The Light Over London by Julia Kelly is a great piece of historical fiction/mystery that seamlessly blends together its past and present timelines. There are two main female protagonists; Cara and Louise. Cara (present) is struggling to move on with her life after losing some loved ones. She finds a diary from the 1940s and wants to discover who the diary belongs to so she can return it to its rightful owner. Louise (past) is the woman who wrote the diary that details the struggles of love and life during WWII.

The character development in this book was excellent for the most part, but sometimes Cara fell a little flat. She was easy to sympathize with, though, which I guess makes her a good protagonist. A cute and interesting read that I would recommend to any of my friends who are interested in historical fiction/historical romance, especially WWII era. The ending to Louise’s story was unexpected and left me utterly shook.

Thanks to the author, publisher, and #NetGalley for a free ebook copy in exchange for my honest review #TheLightOverLondon

Enjoyable but I wanted more. We got such a descriptive look into a year in Louise’s life that to have the rest of her life wrapped up in a page was deeply unsatisfying.

Billed as:
"Reminiscent of Martha Hall Kelly's Lilac Girls and Kristin Hannah's The Nightingale, this sweeping, entrancing story is a must-read for fans of remarkable women rising to challenges they could never have predicted." S0--intrigued.

The dual storyline format--which I quite enjoy. Cara Hargreaves, present-day--newly divorced [and broken], working for an antiques dealer. Parents recently died in a car crash but still has beloved 90+ year-old grandmother [Iris, a real character--loved her]. Finds a diary [while evaluating items from a house] from 19-year-old Louise Keene, who is eager to escape her narrow existence in her Cornish village. Louise enlists in the women's branch of the British Army in the anti-aircraft unit [Ack-Ack Command] as a Gunner Girl. She falls in love with a soldier [not the local boy her mother wants her to marry]. And so it goes.

I quite liked the WWII story. It was engaging. I learned about life in a small village [before Louise moved to London as a gunner girl]--and when in London, setting for bombings, blackouts, and what is was to be a woman among men.

There were mysteries to both stories. Gran was hiding something from Cara--not revealed til the end. And something didn't add up in Louise's story--slow reveal towards the end.

Of course, there also is a romance in the present day. Surprise [not]; Cara's new neighbor, Liam [also somewhat damaged]. This story was the least interesting/most predictable. And sometimes the language set me off--not totally cringeworthy, but... lots of lingering lips and hearts jumping and leaping, etc.

Although the stories kept me going, the present-day romance detracted from the impact the novel could have had.

An antique dealer's assistant, Cara, who has lost her confidence after divorce discovers the diary of a World War 2 woman who started as a shy hometown girl yet rises to become a gunner girl in World War 2.

I was so captivated by Julia Kelly’s THE LIGHT OVER LONDON. It beautifully covers an era of history that I’m inexplicably drawn to, with the ultimate battle of good vs. evil.

Cara Hargraves works for an antiques dealer and one day, while going through an estate, discovers an old tin with secrets of a long lost relationship. Inside are a diary from WWII and a photo of a uniform-clad young woman. What she finds as she looks into the woman’s life astounds her.

She learns that the woman is nineteen-year-old Louise Keene, who had a pre-scripted life in 1941, awaiting the return from war of her wealthy beau. But Louise meets a handsome RAF pilot and their relationship alters her planned life, which alters again when he is deployed.

Wanting to contribute to the war effort, Louise becomes a “Gunner Girl,” part of a women’s division of the British Army that targets incoming enemy aircraft during the London Blitz. As the nights fill with bullets and battles, Louise clings to the hope of Paul’s return, only to be shattered when her letters to him are returned unanswered.

This is an utterly compelling tale of two women across decades who experience similar heartaches and joy. Highly recommended!

Pub Date 08 Jan 2019

Thanks to the author, Gallery, Threshold, Pocket Books and NetGalley for a review copy. Opinions are fully mine.

#TheLightOverLondon #NetGalley

Thanks to NetGalley for a copy of this book for an honest review.

Two women, two time periods.....both on a journey of self discovery & coming into their own.

The first is Cara, an antiques dealer in the present day. Recently divorced & still reeling from the unexpected death of her parents two years prior; she is starting her life over in a new home & a new job. One day on location for an estate acquisition, she finds the diary of a woman written during WWII. The diary doesn't belong to the owner of the mansion, so she is intrigued to discover the identity of its author & return it to her family. With the help of her new neighbor, Liam, the two set out to unravel the mystery. That woman was Louise Keene. A country girl who left her small village to join the ATS & become an Ack-Ack girl to help with the war effort.

The chapters fluctuate between 'Cara' & "Louise" & their own individual stories. I was impressed how seamlessly the two threads of each lady intertwines. During the 'Cara' chapters, Louise's story isn't stalled. It keeps progressing by diary readings. The "Louise" chapters present themselves in a flashback-type feel. While I found Louise's & the WWII thread more interesting, Cara's story was by no means dull. Both ladies have similar qualities of self-doubt, shyness & fear. Louise's decision to defy her mother's expectations & join the war effort, coupled with her romance with Paul enables Cara to gain footing in her own life after her own tragic experiences.

Both protagonists are likeable; and have an earthy authenticity to them. They feel like 'real' people & neither are clichéd in any way. Throughout the novel, they continue to develop & grow. The supporting characters of Liam, Gran, Paul, Kate & all the Ack-Ack girls round out the two worlds for the reader. While supporting, these people are a large part of the story; & it was gratifying that the author let us know what happened to them. We weren't left wondering.

I found this book a joy to read. There were elements of mystery & romance wrapped up in a very lyrical & flowing prose. It was definitely a pager turner for me. I wasn't familiar with the ATS or Ack-Ack groups & very much enjoyed learning something new from an historical aspect.

Definitely recommend ~

(I do want to add there are some typos in this ARC. Not many & they weren't distracting. I could easily tell what the words should have been or how they should have been arranged. I would think the publisher will have these corrected when the book is published)

I was drawn to this book because of the comparison to The Nightingale, which I absolutely loved. It was similar in that both books have two main female characters during WWII, and the stories go back and forth between each characters' storyline. However I feel that this was more of a romance story that was set in the historical background of WWII, while in The Nightingale the story was more developed and contained many different aspects of tragedy, loss, betrayal, suspense, romance, etc.

All in all, this story kept me engaged and I found myself finishing the book in 2 days. I did enjoy learning about the "gunner girls" as I am by no means a WWII buff and had not heard of them before. It was suspenseful, well written, and I appreciated the fact that the author kept the story moving along and that there were no parts that I felt dragged on for too long.

An old diary from 1941 WWII England is the setting for this dual era novel. In 2017 finding the diary in an estate sale, Cara Hargraves, working with an antiques dealer, finds the unfinished diary while going through the estate. Immediately interested as she reads the first few pages, she wants to find out more. More about the soldier written about and the writer's relationship with him.

One would think there is little connection between the two protagonists. Cara, grieving the death of her parents and recently divorced, while Louise living in a small town, in her parents house with a dominating mother, eagerly wanting to become her own person. Yet they are similar in many ways.

The twists and turns, as well as the secrets help you stay glued to the book, it is quite compelling. Historical romance at its best. This is the first book I have read by Ms. Kelly, it won't be my last.

My thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to read this advanced edition in exchange for an honest review.

Cara, a present day antique appraiser assistant, is intrigued when she finds a small box with a diary and mementos in an estate she is going through with her boss. She feels a strong need to return the diary to the one who wrote it, or their family; and the owner of the house seeing no worth in it, gives it to her. The diary was written by a WWII "gunner girl', a special unit of women who assisted the men who shot the large defensive guns at incoming bombers. The story switches between the gunner girl, Louise, and that of Cara throughout the book.

Both stories were interesting, full of twists and so compelling I just couldn't put it down and read it in one day! I highly recommend this book to anyone who loves historical romance.

I would like to thank Netgalley and the publisher, Gallery, for providing me with this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Wonderful book! I loved how the two stories were. intertwined. I am going to read more about the ATS!!! If I lived during WWII, I hope I would have joined up and helped with the war effort!

This beautifully written novel is intricately woven between World War II and 2017 involving love, family and forgiveness both from long-ago until now.
It involves a diary and a journey to find it's author. The similarities of two women decades apart, is startling as the past is revealed and the present moves to the future.
Julia Kelly does an amazing job of alternating the chapters of the story and allowing them to flow easily from the different time periods.
It truly was a terrific read that I highly recommend for those who enjoy historical fiction, and romance.

*The Light Over London* by Julia Kelly tells the story of Cara an assistant to an antiques dealer who finds a WWII era diary while cleaning out an estate house. She takes the diary to figure out who it belongs to and the girl who fought in the war and wrote thediary. Along with the diary she finds a picture of the girl in uniform and a compass.

There is also Louise Keen, in 1941, from a Cornish village who wants more than tje life her parents have already all planned for her. She dreams of another life and ends up enlisting in ATF where she becomes a "gunner girl".

I loved watching as the mysteries were solved, as there was more than one. I also liked learning about the life of the "gunner girls" during this era. It was inspiring. I highly recommend this book to anyone who is interested in historical fiction.

I would like to thank Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with a review copy in exchange for my honest and unbiased opinion of it.