I really enjoyed the first book, Somewhere In France, as it followed the privileged Lily as she became an ambulance driver during WWI, tried to escape her titled and overbearing parents and live life everyone else, while also falling in love with an "unsuitable" man.

I was looking forward to this book. It follows Lily's strong-minded "bluestocking" former governess after WWI.

I Charlotte, I do, but honestly, the book is really really boring. There seems to be no plot, no real goal beyond getting her in some way or form with the man she loves, and yet I wouldn't call this a romance either. We merely follow Charlotte as she lives her life. Charlotte goes to work, is irritated by her coworker. Charlotte goes to a carnival-type thing and enjoys a fun weekend. Charlotte writes a series of articles for the paper--this was cool, but didn't go anywhere really. Through Charlotte, in a few pages, we learn of the Police strikes. And suddenly out of the blue, the man she loves declares he's willing to heal his war wounds but only if she'll nurse him in a cottage, just the two of them.

And then it just gets predictable. I made it to 70% and finally just stopped. I didn't care about Edward. His character was not bad, just not interesting, not appealing. I didn't feel connected. I wasn't feeling the romance here. I think I'd have preferred the romance to have been with the newspaper editor. If it had taken that route, I would have cared.

And as for the all the things that occur before that...if the stories go nowhere, what was the point to begin with? Take Norma's near rape for example. What's the lesson in that? Don't wear shorter dresses? The men can't control themselves?

Take it somewhere, make it important to the story somehow, or just leave it out, and if you don't have anything important, if you don't have a plot, well, don't write a story!

I see some reviewers saying they appreciate the suffragette storyline... Um, where is it? So she casts a college vote in the beginning... nothing else happens that screams suffrage. If it does, it's in the last 30% all at once.

Full review: http://wwwbookbabe.blogspot.com/2015/...2015-release historical-fiction kindle22 s1 comment Jody McGrath380 53

I didn't read the first book, but this is a complete stand alone novel. It is about Charlotte, a thirty something year old woman living after WWI. She is working for an office that helps poor families, especially those who have returning veterans who cannot find work. She is a strong advocate for this and the rights of women. Everyone thought when the war was over things were going to be great, but Charlotte sees that the war is still being fought everyday, it is just a different war.

I thought the book was quite good. It seemed to suffer a bit from undecided plot lines. It would go in a direction for awhile and then that thread would just go on a back burner. There was also a strange filler chapter about a trip to the beach that made no sense at all.

All that being said, I thought the book was quite enjoyable. It would probably be 3.5 stars but I decided to go with four because it was a quick read!19 s Elizabeth of Silver's Reviews1,122 1,515


Charlotte graduated from an elite college, became a governess,? worked as a nurse during the war, ?worked in an office with a female boss who was a suffragist, and then? became a journalist.

?Charlotte's job as a governess turned out to be quite unpleasant, but she did meet a man she could never forget?
but wasn’t able to marry him because of her class.

?AFTER THE WAR IS OVER goes back and forth between Charlotte's younger years as a governess and then her present-day situation. I do enjoy books that move into the past and then come to the present, but the book dragged.

The cover pulled me in, but the book's content was not that enjoyable for me.?

There was too much about ?social status and not enough of a plot even though the book was mainly about Charlotte's life?. The writing style was good, but the lack of an interesting plot had me plodding through to see what happened.? 3/5

This book was given to me free of charge and without compensation by the publisher in return for an honest review. 13 s Sandi *~The Pirate Wench~*559

Setting: Post World War I

Steam Factor: Mild

Charlotte Brown, is determined to leave the War after serving as a military nurse for four years and begin a new life.
The other women who live at her boarding house, as well as a budding friendship with a newspaper editor, has kept her busy.
But when a former student invites Charlotte to her wedding, she is drawn back into her old life.
Edward Neville-Ashford has returned from the War a shell of the man Charlotte originally fell in love with, but her work with traumatized veterans should enable her to help Edward heal and find the strength to fight for the love they once had.

While the author did a good job at capturing the atmosphere of post-WWI England with the changing social and political climate, and the rebuilding of the country in the aftermath of The Great War...I didn't enjoy this one as much as her first book.
I found the characters rather boring, and the whole story-plot just seemed to drag on and on.
I had put it down several times, thinking it was just my mood.
After picking it back up and finally finishing it with a "tad" bit of skipping..it still failed to grab me, and I felt I should have left well enough alone at the end of the first book.
But still..I've enjoyed this author's prose, and look forward to her next book:



10 s Terri703 20

Review also found at http://kristineandterri.blogspot.ca/2...

I received a copy of this book from the publisher William Morrow Paperbacks via Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review. It was just released yesterday.

I will start out by saying that this is a story for true fans of historical fiction. Readers who do not favour this genre may not enjoy this story as it is not a fast moving one where a lot occurs. Those who enjoy reading about the hardships of post WWI England will on the other hand appreciate this novel.

This book features a character who while somewhat stiff and boring holds strong convictions of how she thinks things should be. Be it the place and rights woman have or should have in society to the treatment (or lack thereof) of war veterans and their families. Her position in her workplace and her articles in the local newspaper serve as an outlet for her concerns with the direction of post war England.

Also included in the story is a love story. A very understated one. At first I wasn't sure if there was one but it eventually played out for the reader. This is where I return to my comment that this is a read for the true historical fiction fan. Some may find the love story too understated however I would disagree. I found it a little bit refreshing that it did not overwhelm the story or Charlottes journey. While a sucker for a good romance I thought the subtly was well written and appropriate for the story.

I am going to hold back on too much detail about this book. I will just say that I truly enjoyed it and will be seeking other works by Robson. I thought I had read that there was a first book to this one somewhere. If that is the case I will be seeking it out. Also if it is true it in no way impedes the enjoyment of this one4-stars edelweiss7 s Eliza CreweAuthor 4 books766

Overall just plain dull. The main character's biggest flaw is that she is too good a person, only good things ever happen to her, and (spoiler alert) it all wraps up happily ever after without much fuss.7 s Jaclyn796 178

After the War is Over is Robson's follow-up to the excellent Somewhere in France. To be clear, it isn't essential that you read Somewhere in France before this one; however, I do think readers who have read the previous book will get a better appreciation of After the War is Over.

After the War is Over is set in England after the first world war (obviously). During the war, Charlotte Brown served as a nurse, something that she was able to do as a university educated young woman. Now that the war is over Charlotte is more than content returning to her old job in Liverpool, helping those that have suffered from the war.

As Charlotte gains satisfaction in her new life, she's pulled back into the past by her best friend Lily (subject of Somewhere in France), who's brother has come back from the war a changed man.

Edward Neville-Ashford, Earl of Cumberland, has returned home wounded both in body and spirit. He's lost a leg and it's clear that he's not the same, care-free young man he once was. Each time Charlotte encounters him she tries to talk to him, help him, but to no avail. Needing to move on from her girlhood infatuation, Charlotte distances herself from the Neville-Ashford family. Unfortunately for the contentment that Charlotte has found, she is pulled once again into this family's circle when Lilly asks for help with her brother. While Charlotte wants to help, she is more than aware that it is going to interfere with the success that she has found.

After the War is Over was an excellent read, although I will admit that it was a little different from what I was expecting. I thought there would be a stronger romance element, but what the novel provides is a very good sense of the turbulent atmosphere in the post-war era, especially for women.

I found it compelling that Robson decided to focus on women in the post-war era. So many war novels focused on how men came home broken after the war. Yes, this was part of After the War Was Over, but ultimately this book was about women during this period. In many ways Charlotte was restricted by her gender and you sense this in every aspect of her life, especially in her interactions with her friends at the boarding house where she resides.

Readers are treated to a lot of day-to-day activities of these woman, and perhaps these descriptions could be labeled dull. However, I really felt that this book offered a realistic and less romanticized version of women in during this period. The role of women during the war is often discussed in the classroom, but there are few popular titles where it has been so predominately explored, and I appreciate that fact in this book. For example, near the beginning of the novel Charlotte learns that she has received the right to vote, not the vote as we know it today, a by-election for Oxford University, but the satisfaction that Charlotte feels for jumping through all the hoops to actually cast her vote is palpable. It was these little details that made After the War is Over such a powerful read for me.

The area that didn't fall into place as expected was the romance aspect of the novel. It was quite clear from the book jacket that there was something going on between Charlotte and Edward; however, it really didn't play as strong a role as I would have expected it to. Really, it wasn't until closer to the end that readers saw Charlotte and Edward interact with each other. The bulk of their interactions were related in flashbacks when Charlotte was employed by Edward as Lily's governess. Personally, I felt that there was a lot of material that could have been used to a stronger advantage in the romance department. I really would have d the romance to have taken a more central role to the plot, but then again, I am a romance reader, so take that with a grain of salt.

After the War is Over is a compelling and interesting novel. It tackles a period that receives a lot of attention, and it does it in a way that I think will resonate with female readers. There's no battle scenes, but readers are taken to the front lines of women's fight for independence and their daily lives. I loved the powerful simplicity of After the War is Over and I think that anyone who enjoyed Somewhere in France will also love this one as will readers who enjoy character-driven historical fiction. Another highly recommended read.

Review originally published at The Book Adventures.

*Review copy provided by the publisher via Edelweiss.arc bluestocking canadian-author ...more6 s Anna1,170 112

World War I is over, but for many peace comes with new worries and despair. Jobs are scarce and for those working, the pay is barely enough to keep a roof over their head and food on the table. Too many soldiers are returning with what we now classify as PTSD. Charlotte Brown, an Oxford educated woman, works at the constituency office helping the less fortunate. She writes a weekly column that speaks of the injustices inflicted upon the poor and forgotten. Despite Charlotte being a woman ahead of her times, she still yearns for love and family. Unfortunately the man she desires is a man of wealth and title, whom Charlotte believes is well above her "class" status. Can she be happy as a single woman helping those in need? Will she find love? Will there be a happy ending for Charlotte?
I really enjoyed the bits of history in the story. My one issue with the story was that Charlotte came off as too perfect and proper, but I did find her character befitting of the time period.free-nook historical-fiction library-checkout5 s Sarah Kiley3

I would give this 2.5 stars if I could. I wanted to this book. Alas, it simply wasn't to be. I really enjoyed Jennifer Robson's first book, Somewhere in France, so I was excited to find After the War is Over. Then I started to read it. The plot drags and quite frankly, the reader is never left in any doubt as to how this book will end. Furthermore, the main character Charlotte, is frankly, irritating in her perfection. I found myself wanting to stomp on her spectacles. I'm still looking forward to this author's next book, but I wouldn't recommend this one.5 s Pam JenoffAuthor 24 books5,635

I love Jennifer's novels, which are always original in premise, meticulously researched and well-written. After the War is Over, a story of a young woman trying to find her pay in Britain after the Great War is one amazing example of her work. Historical fiction lovers, if you have not read this book and her others, you are missing out!5 s Sarah193 39

2.5 stars. A meandering plot which never really goes anywhere peppered with uninteresting characters (though this excludes Charlotte who is actually a strong and admirable protagonist). I usually love historical fictions set in this time period, and while this was clearly very well researched and did include some interesting observations, some of the persistent attempts to imitate the language of the time period irritated me (especially when it was used out of character dialogue). I found the plot moved very slowly and it didn't grab me at any point - I struggled through waiting to be caught up in the time period, the romance or the struggle the characters were enduring, and didn't feel massively connected with any of it.

With all that said, I thought Robson did a good job in representing the struggle to recover in England following WW1, and particularly the difficulty for women in the workplace. Her details were exact, and while some elements didn't necessarily add much to the plot they were entertaining enough for their historical relevance. Not really my cup of tea but I think others could enjoy this more.historical-fiction4 s Cheryl5,527 208

Another book that I was looking forward to reading. Despite having not read Somewhere in France. Which there were some hints of that book in this one but nothing really of importance that you can not read this book as a stand alone novel. While this book started out fine I found myself really having to stick with it. It was only after I got about half way and part of this was due to me skimming the book that I finally threw in the white flag and surrendered. I did not feel the chemistry with any of the characters or the romance that I was hoping and wanting between Charlotte and Edward. 4 s Amy279 42

A surprisingly sweet post-war love story. I would've d more conflict and tension, and perhaps another point-of-view character to broaden the story's scope, but overall this was a gentle, character-driven tale of one woman's life in post-war England, with her unfulfilled yearnings for love and for a chance to make the world a better place. There was some mild language and sensuality which may offend more conservative readers, but on the whole it was a clean novel and enjoyable read.4 s Ellen1,879 7

After World War I, the social fabric of England was changed, with women having worked jobs men had before the war, and class divisions questioned. Charlotte is a young, forward looking woman, a nurse during the war, intent on writing about the plight of soldiers as well as the poor. Having been a governess to Lilly, and falling for her aristocratic brother, Charlotte looks to find meaning in her life. I have read a lot of historical fiction, and found this story absorbing.4 s Lyuda538 167

After reading and loving Somewhere in France I couldn’t wait to read this book -Charlotte and Edward's story. The story takes place right after the war when badly wounded Edward came home to recuperate while Charlotte returned to Liverpool to continue her pre-war work in the constituency office of Miss Rathborne, the suffragist. The war is over but poverty, lack of jobs, untreated physical and mental conditions followed returning soldiers home. Oxford educated “modern woman” Charlotte sees the devastation everyday while working with families of these solders. Wanting to give a voice to these people, she turns to writing a series of articles about the plight of returning war heroes and their families. Economic and social struggles in the post-war England play a major theme in the book renegading romance to the back burner. We see the budding of the romance between Charlotte and Edward through a series of flashbacks to pre-war and war time. The instant attraction they felt during their first meeting when Edward interviewed Charlotte for the post of his sister's governess, the continuation of this feeling throughout the war. And after the war, when Edward’s condition was deteriorating, Charlotte was the only one who he thinks could help him. The author did a commendable research and the story is brimmed with authenticity. The pace, the wiring reminds me of some of the early 20th century female writers I read. If you enjoy historical fiction, try this book. It’s light on romance but a fascinating historical read.1900-1930-england world-war-i3 s Melinda1,020

Robson’s reminiscent description of post-War England is well done along character development.

Charlotte is an admirable liberal woman – university educated (Oxford graduate) only child of a vicar, nurse, intelligent and fiercely independent, a woman most would emulate. She’s also a people pleaser, a woman wanting to make a greater impact in the world and those around her and this is where Charlotte hits a crossroads of sorts as she discovers the woman she is and her authentic desires. As you learn of Charlotte you discover she is a woman clearly ahead of her time with endless potential.

Robson reveals Charlotte’s layers slowly and the more you learn of this intriguing woman the more you appreciate her quiet cerebral manner. Ambitious – she takes on women’s rights, contributes a weekly column addressing the injustices individuals and families face during wartime. When she reunited with Edward she begins to question herself and her hearts desires. A coming of age story of a thirty something woman finally discovering and admitting her wants and needs in a time where the world is on the cusp of great change.

Robson masterfully address the fragile subject matter of ‘shell shock’ and its lingering presence. The perfect amount of romance combined with Charlotte’s back story creates a charming narrative of an incredibly gifted woman in a difficult period of time.

A satisfying story with accurate depictions of WWI, suffrage, police strikes and the plights of family, affecting account of wartime in general.20153 s Aerykah461 30

I really hesitated to give this book even 3 stars... because there is some sexual content that I absolutely do not approve of! And there is some bad language too, though most would ly consider it mild.

These 3 stars, however, are for the rest of the book. It was quite interesting and, I thought, pretty well written. I have always enjoyed reading about the times surrounding the world wars, and the added aspect of PTSD fascinated me (that interests me in any time period, but especially in a historical setting). The family dynamics, relationships, and social issues... also interesting to read about.

As I mentioned before, though, there was some bad language throughout the book. And also a couple of scenes that I did not at all. One was a kissing scene that was described overmuch. And the other, while not a full fledged sex scene, very nearly ended up that way and still went very far beyond propriety. Those issues made me want to give this book a 1- or perhaps 2-star rating, but I did go ahead and give it 3 stars because the rest of the book was actually quite good.

So consider yourself warned. In spite of my rating, I absolutely do not recommend this book!

Also, the narrator was rather annoying and sometimes made it difficult to distinguish between characters. But she wasn't unbearable... so there's that.2017 audiobook-challenge-2017 library-challenge-2017 ...more3 s KOMET1,145 134

This novel is set in Britain during 1919 and 1920 and follows the lives of a number of people who experienced profound changes in their lives during the First World War. It is a follow-up to the novel "SOMEWHERE IN FRANCE". hist-fiction-uk-1900-et-beyond jennifer-robson3 s Ashley Marie 1,347 393 Shelved as 'did-not-finish'

DNF @ 40%

Couldn't get into it.histfic-ww1ww2 the-tbrr yawning-portal3 s Marlene3,044 220

Originally published at Reading Reality

England after the end of World War I was a different place than it had been before the war. An entire generation of young men had died in that war, leaving behind a generation of women for whom there simply would not be nearly enough men to marry for those that wanted to. Which meant that, in spite of the country’s desire to return to the gentler days before the war, there was a generation of women that was going to have to earn a living because there was no choice.

Women had spent the war years working at jobs that men did, for relatively good wages, and did not want to give those jobs and wages up. It was difficult to return to the kind of unskilled and unstimulating labor that they had left behind to become nurses and ambulance drivers at the start of the war. And there were too many families where the husband could no longer work because of war-related injuries, but the wife either couldn’t get a decent paying job, or her husband wouldn’t allow it.

Add to this the changes for those privileged, and those in service. A significant number of young people who would have gone into service for a wealthy and titled family before the war, went into military uniform and experienced a life with considerably more equality. Often it was the equal share in being shelled or gassed, and an equal share in the possibility of dying. But the world changed. Fewer people came back to service after the war, and the life of the privileged classes was forced to change, even if those changes went very much against the grain.

Think of the post-WWI world portrayed by Downton Abbey. The post-war period is markedly different from the pre-war. The universe had changed.

After the War is Over is the sequel to Robson’s excellent Somewhere in France. The point-of-view character is one of the friends of Lilly and Robbie from that first book. Charlotte Brown is radically different from Lilly and Robbie, bordering occasionally on downright radical.

Charlotte was a nurse during the war, but before and after she served as an aide to a constituency advocate in Liverpool. Charlotte’s job is to find aid and assistance for families suffering from the economic downturn. Even with all the women being fired from what are supposed to be “men’s jobs” there still aren’t enough jobs for all the returning soldiers.

While Charlotte is happy for Lilly and Robbie, and content in the job she is all but married to, something is missing in her life. Someone. Charlotte fell in love with Lilly’s brother Edward the day she met him. Unfortunately, any chance they have for happiness seems doomed. At first, Edward is caught in an engagement arranged by his parents when he was a child. Then, when his father dies and he inherits the earldom, he discovers that his father did a lousy job of managing the estates and that the death duties are ruinous. He breaks off his engagement and searches for a rich young woman whose family fortunes can repair his own.

But the real block to any possibility of happiness is Edward’s continuing depression and illness after the war. He feels as if he will never be a whole man after losing his leg, and he appears to be drinking himself into an early grave. Edward is suffering from shell-shock, but perhaps something more as well.

It will be up to Charlotte and her nursing skills to find out what is really wrong, and to make sure that he takes the care and cure that he needs. Even if she knows she is making it possible for him to be whole with someone other than herself.

She’ll be happy again. Someday.

Escape Rating A-: It’s easy to sympathize with a lot of Charlotte’s story. She is a career woman, long before it was cool. She has an inbuilt drive to do something about for the people who need help. It’s not just that she saw too much as a nurse, it’s the way she’s always been. She recites her own story in a public speech, off the cuff, and it explains so much about what motivates her.

She was also lucky in that her parents supported her goals, whether they completely understood them or not. Her situation contrasts strongly with Lilly’s, as Lilly had to fight to be her own person. Charlotte always was. While there is a difference in class, Charlotte is firmly middle-class, she also faced the expectation that she would marry and have children. Her mother worries that she won’t be happy without those things, but still loves the person she is, and doesn’t try to change her.

It’s good to see a story this where the heroine has supportive parents and isn’t running away from a horrible, or even just stifling, situation.

A lot of this story is about women’s relationships. Not just about the friendship between Charlotte and Lilly, but particularly about the life Charlotte has created for herself as a single woman. Her friendships (and frenemy-ships) with her co-workers and her housemates are important. As is the late war that hangs over everything in the story.

Charlotte’s relationship with Edward reminded me a bit of Downton, specifically Matthew’s illness after the war and his engagement to the heiress Lavinia Swire. The way that his injuries affected him, the engagement to a woman who may have been the “right woman” to solve his family’s problems but was certainly not the one he loved, and the problems of class were similar to Edward’s predicament, his engagement, and his love for Charlotte. Nothing turns out quite the same, except the happy ending, but the situations are predicated on some of the same decision points.

After the War is Over is much less soap-opera- over all. The central story is Charlotte’s becoming everything that she can be, and learning to love the life she has, in spite of difficulties thrown into the path of a career woman in the 1920s. Her happy ending is excellent icing on a well-told cake.2 s Emma Karch153 1 follower

I d aspects of this book but I think at the end of the day it just didn’t measure up for me. It was very well written and obviously well researched but it just was missing something for me to enjoy it more. Also the pages were annoying and sort of stuck together. Edward wasn’t a book boyfriend and the chemistry romance aspect wasn’t enough- and Charlotte at times low key annoyed me 2 s Molly Krumm90 1 follower

Meh2 s Melissa289 123

I received an ARC from the publisher.

Charlotte works in an office in Liverpool that tries to find help for the poor and destitute. The circumstances of many families has become dire especially since The Great War has ended. Veterans are coming home wounded and unable to work and women are left widows with children to feed.

Jennifer Robson vividly portrays the sadness and destruction that has been left in the wake of the war; everyone in England has been affected by this deadly and costly conflict. There are several sub plots in the book that will give the reader a better appreciation of the variety of ways in which men and women from all walks of life had their lives altered by World War I.

Charlotte served as a nurse in a hospital in London that specialized in helping veterans from shell shock; her memories of the patients she helped there always haunt her. But when her old friend, Edward, comes home from the war a changed man, she uses her expertise as a nurse to try and help him recover from his trauma.

There is obviously a history between Charlotte and Edward and the narrative flashes back to the time they spent together before the war. But since they are from very different social classes, Charlotte assumes that they will never be romantically involved. The scenes in the book in which Edward and Charlotte are getting to know each other were my favorite parts of the book. My only complaint about the book is that Robson did not include more interaction between these two characters.

Overall, AFTER THE WAR IS OVER is a fantastic read if you have an interest in historical fiction set during and after World War I.

This review and more at: www.thebookbindersdaughter.com
blog-tours edelweiss historical-fiction ...more2 s Sandi Hudson53 31

IMO a much better story than the first in the series Somewhere in France though I loved that one as well. Following Charlotte who was Lily's friend and fellow nurse who served together in the battlefield hospitals, this book has a richness that pulls you in and keeps you turning pages because you can't wait for the good things to happen for Charlotte. She's tough but sympathetic and you can't help cheering for her.2 s Jess3,117 5

Hm, I don't know. I d this as a novel about post-WWI Britain and I d the focus on Charlotte. But this is definitely one of those times where I wanted a much greater romantic element to the story, and it just wasn't there. Shippers gonna ship and all that, and I simply wasn't given enough to work with. 2015-all 2015-new historical-fiction ...more2 s Lennora88 6

While not as impactful as the first in the series, I really enjoyed this one. This book could easily be read as a standalone novel and is based on a character that intrigued me in Somewhere In France. I enjoyed learning more about Charlotte and Edward and seeing a continuation to their story.2 s Megan649 44

I get why some people found this book slow or boring. It's a book about a strong independent woman who lives her life wanting to improve the lives of the less fortunate through policy. Policy isn't sexy! It's not exciting! But policy by Jennifer Robson is lovely, believe it or not. At the hands of a less skilled author this book would have been awful. Honestly the romance isn't as in your face, it's an incredibly slow burn and the excitement and danger of war is over.
But again Robson writes so beautifully that I hardly noticed. I love how she writes her characters and how she weaves interesting and from what I can gather not having been alive in the early 1900's England, appropriate dialogue.
My only wish was that we got more from Edward's end... Or rather anything from Edward's POV! I loved having Robbie's voice in Somewhere in France and because I enjoyed Edward so much in that I wanted more!
But even still without that wish being fulfilled I loved Edward so much. He truly will go down as my favourite of the literary Edward's!
And how can I move on without expressing love for Charlotte. Driven, lovely, intelligent, beautiful inside and out. A friend through and through and I was so thrilled when she finally owned up to her truths.

I loved this book almost as much as Somewhere in France and am again shocked by the low overall rating.canadian-author favourites great-cover-art ...more1 Desirae2,255 171

This was not as enjoyable as the first book.

I strongly disd Charlotte. She never has to work for anything. First she's adopted by a very nice family, grows up without want of any kind, obtains a job as a governess straight out of college (this part was very Jane Eyre, with Edward cast in the role of Mr. Rochester,) her journalistic inclinations ate applauded despite the fact that she's a women living/working in the early 20th century. She never fails at anything, everything is just handed to her. She's overqualified for nearly all tasks, which makes for an incredibly dull reading experience.

We also lose the power of WWI as a backdrop, with the war itself having come to a close. Admittedly, Edward's battles with shellshock and alcoholism were interesting, but it wasn't enough to hold up the rest of the book, or even balance with Charlotte's goodytwoshoes persona.

I also thought Lilly and Robbie felt off her as well. I have a hard time believing that Lilly would be rattling on about a new car to Charlotte when her brother is suffering so much.blah-and-meh complicated-relationships covergasm ...more1 Lora862

With World War I ending, Charlotte goes back to work at a constituency office in Liverpool and lodging with two elderly spinsters. Her thoughts at times turn to the love of her life, Edward, now Lord Cumberland. Their different backgrounds and Edward's burden of managing his family's estate is preventing them from taking their relationship any further. In addition, Edward, who lost a leg fighting in the Great War, has isolated himself from everyone and is drinking too much. Will Charlotte be the one to help Edward heal? In this second book of the Great War trilogy, the focus is on Charlotte, the best friend of Lilly (from book one) and Lilly's brother, Edward. An interesting look at women's lives in England between the wars.1 Betty Strohecker1,048 12

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