I really enjoyed reading The English Wife.
It was fascinating to read about Clementine Churchill's strong will and the support she provided to her husband, Churchill.
Her character was well-written.
She supported her husband, but she also had her own loyalties, helping the UK and other nations during the war and raising money for charities.
Another Anna Stuart book I couldn’t put down and I can’t wait to read more of her work.

An amazing story of Clementine Churchill and her work during WWII - and not just her work supporting Winston. I don’t understand where Jenny’s story fit in, though I enjoyed it. I really wanted to know what happened with the baby at the end.

A historical novel with a dual timeline, The English Wife follows two women connected by war and secrets. While the premise is intriguing, the pacing felt slow, and I struggled to connect with the characters. The emotional depth was there, but something about the execution left me wanting more. A decent read, but not as gripping as I’d hoped.

I haven't heard much about Clementine Churchill. Her husband, Winston, was always front and center. It was partially because he was the Prime Minister, but also because he liked, maybe even demanded to be the one. Thanks to The English Wife I have realized the saying, "Behind every great man there is a strong woman” sums up Clementine Churchill.

She wasn't just a strong woman. She was devoted to Winston and the people of England. She worked hard during the war for the benefit of others. She could have hid out in the annexe. She could have remained in the country and ignored it all. She chose to stand by her husband and step up for the British people.

The English Wife shares Clementine's life. As a book of Historical fiction, I know that it isn't all true. Things have been embelished to keep me and others up late into the night to read and discover more. Anything that I questioned I could research and learn about. It was great fun.

The story is filled with an eclectic group of people. The reader goes on journeys as Clementine learns of travesties resulting from war and works to correct them. She attends political events where the reader can imagine who is rubbing elbows with whom. She travels to America. During her travels the reader is exposed to more of what might have been. I couldn't find information on some of the characters. The names were changed to protect the not so innocent.

I found the story to be well written. I felt the emotions. I cried over the horrors. I was shocked over the acceptance of affairs, and how envious some would be of others. I learned quite a lot about Clementine Churchill. More importantly for me, I am excited to learn about this amazing women.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

I love historical fiction, it brings me so much joy to read about our history from the POV of someone living through that moment. However, I found this book really hard to read, which upsets me because I loved Anna Stuarts previous WW2 books. I felt this book was a little too political for me. Overall, it just was not for me.

What I loved: Clementine. I did enjoy reading about her and her life as a politician’s wife. Clementine and Winnie married for love, and you could see how much she loved him by supporting him. When Winston was feeling doubtful about Hitler, and that fear that Hitler could not be beaten and UK would have to bend, it was Clemmie who reminded him that Hitler doesn’t negotiate, something he had told her in the past. This gives him the strength needed to stand up against him. Together they were powerful and sometimes the world needs reminding that behind these great, powerful men were even more powerful women.

What I didn’t love: aside from the political aspect, Jenny. I was not a fan of the dual POV in this case, and I feel if the book was only done in Clementines perspective it might have been better for me.

Thank you Bookouture and NetGalley for this ARC. All opinions are my own.

The English Wife by Anna Stuart is an excellent historical novel about the life of Clementine Churchill. It is a brilliant and fascinating portrayal of her. Clementine is a very strong woman and extremely supportive of her husband. The author sheds light on an unknown part of history.

The book’s focus is on Clementine Churchill, her relationships and her influence on her husband and everyone around her. Clementine marriage to Winston was a true love story enduring through some extremely rough times. She was the force behind the great man.

I would highly recommend this book to everyone but especially to historical fiction lovers. I learned a lot about the Churchills that I didn’t know. Thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for an advanced copy of this book.

The English Wife
By: Anna Stuart
Pub Date: March 26, 2025
I have read a couple of books about Clementine Churchill. Her marriage to Winston Churchill was not easy, but he relied on her during the darkest of times and the people loved her.
She knew when they married of his ambitions, but little did they know that he would become Prime Minister during the war with Hitler.
Clementine helped the community around her and visited hospitals and helped the people.
The author notes were fascinating. Clementine was engaged a couple of times before marrying Winston and they had 5 children. Her aristocratic background was unknown to me. Stuart always delivers a fascinating historical fiction novel.

I thoroughly enjoyed this historical fiction book. It’s was a departure from the usual in that it was told from the viewpoints of several strong women, one being Clementine Churchill. Such an interesting character and a great read.

The English Wife tells the stories of two women during the Second World War. One of them, Clementine Churchill, was very much real and, as the wife of the Prime Minister Winston Churchill, unavoidably at the heart of what went on. The other, Jenny Miller, is an American broadcaster and is not real, though the authors’ note tells us that she was inspired by a real person (Janet Murrow, wife of the US broadcaster Ed Murrow).

As far as my grasp of history tells me, it’s a faithful retelling of a critical and fascinating period in world history, and I really enjoyed seeing a well-known narrative told from a different point of view, showing us how Clementine’s sense of duty, sense of self-worth and love for her husband didn’t always overlap.

I admit that I was particularly touched by the story and, as I read, it rang bells with me. My mother used to tell tell how, as a little girl living in South Wales during the War, she raised money for Clementine’s Aid For Russia fund, and received a letter from Mrs Churchill in response.

I think there can often be problems in telling a true and widely-known story, and its always easier (I think) to tell them through the eyes of a fictional character, rather than a real one whose deeds are known, whose letters and diaries are public and so on, which means the truth can be a bit of a straitjacket for an author. Because of this, Jenny’s life story felt a little more real to me than Clementine’s and I would have liked to have read more about her and seen Anna Stuart’s imagination take wing.

That said, Stuart’s talent and Clementine’s life story combined to make this less of a problem than I had feared. I thoroughly enjoyed it.

I really like Anna stuarts books. And i liked that this book was about clementine Churchill, how streng she must have been to stand by her husband. . Through thick and thin. But it was also a testament how much she accomplished on her own. Really glad i read the book. Thank you to netgalley for letting me read this e arc , in exchange for an honest opinion

This book provides fascinating insight into the war and its effects from the viewpoint of the woman behind the man. History tells us much about Winston Churchill, but we don't hear often enough about Clementine, the rock who stood by his side through it all.

Anna Stuart tells Clementine Churchill's story beautifully. Clementine is a strong and capable woman who constantly put the needs of the people in the forefront of her thoughts and actions. She supports Winston and tends to the more trivial matters so he can focus on the war. She provides guidance to her children and grandchildren, as well as countless friends, as they navigate through their lives. At the same time, she manages to also take care of the people of her country! She spends countless hours at air raid shelters, ensures the hungry and homeless have food and shelter, and even oversees the building and maintenance of homes for military wives to give birth and receive the care they need during unprecedented times. Clementine interacts equally well with political figures and strangers from all walks of life, and she does it with grace.

The author gives background into Clementine and Winston's early life, and it enriches the story without overshadowing it. She portrays Clementine as a relatable character, and her strength and compassion shine through. You can't help but love her by the end of the book!

I received this ARC through NetGalley and Bookouture in exchange for a fair review.

Wonderful, unputdownable historical fiction!
Go back in time with that most indomitable of women, Clementine Churchill, and experience WW2 through her eyes. Her marriage to Winston was a true-love story, enduring through some of the worst times in our world’s history.
The author has interesting notes at the end, indicating where she got her research information, and also real facts vs. fiction.

*I received a digital copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are strictly my own.*

A must-read for historical fiction lovers!

Firstly I would like to thank netgalley and Bookoutune and the brilliant author Anna Stuart for an early copy of her book to read.

I do enjoy reading this authors historical reads, especially the world war 2 books.this book was well informative and great writing but not so keen on politics prefer her other books more..looking forward to reading more of her wonderful books.my rating is 3.5...

Reviewed on goodreads and Amazon.

A very powerful WWII story. It’s based on Clementine Churchill and her life with Winston. It gives another view of how the war affected lives. Must read!

The book was well written in that it stirred up all sorts of emotions while I was reading it and made me want to keep turning the pages to find out what would happen next.; I read it in 24 hours with my heart in my mouth. So good!

Reading this book was like reading history in the making. Standing by his side giving him the assurance of her love for him enabled Churchill to do what he had to. Clementine Churchill was a rare women! Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC and the opportunity to read this novel.

I absolutely loved this book! The author did an excellent job of introducing the reader to Clementine Churchill. This is a heartwarming story of a woman who fiercely loved her husband and her country. The book was historically accurate and left me yearning for more information on Clementine Churchill. As I read the book, I felt as if I was right there beside Clementine as the bombs were exploding and I felt her angst and heartache as she chose time after time to put her interests and concerns aside to always support her husband. I would highly recommend this book.

A fine historical novel based on Clementine Churchill, Winston Churchill’s wife during WWII. Readers will get a perspective of the time period from a politician’s wife and an insight of what a woman’s role should be in order to support the war effort. The evolution of Clementine’s and Winston’s relationship is well written.

What a brilliant and fascinating character portrayal of Clementine Churchill: the strong and vibrant woman behind Winston Churchill — a man of power and a key figure in the successful counter attack against Hitler. But she was more than just the voice of encouragement for the British Prime Minister. She accomplished much good in her own right. I won’t list all her projects and participations as author Anna Stuart gives us a great sample in her story. But these aren’t dry lists of historical facts. Rather, she puts flesh and blood on the bones and offers us scenes that pull us in. We are there with Clemmie side by side while she works, shares and aids those in need.

The Churchills are friends of the American President Roosevelt and his wife. It was interesting to read of their connections and friendships. As we know from history, once Pearl Harbour was bombed, US declared war on Japan. Then Germany and Italy declared war on the US a few days later. That in turn resulted in the US fully entering the Second World War. Churchill, as noted in his discussions with Clemmie, knew they could not win the war without the US. So as history books tell us, once they joined, ‘president Franklin Roosevelt, Soviet premier Joseph Stalin and British prime minister Winston Churchill led the Allied armies to victory over Adolf Hitler and the Axis powers.’

But before those victories came doubts. When Churchill was told that Hitler was too strong, could not be beaten and they would need to make a deal with him, he wrestles with a decision. It was Clemmie who stepped in and reminded her husband of his own past words. ‘You always said Hitler doesn’t negotiate.’ Once he hears this, his strength returns and he is able to stand up and insist the cabinet not give in. She was brilliant at this sort of thing: always a great support for her husband as a leader. But sometimes her wise perspectives helped him over the line. He just needed a little encouragement and to be reminded of what he stood for and what gifts he had.

There is a lot of on the edge of your seat drama in this novel as you would expect being set in World War II. There are particularly vivid descriptions of the attacks on London. Although I have read many novels that have shown this, The English Wife offers a fresh, innovative and engrossing perspective on these events and the war's effects on those involved. We are drawn into the homes of the leaders and get a peek and hear conversations behind closed doors: particularly of Winston and Clementine.

Besides Clemmie sharing her viewpoint, the story is also told by her American friend Jenny. The author’s notes reveal that this woman is modelled after the real Janet Murrow: a well-educated and successful BBC and CBS correspondent who assisted her husband with his broadcasts during WWII. She also worked for charity organizations and various U.S. and UK government agencies from 1938-1945. As with Clementine, her accomplishments have been overshadowed by her husband’s. I love that Anna includes her. Shows us what she might have been like. Jenny (Janet) provides an intriguing angle on events but we also learn about her life struggles, marital betrayal and difficulty in becoming pregnant and carrying children. I won’t give anything away but just say, there is a happy ending for Jenny on two counts. But while she is in the grips of disaster, caused by a bomb drop on London and personal upheaval, her friend Clementine provides golden insight. “Life goes on, my dear. Sometimes we cannot see how it will, sometimes we don’t even want it to. But while we have breath in our bodies, it goes on and perhaps what this war has taught us is to honour that – to seize it and make the very most of it, however hard that may be."

It was easy to see that together Winston and his wife were a powerful force. But it was lovely to focus on Clementine (and other women of history that surrounded them who have often been forgotten). As Winston says of Clemmie, she is a real shining star. It is obvious from the novel and from the author’s historical notes, there is so much more to this woman than many of us knew about. To see her life presented in a fictional form (yet based on facts) brings her out into the light for the current generation to appreciate. She contributed so much to society, freedom and Winston’s success. And she was a strong female support for Jenny (Janet Murrow) and Eleanor Roosevelt. These three women made a difference, not only in their husband’s lives but also in the lives of those around them.

I could not put this novel down. It was deeply stirring, heart wrenching and uplifting. The English Wife is a brilliant and engrossing story l will never forget. History truly comes alive on these pages. Get your hands on this daring, powerful and perfect visit to the past. 5 Stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thanks to Bookouture and Netgalley for a review copy.

An excellent read for any and all readers! Author comes at you with both barrels and knocks you out of your shoes! Great job fleshing out all the characters. I give this book FIVE stars! Definitely recommend!