My first introduction to Rhys Bowen was reading an article sharing the names of current authors for readers who have enjoyed the mysteries of Agatha Christie. I began reading "Her Royal Spyness" and continue to enjoy the historical mystery series. A visit to the author’s website after the first book led to discovery of her stand-alone novels and I have loved each one. "Where the Sky Begins" is my latest favorite until I read the next stand-alone.

The reader meets Josie Banks in London in 1940, and through Josie’s voice the reader learns the changes that have occurred in her life first as the oldest daughter to the initial years of her marriage, and the changes in her marriage as she has not conceived. Then the war comes to her doorstep as her husband is called to serve. Josie decides to get a job as every able-bodied person is to be helping the war effort. But then the Blitz affects Josie’s life in significant ways she never imagined from her personal life to her new work life.

Rhys Bowen uses the history of WWII England to inspire her writing constructing a realistic storyline. Through her atmospheric writing style the magic begins from the opening sentence to the last. By the portrayal of characters with their dialogue, thoughts, expressed emotions, and reactions I feel like I would recognize them on the street if I met them in person and the conversation of greeting reflective of old friends. They have strengths and weaknesses. They have flaws. In other words, the characters are human. Yes, there are some that are more flawed than others. But there are some like Josie who inspire others with her thoughtfulness, her kindness, her courage, her willingness to learn new things, to try new things, and especially her resilience.

My sincere thanks to Rhys Bowen, and Lake Union Publishing for my complimentary digital copy of this title, via NetGalley, in exchange for my honest review.

#WhereTheSkyBegins #NetGalley

Where the Sky Begins tells the story of Josie, Cockney housewife whose life is transformed through a series of circumstances not uncommon to many who were in London during WWII. When she is bombed out of her house and has her collarbone broken during the blitz, she's sent to the countryside to recover as her husband she no longer loves is sent to war. She spends her recovery with Miss Harcourt, a miserable member of the gentry who is embittered by loss. As she thaws Miss Harcourt by starting a tea shop for the nearby RAF and starts to fall for one of the pilots, she feels torn by her new feelings and the husband she no longer loves. As Josie's circumstances change, her pluck and courage don't and one things for sure--don't underestimate her!

The best part of this book was Josie. She's awesome. She's bold without being brazen, she's honest, down-to-earth, hard-working, creative, and so relatable. I loved her from the very beginning. Where many of the characters feel two-dimensional, she's so lovable from the first page. I also loved the history Bowen incorporates from the beginning and the time the story spans. Plus Josie's interesting jobs (no spoilers) later in the book are so interesting. And the country setting, tea shop, and more are so cute! I love how she always can make do with what she has.

I didn't like Mike, Josie's RAF boyfriend, or any of that plot line. I will never get behind any form of affair in a story as a plot line, and this story was no different. None of the men in this story were particularly lovable except for Dr. Goldsmith and Mr. Badger. Many of the characters felt two dimensional and could have been fleshed out more.

I'm a huge fan of Rhys Bowen and World War II novels, so I was super excited to read Where the Sky Begins. Like all of her novels before, this one did not disappoint. I felt like this one had a unique point of view. Josie wasn't rich. She did not live in a large estate home. She was content with her life until she wasn't. After surviving a bomb in London, she was relocated to a large home in the countryside. There, she learned who she was and what she wanted. That did not necessarily include what she'd had and where she'd come from. She makes friends and learns what love really is. This is another amazing story from Rhys Bowen. The story and ending are so satisfying. I give it 5 stars!

Josie married to escape a bad home life, only to end up much the same. Happiness only begins for when her husband is drafted and she finds work in a London tea room. Then the bombing begins and her life is changed forever.

This is a pretty good book. Yes, it’s a historical novel and there’s a lot about the war but it is more about people than anything. It’s about Josie, a twenty/thirty something young woman from London. It’s about Ms. Harcourt and Kathleen who lived in a fire old house in the country, several miles outside of London. The characters are very well developed and the story is very well written. It’s been a while since I had read one of Ms. Bowen’s books. I had forgotten how good her stories are. I will not be waiting so long to read another by her. Thank you to NetGalley and Lake Union for allowing me to read an advance copy for my honest review.

An interesting and engaging read. Josie banks , a working class woman is evacuated from London to the countryside, during WW2 bombings. She’s a strong woman, who discovers love, survives and thrives despite all the hardships and challenges.

#wheretheskybegins #netgalley publication date 02 Aug 2022
Very well written and likeable characters although there wasn't much action and no suspense I still really enjoyed this book. It was a quick and easy read.4/5 stars

Rhys Bowen writes great books. The characters are great and although there wasn't a lot of action, the story kept you reading! I got a great feel for the countryside and the small village the main character, Josie, was put in during the war after she was bombed out of her home and had nowhere to go. She had to recoup from injuries and this old lady in the big house was forced to take her in. Good story, great characters. Highly recommend.

Spanning 1940-1944, Where the Sky Begins follows Josie Banks as she rebuilds her life in World War II Britain. The novel opens as Josie’s London home and tearoom are bombed in the Blitz and her boorish husband is drafted into the military. Josie escapes to the country, where she recuperates in a manor home with a kindly aristocratic hostess, opens her own teashop, and builds a friendship with Mike Johnson, a charming Canadian pilot. When her husband— long-thought dead— returns to reclaim his wife and to make her return to London, she must choose where (and with whom) her future lies.

Rhys Bowen is very popular with our patrons and, as this book attests, it is for good reason. Where the Sky Begins features engaging characters and a wonderful story of a woman rebuilding her life. The writing flowed smoothly, and I was rapt until the final page. As with all of Rhys Bowen’s works, Where the Sky Begins is sure to be a hit with our patrons. 4 stars.

I really love Josie. She goes through so much (as many people did during the war) and comes out stronger than before. Her interactions with Miss Harcourt and Kathleen were often humorous since their personalities were so at odds. The Badgers and the children staying with them made wonderful supporting characters too, such kind souls.

Where the Sky Begins by Rhys Bowen is an historical novel set in Britain during WW2.
We follow Josie Banks and her survival journey during her life changing experience when she is evacuated from a bombed out London to the English Countryside and ends up at the estate of the aristocratic Miss Harcourt.
I really enjoyed this WW2 tale, it’s a pacy, well written story which is so immersive it’s easy to imagine living alongside this cast of characters during wartime Britain…yes, a great sense of time and place, I thoroughly recommend Where the Sky Begins.
Big thanks to Rhys Bowen, Lake Union Publishing and NetGalley for this eARC which I chose to read in return for my honest review.

I absolutely loved this book. I am a huge fan of author and was thrilled to get to read. Thank you to publisher and NetGalley for chance to read and review this ARC.

Where the sky begins, set partly in London and the countryside during the 1940s, peak of WW2.

Josie is the lead character whose life we follow as she changes her circumstances for the better despite being born in East End. She is a fantastic character with such audacity that you will cheer for her and enjoy getting to know her as she journeys from being bombed to finding love again in love.

This is my second book I’ve read by Rhys Bowen and I continue to be a fan! This was a great WWII book (believe me, I’ve read a lot of them) and I loved that it focused on how the war affected a more rural area instead of a larger city as many WWII books do.

The characters were very enjoyable, especially the main character, Josie. Her personality and warmth were captivating and her optimism jumped off the page. I felt like I was reading about a friend instead of a character in a book!

Thank you Lake Union Publishing for the advanced copy of this delightful read!

Rhys Bowen is an easy-to-read and easy to get into author, which I appreciate! This book is well researched and had me quite captivated with great characters and an interesting story. Historical fiction fans should scoop this one up, they won't be disappointed!

I tried reading it but couldn't get past the first chapter, it was okey but didn't capture me enough to make me want to read further.

In this WWII novel from Rhys Bowen, Josie was a sympathetic character and the plot moved briskly. But (spoiler alert)...


I didn't like the infidelity aspect. That spoiled things a bit for me.

*Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for providing an e-galley in exchange for an honest review.

I enjoyed this booked. The main character, Josie, is resilient and likeable. This novel follows her displacement during the war and focuses on developing her passions and using them to create a new community. My only criticism is that it felt a little slow in the middle.

Rhys Bowen always does a great job developing her characters while using historically-accurate details to build a world within each of her books. Set in WWII, this book takes us on a life-changing adventure for the protagonist, Josie Banks. Josie is spit-fire, brave, kind, and extraordinary. I love how open Josie is to the people and places around her. I highly recommend this book if you love historical fiction and strong female leads.

This book is well researched, has a compelling setting, rich with detail and wonderfully drawn characters. I was interested from the first chapter and never lost interest. I can't get enough WWII books, honestly, and this was a fantastic read. I am giving it 4 stars instead of 5 simply because I found it a little too long, but that is a personal taste. Other readers might not find this is an issue. A great book I'd recommend.