Thank you to NetGalley for the ebook in exchange for an early review.

I went into this book blindly, I had read no descriptions of it before I opened the book. I was sucked in from page 1, a window mourning the death of his wife with his daughter and granddaughter visiting and cleaning out her items. An unexpected knock at the door sets the story in motion. The story after that was predictable, but intriguing.

I was pleasantly surprised with the WWII story line, and these women nurses seem like modern women. I enjoyed the first half of the book immensely. The second half of the book was almost a second book entirely, the book taking a large twist and then trying a bit to turn into a thriller. The second half seemed a bit more scattered, and tried to cram too many story lines into a short amount of book. I wanted to keep going and find out what was going on and how our main character was going to get out. I was very interested while reading the book, though as stated the second half didn't seem quite as tight. I wanted to hear more about the nurses and their time on base. A decent read that will lead me to pick up more of Salazar's books.

I had immensely enjoyed reading the previous books of this author's so was extremely delighted to be afforded the privilege of an advanced copy of her historical fiction "The Lies We Leave Behind" granted by NetGalley and the publisher.

And once again, I was not disappointed!

I have always judged a book by four criteria:

1. Do I continue to think of the characters after completing the book?
2. Am I relieved and/or saddened when I have finished the book?
3. Did I feel the emotions and thoughts of each character to the point of feeling like I actually knew them personally?
4. Are the historical facts accurate and also enough that makes me want to learn more?

Not only did the characters stay with me afterwards but to the point that I did not want to start reading another ARC book immediately so as not step on the personalities whose lives I'd been a part of.

This historical fiction is centered around a war nurse, Kate Campbell, who flies back and forth from the front to medically assist the wounded. Against her own wishes, she falls in love with a wounded soldier and makes decisions that would affect both of their lives. It is during this time that she decides she must go back to her childhood home to complete something she had been unable to before.

The horrors that she witnessed bring the reader into more of an understanding of not only what war nurses endured but also how devastating this period in history was; not only for those serving, but also how it tore families apart.

Rarely do I recommend that a book be made into a movie. THIS book is definitely one of those!

I highly recommend this book.

Thank you again, NetGalley, for the privilege of reviewing this book.

I love historical fiction, especially when it involves women during wartime. Hoenstly, I think this is what makes up a good majority of my personal library. The Lies We Leave Behind is a book I will gladly add to my shelves once it is released. This book has everything I love: a strong female lead, a propelling storyline, a historical setting, and romance. I will be recommending this book to all my friends who also love historical fiction as well as any reader who loves this genre!

This was an interesting book where we follow a flight nurse’s story of her time in the Pacific region during World War II. Then we follow her reassignment to England where she finds the love of her life. There are quite a few subplots, and it was a bit difficult to follow. The settings were described so realistically that you felt like you were there, experiencing life in a medical camp on a remote island in the Pacific Ocean. The descriptions of the small villages and life in England also worked their charm into the story. A good read.

“The Lies We Leave Behind” is by Noelle Salazar. This book is set during the later part of WWII. When we first meet Kate, she is a nurse stationed in the Pacific. After an injury, where she is sent to the US to recover, she is then assigned to the same nursing job, but now stationed in England. In England, she meets an American soldier and, over time, becomes engaged to him. Later she discovers that her previously thought dead sister is still alive - and Kate decides to find her sister - who is living in Germany. I thought this book began very strongly - Kate is a no-nonsense nurse, able to roll with whatever she faces on her flights and in the medical arena. Even after Kate met William, it still appeared that Kate was still able to face things head on and deal with situations as they cropped up. Unfortunately, once she learns about her sister still being alive, for me Kate suddenly became so obsessed about finding her sister that Kate acted more impulsively, opposed to the methodical person she’d been for the first half of the book. Additionally, I’d be so wrapped into Kate’s story, that I forgot that this is a dual-timeline book - and “reconnecting” with William’s story felt awkward, but I’ve no idea how to suggest a smoother transition (besides, maybe, labeling the chapters with the speaker’s name and an approximate date). I did have some issues with the time leaps - I never could quite figure out how long Kate and William were dating before they got engaged - and when she ended up in Germany. I cannot say that this book was what I expected it to be, but it wasn’t quite what I expected. It did hold my attention.

Firstly… thank you NetGalley for providing me an ARC of this beautiful, poignant book. I am a huge fan of wwii historical fiction and this book was wonderful. The two timelines blended so seamlessly together and I felt all of the emotions of Kate and William.

I can’t recommend this book enough. It will tear your heart apart and put it back together.

The story of a nurse during WWII. She takes care of wounded soldiers. She is content until her past shows up and comes between her work and future. Loved it!

The Lies We Leave Behind by Noelle Salazar tells the story of Kate Campbell who is a flight nurse near the end of WW2. She ends up in London where she meets William and they fall in love. But the war is still going on and interferes in their plans. There is the past story line WW2 and the present storyline. But it flows so well, you have to keep reading! The characters are wonderful! There is a lot of research that went into this book. I had a book hangover for a couple of days! If you like historical fiction I highly recommend!

Thank you to NetGalley and MIRA Kindle edition for letting me read this book in exchange for an honest review.

The Lies We Leave Behind is a beautifully written heartbreaking story. I loved how it unfolded and toggled back and forth between present and past. I have not read Noelle Salazar before, but I will definitely be picking up others. Highly recommend!

Thank you to netgalley for the arc in exchange of an honest review.

Such a moving story of the heroism that took place during WWII. I enjoyed how the author had the story set in the present day but then went back to the war days. Just when the story was getting hard to read, it would switch back to the present day. I don't want to put any spoilers in but the characters in the story will live on in my memory for quite some time

Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for the arc. The opinions are my own.

The Lies We Leave Behind by Noelle Salazar
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Release date: November 5, 2024

Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for the eARC.

I sat down two nights ago to make a TBR list for the next few weeks, intending to start with a different book, and the next thing I knew, I was 80 pages into The Lies We Leave Behind. This book follows the story of a flight nurse, Kate, through her experiences during WWII. This heartbreaking but hopeful tale sucked me in from the very first chapter. While the last few chapters seemed a little rushed, I thought the overall pacing of the story and the plot was well thought out. I read the book very quickly and it never felt slow. The dual timeline worked well with the story and never seemed confusing.

I have read many WWII historical fiction books and this one has been one of my favorites. If you are a fan of WWII historical fiction, love stories, and books that make you cry, I highly recommend The Lies We Leave Behind.

This is a heartbreaking WWII love story between a flight nurse and a soldier, told in dual timelines by Kate in the past and William in the future.
While the book seemed a bit choppy, I was pleasantly surprised with how much I enjoyed this one. I connected with Kate immediately and was rooting for her and William every step of the way. The characters and setting were very well written.
I appreciate the ARC and will be purchasing this book for our library.

Noelle Salazar has quickly become one of my favorite historical fiction authors.

Kate Campbell is a naval flight nurse serving in the Pacific. When she gets injured she is forced to return home to recover. Kate is eager to return back service as soon as possible but this time she is sent to England. There she meets and falls deeply in love with William, but when her past calls she cannot ignore the answer.

What can I say? I enjoyed every second of this story. There is so much there to unpack; love, loyalty, pain disappointment. The story hooked me and I couldn’t let go. Loved it.

Thanks so much to the author, Harlequin Trade Publishing, and NetGalley for the ARC!

This author truly excels in crafting compelling narratives within this genre. In this latest novel, she weaves a powerful story of resilience, love, and the profound strength of her female protagonists. Her characters are anything but passive—they are bold, determined, and embody a strength that resonates deeply with readers. I was completely engrossed in this book from start to finish.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with a copy of this book.

Excellent plot, Excellent prose and truly believable characters. I really enjoyed this latest historical fiction novel by Noelle Salazar. I never saw the ending coming. Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to read this one. I will Highly recommend to friends and family!

This author is a master at this genre of book as she has created another novel of live and loss and the strength of the female characters she creates in her novels . Her characters are strong and courageous not the wilting violets we see among readers nowadays.
I loved this book
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for sharing this book with me

I loved this story…even though it was a little bit of a sad ending for me. But absolutely worth the read. All of Noelle’s books are great!

ARC Review ✨️

☆Kate☆

This author is new to me, but I quickly fell in love with her writing. This story was so easy to get into, and I was left in suspense throughout a majority of it. Kate is a naval flight nurse working during 1943 in the Pacific. After she sustains an injury, she is sent home. Upon returning home, she heads to England, where she meets William. A relationship quickly sprouts between them. I love historical fiction, and this one was amazingly intriguing! I couldn't read it fast enough!! It's absolutely a must-read for me!

Thanks so much to the author, Harlequin Trade Publishing, and Netgalley for the ARC!

This eARC was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Kate Campbell is a naval flight nurse working in the Pacific in 1943. After an injury causes her to be sent home to recover, she decides her skills are still needed and is sent to England to continue her work. There, she acts as a nurse on flights bringing injured soldiers from the battlefield in France back to England. On one of those flights she meets William and they develop a relationship while he recovers in England. However, William is called back to the frontlines and Kate’s past comes back to haunt her, putting their relationship to the ultimate test.

Salazar remains my favorite historical fiction author with this book. Her descriptions and details make it so easy to close my eyes and picture myself in the scene. Her storylines are intense and beautifully written leaving me breathless. The story she creates in this book is so intriguing and full of twists that I could not put this book down and was shocked at where the story led.

The first half of the book was a solid story and honestly, by the halfway point, I wasn’t sure where the story was going to go because it felt wrapped up in many ways. Then the second half of the book hit and suddenly I wasn’t sure where the story was going to go because of all the plot twists. While I have always resonated with all of Salazar’s heroines, I had a harder time understanding Kate’s thought process, especially in the second half of this book. Kate started out as a grounded, intelligent nurse, but then she started to make a lot of questionable decisions based on her emotions instead of listening to reason. While this drove the plot forward and showed another side of Kate, it was frustrating for me to read. This book also had a different ending compared to Salazar’s other books and while it was satisfying, it was also heartbreaking. Prepare to go through a rollercoaster of emotions with this book, but all worth it.

I love love love loved this book! Besides the fact that it's quite accurately set in my favorite historical time period, this author does a wonderful job of creating strong female characters. This book read like a wonderfully spun book of loss and courage. A wonderful love story as well. I am happy to have discovered a new wonderful author and will continue to read any book she publishes!