I read Julia Kelly’s first novel, “Light Over London” and enjoyed it enough to make me want her read the author’s sophomore effort.

As the cover suggests, this is a story of women’s friendships. Marie, Hazel and Nora have been friends since they were twelve years old and were roommates at boarding school. Although I don’t recalling Kelly specifying their ages, they seem of be in their early- to mid-twenties.

The time frame is August 1939 to June of 1940, with a bit of now thrown, and is set in England. The story opens with Samantha, Marie’s granddaughter, going to England to visit Nora after Marie has died, wanting to know more about her grandmother. That felt rather contrived and didn’t need to be there. The book would have worked well, if not better, had it been deleted.

Then the novel is divided into three parts, each focusing on one of the friends. Marie has lots to worry about. She was born in Germany but England has been home since she was twelve. Her German accent is still pronounced and gives her heritage away the moment she opens her mouth. Nora comes from a wealthy family. She defied her mother by marrying for love and not a better social status. Hazel, also married, is a matchmaker. She is the more gregarious of the trio.

As the whispers of war blow across the waters from Germany, Marie is the most worried about what could become of her, especially since her family still resides there. Nora goes to work for The Home Office. I never truly understood what she did, but it didn’t interfere with the story. Hazel tries to balance work and home.

This is a novel of women who would sacrifice everything for each other. Their bond is unbreakable, although it gets a little frayed at times.

“The Whispers of War” receives 3 out of 5 stars in Julie’s world.

At its core, this book is one of friendship between Nora, Marie, and Hazel, watching as the Nazis wage war on Germany. I enjoy books of this time period. While I enjoyed it, it didn't quite meet my expectations. The characters were okay, but they weren't as developed as I'd expected. The pace was a bit slow at times. The historical details were interesting. The flow between POVs is smooth and nicely laid out so as to not confuse the reader. I really enjoyed the author's note.

The Whispers of War by Julia Kelly is one of the best books I've read this year. Many of the fears and prejudices she writes about can be easily compared to what some misguided people, sadly, are feeling today. Loved it!

Two parallel stories are told in this book. In the present, Samantha visits London to deliver a package to her late grandmother's close friend Nora and to learn more about her grandmother's life in order to deliver the eulogy at her memorial service.

The majority of the book takes place in London at the start of World War Two. Marie, Samantha's grandmother, was born in Germany but was sent to boarding school in England at 12 and never returned. At the start of the war, Marie is in her early 20s and threatened with an internment camps. Her friends Nora and Hazel unite to help Marie emigrate to Canada and avoid the camp. The friendship between the three women is the highlight of the book.

The present day story is marred by a contrived and predictable romance between Samantha and Nora's grandson. The historical story of three strong women and a little known chapter of English history is much more compelling.

A moving, sweet, story set in WWII about the power of friendship. An excellent read!

Many thanks to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for my ARC. All opinions are my own.

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.