Thank you so much to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review!

Let me start by saying it is always difficult for me to rate books that are based on someone's life. It feels strange to give a star rating based on someone's personal experience, but if I let that go and reflect on how much I enjoyed the book I'm forced to admit that it wasn't really my cup of tea. The language was a bit too flowery for me to take it seriously and overall I just didn't feel that connected to the story. However, if you are someone who loves books written in letters or you have a particular interest in World War II this might be the book for you!

The story was interesting enough to keep me reading to the end. I also thought the addition of real photographs was a great touch!

Thank you to NetGalley and Cranthorpe Millner Publishers for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This is a true glimpse of the life of John and Rita a soldier and his wife during the WWII. The author did a wonderful job of retelling the story while keeping it as close to reality as she could. There were missing entries, missing letters, and no true way to capture everything. Roseanna Rolph did a wonderful job and I put this book down feeling so much lighter and with a smile on my face because John and Rita showed true love which is remarkable.

You should definitely take a few minutes of your day and smile as you read even through the hard times true love prevails.

This is such a lovely and wonderful collection. It is so generous of the author and her family to allow us a glimpse into her grandparents’ life. I found it fascinating to learn more about daily life during WWII from letters and diary entries, and so special to see the tender love between John and Rita (which seemed too sweet to be real, but the hardships they endured and the funny stories of their children definitely reminded me of its reality!). This book made me feel every emotion possible! I highly recommend it.

Thank you to NetGalley and Cranthorpe Millner Publishers for the free eARC. I post this review with my honest opinions. This review is cross-posted on Goodreads and will be posted on Amazon and Instagram within a week of the book’s publication.

Content notes: mention of death, bombings, injury, illness (including illness in children), medical testing, fear of having to terminate a pregnancy for medical reasons

What a beautiful poignant look at wartime and all that it entailed, How desperately and passionately human beings dedicated themselves to staying in touch throughout all these historic effects at and the effect and aftermath that hailed. A book that won’t leave you for a long time. Perfect for book club.