Despite some of the reviews and feedback I've read, I enjoyed this little historical fiction romance.
Elenor has been listed guardian of six year old Rose while the Nazi bomb during the Blitz of Coventry. They both know they need to get out of dodge if they want better lives for themselves. With secrets and disadvantages from the start, Elenor learns that the only way to keep her and Rose safe is with the help of a handsome man, Jackson.
Despite the war, a romance blossoms even if it brings moments of heartache, absence and turmoil.
This was a quick and easy read once I was able to get into it more. I was engrossed with the characters and waiting to see how the ending played out.

Would recommend to those who like historical fiction or romances.

What a great story! As a big fan of World War II themed books this hit the spot for me. I didn't want it to end.

Although I enjoyed the book overall, there were some parts that didn't flow properly for me. I enjoyed the transformation of Elenore from a meek character to an assertive and self sufficient woman. There were parts of the story I really liked (her relationships with Rose and Jackson) and parts that I didn't like (Rose's "parents"). Overall, I gave this book a 4 on Goodreads. I recommend it if you are a fan of historical fiction.

I love WWII stories, but I had a hard time getting into this one. I may have read too many wartime stories at this point, but the plot didn't feel that unique to me. I did enjoy the romance aspect, but I would have liked more of it. I also felt like this one took me a very long time to finish, some parts seemed to drag on a bit.

Elenor Cardew lives on the family farm in Cornwall, England with her twin brothers, Walter and James. Her aunt sends her a one-way ticket and requests that she come live with her in London. Initially she is hesitant, but the thought of getting away from her brothers, who treat her horribly, is quite appealing.

Elenor is a self-proclaimed country bumpkin and is now being thrust into life in the big city. Pair that with moving in with an aunt she hardly knows made for an interesting and somewhat humorous story at times.

I found the first couple of chapters a bit confusing and was expecting the book to be told from Rose’s perspective. To my surprise, the story is actually told from Elenor’s perspective and how she came to meet and eventually protect Rose from those who want to take her away.

The first half of the story takes place in London and the second half in Cornwall when she returns to the farm. I initially preferred the London setting more. I found it more lively and interesting, and wondered where the storyline would go. As the book started to come to a close I did eventually warm to the farm and felt a bit more invested in the characters’ lives.

Elenor was nineteen when she went to live in London. I felt that she came across as much older and I kept having to remind myself that she is only nineteen. She is an interesting character. She is a very confident young woman with a whole lot of spunk and drive, and she is quite the go-getter.

This historical fiction book will appeal to historical fiction fans that enjoy the WWI time period with lots of secrets, love and lies.

Thankyou to NetGalley, Harper Impulse and Killer Reads and the author, Glynis Peters, for the opportunity to read a digital copy of The Secret Orphan in exchange for an honest and unbiased opinion.

What an amazing story. The plot was well thought out and written with memorable characters. It was an absolutely beautiful and heartfelt read. Would definitely recommend The Secret Orphan.

Many of the characters were lovely and interesting, with a large cast to pick favorites from. The level of detail and the historical events featured were great. The plot was mostly well done but got lost a few times in this fairly long book. It spans a couple of years during WWII and has two primary settings, which I really enjoyed. The portrayal of life on the farm was really awesome and reminded me of the BBC's Land Girls - the work and friendship and drama were clearly very important during this time!

The relationship between Elenor and Rose was clearly going to be special and heartwarming from their very first meeting, and the way their story unfolded was certainly not disappointing. Their mutual love and admiration gave life to the book and filled in the gaps created by the presence of some flat characters. There were also many minor characters supporting them both along the way, and I was happy to see some great female friendships and the great portrayal of the resilience of women who band together.

I was more interested in a side romance than the main romance between Elenor and Jackson. I liked them together and thought they were well suited for each other, but the development of their relationship didn't feel natural or like there was much build up at all. I would have liked more letter writing and more longing, and more displays of romance overall.

The secret about Rose wasn't revealed until near the end, and I wasn't very impressed with how it played out. The entire ending felt rushed and choppy, with many things left incomplete. The book started with a chapter featuring Rose as an old woman and I think it would have been beneficial to have another one at the end showing Rose's thoughts on her secret and what she knew about it.

The grammar was confusing at times and there were some errors that never should have been missed by an editor... The beginning was well constructed and then it slowly started to fall apart to a rather messy last quarter. I usually don't notice this sort of thing, but I found myself having to reread entire paragraphs or pages to figure out what was happening.

I loved this book and can’t wait to recommend it to just about every reader I know. It will, I am sure, appeal to women exclusively, but I think any female will relate to this novel.

I really enjoyed this book. It was brilliantly written with a great cast of characters and intriguing plot that kept me turning the pages. Perfect read to escape from day to day life. A great read.

I was given a copy of The Secret Orphan by the publisher for an honest review. This is the first book by Glynis Peters I have read. The book is about Elenor she is sent to her Aunts house in Coventry when she is 18 before the war starts. There she meets Victoria and George and their daughter Rose. We learn at the start of the book Rose's mother is killed during an air raid. This book is beautifully written and I found myself drawn into the story. I feel a bit sad the story has finished as I enjoyed reading it so much. I will be looking out for more books to read by Glynis Peters in the future, I hope there will be a sequel to this book!

The Secret Orphan by Glynis Peters is a good book well worth reading, but it is not a great book due to some of the writing and grammar, some historical inaccuracies, and some plot happenings that were not completely probable or logical. But, it held my interest and I loved some of the characters whose love and compassion shone through the book.

It is a historical romance set during World War II in Coventry and Cornwall. The cover of the book initially caught my eye, as did the synopsis of the book released by the publisher:

“Keep her secret
Keep her safe
On the 14th November 1940, Hitler’s bombs rain down on Coventry. From the rubble of a bombed-out family home, a young girl is saved … but at what cost?
As the Nazis’ relentless bombs fall during the Blitz of Coventry, six-year-old Rose Sherbourne finds herself orphaned and under the guardianship of a Cornish farmer's daughter, Elenor Cardew.
Elenor knows that the only way to protect spirited Rose is to leave the city and make a new life for themselves away from harm. But soon Elenor discovers that Hitler’s firestorm is not the only thing she must fear when she learns a devastating secret about Rose…
With Rose’s life in imminent danger, Elenor turns to the only person she can trust to keep the deadly secret, heroic Canadian pilot, Jackson St John. And amidst the destruction of war, an unlikely romance blossoms as they find a way to protect the child they have both grown to love…and each other.”

I visited Coventry in 1981, and examples of the devastating bombing were purposefully still in evidence so that what had happened would never be forgotten. For example, a starkly modern church had been built near the bombed out shell of the cathedral rather than the traditional cathedral being rebuilt. It was an incredibly moving sight. There were memorials and monuments to honor those who had died. And the visit was particularly poignant because not many years before in the 1970s it had been written that Prime Minister Winston Churchill and the government knew about the upcoming raid, but could not warn the people of Coventry because it would have revealed that they had cracked the code of the German Enigma machine and could decipher secret German messages. Revealing they knew would have crippled their use of the cracked code and lengthened the war and hampered the defeat of Hitler. ( Later, in the 1990s, when secure government documents were released, this was proven to not be true. But at the time, it was a devastating thought that the tragedy might have been avoided and that the High Command would have to make such a horrific decision for the greater good.).

On that night on a mission called “Moonlight Sonata “ by the Nazis, 550 planes dropped bombs on the city of Coventry in England. They destroyed factories, but they also destroyed homes, churches, and water mains so that the fires could not be put out easily. In the course of a few nighttime hours, more than 4,300 homes in Coventry were destroyed. Two-thirds of the city's buildings were damaged as were two hospitals, two churches, a police station and one third of the city's factories. An estimated 568 people were killed in the raid, close to 900 badly injured and around 400 less severely injured.

So the setting and plot synopsis hooked me right away. As did the first chapter:

“14th November 1940: Coventry, England.
Boom.

Boom.

The ground vibrated with each explosion. Unfamiliar sounds surrounded Rose Sherbourne as her body received blow after blow from displaced items of furniture. She jumped when shattering glass hit falling bricks, and everything around her crashed under their weight. Boom.

Another explosion, followed by the sound of metal hitting metal, echoed out around Rose’s ears and her breath came thick and fast. Through the opening of what was once the front room, a sudden blast of hot air blew both her and her mother off their feet. Rose’s body fell against something hard and a searing pain shot through her back. For a few seconds she could not see, and she blinked, only to feel fine dust fall on her cheeks and into her eyes yet again. She wiped it away with the back of her hand and prepared herself to scrabble upright.

Boom.

A wall fell around her and, unable to move both with fear and because something was pinning down her right leg, Rose took a moment to catch her breath. Above her an intense whistling sound screamed from the sky, followed by an eerie whooshing sound. A continuous whistle followed. Rose held her breath. The sound meant only one thing; another bomb would explode within seconds and all she could do was pray it was away from her home.

Boom.

The rest of the wall fell, and she watched helplessly as brick after brick fell to the floor and her mother’s body bounced as it was forced into the air for a second time. Rose tried to move but she felt a crushing sensation, a gripping tightness across her chest. She tried to struggle free from the bricks pinning her to the ground. Her chest hurt each time she tried to cough free the dust she’d inhaled when she hit the floor. A piercing sound screeched above and once again the planes dropped their unwelcome packages.

Thud.
Thud.
One by one.
Two by two.

Rose counted them down.
One by one.
Two by two.
She could hear return fire and engines drifting off into the distance.

The sky fell silent. The enemy were heading back to wherever they’d come from and a stunned Rose blinked away the dust, trying to make sense of what had happened. Indescribable noises came from above and she raised her eyes skyward and saw a large bright moon taunting her with its white light. There was no roof.

Bombed. The bombs had hit her home.

Rose’s ears tingled inside and with each noise she felt a strange vibration along her jawline. With focus upon her face she sensed heat. Her cheeks burned as if it was a hot summer’s day.

There’d been a thick frost all day, but it did nothing to suppress the heat from the raging flames nearby. With relief, Rose noted they were not close enough to burn her, but they were fierce enough to make her skin tingle and sweat.

She set her mind to where she lay and which room she was in when the bombs had hit. She needed to work out an escape route before she suffocated. Fear raged through her tiny body, and a sense of loneliness overwhelmed her. She lay back with exhaustion and as she focused upon the light of the moon, questions raced around her mind.

Why hadn’t Mummy taken her to the shelter when they heard the siren sound out its warning?

Why, instead of running to safety like they usually did, did Mummy hum Rose’s favourite piano piece –Beethoven’s Moonlight Sonata –and twirl around as if showing off a new dress? She’d acted excited –strange.

With a sob, Rose remembered how her mother had screamed at her to keep playing, and how her voice had growled it out with such a fierce urgency it had frightened Rose. When Rose pleaded for them to go to the shelter her mother cuffed her around the ears.

Rose’s body started to tremble until she thought her limbs would never stop no matter how hard she tried to control them. She tried to shut out the screams she could hear around her. High pitched wails of wounded neighbours. The endless shouts and pleas from the street, the screams of other children calling for their parents. Not everyone had made it to the shelters, or if they had, the shelters had failed to protect them. Either way, Rose drew no comfort from knowing she was not alone with her struggle.

She tried to turn her head away from her mother’s contorted face. Rose knew she was dead. A tear trickled down the side of Rose’s face. She was alone.

Eventually, after what seemed like many lonely hours of trying, she released an arm and began clawing at bricks and rubble. Her cries for help were suffocated by the louder voices and frantic sounds of motor engines and fire-engine bells. Rose recoiled at the pain when she scraped her skin against the shards of shattered glass and cement, but after a while she ignored the pain of bruises and gashes in her skin out of sheer desperation to survive.

When she pulled at the last of the bricks, nothing prepared her for the moment she clambered free into devastation and despair.”

Pretty powerful stuff...As is the love that her friend, Elenor Cardew, has for her. Elenor, barely an adult in age, had come to know Rose when she lived with her Aunt in Coventry after being orphaned. Rose is the daughter of her aunt’s housekeeper. But when her aunt dies, and then Elenor’s two brothers who have been back running the family farm in Cornwall enlist, Elenor must go home to run the farm as part of the war effort to help feed the nation. So an orphaned Rose goes to live with Elenor in Cornwall, and Elenor must endanger her life to protect Rose when a secret from Rose’s past threatens to destroy her life.

Thank you HarperImpulse and NetGalley for the Advanced Reader’s Copy of this book and for allowing me to review it.

Loved this book and the way the story line was written. Kept me reading through the night and another to be read and added to the WW11 pile - you won’t be disappointed

1940 and England is being bombed to smithereens by the German air force. In the midst of the beginning of what would be a long war, a little girl, Rose, become an orphan. Her life becomes entwined with the family her mother and father are working for. With her parents both dead, and no other relatives, she becomes the ward of Elenore, a young woman who was staying in Coventry, and who was visiting a relative before the war started. I was absorbed with this book from start to finish, the story of the love between Elenore and Rose so heartwarming. Their world was one that was fraught with danger as Elenore sought to protect her little orphan on a farm that she inherited. A well written book, one I would recommend.

My thanks to Netgalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Not really what I was expecting and was disappointed that it took place on a farm. I thought it was holocaust related. It took awhile to get into and was very much descriptive writing.

This book is a real page turner. You won't be able to put it down. Great characters, great story. You will find yourself in England during the war with a story that will stay with you.

Historical fiction is by far my favorite genre, and I've read a whole lot of it. That said, there's not many books that don't cut it for me in that genre, but sadly this was one of them. In fact, I had a hard time sticking it out to the end.

This story held a lot a promise. A story filled with secrets, family issues, and a war-filled time. I had expected so much more from this than what we actually get. The beginning of the story starts from Rose's perspective, first as a young child and then as an elderly woman. The story begins to take off when the elderly Rose explains her history and connection to Eleanor, her adopted mother. The rest of the book takes us through Eleanor's journey from her farm as a young adult, to going to live with her aunt for several years (where we're introduced to Rose) and everything really begins to unfold before us. I won't go into any more detail than that plot-wise, so as not to ruin the story. I will say I was disappointed by the ending, which felt rushed and under-developed.

My ultimate struggle with this read was how off the pacing felt. Things would suddenly happen, and then things would be slow for a while, and this whole see-saw would play out over and over again. It felt disjointed and overall the story itself left me very underwhelmed. For being a historical fiction, it very much lacked in any sort of significant historical detail. I didn't feel consumed in the events of the time period, and felt like the war (very much a key element of the story) felt distant and didn't effect me as a reader. I didn't feel any sort of emotion when reading, and that more or less ruined it for me. I also had a difficult time staying engaged in even the main characters lives, and had a hard time connecting with any of them on a deeper level.

Regardless, I appreciate the opportunity to read this book. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher Harper Impulse for the free review copy in exchange for my honest review.

The Seret Orphan tells the story of little Rose Sherbourne, the child of German spies who live in England during WWII. The father, George, poses as a professor of music while the mother, Victoria, works as a housemaid for an elderly English woman. Aunt Maude.
Elenor Cardew is the English woman's niece who moves to London to live because her aunt is ill. When Hitler begins to bomb London, Rose's parents are killed, Aunt Maude dies of her illnes, and Elenor moves back to her home in Coventry, taking Rose with her. Many of the Coventry neighbors are happy to ignore the rumors that Rose may be German, but some are willing to report this to the authorities. The heart of the story tells of Rose's rescue by a Canadian pilot who falls in love with and marries Elenor.
Details of ife on the farm in Coventry and the maneuverings of the military at the time provide solid historical context. The third-person narrative reads like a well-told story, providing specific conversations and information about the dangers to Rose and the close encounters surrounding her possible discovery.
It is an interesting story that reveals much about the perils of war and its effects on the daily lives of those who persevere and survive.
Thanks to Netgalley and HarperImpulse for the advanced copy.

A beautifully written story. Well developed characters, Ms. Peters does an amazing job of giving the right amount of detail to set the scene and engage her reader. A must read for WWII historical fiction fans.

This is one of my new favourite novels. I love everything about this story, the characters, the plot, basically everything. I truly wish (hope) there might be another novel about what happens after.

I really enjoyed this book. The depiction of wartime life in the Coventry bombings and on a Cornish farm were realistic and compelling. What spoilt it for me was that so much of the story was revealed in the opening chapters set in 2018, so we already knew what happened to Rose, who Elenor married and how and where they found safety before the book flashed back to the war. Huge spoilers for me which I wished had not been included.