I absolutely loved this book!

Rhys Bowen has taken a side trip away from her Molly Murphy series with this book, set during WW2. As most wives during the war, Josie is alone after her husband is called up to fight. She finds a job in a tea shop working for an older lady, and really enjoys the work. But tragedy strikes, and Josie is left homeless and jobless all in one fell swoop.

Josie is evacuated to the countryside to recuperate from her injuries, and is billeted at a house with a dour old lady and her extra-dour housekeeper. Josie doesn't let their attitudes deter her, and makes bits of progress each week. Along the way she makes friends with the locals and the RAF men from the nearby aerodrome.

Josie has such a good spirit, positive attitude and a conscience. Despite the many hazards that fall in her way, she perseveres and makes it through. More people should be like Josie and the world would be a better place!

Thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book, but my opinions are my own.

I normally love everything Rhys Bowen writes, but this did not seem like her usual writing or plotting style. Parts of the story were interesting, with Josie recovering from a bombing, adapting to life in the countryside, setting up an improvised tea shop in the manor house where she was living as a refugee from London and hunting for a spy in their midst. I liked Josie as a character, and her stubborn insistence on being useful by improving the lives of those around her. The stories of the villagers coming together to support Josie's tea shop and to help pool resources during rationing was a compelling addition. Mike Johnson was a somewhat bland but generally appealing love interest (up to the point of the reveal, at least). Although the dialogue was frustratingly repetitive at times (Josie's interactions with Kathleen in particular, constantly reciting what she's contributing to the household), I would have found this to be a more satisfying story it ended there.

However, with the spy storyline wrapped up at the 3/4 mark, I was not expecting the book to take multiple bizarre turns and attempt to cram in whole new plot lines that could have been standalone stories. The story became incredibly bleak at that point and seemed to erase all the character development and positive things that Josie had built during the majority of the story. I wouldn't have an objection to adding a sad or unexpected twist to a story if it makes sense in the narrative (like the ending of her last standalone, The Venice Sketchbook), but this just became a parade of miseries raining down on Josie and the other characters and odd tangents that were out of place in the story (like spending a chapter on Josie suddenly working at Bletchley Park for several years). I couldn't help asking "What?!?!" multiple times in the last quarter of the book and had given up all investment in the characters by the ending.

Overall, my takeaway is that this was an uneven and somewhat disappointing story, but still one that has enough redeeming qualities that it will be of interest to some.

Thank you to Lake Union and Netgalley for providing an ARC for review!

This was a DNF for me. The storyline was good but poorly executed. I found the characters to be 2 dimensional. I had no emotional response to anything that happened to any of these characters. I got a third into the story and decided to put it down.

Set during WW11 this story if of Josie Banks, a character who may represent the lives of women during this terrible time when bombs fell on London, their husband were called for service , their home turned to ash and their livelihood destroyed, they had nothing left and no place to go. This novel is about danger, triumph and second chance.

Josie was evacuated to the English countryside where she ended up at the estate of the aristocratic Miss Harcourt. She made a life for herself and we follow her ups and downs.

In this story we have a view of the hardship during the war years. Shortage of everything even the bare necessities all controlled with ration books. Nearby the tiny town called Sutton St Giles where Josie was billeted a RAF base was operational where young men isolated and homesick sought companionship, a chat and a cup of tea. Miss Harcourt was encouraged to open her estate and Josie put to good use the fine china by opening a tea shop. They had a lot of visitors and the ins and outs made for a very interesting read.

This heartfelt wartime story is a quick and easy read said in simple language with a lot of details. We have quite a few players that visited the estate but all are unique in their own ways so easy to remember them, no confusion. Josie is the star and everything revolves around her. Along the ways we have a mystery a spy among them...who is it? The drama is unveiled in the last chapters...surprise and of course love is in the air.....

Nice soft war time story.

I can always count on Rhys Bowen to place me in the action! The collection of things Bowen pulls together and draws our attention to helps immerse us in the events of World War Two. When she presents her fully realized characters to this vivid setting, they come to life.

Josie Banks has had her fair share of disappointment and as the war in Britain escalates, Josie’s strength, courage, resilience and determination rise above anything she could choose to complain about. As a result of wartime bombing, Josie is left with nothing. When she is evacuated to the English countryside because of her injuries, she makes an important choice and it shapes the rest of her life. She takes her future into her own hands, carving out a new life for herself and those around her. I absolutely loved the personal growth in this novel.

I eagerly look forward to a “Bowen standalone” because I know it will be well-researched and presented, contain great characters, an engaging narrative and will teach me something about the war in Europe that I wasn’t familiar with before. This time I loved the introduction of a Canadian pilot, the setting of a tea shop, Josie’s personal journey and the thought-provoking title!

Fate, choice, and second chances play a role in this 5-star historical fiction that you’ll want to place on your summer reading list!

I was gifted this advance copy by Rhys Bowen, Lake Union Publishing, and NetGalley and was under no obligation to provide a review.

I enjoy Rhys Bowen’s Royal Spyness series for the humor, dialog, and fun situations. This is why I requested her most recent stand alone historical fiction. I also love stories about Londoners and their experiences during WWII so it seemed like it would suit me. Unfortunately, Where the Sky Begins didn’t work for me. I thought the prose was flat and the plot occasionally veered into the improbable. I really wanted to like it and found Josie Banks to be an engaging protagonist but I think I’ll just stick with Georgiana.

I just devoured this story! I became so invested in these characters that I just couldn't stop reading. While her husband Stan is serving in the military Josie finds contentment working in a tea shop. It is bombed one night, her employer killed, and then Josie's home is bombed. Josie blooms when she is evacuated to a village in the country where she makes new friends, forms a new family, and finds love and purpose.

I adore Rhys Bowen's books. I've been an avid fan since I discovered her Molly Murphy books. She tells a story in a way that's both compelling and full of heart. Reading Where The Sky Begins was a pleasure. A touching and intelligent book set against the backdrop of WWII that made me feel I was in the hands of an expert storyteller.

Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher and the author, for an ARC of this book, in exchange for an honest review.
The premise of the book drew me in but once I started reading it, I just couldn’t get into it at all.
I wish the author, publisher and all those promoting the book much success and connections with the right readers.

"Things are as they are. We suffer because we imagined different." (Robert Burns)

No one can predict what the future holds.......especially when the world leaves its footprint all around you. And that footprint leans in heavily on life in London in 1940. It's WW II and Londoners have been subjected to the instability of the bombings and unsafe conditions of war.

Josie Banks is newly married to Stan. But like all the others, Stan has been called up to serve his country. Josie takes a job at a tearoom owned by Madame Olga, a Russian Jewish woman. In the middle of the night, Josie's house has been completely bombed as well as Madame Olga's. Josie survives, but Madame Olga doesn't.

With nowhere else to go, Josie is evacuated to the English countryside to be taken in by volunteers. She ends up with Miss Harcourt, an aging spinster, who neither wants nor welcomes Josie. Kathleen, Miss Harcourt's housekeeper, is dissatisfied with the likes of Josie and makes it known. But Josie is resilient and makes the best out of this situation. Josie befriends people in the small village and it makes things more tolerable.

Rhys Bowen creates a panoramic view of life during these anxious war years. As she tells of Josie's fate, she reveals what life was like with ration books, shortages of even the bare necessities, and the reality of the death tolls in the military and the private sectors in the UK. Bowen describes the location of the RAF hangars near Miss Harcourt and the pilots whom Josie comes to know. Stan's unknown fate is forever on the horizon.

Where the Sky Begins is well done by Rhys Bowen. Josie's story is a satisfying read until the ending. That's when it fell to a 3 Stars and then kicked up to 4 Stars for the writing. Bowen has some explaining to do about how she chose to create such an absurd reveal about one of the main characters. Oh, so disappointing! But I'll let you decide for yourselves. It was like kicking over a paint can on an art piece. It's noticeable........

I received a copy of this book through NetGalley for an honest review. My thanks to Lake Union Publishing and to Rhys Bowen for the opportunity.

Set in England during WWII, Where the Sky Begins is an engrossing, achingly beautiful, haunting and gorgeously-written book about love, loss, determination, finding inner peace and hope during extreme hardships.

Human beings are capable of such cruelty but also of great kindness, both of which Josie experiences. She is at home in London when her home is bombed in the Blitz and she loses every earthly possession, her employer and workplace in that one moment. Not only that but she is injured quite badly. Her emotionally and geographically distant husband Stan is in service away from home so has no idea what has happened. Josie is evacuated to the countryside to Miss Harcourt's aristocratic home where maid/housekeeper Kathleen resides and presides. Once Josie is well she convinces Miss Harcourt to open up her home to customers including RAF soldiers who hanker after home baking and Josie is gifted baking ingredients with others' rations to use in her delicious concoctions.

Josie becomes friends with Nan, Dr. Goldsmith and Mike and realizes what she has been missing living in London. She realizes her heart hasn't been in her marriage for a very long time and she feels free to be herself. As the war rages on, lives change forever and desperate circumstances dictate needs must regardless of class divisions.

My favourite aspect is the remarkable writing, gut wrenching and lovely at the same time. Rhys Bowen has a special way with words in all the books I've read by her. I like that not all her characters are likeable and she does not gloss over realistic war details. Several subplots are interwoven brilliantly without overwhelming.

If you seek a believable WWII Historical Fiction read with bright subplots and romance, do seek this out. It is well worth your time.

My sincere thank you to Lake Union Publishing and NetGalley for the privilege of reading this wonderful, wonderful book.

An engaging historical fiction set in Norway at the end WWII. I enjoyed the plot and the story was well paced. The characters are likable and interesting. Highly recommended.
Thank you to Rhys Bowen, NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for the arc of this book.

Thank you to the author and publisher for providing me with a digital ARC of this title via Netgalley in exchange for my honest review.

I quite enjoyed this title. It is a nice, heartwarming story of finding love, friendship, and new beginnings during war. I loved the characters and cheered along as they overcame their hardships and struggles.

Was rooting for Josie from the start, as she confronts an unhappy marriage and the traumas of loving through the London blitz of WWII. Eventually landing in the farmland of a tiny Lincolnshire village near an airbase, living with a grumpy old woman and her even grumpier maid, Josie rises to all occasions. And of course, romance. Thanks to author, publisher and NetGalley for review copy.

Where the Sky Begins- Rhys Bowen

3 Stars

I’m a big Rhys Bowen fan. Apart from the Constable Evans series, I’ve read everything she has written. So of course, I was delighted to get my hands on an ARC of her newest stand-alone, Where the Sky Begins.

The story follows Josie, starting in 1940, when her husband, Stan is called up to serve and she is left to make her own way in London. She finds a job she loves at a tea shop but soon both the shop and her home are bombed and she is evacuated to the country, to live with an unwelcoming older lady and her grumpy housekeeper, Kathleen, in a large house. Despite both the homeowner, Ms. Harcourt, and Kathleen voicing their unhappiness at hosting her, Josie starts to make friends in the village and the nearby RAF station. She starts to build a life she never imagined for herself as the war rages on.

Bowen’s writing is a delight throughout. I found it to be a quick and easy read. While there are many characters, I never felt confused about who was who. I did feel confused about what story was being told. I didn’t read any descriptions first and even 50% through, I couldn’t tell what the main story was as we just seemed to be following Josie in her day to day. This wasn’t unpleasant, but I just felt like something was missing. Then, around 70%, a lot of things started happening, or being revealed. The last 30% had several interesting plotlines that deserved more time in the book. In fact, near the end, we get a chapter about Josie spending a year at Bletchley Park. One chapter!

I felt that Bowen’s last stand-alone, The Venice Sketchbook, had the same problem. The most interesting aspects of the character’s story was contained in the final chapters of the book. All-in-all, I had a nice time reading this book, but it was tied up a bit too nicely and I’m not sure what the timing of the action was meant to accomplish. I continue to count Bowen as one of my favorite mystery writers but I’ve found her stand-alone historical fiction novels seem to leave me underwhelmed.

Thank you to NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for the ARC.

My rating:

Plot: 5 out of 5 stars
Writing: 5 out of 5 stars
Character development: 5 out of 5 stars
Overall: 5 out of 5 stars

Recommended for readers of:


Historical Fiction



Review:

This story is very captivating and vividly written. The characters are interesting and well developed; their actions are explained well and feel true to their characters. The plot flows well and is nicely paced. This made it interesting and entrancing right from the start. A great read for a lazy summers day.

Review copy provided by NetGalley at no cost to me.

What a charming novel. The characters were lovely, especially Josie with her warmth, kindness and capacity to make everyone happy and cared for. It’s an uplifting tale of a young Cockney woman, married out of convenience, who finds herself homeless and without a job following a German bomb destroying her home. She moves to the countryside and endears herself to the locals and The crews of a nearby RAF station. Every girl loves a guy in uniform, and Josie was no exception except her’s was a Canadian squadron leader flying for the British. There are many revealing facts about life during WW2, which makes for interesting reading. Hardship, spies and romance unfold. It’s one of only a handful of books that I have read this year, that I didn’t want to end.

My thanks to NetGalley and the publishers, Lake Union, for this advance copy.

women's-fiction, WW2, England, historical-fiction, historical-places-events, historical-research, strong-women, survival, friendship, hardship, resilience, romance*****

This is a real feel-good story from a time where hope was all there was between despair and getting on with life. The publisher's blurb gives a fair overview of the plot, but it's the writing that sets this one apart and drew me onward. I don't want to recap and spoilers stink, but I really enjoyed this story by a talented author.
I requested and received a free e-book copy from Lake Union Publishing via NetGalley. Thank you

Josie Banks tries to be a good wife to Stan, he makes her feel like a failure and she’s relieved when he’s called up. Josie needs to get a job, she starts working in a tearooms and she really enjoys it. The Blitz starts, unfortunately Josie loses her job, home and all of her possessions. After a short stay in hospital, Josie is sent to a convent to convalesce and the Red Cross try to find a permanent place for her to live. When they mention going to the countryside, Josie is keen and she desperately wants to get out of London and the constant bombing has turned her into a nervous wreck.

Josie arrives in a tiny town called Sutton St Giles, she’s billeted with snobby Miss. Harcourt, who lives in a large house, with only her housekeeper Kathleen and both are not happy being stuck with Josie. Nearby is a RAF base, young men are isolated, homesick, they long for some friendly company, a chat and a cup of tea. Josie convinces Miss. Harcourt to use one of her empty rooms, put her lovely china to good use and open a tea shop.

Josie meets Canadian pilot Mike Johnson, he’s kind, handsome and she wishes she wasn’t married. Stan tracks Josie down while on leave, she did write to him about being bombed out and he wants her to return to London. Josie isn’t keen, she can’t handle the noise, the destruction and she likes living in the village.

Josie soon realizes the sad truth about the bombing crews stationed next door, many won’t survive a couple of months, and Mike included. They might have a traitor living in the community, trying to discover if it's true keeps Josie busy, and she decides to be very careful about her own reputation, and she’s a married women after all!

I received a copy of Where the Sky Begins from NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing in exchange for an honest review. Rhys Bowen has written a wonderful and heartfelt wartime story, Josie is the most delightful, resilient and unforgettable character and there’s no stopping her once she gains some confidence. You read about the terrible damage done during the Blitz, the impact it had on women and children, how frightened they were, many moved to the safety of the country, experienced a new way of life and didn’t want to return to London. I highly recommend this book, it makes you appreciate what you have, and how hard the war years were in England and five stars from me.

The prolific Rhys Bowen writes very entertaining stories and this is another good read. Like many of her novels, it is set in war time, this one primarily in rural Britain, and giving us the very likeable Josie, who becomes the woman she deserves to be as she does her part to serve; in her case starting a cafe for locals and airmen, and of course falling in love after a less-than-empowering relationship she endured before the war took her husband away. Thank you to NetGalley and Lake Union for the advance digital galley of the novel.