I loved this book. Granted there is A LOT going on and some may have trouble following the chronology, but it is well worth it. We start in the present with Archie taking his 99-year-old Aunt Josephine and 97 year old aunt Penelope out to lunch. He has been having "adventures," which they call "excitements" with them since he was 6 years old.
The sisters are some of the last WWII veterans, and throughout the book we learn of their visits to relatives in France, which contain very important plot points.
We also follow them into WWII when Josephine enlists in the WREN's, and Penelope follows 2 years later as a FANY.
There are spies, jewel thieves, crooked cops, gangsters, hostage takers, Jewish round ups in France, and much, much more. There is also love, laughter, and tears.
Archie's love and protection for his great aunts is the glue that holds this book together. I think you will love them as much as I did.
This book will be published on my birthday, January 30th.
I plan to recommend this book to all of my bookclubs. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the EARC. This is my honest review.

Thanks to William Morrow for an advanced copy of The Excitements by CJ Wray.

This was such a fun book! I absolutely loved Josephine and Penny . These sassy 90-year-old women are two great characters and are always looking for their next excitement. They are both WWII veterans and will be honored in Paris with the Légion d’Honneur and their trip sets off a great adventure. Their great-nephew Archie goes along and this trip may not be all that it seems.

I loved the aspect of "Toujours Gai" and that was the sisters' attitude. This book was part historical fiction, part thriller and 100% fun. My only complaint was a lot was going on between the current-day story with the Parisian adventures and both sisters' flashbacks to their war years and beyond, there was a lot to keep track of.

But I really loved this book. It had me laughing and it was fun to read a funny historical fiction book. Highly recommend!

This is much to admire about The Excitements, a story of two daring, decorated, WWII veterans and a story of secrets. Sisters Josephine and Penny are now in their late 90s, still relatively healthy and mobile, and full of life. When they receive an invitation to receive the French Legion of Honor, they are escorted by their outwardly worldly, always courteous, seemingly not fearless, gay, and apparently not confident great nephew Archie. Most of the story takes place in Paris, before, during, and after WWII and in 2022. Both sisters had been married, but neither marriage yielded any offspring. Wray's writing is crisp but the story's tempo wanes and waxes and some of the duo's exploits, including their ability to function as spryly as they do, stretches reality. The story might have been more realistic if it had been set in the late 1980s or early 1990s rather than in 2022. In the end I thought that the characters were a little too "stock" and the story a little too predictable, despite everyone having secrets. Many twists and turns can be anticipated, although the ending was done quite well. The Excitements will appeal to readers who like quirky characters, to older readers, and to some readers of historical fiction. Wray shows promise and I look forward to her further development and growth in future novels. 3.5 rounded to 4.

Two elderly sisters, both British WWII veterans, are always game for new adventures which they call Excitements. Josephine and Penny Williamson are in their late 90s but are still fairly spry and are realistic about life and death as Penny rationalizes, "if you don't drink, smoke or have sex, you won't live forever." Under the guidance of Archie, their great-nephew, the sisters ready themselves to be honored for their wartime service in Paris with the Légion d’honneur. What starts out as a light-hearted romp, with the sisters constantly demanding more alcohol in their drinks, morphs into life flashbacks and secret dramas Josephine and Penny have hidden for decades. Although The Excitements is funny and poignant, the finale may bring tears.

The synopsis of this story caught my attention , so I requested it from Netgalley and was approved.

The main plot of this one is really cute - and I love that it's two women (of advanced age), having one last caper.

The more I moved through the pages, the more convoluted their world became, and it lost me for a bit. I reconnected two-thirds in, but then the numerous other situations and secondary happenings pulled me away from the ladies, and their fun.

I did enjoy the read, and parts of this book are really entertaining. If you like a lot of details, and sub plots - this one's for you! I recommend this book, and thank HarperCollins Publishing and Netgalley for my free ARC.
I voluntarily leave my review.

The two Williamson sisters are British World War II veterans. Although they’re in their 90s, they are still spry, engaged, and always looking for new thrills. They find such “excitements” when they’re invited to accept an accolade in France. Accompanied by their devoted great-nephew, Archie, the sisters use the trip as an opportunity to settle a few scores. As readers get a peek into the sisters’ storied pasts and best kept secrets, we learn the about the importance of living with gusto and passion.

The Excitements was just the book I needed to read. Life had gotten very stressful and I was looking for a book to escape into that would brighten my day. This was it! The story revolves around Archie and his two great aunts. Archie is a history buff but he knows very little about the role Penny and Josephine played in World War 2. It was fascinating to read about women's roles during the war. Of course we all know about Rosie Riveter but The Excitements gives us a look into a woman's role that most of us probably aren't familiar with. I can only say I hope when I'm in my '90s. I am as sharp and energetic as Penny and Josephine. My only complaint, if I have to have one, would be the use of the French language. Since I speak literally no French I would skip over those parts. I may have lost some of the storyline doing this but c'est la vie!
I voluntarily received a copy of this book from netgalley.

This book ended up being quite fun but was very slow to start. Once it gets going, I was hooked on the story of Penny and Josephine but that took more than 30% of the book. So be warned that it my take a bit to get hooked by it.
But I thoroughly enjoyed the flashbacks and antics of the women. Though it very much felt like Jinx should have taken up more of the story. Maybe a spin off for her.
Recommend!

Engaging from the get-go and full of lovable and endearing characters, this book was a lot of fun to read. Funny yet poignant, this is a good book to help you bust out of a reading slump.

Nonagenarian sisters and British WWII veterans, Penny and Josephine are getting yet another award. Their nephew takes them to Paris where they plan a heist to settle some debts and seek some revenge. Deserving of the word "caper", The Excitements brings intrigue, history, silliness, cleverness together in a satisfying and fun tale.

What a totally fun read!
Nothing like 2 90 year old female WWII vets leading their nephew Archie on a merry chase through Paris. What could be more enticing? Thanks to NetGalley for the chance to read and give a review.
Archie is escorting his aunts to Paris to receive medals for their service during WWII. Both ladies had very interesting jobs that we learn more about through flashbacks scattered throughout the book. It reveals their past so the reader begins to see the impact on the present madcap situation. It was a little confusing at first but all was revealed in a most clever way.
I loved their attitude toward life and was often laughing out loud while reading. Their spirit and spunk was contagious. The sacrifices that they made were stunning and inspiring. The role of women during the war was definitely highlighted.
My new mantra is "toujour gai" along with the ladies. Excitements are great!.
Highly recommended if you are looking for a truly fun read with alot of depth and "excitement" thrown in.

You might think that a book about a middle-aged single nephew taking care of this 90 year old aunts would be a boring read- not hardly. These ladies may be old in age but they are definitely young at heart and are always looking for new adventures ("excitements"). Some of their antics and the plots that they come up with are astounding. Especially Penny who has a special talent that she has perfected, and being a little old lady just helps it along.
The flashbacks to their service in WWII gives the reader some insight into what these ladies had to endure as well as the duties they performed during the war. It is only fitting that these two ladies are recognized for their dedication and service to the country. Their trip to Paris to receive their next award is an adventure in itself.
This book is entertaining, informative and just a fun read. I would highly recommend it!

Thank you to the author, publisher and Netgalley for an opportunity to read this ARC .

Josephine and Penny are sisters and WWII veterans, having served in the WRNS and FANY during the war, now in the late 90s and enjoying life while being recognized for their service, aided by the middle aged great-nephew, Archie, and their in house "assistant" Arlene in The Excitements. This book is told both in current day as Josephine, Penny, Archie, and Arlene visit Paris where the sisters will receive the French Légion d’honneur, but also alternates with various chapters set in the past, slowly unfurling to set up for the big "heist" in Paris and why Penny primarily feels so bound to get revenge for a past error in her judgement.

This book certainly leans into the elderly old woman who nobody takes seriously cliché, but it works out. I found both Penny and Josephine to be enjoyable characters, as is Archie and the varied cast of supporting characters. Initially the jumps back and forth in time were a bit confusing, but eventually the threads of time all connect to complete the final picture. The climactic action scene was also very satisfying, all in all a fun little romp.

Thank you to William Morrow and NetGalley for the electronic ARC of this novel for review.

Enjoyable novel with a cute premise, but a bit convoluted with too many plot points for the lightness it aspires to. Between the secret war service, secret jewelry stash, secret life as a jewel thief-come-Robin-Hood, secret pregnancy not to mention the current day escapades of the three main characters, way more details than needed. Fun, nonetheless.

Delightful and adorable! I really don’t know how to describe this book adequately so I am going to steal a line from the book’s description, “A charming, uplifting cosy mystery about two national treasures with official secrets and double lives.” Josephine and Penny are two sisters in their late nineties, still seeking adventure, or “excitements” as they call their adventures. I particularly loved their great nephew, Archie. He adores his great aunts and is always looking out for them and he too, enjoys the “excitements”. I loved this story and the characters.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advance copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for this arc. Still mulling over how I feel about this book. All in all, I liked it? I felt that there was way too many storylines going on here. I feel like it could have been trimmed down and simplified and it would have made more of an impact. However, it wasn't terrible, I know I will recommend this still for readers advisory and would read other works by the author.

This was a pretty solid book. I enjoyed the plot and characters, but there was some thing intangible that kept me from rating it five stars. There were some parts of the book that seemed to drag, but all in all it was a solid story that I did enjoy reading. I would definitely be curious to see more from this author.

Enjoyable read about the Williamson sisters Josephine and Penny, beloved WWII veterans, who
have been invited to France to receive the Legion d'Honneur for their part in the war. As the book
is told in both past and present times, more is revealed about their personal lives and their actual
duties during the war. Along for the ride is nephew Archie who considers it his duty to make sure
the aunts continue to have excitement in their lives. Secrets revealed are life changing.
#TheExcitements #NetGalley

If I ever reach the age of 96 or older, I hope I am as energetic as Josephine and Penny Williamson. Veterans of World War II, they are in huge demand when their nephew coaxes them to accept the Légion d’Honneur from France. Before they know it, they are part of a hostage situation and it's their use of Morse code to converse with each other saves the day. Witty characters and a dynamic plot. Loved this book. Hope there are more.

This book was a delight. A charming and mostly non-sentimental tale about two unique characters -- 90+ year old sisters Penny and Josephine and their great-nephew Archie. They fit no little old lady stereotypes but there is a bit of Auntie Mame there, a bit of Archy & Mehitabel but mostly they are true originals. The book is full of old secrets, unexpected plot twists and surprises up until the last page.

The narrative switches between the World War II years and the present, where the sisters are slated to go to Paris to receive the French Legion of Honor medal for their war work. And what they were each actually doing, which was murky and clandestine in the extreme, is not necessarily what anyone thinks. They came away with some interesting skills.

They presented Archie with an exciting contrast to a staid British upper class upbringing. Their repertoire included self-defense, a bit of larceny, and escapades whenever possible. Archie adores his great aunts and runs interference when they fall from grace, which is often.

This is a rollicking and fun tale even given the serious times it chronicles. Time spent with Penny and Josephine is memorable and enjoyable and I was sorry to get to the last page. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.