on a ship back to England with her daughter, Flora. While on board, Delphi meets Rainier, a charming vineyard owner on his way home to France. Forming an instant mutual attraction, the two share a whirlwind romance before disembarking. Unable to forget her, Rainier crosses the channel a few months later and asks Delphi to marry him. Equally lovestruck, Delphi accepts, and she and Flora join Rainier in France. However, their idyllic lifestyle is shattered when war breaks out and the Nazis begin to occupy the country. Forced to flee to the Free Zone in the south, the family must now pull together to resist the enemy
This is the second book in the saga & just as good as the first. This book centres on Delphi, the middle Strong sister. I disliked Delphi at the start of the first book & although I grew to like her I wondered if the passage of time would have softened her character & if my feelings about her would change & I'm pleased to say they did. Another well written well researched book, which again conveyed the time in between the wars & then the second world war. I found it to be an engrossing read which I read well into the night to finish & look forward to the next book
My honest review is for a special copy I voluntarily read