Member Reviews
Highly enjoyed this one! It kept me engaged throughout and was a joy to read, would certainly recommend!
I was really excited to read Just Another Girl on the Road because the plot was very interesting and I love World War II based stories. But the jumping point of views and switching from major plot point to major plot point made it difficult to follow.
Sorry, I couldn't warm to this book. I thought the premise sounded great - set during WW2 - but I didn't like the execution at all and it's not my type of 'romance'. The scenes changed rapidly, had lots of things happening and the first chapter didn't hold my attention and I got a bit confused, so I didn't continue. There's clearly a lot of research here, but perhaps it needs smoother editing and not so much information and characters bombarding readers at the beginning, so it doesn't throw readers like me off. The writing is fine in itself. My thanks go to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC in return for my opinion.
Overall this book was strangely boring, despite all the action going on. The beginning was confusing and hard to follow, and I probably would have DNF'd it if I hadn't been reading for a review. The language use throughout the book felt a little stiff. Katrinka was kind of an annoying character, that "all the men are in love with her" type. Also when she randomly decides to have sex with a German officer in the woods? That was the point I DNF'd.
Given the historical setting I was fascinated by the blurb, but sadly this book disappointed me. I could not empathize with any aspect of this book.
This book is usually my favorite kind of read. Romance mixed with WWII? Sign me up! This one was just a bit strange. The sex scenes felt forced, and the main character wasn't very relatable.
Thank you to Netgalley and Troubadour for this e-copy in return for my honest review. Normally I love historical fiction but I found it difficult to engage and connect with the characters in this story. The plot itself was interesting but I felt that I didn't care about the characters.
Another fab wwII read. Yet different from many others I’ve read. It’s way more than a love story and takes you through what went on behind the scenes. I would recommend
Stars 3.5
Interesting story, following eighteen-year-old Katrinka Badeau in war torn France, London and the Far East all during World War II, as well as a little bit of the American West Coast. It does contain quite a bit of erotica as Katrinka seeks sexual fulfillment from various men she meets, either for fun, favours or love.
Sometimes it is a confusing read as it refers to the male characters either by the first name or their last, so at times I forgot who as who - or even who Katrinka was sleeping with that time, especially when it came to Wolfe or Will Nye.
Ending was surprising for a love story, though I didn't end up crying at the event that happened; something missing perhaps as normally I'm a big blubber at things like this!
I received this book from Netgalley in return for a honest review.
Unfortunately this book wasn't really for me - I'm usually a fan of historical novels with lots of romance and espionage, and I certainly did find the setting and context really interesting. The romances/continual shifting of relationships seemed inexplicable, and Katrinka as a protagonist was actually pretty irritating - and I don't think that her nomadic lifestyle and (again, pretty unrealistic) background really added anything to the story.
Just Another Girl on the Road is the story of Katrinka, a young girl caught in the middle of the war in France in 1944. We learn more of Katrinka's upbringing as the story develops which helps to explain her complex character, having two very different men as fathers caught in a love triangle with her independent mother. History looks to be repeating itself a she becomes involved in her own love triangle with Nye and Farr.
But this is much more than just a love story, we also learn how the war affected every day life and how ordinary people risked everything to aid the Allied Forces and the French Resistance.
The sexual scenes do not really add much to the story, some readers may find Katrinka's attitude to sex a sign of an independent, strong young woman - others may feel it is the sign of deeper issues coming from her childhood.
I was given a copy of Just Another Girl on the Road by NetGalley and the Publishers in return for my unbiased review.
I have mixed feelings about this book. I loved the story of the resistance and the development of the characters, particularly Katrinka's. But the overt sexual scenes felt out of place and almost forced in without really adding anything to the story.
I could not get into this book. I wanted to because the summary is right up my alley. I can't really place where it went wrong for me but I was unable to finish it, which is very rare for me.
I normally really like historical fiction. I struggled with this book. I did not feel involved with the characters or the storyline at all. Sorry.
Thank you to Netgalley for my copy.
The first chapter of the book was slightly confusing. There seemed to be so many characters and sub-plots to keep track of.
As I mentioned at the start, the book surprised me. How ordinary citizens were plunged into taking on roles to survive and save their country, is not new to WWII stories. But this is the first one I’ve read where a young woman’s emotional and romantic to more than one man is explored. I know that some readers found the inclusion and descriptions of erotic scenes somewhat unnecessary. However, I can see how sex could become an escape from all the pain.
While initially one doesn’t really like Katrina, you begin to understand and appreciate her bravery and compassion, especially for an 18 year old.
On the whole, I quite enjoyed reading this book.
***Received ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review***
I started reading this book with high expectations as its one of my few WW II based books. But the expectations dropped right in the first chapter. The first chapter itself is confusing and changes POV multiple times.
After reading 35% of this book in kindle, I still can't follow what's happening in the story. Maybe it's just me. So, right now I am DNFing this book. I don't know whether ill pick it up again or not. I will update the review once I finish this book.
Rating: 2.5/5
I would like to thank NetGalley, the author and the publisher for providing me with this book for review.
I truly enjoyed both the historical as well as the geographical information. The French countryside is our favorite vacation spot. I did find that some of the characters were, at times, unbelievable and awkward, with some of the sexual incidents unnecessary. I would give this book a 3.5 rating.
Just Another Girl on the Road tells a story of Katrinka, who is really all but just another girl on the road.
We follow her journey through WWII torn Europe and the Far East, as well as a little bit of the American West Coast. We encounter new loves, loves lost, and loves meant for a time greater than the present.
You are drawn into Katrinka's story as it is told from multiple view points—all from people she cares deeply for and about. For a girl who is a true picture of compassion in combination of wanderlust, her story is one that tugs at every heartstring in your body.
The only aspect of Just Another Girl on the Road that I was not particularly drawn to was the high frequency of descriptive romance scenes.
Overall, this was well written and Kensington has such beautiful and lyrical prose.
I was excited to read this book as I enjoy books set in the war. I tried to like this book but I found I couldn’t associate with the characters. They didn’t make me like them or feel for them. I found the erotic scenes a bit too graphic and not really necessary for the storyline. The storyline seemed to move too quickly and the actual act of being a courier was downplayed and not important. Things just seemed to happen and then there was no further explanation.
Just Another Girl on the Road is a book with intriguing promise. I don't often read historical fiction, but I've recently realized that I tend to enjoy it when I do.
I loved what a unique setting the story had, stranded in France (enemy territory, yikes) and following a undercover Jedburgh unit. The author did a great job of setting up the destruction of the time period while balancing it with hidden beauty in the midst of it. It was good writing and I found myself imagining the scenery and events very vividly as they occurred.
One thing that was trouble for me was my inability to relate to any of the characters. I was taken aback by how quickly two of the characters fell into such intense emotions for one another, despite her tendency to continue to look for sexual fulfillment from others throughout their relationship and her continual pull back to someone else.
The erotica was… also a bit much for me. It's one thing if there's natural chemistry, or a slow-build up, or anything that draws you into the characters and makes you root for them, but the scenes occasionally seemed rushed, random, and a bit out of place.
I am very grateful for the opportunity to read this book ahead of time & I really liked getting to see an aspect of the war-torn period that I hadn't read about before!