This wide-ranging tale covers many miles and is set in many places. . .Jeanne Cooper hails from Chicago, and John aka Jack McGrath also of Chicago, settles in Los Angeles for a time, to finally land in Italy. For me this was a love story with a big dose of politics, journalism and the international collaboration that resulted in the state of Israel.

It was enough to put in to a couple of books, but the part that had me was the persistence of the love between the two main characters - which was a surprise to me, as romance is rarely my first focus. In my choice of this read, my interest was in the Palestinian / Israel historical treatment, but soon lost my way through those parts, coming to firmer ground (the universality of love) at the end.

*A sincere thank you to Scott Lord, Greenleaf Book Group, and NetGalley for an ARC to read and review independently.*

Thank you @netgalley for the Advanced Reader Copy of Come November by Scott Lord. This is the story of a high school girl who writes for her school newspaper, and a young journalist who travel to New York with a group to visit the UN. The book goes back and forth between 1947 and fifty years later, when they reconnect. I read this a few weeks ago, but it has all of a sudden become very timely. Because they are at the UN when it votes to create Israel. It was obviously controversial at the time, and the book does a good job of covering some of the political situation, while also being a love story. #netgalley #comenovember #scottlord #historicalfiction #bookstagram #booklover #reader #bookblog #lovetoread #fictionreader #bookreview #bookrecommendation #readersofinstagram #bookloversofinstagram #takeapagefrommybook #readallthebooks #booksbooksbooks #booksofinstagram #bookwormproblems #bookaholic #booknerd #whattoread #readingtime #bookaddict #ilovetoread #ilovebooks #needtoread #readallday

Thanks to Greenleaf Book Group and NetGalley for providing me with a free ARC in return for my honest review.

A fascinating book that was inspired by the notes that the authors mother took on her trip to the UN back in 1947;
Scott Lord has used those notes to give us a novel that switches back and forth between 2003 and 1947 and the dramatic vote for the Partition of Israel, and which is made ever more relevant since today Hamas launched a huge attack against Israel and the entire area once again teeters on the brink of all out war.
We follow two main characters Jeanne who was a high school senior in 1947 who won a trip to the UN along with about 75 other HS student journalists over the Thanksgiving Holiday that year, and which happened to be the time when the UN was making its historic vote. But the book actually begins in 2003 and all the basic characters of the book are introduced to us with their own chapters and details needed to follow both time lines. A very strong beginning to this book! Jeanne has a son who is a failed real estate developer, a daughter-in-law who is a minor opera singer looking for a break and actually moves out of the family home at age 35 to follow her dream in New York, and takes the couples daughter Alice along with her. John is now a retired newspaper journalist who Jeanne first met and fell in love with during that 1947 journey (he was 21 at the time and a WW2 Vet), and who is now retired and living in Italy where he bought and is refurbishing a Villa that he hopes will be a destination location for Americans and Brits. But he also has been approached about writing a book about what really happened back in 1947 and needs Jeanne to be a co-writer. Complicating matters are two failed relationships between Jeanne and John, which have left Jeanne pretty well scarred as to John. Nonetheless she accepts his request to come to Italy, and brings along her son Michael, and her daughter-in-law and granddaughter also will be there because Kelly (the daughter-in-law) has secured a lead role in an Opera being performed at the Spoleto Festival in Todi, Italy. Whew!! Lots to cover here as we find out what behind the scenes info Jack withheld from his dispatches in 1947. Conspiracies, assassins, etc. what a going on, and we are moving a breakneck speed as we go along with John, Jeanne, the UN vote and a whole lot more. A well-written book with believable plots and characters, and one that takes me back to the time I spent in Italy and living at a spectacular Villa in Umbria. I final rating of 4.5****

This book has so many qualities that are super popular right now that I’m really surprised I’m not seeing this one around more.

Dual Timelines, Multiple POV’s, Historical WW2 Drama, Second Chance Romance, Character Growth and Mystery.

My first time reading this author and I was really happy with the overall read though it was a bit long. I definitely recommend!

This is such a heartwarming and poignant book. It has dual timelines and alternating POV. The book is divided into seven parts that follows dual timelines; 1947 and 2003. It’s a historical thriller romance that follows the odyssey of two journalists who separated their paths fifty years ago reconnects in Italy fifty years later. It has such a lyrical narrative.

Jeanne is one of my favourite character in the whole book. Her husband died and she has been diagnosed with a life altering health issues. She has received a mail from John McGrath, her old boyfriend and the man she has waited to hear from since so many years. Would she fly six thousand miles to Italy to meet an old boyfriend?

While Michael Hanson and Kerry separated. And Alice was left with no choice but choose one among them. Alice life changes unexpectedly and her teenage years gets worse. Kerry didn’t want to take the teaching job at USC as she wanted to pursue her dream of becoming an opera singer. So they abruptly moved to New york.

Michael gets tangled in financial problems that arise in real estate business due to political activities. It is such a powerful and poignant book about family bonds, political uplift, redemption and second-chance love.


Places
- Santa Monica
- New York
- Rome, Italy

Read if you like:

•Dual Timeline
•Alternating POV
•Second World War
•Political Intrigue
•Family Bonds
•Redemption
•Second-Chance Love
•Historical Thriller Romance

Thank you Netgalley, Author & Publisher

I enjoyed Come November, but, description aside, I definitely thought it leaned far more heavily towards romantic drama than thriller, though it did have occasional wisps of one, underpinned by international politics. Quite an epic tale, regardless.

Thank you Scott Lord, NetGalley and Greenleaf Book Group for providing this ARC for review consideration. All opinions expressed are my own.

Such a beautiful love story mixed with historical fiction. This had wonderfully written characters that we see develop and learn more about their history through dual timelines (which I loved). Right Person, wrong time mixed with historical mystery - a perfect book.

Come November is a beautifully written historical fiction love story and family drama. The interwoven past with the present are delightful views of several plots underway simultaneously. Lovely book that I didn’t want to end.

Thanks to NetGalley and Greenleaf Book Group for the opportunity to read this wonderful ARC.