There have been a lot of great books written about the American home front during WW2. This historical fiction novel is a bit different; it’s about what life was like after the war. For many families, it meant adjusting to life when their beloved menfolk did not return home. For soldiers who survived, even without physical wounds, there were mental obstacles to overcome.. And in that time, PTSD was not recognized and there was not therapy for it as there is now.
Faith is no longer the 16-year-old with a crush that she was in 1942. Davis is no longer the carefree college boy who enlisted following Pearl Harbor. They both miss Patrick, Faith’s brother and Davis’ best friend who didn’t get to return home . These two young people have issues to work through; Faith’s anger towards Davis because she feel that he pushed Patrick to enlist; Davis’ survivor’s guilt that he made it through, but his friend didn’t. Can these two next door neighbors ever work through their grief and come to an understanding?
**Thanks to Netgalley for a digital copy in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are strictly my own.**

I thought this was such a good story. I love historical fiction novels and a historical fiction romance is definitely on my list. I don’t know this author that well and I believe it may be a debut? But it was great. Very surprising for me.

I wasn’t sure what to expect when I read this book. I’m not normally a fan of military but it was pleasantly surprising.

A wonderful story with feeling from anger to heartache to sadness to love
This story’s characters feel so real and true that you soon find yourself laughing, sighing, crying, and rooting for them as they try to navigate the complexity of life after war. Davis has just returned from Europe after WWII and knows he will never be the same, in part because he returned and his best friend and neighbor, Patrick, didn’t. Davis knows Patrick would want him to watch over the family he left behind, especially now that Patrick’s father had also died. But Patrick’s little sister, Faith, is no longer the cute teenager they left behind. Faith is now a beautiful, independent woman running the family business and doing it very successfully. Her one outlet is participating in dance competitions with her partner, Freddy. Davis is drawn to Faith and finds himself determined to break up the pair but his attempts fail and Faith institutes her own plan to teach Davis to mind his own business and stay out of hers. This is a truly enjoyable read that just kept pulling me in. Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the copy. This is my review and all thoughts are my own.

Thank you net galley for the advance reader copy of this novel. This was a sweet and clean romance set just after WWII. Main characters Faith and Davis are neighbors, become business partners then more in a tale that isn't quite enemies to lovers. I love how much emotion the characters experience in this novel....heartache, resilience, growth, and more. The author did a very good job at make the characters human. A good great and one I would recommend for WWII fiction fans to expand that time period just a bit.

Thanks to Covenant Communications and Netgalley I was able to read this ARC. This novel was really sweet and what I hoped it would be. It was a light read with light romance. It was a quick read and entertaining. It focuses on a solider that returns home to a small town, and he begins working with the sister of his best friend who passed away at war. I recommend to fans of military romance or those transitioning into civilian life!

“Hindsight is the best insight to foresight.”

This was a beautifully written and emotional novel highlighting how difficult it was for soldiers to return to civilian life despite being welcomed home as heroes. Rupper points out all the adjustments necessary both for those returning and for those left at home. Her attention to era-specific detail was amazing and I appreciated how she doled out her important facts slowly so that I felt compelled to carry on. Rupper had me hooked with the discussion between the two soldiers on the train and the three pieces of advice. I had to find out if Davis was able to take the old man’s hindsight and use it as insight for his own foresight.

It was good to be reminded that wartime attitudes were all about rising to the challenges and that despite the war taking so much from everyone, each saw the importance of digging deep to find out what the war couldn’t take from them. I see so much of this attitude missing in modern life. My heart ached at realizing how lost Davis was when he returned and the things he did to find his way again and was softened at the subtle faith messages.

“Just get on with your life.”

Easier said than done. I appreciated this easy, clean read with alternating POVs that focused on what it takes to make the next step after one’s given everything for one’s country.

I was gifted this copy by Covenant Communications and NetGalley and was under no obligation to provide a review.