Loved loved loved!!! Any book that highlights women and breaking barriers is a win for me. And this author is such a great writer and story teller! I grab hers whenever I can.

I voluntarily reviewed it copy of this book provided by NetGalley

A really fantastic book, i loved the main characters and their sister bond. The backdrop was also well written and felt lively. The romance was a little cheesy, but still fun and heartwarming.

Beautiful story based on real life events, the only female bombers in the sky. Being ex forces myself I found this engaging and interesting. Sisters Tasha and Nadia are inspirati0ns and heroes. I highly recommend this story and author. Females played a big part in our wars, and still do to this day. Only back then, they were less known. Five Stars all the way.

Ever since reading THE HUNTRESS, I've been intrigued by The Night Witches, the squadron of female bomber pilots from Russia in WW2. In WE FLY BENEATH THE STARS, we meet Tasha and Nadia, two sisters who become Night Witches and the struggles they face both as women in a man's field and as soldiers, sisters, and sweethearts. Tasha is brilliant, but also impulsive and hot headed, with a chip on her shoulder, especially when her sister joins the squadron. Watching her grow and mature through hardship is a joy, until she becomes the best version of herself toward the end of the book.

Rating: 4.5 Stars

Heart-wrenching historical fiction is what Suzanne Kelman does best and she is on top form with her latest novel, We Fly Beneath the Stars.

Tasha is absolutely beside herself when her beloved Luca announces that he’s joined the air force to fight against the Germans. Not prepared to sit at home while the love of her life risks life and limb, Tasha follows him into battle and the headstrong, fearless and impulsive young woman proves to be the perfect recruit. However, back home, Tasha’s family are terrified out of their wits and her sensible older sister Nadia is sent to bring her back from danger. But a twist of fate and an unexpected set of circumstances end up making Nadia realise that she might have just found her calling flying high up in the skies.

The two sisters are underestimated by their superiors at every turn, however, when they prove their mettle and show just what they are made of, Tasha and Nadia quickly gain a reputation for being courageous and for keeping a cool head under pressure. Yet, when the two of them are shot down by the Nazis and taken into a brutal camp, they have to face the heart-breaking fact that they might never see their beloved homeland ever again.

However, when Tasha spots Luca across the wire fence, she realises that her most dangerous mission of all might be upon her and her sister. But will one sister have to sacrifice everything to save the other? Can love find a way to triumph over all the obstacles standing in its way? Or will Tasha and Nadia have to pay the ultimate price during this senseless war?

Inspired by a true story, Suzanne Kelman’s We Fly Beneath the Stars is an emotional, dramatic and harrowing historical novel readers will not forget in a hurry. Suzanne Kelman’s attention to detail and ability to evoke the perils and dangers of wartime are second to none and she makes the reader feel every single thing her brilliantly drawn characters go through.

We Fly Beneath the Stars is a stunning historical novel about courage, survival, hope and love from Suzanne Kelman that continues to affirm her position as one of the leading lights of the genre.

A riveting story from start to finish!. Based on “The Night Witches” a female squadron of Soviet Union aviators who fought against the Nazi’s in WWII. I love when an author chooses a lesser known topic from the war to write about. How else would we learn about these amazing women that assisted in the fight against Hitler?
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The book covers a lot of ground, and leaves you truly invested in the characters lives and what they have been through. A very well researched book, I felt like I was part of the squadron on those emotional flights together. There were tears both happy and sad at times, while I cheered on these amazingly brave women.

A spellbinding and emotional page turner, this story had me on the edge of my seat, A must read!
I listened to the audiobook as well and the performance was superb!

Thanks to Bookouture and Net Galley for the advanced copy.

Thank you net galley for providing me with an advanced readers copy of " We fly beneath the stars"

The pacing of the book was great, and the writing quite decent. My favourite part was definitely the characters, as each of them being as complicated as they were, felt like real people, and their interactions kept me invested. The ending was a bit dissapointing in terms of it coming a but unexpectedly, however other than that I dont have any complaints.

Overall a great read I'd definitely recommend

I have a particular weakness for novels written about WWII, especially highlighting the roles of lesser-known women, so eagerly started "We Fly Beneath the Stars". The novel focuses on the story of two sisters, Tasha (Natasha) and Nadia who join a newly formed female-only Russian bomber battalion to serve as an offensive front against Germany, known as the "Night Witches" by the Nazis given how quietly and quickly they strike.

The good: I appreciated how Kelman highlighted a team of women who banded together during the war, using their piloting skills to the best of their ability. She's done an extensive amount of research during this time period and the scope of skills necessary for the 588th Night Bomber Regiment of the Soviet Air Forces. I found the overall recruiting and training process fascinating, as well as the integration (or lack thereof) with male pilots. The blatant sexism for the time isn't terribly surprising, but is nonetheless frustrating given the level of skill that female pilots demonstrated.

Unfortunately, what was a promising story got muddled by a few things. First, the dichotomy between Tasha and Nadia was too forced and their initial squabbles seemed especially petty, given the context of the oncoming war and the gravity of their training scenarios. Most of the story is told from Tasha's perspective as well, and there were definitely times I found myself annoyed and frustrated at her pettiness and immaturity, especially as someone who grew up having to be the responsible older sister. I also found the love/marriage set up, contrasting Tasha and Luca's passionate romance against Nadia's practical marriage to Hans unnecessary and distracting to the main story. Kelman's writing felt superficial and underdeveloped as well, making it especially hard to connect with some of the primary characters in this novel.

Tasha and Nadia have always been close, but very different. Their personalities are as different as night and day, as is their taste in men...

As WWII breaks out, both are preparing to settle down - in their own way.

Nadia is preparing to marry the man she loves and wants to spend the rest of her life with. Tasha refuses to marry Luca, defiant in her love for him, and her own beliefs.

She is devastated when he signs up to the air force, terrified that she will lose him, and still she refuses to marry. Instead she signs herself up as female pilot, naively believing that they will be able to spend together.

She has no luck at the first all female flying school she is sent to, but she soon settles in. With a love of flying as an advantage, she is a quick learner and soon excels. Her brilliance is interrupted by the unexpected and unwelcome arrival of her sister.

Nadia had at first thought Tasha reckless for wanting to join the war effort, but personal circumstance and a mutual love of flying sends her searching for her sister.

The two soon become a formidable pairing, and as the female squadrons are declared 'war ready', both are selected for dangerous overnight missions, with potentially deadly consequences.

We fly beneath the stars is a real page turner of a historical fiction novel, and I really look forward to this authors next.

Thoroughly enjoyed this well written historical fiction novel about the Night Witches, Russian women flying fighter planes and bombing Nazi installations during WWII. Great character development with sensitive and poignant story of 2 sisters and their bravery against this powerful enemy. Recommended reading.

Absolutely superb.
This book has it all. Historical fiction fans will lap this up.
It is so interesting, telling me about a part of history I knew little about, which is a huge factor in why I read this genre. Women flying fighter planes?
The characters are powerful, two competitive sisters fighting the war makes for a slightly different dynamic that isn't used too often.
I was truly gripped by the dramatic events, feeling the fear and emotion in every page.

I also listened to the audiobook, and it was brilliant. Wonderful narration evoking the drama perfectly.

We Fly Beneath the Stars by Suzanne Kelman Narrated by Lauryn Allman was a beautifully written and powerful book from start to finish. You will need tissues for reading or listening to this book, I was gripped and did not want to put this down. We Fly Beneath the Stars is a great book especially if you love historical fiction especially as it was based on a true story, of a female only bomber battalion, this is a totally heartbreaking and unforgettable story about sacrifice, sisterhood and a love during the WWII

I highly recommend this wonderful book and Lauryn Allman the narrator was brilliant and perfect for this book.


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Thank you to Bookouture and NetGalley for giving me a free copy in exchange for an honest review.

World War Two historical fictions always tend to centre around similar topics. Many readers of the genre have stated this before. However, We Fly Beneath the Stars provided a breath of fresh air into the genre of World War Two historical fiction. The characters each had their own personalities and issues which helped the story to feel so realistic. I cannot emphasise how much the characters stayed with me after finishing the book. Still now, I think about them so often and their stories.

I cannot possibly emphasise any aspect of this book which irritated me or annoyed me. The book stood out from every other book based in World War Two I’ve ever read. I haven’t enjoyed a new historical fiction author so much since I was first introduced to Ellie Midwood thanks to Bookouture as well. The Night Witches of the Soviet flying squadrons truly became a stand-out aspect of this book. after reading it, I feel like I know and understand this squadron of the Soviet forces much more than I originally did.

I highly recommend this book to lovers of historical fiction, especially those who love the World War Two based books. I cannot wait to read more by this author!

It seems WWII historical fiction is predominately focused on the Nazis and the Western side of the war, but in this book we get to experience the Eastern front AND women in the war! If you like Noelle Salazar's Flight Girls, this would be a great one to read as we get more women in their planes. I was a little disappointed that there wasn't a blurb at the end discussing the true Night Witches of WWII. I would have liked to learn if Nadia and Tasha were based on true people or if they were just representative. Overall the book was great though and I would recommend it!

Night Witches

An exciting, heartbreaking and tragic story about brave women pilots during WWII. This story is very different as it is about Russian women . During WWII the Russians were fighting with Britain against the Nazis.

At this time the male soldiers laughed and sneered at the women fliers. It was thought by them that war was for men to fight and women should be home tending to the home and children. The women set out to prove their worth.

I loved this story about a unit of women of which I had no prior knowledge of. I loved the comradely between the girls and the sparing between Tasha and her sister Nadia. Tasha had such a free and competitive spirit until she made a fatal mistake that would change the lives forever of both herself and her sister.

The romance between Luca and Tasha was awesome and also between Hans and Nadia. I love the compassion Nadia showed Ivan after she found out his secret.

It was a good story, very sad at times and very happy at others. I loved all the characters. The ending was special. I recommend this book.

Thanks to Suzanne Kelman for writing a great story, Bookouture for publishing it and NetGalley for providing me with a copy to read and review.

We Fly Beneath the Stars by Suzanne Kelman underwent a cover change prior to me reading this book and I have to say I adored the first cover and didn’t see the need to change it. But now having read this remarkable story of bravery, courage and female strength and empowerment, I can see that the new cover fits the subject matter perfectly and gives the reader a glimpse into the content of the book. I love the title because it encapsulates the main theme of the book, that of a group of women who went against convention and did their bit for their country time and time again. They stepped way beyond their comfort zones and fought for their country at a time when the evils of Hitler were spreading throughout all of Europe. The first quarter or so I found a bit slow but once the two main characters Nadia and Tasha embark on a life-changing experience that’s when I found things picked up and I found their journey to be exhilarating, perilous and heart-breaking in equal measure.

There is so little about women female pilots that in fact I hadn’t even realised women were pilots during the war participating in bombing raids. Suzanne Kelman has shone a spotlight on a little known aspect of the war and written a fascinating story that brought to me a deeper awareness of the indomitably of the female spirit and shows how tyrants should always be challenged and ultimately defeated. A brief prologue introduces us to Tasha in the summer of 1985. She still feels deep regret for that one action over 40 years ago that caused such a terrible chain of events leading to the worst mistake of her life. This has haunted her for so long but to find out what this was we are taken back many years to Russia where Tasha lives with her sister Nadia and grandmother Babka. Her parents died many years before and it has been the three women ever since. Tasha is deeply in love with Luca and he wants to marry her but Tasha declines and the most beautiful description is used as to why she is not yet ready although one day she hopes to be. She describes it as a giant bird inside of her that wants to break free and soar and see all that life has to offer before she is tied down by taking care of children and a home.

Tasha for me is a divisive character and that’s because her actions throughout the book were so selfish with her only thinking of herself for the majority of the time. She has always felt that there is something bigger inside of her that she is meant to do and she is always in competition with her sister. Although Nadia doesn’t see it that way at all. Tasha wants to live her life fully in every possible way that she can but to me that was often at the expense of others. She strives to be the biggest and best at everything but gave scant regard for the consequences of her actions on others. She finds it hard to control her emotions and opinions and this gets her in serious trouble and I think these qualities are what caused her to have such a deep regret all through her life once the war was over. She is a genius at what she does namely flying planes but at the same time she is reckless and irresponsible and at times I found her to be self-absorbed and frustrating. It sounds like she is all bad but really she isn’t and her one goal - to see Hitler defeated and have her back in the arms of Luca is a strong and admirable one. It’s just her actions throughout the book made me feel differently about her at different junctures within the book. The further the book progresses you can see Tasha doing an about turn so to speak and getting her act together but will it be too little too late and will her actions have consequences that can never be repaired or forgiven?

When Luca enlists as a pilot, Tasha is devastated and knowing she has experience flying (having received lessons in payment for cleaning of the local flying club) and that she can’t just sit and wait for Luca, she escapes her small village and heads to the big city where her cousin lives. She soon hears of a female flying unit being set up and figuring this will bring her closer to Luca and at the same time fulfil this deep need and urge inside of her to do something dangerous, exciting and brave she too enlists. He had promised her that he would not die and now that she has put herself in the firing line so to speak she makes the same promise to herself. Soon she is at a training camp where all her abilities, both mental and physical, are put to the test and this is where she often lets her emotions get the better of her especially when it comes to dealing with men who are also training. Tasha becomes reckless and to me she showed her immaturity. Yes, she felt in Nadia’s shadow but I think Tasha brought those emotions on herself and convinced herself that that was the way things were when in reality if she had been more open and talked to her sister perhaps a very different picture would have emerged.

Nadia is the complete opposite to her sister. Steady and sensible she feels a need to always be in control. Tasha is always in direct competition with Nadia but it’s more a competition of her own making rather than being rooted in any sort of reality. Nadia always has to be doing the right thing which in itself can be a curse rather than a good thing. She marries Ivan and she does love him but marriage is not what she had hoped or wished it to be. Ivan does not show any kind of emotion, care or love. He is a member of the communist party and does not show any kind of intimacy towards Nadia which she deeply longs for. The loneliness increases for her and she feels her marriage is a failure and she is trapped. When Ivan is called to serve his country and news reaches Nadia of Tasha’s own foray into the female fighter squad she too arrives at the female training camp. To say this does not go down well with Tasha is an understatement and I found her reaction to be so childish and selfish. Nadia soon proves to be a genius at the training and will be a worthy female pilot and well able to drop bombs on the designated targets. But the squads missions are fraught with danger with every night flight that they undertake and when Tasha does something purely for her own needs and wants which I have to say really infuriated me, will this lead to disaster for all?

We Fly Beneath the Stars takes the reader on an emotional rollercoaster which when the story gets going you really can’t and don’t want to get off until the very last page. The story veers off in so many twists and turns that I never expected, and my heart was in my mouth at what was unfolding and what the eventual outcome could possibly be. It’s heart-breaking and emotional but the characters learn an awful amount of much needed life lessons, especially Tasha. The courageousness, strength, bravery, companionship and solidarity shown by the female bombers and their squadron was remarkable. It teaches us how we must never take things for granted and that women when tasked with something are powerful and remarkable. Suzanne Kelman has written a fantastic story in which you will learn an awful lot and it has a brilliant ending that will bring a smile to your face and a tear to your eye.

Tasha may not have been ready to marry her beloved Luca, but she is heartbroken when he joins the Air Force at what is a very difficult time in history during World War II. Determined to remain close to him, Tasha also joins the efforts, and soon becomes a part of a female only bomber battalion, which is the first of its kind.

One of the people that Tasha leaves behind is her older sister Nadia. Nadia‘s recent marriage and home life are anything but happy, and now she is on the war front as well. While it may not have been Nadia’s idea to be flying these dangerous planes, joining the battalion is the only way that she knows to protect her sister Tasha. Although the rivalry between the two sisters was sometimes a barrier, one thing was made clear, and that was their love for each other.

Despite excellent flying skills and sharp instincts, before Tasha gets the opportunity to prove herself capable enough to fight alongside Luca, both she and Nadia are captured and spend time in a terrible prison camp. Readers are introduced to the Russian Night Witches, an actual Russian fighter pilot force during World War II in this latest compelling read by Suzanne Kelman. The experiences were harrowing, the emotion was raw and intense, the bravery was stellar, and the writing of this book was exceptional.

Many thanks to Bookouture and to NetGalley for this ARC for review. This is my honest opinion.

Please also enjoy my YouTube video review - https://youtu.be/JhB12x0z1mY

We Fly Beneath The Stars by Suzanne Kelman is based on a true story about a Russian female-only bomber battalion during World War II. These women were given the nickname of “The Night Witches” by the terrified German army because the female bomber battalion would fly in and drop bombs during the middle of the night. Causing destruction and catching their enemies off guard.

The story is told from the POV of Tasha and Nadia, two sisters who live in a small Russian town in the countryside. Tasha impulsively joins the airforce so that she can be closer to Luca, the love of her life and a recent recruit of the airforce. Tasha was very impetus in her decision and doesn’t really understand the consequences of fighting in a war and flying a bomber plane. Nadia, Tasha’s older sister, and also a pilot, decided to join the Air Force so that she could keep an eye on Tasha and try and protect her. Tasha and Nadia have a beautiful yet complicated relationship but a true bond that cannot be broken.

What ensues is a story of courage, family, friendship, loss and love. Such a well written heartfelt story that was so vividly written that at times I felt I was there in person watching the story unfold in front of me.

I love historical fiction stories and We Fly Beneath The Stars is one of my favourite. It’s so hard to believe that it is based on a true story. Especially when you learn about the conditions the female bomber battalion had to fly in. They flew only at night time, in subpar planes that had no navigational systems nor communication devices. The pilots had to communicate at night time with a Morris code type system with flashlights. WHILE FLYING!!! That’s so insane. Also the women had to deal with terrible harassment from their male pilot counterparts.

Thank you so much Bookouture and Suzanne Kelman for having me on this book tour and for my arc of We Fly Beneath The Stars in exchange for my honest review. A 5 ⭐️ read for me.

We Fly Beneath the Stars is by Suzanne Kelman. This is my first book by her, but it won’t be my last!
The story is told from sisters’ Nadia and Tasha’s point of view. Nadia is the typical older sister. She is married to a man who cares more about Russia than about her. Tasha is the impulsive younger sister. Tasha ran to Moscow to follow her military boyfriend there.
This is not your typical love story, it’s more about a love between two sisters. I was drawn in by the complex characters and beautiful scenery. I devoured this book in two days. I think it’s interesting that Russia is so backwards in so many ways, yet was so progressive to allow women fighter pilots.
I thought the ending was superb. Many thanks to the author, Bookouture and NetGalley for a complimentary copy of the book. The opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.

Europe, 1942: The war rages on throughout Europe and there isn’t a country that is unaffected by this horrible time. Tasha is in love with Luca and when he joins the Air Force to fight the Nazi’s from the sky above, Tasha knows she must do the same. Nadia, Tasha’s older sister, can't let her go. Nadia too finds herself in a war plane flying high in the sky. Nadia is shocked to discover that she loves being a pilot. When both sisters are shot down behind enemy lines, they are taken to a horrible prison camp. Never expecting to see their homeland again, they question whether or not they will survive.

This is an absolutely phenomenal story of family, love and friendship in unprecedented time. I was completely captivated by the storyline of Russian women military pilots doing everything they can to protect their homeland. I found the courage of the women pilots concurring the unimaginable was admirable. I was especially interested in this book because although it was fiction, it was based on actual events, and that made it real. This unputdownable and emotionally heart-breaking story was amazing on so many levels. The twists and turns in this story sent my emotions on a roller coaster, and I ran through a box of Kleenex like it was nothing. I highly recommend this book, but make sure you have some tissues because you will surely need them.

Thank you Suzanne Kelman for a phenomenal story. I learned so much history from this book and am amazed at the research you poured into this book. I loved it and I highly recommend it.