I loved this book. I'm a sucker for most historical fiction but when you combine strong women fighting against gender stereotypes, I'm definitely in. This novel follows 3 women, who fight for the right to fly warplanes during WWII. They have to overcome gender bias, lower pay, and even the fact that they fly without instruments or radios! They demonstrate how important they are to the war effort and the fact that women can do anything men can do. I found it refreshing that the story didn't solely focus on romance. While there are definite sparks flying, (pun intended) the story is more about friendship, resilience, and the pursuit of your dreams.

It was well written and I honestly could not put this down. Fans of historical fiction will love this one. Thanks to NetGalley for providing and ARC for review.

I hope you’re ready to hear some gushing, because The Spitfire Girls absolutely blew me away!

Synopsis: WW2 hasn’t been easy for anyone. People have been lost, and there will only be more. However, this story follows three brave women who decide that sitting at home isn’t an option. They’re pilots and they know they’re just as capable to assist in the war effort as any man. Stepping up to work alongside the brave women of the ATA, they each play a pivotal role in ferrying planes, so that the male pilots could fight in the war.

Despite having no instruments or radios, less pay and sometimes very little respect, they are determined to prove themselves. But things don’t always go smoothly, they don’t always get along and in such turbulent times, the stakes are higher than ever.

This beautifully crafted historical fiction novel exceeded my expectations. Probably what stood out to me most about The Spitfire Girls was how unbelievably real it felt. Granted, it’s based on real events, but even putting that aside it felt so vividly believable. The more time you spend with the characters, the more they start to feel like friends; people who you hope will get home safely. I loved how invested I felt in the characters and how much I cared about what happened to them.

I have to talk about how wonderfully empowering this story was. Before reading this book, I had no idea about the struggles faced by female pilots during WW2 and have since been inspired to do my own research on the subject. They had to fight so hard to prove themselves, purely so that they could serve their country and help bring their boys home. This was reflected so wonderfully in the novel. It moved me so much, hearing about how these brave women put their lives on the line for such a noble purpose. It really shines a light on the efforts that women made during WW2 to assist their countries and ultimately fight for equality. As a woman, reading this story made me feel like I could do anything and the sky was literally the limit. I think this is such a special quality in a novel and it deserves to be recognised.

I loved how strong the female characters were and how much they developed throughout the war. They overcame so many obstacles that were thrown at them as well as battling against their own personal demons. The story is told from the perspectives of three main characters: Lizzie, Ruby and May. All three of them are very likeable (even if they don’t always like each other) and being able to view the story from their different perspectives keeps the reader emotionally engaged. The characters were written with so much depth and complexity, which made it a pleasure to go with them on their journey. I really liked this structure and thought it was very nicely put together. I also like how there was a bit of romance (which is always nice), but it was not the overall focus of the story. The focus was how strong and badass the women were.

The tension that comes with war is present – sometimes lurking in the background and sometimes rearing its ugly head. There are reminders throughout the novel that death is a very real possibility for these women, as well as for their loved ones. There are sad moments and happy ones, but the story is so beautifully crafted the entire experience is an enjoyable one.

I feel like I should end this review by thanking the author for the experience of reading her novel. It has been a long time since I have been so moved by something I’ve read, and I would not hesitate in recommending The Spitfire Girls.

Thank you very much to Netgalley and Amazon Publishing for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I really enjoy and appreciate Soraya M. Lane's emphasis on spotlighting women and their contributions to history. Having read her wonderful book "Hearts of Resistance," I knew I would enjoy this one, and I did. A beautifully written and well-paced story with vivid characters that read true to life and kept me invested in how their lives turned out. I loved learning about these fascinating and brave women who helped win WWII, even though they were handicapped by a lack of training and the inability to use the instruments the flying airmen were allowed to use. Highly recommended!

This is ok. I wish Lizzie, May, and Ruby had had more time together because it felt very brief. Or at least the part where they actually got along felt brief since most of the novel seemed to be Lizzie vs May and Ruby, which didn't always make sense in the later chapters when it showed their bond. That being said, it was an interesting book, though slow at points, but its biggest pitfall seems to be in the fact that the author does far more telling than showing. The amount of research is clear all throughout the novel, which is great, but I just don't think it was integrated as artistically as it could have been.

Ultimately, this novel is interesting, and for those of you who are interested in women's history and female=centric novels, then this is probably up your alley!

This is a novel that shares with us the courageous contribution women made in both England and the USA towards the WW2 endeavours. These women were willing to put their lives on the line and take on piloting planes to where they were needed. And... they were very successful.

Soraya M. Lane does and excellent job helping us get inside the lives of such young women. Often they were up agains 'the establishment' and the attitudes and prejudices of the populace. Yet despite these niggles these women were amazing.

The story is told of May who leads the English group, she is asked to take on the task of organising and training. She has heartache of her own - everyone is touched by the war in some way, never to be the same again. Then there is Ruby - a tiny woman who can eventually fly the biggest planes - she too has her own heartaches and worry. Lastly Lizzie the outspoken American who is so confident and ready to voice her opinions and every corner.

As the reader I came to love these women, I liked the small details of the drawbacks that women faced flying these planes, and that they overcame with good spirit. I enjoyed the love interests each of them had and that added so much to the story. I especially enjoyed the epilogue - icing on the cake!

Informative, inspiring and well worth the read. Yes women can do anything, which reminds me I had the pleasure once of meeting a woman USA astronaut. I think May, Ruby and Lizzie would have been right there if they lived in a different era. However their push for gender equality enabled women of the future to aim high.

The Spitfire Girls is a perfect example of historical fiction detailing women who deserve respect. May, Ruby and Lizzie ferried planes during WWII. Based on actual people, the story is fascinating. Of course these women were treated inferior. The story shows the strength of these women during an horrific time period. It's informative and engaging. There are many things to love about the characters. Read it!

I loved this story from the very first chapter. This is a fictional story centered around a real life group of women. Some of the main characters were based on real ladies in history. It shows you how far women’s rights have advanced in the last 50-60 years. Not only legal rights but how people view women. Great story! Thank you NetGalley for an ARC copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Took me a little while to get fully involved in the plot but once I did, I loved it. Good characters for the most part and an interesting story. Looking forward to more from the author!

Very similar to other books on this subject. The important role women pilots played in the war flying planes around England was not fully appreciated until near the end of the war. The lives and loves and deaths of these daring young girls make for an extremely interesting read.

This is a work of historical fiction detailing the relatively unknown story of female pilots ferrying war planes in WWII. I had no idea women played such a pivotal role.
The book could also be categorized as women’s fiction for the emotion shown by the characters and their families. May reminded me very much of JD Robb’s Eve Dallas character because she got too far into her own head, thought too hard, and shouldered a lot. A bit too heavy on the introspection with that one. But I thoroughly enjoyed Ruby, who was indeed a spitfire, humbly piloting war planes with immense skill.
All in all a good read. I recommend this one.

A fascinating insight into the role played by the ATA and WASPS during WW2. The women who flew spitfires, bombers, seaplanes etc during the war, transporting them across Britain and US, to ensure that they had the planes required for combat. A little known part of WW2 history, these women were some of the first to strive for equality, and were determined to help their country in war. The one subtle difference was that in Britain they had to fly without radio support or navigation aids, using only maps and roads, train lines, rivers etc to find their way - a significantly more difficult and challenging operation. These were truly courageous women, putting their lives at risk, who were then expected to go home when peace was as declared.

What an amazing story and the fact that. It's based on factual events makes it more interesting as I never knew or heard about this group of fantastic women. The author pays them the credit and gratitude that they deserve for their heroic acts while still writing a lovely story around the characters. I will be definitely checking out more books by this author.

A beautifully written story based on the true story of the brave women pilots of WW2.
We follow May, Ruby and Lizzie as they fight prejudice on both sides of the Atlantic. Along the way they face loss and find love and these women are true pioneers of women's rights.
Aust for anyone who loves books about strong women and is interested in the work of women I. The war

Read this if you need women of strength and courage to motivate you. Our foremothers put themselves out there to open doors for generations to come, to prove the worth, power and ability of women. You wish for the characters to have that happy ending, with respect and romance from some supportive men to draw you into what their futures may hold

I adored this book!! These characters had such strong personalities and I feel in love with each and every one!! I also learned so much from this story!!! You will not be sorry you read this book!!

A work of fiction based on a true story about the women aviators who flew the Spitfire planes during WorldWar II. What a remarkable story this is!
It tells of female pilots recruited in both the United States and England to serve as noncombatants so that more male flyers would be available for combat duty.
Picking up damaged planes from war zones to bring to home air-fields for repair was difficult and dangerous, but these women did it with skill and determinations.
Their efforts were an inspiring display of heroism and patriotism but they received very little recognition until near the end of the war.
These brave women were ignored or looked upon as secondary to their male counterparts.
It was during the end of the war that the honors and accolades they deserved were given to these fine females.
Their exploits played an important role in history as to why the members of the 40's decade were called "The Greatest Generation".
Definitely a good, well written book!

This book is different from other historical books of a similar era. The book is very well written and it also told me facts that I didn’t know
The story is very easy to follow and the characters are very likeable
A great historical fiction book

A heart warmimg tale which takes you back in time. A lovely story full of likeable characters that take hold of you and pull you into the story

A timely tale in the RAF’s centenary year, which weaves fact with fiction to celebrate the incredible sacrifices and ground-breaking achievements of female pilots during the Second World War. The narrative is woven around the friendships forged between the three central characters of diffident Ruby, stoic May and outspoken American, Lizzie. We follow their lives as they support the war effort by piloting planes, finding romance whilst enduring sexism, tragedy and the adversities incumbent on their roles as pioneers of the female pilot squadrons: the ATA and the WASP. This story will strike a chord with anyone old enough to have experienced the war first-hand or have an interest in women during the war. The writing style is accessible and I recommend this book. The Author’s Note also details the facts underpinning the fiction and is extremely interesting. The end result is that I now really want to read more about the inspirational real lives of Jackie Cochrane and Pauline Gower.

A fascinating story together with a cast of trail-blazing women pilots who came together to overcome prejudice and societal stereotypes, changing the face of history, and whose daring contribution helped win a world war. A winning combination.