I loved this story by master storyteller Elizabeth Camden! I spent all day reading and loved every minute of this excellent, captivating story!

Inga Klein enjoys her job, dating, and living with girlfriends at the Martha Washington, and loves her life in New York. She came to America as a child with her parents from Germany. Her life changes drastically when Ambassador James Gerards asks her to accompany him and his wife, Mrs Mary Gerards to the American Embassy in Berlin to act as his secretary. He needs someone he can trust to help him, and she excels at typing, shorthand, how to use a wireless, and she knows German.

I loved the inside look at American Embassy life in Berlin just before WWI and how hard Benedict Kincaid, chief diplomatic counselor, and Ambassador Gerards worked to help President Wilson keep the USA out of the war.

Benedict Kincaid is considered a strict, straight-laced, wet blanket, but very good at his job. He is reading through the entire set of the Encyclopedia Britannica for fun. I thoroughly enjoyed the sparring between Inga and Benedict. "She remained aggressively cheerful whenever he entered a room, which seemed to irritate him because Benedict couldn't help being a wet blanket."

"When Stars Light the Sky" is an absolutely sweet romance, opposites attract, marriage of convenience, interesting, bittersweet, historical tale that kept me turning pages. I highly recommend it for lovers of historical fiction and historical romance.

The author writes "When Stars Light the Sky is one of the most powerful and charming love stories I’ve ever written." I wholeheartedly agree!

Thank you to the author, publisher, and Net Galley for allowing me to read an early copy. All opinions are my own.

A terrific read full of interesting history, unique characters, and a heart-tugging romance.
The story begins in 1914, just as the tensions rise between nations, and the American Embassy staff in Germany is caught in the middle, working hard to hold back the tides of war.

This well-written, perfectly paced story held my interest from beginning to end. It showed how precarious relations between heads of nations can be, and how important the role diplomats play in peace keeping. The author includes real people and events leading into WWI, and some of the reasons for America's involvement.

Loved how Inga and Benedict bantered back and forth, starting with some animosity on his part, to mutual respect, to a slow burn romance. Their friendship to something more was believable given the circumstances, and well done. Absolutely loved the ending! Romance fans will enjoy this one.
Highly recommend to fans of historical reads with romance. Probably better for young adults and up.
5 stars

(An ebook was provided via NetGalley and LibraryThing. All opinions expressed are my own.)

Just finished this amazing book! I simply couldn’t put it down.
So much going on in this story that kept me turning the pages.
Lots of wonderful characters and the plot oh my.
I loved Inga. I loved how she never let life get her down. I think she’s a woman before her time.
Benedict lol he’s a hard one to get to know but once you do wow!
I enjoyed their banter and light hearted fun in a dark world that’s about to get darker for them.
I ended up learning a lot about the first war from this story.
It is based on a real person and I thought the author did a great job in bringing him to life.
His wife seemed like a sweet lady and i definitely enjoyed in getting to know her.
5 stars from me for a fantastic journey about finding some light even in the hardest of times.
I highly recommend this wonderful author for her amazing research into the past and for bringing it to life.
My thanks for a copy of this book. I was NOT required to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are mine.

I absolutely LOVED this book!!
I have long been a fan of Elizabeth Camden’s historical fiction set in Gilded Age America, but feared she was changing genres after seeing her most recent book, which was contemporary fiction. I enjoyed it but it just didn’t live up to her usual excellence, at least to me.

I love a good marriage of convenience story, which this book contains. The author did a great job of wrapping up the story in a realistic manner. Look forward to suggesting this one to my book club in 2925!,

I received this book from the publisher via net galley in exchange for an honest review five stars!!

Great book! The story was compelling and I enjoyed seeing how the characters slowly developed their relationship and changed from one of antagonism to support. The love story was a nice contrast to the war time setting. It was also cool to learn so much about what it was like to live as an American in Berlin during the onset and progression of WWI.

I see the book is categorized as Christian fiction, which is accurate, but I think people who aren't religious would also like this book. There are religious elements, but it isn't preachy, which I really appreciate as a non-religious person.

Wow! This was a great story! If you love WWI era and marriage of convenience, then trust me, you will want to read this book! I don’t think I’ve ever read a WWI book set in Germany and it was very interesting. Inga goes to Germany as the secretary for America’s ambassador. Benedict is also at the US embassy in Germany, as the diplomatic chief of staff. They don’t get along that well. But they work hard to try to keep America out of the war and help people. Situations arise where they must marry and I really loved how this was handled. I loved watching them work together and also their relationship grow. Just a fantastic book and I definitely recommend!
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book which I received from netgalley. All views expressed are only my honest opinion.

I loved getting to be immersed in the world of diplomacy and enjoyed every moment of being at the American Embassy in Berlin with Inga and Benedict. The impact of diplomatic relations and its role in staving off conflict and brokering between nations at odds with one another was utterly fascinating. I couldn't have asked for a more engaging story that balanced the western world at the brink of war and the turmoil of opposite personalities clearly being attracted to one another. This was probably one of the more memorable marriages of convenience I've read where the relationship was just as much a meeting of the minds along with physical attraction.

Benedict and Inga are characters who leap off the pages, and their conversations are intellectually satisfying as they reference the Bible and the church. I appreciate that both of them do their best to protect the other person, which points to their loving selflessness in their actions. Overall, the book focuses heavily on the rapidly progressing movements toward war, providing a glimpse into life before the Great War. Readers who enjoy Camden's rich historical details will find themselves engrossed by life in the embassy and in Inga and Benedict's unconventional yet charming relationship where navigating the nuanced layers of cleverness and discretion in negotiations took on multiple meanings.

This is the second book in Ms. Camden's "Women of Midtown" series, and it is excellent, indeed.
It does incorporate some of the well-known romance tropes, "opposites attract", "marriage of convenience", "grumpy/sunshine", etc. but it is much more. It highlights the little-known efforts of American diplomats in Germany from 1914 - 1917, when the US was a neutral power and desperately trying to stay out of WWI and broker a peace. Although ultimately unable to do this, the US was able to negotiate prisoner swaps, expedite aid shipments and other things before being drawn to declare war on Germany. Inga, a German-American woman, and Benedict, a career diplomat, both have huge stakes in the outcome, which in the end allows them to see past their differences in temperament and background and build a solid relationship. It's a well written, informative, emotional and satisfying story.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

The second in the Women of Midtown series is a realistic story set in Berlin during WWI. Readers will enjoy the differences between the main characters, Inga and Benedict. The story is filled with an assortment of interesting people as Ambassador Gerard tries to manage diplomacy during this trying time. This well researched book is a great book for historical fiction readers and can be read as a standalone. Highly recommended!

When Stars Light the Sky by Elizabeth Camden is an absorbing historical romance novel that immerses readers in the early days of WWI from Berlin.

Inga Klein is beautiful, perpetually cheerful and a bit of a flirt. She often refers to herself as stupid, something Benedict Kindcaid, a rather dour, yet handsome chief of staff in the American Embassy, would disagree with.

While both characters immediately butt heads, it is their commitment to their jobs that makes their relationship intriguing as the author weaves a tale of intrigue, romance and danger.

The author has done her research of the era and immerses the reader so well that it reads like a movie. In fact, I would pay to see this should it ever go to the screen. It’s that good!

The supporting cast is filled with a wide range of interesting characters. From Larry, a hypochondriac, to Mr. Gerard, the Ambassador to Berlin, who mostly is good-natured, but also a hot-head. It is his tendency to say whatever he wants (aka not be diplomatic) that makes Benedict’s job harder than it should be.

Inga, for her part, is an accomplished secretary with valuable skills. Unfortunately, her knowledge of how the various embassies work during war creates a crisis or two. And even more dire is her German heritage. While she grew up in America, she never took her citizenship test and while tensions increase in Germany, her life is in danger of never being allowed to leave. Or worse, being labelled a spy.

When Stars Light the Sky is a character driven marriage of convenience story that will keep you reading until the wee hours of the morning. Fans of Sarah Sundin will appreciate the historic detail and research this author offers. I highly recommend it!

I received a complimentary copy courtesy of Bethany House Publishers via NetGalley for my honest review.

This brilliantly crafted book by Elizabeth Camden set in the years immediately before and during WW1 held my attention from beginning to end. The history of relations between Germany and the USA, a neutral country in the first two years of World War 1 is not often the subject of published books either before or during WW1. Set in the American Embassy in Berlin, the dialogue between the two principal protagonists - ambassadors secretary Inga and diplomatic chief Benedict - make this historical novel a classic and very hard to put it down. Also, the characters of the staff in the Embassy in Germany are equally delightful. The book is well researched. I fully recommend it.

I am an Early Reviewer for LibraryThing and received this book for an honest review. I award it 4 stars.

I read an ARC from NetGalley. Excellent book. Smooth writing with a very unique perspective and plot. I’m going to remember the characters and plot well into the new year. I think this book is one of the best I’ve read all year. I loved learning about an ambassador’s role and their varied duties. The main character Inga is a protagonist with a heaping measure of heart, talent and charm. Benedict is portrayed vividly and to the reader he is equal parts intelligent, thoughtful, determined, ambitious and annoying. The conclusion is just what the reader hoped for but I never saw the plot resolving the way it did. A delightful surprise.

I absolutely loved this read, the author grabbed me and didn't let go.
This is a WWI story, and the story of a young women who is an immigrant from Germany, and ends up being back there when the hostility breaks out. Inga is back as a favor to the new Ambassador to Germany, a man and woman whom have been there during her life.
Also in the diplomat group is Benedict, a man that cringes at the goofs made by the Ambassador, and now he has a new thorn in his side in Inga.
As hostilities get closer to drawing the United States into the conflict, Inga and Benedict have to draw closer, and we are there for the happenings, not what I expected!
We are given a bit of sweet romance, some hard times, and a lot of danger!
I am now looking forward to the next book in this series!
I received this book through Net Galley and the Publisher Revel, and was not required to give a positive review.

Overall this was quite a good read! Elizabeth Camden is quite a talented author, and does well here at creating compelling characters and storyline (and I can't get enough of that cover). WWI and all its intricacies came to life vividly on the page, and I realized how little I knew about America's belated entry into the war and its precipitants.

Elements of the read weren't really my jam--notably, Inga's and Benedict's finding things "sexy" about each other; the adjective got overused imho, though perhaps it was just part of the nature of this particular trope--a marriage of convenience that becomes more. I'm as romantic as the next person, but if nothing else, the editor in me would have liked to see some more varied word choices used. That aside, the read was engaging and informative, and my quibble didn't prove annoying enough to stop reading!

I'm looking forward to the next installment of the series.

I received an eARC of the book from the publisher via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

Excellent second book in this series. I loved the opposite attract and marriage of convenience storyline. Inga and Benedict were both great characters, and their interactions were fun to read. Even though they were so different, they learned to appreciate each other's strengths and encourage each other to do great things. The tension of their differing paths in life was written well. The setting in WWI Germany was fascinating as we see the American diplomats trying to maintain neutrality. I had trouble putting this one down. I knew the history of the time period, but kept reading to see what would happen to these characters living in those difficult times. As with all this author's books, the history was well researched and presented in such an interesting way.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

When Stars Light the Sky by Elizabeth Camden

In 1914, emigrant Inga Klein's life in New York City is disrupted when her benefactor James Gerard, the new American Ambassador, asks her to travel to Germany with him as his secretary. She has so much to be grateful for to Mr. and Mrs. Gerard she decides to leave her beloved NYC to travel to Berlin. She meets Benedict Kincaid, the much disliked and unfriendly chief of staff in the American embassy. But when things become difficult for Inga, as she has no passport, she must marry Benedict in a marriage of convenience to return to America.

Elizabeth Camden is such a gifted writer. She uncovers some of the most fascinating details. I have learned something in every book she has written. The facts are always so fascinating when you come to the end of her books. As always Camden does an amazing job of research in history, intertwined with fiction. You don't need to be a history lover to love this book.

I received a complimentary ebook copy from the publisher, through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

This is an interesting side to WW1 Germany that I was unfamiliar with. It is even better that so much of this is based on a real person.

I enjoyed watching Inga and Benedict grow and evolve in the situations they were in. The portrayal of the negotiations was interesting, and really, very sad. The war camps interesting in the things that were allowed compared to WW2. The hunger of the German people was sobering, and then to think leaders did it all again a few years later.
All in all, I enjoyed this book and the historical knowledge it gave, the side romance was fun too.

WHEN STARS LIGHT THE SKY is the second novel in the Women of Midtown series by ELIZABETH CAMDEN, but it can easily stand alone.
The story starts in 1898 with Inga Klein and her parents sheltering in a church in New York City after emigrating from their home in Bavaria. They are found hiding there by Mr and Mrs Gerard who take Inga under their wing, treating her like some kind of godchild…..
In 1914 Inga’s happy life in New York is disrupted when her benefactor, James Gerard, who is the new American ambassador in Germany, asks her to come to Berlin as his secretary……
Inga is a friendly optimiist who enjoys life, chatty and a bit of a flirt. She is compassionate and cares deeply for others. Her sunny disposition is directly opposite to that of chief of staff Benedict Kincaid, who is surly and unfriendly. and who is diligently studying the Encycopedia Brittanica in his spare time, making Inga feel very uneducated……
When things get difficult for Americans in Germany, the only option for Inga, who has no passport, is to enter into a marriage of convenience with Benedict……
I really enjoy the way the author has added fictional characters to historical, giving depth to the story, as well as showing us how the horrific citcumstances of WW1 affect the various characters. I found the author’s character analysis outstannding.
I am not going to tell you any more for fear of spoiling your read.
I enjoyed tge book for the exciting and inspiratioal story, the inforgettable characters, and the subtle Christian message. I cannot recommend When Stars Light the Sky highly enough.
I was given a free copy of the book by NetGalley from Bethany House Publishers. The opinions in this review are completely my own.

My review will be posted to Amazon on release day. I will post it to Instagram on February 3, 2025, my assigned day on the tour with Austen Prose


I loved the first book in this series and have eagerly awaited this one. It does not disappoint!

Reading this story brought me a bit of nostalgia for my own marriage. My husband and I worked together long before we started dating and he often referred to me as Miss (Maiden Name), something Benedict does with Inga. This brought a smile to my face every single time.

I loved watching Inga and Benedict’s relationship change and grow amidst the backdrop of WWI. Brought to help Ambassador Gerard, Inga slowly finds a unique relationship with everyone and helps things in a way only an Elizabeth Camden character can.

I loved every bit of this story, the history, the tense moments, the struggle between counties as America tried hard not to enter WWI. I had forgotten some in the history related to our entry into WWI and it was interesting to fall down the rabbit hole as I googled when I wasn’t reading.

This book brought tears to my eyes on the absolute best way close to the end. This doesn’t often happen and I don’t want to spoil anything for anyone who hasn’t read it. Suffice it to say, it was an unexpected reaction on my part and solidified my love of this story.

Thank you to Bethany House via Austen Prose for the copy of this book. All views are my own.