Several people know I love historical fiction and have recommended Marie Benedict's books to me. I feel like an idiot for not having listened to them and picked one up sooner. Lady Clementine introduces us to Clementine Hozier, a strong minded young woman who has already broken two engagements but falls in love with Winston Churchill as his political career is just starting out. Unlike many women in her time, Clementine does not take a back seat but becomes a partner to Winston and together they weather the ups and downs of his career. What I really loved about this is even though the story features a prominent man, the focus is squarely on Clementine and her struggles to not lose her voice as she supports her husband. I felt like Benedict portrayed her in a very real way-someone who was smart, who wouldn't take a back seat to her husband or anyone else but also who gives so much of herself to Winston she reaches the point of mental exhaustion. She battles her inadequacies as a mother as being on this journey with her husband doesn't leave much time children. She was a fascinating lady who I really knew nothing about prior to picking this up. I have already ordered all the rest of Marie Benedict's books from my library and can't wait to read them.

As a fan of Marie Benedict's previous book , The Other Einstein, I was delighted to get my hands on an advance copy of her newest release, Lady Clementine. Once again the author has chosen to focus on the woman behind the man, in this case Clementine Churchill, the wife of Winston Churchill. Opening on their wedding day, the book follows the couple through moments of triumph and despair, both public and private- from Winston's early days as Lord Admiral and rapid upward political trajectory, to his public demotion and humiliation following the Dardanelles fiasco during the Great War. and on a more personal front, the tragic loss of their young daughter Marigold, as a toddler, then as the storm clouds of the second World War gather, we see them working together in the interests of Britain and its people.
I knew very little about Clementine Churchill going into this book, but I enjoyed the way her character was written. She seemed confident of her own skills and abilities and determined to show her worth, not just to her husband but to the country as a whole. It was for this reason that she worked so diligently to improve conditions in air raid shelters , and campaigned to have more women involved in the war effort , in the munitions factories, the farm fields and even in the armed services . I felt like the relationship between she and her husband felt completely believable , and I liked how the author was able to portray such a strong and complex bond so well. I also liked that Clementine was portrayed as a real ,flawed human being who faced sadness and temptation , and was not always right. I do wish that the book had continued beyond the end of the war, as I would have enjoyed reading more about the aftermath and the later years of Clementine's life, but that is a small gripe about an otherwise extremely enjoyable and engaging book.
I read an ARC courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher, all opinions are my own.

Thank you to NetGalley and Marie Benedict for allowing me to read and review Lady Clementine. Ms. Benedict knocks it out of the park again! I love her work so much!

Thank you to Sourcebooks Landmark and Net Galley for the chance to read and review this book. I feel really honored when I get a chance to read a new book by Marie Benedict. She is a fabulous historical fiction author! This is the story of Clementine Churchill, the wife of Winston Churchill. She was a fascinating woman who had such a profound influence on Winston and all his decisions as a world leader. I loved her strength and wit! I also liked reading about the love between them and how strong their marriage was. Winston seemed to be a hard man to live with, but she stuck by him through all the ups and downs of their lives. I just can't say enough about this book! I hope Marie Benedict just keeps writing more stories about famous historical figures, especially women. Highly, highly recommend!

Thank you, NetGalley, Ms. Benedict and her publisher for an ARC.

Ms. Benedict does not disappoint. I knew virtually nothing about Clementine Churchill. Just like my enjoyment of Benedict's The Other Einstein, this book captured my interest from the very beginning. I love historical fiction especially as it pertains to strong women. Lady Clementine knew how to "manage" the strong willed Winston Churchill and maneuver the political agenda. She was very pro women's rights in securing "men's" jobs and not just for the war effort. Her help oversight was to the detriment of her children, who are often sacrificed. I have already told many about this book as it will be released next month. Several have already ordered a copy for when it is released and my book club has it on the calendar to discuss later in 2020.

I really enjoyed this book. I find the idea of learning about the women behind history's great men fascinating. This story was well written and kept me interested. I was a bit disappointed that the author didn't go into her later life at all but overall I was satisfied, learned from the story, and would recommend to others.

This book was absolutely mesmerizing. Marie Benedict is truly a genius when it comes to writing historical fiction, especially about women. This book will not disappoint. You find yourself very invested in the characters and their lives. You feel what they feel, and find yourself wanting to know more and more. It is great that his author focuses on spot lighting the lesser known stories of important women in history. Thank you!

The first person POV and the frivolous tone of this novel was off-putting to me. There is an interesting historical overview here, but the novel itself didn’t quite hit on all cylinders for me.

September 12, 1908, Clementine Hozier is about to become Mrs. Winston Churchill. They are an odd but perfect pairing as is reinforced through the decades of their marriage. She is the voice of reason to his intellectual wandering. She is grounded and loyal to her suffragette and liberal positions, while he wavers, and like most politicians switches and maneuvers for his political survival. She is his speech coach, his second head, his greatest defender, his strength when the “black dog moods” overtake him. She is wily, an excellent observer and decipherer of those who surround her husband, and she is politically astute. She is able to determine the paths that will lead them forward and does not shy away from the spotlight. Facing marginalization on many occasions she is constantly recreating her voice as one to be heeded. She is unquestionably a force to be reckoned with.

The positives of this book are that it was well written, well researched and very interesting. The negative was the sometimes strident tone and the “Me, Me, Me” diatribe that often reared its ugly head. It was a bit lengthy and towards the end I thought tighter editing might have been helpful.

Much like Marie Benedict’s book “The Carnegie Maid” the male character has a strong, domineering mother to whom he is in thrall and provides a constant challenge to the female lead. The books I have read by Ms. Benedict have all dealt with females who have made significant contributions to society and history and have rarely been accorded the notoriety that they deserve.

Thank you NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for a copy.

Lady Clementine is the story of the wife of Winston Churchill. She may not have been as widely recognized, but her influence spoke loudly. What Winston was not, is everything that Clementine could be. Devoted wife, Clementine had the wisdom, charm, and patience to rule Winston, and in turn all of England. Clementine not only supported her husband, but propelled his career with her keen sense of intuition. Clementine was a force much more likable than that of her outspoken, overbearing, and often disrespected, husband. Clementine had tact, a way with people, timing, and social graces. She was the woman who made the man, at all costs to herself and family.

As always, I am happy to read and review the writings of Marie Benedict. She has an amazing talent introducing us to strong female protagonists and their significant roles in history. Marie fills her novels with information while presenting her characters and stories of fascination in a way I find so enjoyable. I look forward to her every novel to learn, understand, and become enveloped by the life and meaningfulness of her heroines of choice.

Thank you to Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review this ARC in exchange for my personal opinions.

#Netgalley #MarieBenedict #LadyClementine

This is the little known story of Clementine Churchill, wife of Winston Churchill. The story begins on her wedding day and then it goes back as if she is telling us the entire story.... from their courtship until the end of the World War II. She made so many contributions but was given so little credit. This book was fascinating to read and was written so well that I actually felt like I were there beside her watching it all unfold. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and highly recommend it for all of those historical fiction fans.

I loved this book -- a novel of Winston Churchill's wife. It brought to life what such a marriage must have been like -- a marriage of compromise, tending to her husband's needs, both political and other. Lady Clementine presents a vivid, entertaining portrait of the woman who shared the statesman's life. Highly recommended.

This is the story of Clementine Churchill from the time she meets Winston through World War II, with additional insight into her childhood and family background as well. Lady Clementine presents as an admirable woman, not only for what she did for Britain, but also her ability to negotiate around her larger than life husband without cowering before him.

I am always hesitant to read fictionalized accounts of real people; I have concern about what is real and what is made up as authors put words into the mouths of historical figures. This does seem to be well researched. I learned a bit of history of Britain; and just hope that it reflects reality and not a fictionalized account.

This is a fast read as it jumps through a historical time line, highlighting important events and reactions to them. Although I thought it a bit saccharine, it was an enjoyable read.

Loved this book about mrs Churchill . It was good learning about such a great woman
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for letting me review this book

From the author of the Other Einstein and others is a book about Clementine Churchill. She was a strong force beside her husband, Winston Churchill. Not one to sit idly by, she helped him with his politics, as well as heading many charities for the people of Britain and Russia. I found the subject very interesting, but I wasn't as drawn as much by this book compared to Marie Benedict's other books. It may just be because Clementine herself was not warm and caring about her family, just Winston and even sometimes she had to have a break from him.

One of my favorite things to read about is women in history. I especially love learning about the women who existed "behind the scenes" in the lives of the most powerful men in history. Oftentimes, the stories of these women is just as outstanding-if not more so- than their husband/father/brother's stories.

The story of Clementine Churchill, wife of Winston Churchill, is one such story. When they married, Winston told her,
"It will not be an ordinary marriage, but it will be a very great one." He was correct, their relationship was unusual but great. At a time when women were rarely heard and often stayed in the background of politics, Lady Clementine worked alongside Winston Churchill, guiding his political decisions and even keeping him safe from physical attacks.

I enjoyed learning about Lady Clementine and have already ordered some past books by Marie Benedict!

Thank you NetGalley for allowing me the pleasure of reading/reviewing Marie Benedict's new novel.

Lady Clementine, wife of Winston Churchill, was a charming, fascinating woman. She learned to become the right hand of Churchill. She was far more than just a wife, mother, friend to Winston.
This book flows well, and is very easy to read. Marie Benedict brings her own style and unique talents to creating a wonderful novel. I encourage anyone interested in Churchill, English history, or WWII history to read this novel. Marie Benedict has a unique talent for bringing characters to life. Wonderfully written.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC of this book, Lady Clementine.

I am rating this book 3 stars. I did find it extremely well-written and I did admire the strength and intelligence of Clementine Churchill. However, I found the book unable to fully hold my attention, possibly because it continually described the many ways in which Clemmie heavily influenced her husband’s political decisions and policies. After a while, I realized that the story would be more of the like. That being said, I did get the point that Clementine was an exceptionally brilliant and decisive woman for her time.

I read more than half of this book before putting it aside as it did not engage me sufficiently to want to finish.

Lady Clementine is the historical fiction story of Clementine Churchill, the wife of Winston Churchill; literally the woman behind his success as a leader and Prime Minister of England. I did a little research of my own and discovered that the book is generally historically accurate. However, if Clementine Churchill was anything like the thoroughly obnoxious and self-centered woman portrayed in this novel, I feel sorry for Winston, who’s made out to be quite a bumbler in this mind-numbing novel.

There have been other books written about Clementine Churchill, including one by her youngest daughter, Mary, the only Churchill offspring to be treated without the utter disdain of her mother as experienced by her three siblings. I think enough has already been written about this time period and the Churchills’s role in shaping British and world history in the twentieth century; This novel does very little than report history. in a stilted and narcissistic manner.

I received this book as an ARC from the publisher and NetGalley.

How does someone stand out apart from such a character as Winston Churchill? Lady Clementine is a detailed look at the life of Clementine Churchill, wife of Winston Churchill.

Clementine Churchill did not let her marriage to the most recognizable Prime Minister define her as being “just the PM’s wife”. Instead, she used the position to rally women during wartime and gave them purpose. She would also help Winston with speeches, and smoothing his rough edges.

The format of the book was a bit unusual to me at first, but I one I saw it as more a collection of vignettes about Clementine’s life, the book flowed more easily for me. I want to learn more about Clementine now, because she seems like a fascinating person to learn about.

If you love WWII history, particularly about the London Blitz or the European front, and if you enjoy reading about real women in history, this is the book for you, I love all the above, so this was a perfect read. I only wish that this book came with a list of resources Marie Benedict used to research Clementine so I could do more reading.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an eARC copy of Lady Clementine in exchange for an honest review.