This is a great book with the story being told over dual timelines and multiple POVs. It has many unexpected twists. This book is so heartwarming

I love a book with a dual timeline, and this one really delivered. The characters were entirely believable and their stories kept me hooked. The ending was entirely satisfying, something that isn’t always the case and that I really appreciated!

The Sweetheart Locket by Jen Gilroy is a heartfelt dual timeline story that traces the emotional journey of two women separated by generations, the parallel hardships, choices and the consequences each faced, forging the direction of their life’s path.

The story begins in the present timeline when our protagonist, Willow, receives the results of an ancestry DNA test that questions everything she’s known about her heritage. When her mother can’t answer her questions, she heads to London with her grandmother’s heirloom locket in search of the truth.

Alternating between past and present, the author weaves together equally compelling past and present plot lines that slowly reveal generations of secrets and the truth around her grandmother’s past, as well as the history of the sweetheart locket, both will ultimately transform Willow’s life.

This one has it all, wartime drama, strong female characters, intriguing family secrets, an interesting setting, both in time and place, and new beginnings. It’s well woven plot and satisfying ending make for a wonderful read.

Thank you to the publisher, Orion Dash, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an advance digital copy of The Sweetheart Locket. I am not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own and this is my honest review.

THE SWEETHEART LOCKET by author, Jen Gilroy

Ms. Gilroy has brought to her readers a story of family, a story of war~ and with that has spun a charming tale that filled the hours with intriguing facts, creative details, and vivid descriptions that made for a most satisfying read.

With characters rich in personality, they evolve in a most realistic way, and along with their expectations, their choices, and having been written with the dedication to the historical women's fiction and romance genres, this dual timeline entertains from beginning to end.

The whirlwind of love, heartbreak of loss, profound courage, and long-ago buried secrets, led me to the many surprises which added an emotional level to Willow and Maggie's life-story~ a journey I'm grateful for having the opportunity to experience...

I thank the author, and publisher, for my personal copy of THE SWEETHEART LOCKET, a story that's unpredictable, gripping, and beautiful.

5 Stars

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Rating: 4.5 Stars

Jen Gilroy’s debut dual timeline novel is a poignant, evocative and emotional tale of love, war and powerful secrets that will hold readers in thrall.

In London 1939, Canadian Maggie Wyndham goes against her family’s wishes and decides to stay in England to do her bit for the war effort. Maggie’s act of bravery is going to change the course of her entire life as she starts working for the Special Operations Executive where her courage will be tested on a daily basis as she finds herself torn between two countries and two men. Maggie clings to the locket given to her by her sweetheart, but will this priceless item of jewellery prove to be her salvation…or her undoing?

Eighty years later in San Francisco, Maggie has been dead for over twenty years and her daughter Millie and granddaughter Willow decide to take a DNA test for a laugh. However, when the results come back both Millie and Willow are shocked to their very core at the unexpected revelations which the DNA test has unwittingly uncovered. Willow has always treasured her grandmother’s sweetheart locket and believed it to be a symbol of her grandparents’ love, but realising that there is far more to Maggie’s story than meets the eye, she decides to delve into the secrets of her family’s past. But is she prepared for what she is about to uncover?

Maggie’s sweetheart locket holds the key to all of her past secrets, but will discovering the truth about her grandmother also help Willow figure out her own future?

Having read Jen Gilroy’s small town romances, I was looking forward to her debut dual timeline novel and I was not disappointed. The Sweetheart Locket is a powerfully told, sensitively written and beautifully evocative tale of past ghosts, long-buried secrets, and devastating discoveries.

An enjoyable and emotional read from a talented writer, Jen Gilroy’s The Sweetheart Locket is a dramatic, compelling and sweeping tale guaranteed to tug at the heartstrings.

'The Sweetheart Locket’ by Jen Gilroy is the heartwarming story of a family of women, told between two time periods. In 1939, Maggie Wyndham is in wartime London, and has defied the wishes of her family who want her back home in Canada. Instead she signs up to help the war effort. Her love for an RAF officer goes against the class conventions of the time, but Maggie is determined and brave enough to decide for herself. When life throws her a few curveballs, she has to make some difficult decisions. Decisions that will impact her whole future and that of her descendants.

In 2019 her granddaughter Willow has taken a DNA test and, along with her mother, has been given some very interesting and unexpected results. She has long treasured the sweetheart locket left to her by her English grandmother, but is now faced with the reality that her grandparents may not have been all they seemed. What is she to believe? Her quest to find the truth leads her to London and research that may uncover some uncomfortable truths.

I liked that the story was told over two time periods. It alternated between wartime Europe and the present day, when Willow began her research into her grandmother’s past. I loved finding out about Maggie’s time in London, and how she helped the allied effort to beat the Nazis. She made lifelong friends, and it was these relationships that helped shape her future. Her love for two different men was a situation lived by many women at the time. And who knows how any of us would have reacted in the same situation.

Willow’s story was one of discovery - not just about her grandmother, but about herself too. She realised that sometimes we have to take a chance. And her grandmother’s courage gave her the impetus to consider change.

‘The Sweetheart locket’ was about love, friendship, secrets and sometimes lies. It was heartwarming and made me feel some powerful emotions. I laughed and cried with Maggie, Willow, Millie and Vi. I felt invested in their stories and left them feeling happy and satisfied. I loved this book and heartily recommend it.

I was given this ARC to review.

I love dual timeline historical fiction, and I’ve always been drawn to historical fiction set in wartime. In this we alternate between Maggie during the Second World War, and with her granddaughter Willow in 2019.

I really warmed to Maggie from the outset, when she steadfastly refused to go home to Canada in 1939 to do what she could for the war effort. It was a natural progression for her to join the SOE because of her linguistic skills. I’ve read a few novels featuring female members of the SOE, and I am always in awe of the women who were brave enough to do this. It was easier for women to pass undetected amongst the French during the Nazi occupation, but it was certainly just as risky for women. The women knew that capture would mean either a firing squad or being shipped to a concentration camp, but not before they were tortured for any secrets they might share under duress.

The connections that Maggie had with both Will and Marc were very different, but both heightened by the pressure of wartime.

Willow’s story was very different. A ghost writer, working on a book for a client, who decided to combine her research trip for the book with a search to find out more about her family following a revealing DNA test, and in particular she wanted to find out more about her grandmother Maggie, who had corresponded with her when she was a child, but had not met her before Maggie’s death. My daughter and I have done DNA tests which we found fascinating, albeit slightly boring (almost entirely British with a tiny dose of Scandinavian), but I’ve seen many cases in recent years where DNA tests have revealed shocking family secrets, which made Willow’s search feel very timely.

I loved the setting of the wartime storyline, it felt very authentic and I adored the friendships between Evie, Maggie and Vi. An unlikely combination of three very different women, which just worked perfectly as they experienced very different things during the war.

It was nice to have a second chance at love storyline with Willow and Dermot. She had spent most of her life as a single mother, whereas Dermot was a widower. Both with grown children who no longer lived at home, there was no reason why beginning a relationship would be problematic, apart from the fact that Willow lived in San Francisco, and Dermot lived in London. Would they find a way round their issues, or was a long distance relationship on the cards for them?

This wonderful dual timeline historical fiction was a compelling and heart-breaking story of love, loss and lifelong secrets.

I am a big fan of dual timeline stories, so I was instantly intrigued with this one, I loved the sound of it instantly and I adore the concept of two women being connected even though they lived 70 years apart.

I absolutely love that the chain of events in Millie’s life which are connected with that of her grandmother ae set in motion by one of those Ancestry DNA kits, what should have been a bit of fun turns Millie’s life topsy-turvy and then results in the emotional and dramatic ride we follow her on as she discovers truths and uncovers long lost family secrets. What appealed to me so much about Millie’s side of the story is that it could have been anyone’s story, we have all gone down the Ancestry trail and some have done those Ancestry DNA kits (I have yet to do mine) so anyone of could be standing in Millie’s shoes, her story is very real and emotional, there is so much depth which tugs at the heart-strings and keeps you turning the pages wondering where her story will go.

Set partly in London during WW2 and partly In the present day (2019), this tells the two intertwining stories of Maggie a Canadian woman who goes against her parent’s wishes and stays in London to join the war effort and in the present with joining her daughter; Millie and granddaughter; Willow. I have to be honest and say that despite thoroughly enjoying Millie’s journey I definetly preferred Maggie’s, I loved being transported back to 1940’s London, it’s compelling and immersive, Maggie is an incredible character she is brave and courageous, and her story is both insightful and engaging plus a fair few tears were shed in over the course of the book.

The alternating narrative is beautifully written, I never once felt lost or bewildered as to what was happening, I was fully engaged and invested in these two women’s lives. The writing is enthralling, you have swept away as the vivid story is played out before your eyes.

A definite must-read if you love your WW2 historical fiction which makes you think and keeps you guessing then this is the book to read. It’s compelling and heart-breaking!!

This is such a beautifully written book, I love how the author was able to make you feel fully immersed in both timelines.

I really enjoyed that the book involved romances, but also relationships between the family members.

The book shows why people make the decisions they do and the effects they can have on generations

The Sweetheart Locket is a detailed fast paced story that is thought provoking. There is a great about of potential and the engaging plot hooks the reader from the first page...

Gilroy has created an interesting and unique plot, with the use of vivid imagery and a good amount of research into the restrictions, rations, lifestyle of WW2. I found the ancestry links and historical side of things to be very interesting and became engrossed as the story progressed. The writing style was easy to follow with a short, precise chapters and a great amount of description and dialogue. There was some typos, but this didn't take away from the overall feel of the story.

The character development of The Sweetheart Locket is good. The characters are realistic and relatable with their own presonalities. The background information provided allows the reader to become infested in each character as they read more.

I was able to symphaise with Maggie as five years prior she was sent to live with her father's older sister after her mother had died. Maggie is a brave, adventurous and loyal indiviual, who isn't afraid to speak her mind. Maggie becomes independant and is determind to do her bit for the war effort. Proving to herself and her family that she was more than a pretty face.

Willow at 42 years old lives in San francisco, working as a ghost writer. Her daughter is fully grown and Willow is determind to change in the next stages of her life. She is excited to travel to England for 5 weeks, as a part of a work project, yet a recent DNA test returns with some unexpected results. Willow begins to question her identy and begins the process of trying to discover the truth about who she is.

I would strongly recommend reading The Sweetheart Locket to lovers of Historical Fiction and Women's Fiction, as it is a emotive character driven tale that shares the individual stories of 2 women from separate timelines, as they experience a life of family, friendships, secrets and love.

When Willow and her mother Millie are gifted a DNA test, they think it is a bit of fun, but they know that it is going to say that they are pretty much English through and through. It is therefore a surprise when it shows that they have strong French, Italian and Jewish ancestry.


Millie has no interest in finding out more as she left her past behind years before when she moved from England to America. However, Willow has always felt like she is missing something, a connection, so she decides that she is going to try to find out more, especially about the grandmother she never met and only go to know through letters.

One of the few things that Willow inherited from her grandmother is a sweetheart locket which she treasures. The locket symbolises the great love story between her grandparents Will and Margaret. Will was an airman in WWII and Margaret, the woman who waited for him, then lived in the village, worked for the local church, gardened and generally lived the life of an entitled English lady.

So why is there a ring and a love note hidden in the bottom of the locket box?

When she visits her late grandmother's home village, Willow finds a grave that reveals that it is not only her grandmother who has secrets and she is determined to get to the bottom of all the secrets

This is a dual timeline novel, where we alternative between Willow and her search for truth, and her grandmother's story. Margaret or as she chooses to call herself then, Maggie's story starts in 1939. When we meet her, she is meant to be getting on a train which will take her to the port to get onto a boat to take her home to her family in Canada. Somewhat rashly, Maggie decides to tear up her train ticket and stay in London to 'do her bit' in the upcoming war. Maggie signs up to join the armed forces, and to do whatever she could. Early in the war she meets her friend Evie and her brother Will, and soon they are inseparable.

I really enjoyed Maggie's story, which led from doing secretarial work to eventually being recruited for the SOE (Special Operations Executive), a secret organisation which trained operatives to operate behind enemy lines. But working for SOE in any capacity, means keeping your work secret from everyone, both now and in the future.



As much as this is about Maggie's work it is also about her personal dilemnas. When Will goes missing, presumed dead, she eventually forms a new relationship, but when the war ends everything is complicated. I really enjoyed the way that these final parts of the story worked out. It was maybe a it bit too neat, but I liked it.

As always, I enjoyed the historical aspects of the story more than the contemporary aspect, but it wasn't an uneven ratio as it is in some books. I enjoyed watching Willow grow and realise that there was a chance for her to redefine her own life, starting with her relationship with her mother.

I hadn't read Jen Gilroy before, but I will definitely give her another go as I enjoyed her writing, and I enjoyed the fact that Maggie was a Canadian character. I have read lots of books where the character is Australian and living and working in Europe. It does seem as though this book was a change of direction from her normal books. I do hope that she writes more historical novels.

An heirloom locket and how gifted DNA throws up questions about your existence. Set in both England and California, we follow one woman’s journey to find the truth. With a dual timeline, and written from multiple points of view, this is a beautifully written story of discovery and buried family secrets.

When the results for her and her mother’s DNA tests are received, Willow is shocked to discover her heritage isn’t what she thought. The fact, her mother, Millie doesn’t want to discuss the findings makes her suspicious and spurs her to find out the truth. Therefore, she decides to use some of her time on a scheduled work trip to London, to find out more about her beloved late grandmother… with surprising results.

This evocative and absorbing novel instantly draws you in. The author has written about strong women and how they have manoeuvred around and overcome obstacles in their lives. Maggie’s story in particular is heart-wrenching, as the author tells us how this young woman defied her family and stayed in England at the beginning of World War Two, to help in the war effort. Full of poignant detail, it highlights the difficult decisions people have dealt with and the sacrifices made. It also sheds light on how these decisions shaped lives and the relationships they formed with their families… and the resulting consequences.

Full of insight, this is a truly delightful story spanning three generations. Grandmother, daughter and granddaughter; all are fascinating characters creating a truly enlightening novel.

***arc generously received courtesy of Orion Dash via NetGalley***

The book alternates between Maggie’s story starting at the outbreak of the Second World War and Willow’s in the present day (2019) as she searches for information about her grandmother’s life. It’s a search that initially will raise just as many questions as answers but possibly serve to lessen the distance that has developed between Willow and her mother, Camilla.

I found Maggie’s story particularly compelling, especially as it shines a light on the vitally important contribution women made to the war effort both at home and abroad, a contribution that often placed them in great personal danger. Willow’s research into her grandmother’s life allows the author to provide the reader with information about a secret wartime role performed by women not fully known about until recently. Inevitably, because of the book’s structure, the tension surrounding Maggie’s wartime experiences is lessened because we know she will survive the war. However, that’s not the same for other characters, injecting a welcome sense of jeopardy.

I liked the way the author brought out connections between the two women, despite the many decades that divide them. Both Maggie and Willow change over time, becoming more independent and determined to forge their own direction in life, even if that involves making a life in a new country. They become more willing to take risks in other ways too. There is a romantic aspect to both storylines although I thought Maggie’s was more believable, reflecting the fact that in wartime people have to live in the moment and snatch any chance of happiness.

I thought it was clever of the author to reflect the differences between then and now. For us, London at night with a sky bright with stars might be magical but for Maggie and others who lived through the Second World War it meant ‘bombing weather’, something to be feared rather than enjoyed. And for Maggie, clear skies has an additional significance linked to her wartime work.

Those who enjoy a mixture of tears of sadness and of joy in their historical fiction will find themselves well rewarded. There are also poignant, bittersweet moments and a few surprises, some more foreseeable than others, but given the fog of war not completely implausible. And after all, this is fiction. A neat touch is the epilogue which acts as a ‘what happened next’ for many of the secondary characters featured in the book.

The Sweetheart Locket is an absorbing dual timeline novel combining wartime drama, the uncovering of family secrets and new beginnings.

The story is told in dual timeline from Maggie in 1939 London and from her granddaughter Willow in 2019.

A fantastic piece of contemporary family drama set in WWII that is both compelling and highly moving.

Beautifully written The Sweetheart Locket is an engaging story of love, loss and courage. All of the characters are richly developed and realistic.

I thoroughly enjoyed this read and would definitely recommend to any historical fiction lovers.

Many thanks to Rachel's Random Resources for my tour spot.

Rating ⭐⭐⭐⭐

This is a dual timeline novel, beginning in 1939 and 2019. We first meet Maggie in London, in August 1939. She is Margaret Wyndham, 18 and Canadian, who has been living with her Aunt Elsie. She is supposed to be going back to Canada, but has decided to stay in England to help with the war effort.
We first meet Willow in San Francisco, in June 2019. Willow Munro is 42 and a single mum to her grown up daughter Emily. She is a ghost writer and working on a client’s memoir which involves travelling to England.
Willow wears a locket that came from her English grandma. Her grandad had given the locket to her gran before he went to WWII – a sweetheart locket. After a DNA test bringing about a surprising result, Willow decides that while she is in England for a few weeks, she will try to discover more about her family, especially her grandma who she only knew through letters they wrote to each other.
I really enjoyed the dual timelines, being able to see Maggie’s story developing in the words in front of me, while also being able to jump forward to 2019 and see how Maggie’s life has affected Willow. I also found Maggie’s tale fascinating. Not giving anything away, but it informed me about a side of women’s involvement in WWII that I hadn’t really thought about before, so that was enlightening and really interesting.
It was good to see how both Maggie and Willow changed over time too, becoming stronger and more independent women, despite the hard times they both had to go through.
In Willow’s story, it was good to see the family relationships and how they changed over time, particularly between Willow and her mother. There are so many layers to this novel that I really enjoyed uncovering them and finding out what would happen to the characters and their family dynamic.
The book is really well-written with wonderful characters. As well as Maggie and Willow, I especially loved Evie, Vi, Dermot and Sophie. As I have researched my family tree too, I was interested in the parts about Willow wanting to know more about her ancestors.
Overall, it’s a great book and I would definitely read more from this author.

The Sweetheart Locket is a dual timeline story following the lives of 1939 Maggie in London, and 2019 Willow, her granddaughter, who has made her life in California.

The story of Maggie is intriguing, and covers the years of the Second World War, while Willow's story is mainly told throughout a five week holiday in London. There are epilogues concluding the stories of all of the cast.

The focus of Maggie's story is not truly her work during the Second World War, but rather on the men in her life, and how the Second World War impacted on those relationships, and then how she kept much of this secret from her daughter, who also had her own struggles as a young woman.

Willow's story focuses on her need to understand some DNA results she receives just before travelling to London on a research trip. It is this that drives much of the narrative surrounding Willow, although it is not the only element to the story. Willow too is trying to find true love.

The twin narratives weave together quite well, although Maggie is by far the stronger of the two storylines. It is her story that engrossed me, and although I did work out much of the plot in advance, The Sweetheart Locket is still an entertaining read, especially for those looking for the surety of happy endings. Willow's story is perhaps a little overly complicated, and also too filled with happenstance for my liking. It is Maggie who by far shines as the stronger of the two women, although the juxtaposition between the two characters is quite nicely portrayed.

If you're a fan of dual timeline novels set in both a contemporary and World War 2 setting, and with a strong element of romance, The Sweetheart Locket will be a perfect read.

The Sweetheart Locket is a moving dual timeline story about love,loss and secrets.
I love a good world war II story and this from Jen Gilroy is a cracker.
Both Maggie’s and willow’s stories are ones to admire - such strong women doing what is right for them rather than what is expected. I found Maggie’s story really emotional- the decisions she made about her family and home and then the losses she had to suffer were heartbreaking. I loved the family history mystery that Willow uncovers in the search for the truth and thought the two timelines flowed wonderfully.

For me this book has everything. There is romance, intrigue, history and mystery. It follows the story of Willow who lives in San Francisco but was originally from England. The results of the DNA test that her cousin gets everyone to do throws up lots of questions and Willow starts to question who she really is. The book is written from the viewpoint of Willow in the current day, and her Gran Maggie during World War 2. An emotive story that flowed really well without any confusion jumping from one era to another. It answered questions along the way. It was very interesting reading about the role of women in the war and especially the Special Operations Executive ( SOE ) where many put their lives at risk to save others. The characters were realistic and likeable and I really felt for Maggie.
Thank you to Jen Gilroy, Netgalley and Orion Dash for the opportunity to read this brilliant book in return for an honest review.

Not for me unfortunately. I struggled to get into it and therefore stopped reading a short way in because I wasn't enjoying it

Another new to me author and I enjoyed this book by Jen Gilroy immensely.
It's duel timeline novel. Based in 2019 and the WW2 era.
Read how Willow finds secrets her grandmother Maggie never revealed to the family.
Lovely likeable characters that were easy to relate to.
I recommend this book.
Thanks to#NetGalley for the advance copy in return for an honest review