3 1/2 stars rounded up. Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC in audio. This novel has three storylines and the scarf ties them all together. Iris, Genevieve and Clara have different roles in the WW1. One is a designer, another is a telephone operator with the Army Signal Corps and the last is a nurse. As with many historical fiction there is romantic interest for each. It is through these romantic interest that the scarf weaves it way to each.

I enjoyed the narrator. Even with all the characters and storylines, I thought it was a quick read.

This is a well-woven novel of three separate stories that intertwine at some point. What I enjoyed more than this, though, was that the intro sections to each of the three stories were not very long. At first I wasn’t sure how the stories would link exactly, but when it became clear it was well done. I would recommend this to others.

The Liberty Scarf is about three women and a scarf in WWI. While it’s not really that simple, The Liberty Scarf is a story of these three women and their stories during WWI and how they intertwine with one another. I listened to this book on audio, which was a pleasant experience, but at certain times, the narrators lost my attention, but I attempted to bring myself back to the story itself, which I did find enjoyable. The level of detail may not be everyone’s cup of tea, but in the Author’s Note, she talks about her passion for WWI stories and the research she has put into her work, which felt on par for my experience with the story.

At the end of the day, my rating would be 3.5 stars. 3.0 for the audio and 4.0 for the story. If you’re a fan of historical fiction I may suggest reading instead of audio but the audio would make for a good time while on a road trip or other tasks that allow for successful multitasking.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Collin’s Audio for this advanced listener copy

"The Liberty Scarf" is historical fiction and romance set in World War I between 1917-1918. Three authors worked together to create this novel - Aimee K. Runyan, J'Nell Ciesielski, and Rachel MacMillan. There are three separate stories that come together at the end.

The first story is about Iris, who paints scarves and textiles for Liberty department stores in London. Her dream is to create the prints for the scarves to bring more hope and joy. She meets Rex Conrad, an American military officer.

Next is Genevieve, who is a switchboard operator for New England Telephone and Telegraph in Portland, Maine. (My mother worked for them for >15 years, so I found this interesting.) Genny joins the Signal Girls for the military in France doing switchboard work and relaying codes between officers. She is promised to Peter back home. One day, she meets Maxime in the Liberty Store, and they become pen pals.

The third story is set in Belgium. Clara is a war nurse. One of her patients is Ramón (or Roman?), a professional violinist in the military who plays music to help with morale. They become friends.

A Liberty Store scarf is important to all three stories. It is the Hope Feather Scarf because it was inspired by the Emily Dickinson poem that begins, "Hope is the thing with feathers that perches in the soul."

The audiobook is well narrated by Ann Marie Gideon, Gary Furlong, Caroline Hewitt, and Saskia Maarleveld.

I liked the first two stories, but not so much the third one, which kind of dragged.

Characters - 4/5
Writing - 4/5
Plot - 4/5
Pacing - 3/5
Unputdownability - 3/5
Enjoyment - 3/5
Narration - 4/5
Cover - 4/5
Overall - 29/8 = 3 5/8

Thank you to Netgalley, Harper Collins Focus, Harper Collins Muse, and the authors for providing this audiobook in exchange for my honest review.

Three women's stories are woven together through a Liberty of London scarf. The story was interesting, and I enjoyed the history, but it was a little too long and ultimately fell flat for me.

Thank you NetGalley for an advanced audiobook, all opinions are my own.

The Liberty Scarf weaves together the stories of Iris, Geneviève, and Clara, all connected by a scarf and united by the theme of hope amidst the devastation of World War I. Each woman serves in her own way with her unique skills and endures loss and hardship in different corners of the war - London, France, and Belgium - yet clings to hope in various ways, whether through love, resilience, or the bonds they form during the conflict. While their stories come together at the end, I would have liked to see them more interconnected throughout. The ending is satisfying, and the narrators beautifully bring each character's journey to life.

Thank you to NetGalley, HarperCollins Focus, Aimie K. Runyan, J’nell Ciesielski, and Rachel McMillan for the audio ARC. All thoughts are my own.

"Hope got us all through some tough times."

Three women are bound by the design of a beautiful scarf intended to bring hope to the wearer during World War I. Written in the form of three novellas that weave together throughout and at the end, The Liberty Scarf tells stories of love and survival starring Liberty London painter and designer Iris Braxton, Army Signal Corps operator Genevieve Tremblay, and Flemish nurse Clara Janssens.

I liked the idea of three authors joining together with unique stories that shared a common theme. I liked Iris' story best, and found Clara's story to be a bit confusing as letters were exchanged between her and her beau. In an ending that felt too good to be true, but a touching work of fiction, the three women are united at the end of the war.

I was familiar with a couple of the narrators from previous audiobooks and thought they did an excellent job with foreign accents and male voices.

Brilliant! I expected the scarfs to be a part of each story in some form, but not the way they entagled at the end. Exhilarating plot twist/ending. I was especially hooked with the first to novellas and groaning at the cliffhanger endings, but so worth it. I rate those first two 5 stars and the last story 4 stars. All had strong women desperately holding on to hope in such a dire time. All had a swoony romance that made me sigh with contempt at the end.
The narration was spot on!

This was a great story! I loved that each of the women were very different, and all going through their own set of challenges. Their romances were all well-developed, too. The connection of the scarf was really fun, and I liked that the quote, "Hope is the thing with feathers" was woven throughout as a theme without being too repetitive or trite. It was interesting to read the stories as separate short stories, then have them come together in the end. And the audio was great, very good narration.

This is my first read by these authors and since it is a single book instead of 3-1, I wasn't quite sure how it would go having multiple authors telling a story. Rest assured, they did it in a way that worked beautifully. This read takes you on a journey of this one Liberty Scarf and how it wove together 3 couples during WWI.
Iris Braxton longs to design and create her own line of scarfs, instead of illustrating someone else's work and when she meets a Captain Conrad Jones, she gains the confidence to try along with other things. Then Geneviève Tremblay, a French-Canadian immigrant, working as a US Army Signal Corps to serve as a bi-lingual operator meets a French officer who captures her heart when she was engaged to another and gives her a gift to remember him by, a certain Liberty Scarf - Can she give up a secure future for her and her family and risk it for true love? And lastly, Clara Janssens, a Flemish Nurse, working in hospital, when Roman Allaire, an Alsatian violinist, playing on the front lines, is severely injured and a certain Liberty Scarf was so gingerly wrapped as a tourniquet becomes her newest patient.
These three strong female leads have you drawn in from the start - the only "downside" was once ones story started, I hated it when it "paused" to start the next. The authors did a good job working together to piece three stories into one and if they had decided to instead, make this a 3 book series, it would have made it a 5 star read in my book.

The Liberty Scarf follows 3 different women during World War 1 over the winters of 1917-1918. Beautifully written, this story shows the resilience of those who endured the Great War and still found hope and love during such great hardships.
The way the authors wove the 3 separate stories together through the Liberty Scarf made for such a lovely story. The audiobook was so well done with different voices for each of the women and the men they encountered throughout their time serving in the war. I felt transported into that time period and I will definitely be adding these authors other reads to my TBR list!

Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Muse Audiobooks for the ARC audiobook. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

A WWI Historical Fiction and how a scarf intertwines the lives of three women. I love that it tells the story of how women were a part of the war, as they get so little credit. Very good story with a beautiful ending. There were some parts where it felt a little flat, which is why it’s a 4*.

“The Liberty Scarf” was extremely well written and tied the three stories together in a way that I was not expecting for the ending. Hearing the emotions of the narrators and the experiences that they were having as a result of their careers and the impact of the war on those careers pulled me into their stories as a participant and not just an observer. The historical side of the novel brought into the limelight parts of the war that I had never considered - the role of operators, the impact of designers, and the army’s musical groups.

I would prefer simply not to comment on a book rather than to leave a negative review; however, I received access to this audiobook from NetGalley in exchange for my honest opinion, so here it is:

I really did not care for this book. It’s made up of three novellas; the first one, and even the second, kept my interest well enough…but, unfortunately, by the time I made it to the third (which was highly repetitive), I found myself eagerly anticipating this book’s end.

There were several aspects I appreciated:
• the intention of the authors to showcase how seemingly ordinary things bring beauty and hope even in dark times (friendship, art, music, even fashion)
• the WWI setting
• the cover 🤷🏻‍♀️
• that the three stories tied together at the end

If you enjoy history, clean romance, and have an appreciation for the smaller things in life, you might enjoy this book! Ultimately, it just wasn’t for me.

Title: The Liberty Scarf
Author: Aimie K. Runyan, J’nell Ciesielski, and Rachel McMillian
Narrated by: Ann Marie Gideon, Gary Furlong, Caroline Hewitt, Saskia Maarleveld
Publisher: Harper Muse
Length: Approximately 9 hours and 58 minutes
Source: Review Copy from NetGalley and Harper Muse as part of the Austenprose PR Book Tour. Thank you!

Do you like to wear scarves? Do you have a favorite one? I liked the wearing scarves trend of last decade, but now I only wear a scarf when it’s cold with my jacket. I have a soft red one that is my favorite.

The Liberty Scarf is three wonderful stories set during WWI that are all tied together by a scarf. The first story is set in London. Iris works for Liberty Scarfs and dreams of being able to design scarves of her own. Captain Rex Conrad is a wounded soldier back in London to raise funds for the war effort. His friends bet him to ask out the first women who enters the door and that woman is Iris. They start a relationship, but when Rex is called back to serve on the front, they make plans to meet again. When he is wounded again, will they be able to reunite?

The second story is of Genevieve Tremblay. She is dating the wealthy Peter, but his family does not approve of her as she is from the wrong side of town as a Canadian immigrant living in Lewiston, Maine. She is a telegraph operator and she enlists in the U.S. Army Signal Corps. On her way to France, she has a brief stopover in London and meets a dashing French captain named Maxime. Maxime and Genevieve start to correspond, and he sends her a scarf that Iris designed. But with Peter still in the background, will Genevieve and Maxime’s friendship be able to turn to romance?

Clara Janssens is a nurse in Brussels where she meets violinist Roman. They bond over their shared love of music and continue to write to each other when Roman returns to the front. His letters take a turn and Clara wonders, will their love still be the same when the war is over?

My thoughts on this novel:
• This novel is made up of three separate novellas and one epilogue.

• Many parts of these stories take place during the Christmas season. I loved reading this leading up to Christmas in real time.

• The audiobook was wonderful. I enjoyed the different narrators for the different parts of the story. For example, the first story was narrated alternatively by Rex or Iris, or by two different voice actors.

• I liked the comparison of two designers in the first story. Iris wanted to design scarfs while Rex was an architect who wanted to design buildings.

• I enjoyed how the Liberty scarf was woven throughout all three stories. "Hope is a thing with feathers that perches in the soul."

• I really loved the strength of the characters in each of the stories and how they are trying to make it through the long and bloody war. Their romance stories were also delightful.

• I greatly enjoyed the epilogue which not only tied up all the ends of these stories, but also linked them even more together.

• I learned a lot of new things in this novel about WWI, for example about General Pershing’s Hello Girls.

• Many parts of the story were told through the letters passed between the main characters.

• The authors' notes at the end were fantastic and each author described the inspirations for her story.

• There are also discussion questions at the end of the novel as well. I think this would be a great book club selection to discuss, particularly around the Christmas and winter seasons.

Overall, The Liberty Scarf is a beautiful story of three different women and their journey through WWI. The connection via one special scarf, characters, and plots were all very interesting. I highly recommend this novel to any historical fiction lover.

I really enjoyed this story and thought that the audio was well done. I liked how the scarf ultimately connected all of the characters.

This is a beautifully written book about finding hope in the darkness of war. Three women from different places trying to find their way during World War I. As they face the horrors of war they find love and when it is threatened they find the strength to have hope. Tying the stories together is a beautiful Liberty of London scarf with the Emily Dickenson quote "Hope is the thing with feathers" embroidered into it. The characters and their stories were compelling and I did not want to stop reading until I knew the outcome. I highly recommend this book for readers that enjoy historical fiction about strong women.

The narrators did a good job of giving the characters a voice. I found myself immersed in the story.

THE LIBERTY SCARF by Aimie K. Runyan, J'nell Ciesielski, and Rachel McMillan is a work of historical fiction set on both sides of the Atlantic during WWI. This novel has three parts and they all share the connection of a beautiful Liberty scarf. Thoughts of Liberty fabrics and the main store's gorgeous building in London were some of the reasons I so liked this book. The heroines were strong women and self-reliant. In the first section, readers meet Iris who aspires to be a designer for Liberty, and Rex, a wounded soldier/architect. The second part is my favorite and features Geneviève Tremblay. Jenny, as she is called, is a telephone operator who faces prejudice in the States because of being a French Canadian. Ironically, it is her native language (and operator skills) which makes her especially valuable in the war effort in Europe where she meets Maxim, a vintner. The third part of the novel tells the story of Clara, a nurse, and Roman, a violinist. The three stories connect eventually in December 2018 and combine romance and history; as the publisher says, THE LIBERTY SCARF is "a testament to the resilience of women and the enduring power of hope and unity in the harshest of times." Emily Dickinson's "'Hope' is the thing with Feathers" is an oft-quoted reference and there is reflection about having faith and courage to find a new path. The authors' notes further explain their writing to celebrate unsung heroines like the telephone operators. I listened to the audiobook narrated by Ann Marie Gideon; Gary Furlong; Caroline Hewitt; and Saskia Maarleveld; I would definitely recommend. 4.5 stars

The Liberty Scarf: A Story of Three Women, and a Scarf That Binds Them Together was written by three talented authors, Aimie K. Runyan, J’nell Ciesielski and Rachel McMillan. It took place during World War I during 1917-1918. I listened to the audiobook that was narrated extremely well by Ann Marie Gideon, Gary Furlong, Caroline Hewitt and Saskia Maarleveld. It was about three very brave, ambitious and caring women, the men who came to mean everything to them and a scarf that connected all of them in a beautiful way. The Liberty Scarf took place in London, Lewiston, Maine, France and Belgium.

Iris Braxton was employed at Liberty Company in London as a painter. Her true aspiration was to be given the opportunity to be a pattern designer. Unfortunately, back in the early 1900’s only men were considered worthy of such positions. A female pattern designer was unheard of. Iris never lost hope or sight of her desire. One day her talents would be recognized. Therefore, Iris never ventured far without her sketch pad. She never knew when an idea would come to her. Then one day Iris made the acquaintance of Captain Conrad Jones. Their acquaintance began as a dare but soon materialized into a mutual attraction and respect for one another. Conrad supported and encouraged Iris’s ambitions. Their feelings for one another grew stronger as time passed.

Genevieve Tremblay was the daughter of French-Canadian immigrants. They had settled in Lewiston, Maine. Genevieve, her younger brother and her parents lived in a poorer neighborhood in Lewiston. She had a job as a telephone operator. Genevieve’s boyfriend Peter’s family were much more affluent and better connected than her own family. There were times when Genevieve wondered if Peter was embarrassed by her French-Canadian origins and where she lived. When Genevieve learned that the US Army Signal Corps was looking for telephone operators or “hello girls” that were fluent in French she felt that this was her opportunity to improve her status in Peter’s eyes. Once in France, Genevieve met Captain Maxime Auvray one day by chance. There was an instant connection between the two but Genevieve was quick to mention her relationship with Peter. She had no intention of betraying Peter’s trust. For now, Genevieve would settle for being friends with Maxime. Maxime’s family produced wine in France and that was Maxime’s passion.

The third brave, passionate and dedicated woman was named Clara Janssens. She lived in Belgium with her father. When Clara’s mother died, Clara assumed the role of taking care of her father. Clara had trained to be a nurse. Her father finally convinced Clara to go where she was needed. One night, Clara was attending a concert given by fellow soldier musicians to boost the morale of their fellow soldiers when there was an enemy attack and lots of casualties. Clara was at the sight of all the casualties and then at a converted palace that served as a hospital. It was there that Clara began caring for a patient named Roman Allaire. There was something about Roman Allaire that drew Clara to him and allowed Clara to speak candidly to him. She noticed his beautiful violin near his bed. When Roman finally gained consciousness, Clara learned that he was from Strausbourg, France. Roman shared his passion for his violin and music with Clara. It was evident that both Roman and Clara had developed feelings for each other.

A beautifully designed scarf connected these brave women and the men they fell in love with. I enjoyed how the women all discovered each other by the end by recognizing the scarf that had special meanings to each one of them. I think that Aimie K. Runyan, J’nell Ciesielski and Rachel McMillan wrote a very memorable book together about three very strong women. It was interesting how limited women were in their opportunities during this time period. I really enjoyed listening to the audiobook of The Liberty Scarf and highly recommend it.

Thank you to HarperCollins Focus for allowing me to listen to the audiobook of The Liberty Scarf: A Story of Three Women, One War, and a Scarf That Bonds Them Together by Aimie K. Runyan, J’nell Ciesielski and Rachel McMillan.

I received the audiobook from NetGalley and excited to start listening to the Liberty Scarf. The description made it sound so interesting and something I’d gravitate towards. I really really wanted to like it more than I did. But… it was very slow going. I was expecting the stories to be intertwined and more depth throughout. Each story abruptly ended before starting on a completely different story. Typically these kind of books draw on my emotions but this was very surface level. I did like that it was WWI as it’s not as represented as WWII. The 3 women were each strong and inserted themselves to make a difference during an oppressive time. The scarf connects them.