This definitely is a very sweet book, with all that oldschool feels of golden old times, yet describing a very harsh times, too, of WWII, where some go to war and some stay home; both to fight in their own way.
Alice-Ann is in love, when the war starts, and she is willing to wait for Mack to see her heart, even if her wait could take years. But then, the message comes about Mack’s death. And, after time, Alice realizes that there is a place in her heart, after all - for Carlton, man who gets her like no one else. But the strong young infatuation somehow still lives in her heart...until...

I like all the sweetness! Also the authoress has a way with words and can describe the atmosphere and the place in time in a very engaging way. The times when men (even men with less than ideal qualities according to the older relatives) were men...
But honestly, the novel is also predictable. Reader does not need to be told everything, I rather prefer to be shown by actions why the choice Alice-Ann did was right. I also could do with less of moralization.

But having said that, I also want to say that the vivid descriptions and the sweet mood trump over all my critique points.

A sweet coming of age story during WWII. Alice Ann and her friends were typical starry eyed girls dreaming of boys when the United States entered the war. The author does a wonderful job expressing all the emotions of the characters. The story is easy to become involved in and relate with. The wisdom and faith of this time period is authentic. Highly recommended!

In 1941, Alice-Ann is a sixteen-year-old with her heart set on her brother's friend Mack. But when he leaves no promises when WWII calls him away, she is left wondering about his affection for her. They write letters for years, but then the letters stop altogether. Heartbroken though she is, Alice-Ann still finds the strength to be there for her best friend's brother, Carlton, as he heals from a terrible injury. Will she be able to discover who her true love really is?

The One True Love of Alice-Ann is a sweet romance set during WWII. When all the men go off to war, how will a young woman discover who will be her true love? Alice-Ann certainly has trouble figuring it out. During this book, she grew from a teenager with a crush to a young woman who knows her heart, but it took her a long time and a lot of pain.

This book went at a relatively slow pace as readers follow Alice-Ann's struggle through the years of the war. She certainly grows up as a young lady, but the central romantic focus takes some time to develop. There is a little bit of a love triangle, but it takes until the middle of the book to even discover who the second young man is, much less who she will choose.

Despite the relative slowness, it was an interesting book. I enjoyed the peek into the life of a WWII woman waiting through the war at home in the US. It could not have been easy, but even during the war, life goes on.

Overall, I enjoyed The True Love of Alice-Ann, and I recommend it to fans of sweet historical romance.

I received a complementary copy of this book. All opinions are my own, and I was not compensated for sharing them.

Unfortunately, I lost interest with this novel. I don't want to review it knowing that I'll probably give it a low rating. Sorry! But thank you for sending me an ARC though.

Eva Marie Everson's The One True Love of Alice Ann is a triumphant novel about ordinary people finding themselves in the will of God for their lives. When the novel opens, Alice Ann is turning sixteen, and vows to reveal to her brother's friend Mack that she secretly loves him. War has just broken out and America decides to get involved after Pearl Harbor attack. Her small town is suddenly immersed in issues and tragedies they had not previously faced.

While Mack is off at war, Alice Ann writes him letters, and continues her day dream of one day becoming his wife. She convinces herself that this is God's will for her life. Suddenly, another one of her brother's friends returns from war paralyzed and blind. She feels compelled by duty (and the prodding of her family and best friend) to read to him every day as a small comfort during his difficult recovery.

Without realizing it, Alice Ann becomes a revered, mature woman of this small town, and discovers God's will for her life, and His answer to all of her prayers, is not exactly what she pictured. Her joy comes in small things each day, until she realizes the purpose of her life and the insignificant gestures that she makes that leads her to her destiny.

Everson's writing style is charming in this novel. It does not take long to connect with Alice Ann and her family, and find yourself living in this small town during World War II. Through this story, Everson teaches readers a powerful lesson: Sometimes, while we are praying for the will of God to operate in our lives, we make small choices each day that lead us right into the middle of all that we are called to do. We cheer with Alice Ann as she makes this transformation, and are inspired that as we make small daily choices, God is leading us right into His will for our lives.

I received a complimentary copy of this novel from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

I loved this book. The story was interesting thanks to a great sense of time and place along with interesting, likeable characters. I enjoyed seeing how the characters matured thanks to time and having to grow up quickly as a result of the war.

The One True Love of Alice-Ann is set in the deep south of rural Georgia during WWII. The story is told through the eyes of Alice-Ann who is turning sixteen and is sure that she has found her one true love. But before she can make her declaration and solidify the relationship the attack on Pearl Harbor happens.

The story follows her life for the next three years. During that time much changes in not only her life but also the lives of her family and community. It was interesting to follow along as she matured and developed into a young woman that was admired for her selfless acts.

There were several side stories that intertwined with Alice-Ann's story and helped to lend depth and context to the internal struggle that Alice-Ann felt. We were reminded that everyone has suffered through some sort of tragedy in their life and how they process it shapes their character.

Ms. Everson is a talented author and this book is one of her best. I found myself crying towards the end of the book . . . not from sadness, but rather from the beauty of the ending.

This would make an excellent read for book clubs. There are discussion questions included that delve into the intricacies of the story. I look forward to sharing this book with my friends.

I'm conflicted (as per the usual) because the story itself was interesting, yet lacking; the characters were varied, yet shallow; the plot easy, yet predictable. BUT the cover is abso-freaking-lutley gorgeous! And, for the most part, I truly did enjoy reading this novel. The beginning is rather slow but it definitely picks up after America enters the war, then slows down again until the last 10% of the book. I enjoyed watching Alice-Ann grow up and mature. I think the hardest part for me was the romance aspect of the novel: It was so sugary and smaltzy and had me cringing a little bit. That's never happened to me before in a romance novel. Some of the conversations between Alice-Ann and her beau are just...too, too much. Oy vey.

I would certainly recommend this book to others, if not for the story itself then certainly for the cover. That alone makes it worthy of any shelf.

*My thanks to Netgalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an unbiased review.*

A sweet look at the internal life of a young woman as she is growing up during WWII. I enjoyed the story - and meeting the characters.

Absolutely loved this beautiful story...Another masterpiece penned by Eva Marie Everson. I have recommended this book to all three of my local libraries.

Some books have stories that just open the front door and invite you to sit down and stay for a while. That is what I found in Eva Marie Everson’s The One True Love of Alice-Ann. From the first to the last, I loved visiting this story set in Bynum, Georgia during WWII. I felt immersed in the time and truly came to care for the characters.

The story is told through the perspective of Alice-Ann while she navigates turning 16 on the day that Pearl Harbor was attacked and then throughout the war. Over the course of these few years, she learns to know her own heart and even to recognize some of the troubles those around her have had. While reading, I don’t think I noticed as much these changes in her character. They are gradual and subtle. However, by the end, they were certainly there—and that is something I adored about this book. While some of the major plot points were things I could see coming, it was these changes happening below the surface that escaped my immediate attention. But it was those small changes that made this book so wonderful.

This was one of those books for me that I could not wait to pick back up. It was easy to start right where I left off the last time. I also found it to be a fast read. If you enjoy historical fiction set during WWII, I would certainly recommend this novel. As for myself, I’m excited to try out another book by Eva Marie Everson in the future.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I have recently started enjoying books set during World War II, and I am so glad I found this one. While it is not one I would use in my classroom, I will definitely read more books by this author. I am so glad that Alice-Ann made the choice she did.

Such a beautiful story! Alice-Ann comes of age in the early 1940's in rural Georgia. She plans to have a 16th birthday party and all her friends are coming. A few hours before the party though, horrible news. On the radio everyone hears about the bombing of Pearl Harbor. Naturally the party is cancelled. Alice-Ann fancies herself in love with her older brother's friend, Mack despite the five year age difference. She had been planning to tell him that during her party. When Mack goes off to war,him and Alice-Ann continue to write back and forth for 3 years before his letters stop coming leading everyone to fear the worst. During the war her best friends brother,Carlton is honorably discharged for injuries sustained. Alice-Ann spends her days caring for this hometown hero. Their relationship develops from friendship into mutual trust,respect and something more, finally love. Is she ready to give up hope and the childhood dream of Mack though?
I highly recommend this to all who enjoy historical and wwii fiction. Very high on my list of favorite wwii fiction!
Pub Date 01 Apr 2017
Thank you to NetGalley and Tyndale House Publishers, Inc. for a review copy in exchange for my honest opinion!

The story begins with Alice-Ann as a 16-year old and the US just entering WWII.  The town in which the story is set sends a significant number of young men into the service on account of the war.  This has impact on everyone in town.  Alice-Ann takes time to make sure her long-time crush, Mack, knows she’ll be waiting for him.
Good letter correspondents at first, Mack’s letters eventually end and there is news of his demise during a fierce battle.  Alice-Ann, whose crush was known only to a few, must endure this quietly.
A friend’s brother, Carlton, returns early from the war due to an injury.  He and Alice-Ann form a new friendship as young adults as they bond through the war time.
Alice-Ann must reshape her vision of “true love” and decide the best path for her future.

A vivid and tender story that evokes real human emotion. Reads fast and the ending is quite satisfying.

I love World War 2 historical fiction. Although it is an awful time of history, I love reading how the people living the history overcame the challenges life threw at them. I love reading them because my mother and father were in high school during those years, and my father fought in the Pacific theater. I love imagining them as characters during this time, perhaps finding them in the novels I read. In this story, Alice Ann must abruptly grow up when Pearl Harbor is bombed on her 16th birthday. (My mother was in 8th grade when Pearl Harbor was bombed, my father in 10th.) Of course, her world is turned upside down in the coming days as she sees her male friends and family leave to fight. This includes the boy she has set her cap for.

Alice Ann struggles with what most teen girls struggle with, regardless of world events: self-image, identity, belonging, fear of the future, and the tensions between girlhood and womanhood. This is a sweet, faith-based, coming of age novel. It was encouraging to see the young protagonist making good decisions founded in her faith, seeking and depending on God’s guidance. Alice Ann eventually learns that what she had her heart set on may not necessarily be God’s plan or what’s best. She learns that growing, genuine friendship is much more substantial, appealing, and satisfying than passionate infatuation.

The writing is rich, very descriptive, and gentle, even when discussing the difficulties of World War 2. I enjoyed this book greatly.

I gratefully received an eARC from the author, publisher, and NetGalley in exchange for my unbiased review.

This book, set during WWII, is a beautiful look at how sometimes not getting what you desperately want is actually what you completely need. Romantic, endearing, and well written, this period piece will leave you coming back for more.

Given the steady-paced, un-romance-like beginning, I was prepared to place The One True Love of Alice-Ann in the general Inspirational Fiction category. After the first chapters, however, the romantic pace picks up and provides a lovely story of how a young girl learns to distinguish between affectionate friendship and mature and lasting love.

It’s Alice-Ann Branch’s sixteenth birthday in rural Bynum, Georgia. She’s excited about her birthday party because she plans to tell Boyd MacKay—“Mack” to his friends and older than her by four years—that she loves him and will be devoted to him forever. A brief radio announcement changes her life, for not only is this her birthday, it is also Sunday, December 7, 1941, the day Japan attacks Pearl Harbor. Alice-Ann tries to accept that her party is ruined while struggling to understand the import of the attack. Two weeks after the momentous news, the interrupted party goes on, as much for the boys leaving to fight as for Alice-Ann’s birthday. She does tell Mack how she feels, but Mack’s reaction is lukewarm. His lighthearted attitude tells her he loves her as a friend, but she clings to the hope that his devotion will grow. Alice-Ann promises to write and silently vows she’ll stay true to him until he returns.

For two years, Alice-Ann holds on to her dream of being with Mack. She writes to him as she promised, goes to school, works a job in town, and helps out on her family’s farm. She also writes to Carlton Hillis, her best friend’s brother, who serves as a combat movie cameraman. So far, Bynum has been blessed in that its boys are safe, but the first combat death stuns the town and then Carlton returns home blind and paralyzed – both conditions hopefully temporary. Worried about Mack’s fate and needing a distraction, Alice-Ann agrees to read to Carlton each day after work, and their daily time together becomes the foundation of a deep friendship.

Carlton’s girlfriend rejected him soon after seeing the extent of his injuries, so he is grateful for Alice-Ann’s reading and easy company. Although he grows to love her, he knows she is attached to Mack and he refrains from expressing his deeper feelings. When Mack’s plane is shot down over the Pacific and all are presumed dead, Alice-Ann grieves, but in time opens herself to Carlton’s steady affection and, ultimately, to his love. They are married on Alice-Ann’s nineteenth birthday.

At the beginning of the book, the description of life in rural Georgia is interesting and charming, but for romance devotees, the first few chapters may feel slow. Once Carlton comes home from the war, however, the pace of the novel speeds up as the love story develops. Carlton is the kind of man mothers wish for their daughters – a character I really liked. He’s reliable, personable, a good provider and devoted to the woman he loves.

The conflict of the romance is the ever-present, yet absent, Mack. From the townspeople, we learn Mack is not the ‘settling-down’ type, and no one considers him a good match for Alice-Ann, yet even so, she clings to her fantasy. Events turn so that Alice-Ann must face Mack one final time and decide what kind of man she wants beside her through the joys and sorrows of life. Until then, Carlton feels confident of her love, but despairs when she reveals her own doubts. Within the conflict, the story explores the qualities that make a good spouse, especially the importance of shared values and mutual devotion in marriage.

Throughout the storytelling, I felt an emotional distance from the characters because the events are shown consistently from Alice-Ann’s perspective, the view of a young girl, rather than an adult. The privations and horrors of war are not allowed to dominate the story, where the portrait of a resilient people coping during wartime inspires without high drama. For example, Carlton is a photographer who has possibly lost his sight, but in his manner, we see little anxiety about his future, only a steady forbearance.

The book encapsulates the growth of a girl, who at sixteen is focused mainly on herself and her own feelings, but at nineteen has broadened her view. Her realization near the end of the book that she was unaware of the losses a high-school friend has suffered is a turning point in her maturation, depicted just when we would expect it.

Ms. Everson’s research into the period is evident in the historical details smoothly intertwined with the romance, reminding readers of the war and rhythms of rural life in the 1940s and making for a well-balanced story. In a good inspirational romance, effective presentation of the spiritual message is key, and the book shines in this regard. Instead of overt preaching of the traditional Christian message, the characters and situations offer wisdom and revelation that are pertinent to the story and to Alice-Ann’s spiritual development.

If you like your historical romance with a sweet, light and inspiring touch, I recommend The One True Love of Alice-Ann. It’s the kind of book that grandmothers and teenaged granddaughters alike can enjoy and share.

~ LaVerne St. George

This Book is available on :

Book Details
Reviewer : Guest Reviewer

Grade : B

Sensuality : Kisses

Book Type : Inspirational Romance

Review Tags : World War II

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Eva Marie Everson April 1, 2017 at 1:29 pm - Edit - Reply
Thank you so very, very much LaVerne! I appreciate the loveliness of your words more than you can know.

Eva Marie
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Have you ever looked at the cover of a book just knew you were going to love it before you ever even read the description? That's exactly how I felt when I saw Eva Marie Everson's newest book, The One True Love of Alice-Ann. And I wasn't wrong! I devoured every last page of this book. I read it from cover to cover (figurative cover, since I read an ebook), all 433 pages, in one day. I read and reviewed Miss Everson's book Five Brides last year, and I absolutely loved it! For that reason I knew this one would be great, but I didn't know just how great!

It's December 7, 1941, a date we all know will live in infamy. But it's also Alice-Ann's sixteenth birthday. She's determined that at her birthday party this evening, she's going to tell Boyd "Mack" MacKay how she feels about him. He's one of her brother's two best friends, and five years her senior, but that doesn't change the fact that Alice-Ann loves him. When the attack on Pearl Harbor happens, and Mack joins the Army, she knows more that ever that she must tell him. Mack tells her to write to him while he's overseas, and he'll write back, but he doesn't make her a promise, or return her love. Alice-Ann spends the next two years pouring out her heart and love to Mack, until he disappears in the Pacific. As her hope dwindles, she begins to fall in love with Carlton, her brother's other best friend. Alice-Ann thinks she knows who her one true love is. When she receives a surprising phone call, will she realize who her heart really belongs to?

This is another World War II book that I'm really loving right now. I thought the characters were very relatable. Young Alice-Ann loved Mack in a way that only young girls can. When a real, solid love came along, she was afraid to step away from the comfort of the emotions she'd always felt. I think it's a story that many of us can relate to. Don't most of us have a high school crush that we thought we wanted to marry, and couldn't be happy without? Oh, the difference when we find the one true love of our lives! Ms. Everson does a wonderful job of portraying Alice-Ann as she grows and matures. Her maturity is sown through her feelings for Carlton, but, also, through the way she looked at herself. She knew she wasn't pretty, and others seemed to agree, but she had a beautiful spirit, and was always willing to help others. If she hadn't had such a giving, thoughtful spirit, she might never have grown close with Carlton, and then...well, I better leave that for you to read yourself. And can I just gush a minute about Carlton? He made such a great hero! I think it would have been easy to paint his character as strong and confident, but I loved that he had flaws, it was even endearing that he struggled with self-doubt. The fact that he and Alice-Ann shared their faults and failures with one another made their characters even more real and lovable for me. Another thing that I really admire about Ms. Everson's characters that is missing from many Christian novels is their commitment to purity. Carlton and Alice-Ann made decisions about things they would and wouldn't do to save themselves for marriage. I could never be sure exactly what Alice-Ann was feeling, so I wasn't sure what choice she was going to make in the end. I knew what I wanted her to choose, but I had a few tense moments when I just didn't know!

Can I let you in on a secret? I'm going to read this book again. I don't mean sometime in the future, but right now. I realized last night that I'm caught up on my reading goal for this month, so I have the time. I've hated to see books end before, but I can't remember ever wanting to immediately turn back to the first page and start over! This is the only thing I hate about reading ebooks--I can't just flip through and find the good parts! That's okay, though, because this book deserves a second read. I loved it from page one to page four hundred thirty-three. I think you will, too!




Like WWII fiction? Check out these other reviews: A Bridge Across the Ocean and With Love, Wherever You Are.

I received an advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.

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