The Ways We Hide had a different POV from any WWII books I’ve read previously. I wasn’t expecting “the magician” to become an ally tool creating spy. I really enjoyed the back story of Fenna and Arie and how they remained so important to one another over the wide span of time and distance. I did however feel at points that the story carried on when it could have wrapped up different plot points a bit quicker

I enjoyed reading this historical story. It is a story that is well written and kept me engaged to the end. This is a story about finding yourself, love, loss and finding courage in places you least expect it. I enjoyed how the characters pulled me into the story. They brought the story to life and just added to the story. This is a fast paced, hard to put down story that will pull at your heartstrings and I found myself pulling for Fenna. I enjoyed how supportive the characters are which made it easy to read. I also enjoyed watching the growth of the characters and the plot throughout. This is a great story and one of my favorites. I highly recommend this book.

"The Ways We Hide" had an interesting premise and I quite liked the overall plot, but I think the novel could have been shortened by quite a bit. I think it dragged on for a little too long, even though none of the characters and their relationships got a lot of development.

Decent story - not as powerful as past books by the author. A good additional for my historical fiction section.

This was a different take on a WWII historical fiction. The beginning drew me in quickly and I was excited to see where the story went. For me, it slowed down and got a bit repetitive towards the middle, but was still an interesting and different historical fiction!

Ways We Hide by Kristina McMorris took me by surprise. I had trouble getting into the story at first, but as Fenna's story came to life I was hooked! Spanning two decades of history this booked is packed with courage, intrigue, danger, friendship and love. It seemed the hardships Fenna had endured in her young life as well as her fascination with illusion, made her uniquely .qualified for the opportunity to work in the war effort with M19.
Compelling read thoroughly enjoyed this book!!
Thank you, Net Galley and Sourcebooks Landmark, for the opportunity to read and review this book!!

Historical Fiction

Another great story from McMorris!

We have a multiple timeline narrative in this story. When we begin Fenna Vos is working as a magician's assistant.
She is the brains behind the act, but at that time there weren't any female magicians working. We learn about some of her current life, but then we are transferred backwards to her childhood.

She is a Dutch immigrant whose family settled in Wisconsin. At a holiday celebration, there is an incident where numerous attendees are killed, and the incident creates a fear of being in enclosed spaces for Fenna. Ari, a neighbor boy, helps her through this experience and it cements their friendship for life, but they are soon parted. Events happen to Fenna that eventually connect her and Ari again. Fenna's fears cause her to pull away from Ari and she eventually gets enlisted to help with war efforts. Her magic tricks could be useful for the military.

After a mostly lackluster career in the service, Fenna is asked to go overseas. Ari has been working in intelligence and he has gone missing. There are also concerns that he has turned against his country. She parachutes into Holland and her search to find Ari commences.

The novel is wonderfully written and kept me engaged throughout. I'm a little tired of all the WWII stories, but this had a fresh angle and storyline. I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for my copy of this book.

such a creeping book. I loved reading this story. It was easy to read and felt like I was right there in the storyline.

I was so excited to pick up this book because it is labeled as WWII historical fiction. However, I was not as thrilled with the book as I typically am with this genre. I appreciated the magic portion of the story and found it very interesting … especially how Fenna was recruited to be part of a dangerous mission in Holland where she can use her inventions to help with the war. Fenna was an amazing woman and I loved getting to know her and her brilliant mind. The author has done amazing research and I was pleased to learn a new dynamic of WWII. I had no idea that “magic” was used. The second half of the book just seemed to crawl and it was so hard to stay invested in the story. But I think I am one of the few who didn’t care for the book that much, so I would encourage you to pick it up and give it a try. You may find that it appeals to you.

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

For more reviews, please visit my blog at: https://www.msladybugsbookreviews.com/. Over 1000 reviews posted!

This is my review, as posted to Goodreads:

I originally received an ARC of this book to read and review. Due to a family situation last year I was unable to read and review it prior to publication day, but it was well worth the wait! This novel was completely unexpected and so much more than I thought it would be! I loved how Houdini was weaved into this WWII novel. I’m always looking for a fresh, unique book from this historical fiction sub-genre, and this one certainly fits the bill. I would highly recommend this book to any other fans of WWII historical fiction out there!

Now this is what a historical fiction book is all about! McMorris leads you on a decades long journey that’s thrilling and fun but also heartbreaking and difficult. I enjoyed the characters and found the romance element of the book exciting - who doesn’t love a “will they, won’t they” plot.

The author notes highlighted the historical elements of the book, which I enjoyed learning about but wonder how realistic the story would be in real life.

Overall, it’s a great WWII historical fiction book that has touches of a spy novel, a romance novel, and a mystery novel.

This story was equal parts heartbreaking and inspiring while set in one of my favorite historical periods to read about. Fenna was a capable and intelligent FMC while still showing vulnerabilities that made her so relatable.
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Even though there were a lot of tearful moments when reading this book, the epilogue was full of hope and I will be thinking about this one for a long time. There is also a fantastic author’s note which I always love when reading historical fiction.
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If you enjoy WWII historical fiction with a strong female lead, you’ll love this book! Thank you to NetGalley and SOURCEBOOKS for this digital arc in exchange for my honest review.

Ways We Hide had a story line that I was unsure if I would be interested in. I was surprised to find the story was enjoyable and I was learning about the happenings around that time frame. It is a dual time frame story but the past and present come together well. Well done Kristina McMorris.

A fascinating story about a seemingly ordinary young woman who grows up as an illusionist and then hired to help with the war effort. That this is based on a true story, blows the mind. Courageous and unexpected!

This was my first book by Kristina McMorris and now I'm going to be looking for more by her! The Ways We Hide captured my interest and tugged on my heartstrings. It felt a little slow going at first but I ended up really loving this story of Fenna who got her start in Copper Country in Upper Michigan. She went through many obstacles and hardships during World War II. If you're anything like me, you'll be rooting for her and Arie the whole way through!

Thank you Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review. All opinions are my own.

Publication date: 6 September 2022.

This was so good, I couldn't put the book down. We follow the main character Fenna Vos a poor, Dutch immigrant child in the Upper Midwest to the streets of London during WWII, This is a love story between Fenna and Arie, who we first meet as childhood neighbors. They develop an interest in magic and Fenna is obsessed with Houdini. She becomes a magician and is recruited into the British M19 sector, as she uses her magic skills to help defeat the Germans. She's almost like a female James Bond, A very different war story that is intriguing and once again shows how individuals will help one another. I highly recommend this historical fiction book.

This was an interesting historical fiction. Yes, WWII, but a slightly different story weaving magicians/illusionists into their role. The other interesting draw for me was the inclusion of Harry Houdini (who grew up in my hometown) and the tragedy in the mines in the Upper Penisula.

Would recommend this to others who like historical fiction.

I received this book free of charge from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

Great introduction to a new author for me, and a wonderful addition to our collection for our patrons. I look forward to more! THANK you!

This is outstanding historical fiction. I’ve read a lot of books in the genre and this is one of my favorites.
The writing is beautiful and the characters are so interesting. I was fascinated to read about the ways magic was used to deceive the Nazis. This is a facet of WWII I hadn’t read much about.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed as in this review are completely my own.

Who better to be a spy than a master illusionist?

In some ways The Ways We Hide is similar to The Circus Train. It starts with a young girl and her father in a mining town. In many ways it is a coming-of-age story as the story follows Fenna Vos from childhood to adulthood. And even though it also spans a period of time that starts in the 1929 and goes past the end of WWII, I felt like this novel is a WWII fiction.

It was a little slow at the beginning when we are introduced to the characters. But I once I connected with the character, I was fully invested in the story. And it become difficult to put the book down.

I like WWII stories that tell about a piece of history tha I haven't read much about. Fenna is recruited by MI-9 to invent gadgets for soldiers and spies. She had been the mastermid behind an illusionist show. Her friened Ari was the star of the show but she is the one that figured out the tricks.

When Ari is accused of being a traitor, Fenna must take her bag of tricks to the field in order to prove his innocence. From the moment she lands on French soil, she must rely on every slight of hand and mode of misdirection she has ever conjured.

The story was intense at times. And while I didn't get the ending that I was hoping for it was still a satisfactory ending. I really liked the characters and it was hard to say goodbye to them when I closed the book.

Be sure to read the author note at the end and McMorris provides more information about the true events she based her story on and where she took creative license with the history.

My review will be published on Thursday - https://www.girl-who-reads.com/2023/05/3-historical-fiction-stories-you-may.html