The Whispers of War beautifully captures just how female friendship , and shines a light onto an important but less well-known aspect of war. The rich historical detail and a cast of engaging characters have made this book an engaging read for those who enjoy historical fiction. My thanks to NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was a well-written book covering the lives of 3 women during WWII in England. I didn't realize there were interment camps in England for some of German descent during the war. The powerful bond of friendship is explored throughout the book, even carrying on to the current day. I will look for other books by this author. Thank you NetGalley for supplying an ARC for my review, and the opinions are my own only.

I enjoyed this book set during WW II . It is told from the perspective of 3 women. It is well thought out with good plot.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for letting me review this book

I am a huge fan of novels set during the WWII Era. This novel did not disappoint! It provides a look into the lives of three very strong women each from vastly different backgrounds. They meet at boarding school and become fast friends. This novel gives a perspective of how each of them handles the war. How they look at it and how they each have their own fears and uncertainties. This novel definitely gives some new insight into things that occurred during this time in history. I would most definitely recommend reading this.

Going into The Whispers of War I was expecting the normal WWII timeline and boy was I wrong. Set in England right at the beginning of the war, the story follows three friends as they deal with their new lives during war time. The central plot revolves around Maria who was born in Germany but has lived in England since she was 12. I did not know anything about the German Internment camps during the first World War or the second so learning about them in this book was eye opening. The fear that Maria was living in and how it effected not only her life but the lives of her friends was harrowing. I truly enjoyed this book and would recommend it to anyone who loves WWII fiction because (at least for me) it showed a new perspective of the second World War.

Thank you Netgalley and Galllery, Pocket books for providing me with an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

An interesting story of 3 women in Britain who are friends since boarding school. One becomes a matchmaker and 2 become secretaries in official offices. As war approaches, Marie, who is German, is fired from her job and goes to live with the other secretary. Marie is afraid of being arrested and interred. Her friends help her escape to Canada. This is a story of friendship and loyalty.

This book was a delight. The characters were so well defined and likeable. Wartime London pops as a setting. The plot was simple but the writing absolutely carried the day. I finished it in one day.

Very enjoyable story set in England during the years leading up to WWII. The friendship between the three women stood out throughout the story. Each came from a different background but bonded into a tightly knitted sisterhood. Readers will easily become immersed in the lives of Nora, Hazel and Marie. Recommended!

Wow! This book was so good! I thought the story of the three friends interesting and hard to put down. Loved the story and definitely recommend. Thanks to Netgalley for the early copy

This book was an great read. It’s about three amazing and strong women who have friendship like no other. Their friendship is tested when one of them is in danger and the others have to save her. Julia Kelly filled my kindle with great detail about a time when war was ripping the world apart. I just love how these three ladies were extremely strong and did what they had to do to honor their bond.

work of historical fiction, the author tells the story of three best friends in England during the 1940’s. Hazel is unhappily married, working for a matchmaking service, particularly busy during wartime. Nora is a single working woman, in the Home Office, while Marie, a German immigrant, faces the prejudice against Germans during the war. Julia Kelly intended the story of internment of refugees, including some that were German Jews escaping the Nazis, to resonate with today’s realities at the US border. A well written story of friendship, sacrifice, and ethics. Recommended.

The Whispers of War follows three longtime friends as Britain enters the Second World War with Germany.

What I enjoyed about the book: long lasting friendships, loyalty, WWII setting, learning more about the internment of German immigrants in Britain during the war

What I didn’t enjoy: how divorce was portrayed (very simplistic and naive for the time period I thought), repeated focus on personal satisfaction over everything else

This was my first Julia Kelly book, and overall it was a good, quick read.

I appreciate receiving this copy for an honest review from NetGalley. I really enjoyed Whispers of War by Julia Kelly. Marie is a young German woman who has been living in England since she was 12 years old. When Hitler begins his march across Europe she and other Germans living in England are suspect. I knew about internment camps in the U.S., but never really thought about them in the U.K. The story is told to Marie's grandaughter after she passes away. Marie's friends Hazel and Nora fight to keep her safe in London. It's a story of a life-long friendship and not knowing the heroes one might have in their own family. I enjoyed the way the story was told from different points of view. The three friends were all very different from each other.

I did not finish this book. The characters did not click with me, there was too much jumping around so it was hard to get pulled into the story. It just didn’t keep my interest.

THE WHISPERS OF WAR

This was a nice enjoyable book. It is the story of three young women - Nora, Marie, and Hazel - living in England during WWII. They have been friends ever since rooming together during boarding school. We come to learn of their lives and loves through Marie’s granddaughter Samantha who, in the present day, is writing her grandmother’s eulogy after her recent passing at the age of 103.

All three women are strong and independent. They have careers and are involved in various romantic relationships. But as war looms near, England has to assess its population of non-British born citizens within its borders. Marie is German, though she has been living in England since childhood. As the war expands throughout Europe, talk of internment camps and imprisonment becomes a reality in England.

The story focuses on the importance of friendship, the struggle between privacy and the sharing of secrets, and about discovering what each person really wants out of life. It moves along at a nice steady pace and held my interest the whole way through. It was somewhat light but enjoyable and historically informative as well.

I would like to thank NetGalley, Julia Kelly, and Simon & Schuster for the opportunity to read and review this book.

The Whispers of War is a novel of historical fiction that is set during World War 2, rather than being about World War 2, which is a distinction that I enjoyed about this story. It covers a small part of the war in the U.K. that I didn't know much about, attitudes toward the German and other immigrants at the start of the war. But that war itself didn't play a huge part in the story, which I also liked. Whispers of War is the story of three school friends who still are friends as adults living in London. Hazel is unhappily married, Nora works for the Home Office and lives on her own, and Marie is German and lives with her aunt, uncle and cousin, who are all German immigrants. When the war begins, it is Marie is working for a German professor and his disappearance becomes a problem for Marie and her status in the country as the government considers putting all German citizens in camps to protect the nation, the same way they did during World War 1.

The novel centers on these three women and their friendship. Each gets a section of the story told from their viewpoint with a modern framing story between the sections. The modern story is not well developed at all, and it merely a plot device that allows for the reader to see a fuller picture of the lives of the three women.

I really enjoyed reading the story of Marie, Hazel and Nora and their friendship and loyalty to each other. It was a fun read as well as interesting, making me want to read more about this little piece of history during the war that I was not aware of. This was also my first book by Julie Kelly, and I am eager to read more of her books in the future.

I received an Advanced Reader Copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for my honest review.

I have recently taken an interest in books written about World War II and I was excited when I was approved for this book, Whispers of War by Julia Kelly. Then, through a series of events that made for a crazy few weeks of life, I didn't actually get to sit and read it all in a matter of days, like I normally would. It actually took me almost two weeks, which was sad, because I was enjoying it when the time did work out for me to read it. The story centers on three women, Marie, Nora, and Hazel, who have been friends since their days at a boarding school together. Marie is a German who was sent to London for school and lived with her aunt and uncle. Nora is a debutante who doesn't fit in with social norms and wants to make a difference in the world. And Hazel is a young matchmaker who is married, but finding her life missing some important parts. When Marie may have to be interned, the other two do everything they can to try and help her. The story was good and I really enjoyed it. It discussed yet another aspect of the war that I didn't have a lot of information about. I can't imagine what it must have been like to have to leave your home because of your nationality, even when you were innocent. Kelly did a great job of showing the horrors involved, while also allowing you to get to know her characters. Maybe having to take two weeks to read the entire story was good, because it gave me time to dwell on what they were going through and what it must have been like. I would recommend this book to anyone who is interested in history and World War II. It also really focuses on relationships and how they can change our lives, something anyone can relate to. I would definitely pick this book up if I were you!
I received a free copy of this story from NetGalley for my honest review. All opinions are my own.

I enjoyed reading The Whispers of War by Julia Kelly. She tells a wonderfu story of three different woman living in England during the beginning of World War II. The women who are all from different backgrounds meet when they are 12 years old in a boarding school. They remain close friends and protect each other. One of the young women is from a German family and is in danger as the war progresses. Each woman is different but the three are all couageous and determined to make sure each one is safe and happy. I was crhying at the end of the book

4.5 stars

I received a complimentary e-book copy of this book from Gallery Books through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. Thank you to Julia Kelly, Gallery Books, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book.

This book was SO very good!! This book was about the time right before WWII in Great Britain and during the very beginning of the war. It was such a great historical novel about one of my favorite time periods to read about in historical fiction. It also had some FABULOUS twists and turns that had me guessing until the very end. LOVE!

As in every book that I read, I found out something that I did NOT know! OMG!! I never knew that Great Britain interred German, Austrian, and Italians during WWI and WWII.

The biggest take-away is that you can develop strong and deep friendships that are just like family. The main three characters all had reasons to become a family of three. They showed what REAL love and family are all about.

This was a lovely book and I highly recommend it!!

As soon as I began reading The Whispers of War I was lost in it. Three friends wade through the trials of pre-war England. Nora wants to be taken seriously at her job; Hazel is unhappy in her marriage, and Marie worries about being German born. The story does switch to modern times when Marie's granddaughter visits England upon her request. The writing is amazing and engaging. I also learned a few things such as how the British had their own internment camps. I liked the author's note at the end. World War II era historical fiction is super hot right now and this book fits right in.