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5.0
Sweet romance between an American GI and an English woman during WW2. Kathryn is a young woman who was sent out of London by her parents to keep her safe. She has been helping with the evacuated children and anything else that is needed. The Americans have just built an airbase nearby, which disturbs her very much. She is afraid that the base will draw German attention, putting everyone in danger.
Dale is a young man who joined the war effort shortly after his older brother did. The family hasn’t heard from Ralph since he left and they are worried. Dale plans to use his spare time to search for his brother. He is a mechanic who works on the planes and is also a flight engineer who sometimes participates in missions.
I liked both Kathryn and Dale. Kathryn grew up in an upper-class family and had little to worry about. At the beginning of the war, she fell for a man who was only using her to get to her Brigadier father, leaving her determined to stay away from men. Since her arrival in the countryside, she has matured a great deal and learned the pleasures of independence. She also has a bit of a blind spot regarding Americans, thanks to a family scandal and her mother’s reaction to it. I liked how good Kathryn was with the children and how much she cared about the people around her.
Dale is a kindhearted and honorable man. He watches out for the men under his command and does his best to do the right thing. He’s moved by circumstances of the evacuated children and wants to do something to make their lives better. He is also determined to find out what has happened to his brother to bring peace of mind to his mother.
I enjoyed the development of the relationship between Dale and Kathryn. They met under difficult circumstances when a pilot did a low-level buzz on Dale and a friend as a joke, but it also frightened Kathryn. I liked how Dale tried to make amends, even though Kathryn was pretty rude to him. Her stubbornness only increased his determination. I loved the solution he came up with and the way it led to a growing friendship between Dale and Kathryn.
The more time they spent together, the closer they grew. Dale was conflicted because he really liked her, but the Americans were also discouraged from forming relationships with the locals. A run-in with one of his superiors emphasized this and caused him to pull back. Kathryn was also wary because she knew that Dale could be transferred at any time, or lose his life during one of the missions. I ached for them both when that separation came and the truth of their feelings became obvious to each of them. I loved Kathryn’s decision to step outside her comfort zone and the determination with which she pursued her goal. There was a great scene involving Dale and Kathryn’s father that emphasized Dale’s sense of honor and also showed the depth of his feelings for her.
There were some heart-pounding moments during one of Dale’s missions that kept me on the edge of my seat. I loved Kathryn’s determination to join him after he was transferred. There were a lot of twists and turns involved in making that happen, including some surprising actions by Kathryn’s father. I loved the ending and Dale’s reaction to everything he found. I would have liked an epilogue from a couple of years into their lives to see how they are doing.
A theme throughout the book was Dale’s search for his brother. I really liked how it showed the love that Dale had for his family. I loved how Kathryn used the search for Ralph as a way to feel closer to Dale during his absence. The resolution of that search was fun and showed the ripples caused by one small action. I enjoyed the way that Kathryn found Ralph and the effect it had on her actions. The ending was terrific and made me smile and cry at the same time.
I loved the World War Two setting, which is rarely seen in historical romances. There was a realistic look at what life was like, especially regarding Kathryn’s initial fears. I ached for the children who had been evacuated for their safety and loved seeing the various ways that Dale and Kathryn tried to make their lives easier. I also liked the glimpses of Dale’s activities, from his downtime to the intensity of his missions.
Dale is a young man who joined the war effort shortly after his older brother did. The family hasn’t heard from Ralph since he left and they are worried. Dale plans to use his spare time to search for his brother. He is a mechanic who works on the planes and is also a flight engineer who sometimes participates in missions.
I liked both Kathryn and Dale. Kathryn grew up in an upper-class family and had little to worry about. At the beginning of the war, she fell for a man who was only using her to get to her Brigadier father, leaving her determined to stay away from men. Since her arrival in the countryside, she has matured a great deal and learned the pleasures of independence. She also has a bit of a blind spot regarding Americans, thanks to a family scandal and her mother’s reaction to it. I liked how good Kathryn was with the children and how much she cared about the people around her.
Dale is a kindhearted and honorable man. He watches out for the men under his command and does his best to do the right thing. He’s moved by circumstances of the evacuated children and wants to do something to make their lives better. He is also determined to find out what has happened to his brother to bring peace of mind to his mother.
I enjoyed the development of the relationship between Dale and Kathryn. They met under difficult circumstances when a pilot did a low-level buzz on Dale and a friend as a joke, but it also frightened Kathryn. I liked how Dale tried to make amends, even though Kathryn was pretty rude to him. Her stubbornness only increased his determination. I loved the solution he came up with and the way it led to a growing friendship between Dale and Kathryn.
The more time they spent together, the closer they grew. Dale was conflicted because he really liked her, but the Americans were also discouraged from forming relationships with the locals. A run-in with one of his superiors emphasized this and caused him to pull back. Kathryn was also wary because she knew that Dale could be transferred at any time, or lose his life during one of the missions. I ached for them both when that separation came and the truth of their feelings became obvious to each of them. I loved Kathryn’s decision to step outside her comfort zone and the determination with which she pursued her goal. There was a great scene involving Dale and Kathryn’s father that emphasized Dale’s sense of honor and also showed the depth of his feelings for her.
There were some heart-pounding moments during one of Dale’s missions that kept me on the edge of my seat. I loved Kathryn’s determination to join him after he was transferred. There were a lot of twists and turns involved in making that happen, including some surprising actions by Kathryn’s father. I loved the ending and Dale’s reaction to everything he found. I would have liked an epilogue from a couple of years into their lives to see how they are doing.
A theme throughout the book was Dale’s search for his brother. I really liked how it showed the love that Dale had for his family. I loved how Kathryn used the search for Ralph as a way to feel closer to Dale during his absence. The resolution of that search was fun and showed the ripples caused by one small action. I enjoyed the way that Kathryn found Ralph and the effect it had on her actions. The ending was terrific and made me smile and cry at the same time.
I loved the World War Two setting, which is rarely seen in historical romances. There was a realistic look at what life was like, especially regarding Kathryn’s initial fears. I ached for the children who had been evacuated for their safety and loved seeing the various ways that Dale and Kathryn tried to make their lives easier. I also liked the glimpses of Dale’s activities, from his downtime to the intensity of his missions.
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