I felt completely immersed in this story and the characters while reading this book. I'm not a huge fan of historical fiction (just not my go-to genre) but I did enjoy this one.

Eliza Graham’s “The Girl in Lifeboat Six” is a poignant and evocative tale set against the backdrop of WWII. The narrative follows nineteen-year-old Romilly Brooks, who, after the death of her mother, impulsively takes up a job as a nanny. She embarks on a sea voyage from London to New York with her charge, eight-year-old Freddie, and his grandmother, seeking refuge from the war. Romilly’s journey takes a dramatic turn when she meets Edward Witney, a handsome and enigmatic passenger. His secretive nature and clandestine meetings with a dark-haired woman raise questions that Romilly can’t ignore. But before she can unravel Edward’s mysteries, disaster strikes. A German torpedo hits their ship, and Romilly, Freddie, and an unconscious Edward find themselves adrift in the Atlantic, fighting for survival. As they cling to life on a flimsy raft, they spot Lifeboat Six, a beacon of hope in the treacherous night. However, they face a harrowing decision when they’re told there isn’t enough room for all of them.

“The Girl in Lifeboat Six” is a beautifully written, emotionally charged novel that offers a window into the lives of those caught in the turmoil of war. Eliza Graham has crafted a narrative that is both a tribute to the resilience of the human spirit and a reminder of the personal costs of conflict.

Enjoyable Historical Fiction. A little slow to start but an overall good story. A point of view not often written about.

In a world at war, a young woman must face her darkest fears… 1941. After the death of her beloved mother, nineteen-year-old Romilly Brooks impulsively accepts a job as a nanny, accompanying eight-year-old Freddie and his grandmother on a sea voyage from war-torn London to the safety of New York. From the first, Romilly is entranced by the opulent ocean liner… if only she could put the idea of German U-boats circling beneath the waves out of her mind. Then she meets Edward Witney .

Handsome and attentive, Edward wants to know everything about her, without sharing anything of himself. Why is this mysterious man aboard the Lucknow , and who is the dark-haired woman with an unplaceable accent he keeps whispering with behind closed doors? Just as she’s beginning to unpick his secrets, a thunderous explosion tears through the night. A German torpedo has struck the ship, and Romilly and Freddie are thrown into the deadly Atlantic. Clinging to a flimsy raft, they spot Edward, unconscious nearby.

As they’re beginning to lose hope, they glimpse the Lucknow ’s lifeboat six – its emergency light a beacon of safety in the freezing night. But when Romilly and Freddie try to board, they’re told that there isn’t enough room for them both. Romilly is suddenly forced to confront a terrible truth: this is a night they might not all survive…

Absolutely loved it. A tale of courage, strength and survival. Filled with plenty of emotion. The writing is first class.

After reading the Alice Network I was really excited to get my hands on this one! Heart wrenching and exciting wirh loveable characters! Perfect for His Fic fans!

Another great story by Eliza Graham set in WW2 following the story of Romilly after surviving the sinking of the ship taking her to America. A good storyline with plenty of intrigue to keep your interest and great characters makes it a book you won't want to put down, especially for fans of WW2 novels about brave women and the part they played in the war

Romilly Brooks recently lost her mother, impulsively she applies for a job as a nanny and is hired to travel with eight year old Freddie Landau and his grandmother aboard the Lucknow to New York, escaping the blitz in London.

This is a well researched book that was inspired by real life events during world war two. It has well drawn characters and an interesting story and it will appeal to readers who like historical fiction especially WWII.

I am a sucker for historical fiction - especially WWII era fiction. I'm also a sucker for shipwreck stories so this book was straight up my alley.

The novel is pretty fast paced and while you think the voyage will be the bulk of the story it isn't - what happens after is almost as fascinating as what happens afterwards. It's a gripping tale about so many various things that were happening at the time.

This was a solid 4 star for me only taking a star off since at times I wanted to shake some sense into Romilly.

Definitely recommended despite that small quibble though!

Great story! You must read this book if you like historical fiction, stories about how war effected people in England and the US, stories about relationships with family and friends.

This story hooked me from the very beginning. The characters were well developed and very believable. Eliza Graham writes in a way that got me involved with each of the characters. It was especially interesting to watch characters grow as they experienced life during war. So many emotions are felt when war makes life so very hard for everyone - even children.

The information about people in America protesting getting into the war was new to me. I knew that Lindbergh was against the war, but did not realize that he went around the country speaking about staying out of the war. I had also never read that America felt like they had been tricked into WWI.

I plan to read more books by Eliza Graham in the future. I listened to the audiobook and thought the narrator did a great job.

Eliza Graham brings the horrors of the evacuation of England’s children and crossing the Atlantic during the Battle of the Atlantic to life in this riveting yet devastating historical fiction novel. Following Romilly on her transatlantic travel on the fictional The Lucknow, Graham brings Romilly’s employer Mrs. Dekker, her grandson Freddie, and other passengers, including Edward Witney, the Franklin family, and the mysterious Catherine, to life and into mortal danger in the early years of World War II. Graham’s characters and settings are vibrant, vivid, and immersive, and she creates emotions -- fear, despair, love, and camaraderie -- that the reader experiences over the course of the novel. Graham’s novel draws inspiration from true historical events and transatlantic refugee ships, and she brings the critical details to the forefront of the novel. Yet the characters and their emotions and motivations really shine throughout The Girl in Lifeboat Six, from Romilly and the tragedy she runs from to Freddie’s loneliness, Mrs. Dekker’s regrets, the Franklins’ desire to survive, Edward’s secrets, and Catherine’s elusiveness. Graham’s latest historical fiction novel is a stunning, emotional masterpiece filled with dynamic characters, detailed settings, and high stakes larger than any of the characters themselves.

The Girl in Lifeboat Six by Eliza Graham is a historical fiction loosely based on true events. I found this novel charming and an interesting read. The characters are well thought out and engaging. The novel tackles difficult issues of the times. Kept me reading until the end!

Thank you to Storm Publishing for allowing me to read The Girl in Lifeboat Six by Eliza Graham through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

I just finished reading The Girl in Lifeboat Six by Eliza Graham. This story takes place in 1941 when Romilly, a 19 year old girl, has suddenly lost her mother, and decides to leave England and take a job accompanying a young boy to America.
During Romilly and Freddie’s Journey to America, their ship is hit by a German Torpedo and they almost die. However, They make it to America where they both need to adjust to their new lives.
Overall I liked the story, and typically enjoy WW2 historical fiction, but, I do wish that Romilly had decided to stay in New York rather than return to England at the end.
Overall this was a 3 star read for me.

This was a good book. I enjoyed every page. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the early read.

I became totally hooked by the story vey quickly. Totally relatable characters and the drama unfolds making you feel that you are part of the story.

It was exciting, gripping and unputdownable until the very end,

An intriguing book at the life of a young lady crossing the Atlantic to get out of worn torn Europe. The story shows how the lady transform from a meek to a strong willed individual. A great read.

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

The Girl in Lifeboat Six by Eliza Graham was inspired by harrowing real events. Eliza Graham’s research for her book was impeccable. She took the liberties to create The Lucknow, a well appointed luxurious ocean liner that was transporting young refugee children to Canada from Great Britain, much like the SS City of Benares did during World War II, when it was torpedoed by German U boats. The parallels between the fate of the two ships was uncanny.

In 1941, nineteen year old, Romilly Brooks, responded to an advertisement that was requesting a nanny to accompany an eight year old boy and his grandmother from Great Britain to New York City on a luxury ocean liner. Sadly, Romilly had recently lost her mother and The Blitz was getting the better of her. Romilly saw this position as an opportunity to escape her own life and possibly start anew in a new country. She didn’t have a lot of prior experience with children but Mrs. Dekker decided to hire her. Romilly’s charge, young Freddy, had been sent to England from Prague by his mother and father when the Nazis invaded Prague. Freddy had been living with a Jewish host family in London when his grandmother travelled to London from New York to bring Freddy back home with her. Romilly was not sure how she felt about both Freddy and Mrs. Dekker but she was up for the challenge.

Once aboard The Lucknow, Romilly was so impressed with the luxuriousness of her surroundings. She could not believe the delicious and plentiful food that they was served on board the ship when rations were so scarce back in England. Romilly was surprised to learn that Mrs. Vida Dekker also possessed a small dog named Smoky that was to accompany them onto The Lucknow and reside in Mrs. Dekker’s quarters with her. They all learned very quickly that it was mandatory for all the passengers on the Lucknow to wear their life jackets at all times. That included sleeping in them. There was a drill conducted everyday so that passengers would familiarize themselves with the best route to take if they were ever attacked. In addition, each passenger was assigned to a particular lifeboat. All of these exercises were precautionary but German U-boats could be lurking anywhere. The passengers had to be prepared for an emergency. That didn’t stop certain passengers from complaining about wearing the life jackets all the time. The captain of the Lucknow assured the passengers that they would be protected by a naval escort until the ship got beyond German range. On board, there was a group of a little more than a hundred refugee children who were being escorted to Canada by youth leaders. Romilly befriended one of the youth leaders whose name was Louise Henderson. Louise invited Romilly and Freddie to a puppet show. It was there that Romilly became acquainted with Edward Whitney. Romilly learned that Edward and Louise (whose real name was Catherine) were involved with a plight to get America to join the war.

The Lucknow had finally entered waters that were deemed safe enough for their naval escort to leave them. No sooner had their naval escort returned to where they had come from that the Lucknow was hit by a German torpedo late one night. Romilly and Freddie were separated from Mrs. Dekker when Smoky took off and Freddie ran after him and Romilly ran after both of them. When the three of them finally managed to get back up to the deck, the captain instructed them to get on a raft and hopefully they would find their way to lifeboat six. As another torpedo hit the Lucknow, Romilly and Freddie were thrown from the ship. They plunged into the icy cold and churning Atlantic Ocean. Somehow Romilly and Freddie found the life raft but they couldn’t survive unless they found a lifeboat. Would Romilly be able to keep Freddie safe and alive? Would they get to the lifeboat in time to survive?

The Girl in Lifeboat Six was harrowing, heartbreaking and uplifting. It addressed the senseless deaths of so many innocent refugee children that were trapped on board the attacked ship, the hardships of surviving the conditions of the ferocious Atlantic Ocean, the haunting effects of witnessing so many deaths and being forced to leave those victims behind at sea and The America First Movement headed by Charles Lindbergh. I loved how Romilly’s relationship with Freddie evolved over time and became so strong and caring. Romilly’s character became stronger, more confident and determined over time as well. I had not known about this particular attack on the ship that was carrying so many refugee children prior to reading The Girl in Lifeboat Six. It saddened me so much to learn of their fate. The way Eliza Graham concluded this story, I hope that perhaps she will be inclined to continue to write about Romilly’s life. I would welcome a sequel. The Girl in Lifeboat Six was a very well written book and I highly recommend it.

Thank you to Storm Publishing for allowing me to read The Girl in Lifeboat Six by Eliza Graham through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

In 1941, 19 year old Romilly Brooks is given the chance of a lifetime. An escape from war torn England. And the chance to start over. With nothing left to keep her home after the death of her mother, Romilly is hired to escort a young boy and his grandmother back to New York. But travelling across the Atlantic during World War Two is not an easy feat. For the first half of their journey they are escorted by the milatary. No one could have imagined the germans would attack a passenger ship carrying hundreds of children to safety. When the torpedo hits, Romilly has to put aside her budding suspisions concerning her fellow shipmates. She was hired to do a job, and she was going to keep Freddy safe.

I am personally a huge fan of historical fiction and i thoroughly enjoyed this book! It was very interesting seeing another perspective from USA before they had joined the war. Thank you so much to Netgalley and Storm Publishing for the advance copy of this book! All opinions are my own.

Let me start by saying that WWII stories are my happy place. Sadly this book did not take me there. A book that should take me no more than 3 days to read took a week. I did not find the characters relatable. Following Romily on her journey across the pond in wartime should be gripping in And of itself. I was not able to really get into this book until way past the middle and if it were not that I was an ARC reader (with the agreement that I would finish) it would have been a DNF before I could get to the good part. The last 25% was that saved this book from being a 2star read.

I receiveI this ARC thanks to Netgalley. Opinions expressed in this review are my own.

It was interesting to read a different sort of WW2 fiction. I believe an oceanliner setting is new for me and I enjoyed it.

The story itself starts very slow, we get to know our cast and the scene gets set for the rest of the story. Once you hit part two be ready for an exciting adventures with many twists and surprises (at least for me)

Great fictional book exploring another point of view of WWII

Two weeks after nineteen year old Romilly Brooks had lost her mother, she'd departed London on The Lucknow, as companion to eight year old Freddie and his grandmother, heading for New York and Freddie's new life away from the dangers of war, with his aunt and cousins. Romilly hoped to stay in America after her initial four weeks employment on their arrival, but she decided she'd wait and see. The ship was luxurious, accompanied by destroyers, who were a deterrent to the German U-boats. The third night, out of the range of the Germans, and after the destroyers had left them, Romilly and a new friend, Edward, were on deck, when a torpedo smashed into The Lucknow doing irreparable damage. It wasn't long before Romilly and Freddie were thrown into the Atlantic, amid a storm. The thoughts going through Romilly's mind were random - but one was that the Germans were devious...

When they saw lifeboat six, they were desperate to board. But would there be enough room on the small lifeboat? Would they survive this terrible night, shivering, freezing, hungry and thirsty? Had Romilly let down Freddie and his grandmother?

The Girl in Lifeboat Six by Eliza Graham is my first by this author and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I recently read The Last Lifeboat by Hazel Gaynor and funnily enough, both novels were inspired by the same real-life disaster. The true events of the SS City of Benares which took evacuated children to Canada and was torpedoed by German U-boats as they neared their destination. The Girl in Lifeboat Six took a different turn, one which kept me glued to the pages. An excellent historical novel, I recommend it highly.

With thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my digital ARC to read in exchange for an honest review.