I want to start off by saying. I apologize for a very late review. But I wanted to read books One and two. I didn’t realize that this is book. Until I looked at Goodreads. But I am so glad that I got the opportunity to read this book. Like book one and two this book didn’t disappoint. Now I say without spoiling the other books. I wished certain characters didn’t die. I wished we got the opportunity to see how they loved each other. But I still loved the characters and how the author bought DV into this story. Again I loved all three of these books. Can’t wait to read another book from this author. Because I do enjoy the characters and the world the author creates. I felt like I was there with all these characters. Or watching old movie.
I will miss these characters. I am happy for Mr. James
for mending and finding new relationships. After all he has built and done for himself.
I want to thank the author for allowing me the opportunity to meet such amazing characters.

⭐️⭐️⭐️ / 5 Stars
Happy publication to Barbara Taylor Bradford and The Wonder of it All! Thank you to Barbara Taylor Bradford, Macmillan Audio, and NetGalley ( @netgalley ) for allowing me to read an ALC (Advanced Listener 🎧 Copy) for an honest review!

📅 Tuesday, December 5, 2023 was the pub date for The Wonder of It All. The narrators🎙️for this audiobook 🎧 is Joan Walker. 📅

James Falconer, a self-made mogul and tycoon of his time had the love of his life, as well as happiness and wealth easily accessible in the palm of his hand.

As the world is faced with the encroachment and invasive nature of the Great War, James is perplexed and finds himself pondering how he can make a difference. In turn, he decides to fight for king and country. What James witnessed at war could never prepare him for the trauma that ensued after.

He returned home to an empty house as a wounded, different man. His wife no longer living.

Georgiana Ward, a former love interest of James, serves as an in home nurse resulting in a strong attraction that leads to love. However, James has to work through a few inner demons including repairing his relationship with his daughter, Leonie, prior to giving his whole being (and heart) to Georgiana.

Barbara Taylor Bradford is a great writer. I found myself getting lost in the story, often times feeling like I was with the characters as I listened. This book is a part of a series but can be read as a standalone. I hope to read the books that precede this one.

Thank you Netgalley / Macmillan Audio, for the ALC and St. Martin’s Press, #partner for the finished copy of The Wonders of It All in exchange for my honest review.

This is the third, and final, book in Barbara Taylor Bradford’s House of Falconer series and I absolutely loved it! There is just something so magical about her family sagas and I find myself completely swept up in their stories…and this one is no exception.

I personally think it would be beneficial to read this series in order. While this one does stand on its own, there are quite a bit of threads that are carried over that would make for a richer reading experience if you have already read the earlier books. But that’s just my opinion.

In this latest installment, the war has ended and James has returned both physically and emotionally wounded. As he is convalescing in the hospital and making plans for where to go next, he reconnects with his ex-wife and it is decided he will go there for to continue recuperating for a time. While there, he is hoping to forge a relationship with his estranged daughter.

As I have come to love with this series, this book is full of drama, secrets, some scandal, and of course a little romance. Nothing is easy, nothing comes without a price and it is so easy to become totally swept up in the lives of our characters. While it has been a while since the last book, I had no trouble falling back into the swing of things – that’s all due to the way the author writes. She just has this way of pulling you into their lives as if you’ve been there the whole time. It’s so easy to get lost in this book and escape into these characters’ lives for a while. Each character has their set of challenges and there are some obstacles along the way, but that’s what keeps things moving, and the twists and surprising developments really kept me glued to the pages.

While I’m sad to see this series come to an end, I’m excited to see what will be coming next from BTB…she is one of my very favorite authors! Perhaps while I wait, I’ll finally get a chance to reread A Woman of Substance, my very favorite book of hers!


Audio thoughts: The audio of this one was superbly narrated by Joan Walker. Her enthusiasm truly came through and she gave each character their own unique personality. Her pacing and intonation was spot on and she made this book a pleasure to listen to.

The Wonder of It All audiobook by Barbara Taylor Bradford was entertaining . Set in England after World War I was over. The story reflected the changes in England during and after the war. During the book there are stories about the families involved that are current and also from the past. This explains the issues that they are experiencing in the book.

The audiobook was narrated by Joan Walker who did a great job. Her accent was perfect.

The Wonder of It All is truly a wonder!

Set in the early 1900's, James Falconer has returned home from war, but he is a changed man.
He was shot in both legs during the war, and it was thought that he would die. But, he is a fighter...
He is transported home, and is in hospital for many months.
While there, he has time to reflect, and to heal.

The love of his life, his wife, was taken from him during childbirth. They had suffered multiple miscarriages, and the last one took her life, and the baby's.

Prior to this, he had met a wonderful woman who was older than he. He fathered a child with her, but was not told, and was never given the opportunity to be a part of her life... this would be Georgina and Leonie (who now is a full grown woman herself).

While he is recuperating, Georgina comes to visit, and makes a plan to help him once he is discharged.

And so, we have the beginning of this new story, apparently book #3, although I did not know that and did not read the prior 2!

Lots of love, lots of heartbreak, lots of everyday occurrences for that time in history. Beautiful scene setting, and oh how I wish I could've lived in those beautiful, simpler times!

4-41/2 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 for me!

Thanks to #NetGalley and #MacmillanAudio for an ARC of this audiobook which released 12/5/23.

#BarbaraTaylorBradford #TheWonderOfItAll. BEAUTIFULLY narrated by #JoanWalker

Follow me on FB @ #BookReviewsWithElaine or on IG @ #BookReviews_with_emsr

Happy Reading! 📚📖

James Falconer goes through a lot of life events in this part of the House of Falconer series, a war, serious injury, recuperation, two failed relationships, trouble with his company, and much more. I don't know if there will be a fourth book in the series but I would definitely read it, if one was released. The House of Falconer series is a great historical fiction series and I have loved being able to watch James grow throughout the series.

Joan Walker does a great job narrating this series and I will definitely look for more books narrated by Joan in the future.

The Wonder of It All AUDIO by Barbara Taylor Bradford was a totally enjoyable listen. Set in England after World War I, the main character was James Falconer, a man who was born to humble circumstances but had risen to be the mogul he was currently. He had served in the war and nearly lost both his legs, but fought through it and was almost back to himself. He had lost his beloved wife in childbirth, after several miscarriages, years before, and was casually seeing an earlier love, one who had borne him a child. He wanted them to marry; she did not. So, he broke it off with her. It was the Depression era and although he owned many enterprises, his retail and his wine importing/exporting were not doing well, so he worked continually to see them through the crisis. It was a very formal book, but intriguing, none the less.

James was a man of honor and a well-written character. The listener/reader saw him from many angles and the final opinion was always the same. For most of the book he was in his late forties and had was taking his age too seriously. His friends and sisters wouldn’t allow it and so kept him in the loop of the changing world. His adult daughter, his only child, had no use for him as he had stopped seeing her when she was thirteen and he had gone into a deep depression after the death of his wife. She didn’t understand or it had never been explained to her so she held a grudge. She was another interesting character, with a myriad of issues. This was a time of deep change in the world and this story reflected that. There was not really a plot, rather it was a slice of life story, stretching over several years, with memories intruding, sometimes at less-than-convenient times. I enjoyed both the listen and the read.

It was narrated by Joan Walker who did a superb job, making one feel as if she were there. Her mild accent was perfect and she ably kept the multiple characters in check without resorting to cheap theatrics. It was a good read, but it was a better listen.

I was invited to read a free e-ARC and listen to an audio ARC of The Wonder of It All by St. Martin’s Press, and Macmillan Audio, both through Netgalley. All thoughts and opinions are mine. #Netgalley #StMartinsPress #MacmillanAudio #BarbaraTaylorBradford #TheWonderOfItA

The last book of Barbara Taylor Bradford’s Falconer series, the Wonder of it All, finds James Falconer home from WWI. He is a war casualty and is recovering from serious physical wounds . Additionally, his wife has died, causing him great emotional pain on top of his poor physical condition
Georgiana Ward steps up to the job of tending his needs while healing and the possibility of rekindled romance lingers.
James’ now almost grown up daughter , Leonie , wants nothing to due with the father who abandoned her in childhood. James is a wealthy man and would like Leonie to be his heir. Leonie is steadfast in her refusal of reconciliation.
Ms Bradford is an author whose stories I always look forward to reading. Her characters, particularly her female characters, are noteworthy and well depicted. Not so with this book. It was an audio version and somehow lacked the depth of character and plot I expected. Mostly, this is a romantic
tale complete with moderately detailed love scenes. While I did listen until the end, I didn’t feel very connected to the outcome of what I consider an average book.
Three generous stars for this one. Thank you to NetGalley and MacMillan audio for providing me with this book in exchange for an honest review. It will be published on December 5 and those who have read the first two parts of the trilogy will be anxious to read the final installment.

James Falconer is a man of strong work ethic and integrity. As WWI breaks out he joins up after the loss of his wife and son in childbirth. But he is seriously injured and eventually comes home to England to heal. Not only is he facing the possibility of never being able to walk again, his many interests are losing money due to the war. The last thing he has on his mind, or even want, is a love interest. But others have a different idea regarding the love life of James.
Author, Barbara Cartland is at her best again in this wonderful book. A must listen to/or read this enjoyable book. The voice of Barbara reading this book was special as she put her voice to her writing. I received an e-audio from Netgalley and Macmillan Audio. This review is my honest opinion.

The Wonder of It All is the third book of The House of Falconer series by Barbara Taylor Bradford. I regret that I had not read the other two books but nonetheless was able to follow the story of James Falconer. I found the audio book very well done with storytelling, narration by Jean Walker, and musical compliments. It felt as if I was listening to a Masterpiece Theater movie with the language and cultural interactions between characters befitting of its time (WWI).
This is a story about rebuilding and redemption. James Falconer returns home from The Great War a changed man. He had gone off to war a self-made, likeable, respected, even tempered man, however with the loss of his wife and wounds from war, he is now suffering both physically and mentally. He is nursed back to health by Georgiana, a nurse, whom he knows from his "old life". As he heals, he seeks to right the wrongs and reconnect with his now grown daughter. The reader is taken on that journey by the lovely writing of Barbara Taylor Bradford.
The Wonder of It All is reminiscent of John Jakes and his "Love and War" series. I enjoyed it and plan to go back and read the first two books in the series. Thank you to Saint Martin's Press and NetGalley for providing me a copy of the audio book. It was a pleasure to take the walk back in history.

I enjoyed the book as the characters are easy to identify and the plot keeps the reader interested until the end. I did feel the author spent too much time describing every dress, suit, room and furniture. I felt it wasn’t necessary to have to do that to get the idea of the surroundings. With that said I will read the other books to finish the series.

Book Title: The Wonder of it All
Series: House of Falconer #3
Author: Barbara Taylor Bradford
Narrator: Jean Walker
Publisher: Macmillan Audio – Saint Martin’s Press
Genre: Historical Fiction
Pub Date: December 5, 2023
My Rating: 3.3. Stars
Pages: 368

“The Wonder of It” is the third and concludes House of Falconer trilogy. This series followed the Falconers a family from Victorian times to the 20th-century.

James Lionel Falconer is everything a self-made man should be: handsome, ambitious, charming, and self-confidence.

This story begins in the trenches of WWI and James has returned home and is healing from his injuries in the war. His beloved wife is dead.
Georgiana Ward - returns to help nurse him back to health

I wanted to read this as soon as I saw it was written by Barbara Taylor Bradford.
Back in 1979 I read "The Woman of Substance (Emma Harte Book #1" .I continued to read her novels as soon as they were available.
. I did drifted away from her novels and moved to psychological thrillers which I love. But there are authors I want to keep reading even though the story is not as exciting as the thrillers I read.
Thus my 3 stars which to me be a good story but not 4 star great!

Want to thank NetGalley and Macmillan Audio ~Saint Martin’s Press for this audiobook.
Publishing Release Date scheduled for December 5, 2022.