Wow, this book packs a punch! You might think, eh, World War II historical fiction, I've read a lot of that, do I really need to read one more? Yes. Yes, you do. The Locket is set in World War II, but the focus is the relationships, the family secrets and why we keep them, the lengths to which bitterness and pain may drive us.

Ruby returns to Suffolk from France to deal with Oak Apple Farm, the inheritance left to her by her grandmother Irene. She's reeling from the loss of her relationship and her work in one fell swoop, and she isn't sure what she'll do going forward, but she plans on selling the old property. As she's cleaning, though, she finds bits and pieces of the life history of the grandmother she never really knew, including a treasure trove of Irene's diaries. She's also hoping to find the one thing of Irene's that her mother wants - a treasured locket.

Through the diaries, Ruby learns the story of Irene and her airman, Theodore "Theo" Robinson. Theo was stationed in Suffolk to build a U.S. airbase there, but when he saw Irene and she saw him, they fell hard and fast. Their relationship was vehemently discouraged, though, because Theo was Black, and Jim Crow and racism hadn't remained behind in the States. Their relationship cost them both dearly, as detailed in the diaries' pages. Ruby is gobsmacked by what she learns, and is determined to right old wrongs if she can.

Y'all, I'm not going to tell you what all happens. That's the author's job, and she does it flawlessly. Instead, I'll tell you what I liked!

The dual timeline, shifting from past to present, works well for this story, and I found it easy to follow both parts. The characters are brilliant. Even the ones that try to make themselves exceedingly unlikable have some glimmer that makes you wonder if there's more to them than what's on the surface. The tension of Ruby's search for answers and her aunt Philippa's equally strong desire to keep those answers hidden pulls the story along. The harsh reality of racism that followed Theodore to England is heartbreaking.

And the secrets. Oh, my goodness, the secrets. Ruby is sifting through her grandmother's journals like an archaeologist at a dig, literally looking for clues about her family. Is her mother really Irene's only child? Is Philippa inherently an awful person, or is there something behind her ugliness? Why can't Ruby find Irene's locket, the one thing Irene specifically wanted her daughter to have? The twists and reveals that led up to answers coming to light had me gasping and picking my jaw up off the floor. As an adoptee who's found her birth family, one of the story threads in particular had me wiping tears of joy at how it played out.

And the ending. I was speechless. It wrapped everything up so perfectly!

With The Locket, Natalie Meg Evans has written a story that will hook you, reel you in, and leave you deeply invested in the outcome. Get comfy, grab your box of tissues, and get to reading.

I wasn't sure what to make of this at first, whether it was a case of 'boy meets girl at the wrong time, all is lost', or whether it was something else entirely.

Ruby had had her heart broken so she took herself to her late grandma's house to distract herself. What she didn't expect to find however, was written snippets from grandma Irene's past, and an aunt who refused to give her a straight answer so that she could try and find out the truth.

Even though a locket was a huge part of the storyline, hence the title, there was a lot more to the book such as racism in the 1940's, lies, abuse, true love, tangled family history, and so much more.

It was hard to read about the fate of Irene and Theo, and I couldn't help but find myself getting angry because of Aunt Philippa and her brother, Norman's actions. I know that's easy for me to say given times were a lot different back then, but those lies the family told cost Irene dearly and had a domino effect on other members of the family. How could they live with themselves knowing what they did?

I demolished 'The Locket' in one day, I was hooked on Irene's story and the way Ruby was trying to fix the puzzle pieces. I was so invested in the storyline, that I felt emotional when the truth came out and and was as though I had personally endured a loss. Daft eh.

This book is a triumph. A beautifully written, tangled web of both heartache and love, mixed with a dash of forgiveness and laced with such raw emotion that weaves its way into the readers heart and soul. Natalie Meg Evans has done her characters proud, and has certainly left a mark on me. I honestly cannot recommend this enough - beautiful, stunning, poignant, just everything I could ever want from a book.

Historical fiction that alternates between the time of WW2 and present day. Can an age-old family mystery be solved, without destroying the lives of the people involved?…
The only thing I didn’t enjoy about this book was the many different characters to have to keep track of. In a Kindle format, it’s more difficult to “flip back” and re-read if you get confused!

A gripping and emotional dual-timeline romance.

This story was well-written and had me engrossed from the beginning. It highlighted a unique aspect of WWII, and the racism that was still present against Blacks at the time. Irene and Theodore's love was looked down upon and seen as less than because of the color of Theodore's skin.

I liked the dual timeline, and Ruby going on the path of discovery to find out more about her grandmother's life during the war.

I would like to thank Bookouture for asking me to read and review The Locket by Natalie Meg Evans and to be apart of the blog tour.
The Locket has a duel timeline following Ruby today as she overcomes troubles in her life and sorting out her Grandmas house since she has passed, and Irene (Ruby's Grandma) as she faces WW2, love and racism in that time period. As Ruby sorts the house she discovers some secrets about Irene and her time in the war.

The Locket is well written and fast paced. I was hooked after the first few chapters. I love a duel time line set in WW2 especially one with a love story at the heart of it.

This is a beautiful story and heart breaking story. If you enjoy an historical read set in ww2 that has a romance at its heart, then The Locket is defiantly a must read.

Synopsis:
England, 1942. 'It has to stay secret,' he whispers, placing the locket around her neck. 'If they find it, they’ll send me away.' As she holds the locket, glinting in the moonlight, she can’t hold back the tears. 'I just wish we didn’t have to hide…'
When farmer’s daughter Irene meets Theodore at a village dance, sparks fly instantly. The war has brought him all the way from Louisiana to build a US airbase just across her father’s fields, but as they sway together, there is nothing else in the world. Only his gentle touch and his deep brown eyes.
But being together comes at a price. As Theodore is Black, the might of the US Air Force is against them, and all the members of the little village community disapprove of their relationship. And they will all go to terrible lengths to tear the two young lovers apart...
Decades later, heartbroken Ruby is back at her family’s crumbling farmhouse for the first time in years, after the loss of her beloved grandmother Irene. The roof has fallen in, family photographs are damaged – and her grandmother’s jewellery is nowhere to be found.
When Ruby uncovers her grandmother’s waterlogged diaries, she discovers that Irene treasured one piece of lost jewellery above all. A locket from a man called Theodore. And the missing locket holds the key to unravelling a heart-breaking secret that changed her grandmother’s life…
Is someone in the village hiding the locket to keep the truth about Irene and Theodore buried? And can Ruby find a way to honour her grandmother’s memory – or in digging up the pain of the war, will she tear her family apart?

Dual timeline story,set during World War Two and the present time. Author high lights really well the discrimination and bigotry which was around in the last century. A complex and engrossing story.

Just loved this book, the history behind it and the characters. A love story through the years and precious things needing to be brought together. So well written with time taken to research and lovely amazing characters
My thanks as always to NetGalley and Bookouture for the early read

Thank you to Netgalley and Bookouture for the ARC of The Locket by Natalie Meg Evans.

Overall, I really enjoyed this read. It started out a little slow for my taste but the characters were so well developed and I became so invested in the story and how everything would fit together.

An enjoyable read about love found and lost set both in WW2 and modern times. I found the book easy to rad and hard to put down. A great read for all.

Thank you to #NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

I truly liked the story line for this novel. The main thing I didn’t like about it was the inserting of what would be considered woke values.

Excellent… I was totally involved in the story, the characters and their lives. Emotional and poignant… beautifully written and so evocative. A truly fantastic read!

This is a sweeping saga of two young people torn apart by prejudice in a time when who you love could be dangerous.

Suffox 1942 United States Army Airforce chose the little English town of Flixfield as their base . The farmers had little to say about their fields being torn up for an airfield, bunkers, and a hanger built by the black American servicemen who arrived before the rest.

As the story unfolds, we see how racial segregation was in full force within the army and how it affected the young lovers and their families. It broke my heart to read about the horrific way racism and discrimination spread across the nation and how Jim Crow Law was implemented.

I loved how the story was told through past and present timeliness, which kept me thoroughly invested in all the characters.Also, Evans' impeccable description of the emotions behind the Locket brought the story together so beautifully.

Historical fiction lovers will devour this heartbreaking novel of love in an era where you don't have any rights over your own body, let alone who you fall in love with.

Although times have changed, and things have improved, racial discrimination still exists in our country .💔😭

Do better people. Do better.

Thank you to Netgally and Bookature for the advanced copy.

I really enjoyed this novel. I love dual timelines when written so well.
The story and main characters were engaging. Beautiful story.

What an absolutely delightful book. A dual time line about furnidden live between a white Suffolk woman and a coloured airmen during the Second World War. It’s hard to believe things like that happened in those days. Ruby is the granddaughter of Irene who the main story is about. She learns of her life by dairies she finds in a suitcase that has been burned on a bonfire. So many secrets that needed to be told. A wonderful book

Fans of the genre of WWII novels will most likely devour this book. I thought the story was good, the writing was ok, but it for some reason it fell a little flat for me. Usually I adore books like these, and maybe I was just having an off-day. But I do think that if you can't get enough of WWII romance fiction, this will be right up your alley.

The Locket is by far the best book I’ve read this year, there’s been a few 2 am bedtimes because I couldn’t bear to put it down without another chapter… or 2. Set between 1940’s wartime and present day, it tells the story of Irene and Theo falling in love during world war 2 and her granddaughter Ruby returning to her grandparents home after both their deaths. After finding Irene’s diaries she sets about to finding a hidden locket, with lots of twists and surprises along the way. A fantastic book a well deserved 5⭐️

The Locket is a gripping saga that will keep you up reading. This book was sad, happy, and so well written. Irene is a farm girl from England who falls in love with Theodore, a Black American soldier. The cards are stacked against them and this story is a series of what ifs and what could have been.
I like the dual timeline with Irene in 1943 and Ruby, Irene’s granddaughter in the present. I won't give away the ending but it tied up the story nicely. Many thanks to the author, Bookouture and NetGalley for a complimentary copy of the book. The opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.

A beautiful and sad story set in Germany and as the title suggests about a locket. This story was full of interesting characters and how women struggled to raise families and find food. My thanks to netgalley and the publishers for giving me the opportunity to read this book in return for an honest review.

I read The Locket by Natalie Meg Evans. I enjoyed the storyline, but the story often fell short of my expectations. There were some compelling parts of the story, parts that made me wonder what was next. Some of the characters were very well developed and I could picture them in my mind. The book was nice, but not spectacular. I rated it 3 out of 5.

England, 1942
The Locket was an intriguing story that had sooooo much going on within it. I often stopped reading just to reflect and think about what I had just read. It did seem slow and drawn out at times. But, my interest was kept and I couldn’t stop reading until I found out the ending.
With that said, The Locket is a heartbreaking World War Two story about facing adversities and how past consequence will follow you through life. A story about rising above all that is thrown at you. A story full of mystery, suspense, history, secrets and forbidden love.
Historical fiction readers should definitely pick up The Locket.
Many thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and author for the opportunity to read this book for my honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.