*I received a free copy of this ebook from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.*

The title seems kind of, oh, I don’t know—rather functional rather than engaging. Unlike the book, which sucked me in from the start and kept me interested through the end. In fact, I’m kind of sad to have finished.

This book was a well researched combination of history (explained in the author’s note at the end) and fiction. Betsy (22/24–the book alternates past and present) was a combination of two real women, both of whom sound remarkable. Holt (28) and Charles (41) were complete fictional, as were a number of the other characters who played much of a part in the story. But quite a few supporting characters were real people. There are a lot of books about WWI and WWII, and many about the Revolutionary War and the Civil War. But this is the first I have encountered that takes place during the Spanish-American War (and the one in Greece).

Without giving two much away, I will say that I much preferred one romantic interest over the other for so many reasons, though there wasn’t a triangle.

Note: Some mild swearing. An affair. Off-page sex.

The story of a woman who experiences love, loss as a nurse during two different conflicts. Her enduring friendship with another woman and her loves both lost and found.

What worked for me:
- I really enjoyed Betsy's character arch and how she grew! I did not like her much in the beginning but she became such a brave and remarkable character that I really liked her in the end.
- I loved her relationship with Holt. I also loved how Holt stepped up to help her on the Seneca even though he was already injured.
- I enjoyed how the author wove the experiences of more than one real live person into the character of Betsy. It worked well.
- I loved the last 70% of the book the most. Those last events with Betsy's relationship with Charles and where that ended up and what she lost because of it and then the events on the Seneca were very compelling.
- Loved the ending!
- Loved the author's note. Very interesting to read and learn about how she brought these characters to life.

What didn't work for me:
- It was very long and I felt it could have been a bit shorter.
- I thought the dual timelines being only 2 years apart was a little confusing.
-The first 60% of the book was a struggle for me. I just wasn't that pulled in by that part. It moved very slow and didn't hold my attention well. I'm glad I kept going but it was a struggle.

This historical novel follows Smith College graduate Betsy Hayes to Athens in the 1890s as she tries to break into the all make world of archeology and join a dig. In a second timeline we meet a much more mature Betsy two years later when she volunteers as a Red Cross nurse in Cuba during the Spanish American war. The stories are told in alternating chapters until the earlier timeline catches up.

The young Betsy is intelligent but silly and thoughtless and I found her hard to like. She struggles to be accepted by her male colleagues and falls in love with a married Frenchman, and volunteers as a nurse in the Greco Turkish war on a whim, but that experience matures her. Learning of her experiences makes sense of the woman who nurses the Rough Riders in Cuba.

I enjoyed the book and learned a lot about two obscure wars and I really wanted to give this book five stars but I never really understood why Betsy was so protective of her friend Ava and tried to prevent her from battlefield nursing when that was all Ava ever wanted to do. I expected Ava to be a more fully developed character than she was. Betsy was very hard to like in the first few chapters but she grew on me as I better understood her motivations.

I have loved all the books I’ve read by Lauren Willig so I was thrilled to be approved to read an early copy of this one through Net Galley. Two Wars and a Wedding is right up there with her best. The two wars are the Greek/Turkish conflict of 1896 and the Spanish American War two years later. The story alternates between these two time periods as we see the main character, Betsy Hayes, living through these conflicts. It was interesting to learn more about these wars, particularly the Greek one since I knew nothing about it. Better than that was seeing Betsy learn and grow as she provided nursing services in both wars. There are a couple of pretty good romances going on too. Overall this was a great read for me.

This historical novel goes back and forth between 1896, when new Smith graduate Betsy is in Greece as one of only two women in an archaeological program (and where later in the book, war breaks out); and 1898, when Betsy joins the Red Cross as a nurse headed towards Cuba where the Americans are joining the Cubans to fight the Spanish (and with some 1898 chapters instead from the perspective of one of the “Rough Riders” soldiers). Eventually we see how Betsy ended up on this very different path in life. And based on the title, you know there’s going to be a little romance eventually two.

And, it’s another winning historical novel by Lauren Willig. am a long-time fan of hers - I’ve read all 12 of her Pink Carnation series books, along with four out of six of her stand-alone novels prior to this one. And honestly, she never lets me down! She always writes such great spunky female characters, and keeps things not too heavy for historical fiction - though this one is probably one of her more serious ones.

Plus, it was super-interesting - I had never even heard of the war that takes place in Greece, and didn’t know much about the Spanish-American war - and don’t think I’ve read any fiction set in either one. And I love a good author’s note in a historical novel - and this one revealed that although Betsy was a fictional character, most of the things that happened to her were totally real things that happened to one of two other historical women! But yet it happily wasn’t the kind of historical fiction book that feels over-researched - just one that felt real.

The dual timeline in this historical fiction novel is unique as the time periods are only 2 years apart. The reader learns more about Betsy as they go back and forth between Greece and Cuba.

I enjoyed the way the author introduced each chapter either with a letter from Betsy or a newspaper article. It was an interesting way to set the scene as well as move the plot along.

I didn’t know much about either time period or war. It was nice to read a historical fiction book focusing on two new time periods to me.

At times the action seemed to slow, but I appreciate all the attention to detail and research that Lauren did to bring both time periods to life.

This story was an amazing historical account of two wars that shaped two nations where Americans were involved. I learned so much about the human spirit to survive despite atrocious conditions, the strength and kindness of nurses, and the ability to fight for what is right.

“The history of the world is driven by blunders and misapprehensions - and actions that seemed good at the time”.

From New York Times bestselling author, Lauren Willig: coming of age story with a dual timeline and a single heroine - a bold and adventurous young woman who finds herself caught up in two very different wars on both sides of the Atlantic.

Author Lauren Willig does an outstanding job on writing such a well researched story. It opened my eyes to two overlooked world conflicts where many American lives were forever changed. Read this book if you enjoy stories filled with friendship, a bit of romance and interesting historical accounts.

I received an electronic advanced reader (eARC) copy from thoughtsfromapage Patreon community. Thank you to Cindy Burnett, publisher Harper Collins and Netgalley for the opportunity to preview this book.

This is my first novel by Lauren Willig. It is a fictional story that weaves in historical facts, and it was an interesting read. The story is told in duel timelines that actually occur within two years of one another. 1896, during the Greek & Turkish War and in 1898 following the Spanish American War. The main character of the story, Betsy Hayes is a graduate of Smith College with a degree in Archology. She is in Greece with the American school desiring to participate in fieldwork, but is met with opposition, "... if Athena herself were to appear to Professor Rutherford to demand Betsy be given permission to participate in excavations, the director would shake his head and inform the Goddess of Wisdom that men belonged int he field and women in the library." While she is in Greece she does make the acquaintance of a Charles, French Baron de Robercourt who appreciates her mind, listens to her and from there Greece gets a little spicy. After the Greek and Turkish war breaks out Betsy is trained as a Red Cross Nurse. This training is the bridge that brings us to the Spanish American War two years later. We learn that illness played a much larger threat during this time than combat did. Kit Carson, a journalist for the St Louis Star Ledger is also a nurse during this time in Cuba. She is caring for soldiers and writing stories to bring the truth of the War home. Both Betsy and Kit are based on true stories about a combination of women who played import roles during these wars. As with most historical fiction books, read the Authors notes. She tells of the women she based the characters on and touches on her research, I would recommend this to anyone who enjoys historical fiction. 3.5 Stars -- I liked it.

Pub date: 3/21/23
Genre: historical fiction
Quick summary: Smith graduate Betsy finds herself at the center of two wars: the Greco-Turkish War of 1897 and the Spanish-American War - in addition to nursing the wounded and fighting stereotypes, she'll hope to mend her relationship with college friend Ava.

War plays such an important role in historical fiction, and I was excited to see that Lauren Willig found two lesser-covered wars for this story! I really admired Betsy - she fought against all odds to make a difference - especially in the resource-limited environment of the Spanish-American War. I loved the cameos from historical figures like Teddy Roosevelt and Clara Barton - they really added depth to the story. The book starts a bit slow, but once I got to know Betsy, I was sucked into her story, and Betsy and Ava's friendship was a highlight.

If you love historical fiction, this is a great pick! Be sure to read Willig's author's note - it's clear she did a TON of research.

Thank you to William Morrow and @thoughtsfromapage for my e-ARC.

This is a coming of age story of Betsy Hayes, a Smith graduate, based on the lives of two real women – one an archeologist and the other a nurse. It was a refreshing change to have the two wars part of this story based on wars I didn’t really know much about – the war between Greece and Turkey in 1896 and the Spanish-American war in 1898. The story is told through the two separate timelines and the first, set in Greece, is very much a typical coming of age story where the character is almost a little annoying with how privileged and sheltered she is. Although she still faced the obstacle of being a woman in a “mans” field of archeology. In the second timeline I found Betsy much more relatable, and the action starts almost immediately with her traveling on a boat with Clara Barton and the Red Cross to help nurse soldiers during the war.

Overall, I found this an interesting story about a time period I did not know very much about. I would recommend this to those who enjoy a good historical fiction novel about a strong female character. If historical fiction is not your jam, this book most likely won’t be for you since it does immerse the reader in the two different historical time periods.

There is something fascinating about those women who graduated from Smith College and went off to change the world in the late 19th and early 20th century. Lauren Willig has again taken inspiration from real Smithys who were nurses during the Greco-Turkish War (1897) and the Spanish American War (1898). This story explores how passionate and privileged women tried to find a path for putting their education to use in a male-dominated culture that would prefer they had stayed home. For readers who like uppity women who bend rules, fight for a place at the table and make things better because they were there.

Thanks to the publisher for an early release copy of the book for an honest review.

This sweeping historical fiction novel takes you from the relatively unknown Greco-Turkish War to the Spanish-American War, both fought at the end of the 19th century. American Betsy Hayes is a strong-willed, educated young woman who wants to go on excavations to uncover the day-to-day life of Ancient Greeks. However she runs into roadblocks set by the men in charge of the excavations who don’t believe a woman should take part. However, one man, a French noble named Charles, provides her a path to her dream, and they soon form a special bond. When war comes to Greece and Betsy becomes a nurse to the wounded soldiers, she faces dire consequences that shatter her carefully crafted world.

Two years later, she’s back in the United States, putting her nursing skills to the test as part of Clara Barton’s Red Cross sent to care for American soldiers in the Spanish-American War. In the sticky jungles of Cuba and on the decks of a horrific medical boat, she encounters gory wounds and traumatic illnesses that defy treatment, but Betsy never gives up. Through a chance encounter with one of Teddy Roosevelt’s Rough Riders, she finds another wounded soul who may be just what she needs to heal and become the strong leader she’s meant to be.

I thoroughly enjoyed this novel and loved learning about two unknown-to-me wars. It’s a searing look at the costs of war and the horrific long-lasting effects it has on all involved. I am always amazed at women from history who roll up their sleeves and get into the muck with the soldiers, enduring danger and pestilence to provide care. They are true heroines and I am glad to see women from these little-known wars getting their due!

The romantic aspects of the novel were just right, the tension, the kisses, the heartfelt moments where they saw each other’s soul. I fell in love with Holt myself! There’s nothing better than a kind gentleman, and I loved how the author emphasized that about his personality. Both his and Betsy’s childhood wounds were heartbreaking but allowed them to understand each other fully.

I will be recommending this book, especially to friends who are looking for historical fiction about relatively unknown time periods.

Two wars and a WEdding
by Lauren Willig
William Morrow
Pub Date: March 21, 2023
Thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the egalley of this book.
Set during an electrifying era of nation-building, idealism, and upheaval, Two Wars and a Wedding is the tale of two remarkable women striving to make their place in a man’s world—an unforgettable saga of friendship, love, and fighting for what is right.
This was an amazing historical fiction that highlights two conflicts that I knew very little about. I enjoyed learning about that time period. But what I loved more is the story of the women.
I recommend this book!
5 stars

“We have a great task ahead of us. I refer not just to the battle against dirt and disease but to the ridiculous prejudice that attends female endeavor” … Clara Barton addressing her team of nurses.

Full disclosure: I have read every single title Lauren Willig has written, as a stand alone author or with Beatriz Williams and Karen White. I initially stumbled upon Pink Carnation #1 in 2004 and have been a devoted reader ever since.

Two Wars and a Wedding is perhaps Lauren Willig’s biggest accomplishment within the genre, evidenced by thorough and meticulous research about two wars I knew very little about. Separated by a few years and the Atlantic Ocean, this dual timeline narrative features Betsy Hayes, a character based on 2 actual American women who fought for truth and change. The settings are Greece during the Greco-Turkish War (1896) and Cuba during the Spanish-American War (1898). Ms. Willig fills in the historical framework with rich and vibrant character driven scenes, bringing the compelling narrative to a satisfying ending. The friendship of two Smith College graduates anchors the novel and this reader was captivated by scenes including Clara Barton, Teddy Roosevelt and his Rough Riders and the Greek Royal Family. The character relationships yielded a sense of place and time, and were deftly enhanced by imaginative and playful dialogue and interaction.
I raced to the finish line knowing the Historical Notes would detail answers and perhaps more questions about two overlooked wars and how people and systems were changed by them.
Thank you NetGalley, Harper Collins and Thoughts From a Page Early Reader Program for the advance copy in exchange for my review. I will be posting on my social platforms and Goodreads closer to publication.

History tells the story of Roosevelt's Rough Riders and their battles in Cuba from the male perspective. "Two Wars and a Wedding" reveals the history from a female perspective and sheds new light on the human costs of battle. The female protagonist goes to great lengths to save a friend from making a dangerous mistake and finds herself in the middle of one instead. This story isn't a frolic through the world of war, it's a trip through a "man's" war with all of the danger and unplanned consequences.

It's not a light read and takes a bit of time to build the story but it's worth the time to see the unglamorous side of life for males and females in war who are convinced they are doing the right thing for maybe the wrong reasons.

It’s 1898 and Betsy is trying to get to her estranged friend to stop her from being a nurse in the Spanish American war. She knows war having witnessed the devastation of the Greco-Turkish war. Fascinating history, fully developed characters, and a compelling story combine to make an incredible book.

Amazing read! I loved the story and the characters were perfect. I couldn't put this book down! It always amazes me how these wonderful real life stories have almost been lost to history. I am so thankful for historical fiction writers!

Lauren Willig’s new novel blooms from one of her recent books, Band of Sisters (2021) which followed a group of Smith College grads as they made their intrepid way to France to lend a hand during WWI in 1917. Willig became intrigued with their leader and this book’s central character is based on her – another Smith grad who trained in archeology, was denied “dig” time in Greece because of her sex, and turned to humanitarian work and war nursing.

Willig’s fictional creation, Betsy Hayes, has just arrived in Athens in 1896 hoping to excavate. The classicist in charge tells her to try being a librarian; she finds lodging with a swanky titled Greek woman who knew her father, gets around town on her bicycle, and manages to get on some archaeological tours with the male students. Along the way she encounters a dashing French Count and falls hard even though (gasp, though not a surprise) he’s inconveniently married. Ultimately, her frustrations become so great she decides to try war nursing. Recommended by the Queen of Greece, she heads to the front, in what was the short lived Greco-Turkish war of 1897. Short lived, but with no shortage of horror.

Betsy ends up running a small hospital, working about 24 hours a day, and seeing scores of wounded men, some of whom she can’t help. Willig has structured the book so it goes back and forth in time, and slightly in the future, she’s serving as a nurse during the Spanish-American war in Cuba, on the heels of Teddy Roosevelt’s Rough Riders. This is not a mystery but there is a mystery in the plot – why is Betsy in Florida, headed to Cuba? Why didn’t she stay in Greece? The book spools out the answers but it takes until near the end for the reader to put the pieces together.

The war in Cuba seems almost worse, though there are certainly commonalities. Betsy is more confident in her nursing skills, and she needs them, as the US Military are no more enlightened than Classics professors when it comes to women on the field of battle. Clara Barton is leading the charge and she’s refused by the US military, so she sets up shop with the Cubans. Necessity eventually finds its way as the battle intensifies, however, and it’s not long before Betsy is tending to some of the Yale boys she’d known in college.

While Willig has based her character on a real woman, she’s a powerful writer and a wonderful portraitist, so much so that Betsy Hayes practically leaps off the page and into your soul. She’s so alive. When Betsy eventually heads home from Cuba it’s on a ship that’s not at all equipped for any kind of medical transport, and the patients they are transporting are stuffed into hellishly hot cubicles below decks. It’s Betsy who is able to organize and drag the men back to the states, alive, and to actual medical care, and if you aren’t practically cheering for her when she disembarks in New York, there’s something the matter with you.

This is a true epic, and there’s of course also a romance involved (see the title). As the ultimate love of Betsy’s is not at all obvious, I won’t give things away, but will let the lucky reader discover for themselves where Betsy’s heart ultimately takes her. There’s a nice historical afterword (my knowledge of the Spanish American war was very small), and it’s fun to see how Willig wove history into fictional gold. This is a spectacular read.

Lauren Willig's new historical fiction story dives deeper into one of her character's back stories from her last novel, Band of Sisters. In this story, we have two timelines, one in 1896 and another in 1898 at two different times of war, one in Cuba, the other in Greece. I appreciated her expanding out of the normal historical fiction focus of WWI and WWII and exploring her main character, Betsy Hayes, as a nurse in these two conflicts. I loved the supporting cast of characters in both timelines, but enjoyed the Cuba just a bit more. I did feel like I wanted more depth in Greece, which I felt was a bit lacking. Overall, this is a great story for those lovers of historical fiction that are a bit burned out by the world wars and wanting to learn more about America and women at other points in history.

Lauren Willig’s latest is an utterly fascinating, intelligent tale of the odyssey of a privileged, well educated, plucky and ambitious young woman who is striving to find purpose and meaning as she pursues her dream of becoming an archaeologist in Greece and instead finds herself nursing ‘round the clock in the Greco-Turkish and Spanish-American wars. Not only does Willig’s often delicious, erudite prose craft a sublimely researched and written story from which I learned a vast amount; it manages to convey at once the horrors of war in the late 19th century and the biases against women in academia and medicine alike - and yet prove riveting, propulsive, and thought-provoking.

I really enjoyed Band of Sisters, but found it occasionally mired in distracting details (and mud; so much mud) and rambling. From my vantage point, Two Wars better integrates historical facts, is better plotted and paced - and is very well deserving of the early accolades and buzz it is receiving. I have read all of Willig’s published historicals, and this is among her best. Highly recommended!

Many thanks to William Morrow and to NetGalley for a complimentary e-ARC. Opinions are entirely my own.