In Times of Rain and War by Camron Wright is an excellent historical fiction novel that takes place primarily during WWII.

This book is so wonderful, heartwarming, heartbreaking, memorable, and unique.

There are several plots and subplots that take place throughout the book and I will leave it to the reader to check out the synopsis.

I loved how the book alternates between Wes and Audrey primarily, however we also get snippets into the thoughts of many of the secondary characters. It was truly wonderful and insightful to peek into the souls of so many characters and get their respective histories, memories, hopes, and dreams. It added so much perspective, appreciation, and complexity to the story.

I also loved learning so much about the Bomb disposal squads and the “Backroom” fellows that used these disarmed segments to help find out how to understand, learn, and outsmart the Nazis and their own bomb-making technology.
It was so sobering to see how so many risked (and lost) their lives during the war from yet another perspective. I do not think I have even read anything including these jobs. It was fascinating.

I loved the development of the full character cast. I honestly loved every character, but for some reason I truly connected with Colonel Moore. He was smart, daring, distinguished, a father figure, respected, but yet placed himself on the same level of his team. His advice, insights, personality, and faith truly made him an exceptional character. He could easily have his own story.

I loved the story of Wes and Audrey. Their respective pasts, traumas of past and current, their relationship, and the way it all tied up and ended.

Needless to say I teared up several times during this book. I won’t mention when as I do not want to spoil the surprises. Also, the discussion of PTSD from a multitude of sources was important.

I also loved the letter writing concept, that putting secrets, hopes, fears, and dreams onto paper could somehow make it to the intended despite if they were present or not was so wonderful. It really pulled at my heart.

I also really enjoyed the impressive Author’s Notes at the end. What was real, inspired, and added was important. Also reading Rachel’s story was fascinating. I have nothing but respect for what she has sacrificed.

Lastly, I am still thinking about the fundamental concepts brought up by the book. Light mingling with dark. Good mixed with evil. Sacrifice mixed with regret. One cannot feel the warmth of the sun unless they have not truly experienced the dark. Rain can add to misery, dampness, darkness, and flooding, however it is needed, essential, restorative and refreshing, and making things anew. That is how it is coming out of despair, loss, separation, sacrifice, and war and finding hope, life, second chances, a better life, repurpose, faith, love, and life anew. One does not truly appreciate the goodness and rewards in life unless they have experienced the valleys and depths. That is what this book, I feel, is also about.

All of this wrapped up into one wonderful novel. Truly breathtaking and one of my top reads this year. I will remember this for years to come.

5/5 stars enthusiastically

Thank you NetGalley and Shadow Mountain Publishing for this ARC and in return I am submitting my unbiased and voluntary review and opinion.

I am posting this review to my GR, Bookbub, and Instagram accounts immediately (as of 10/31/20 a BB listing has not been created) and will post it to my Instagram, Amazon, and B&N accounts upon publication on 4/6/21.

First off I'd like to say that I think the cover and title of this book are beautiful. Really well done.

It's hard for me to know how to review a book that has me feeling so conflicted. I'm generally a HEA kind of reader and when I read a book about war I want to end it feeling like something good came from the war. That's why war stories usually have a romance to carry the story. We need something happy to keep us from drowning in the sorrow of the bad.

When I got to the end of this novel I was crying. And I felt conflicted about rating it because I wanted to be mad at the author for how he ended it. But then I realized I still did feel something good. Yes I felt sad but I was crying because I felt something good still came from all that bad.

Wesley Bowers was a real man but most of this story is fiction because like most veterans of war he shared very little about his experiences. I've never read anything about the bomb disposal teams before and it was really fascinating. The other members of the disposal team were interesting characters and I felt attached to and was rooting for the entire team.

Audrey's *true* story was just awful. War is ugly and brings out the worst in people. In *some* people. In others it brings out the best. That's how I felt about Audrey.

I loved the letter writing and how cathartic it was for everyone who wrote one.

Even though I was crying at the end it was still a beautiful story and I liked how it ended.

This beautifully written novel slides between great heights of hope and deep depths of despair.

Perhaps the principal character from In Times of Rain and War is a black box carefully made by Audrey’s father, somewhat like a tefillin used by observant Jews to hold verses from the Torah. It was cleverly designed to require quick presses to its corners in a particular sequence in order to slide its lid free. Inside were letters Audrey had written to her father and those he had written to her. As time passes in the novel more letters are added to the box, two of them written by Wes with whom Audrey has fallen in love. And finally are letters written to them. These letters contain much of the beautiful prose in the novel, and each of them written by Audrey or Wes contains a secret.

The novel takes place in wartime England, during the German bombing of London and before the Americans enter the war. The male protagonist, Wes, is an American marine, sent to observe the art of defusing unexploded bombs. The young woman, Audrey, is a German national who entered England with a forged passport in order to escape the Nazis. Wes and Audrey have their personal demons, but they fall in love, as you would expect. And with that a description of the novel’s plot must stop, in order to avoid spoiling the novel’s intensity and the author’s magnificent rendition of the disasters that befell the English during Hitler’s ruthless bombardment of innocent citizens.

The pace of the novel’s action is fast, but in many places the author uses a small pause in the action to illustrate a poignant moment. In a moment when Wes stands over a German airman he has killed in a small country church, he calls out “I had no choice,” as he looks up at a sculpture of Jesus on a silver cross. The author observes, “He seemed to be looking down at Wes, or was he looking past him at the dead man? Either way, he was wearing his own circle of thorns, and he looked to be crying.” Much later in the novel, Audrey holds Wes in an embrace in a warehouse despite the fact that sirens are wailing. She consoles him over the death of a teammate, and determines she will not let go even if bombs begin to fall. “She knew well, from her own experience, that emotional wounds exposed to the air at nighttime invariably cause the sharpest of pain. His sorrows would scab over, but a cut this deep would take time to fully heal.” These are but a few examples of the beautiful imagery that Camron Wright weaves into the plot.

At the end of the novel, the ebony prayer box appears to take one last letter. War changes people. A man who survives war cannot leave it behind. But Camron Wright has written much more than a PTSD novel. His beautifully written novel slides between great heights of hope and deep depths of despair. These are what war’s survivors must endure. They are what must go into the prayer box.

Mark Zvonkovic, Reviewer and Novelist
https://www.markzvonkovic.com/reviews

First and foremost, Thank you to NetGalley and Camron Wright for allowing me early access to this lovely story. And secondly, thank you to Mr Wright for introducing me to yet another perspective for WWII that I knew very little about.

Wesley Bowers, an American GI is sent to England to be a part of a bomb disposal team. Going into this assignment, he knew next to nothing about bomb disposal aside from the average life expectancy is ten weeks. Very early on, he is sent to London where German bombs had begun to rain down on innocent people. It was during one of their bomb disposals that he meets Audrey Stocking, a German Jew hiding in plain sight in England. Together they guide each other through the tough times and develop a loving relationship that they hope to continue once the war is over. Sadly, the war has different plans.

One of the things I love most about this book is the mention of PTSD. So many people came back with PTSD and no one at the time really knew what to do or how to help. People had seen so much that it traumatized them and they did the only thing they knew how...stored it away in the depths of their memory. This is such a relevant topic today as well so I was glad to see it approached from two different points of view. For a different take on WWII, I highly recommend this book

An interesting story with some good plot surprises. The story is set in the background of London and involves two young people. One works as a bomb squad member, the other has a secret. The story keeps you wanting to find out what happens. This is a great read.

Thank you to #NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I have enjoyed all Camron Wright's books, so I was really looking forward to this one. And it did not disappoint!

Fall of 1940 and the Blitz has started in London. Audrey and her aunt are working with the Woman's Voluntary Service to help move children from the city to safe havens in the country. Only the two of them are hiding a deep secret. They are living in England on false passports. If the secret gets out, it could be devastating for them.

Audrey befriends an American who has arrived in the early days of the war. America hasn't officially joined the war, but Wesley wanted to do his part. As part of a bomb disposal group, he knows his life expectancy is low. When the two meet, a special bond is formed and they bring light to this hard life they are living.

I enjoyed getting to know these characters. The banter was sweet, the story was an interesting one with the bomb information, and ultimately it was heart-wrenching. I enjoyed this unique look at WWII and being immersed in a "bomb squad".

Thank you NetGalley and Shadow Mountain for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I love all books about anything connected with WW II. Sometimes the subject matter seems to be the same in most of them. Usually it is a romance during the war, guy loves girl, girl stays behind while the guy fights for his country.

In Times of Rain and War by Camron Wright is a little different. It IS a novel that takes place in London during the Blitz, but it has a different slant and one that I had not heard of until I read the book.

Audry Stocking is a British citizen, except that she’s German and isn’t from England. She and her aunt have forged papers and are trying to stay incognito; until a bomb drops into their apartment building, but does not detonate. She has left behind a list of children she has been helping evacuate children from London to the countryside to evade the German bombs. She is desperate to find it.

Lieutenant Wesley Bowers is an America Marine working with the Bomb Disposal Company to learn how the British diffuse bombs. He is at the apartment when Audry tries to enter as the squad prepares to diffuse the bomb. They find an instant connection and have made plans for after the war.

I loved the book and especially the information that I gleaned from reading about the Blitz. This book embraces romance, intrigue, thrills, and secrets that show throughout the book. I highly recommend this novel.

This is a fictional account with some real life experiences. The book started a little bit slow for me but then it kept me really engaged. It is a very tough subject. This is not a romanticized book about war. It has some hard things to read about. I felt so many things reading this book. Hope, horror, joy, love, friendship, anxiousness etc. I am a HEA person all the way, this book challenged that for me. While it ended in a way I didn't want or expect, I was alright with it. I would recommend this book. It taught me about a side of the war I didn't know about.

This book was everything I expected out of a historical fiction novel set during WWII. The characters are well developed and very easy to like. You get to know Audrey and Wes. Even the minor characters are well defined, bringing the book to life.
Audrey is in London under false pretenses with a secret that could get her thrown in prison or worse if found out. Wes is there to follow the Royal Army's bomb experts and learn all he can. When the two meet it leads to some "explosive" encounters.
I enjoyed this story a great deal, without dwelling on the ugliness and despair of those war torn years still giving the reader a accurate sense of how it was to live and survive when do many did not.
I give this book a four out of five star rating. It is easy to read, it held my attention throughout the entire book. A good chronicling of war, destruction, and despair along with love, strength and hope. Recommended for historical fiction fans along the lines of Kristin Hannah.

This wonderfully compelling and poignant book immediately grabbed me in a deeply emotive way. I must have read at least 30 WWII novels in the past few months and this...this is a firm favourite. Why? It's different, substantive and heart warming, yet gut wrenching. It's all I seek in a novel and then some. For me it has that special something that easily elevates it from a 4* to a 5* read. My first book by Camron Wright was such a pleasure! I enjoyed it thoroughly. That ending! Wow!

Compassionate Audrey Stocking helps rescue displaced children and finds homes for them. She loses her own home and belongings to a bomb but continues her work nonetheless. London is being heavily bombed and horrors are common, though impossible to grow accustomed to. Audrey values her irreplaceable ebony box and treasures within with ties to her secret life and to her family. She is fluent in English but it is imperative that she hide her Jewish German identity otherwise she would be imprisoned...or worse.

American Lt. Wesley Bowers arrives in England and is shocked by what he sees in the fiery halo of death and destruction which envelops him. He can breathe it. His job is to disarm bombs which is described in brilliant detail in the book, a topic I knew nothing about. Part of the story details his dangerous job and those he works with. I love that he learns how to write letters from his heart.

We meet several other fascinating characters including Aunt Claire, Colonel Moore and Lady Reading. The book is about heroism, relationships, the unbelievable will to survive overwhelming conditions and precious hope. I highly, highly recommend this stunning read to Historical Fiction readers especially but to any General Fiction readers as well.

One of my favourite passages (there are many!) is about rain and primrose petals. Breathtaking and memorable. The story is even more gorgeous than the title and cover!

My sincere thank you to Shadow Mountain Publishing and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of this enchanting book in exchange for an honest review. Much appreciated.

I really enjoyed In Times of Rain and War. It didn’t end the way I was expecting, but it was still a happy ending (one of my must haves) and made for a realistic story. I liked the little explanations sprinkled throughout that taught as well as entertained. The main characters were very likable and their situations tugged at my heartstrings.

If you enjoy World War II historical fiction I would recommend this book. I can see myself reading this again.

Some books offer up entertainment value and/or a chance for a temporary escape from our reality. Others offer the ability for growth and have the potential for shaping our lives. In Times of Rain and War is one of the those. This marvelous book gives us a very person look into the lives of two people who were in London during the Blitz. The descriptions are so lifelike it is bone chilling.

This is not an easy, feel good type of book. Yet it is enjoyable and even entertaining. The prologue was instantly captivating and the story held my interest through the very end. The are a few curse words, but the language is not vulgar. There are no sex scenes in the book. The violence is strong, but it is a book about the cold realities of war. You will want to have a box of tissues handy as it pulls heavily on the emotions. I highly recommend this book to everyone. You will not be disappointed.

The Blitz, the Luftwaffe's strategic bombing campaign on London, commenced in September, 1940. A bomb wedged itself in the floor of Audrey Stocking's flat. Seventeen year old Audrey, choking for air, was able to gingerly evacuate the flat where the bomb had fallen through the ceiling, ripping part of a supporting wall while clouds of grit enveloped the entire building. Once Audrey and her Aunt Claire arrived at an Underground Shelter, Audrey realized she had forgotten her list, a directory of children who would be sent to the English countryside by the Women's Voluntary Services (WVS), a cause championed by Lady Reading, the organization's founder. "Hidden carefully beneath her mattress...a rectangular wooden box made of carefully carved and stained ebony. If the letters inside this box were discovered, it would ruin everything". Bomb or no bomb, Audrey was determined to sneak into her flat to retrieve her list and ebony box. The building, now roped off, had a sign that read "No Entry, Unexploded Ordnance". A guard was stationed at the barricade.

Audrey explained to Wes Bowers, an American Marine stationed at the building and deployed to observe the method of defusing unexploded bombs, that in the confusion, she had forgotten a list of child evacuees. Before removing the bomb, Wes scanned the flat finding Audrey's binder and her treasured ebony box. A budding friendship was soon to arise. This special bond aided Audrey who experienced crippling bouts of anxiety and melancholy. Audrey and Aunt Claire were trying to ride out the war in London using forged passports. They must keep their true identities secret. Lady Reading of the VWS had detected Audrey's slight accent, however, Audrey Stocking's ethics and assistance in saving children was beyond reproach.

Second Lieutenant Wesley Bowers, an American, had recently arrived in England. Bowers would be shadowing a British Bomb Disposal Squad. The average life expectancy of those working bomb disposal was ten weeks. Colonel Moore, a pensioner in his 60's and an experienced soldier of the Great War would command the small squadron. "...the war pits Bomb Disposal sections, with little more than basic tools...against the best scientists Germany has to offer...technical lads take the information and hardware we send them and tear it apart, analyze it, and experiment with it, looking for creative ways to defeat the German bombs".

In alternating chapters, Audrey works relentlessly to help prioritize the children and deliver them to farms and communities outside London. Wesley, as part of Colonel Moore's team, learns the intricacies of defusing bombs. "It's different when you know you'll be standing right beside it, touching it, dancing with it...Your pulse will beat like a kettledrum...your muscles will snug into what feels like a single knot...after a while it gets considerably easier".

"Most who have suffered trauma in life tend to stay quiet, not talk about it...". Audrey's ebony box took center stage as it contained letters sent to and received from her papa. She shared her letter writing philosophy with civilians and military personnel she met in WWII London. "A well-thought-through letter whispers with sight, touch, smell-and, most importantly time". "Wesley felt better having taken the time to consider his feelings, to express them on paper...".

"In Times of Rain and War" by Camron Wright is a novel of historical fiction that "teaches the truth" based upon the experiences of Wesley Bowers, a member of the British Bomb Disposal Unit. Although a fictionalized account, the novel is based in part upon volunteers who wrote diaries as they were witnessing the devastation and destruction during the Blitz. "Life is seldom what we ask for, and we should thank heaven for every painful, wearisome, hurtful, joyous, amazing, gentle moment". Highly recommended.

Thank you Shadow Mountain Publishing and Net Galley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

IN TIMES OF RAIN AND WAR by CAMRON WRIGHT is a beautifully written WW11 story that is both heart wrenching and heart warming. It is a story about courage, love, friendship and the trust that develops between people in times of great strain, when even deeply hidden secrets and fears come out into the open.
Audrey Stocking and Claire Bergmann are German girls who work in London transporting children out of the city to safety in 1940, as the bombing gains momentum.
Second Lieutenant Wesley Bowers has come from America to work in a bomb disposal team. At first he is not accepted but soon becomes part of this close knit group of courageous men. I love to see how the British sayings baffle him. I also love to see the sense of humour amongst them, considering their average life expectancy is ten weeks.
Audrey meets Wesley when he defuses a bomb that lands in her flat.
I am not going to tell you any more excepting to say that it is a really inspiring read with a great story and unforgettable characters.
I was given a free copy of the book by NetGalley from Shadow Mountain Publishers. The opinions in this review are completely my own.

Official rating: 3.5/5 stars

In Times of Rain and War is a historical fiction novel chronicling the experiences of an American soldier attached to the bomb disposal unit. During his time in England, he encounters a young lady hiding a deep secret. Audrey Stocking is secretly a German, and has hid her identity to prevent her and her aunt's arrest. Throughout their time together, they cultivate a friendship that soon becomes more.

I greatly enjoyed the portions on bomb disarmament and disposal, but I found the parts which were in Audrey's point of view less compelling. Her character seemed less developed in comparison.

The multiple skips in between the short chapters towards the end were also jarring and I felt myself frequently thrown out of reverie by the chopping storytelling. All in all, I still enjoyed the book, though I felt some things could be improved.

I received a copy from the publisher via NetGalley and this is an honest review.

Based partly on a true story, this is a World War II historical novel with a decent enough plot that suffers from episodes of excessive detail and over-writing. 3.5 stars is probably more accurate than 3.

Wes Bowers is an American officer working in London during the time of the London Blitz. The United States has not yet entered the war so Wes is NOT immediately accepted by his British comrades, even though they are collaborating on the extremely dangerous task of diffusing unexploded bombs. As these relationships improve over time there are some quite touching moments.

During the course of his work, Wes meets a young woman, Audrey Stocking, who chaperones young children, sent by their parents to the English countryside, to escape the dangers of German bombing. Wes and Audrey are immediately attracted to one another. But Audrey, who suffers from periodic panic attacks, has secrets she isn’t sharing.

The plot is unpredictable, with a few surprise twists. And centers around the slow revealing of Audrey’s secrets.

Certainly lots of dramatic potential here, with soldiers diffusing bombs in the middle of a large city and a woman harboring secrets. But the book seemed very "male" to me. Probably because I felt more emphasis was placed on the men's work and relationships PLUS what to me felt like an excessive about of detail about the bombs themselves. Like how fuses differ, how they work, and the different approaches required to diffuse each type. To me, this information was exceedingly dry and dull, each instance just one more delay in the unfolding of the plot.

I also referenced above what felt TO ME like instances of overwriting. I found that particularly true at the start of the book. For me, too many literary devices sprinkled within convoluted sentence structure, Here's one example from page one, describing the release of a bomb from an airplane: "Faster, closer, wilder, causing the wind to exhale, the sky to shiver, the clouds to arch aside, all fleeing its frightening shrill, a battle cry to remember the Heimat, the cherished German motherland."

Overall, I recommend the book, though I think those who will like it best are those who like stories about World War II, bombs, the London Blitz, and refugees. If I were going to recommend a book by author Camron Wright though, it would more likely be his 2012 novel, THE RENT COLLECTOR.

#InTimesOfRainAndWar #NetGalley

This book, is a story told through the eyes of Wes Bowers, an American ,serving among the British at the time of the Blitz. Wes, along with others are on a team of bomb disposals which is very dangerous, there is a one in ten day chance of survival.
Audrey Stocking, is a young girl, who works along side others to place England's children away from home during the bomb raids.
The two stories, intertwined, kept me turning pages. A story of loss, friendship, and forgiveness.

World War II is a particularly interesting period for me, so I have read at fair number of books focused around that time. “In Times of Rain and War” addresses the Blitz in London prior to the United States entering the war. It was a particularly frightening time for the British people and even more harrowing for the Bomb Squads who responded to unexploded bombs all over the area. Lieutenant Wes Bowers is an American assigned to a Bomb Squad, who struggles with the possibility of dying each time his crew is called to a bomb scene.

Audrey Stocking is a young German girl who assists with relocating children to locations away from London for their safety. Her Passport is a forgery and she speaks perfect English, allowing her to reside and work in London. When a bomb lands in her apartment and fails to explode, Audrey hurriedly evacuated, but she returns to retrieve some personal items and meets Lt. Bowers. He rescues her belongings just before blowing up her home and they begin a friendship that helps each of them to deal with their own fears and frailties.

I received a free ARC of this book from NetGalley for my honest review. This book offers a good WWII story, but it goes so far beyond that in the insights and wisdom offered regarding war, fear, healing, love, loss and more. Overall this story (loosely based on some real people as described in the Author’s Notes), is a celebration of life and worth at least ten stars!

Camron Wright but it head on when this story was written. I have no clue to on where to begin but first off I would really love to see this story made into a movie and I don't ever hardly say such a thing,but not to change a thing like making movies do when they make a movie from a book. WWII in England,was bad enough with the bombing but so many secrets were going on,so many different people there hiding and this is what Audrey was doing. Follow her life as it unfolds and she falls for a American soldier who basically saves her life. I learned so much about how bombs and the brave men and women who had to handle them and disarm them before they blew up. Audrey was trying to keep her head down not to call attention to herself,she's not only Jewish she's from Germany. Will the man she's falling in love with,will be still love her if and when he finds out? I fell in love with all characters,they had their own personalities and I'm sure that's hard to do when building a story like this one and then having them come alive for you on paper,they did for me! Grab some tissues you are really going to need them. Before you know it as you read,you have placed yourself in their lives. Received from Net Gallery and I'm so glad I was about to read this fantastic real to life story ,it was for me real! Can't rave enough on not only this complicated love war story but this author really made it come alive for me and I so hope for you! I will for sure read more of this authors stories!

💣 HEARTBREAK AND HOPE 💣

This is the Blitz book I’ve been waiting for. It’s a “you are there” hist fic novel with scenes so real you understand, perhaps for the first time, what it was like to endure Nazi bombings in London, 1940. Only a short section in Erik Larson’s fine THE SPLENDID AND THE VILE matches it. I was so taken by IN TIMES OF RAIN AND WAR that all sensory input shut down, save sight pinning me to the page.

💣
I will never forget the wrenching Blitz scenes, nor the story of German-born Audrey hiding in London, nor of American Lieutenant Wesley Bowers, part of the area Bomb Squad, who helps when her apartment is blitzed. Will Audrey’s past engulf her? Will Lieut. Bowers, who falls for her, survive work that typically kills within 10 weeks? No spoilers here. Just one admonition: READ THIS BOOK!

💣
5 of 5
Pub Date 06 Apr 2021
#InTimesofRainandWar #NetGalley

Thanks to the author, Shadow Mountain Publishing, and NetGalley for the ARC. Opinions are mine.

Camron Wright wove the horrors of war with the beauty of courage, love, friendship and most of all trust into a beautifully written WWII historical novel centered around The Blitz. In Times of Rain and War, the story focusses on Wesley Bowers, an American Marine 2nd Lieutenant who is sent to England to shadow a bomb disposal team prior to US joining the war, and Audrey Stocking, a German Jew who escaped from the Nazi Germany to Switzerland and then entered England on a forged passport. The story begins as the Luftwaffe's Blitz (bombing campaign of London) commences.

Wesley meets 17-year-old Audrey when he tries to defuse a bomb that landed in her London flat at the beginning of the Blitz. With alternating (short) chapters, we learn what it was like to live through the Blitz (many of the details culled from dairies written by British volunteers during the devastation). This includes initial resentment toward Wes from most of his bomb disposal team for America not yet helping them fight the Germans. Through chapters following Wes' boss, we learn details about the evolving sophistication of bomb fuses and the British "backroom boys" efforts to develop ways to disarm them, which I found credible and interesting.

Audrey, meanwhile, is an immigrant trying to "hide in plain sight" with her Aunt Claire, keeping the secrets of their past deeply hidden. While portraying themselves as locals, they compassionately ferry displaced children to temporary homes outside London for the Women's Voluntary Services.

The two stories intertwine with a lot of twists and turns, centering on friendship, innocent romance, and high emotion as secrets are revealed and lives put at risk. The baseline theme, however, is courage and trust. As I read, I kept visualizing a movie version.
After finishing the book and reading the author's note at the end, I was impressed to learn that the author was introduced to the WWII bomb disposal teams by Rachel Bowers, granddaughter to Wesley Bowers. He died when she was young but left her a legacy that she continued in Iraq during Operation Iraqi Freedom.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review. I definitely will seek out more written by Camron Wright. Four & a half stars.

This is a historical fiction set in London during WW II. Our main characters are Wesley Bowers and Audrey Stocking. Wesley is an American Marine who is assigned to the British military learning about unexploded bomb disposal.
Audrey has her secrets; she is a German Jew who is living in London using a false identification. She meets Wesley when he's sent to defuse a bomb. Audrey is trying to blend in and survive all the while missing her family in Germany. She and Wesley form a friendship and develop an attraction to one another but their relationship may never have chance to develop. Wesley's chance of surviving his bomb disposal detail is an average of 10 weeks. Audrey is hiding her identity but military intelligence officers may discover her.

It's harrowing to think of the life expectancy of the soldiers who performed these duties. Such self sacrifice and bravery, much to be admired. This novel addresses PTSD and what war can do you emotionally as well as physically.

As a side note, if you ever get an opportunity to watch a Masterpiece Theater program called Danger: UXB starring Anthony Andrews, it's very good. There is a more up to date movie about bomb disposal called The Hurt Locker and both can have you on edge during the crucial bomb defusing scenes.

Publication date is 6 April 2021 by Shadow Mountain Publishing. Genre: Historical Fiction.

Much thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. I was not compensated for my review and opinions are mine.

This story is set in London, during the dark days of the Battle Of Britain, before America entered the war. While this is a factual accounting which has been fictionalized it does not detract from the grim story of the young american marine assigned to a British Unexploded Bomb detail. It tells in grim detail the horror of war and the determination of those proud individuals to succeed in an impossible situation. I wish I could say it ended well but this was reality not a fairy tale.

I enjoyed the book (5 stars) and would buy and recommend it to everyone who enjoys a good book.

I received an ARC from Netgalley for my unbiased review.

This book is set during the period of the London Blitz during World War II. . Wes, an American soldier serving in the British Army disarming bombs, meets Audrey who is an German living secretly in London. They meet when Wes is involved with the disarming of a bomb that hit Audrey's flat. As their relationship develops, they both realize they must be prepared to face whatever fate is handed them and live life to the fullest. They also must answer the question of whether they are ready to face the afterlife. This story is beautifully written and shows the reader that something good can come out of something terrible..

This book was incredible. From the detailed descriptions from WWII bombs to the actual historical people the story was based on it was simply amazing.

It was a perfect balance of a hint of mystery with a hint of romance. It also included some really great letters and usually I don't enjoy epistolary stole.

I really admired both Audrey and Wes for their wartime efforts. I also enjoyed the times they got together to chat over biscuits. The whole book was beautiful.

The ending was so well done. But no spoilers.

I received an advanced copy of this book through NetGalley. This is my honest review.

This novel explores the lives of two German women who were sent to England to escape the Nazi regime before the war began. Audrey Stocking is awakened by a bomb that shatters her apartment building and lands in her bottom flat but does not explode. She meets an American soldier serving in the bomb squad to learn how to de-fuze them, and they become friends. The work of de-fuzing the bombs creates what we now call PTSD, which complicates the friendship with Audrey. The constant danger of the work is emphasized as men are lost to bombs that explode unexpectedly.
Years ago, I watched a PBS Masterpiece Theatre series called "Danger UXB" about the bomb disposal units who served in London during the 1940 Blitz during World War II. I've never forgotten how necessary these men were during that horrifying time. This novel goes deep into the problems of removing the fuzes from the unexploded bombs, which I found fascinating. Thank you, Netgalley.

I admit, when I initially started reading this book, I didn’t know what to expect. I thought the story would be dark and depressing about the terrors of war. Yes, it does contain a few of those scenes, but it is SO MUCH much! The story turned out to be incredible that me going through all kinds of emotions!

Let’s start with the two leads. Audrey is a beautiful character with a complicated past. I admired her passion for helping the children and was intrigued about her history and reason for nightmares. On a side note, I enjoyed the details the author wrote about the Women’s Voluntary Services. Wes, on the other hand, was equally fun. It was interesting to see the various situations he endured with his team and how he tries to win them. I loved the scenes where he talks to Badger and his emotions when he sees the bodies.

Moreover, I loved Wes and Audrey! Thankfully, the author did not force a steamy relationship of them for the reader. They share a sweet friendship. I loved many of their moments, like their chess tournaments, deep conversations about life and death, and how Audrey talks about her religion.

Furthermore, the author did a fantastic job in narrating the plot. There is never a dull moment, and the story gets thrilling towards the climax. There were a few shocking twists I did not expect. Moreover, I thought the author is incredibly talented and hard-working for the details put into the story. I felt I learned so much about bomb diffusing, from anti withdrawal devices to steam sterilizers. Similarly, I learned facts about various people involved, like Rühlemann.

In short, “In Times of Rain and War” is an excellent historical fiction novel that I loved reading!

First sentence: Eins! Zwei! Drei! Vier! Four bombs dropped from the plane in succession, chasing one another—though the fin on the last caught on a rivet in the bomb bay, delaying its liberation until the pilot briskly pulled the aircraft’s nose up to nudge the explosive free.

Premise/plot: Joey would put this book in the freezer. I'm tempted to leave it at that--but, of course, I won't.

In Times of Rain and War is loosely (yes, loosely) based on a true story. It is historical fiction--set in England during the Second World War--with a strong romantic undercurrent.

Audrey Stocking, our heroine, is bombed out of her apartment--along with her Aunt Claire.

Wes Bower, our hero, is an American newly arrived in England and joining a bomb squad. That is he is part of a team that works to disarm (deactivate) bombs that have fallen but not exploded. It is a dangerous job. (He learns that the average person lasts TEN WEEKS on the job before dying on the job.) Still, it's an important job--crucial. They have to LEARN and LEARN AS THEY GO; even failures can lead to future successes if they can figure out what went wrong. And since Germans--Nazis--keep coming up with new fuses (I believe the book spells that fuzes), they have to keep coming up with new strategies, techniques, protocols.

The two meet each other when she's bombed out of her apartment; he's called to the scene...

But this is NOT insta-love OR insta-lust. This book is a thousand times better than that. Wright doesn't need to stoop to that level.

My thoughts: I NEEDED A FREEZER. Man, oh man, I needed a freezer. I felt like my heart had gotten beaten up with a baseball bat.

Every single reader is different--has different likes, dislikes, hopes, expectations, etc. For some this book may prove too brutal on the heart strings. Then again, there are some people who VOLUNTARILY watch Titanic or The Notebook or The Boy in Striped Pajamas or Steel Magnolias.

I thought this one was well written. While having romantic elements certainly, this one has way too many side characters that are fully developed and fleshed out--not to mention the historical details--to be your typical "romance novel." If that comes across as an insult to an entire genre, it isn't meant to be. I promise. What I mean is that the characterization--from main characters to side characters--has depth and substance. It is SO GOOD--for better or worse. The better to break your heart perhaps.

**I received a free copy of this book from the publisher. My decision to review and my opinions here are my own, as always.**

The beginning was a slow start for me as I’m not a fan of WWII books. But the writing and storyline would not be left alone. What happened to Wes and his group? When, not if, and how would Audrey and Claire’s real story come out? What would happen to them?

I finished it all at once and in a hurry once I’d made it to the halfway point, staying up far past the hour when everyone else in the house had gone to bed. While there is some romance here, this is a book more about people facing death almost every moment, yet finding a way to continue forward when every way seems blocked or hopeless.

My favorite part of this book were the letters written by one character to another. Handwritten letters have no equal for sharing a part of yourself with someone far away, even if that person will never receive your words in their hands.

I absolutely loved this part true story and I did really feel as though I was living in war torn London during the blitz. Compassionately written and well researched, I am looking forward to reading the next book from this wonderful author. Thanks to Netgalley and Shadow Mountain publishing for giving me the opportunity to read this special book

A great subject and fascinating story about two WWII teams that are inspired by real people.

Second Lieutenant Wes Bower is an American working with the British Bomb Disposal team. At first, he is treated as an outsider with his Yankee ‘posh’ uniform. He will work hard to earn the ultimate respect of his team.

The second group highlighted by the author is the Women’s Voluntary Services, ‘The Army that Hitler Forgot.’ This newly formed women’s organization handled children evacuations, first aid, etc. Audrey is one of its’ volunteers and introduced in the beginning pages when a bomb crashes through her ceiling but does not detonate. This will bring Wes into her orbit and their relationship blossoms. I would love a Netflix series on this one.

Love will always persist

An emotional and heartbreaking story of love and loss during WWII. Audrey Stocking a young Jewish girl in London under a forged passport meets a young American soldier named Wes Bowers assigned to a bomb disposal unit when his unit comes to defuse an unexplored bomb in her apartment.

As they comfort each other during the worse of the bombing blitz in London, she tells Wes her darkest secrets and she comforts him when most of his team is wiped out by a bomb they are defusing.

They learn that without pain love cannot exist and that when all the fire and smoke settles life goes on. Life is fragile and that we should savor every moment. We cannot live in the past nor speculate over the future but must live in the present. No matter what happens we must try our best to live life in spite of heartaches we might have faced because Love will always persist.

It is a story of the horrors of war, the rewards of love and the fragility of life. We learn of the tremendous amount of innocent lives lost because of the war and the tragedies caused to all involved. We also are reminded of the hero’s who fight our wars and put their lives in danger to insure our freedom. The consequences the soldiers face during and after the war are heartbreaking and life changing. No one that has ever lived through a war is ever the same again.

The ending chapters were so sad, but so true to life. I enjoyed reading this book, and I could not put it down. I would recommend this book.

Thanks to Camron Wright, Shadow Mountain Publishing, and NetGalley for allowing me to read and review an advanced copy of the book.

I enjoy historical fiction about WWII and thought this book looked interesting. It started slow for me, it took a good while to get to know the characters and to feel vested in them. The early part of the story was slow and felt disjointed. The last third held my attention and I wanted to keep reading.

The characters were relatable, and there was definite empathy for Audrey. Her story, though fiction, was very compelling. The ending is sad, but with hope, which I think is what ones takes out of this book. Hope and love, that is what we need to keep in mind. And to continue to look upward.

I received an ARC of this book for an honest review.

Sometimes I wish I could just say I liked this story and be done with it, but that really wouldn’t be fair because I really enjoyed In Times of Rain and War. The prologue was vivid and terrorizing and a kick start to a story that was sometimes harrowing and heartbreaking, but also filled with love and compassion. It’s told in multiple perspectives with the main characters being Wes Bowers and Audrey Stocking. The perspectives were interesting and gave deeper insight to the characters and what is going on around them.

Wes Bowers is an American soldier sent to London to train with the bomb disposal team. He meets Audrey Stocking, a German Jew hiding in plain sight. They form a loving friendship something that is much needed in bombed-out London. With a romantic element, I’ll admit I’m a certain kind of reader. I like a little angst. I do not like my heart ripped out. I enjoy the development of the relationship. I feel I didn’t really get it here. With the passing of time it was just assumed the relationship was there without much time spent together. I had an expectation and was thrown a bit by the trajectory the story took.

A significant element of the story is letter writing. The letters were intimate and gave a closeness that otherwise might not have been there.

On the whole, while there were a couple of times I felt the story was truncated, it was still a beautiful story of hope, love, and resilience.

I received a free electronic ARC of this novel from Netgalley, Camron Wright, and Shadow Mountain Publishers. Thank you all for sharing your hard work with me. I have read this historical novel of my own volition, and this review reflects my honest opinion of this work. This book was a joy to read, filled with warmth and heart despite the theme. I will enjoy more from Camron Wright.

We travel beginning in September 1940 into London as the city endures the Blitz, through two differing viewpoints. Lieutenant Wesley Bowers is an American Marine, in London to study and learn all that he can from the British Bomb Disposal Royal Engineers. Attempting to neutralize unexploded bombs in situ is a fairly new concept but one that is evolving quickly. Members of the bomb disposal units average a life expectancy of ten weeks on the job, so there is still a LONG way to go on perfecting this profession.

Aubrey Stocking is a highly educated mid-twenties Swiss citizen living in England with her Aunt and working steadily as a volunteer with Lady Reading's Women's Voluntary Services, WVS, escorting children from dangerous London homes and housing them with families in less dangerous, pastoral villages. This is work she and her Aunt find essential, and it is something Aubrey feels she can do for the children despite her mysterious medical problems.

Wes and Aubrey meet when his BS unit is called to Aubrey's bedroom to defuse an unexploded bomb. The story only gets more exciting from this point, on. Don't plan on any sleep the day you open this book.

pub date April 6, 2021
Reviewed on March 12, 2021, at Goodreads. Reviewed on March 21 at Netgalley,

In Times of Rain and War is the story of an American, Wes, who is stationed in London working with the Ordinance Disposal Unit, and Audrey, a German Jew hiding in London. The story mostly takes place at the early part of the war, during the Blitz when air-raids on London were almost constant. The story is well developed, and it alternates between the two main characters. We follow Wes as he gets to know his squad and we learn a lot about the bombs that fell and how they disarmed them. Really fascinating. Audrey of course, has a dark secret that gets unraveled along the way.

I really enjoyed the story, the characters and plot were well developed. Thank you to NetGalley, the publishers, and the author for an ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review.

OMG, I feel like a broken record, BUT, this is a beautifully written story of love and war.

There is nothing I can say that other reviewers haven't already said about this wonderful and tragic book.

Many thanks to Netgalley and Shadow Mountain Publishing for this advanced readers copy. This book is due to release in April 2021.

This emotional book starts in September, 1940. The Blitz has overtaken London with ongoing bombings creating death and destruction. For Audrey Stocking, she is not only trying to survive but trying to hide her true identity. She is German and Jewish having escaped to England with a fake passport. Audrey has been working for the Woman’s Voluntary Services to bring children to the countryside for safety. During an air raid, an unexploded bomb lands in her apartment. A bomb disposal unit comes to remove it and she meets Lieutenant Wesley Bowers, an American. Their meeting is the beginning of a special connection between two people living one day at a time.

In Times of Rain and War was inspired by the actual life of Lieutenant Bowers. Author Camron Wright details the bravery of those who worked to disarm the German bombs, which continued to become more and more sophisticated and tough to prevent from detonating. Amidst all the horror surrounding them, Audrey and Wes find hope.

This was a fast-moving book that shook me to the core. By the time the book ended, I was filled with so much emotion that I had to sit and reflect on what I’d just read. This beautiful book should be added to your list of WWII-era books to read.

Rated 4.25 stars.

This was a heartbreaking book about Audrey Stocking, a young Jewish woman living in England and trying to transport young children safely out of the bombed London homes and into the country. She meets an American, Wesley Bowers who is working with the British to disarm the unexploded German bombs that lie in the streets.

They strike up a friendship and try to keep safe during the trying wartime.

Thanks to NetGalley for an ARC of this book.

Another World War II novel, but this one felt unique and unlike the others. The novel follows two main characters - Audrey who is an active member of the WVS as she is helping get kids to safety while the war ravages the country. The other main character is Wes, an American who is on the "Bomb Disposal Company 5" and is disarming bombs that Germans are dropping in hopes of saving lives before they detonate and cause more damage.

While I knew more about Audrey and the things that she did for the war effort, I appreciated her storyline in this book to show different efforts made in the war for the communities impacted by war. But Wes' storyline felt more new and different and with all the things I was learning, I was more captivated by his work and the team that he was surrounded by - they were entertaining!

For me, I enjoyed the characters and they are the reason I kept reading, but the writing just didn't capture my attention. I also kept reading because my favorite thing about historical fiction is when I am learning something and Wes' storyline and the details about the bombs that were dropped was all new information to me. In other books, bombs are dropped and there isn't much more detail than that, so to read about the teams that dispose of them, but also the scientists that are trying to learn things about the bombs, kept me going in this book.

This was my second Camron Wright read and while I didn't enjoy this as much as the first, I am still intrigued by his backlist and hope to get to them soon.

Thank you NetGalley and William Morrow Publishing this ARC. I almost didn’t read it because I’ve read so many books about WWII; however The Orphan Keeper by this same author is in my top 5 all-time favorite books. I enjoyed the way that this emotional story about a Jewish woman escaping Germany to help innocent children get to safety in war-torn London was written. Her story intertwines with Wesley Bowers, an American in London to diffuse bombs. I found the story fascinating and the writing very compelling. I would recommend this one when it is published in 4/6.

This book has everything in it - Love, deceit, death, war. It is set in London during World War II when the Blitz began. Audrey Stocking lives with her aunt and they work to evacuate children to the country to protect them. Audrey is Jewish, but she is hiding her identity. She meets an American Wesley Bowers. To call this book “just a love story” does not do it justice. We see Audrey and Wesley’s relationship grow as does Audrey’s growth as a young woman.
This is based on many historical facts. I really learned a lot about the bomb squad. This book kept me interested until the end.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from Shadow Mountain Publishing through NetGalley. The opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.

This was both heartbreaking and hopeful.
To be honest, this had been sitting on my NetGalley shelf for a few months and I wasn’t sure if I wanted to read it when it got closer to the publication date. Why? Because war is such a heavy topic. I normally love historical fiction, but I’ve found myself turning them down a lot this year and picking up lighter reads. Real life seems to be heavy enough without adding something also based on a true story from the past.

That being said, I’m glad I did. This made me feel all the things.
I thought it was well written, and the characters were multidimensional and really well done. I had a hard time putting it down. I was pulled in right from the prologue.
I’m really happy I decided to pick this up because as sad and tragic as this story is, the hope it brings to your heart by the final sentence is extraordinary.

Thank you NetGalley and Camron Wright for a copy of this book. All thoughts are my own.

A little while ago I received a request for a review for a book from Camron Wright. I was super excited when I got it since I knew that I had to read it. I am a huge fan of his books. I have read I believe three books in the past by him and have reviewed each of them as they have come out. I was looking forward to it since I seemingly have been on a WW2 kick as of late and knew that it would be something that I would enjoy.

Audrey has come to England from Germany via Switzerland. She is working on saving children from the Blitz that is happening in London. She is working with her Aunt Claire and Lady Reading. However, during one of the bombings, she ends up with a bomb right through the floor of her flat. It is through the bombing of her flat that she comes in contact with Wes, an American that is assigned to the bomb disposal unit here in London. Wes and Audrey become friends. What Wes doesn’t know is that Audrey is harboring a secret that is so deep that they both don’t know where it will lead. This book was really good. I am a huge fan of the author already and this book just cements him in my list of favorite authors of all time. It may have taken me a little bit to get through it but my Grandmother died and I was slightly distracted from binge reading it. What got me through was the fact that my Grandmother was an avid reader and it was something that she probably would have enjoyed. There was England which something that she was a BIT of a fan of.

The author wrote the characters in a way that made them human. I felt for Audrey when I finally learned her secret. My heart literally ached for her. I was stunned when I learned the truth. In all honesty, I was truly rooting for Audrey and Wes to become a thing. I really wanted them to get together as a couple they had such great chemistry. I really wanted love to win. I think that the way that Audrey’s story unfolded was brilliant. Audrey was someone that I wanted to be best friends with. She had such a personality. The way that the story ended left me in tears but it also gave me closure to the rest of the book. The author left no loose ends for me to wonder what could have happened. I see has written a few other books and one of them is actually on my bookshelf currently. I can’t wait to dig it out and read it soon.

I must not have read the blurb on the back of this book, because I didn't realize until I got to the author's note at the end that it was based on a true story. And I'm sitting here with a lump in my throat and not really sure what to think about the story. Oh, it was good, don't get me wrong. Very well-written, with excellent characters that I felt like I really got to know. (Driver was one of my favorites.) But man, war just sucks! The things that any of the soldiers had to experience are mind- blowing and heartbreaking and nauseating and insert any other adjective here. Then you have the air raids over London and the retaliating strike over Hamburg. It's all so heartbreaking. So yeah, I'm not sure how to feel about this book. It's definitely not a light, easy beach read. Bring tissues, be prepared for some heavy stuff, but also get ready to fall in love with Wes, Audrey, and all of the other characters.

Waking up to a ticking bomb, Audrey’s life, which has already been through so much upheaval, changes again when she meets Wes. She escorts young children to a safer place to wait out the war. Her work is important and she wants to make a difference. Wes is an American helping the war effort; he’s learning to diffuse bombs. A tricky thing when the Germans are constantly changing the fuses. Audrey is carrying a secret, one that could alter her life even more if it gets out. She will do what she can while protecting that secret.

While I think the touch of added romance was a bit forced, I appreciated the alternating points of view and how they told of the war effort through each’s eyes. I enjoyed the historical aspects of this book, the research that went into writing this, and Camron’s author note, which tells the details in which he came to research this book. The characters are richly detailed, Audrey’s story is incredibly engaging. Overall, this is an enjoyable read. Thank you, Shadow Mountain Publishing, for sending this along.

This is easily one of the best books I’ve read this year, if not ever. It’s one that will stay with me for some time to come. Set during the London blitz of WWII, it shows a side of the war not often characterized. In this book, we see much of the everyday struggles to survive, as well as the joy of being alive, and hope—always the hope that things will get better (and this was 1940–early days of the war, when things seemed darkest). Wes is a US soldier assigned to a British bomb disposal unit (before the US had entered the war). We are introduced to a wonderful, motley cast of characters in his unit that show the best of the backbone holding Britain together at that time. The personalities and quirks of these gentlemen, as well as the rich detail about their job and how they went about it, make for delightful reading. Correspondingly there are Audrey and her Aunt Claire. Although they have entered England under false papers, they are working for the war effort, devotedly relocating London’s children to the country for safety. As Wes and Audrey meet, and later develop a friendship, little by little their hopes and dreams, fears and histories are revealed to build a complex yet simple story. We see who they are and what made them that way, and in a unique way that is so compelling. The secondary plots add another level of intrigue and suspense, building even more depth to this amazing novel. It’s a fabulous must read. I received a complimentary copy of this book from Netgalley and the publisher. This is my freely given, honest review.

This was my first foray into the writing of this author, and I really struggled to get through it. Mostly because this is a sad story, and the tone is very melancholy. There are some moments of levity to break up the monotony, and I very much appreciated those. There are a lot of historical tidbits sprinkled throughout, some of which are very technical and dry. At one of these points, my daughter read a couple paragraphs over my shoulder and asked if I was reading a history book. They are interesting if you’re in to learning details about different WWII-era bombs and how to dispose of them.

The story focuses on an American sent to England during the London blitz to work with a bomb disposal group and learn about the process, and a German Jew living semi-incognito in London who is helping with the effort to get children out of the city. It’s about how they help each other through the difficult times and learn from each other. Ultimately, it has a great message, and the melancholy tone is appropriate considering the subject matter. But I wouldn’t recommend this to anyone who can’t handle a bittersweet conclusion.

I liked the overall story arc and found Wes' work disposing of bombs and Audrey's work helping children escape London, as well as the interactions between Wes and Audrey to be interesting. There were also a lot of ideas and themes that would be great for book club discussions. However, I didn't always care for the writing. There were a LOT of details about the bombs and their fuses and such, which for me, bogged down the story, and the scenes were very short, moving from one character to another very quickly (and not just Wes and Audrey but secondary characters as well), which sometimes felt jarring and made it somewhat hard to delve into the characters' experiences as deeply as I would have liked.
3 stars.
I read an ARC provided by the publisher via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

Historical fiction is one of my favorite genres and I really love books set during WWII. My grandparents lived through this war in England and in fact, had a bombing the night before their wedding. My grandma ran down the stairs of their house, worried about her cake that they had saved sugar rations for, crying "my cake, my cake!" She didn't even know if my grandpa would make it to the wedding. The bombings made it difficult to get to the church from where he was stationed because the roads were demolished. He hitchhiked, and finally made it. Late, but grandma didn't give up. Thank goodness. See why I love books like this? It feels like I know a bit of my own history better.

I haven't ever read anything about the many men who defused the many bombs during WWII that fell but didn't explode. Crazy stuff. Absolutely crazy. But how important they were to saving so many people. It was amazing to read about and I learned so much. I love when a book does that for me.

This book was heartbreaking. War is so devastating. I wish all people, everywhere could avoid it. There were many moments of hope and love and friendship, but this story was a bit heartbreaking overall. I'm grateful though, for the reminder of all I have to be grateful for and all those that deserve to be remembered for giving up so much, sometimes everything, for others. Here is my favorite quote:

" The soul is a tender and complicated thing, and it can bruise easily, but I've learned it's after fighting through our deepest moments of distress that our greatest strength are found."

Content: war violence, death, peril. One kiss. A couple instances of mild swearing.

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

In Times of Rain and War was my first book by this author, but I certainly don't think it'll be my last. The book led me in one direction and ended in another and I enjoyed that. I loved the characters and their stories. Audrey's pre-book story especially intrigued me and I love that it unfolded slowly. I was totally rooting for Audrey and Wes both together, and as separate characters.
I just downloaded Rachael's story and look forward to reading this companion piece!
Thank you to NetGalley and Shadow Mountain Publishing for the ARC.

In reading historical fiction, I often learn something new that sends me into researching the subject. In this case, it was bomb disposal teams. In all the books that I have read about the Blitz, rarely have I read about the teams that came in after bombings to dispose of the unexplored bombs. This is the story of Wesley Bowers, who, in fact was a real person. He was an American soldier sent to England to join a bomb disposal team. He arrived expecting to be trained, but instead is thrown right into work, learning as he goes, because another team has died on the job. He learns that members of bomb disposal teams are given a life span of ten weeks. The bulk of the story takes place in this ten weeks. Wes meets a young woman named Audrey Stocking when he is called to remove or detonate a bomb that landed in her flat the previous night. Audrey works for the WVS which rehomes children to keep them safe during the bombings. Audrey and Wes strike up a friendship which turns into something more. Audrey has a secret which changes everything between them. I highly recommend this book. It gives a unique view of living during the blitz. Thank you Net Galley for the ARC of this book.

I have read several novels about WWII, but I never thought of the men who risked their lives to physically disarm unexploded bombs. Can you even imagine? That’s a whole new level of bravery to me. It was an extremely dangerous job, more dangerous than fighting at the front. The average person only survived ten weeks while serving in this position. It wasn’t until after reading this book that I realized this is where the term “defuse the situation” comes from. The soldiers had to literally remove the fuze from the bomb to prevent it from exploding and causing damage and death.

I love books based on real people and events. This book is based on the story of Wes Bowers, an American who ends up working on a British bomb disposal team. There is even a note at the end of the book from his granddaughter, Rachel Bowers who served in the military scouting for roadside IEDs (improvised explosive devices) in Iraq. The author has written a short novel about her experience that I am looking forward to reading as well.

This is also the story of 17 year old Audrey Stocking, a German Jew who is hiding in London. She meets and becomes friends with Wes when a bomb is dropped on her flat but luckily doesn’t explode. Audrey selflessly spends her time helping children get out of London to safer locations.

I highlighted many passages throughout the book that stood out to me either for the way they were written, “The sun was not yet up, but it was stretching” or they were thought provoking, “The flames of her past had been forging the opportunities of her future.” (Ch 3) I deducted a little from my rating because the conversations between Wes and the colonel and between Wes and Audrey don’t always seem realistic. This surprised me because some of Camron Wright’s other books are among my favorites. I also thought it was a little slow at times, but it moved faster and kept my interest for the last 1/3. Definitely keep reading to the sweet ending.

Content warning: There are some brief but gruesome descriptions of the remains of people after a bomb explodes.
Thanks to Shadow Mountain Publishing and NetGalley for an ARC to use for my review.
3.5 rounded up to 4

Reviewed for www.compassbookratings.com

In Times of Rain and War is a powerful, heart-wrenching story by bestselling author Camron Wright. Filled with intrigue and mystery, this World War II drama includes vivid descriptions, authentic accents, and figurative language galore. This novel is inspired by a real person, Lt. Wesley Bowers, during his service on a bomb disposal team in London. Wright has done impeccable research, writing technical bomb descriptions that are easy to understand. Wright also captures the many emotions of wartime through letters that are sprinkled throughout the narrative. The book's characters are realistic, showing vulnerabilities and suffering from real consequences like PTSD and panic attacks. While many tender scenes dot these pages, the ending of In Times of Rain and War will bring both tears and sweet satisfaction.

Review of an Advance Electronic Copy

For full content analysis, go to www.compassbookratings.com

This was an interesting look at not only life in World War II London during the Blitz, but also the lives of men working to dispose of the bombs that were being dropped. Depictions of the characters' anxieties and PTSD felt very real. I hadn't read anything by this author before, but I liked his writing style - sometimes funny, very descriptive - although some similes or metaphors he used felt a little odd to me. I'd definitely recommend this book to fans of historical fiction.

Thanks to NetGalley and Shadow Mountain Publishing for the eARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

War teaches us that it is never too late to open our hearts., and it teaches us the truth. I enjoyed this novel and liked learning of the Women’s Voluntary Services. This was a fine historical novel and I highly recommend.
Many thanks to Shadoow Mountain Publishing and to NetGalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

This book was fantastic because the author surprised me with the twists & turns within the storyline! The characters were vulnerable and strong that made them so charismatic at times and appealing. I couldn’t put the book down even when I was supposed to be paying attention to my husband and what he wanted for dinner! Oh, well I guess it was a pizza night!
Audrey was in England during the War and she was actually a German citizen, but she spoke perfect English. She was trying so hard to be a productive member by helping with the displaced children and getting them to the countryside. However, she was worried someone would figure out that she was German.
Lieutenant Wesley Bowers was on loan from America to learn about bomb disposal. It so happens a unexploded bomb lands in Audrey building and her and Wesley meet under these horrible circumstances.
Right away the two become friends and it’s like they are each others cheerleader during these bleak times.
However, secrets and deaths will become a dangerous situation for these two tortured souls.

I definitely would recommend this book.

I received a free advanced copy from NetGalley and these are my willingly given thoughts and opinions.

This book took me awhile to get into, but once I was able to settle in and read without distraction, I was hooked. I love stories of WWII and this one was unexpectedly different.

Tension naturally built based on the main character's involvement in the bomb disposal unit and the setting of London during the heavy bombings by the Nazis.

The relationships in the book were natural to the setting and built organically complete with natural tension and conflict.

This book elicited all kinds of emotion in me regarding the history of the time. This is not a typical story of boy meets girl and the surrounding environment. There is so much more depth and unexpected turns that elicit deeper thought.

I would recommend this book with the caveat that the subject matter is heavier and the tension is palpable. It is war after all. The book is a beautiful message of hope in dark times.

I received an early copy from the publisher through netgalley and this is my honest review.

Wonderful book set during WWII. We get a glimpse into what life was like for those who lived during the bombings in London. Loved the way the story was written and how we felt the emotions with the characters.

This novel I could fully see being made into an award winning film. I feel ashamed to admit that I really didn’t know anything about the bomb diffusing squads that were during The Blitz. I have read several books about the concentration camps, the United States during WWII, soldiers in Asia, but I haven’t ever picked up a book that took place in England during WWII. Camron Wright is a master storyteller, he was able to describe the bombs in detail that made it seem like he was the expert back then. I could feel the emotions of the characters, the elation at times of happiness, the deep sorrow, the anxiety that Audrey experienced. There was so much detail that to some, it may feel a bit much, to me it made me feel as though I was right there.
My only caution is that this isn’t a love story. I don’t know if it’s because the cover has a man and woman hugging, but I came into reading this expecting a full on love story. At the very least, it’s not your typical love story.
One of my favorite parts about this book is the letter writing. I love that Audrey taught Wes how to write a letter and that you should always share a secret—as though you’re sharing something of yourself. The letters were beautifully written, it made me full heartily agree that the telephone has ruined letter writing.
Now, let me share my secret, I may have bawled my eyes out a few times in this book. This book created all the feelings and it won’t be one I will forget.

A historical novel based on a real person and events of WW2.

Audrey is a Jewish German woman hiding in England and passing for English because she can speak well enough to hide her accent. She is living with her aunt in England where nightly bombings happen. When a bomb falls into her apartment but doesn't go off- she meets Wes Bowers (the one who was a real person)

Wes is an American who is on a bomb dismantling team of English men. They become friends and then a bit more. It was a sweet story and I cried a bit at the end.

In Times of Rain and War is a novel with a very different perspective on World War II. Set in London during the Blitz, Audrey Stocking is a German woman who is Jewish helping evacuate children out of London to safety. When a bomb hits her apartment building but does not explode we meet Wesley who is sent on a mission to diffuse the bomb. So interesting to hear about how important these men were who saved thousands of lives disposing of these bombs.. Really learned a lot that I hadn't heard about before.

Wright is a master storyteller, and I love the way he puts words together. This book taught me about a new aspect of WWII, the bomb disposal. I had no idea how horrendous Hitler's bombs were and the havoc they wreaked on both physical landscape and the hearts of the citizens of England.

Although told in dual POV from a male/female perspective, this book was not a light, happily-ever-after romance. Rather, it addressed the realities of war, the good and the bad, the joy and the sorrow, the fear and the hope. At the same time that it dealt with a heavy topic, it was not a depressing book--unless you're looking for a feel-good HEA. Some of the characters were real people and most were fictional, but many of the stories includes were based on fact, taken from journals of people who lived through the War.

This book was very well written. I really loved that is was an easy read and think that it is a must read. It is a must read

To be perfectly honest, the first thing that drew me to this book was the cover. It just pulled at me. Gratefully the story inside was just as great! It was definitely a view I hadn’t encountered in previous books of this time period. And I have read a lot. But I very much enjoyed the suspense in this one.

I voluntarily reviewed a copy of this book provided by NetGalley.

Camron Wright is an awesome author. When you read his books, it feels like you just sat down at the table and he starts telling a story. I love his writing style and I loved this book.
Of all the WWII books I’ve read, which is a lot, I had never even thought about how the bomb squad members dealt with or handled the unexploded bombs. Yes, this is a love story but it is also so much more, especially since it is based upon a true story. A really good WWII book. I did go ahead and read the follow-up book to this and once again, the author also hit that one out of the ballpark.
Kudos to Camron Wright, he is going into my all-time favorite author list and I will be reading many more of his works. I highly recommend.
I want to thank Shadow Mountain Publishing along with NetGalley for allowing me the opportunity to read an ARC. Comes in with 5 stars.

I've often imagined what those who lived during WWII experienced. So many people all having different experiences and memories. My grandfather and many great uncles all served in the war. I never met my grandfather as he passed away before I was born but my great uncles never spoke about it. I have many stories that my grandmother would share. Her experiences and memories as she supported her husband during his training, his deployment and her staying home trying to care for everything and the constant worry she had for him and her brothers and friends. She rallied the other army wives and was a great support to them, all while she was just a young girl herself. We have the letters my grandfather wrote to her while serving and I love reading them. He doesn't talk much about what he was experiencing but it shows the tender and sweet love and relationship between him and my grandmother. Something to hold onto and think about that had nothing to do with the war.

This book showcases a couple different groups of people and their experiences during this time. A young girl, Audrey, of German and Jewish heritage hiding in England. A young American, Lieutenant Wesley Bowers, being assigned to work with an English group of bomb diffusers. Their paths cross in the form of a bomb that has landed in Audrey's apartment and needing to be disarmed. Of course this is not the very beginning of the story. The author creates the scene and gives the history of these two main characters before they meet.

I felt almost as if this book read similar to The Book Thief. Of course minus Death as the narrator. It is different but has some similarities and the story being set during WWII. It was very interesting and one that I came away having learned more from it. The bomb diffusing was fascinating to learn about. I've watched a few shows about WWII and had learned some from those about the bomb diffusing groups so it was neat to learn a little more, even if it is a fictional story, there's plenty of truth and history included.

I kept wanting to find out more about Audrey and Wesley as individuals, as friends and their struggles and triumphs. I loved seeing the connections they made with others and how all of their lives intersected and connected and diverged. If you're a history fan or just enjoy a good emotional book this one would be a good fit. I finished it more nostalgic and introspective than before starting it.

Content: Clean. It is a book about war so there is some peril, suspense, bombings, death and such. The author didn't write it overly graphic. There are a few minor swear words and a kiss.

I received a copy from the publisher, Shadow Mountain Publishing, via NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions in the review are my own.

Happy Reading!!!

God Save TexasIn Times of Rain and War by Camron Wright is a fictionalized World War II historical fiction novel that looks at British Bomb Disposal Unit and is based in part upon diaries written by volunteers. It describes the devastation and destruction of England, particularly London, during the Blitz. It is fast-paced, yet poignant and compelling with lovely imaging and prose. The heroine, Audrey Stocking is a German Jew masquerading as British to escape Hitler. The hero, Lieutenant Wesley Bowers is an American in training with the Bomb Squad.

The novel also looks at PTSD and how people can survive a war but never leave it fully behind. While something of a romance, there is a twist at the end that carries In Times of Rain and War beyond the usual sappy war romance. It is fast-paced, yet poignant and compelling with lovely imaging and prose. Author Camron Wright makes good use of literary sequels to highlight some of the most important scenes.

I received an advanced copy from NetGalley in exchange for a fair and impartial review.

This emotional book begins in 1940 during The Blitz with Audrey Stocking waking up to a bomb in her apartment. Before the United States enters the war, they are sending over soldiers to learn how to disarm German bombs. Lieutenant Wesley Bowers meets Audrey and a beautiful, complicated relationship blossoms. Both have secrets and both are trying to make it out alive in war-ridden England. Despite being surrounded by the horrors of war, there is an underlying message of hope and love for all mankind.

This book is inspired by actual events of Lieutenant Wesley Bowers and there is a link to a bonus story from Lieutenant Bowers’ granddaughter who also served in the military.

Camron Wright does an amazing job in sharing such a poignant story. The beginning is a bit slow, introducing characters and setting the scene, but quickly picks up pace. By the end, I was an emotional wreck. It took me several days to process this book. This is a must read on any World War II list.

Thank you NetGalley and Shadow Mountain Publishing for an ARC. The thoughts and opinions in this review are my own.

One of the best historical fiction books!

I enjoyed reading this beautifully written emotional story about German Jewish girl and American soldier who met in London during the Blitz.

The book made me laugh and cry. I like the characters, their life-stories, their views on life and death. Everything in this book is amazing!

I will highly recommend In Times of Rain and War to everyone who loves reading well-written historical fictions.

Thanks to Camron Wright, Shadow Mountain Publisher and NetGalley for allowing me to read an advanced copy of this book!

This was a great read set in wartime London. The Blitz is not usually a subject covered in historical fiction so it was a nice change for a World War II read.

What a great book of adventure and intrigue. Such a great book that keeps you interested and on your toes through the whole book!

This is a beautifully written, artful work. I found this to be the kind of story where your heart wrenches at the thought that things might not work out for the main characters. I love it when I can lose myself so completely in a story. It has been a while for me since that happened.

If you are the kind of person that enjoys reading about highly relatable characters and wants to experience what they experience in the book, then you can't go wrong with this one. This novel is atmospheric and tender, frightening and hopeful all at the same time. In my opinion, this is one of the best books I have read this year.

I encourage anyone with an interest in this subject matter to give this book a shot. I think you will be glad that you did.

This review is based on a complimentary copy from the publisher, provided through NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

This is a historical fiction novel focusing on the book disposal unit which I know nothing about. There is a love story between Wes (an American) and a girl named Audrey (a German Jew living in England). I have enjoyed reading Camron Wright's other novels with The Rent Collector being one of my most favorite books. In Times of Rain and War was an enjoyable read.

Wright (The Orphan Keeper) brings 1940 London vividly alive as he reimagines the life of an American bomb diffuser. U.S. Lieutenant Wesley Bowers joins a British bomb disposal team in 1940 and meets Audrey Stocking, a young London resident displaced when a bomb fell on her flat. The friendship between Wes and Audrey blossoms as he continues undertaking dangerous missions, and she works to resettle London children in the countryside.

Wright capably details the ongoing destruction of London with frequent air raids resulting in the loss of lives and the demolishing of buildings. He highlights the growing bond between Audrey and Wes as she offers him comfort during his darkest hours. But Audrey is hiding a secret as her home country is Germany rather than Switzerland as she claims. When British authorities discover that Audrey’s immigration documents were forged and question her, she continues to rely on her friendship with Wes who learns the reasons behind her deception. As their friendship blossoms into love, Audrey and Wes make plans for the future which is complicated by the uncertainty of the war and the fragile nature of life in a war-torn world.

Wright imbues his novel with historical accuracy while highlighting the intense emotional connections between the characters in this page-turning novel. Fans of historical fiction will want to check this one out as well as the follow-up story about Wes’s granddaughter Rachel.

Suffering the Nazi blitz of WWII London, Audrey finds herself almost trapped in a bombed house. She must keep on trying to take children out of the war-torn city to the countryside, despite being German and a Jew. A fine example of historical fiction.

Historical fiction books based during WWII is my favorite genre. This one focused on helping children escape London after the blitz. The information about the Women’s Volunteer Services and the effort the British government made to help move thousands of children to safe locations was interesting. However, considering all that, this book didn’t appeal to me. The writing style was not engaging and did not keep me invested in the story.

Thank you to NetGalley and Shadow Mountain for my advanced review copy. All opinions and thoughts are my own.

A big thank you to the author Camron Wright, the publisher, and NetGalley for providing me an ARC in exchange for my candid review.

This is a great book that tells two stories: the story of a young woman and her aunt who have emigrated from Germany during WWII using falsified papers, and the story of a young American soldier who comes to London to study and learn about bomb defusal and disposal from the British Bomb Disposal units.

The young girl and her aunt are WRENS and are assisting in relocating children from London to rural towns to keep them safe from the German bombing.

It tells two very crucial stories in the WWII efforts and is a very readable book.

This is my first book by this author. The story focuses on an American sent to England during the London blitz to work with a bomb disposal group and learn about the process, and a German Jew living semi-incognito in London who is helping with the effort to get children out of the city. It’s about how they help each other through the difficult times and learn from each other. Ultimately, it has a great message, and the melancholy tone is appropriate considering the subject matter. Partially based on a true story, In Times of Rain and War tells the story of a German woman living in London, Audrey, and an American soldier working in bomb disposal, Wes, and how their lives intertwine. Audrey is a beautiful character with a complicated past. I admired her passion for helping the children and was intrigued about her history and reason for nightmares. On a side note, I enjoyed the details the author wrote about the Women’s Voluntary Services. Wes, on the other hand, was equally fun. It was interesting to see the various situations he endured with his team and how he tries to win them. I loved the scenes where he talks to Badger and his emotions when he sees the bodies. The the author did not force a steamy relationship of them for the reader. They share a sweet friendship. I loved many of their moments, like their chess tournaments, deep conversations about life and death, and how Audrey talks about her religion.

Thank you NetGalley, the author and Shadow Mountain Publishing for this ARC.

Another winner by Cameron Wright! Historical Fiction is one of my go to genres. And this one did not disappoint! It is greatly compelling, and I felt so many emotions as I read it. Fingers crossed someone makes a movie of it! Thanks to Shadow Mountain and NetGalley for making this ARC copy available.

In Times of Rain and War is a piece of fiction inspired by real-life events during September of 1940, The Blitz has control over London with nightly bombings resulting in destruction and sadly, death. The main character, Audrey, is, like everyone, trying to avoid being one of the casualties. She is also trying to hide her true secret, that she is not who she claims to be.

This is a tightly woven story, well researched. Like Wright's The Rent Collector, you hold hope for some and wonder about others. Very well written historical fiction. I will continue to follow Camron Wright for future books.

Thanks to NetGalley for a free ebook of In Times of Rain and War.

It is September 1940 during the blitz. Audrey is trying to blend in and survive the nightly bombings. As German and Jewish she helps evacuate British children to the country. An American solider meets her and there is a immediate connection. Will the secrets between them draw them together or tear them apart? I would highly recommend this book to romance fans and history buffs.

book is well researched and well written. The story is compelling. I love learning while I enjoy a good story.