Historical fiction lovers will enjoy this book. My favorite thing about this is learning about the nearly forgotten role that women pilots played in WW2 and being introduced to the Air Transport Auxilary (ATA) in England and the Women Airforce Service Pilots (WASPs) in the USA.
There is some romance in the story line as well which I believe would've been true for any young ladies serving in this capacity, at this time of their life and definitely in this era. One of our 3 main characters deals with the prospect of losing her fiance (be it to the war or his mother's meddling); another deals with overwhelming grief (and hiding it from someone she doesn't trust herself or the war to invest time in); and finally one is so driven to prove herself that she pushes people away (both friends and romantic interests).
Overall this book gave me some characters to invest in, brought these historical women to life for me and taught me about WW2 History that I knew little to nothing about.
I received an Advance Review Copy of this book. All opinions are my own. :-)

This is a fantastic book that hooked me from the first pages and kept me enthralled to the very end. Based on historical events and people, this is the story of a group of women and their critical contribution to the war effort. With every male pilot needed to fly combat missions, the Air Transport Auxiliary desperately needed pilots to ferry new planes to the front and damaged ones back to be repaired. A group of very determined young women fought the odds and made a place for themselves as those pilots. This story is told from the point of view of three of those pilots.

May is the pilot who has been with the ATA the longest and is the commander of the women's unit. Flying was something that she and her brother Johnny did together. She was furious when he went off to war, leaving her behind. His death left her reeling with grief and guilt and an increased need to do something for the war effort. She is practical and clear-headed and excels at bringing out the best in the women she works with. There were some terrific scenes that demonstrated those abilities and highlighted the diversity of the personalities she had to deal with. She keeps her emotions in check and focuses on her work. I loved her care for her "girls" as she called them and her determination that they get the respect they deserve.

Ruby is a pretty and petite young woman whose love of flying is right up there with her love for her pilot fiancé. They flew together until he left to fly for the RAF. She was stuck at home, growing more frustrated by her desire to do something more important than keeping the home fires burning. The ATA was just what she needed, but she had an uphill battle to achieve that goal. Her future mother-in-law was vociferous in her disapproval, and even her fiancé was not supportive. I wanted to shake Tom because of the letters he wrote to Ruby, letters that did terrible things to her self-confidence. I loved May's confidence in Ruby and her efforts to show Ruby what she was capable of. Ruby's journey was an inspiration to read.

Lizzie was the American sent to Britain to learn about the ATA and bring that information home to America. She was a no-holds-barred woman when it came to going after what she wanted. She was raised on her father's tales of his efforts during World War One and a belief that she could do anything she put her mind to. I liked her determination at the beginning as she worked to make her dream of the American equivalent of the ATA come true. But she lost some of my admiration after she arrived in Britain and became the model for the Ugly American. Her extreme competitiveness, disregard for the rules, and general rudeness made it very difficult to like her. It took the efforts of multiple people before Lizzie was able to see that the ATA's strength was in their teamwork, not in the hands of individuals. Once she saw the light, the change in her was amazing, and there were few limits to what she could do. She had quite the challenge when she took what she learned back to America.

The book takes place between 1940 and 1946 and chronicles the joys and challenges of the work the "Spitfire Girls" accomplished. I felt their frustration at the lack of respect they received from their male counterparts, and how they had to work so much harder to prove themselves. I loved learning about the training they received, and how they excelled under incredible handicaps, such as being forced to fly without the use of instruments and radios, putting them in unthinkable danger. I loved seeing them shock the male pilots and ground crews regularly. I especially loved the scene where Ruby delivered the four-engine bomber, the men's disbelief that one tiny woman flew a plane (perfectly) that took a flight crew of four men to fly. I really liked how the women developed into a sisterhood that always had each other's backs. I ached for their losses and cheered their victories.

There was also a touch of romance in the book. Ruby had her relationship with her fiancé challenged by her work with the ATA. I loved her determination to follow her dream and ached for the pain he caused her. I cheered at the surprise waiting for her at the end of one flight. It was so much fun seeing the change in Tom's attitude when he realized the truth. Their challenges continued thanks to the war, but their faith in each other and their love pulled them through. Neither May nor Lizzie had been looking for love, but it found them anyway. May had closed herself off to the thought of love, wanting to protect herself from more loss. I loved how friendship and support from an unexpected source slowly grew into deeper feelings. Then there was Lizzie. The sparks flew between her and a certain Captain, but it took her a long time to realize there was more than antagonism there. I enjoyed seeing that relationship develop, especially with Lizzie's frequently volatile reactions to him on the job.

I loved the ending of the book. There was a wonderful surprise that Ben and Tom had cooked up for May and Ruby about a year after the war ended. I loved their teasing and how pleased they were with themselves. This was followed by a grand epilogue that took place at the sixty-fourth anniversary of V-J day. I loved seeing May, Lizzie, and Ruby together at the place that had been such a big part of their lives. I loved the part with Ruby, her grandson, and the Spitfire. I enjoyed her surprise, and loved the twist she added to it.

I have recently begun reading more books set during World War II, and each has been unique and given me such amazing stories along with history that I had never encountered before. The Spitfire Girls was no exception. Soraya M. Lane has created three very distinct characters that show a view of women’s contributions during the War that was not well-known to me.
These women are strong and courageous, and seeing their lives as they battle to do what they love in service to their respective countries while battling everyone who believes they should stay in their “place.” The way Lane portrayed them and their individual struggles kept me glued to the pages.
This was an enjoyable read, and I loved learning more about this time period and another role woman played. I loved the characters and their distinct personalities and how that influenced their paths and their futures. It was my first read by Lane and I am really interested in reading more of her work.
#TheSpitfireGirls #LakeUnionPublishers @SorayaMLane

I loved this story from start to finish, there were tears, there were smiles and there were so many emotions throughout this book, as we get to meet three of the strongest woman, pilots living in a man’s world, but they could help with the war efforts, by working with The British Air Transport Auxiliary, ATA and getting planes to where they were needed. This is a book that I didn’t want to put down so ensure you have some time when you pick this one up, sit back and meet May, Ruby and Lizzy.

May and her brother are both pilots, her brother has gone off to war and was shot down and May is missing him terribly, but she knows that she can help as well and is soon made commander of the woman that are joining up to help, she is strong but vulnerable as well and does everything to keep her pilots safe. Ben the mechanic is always there for her.

Ruby is engaged to Tom who is off fighting in the war he too is a pilot and Ruby although little in stature she is determined to help where she can, she joins up and soon her and May are fast friends, Ruby is flying Tiger Moths, Spitfires and training in a big bomber.

Lizzie is American and one very confident pilot, she arrives in England to learn what she can before going back home to command her own group of woman transport pilots. She has a few lessons to learn about attitude as well and American Jackson helps a lot with that.

Although these three woman are very different in personalities they are all competent pilots and flying means so much to them, and they fly under harsh conditions in the air with planes that are sometimes damaged and with the risk of being shot down by the enemy and then on the ground they have to fight for equal pay and respect, to prove that they can fly a plane no matter the size, determination is what they have in spades.

This really is an amazingly beautiful story, May, Ruby and Lizzie become the best of friends as they go through some very emotional times, with their personal lives as well as coping with the flying, they all have personal issues that need to be sorted and they each have a man to lean on, their journey to HEA’s were tough with a war going on but they got there and I felt so close to these woman, they came to life and I was transported back to the era. Thank you MS Lane this is a fabulous story that I highly recommend.

This story is a bit different from the other books I’ve read by this author so far, but I soon fell into the story and found myself wanting to learn more about these incredible women.

There is some romance in this story, but that’s not what it’s all about. It’s about women finding their voice. Women proving they have a use other than looking pretty. Women learning to work together to be stronger. Along the way they aren’t always treated fairly or with the respect they deserve, but they also come across some incredible men who support them for who they are and never try to hold them back. Ruby story, in particular, is quite the roller coaster. Her grit and determination, regardless of what those back home say, is inspiring.

While I respected all of the characters in this book and found them all fascinating, I feel Lizzie had the longest and most important journey. I started off loving her, until she met up with the other women. Then she really had me pulling my hair out. She had the most lessons to learn, but once she saw the light there was no stopping her. Once she learned that not everyone was opposed to her, and some people (men and women alike) were actually trying to help her, her life became much easier.

There’s nothing like the connection of a group of people who have gone through adversity together. These women are a special bunch. I like to think the real women who took on these roles in the US and Great Britain during World War II were just as spunky and full of life as these fictional ladies. Maybe even more so!

It took me a few chapters to really get deep into this story, but it was so worth the read.

Roaring Fire That Sputters Out. This was an excellent and engaging tale of the Air Transport Auxiliary and the Women Airforce Service Pilots of World War II and what those ladies went through to even be allowed to serve. The book spends the front two thirds dealing primarily with a race between two young pilots to be the first to fly a four engine bomber outside of training as well as the race to ferry Spitfire planes to board the USS Wasp for an emergency trip to Malta to shore up defenses there. And it is in this part of the book that it is a roaring, all consuming fire - brilliantly told and executed. Where the book sputters out a bit is in the back third, where it switches gears to more emotional punches that are often happening off screen. The mainline story ends well with the final chapter, and the epilogue adds a final exclamation point to the tale. Strong book that could have been stronger, perhaps as a duology or even trilogy.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC ecopy for my Kindle.
Another great historical fiction about women and there roles in WWII. This book also shows the importance of family and friendship.

Soraya M. Lane brings us a wonderful look into the state of the Allied world and the place airborne women played in World War II from 1940 through 1945, both in the USA and in Britain, but focused more on the British ATA, which was an actual part of the British military machine. America's lady pilots (or the WACS) were not recognized and honored until President Obama but the play a part in this novel.

A massive amount of research went into The Spitfire Girls. The main protagonists are based loosely on the lives and contributions to the women's flying services of America's creators of the WASP's, Jacqueline 'Jackie' Cochran and Nancy Love. The British lady's ATA were inspired by both their feats and the intense work of Pauline Gower, an experienced pilot and the daughter of MP Robert Gower.

We see the war through the eyes of American Elizabeth 'Lizzie' Dunlop who came to Britain to see how the Air Transport Auxiliary was being set up, and Britishers May Jones and Ruby Sanders, all daughters in a family of pilots who had flown many hours in several types of planes.

I found myself unable to put this novel down. It is a fast, intense read, and I often found myself re-reading passages that stuck in my mind like music. From it's conception the women's flying services were responsible for transporting new planes to our military bases, and returning planes in need of mechanical or body work to the appropriate repair sites. It is not too big a stretch to say that their roll in the war was crucial to attaining a successful end. The statistics in the author's notes put into perspective just what a difference a few committed women can make in a country at war.

I received a free electronic copy of this novel from Netgalley, Soraya M. Lane, Amazon Publishing UK and Lake Union Publishers in exchange for an honest review. Thank you all for sharing your hard work with me.

The Spitfire Girls is a story about courageous and driven Women Airforce Service Pilots whose role in transporting warplanes to the male pilots during WW2 became crucial to winning the war.

Grief, love, friendship, courage and strength were the themes woven throughout this story. Although a work of historical fiction this book made me proud of these women who worked hard to prove themselves - that they could be as valuable in the war effort as any man. They paved the way for the women pilots of today.

A fantastic read that grabs you and pulls you in from page 1. It tells the story of a brave group of women that ferried the planes around during the war ready for the men to take into battle. What I love about this book is that although it is fiction it’s based on a lot of fact. There were some very brave women that we need to be proud of the way they wouldn’t take no for for an answer and proved to all the men that women could indeed be a great help in winning the war. Absolutely worth reading and well deserves the five stars.

May, Lizzie, and Ruby are very different woman but they all have two things in common: they want to fly and they want to help the war effort. This uses these divergent personalities (and two Brits and an American) to probe the edges of a wartime contribution that doesn't get enough credit. All three women are believable and the plot, oh the plot! You might see where some of it is going but that doesn't mean that reading this isn't a complete pleasure. Thanks to Netgalley of ArC. Perfect for fans of WWII fiction featuring women.

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
This is a hard review..While I love the subject matter, the delivery seems lacking. I couldn't connect with the characters and unfortunately, I didn't like the style of writing and found to much romance for my liking.
It was very clear though, that the author researched her subject well - and I loved the references as well as the authors note at the end, I did love learning about the birth of the WASPs and another area where women helped in the war and thank the author for her hard work.

ENLIGHTENING & INSPIRING!

This is the story of three women that decided they could not stand by and see their flying skills go to waste during WWII. They did the unthinkable and left the safety of their families and one left behind her homeland. They all volunteered to help ferry planes for the British Air Transport Auxiliary thereby freeing male pilots to fly in “risky combat situations.”

May is the Senior Commander and takes her role very seriously as she knows the pilot’s lives are her responsibility. Ruby is small in stature (she has to sit on a cushion when she flies!) but she has the heart of a lion and nerves of steel. Lizzie blows in like a storm from the USA and is ready to show her superiority to everyone. While they are all so very different, each of them is fighting their own set of demons while also fighting to prove their worth as pilots and prove something to themselves.

These girls had vast experience in flying many types of planes. But one thing they were required to do that their male counterparts did not was they had to fly with NO INSTRUMENTS and NO RADIOS. Can you imagine flying through enemy territory under those conditions? Of course, they proved they could that, too. Soon they were to be tasked with flying four-engine bombers that normally had a crew of four men. But they would fly all alone and with no instruments and no radio and straight through war zones! In spite of this, they had a unbelievably low casualty rate. These girls were definitely made of something special! Be sure not to skip the Epilogue!

I was provided an ARC of this book by Lake Union Publishers and NetGalley. The opinions expressed here are completely my own and without influence.

This is an amazing historical and long due backdrop for a novel about strong female characters - I have nothing but adoration for the real ATA pilots and I was looking forward to reading this very much - the story, however, was altogether too twee for me.
I’m sure there will be plenty of readers who will greatly enjoy it and I’m equally sure the author did her best to do the time period justice, but I just wished all the way through someone else had written this in a less superficial, choc-lit way. Just didn’t hit the mark for me.

"The perfect ladies' plane, that's what they used to call the Spitfire..." I love historical fiction and especially when I learn something new from it. I certainly did reading this book. This novel took me on a journey of the development and organization of the "Spitfire Girls" along with the main characters, Lizzie, May and Ruby. It's the personal stories of each one and the common love they have in flying. They each have a desire to serve their countries in the war efforts by using their gift of skillful flying. Lizzie has a yearning to develop a women's flying team but the American forces aren't ready for women to become fliers so she travels to England and joins the women there. After some tension between her and the other women, they become a team and form friendships that span the ocean. There are bonds in the common interest of the love of flying and to help towards winning the war. Lizzie had to learn to let go of personal gains and become a member of the sistership in the single mission they were all destined to complete. Ferrying planes. These women believed in themselves and the ability they had to serve their countries.

Ms. Lane wove a beautiful story around true facts that happened to real women. It's the story of painful losses and learning to believe in hope and love. Letting go of the past pain and grabbing the future. Persevering through thick and thin. From the unbelievable agony of losses almost too much to bear to the highest of highs of finding true love in the least expected way. Of flying high. I had tears for the pain and joy for the characters as the story was told. I am in awe of the fortitude that these women had. To overcome obstacles and show that women are capable of mighty things.

This passage that Ms. Lane wrote spoke to me so much:

"We are told as little girls what our expectations should be, and it's made abundantly clear what our limitations are, but I'm standing here today to tell you that there are no limitations for women, or at least not in the sky. You don't need to be a burly six-foot man to fly an enormous four-engine bomber, but you do need a brain and a single-minded determination."

The Author's Note at the end of the book is wonderful. I was stunned at the statistics she included and how much these women made a difference in the war efforts.

I want to thank Lake Union, Netgalley and Ms. Lane for the honor of reading this great book. I highly recommend it. A fantastic read!

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

The Spitfire Girls, was unfortunately, lacking a lot of spitfire. This is a book about the women pilots who broke the mold during World War II to serve their countries. Or rather, it is a fluffed up, “rom-com” version of what life was probably actually like for these women. I did enjoy the book overall and found it to be a relatively fast, easy read. I was just hoping for more action and less drama, more depth to the characters, and a plot that wasn’t so predictable. This book would probably make a good movie- think A League of their Own with airplanes, and convenient perfect romances for all 3 main characters that each end in a happily ever after tied in a bow. Young readers or romance fans will probably really enjoy this novel. True historical fiction fans will probably be disappointed.

The Spitfire Girls
By: Soraya M. Lane
I’m generally a Christian historical romance reader but I decided to give this book a try. I was happy to find that it was a clean romance, nothing smutty. I really enjoyed this unique perspective of WW2. The “Atta girls” or “spitfire girls” were a unique part of our history that I have not read about before. They were plucky women who broke the mold of how women should behave during wartime. These brave women chose to share their flying talents helping shift the outcome of the war. Although this was a fiction book it was based on real women which were inspiring to read about.
“Getting what you want is never easy.”
As WW2 develops a group of British women forms the “First Eight,” to help ferry new, repaired, and damaged planes for the RAF. Meanwhile, in the states, a spirited Lizzie fights to start a women’s flying brigade to aid the war. After gaining the president's attention Lizzie is sent to be a part of the British ATA. The girls juggle transporting planes, training to be the first to fly a bomber, and as well as relationships with each other and their male counterparts.
I really enjoyed this book and all the characters. They were well developed and it was enjoyable to see them mature and grow throughout the war. Even though the girls were all coming together for a similar purpose to help the war effort they each had a different personality and struggle. It was very genuine as they all interacted and got along while dealing with their own struggles.
If you are a historical reader this is defiantly a book to check out!
I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for my honest opinion which I share here. https://simplyannehere.wordpress.com

This is a great book for fans of WWII fiction and those who enjoy strong female characters. This is a book about women who flew during the war. I enjoyed it and hope to read more from this author.

I would like to thank Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with a copy of this book free of charge. This is my honest and unbiased opinion of it.

4.5 stars

I have read a significant amount of WW2 fiction. I really enjoyed the look at women's fight to help in the war. In our day and time it is hard to really comprehend that it was a common belief at that time that women were inferior and would not be able to fly planes, bombers, fighters to help in the war effort. The fact that they were then allowed to do fly with less equipment, less support, and less pay is abhorred.

This is a story of three women fighting their own fight to help in the war efforts. Two English women and an American woman fighting the same fight for different reasons.

The Spitfire Girls is the second book I've read recently about WW II, which is based on historical and heroic women who aided in the war efforts through the British Air Transport Auxiliary. I learned a lot about how these brave young women pilots would fly fighter planes to assigned locations helping the men who needed them in fighting the war. It also includes women in the United States forming a similar group called the WASPs. If it wasn't for these brave young female pilots, who know how the war may have turned out!
Special thanks to Lake Union Publishing and the author for allowing me to read an advanced readers copy of this book. My opinions are my own.
I strongly recommend this book filled with lots of history and also some romance, which helped soften the story. Congratulations on a very well written and informative book to the author.