I fell in love with Grounded Hearts! In this novel, we have a strong female lead who lives on her own after the death of her husband. In the midst of the war, a soldier comes to her door. Against the rules, she takes the Canadian soldier in and nurses him. She does so even when she could face huge consequences. She knows in her heart, that caring for this young man is what God would want her to do. It is under these circumstances, the pair develops a strong friendship and mutual respect.

Some of my favourite aspects of this novel is that it is based during World War II and in Ireland – we learn a lot about life in Ireland during this time. I didn’t realize they had internment camps for soldiers during the war and this was eye opening for me. I LOVED the strong female characters that are found throughout this book. We have a female physician, midwife and a mechanic – all of whom are more than capable of taking care of themselves, business and more. This was probably a lot more common then most novels give women credit for during this time period, so it was really nice to see this focus in this novel.

Nan is a very special woman who is plagued by a dark secret, one that should not even be hers to carry. My heart broke for her throughout the novel as she deserves so much more but it is her past that holds her back. It is Dutch and their friendship that helps her to understand, let go and have hope for her future. The road to this discovery is long and difficult though and you watch as they both struggle with their past and their futures.

Grounded Hearts is a beautiful story of hope, trust, letting go and faith during an extremely difficult time. We have amazing characters who never give up and inspire you the reader. I could not put this novel down – I loved every moment.

I asked to review Grounded Hearts because it’s been a long time since I’ve read and reviewed a book with an Irish setting (or even Irish characters). I was also intrigued by the hero, a pilot in the Royal Canadian Air Force, as my Welsh grandfather also served in the RCAF. This was actually the one disappointment in the book, and it was entirely my fault. Dutch was actually a Canadian serving in the RAF, not in the RCAF. So I’m still waiting for a story about the RCAF in World War II (hint, hint).

Nan O’Neil is the midwife in the village of Ballyhaven, County Clare, Ireland, in World War II. She’s a widow, and still hasn’t got over the death of her poet husband, or her regret that they were never able to have children. She’s now being pursued by Shamus Finn, a pig farmer who is now a member of the Local Defence Force … and one who enjoys the power rather too much.

When an injured Canadian flyboy shows up on her doorstep in the middle of the night, Nan decides to help him.

She’s a nurse. She can’t turn him away. Even though Ireland is neutral—if caught, he’ll go straight to an internment camp, and she’ll face prison. Personally, I found this aspect fascinating. I’d known Ireland was neutral during World War II, but I’d never stopped to wonder why. Grounded Hearts told me, and showed me a uniquely Irish way of dealing with the problem.

The writing style reminded me of the British and Irish fiction I’ve enjoyed over the years from authors such as Beth Moran. There were a few too many “she thoughts” for my taste, but that small weakness was more than made up for by the understated Irish humour and wordplay.

If you’re looking for a traditional Christian historical romance set in World War II Ireland, you’re looking in the wrong place.

Grounded Hearts has an irreverent Irish flavour. There are references to the rhythm method, marital relations (and relations outside marriage), and body parts. It’s a long way from obscene, but conservative Christian readers may well find it offensive.

But if you’re the kind of reader who’s looking for fresh well-written fiction with an original plot, a little suspense, a little romance, and a lot of Irish humour, then you’ll enjoy Grounded Hearts.

Thanks to Waterfall Press, Litfuse Publicity, and NetGalley for providing a free ebook for review.

My review: 3 1/2 of 5 stars

This was an interesting book that was fairly well written and kept my attention to the end. I learned new information about Ireland during WWII and got a glimpse of how they handled the fallout from this war. Nan is a hard working midwife who is still struggling with the death of her husband three years before. When RAF pilot Dutch Whitney shows up at her door wounded from a crash, she struggles with the decision to help him. On the one hand, she has the medical ability needed but on the other hand, she could be arrested for helping him. Her journey to healing and a new love was heartwarming. I also enjoyed the other women in the village who banded together to help Nan out when danger finds her. And the inclusion of the cat and his escapades were fun to read about.

However, some of the content in this book was off putting to me. There was way too much mention of his body and her body and sensual innuendo. Also, there was quite a bit of Catholicism in the book which I'm not interested in reading about.

*Thanks to LitFuse for a complimentary copy of this book. I was not paid or required to write a positive review and all opinions stated are my own.*

There’s something about a book featuring opposing loyalties in war time that always grabs my attention, but this is the first time I’ve read a book where one of the parties is living in a politically neutral country and obligated to behave in a politically neutral manner. Of course, people themselves rarely remain politically neutral (particularly when handsome flyboys become involved!), and such is the case in this novel, but the price for showing leniency to either side is high. And with an officer like Seamus Finn poking his nose around Nan’s house at all times of the day, keeping a flyboy hidden until he is able to make his escape is nigh impossible.

As far as the overall plot is concerned, this was an engaging read, and the constant risk of discovery for Dutch kept the tension high. However there were some parts of the story that were less satisfying for me, one of the main ones being that it felt to me as though Nan and Dutch’s relationship was based more on physical attraction than an emotional closeness. They’re both attracted to one another immediately, and we’re frequently reminded of that physical attraction, but they didn’t really have time to get to know one another on a more emotional level, so for me, the romance felt a little shallow.

One thing the story did do well was to capture the dynamics of Irish village life. In particular, the Catholic faith plays a large part in these people’s lives, and although I don’t agree with all its tenets, its impact on Nan’s life was an integral part of the story. There were times, though, when I felt we got a little too much information on village life. Some villagers had no qualms referring to what was happening behind closed bedroom doors (and not always within marriage), and I thought some of the conversations and comments on this subject were unnecessary, perhaps even a little crass. I also thought it was odd that Nan (a widow and a midwife) was so missish about nursing Dutch at times, but then flaunted a bit of cleavage or leg on several occasions in order to distract Officer Finn. I definitely wasn’t a fan of this latter tendency.

Despite its weaknesses, I enjoyed the historical setting and the overall plot. I'll be interested to see what this author offers in the future.

I received a copy of this book through Litfuse Publicity. This has not influenced the content of my review, which is my honest and unbiased opinion.

This book starts off strong. With realistic characters and action packed adventure, you will find yourself smack dab in the center of the action.

I appreciated the history and research that went into make this story come to life, and I enjoyed learning more about how Ireland and it's people experienced World War II.

Nan is a strong heroine. You quickly come to understand why she makes some of the choices she makes. Although, there were several times that I wished I could go inside the book and give her a good strong talking to. Nan feels like she has to earn forgiveness, and with that feeling she never feels like she has done enough to earn it.

Dutch is as handsome as he is patient and kind. He's the perfect yin to Nan's yang. Dutch is fighting his own history and struggles, yet he is willing to reach out and help others.

For me the tempo of the story is a little slower toward the end, and there was not as much character growth as I would have preferred.

(I receive complimentary books for review from publishers, publicists, and/or authors, including Netgalley. I am not required to write a positive review. The thoughts an opinions expressed are my own.)