I enjoy historical fiction and any war era stories about how people struggle, cope, succeed and sometimes fail. I was looking forward to The Poppy Sisters with its tale of how two sisters were coping with the devastating loss of the rest of their family and how they were adapting – or not adapting – to their nursing jobs in two very different locations. The experience of treating prisoners of war promised to be interesting.

The horrors of the war, the grief of the sisters, the heartbreaking circumstances at the hospitals were all there. I didn’t expect a light romance story, but I did expect some moments of light and unfortunately there were very few. The story is intense and heavy, often feeling harsh. The resentment of many of the nurses at having to treat the enemy was understandable, as was the Matrons strictness with the nurses and VADs and the need to adhere to the rules, but it causes a depressing sense of foreboding and futility to hang over the story. The sisters were close in age but Celia especially was quick to judge Phoebe’s actions. It was hard to relate to the characters because of the hardness in the way they treated each other.

The previous book I read by this author, The Beekeeper’s War, was also a wartime story and dealt with difficult subjects but was still often sweet and engaging. The Poppy Sisters does a great job of presenting the truth of war, the choices that must be made, and how loss, grief, and maybe finally hope can affect a family. The Poppy Sisters was informative and emotional, I just wish it had included a few more upbeat scenes.

Thanks to HarperCollins UK, One More Chapter for providing an advance copy of this book via NetGalley. I voluntarily leave this review all opinions are my own.

The Poppy Sisters by Deborah Carr is a wonderful historical fiction story taking place during World War II. It is a story of two sisters who suffer a horrific familial loss. Celia is a nurse working in a prisoner of war camp on the island of Jersey across the English Channel. Phoebe is a VAD working at a base hospital in France caring for British soldiers who were injured on the Western Front. The story in a nutshell is how will they survive the war. For both sisters the hours are long and the work is stressful and endless. Both sisters are tethered by their shared loss and memories of family.

The chapters alternate points of view and revolve around each sister. One chapter will be about Celia and the next will be about Phoebe. Celia and Phoebe unexpectedly find love during the madness of war. Phoebe falls hard for a Captain who is under her care. Celia falls in love with an Austrian POW. Their situations are different but yet so very similar. The sisters survive the war with courage and strength.

The basic feeling is that this story is about family, friendship, judgment, forgiveness, and love. Ms. Carr does a beautiful job developing the sisters. They are memorable and endearing. The settings in France and on the Island of Jersey were wonderful. You can easily picture the beautiful scenery, picture the inside of the hospital ward, smell the antiseptic and feel the dampness and picture the POW hospital.

This was a terrific story. If you are a fan of Deborah Carr. as I am, you will not be disappointed. I can’t wait to see what she has in store for us next. Well done.

I would like to thank Ms. Carr, Harper Collins UK and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review. .

Divided by war. Reunited bu courage. Two sisters, torn apart by war, face daily battles to save lives of the wounded soldiers in their care....

Older sister Phoebe is a VAD at a Base Hospital in Etaples, France, treating men who've served at the Front. Their courage and resilience inspire her, and though she's meant to keep her distance, one of them, captain Archie Bailey, soon captivates her heart.

Younger sister Celia is a nurse at a POW camp on the island of Jersey. These men fight for the forces that bombed her brother and parents. How can sh spend long hours trying to heal them?

With every whispered conversation and forbidden glance, the sisters risk so much, but with the Great War having already taken everything from them, how can they resist a chance at happiness?

This book takes place during WWII and focuses on sisters Pheobe and Celia. I have mixed feelings over this story. To me, it was more a romance story than the war, which I didn't mind. I could not take to Celia's character at all. I can understand why she was so bitter about nursing these men though. The story could be a little repetitive at times. The pace was on the slow side.

I would like to thank #NetGalley #HarperCollinsUK #OneMoreChapter and the author #DeborahCarr for my ARC of #ThePoppySisters in exchange for an honest review.

This is a beautiful story of two sisters that are going through the trauma of losing their parents & brother in the First World War.
They lost everything that day including their home , all they have is each other.
Unfortunately their jobs are keeping them apart when they need each other the most.
Celia is a trained nurse & has been seconded to work on the island of Jersey in a prisoner of war camp.
Meanwhile Phoebe has been sent to France as a VAD nurse in a base hospital in Etaples on the western front.
They are both doing their best to hide their grief & do all they can to help their country.
This tender story is more about the sisters lives & love lives in adversity & not so much about the war.
That special bond of siblings shine through as they each try to get through the horrors of war.
A story of forbidden love they each have to go through & the path they take.
Thoroughly enjoyed this gentle captivating story

Another great read from Deborah Carr!

Celia and Phoebe are sisters, both nursing during the Great War - one in Jersey, one in France. Celia, the younger, is posted to a prisoner of war camp on the channel island while Phoebe deals with casualties straight from the front. Their seniors warn all nurses to keep their distance from their patients and not get involved, but it's hard when you meet someone special. And both sisters think they have found that someone - only they are not allowed to do anything about it.

I'm always captivated by a good war story, and this is certainly that. More used to reading this author's series, I was taken aback when the whole tale was in one book - but what a tale it is. Full of ups and downs and not shirking from the gritty side of war, I was glued from beginning to end. Very enjoyable, happy to recommend and give 4.5*.

My thanks to the publisher for my copy via NetGalley; this is - as always - my honest, original and unbiased review.

Phoebe Richardson is a member of the Voluntary Aid Detachment service, she's stationed at the base hospital in Étaples France, here they treat men straight from the trenches, and they are wounded or sick, exhausted and filthy. This is how Phoebe meets Captain Archie Bailey, he’s one of the men she’s attending to and much to his embarrassment, she discovers Archie is an architect and from Sandsend. Falling in love and forming attachments with patients is strictly forbidden, but Archie and Phoebe do and knowing he will be send back to England to finish his recovery and then return to the front.

Celia Richardson is a qualified nurse, she working at a POW camp on the Island of Jersey and one of her patients is Lieutenant Otto Hoffman and he’s an Austrian doctor. Despite warning Phoebe about keeping her distance from patients, Celia discovers Otto isn't the monster she thought he would be, he was conscripted into the German army and her attitude towards to the enemy changes.

Both Phoebe and Celia struggle through the war years, in Phoebe’s case her health suffers and she goes to Cornwall for a much needed rest. Celia likes Otto, but her parents and brother were killed in a Zeppelin attack and is it possible for them to be together and what would Phoebe think?

I received a copy of The Poppy Sisters by Deborah Carr from HarperCollins UK and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. The story gives you a realistic idea what it was like in England, France and Jersey during The Great War, the wounds and medical procedures, comradery and friction between hospital staff, bond between siblings, bravery and having to being stoic and treating prisoners of war and show them compassion.

The character driven narrative focuses on the resilience of Celia, Phoebe, Archie, Otto, Jocasta and Louis, developing feelings and wartime romantic relationships, love and longing, waiting for the war to end and the outbreak of the Spanish flu. Another well written historical fiction story by Ms. Carr and I hope there is a sequel as I would like to know what happens between Celia and Otto and five stars from me.

The book is about 2 sisters, Phoebe and Celia who are both working in different hospitals looking after wounded soldiers. They have recently lost their parents and brother during a bombing and are coming to terms with it. When they both meet soldiers on the wards they are working on their lives will change. and one and risks everything for love.
Thanks for the ARC

Set during WW1 Phoebe is working in a base hospital in France as a VAD and her sister Celia is a Nurse working in a Prisoner of War Camp in Jersey. Both sisters fall in love with their patients ,so the story is about their love in adversity .I usually enjoy Deborah Carr's books but for me this one was slow and not so enjoyable .Thank you to NetGalley for my ARC

Of all the books I have read this week, The Poppy Sisters is my favorite. The other nine books were good, but The Poppy Sisters grabbed me and didn't let me go until I finished it. I forgot about sleeping because I couldn't forget about Phoebe and Celia.

Phoebe and Celia are sisters working as nurses during World War One. It was a brilliant idea to use the two sisters as the main characters because the reader gets to experience two totally different scenarios. Phoebe is on the Island of Jersey working in a Prisoner-of-War camp. Celia is stationed in France near the frontline caring for the wounded.

Their stories run parallel in time allowing the reader to see two different perspectives for the same time period. Prisoners play in the snow on Jersey and have warm places to dry off. Soldiers in the trenches of France are fighting for their lives in mud, never being able to get dry.

The reader learns what it was like for Phoebe and others to work around POWs. Not everyone was happy to care for the Germans. Talk about drama!!!!! I learned quite a lot from following her story and what happened at the camp.

It was following Celia's story that affected me the most. The horrors of war experienced by Celia left me wondering how they carried on. What soldiers experienced left me in tears. It never seemed to stop. The hospital in France was challenged to keep up with the wounded on numerous occasions even having to build more wards.

The Poppy Sisters is so much more than just a story about the medical side of World War One. As they say "life goes on." Phoebe and Celia both fall in love. They weren't supposed to fall for the men they did adding even more drama and shocking moments to the story. Their love lives, or attempted love lives, made for a great read. Emotion rolled off the pages. I was frequently shocked by what happened. But it was so believable.

Grab some tissues. There is a lot of sadness. The gore was easy to imagine with the descriptions given by the author. The men suffered horribly. The day to day struggles gutted me. Even with all the sadness the story is a very enlightening read. The Poppy Sisters has given me a lot to think about. The Poppy Sisters has me digging more into the past to learn of the sacrifices that were made.

The Poppy Sisters by Deborah Carr was very readable, but I kept waiting for something to happen, and nothing ever did. I enjoyed reading about Phoebe and Celia and their different experiences of nursing in the Great War. However, in spite of the definite setting in time, the novel didn't really read as though it were historical I think the characters felt too modern. I was keen to keep reading though, and did care about the fate of the sisters. I'd have been happier with less abrupt ending, especially to Celia's story.

This is a loving story between sisters miles apart, both trying to help their country and aid wounded soldiers during WW1, with the byproduct of having life-changing interactions with some of their patients. This is a great read for anyone with an interest in both historical events and romance. It is a beautiful behind-the-scenes glimpse into what life might have been like for those not directly on the front of the war, but in the reserves caring for the wounded and trying to send them back to end the monstrosity of war. As a sister myself, I personally loved the main characters' relationship, but also how they had separate, individual experiences that were both harrowing and rewarding. This was an homage to the underrepresented, brave young women doing the best they can during the worst of times.

I would say this book is best for readers who enjoy dialogue and character-driven books, rather than the imagery, depth or context that some readers find overwhelming. It is a quick read and primarily about romance. It is more about what is happening between the characters and less about the world in which they are living. The war serves more as a means to further build relationships. The history and world building of this novel took a backseat to dialogue and interactions.

Critiques - I don't know if this can still be changed by on location 1353 on the kindle format or 28% in, A main character's eyes are described as blue, when on all other occasions they are described as brown. A main character refers to herself as a kindergarten teacher which in my knowledge is a term rarely used in the UK? Maybe this was different for this time period with its Germanic roots but I thought it was odd as an American reading about British characters using the term.

"The Poppy Sisters" is a story of nursing in World War 1. Celia is a qualified nurse working in a prisoner of war camp in Jersey, and wishing that being on the island was more similar to family holidays there in days gone past. Phoebe is a VAD working at the base hospital in Etaples, helping with the care of British soldiers injured on the Western Front. For both sisters the work is stressful and never-ending, and both are also struggling with memories of their dead parents and brother.

This is the story of how they survive the war and find pleasure in small things which keep them going amid the death and destruction all around them. The differences and similarities of the siblings' situations are described but, at the end of the day (and the war!) they support each other.

A heartwarming story of love, family, friendship and forgiveness. Thanks to Net Galley and Harper Collins UK for the opportunity to review this book.

I love historical fiction, but this one just rushed me to the finish line. It was very repetitive, sharing their experiences during WW1.I think for me, being a nurse, it wasn’t believable. The author spent too much time on the authoritarian head Sister, who never had a kind word for her nurses, but plenty of criticism. The sisters, Phoebe and Celia, sign but after there parents and brother are killed in a bombing, destroying their home. Quite different experiences for them, Celia nursing German prisoners, while Phoebe draws an assignment in France. Both are attracted to a patient in their care, fraternization being frown upon.
For me, the story was repetitive and drawn out.I haven’t read the author’s debut, so I can’t compare efforts. There were things I liked, and thought the premise was workable. But the ending was disappointing.
My thanks to NetGalley and Harper Collins for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book via NetGalley and HarperCollins UK, One More Chapter. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Rating: 2/5 Stars
Published: September 1, 2023
Series: N/A
Pages: 375

One More Chapter novels are enjoyable reads, and the “Poppy Sisters” was a hit or miss historical novel. I have not read anything by Deborah Carr in some time and was delighted to be given the opportunity to read this story.

Nurses, Phoebe and Celia are sisters who have suffered the loss of their whole family in a bombing in England. It is a story of forbidden love, friendship, and hard work during a period of war. However, it was a bit too descriptive that left some parts a bit dry, and I struggled with some parts as though something was not connecting. The pace was quite slow too and almost DNF this about 40% into the book but decided to finish until the end.

Very rarely do I miss on One More Chapter stories…this one just did not do it for me. It felt lacking and a bit boring. Look forward to more One More Chapter stories.

A unique spin on WWI, with two sisters (both nurses) who fall for men fighting for different sides. Heartbreaking, hopeful!

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book for an honest review

This is an historical novel. Phoebe and Celia are sisters and both nurses in the 1914/1918 war. They have suffered an unimaginable loss of their whole family in a zeppelin bombing of their village home in England. Phoebe is a volunteer in France and Celia is a trained nurse working in Jersey looking after prisoners of war. They only have each other and their shared grief from afar.
This is a war story based on the sisters experiences of grief and loss as they care for the soldiers of both sides . This is a story of forbidden love. A story of friendship and hard work during the long solitary months and years of war.
A well written story, a bit repetitive and over simplistic at times. However the book kept me interested 3 stars

Thank you to Netgalley and publisher for an arc in exchange for my honest opinions.

Publication: September 1, 2023

Rating: 2 stars

This was my first book by Carr and I am a bit bummed that the book and I didn't hit it off. I usually don't mind being thrown right into the story but the writing/descriptions are dry and stilted to me. I struggled to picture anything that was going on and it felt like I was already missing pieces to the story. I ended up putting the book down and realized that this book wasn't for me.

If you're into historical fiction, you can give this book a try but overall the writing style didn't work for me.

This book just doesn’t do anything for me. I’ve given up at 22%. It’s not what I was expecting and is very simply written. I don’t like the short alternating chapters between the sisters. It sounded as if it would be a heavier story than the light romance it is at the moment. I’m grateful for the opportunity to read and review an advanced copy.

A great book about these sisters. The way it is written will have your imagination flourishing along side the words you read. I highly recommend

Set in WWI , two sisters Phoebe and Celia who have lost their parents and brother in a Zeppelin raid both volunteer to assist in the war. Celia is nurse and is working in Jersey , eventually transferring to a prisoner of war camp. Phoebe is based in France as a VAD in a military hospital.

Both sisters fall in love.....one with a soldier the other with a POW. The book follows their work and love... an interesting read and well written.