What a witty, exciting, and brilliant story! Perfect for fans of Deanna Raybourn's Killers of a Certain Age, The Excitements was everything I wanted it to be and more. The intricate plot, fast pace, colorful cast of characters, and rich details should excite any potential reader. They won't be disappointed!

I thought this was really well written and I look forward to reading more from this author in the future. I think it will find readers at our library, so we will definitely be purchasing for the collection.

I adored The Excitements. It was amusing, informative and touching. The characters are so engaging and I was blind sided by the outcomes.

The past comes to bear on nonagenarian British WWII veteran sisters, Penny and Josephine Williamson. As the women prepare to receive another award for their service (this time for their help liberating France). Some old vendettas emerge, and the sisters prepare to pull off a heist to settle some outstanding debts. What are these debts? As that adventure unfolds, the author fills in the past 90-plus years of Penny and Josephine's lives, making readers privy to secrets that neither sister has dared to share with the other, particularly when it comes to their extracurricular activities during wartime. This novel is filled with surprise, poignancy, and excitement.

A wonderful novel about two women who worked during World War 2 . It opened my curiousity of what women really did World War 2. I mainly thought of them as nurses, ambulance drivers on occasion. I loved that their joie de vivre has been a lifelong condition that shows no signs of letting go.

Loved how charming the elderly main characters were. Would gladly spend several books with them. A bit like The Golden Girls, but with a bit more intrigue.

This book was so quirky and fun, with an interesting historical background intertwined. Quirky old ladies, a multigenerational secret, stolen jewelry, and some of the coolest grandmas anyone could ask for.

I enjoyed this book - the storylines between the past and present were interesting and both kept me wanting to know more. I liked the characters, and felt very “Toujours gai!”

Thank you to NetGalley and William Morrow publishers for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

"The Excitements" by C.J. Wray is a fun, surprising, wonderful novel about elderly sisters and their nephew, who "still got it"! Spunky and full of unexpected twists and drama. Definitely an entertaining read. Thank you NetGalley, the author and publisher for the review copy. All opinions are my own.

The Excitements by C J Wray
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Josephine and Penny are sisters who are World War 2 veterans. Now in their ninties, they are always asking their great-nephew what new “excitements” he has planned for them. On a trip to Paris to receive medals, the sisters manage to get a lot more excitement than they were looking for.
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What I liked:
-This book was not what I was expecting it to be and I was pleasantly surprised by that!
-Josephine and Penny were a lot of fun, but especially Penny! She was an energetic and fiesty lady with a backstory that was incredible.
-The charity party was such fun to read as the story kept getting more and more interesting.
-I loved that this book felt different from all other World War 2 HF I’ve read. We need more Penny and Josephine’s in our lives.
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4⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ If you love fiesty old ladies who are more than they seem to be, than I would love to recommend Penny and Josephine to you.

𝐓𝐲𝐩𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲, 𝐈'𝐦 𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐡𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐥 𝐟𝐢𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐣𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐟𝐢𝐧𝐝 𝐦𝐲𝐬𝐞𝐥𝐟 𝐝𝐫𝐚𝐰𝐧 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐛𝐨𝐨𝐤, 𝐚𝐥𝐦𝐨𝐬𝐭 𝐚𝐬 𝐢𝐟 𝐈'𝐦 𝐥𝐢𝐯𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐝𝐮𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞. This wasn’t the case for this book for some reason. I’m not sure if it’s because I just finished an amazing historical fiction that left me with a huge book hangover and nothing will seem to live up to those expectations right now or what, but this was just meh for me. Don’t get me wrong, it had its moments that made me chuckle and some that were pretty interesting, but it wasn’t giving me that strong pull feeling. I really tried, and while I did finish the whole book, it took a little longer than normal because I just really wasn’t into it. Maybe I’ll try and give it another go in the future and see if I change my mind.
Thank you Netgalley, William Morrow and CJ Wray for the opportunity to read and review this book. ⭐️⭐️⭐️

This was such a fun read! Reading about the shenanigans these two cause and the chaos they leave behind was great! Josephine and Penny are charming and funny and they were so easy to root for. I definitely recommend this to fans of mystery and humor

The Excitements”: A captivating novel that seamlessly blends historical fiction, mystery, and adventure. Author Wray skillfully portrays elderly heroines who defy stereotypes, offering a refreshing perspective. While the plot occasionally tests believability, the sheer delight of accompanying Josephine and Penny on their escapades more than compensates. I recommend this book to readers who value strong female characters, wartime intrigue, and a touch of humor.

Wray’s enticing tale of two elderly sisters with secret pasts is much more than it seems at first, as the sisters, in their early nineties, embark on one last adventure in the company of their nephew, with flashbacks to their historical feats of heroism, and hidden drama. along the way

This was a very fun and entertaining read about family and women. It’s funny, poignant, and clever. Would recommend!

The Excitements defies pigeonholing. I have heard it described as a “cozy,” but I disagree. It has many mysteries within it, but it is best seen as a heist/historical fiction novel featuring two feisty elderly British WWII veterans — Josephine and Penny Williamson — and their unwitting great-nephew Archie, whose primary task is to plan “excitements” for them. The trio head for Paris after learning that the sisters are to be awarded the Legion d’honneur for their service during the war. The novel moves back and forth in time to reveal what each sister actually did during and after the war, before returning to present time where the sisters are held hostage in a siege that takes place in a Parisian auction house during a preview of a fine jewelry collection. Overall, the book is dryly funny and is reminiscent of P G Wodehouse’s Jeeves stories. But what I loved the most was that the novel showed how the elderly are invisible in our culture, and how the sisters turned the tables and used this invisibility to their advantage. 4.5 rounded up to 5.0 stars. Highly recommended.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with this complimentary advanced readers’ copy of the book.

I have had so many 5-star reads lately that it almost feels like a crime, but I'm glad it's not! The Excitements by C.J. Wray is definitely going to make my top 10 favorite books of the year and there wasn't a thing I didn't love about it. Josephine and Penny Williamson are inspired by real-life sisters Patricia Davies and Jean Argles who are also World War II veterans in the women's services. The end of the audiobook actually has an interview between Wray and Davies which is not included in the book, and I would highly recommend checking that out even if you don't listen to the audiobook itself. While this is a lighthearted and humorous read, it also brought me to tears more than once making it that perfect blend of serious and fun.

I did listen to this in audiobook form, and I absolutely adored it that way. Karen Cass is such a talented narrator, and she really knew how to handle the audio. There are multiple viewpoints which include men, but she voiced them all in a way that made them feel more real. I didn't have any issues with not having a full cast, and I especially loved the way Cass was able to make the funny parts even more funny with her narration. There were lots of amazing facets to both the storyline and writing that I am not smart enough to put in words properly but just know The Excitements is an incredible historical fiction novel that will pull on your heartstrings, surprise you in multiple ways, and make you laugh until you cry. Well done, Wray!

The Excitements by CJ Wray

Published: January 30, 2024
William Morrow Paperbacks
Genre: WWII Historical Fiction
Pages: 299
KKECReads Rating: 4/5
I received a copy of this book for free, and I leave my review voluntarily.

This was such a well-done story. I enjoyed how history was woven through the plot. I have a soft spot for spunky, older leading ladies, and this did not disappoint.

I was drawn into the storyline, and this was a fun book. The plot flowed smoothly, and I enjoyed all of the characters.

The humor was so well placed, and the charm radiated off the page. This is a story you sit and read in a single sitting.

I found the writing clever, and the characters were so thoughtfully developed. I want to listen to the audible for this book; I feel like it would be thoroughly entertaining.

This book was so much fun! Told in multiple timelines we learn the story of the fabulous Williamson sisters Penny and Josephine. Unfolding little by little and alternating with a present-day narrative with the ladies now in their nineties and enjoying excitements with their great nephew Archie, we learn about the mysteries of their past.

C.J. Wray does an amazing job crafting a brilliant story featuring these two spirited ladies and their doting nephew. This book has elements of humor, mystery, espionage, and historical fiction detailing the sisters' years in WWII.

Filled with colorful characters and delightful dialogue, The Excitements is an absolute gem!

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are my own.

“The Excitements” starts out very silly, with Aunty Penny and Josephine Williamson planning their trip to Paris with their great-nephew Archie. The gals are in their 90’s, and enjoy a good cocktail and witty banter.

They are to receive an award for their work in liberating France in WW II. Archie has no clue as to what his Aunts were involved in during the war, thinking they had minor duties.

Aunt Penny has a secret side-hustle that funds her philanthropy. Aunt Josephine has secrets, and Archie is searching for an unrequited love. Archie is clueless about what his Aunts were doing during the war, but the reader learns, as their past lives are told in shifting timelines

These ladies, although fictional are an absolute inspiration!

What a fun and entertaining read. Great plot device moving between different time periods. Prickly main characters, a hapless nephew, I’m not sure how many adventures are left in the main characters but this book was a great cozy mystery.

Great debut with a unique duel timeline following our two main ladies who are now in their 90s when their past WWII service and secrets come knocking in the present as they set off on a last adventure together with their nephew. I absolutely loved this book and Josephine & Penny!