A War Apart tells the story of Rosemary and Guy, who spend one night together during World War II. The story had a lot of promise, but the book read as a first draft. I never felt like I really learned who the characters were. Plot points came and went, not to be brought up again. Many secondary characters appear, but none are memorable. The idea was great, but not well executed.

This is a historical romance. It takes place during WWII.
Rosemary has just received a telegram about the death of her husband Jack. She is very angry and sad, mixed feelings for what had been going on in their relationship. He was a cheater. He had planned on divorcing her and going with the new floozy. Looks like his plans weren't destined to happen now.
Jack was her high school sweetheart. They had gotten married when they discovered the pregnancy. Now there wasn't a baby or a husband.
A heartfelt story about live, courage and dedication.
The characters are awesome and the story is captivating.

This book, while well written, was a little too much back and forth with characters for me. I just had trouble connecting with any of them, wanting no one to get hurt but knowing that was inevitable. 

I voluntarily reviewed a copy of this book provided by NetGalley.

A WAR APART
BY BARBARA WHITAKER

Barbara Whitaker has written a poignant historical romance that has been meticulously researched during the time period of World War II. She breathes fresh life into her character's and enriches her plot by making this period in time seem to come to life.

Rosemary Hopkins meets Guy Nolan while she is in a train ticket line trying to get home to Tennessee to make it to her husband Jack funereal where she is already afraid the people in her hometown will blame and judge her. She especially fears this treatment from her in-laws. She is keeping a secret that Jack wanted to divorce her because he fell in love with someone else. They were living in California so she hopes that she can keep her business a secret because she fears tongues will wag.

She spends some time with Guy and she also hopes nobody else from her hometown will find out. It seems that during a war that people take more chances with romance than they do during peace when there is no war taking place. Rosemary can't forget about what a nice person Guy Nolan was as he goes off to fight during the war. Will this couple rekindle their romance? You will have to read this wonderful historical romance to find out.

Publication Date: November 11, 2020 Available Now!

Thank you to Net Galley, Barbara Whitaker and The Wild Rose Press Inc. for providing me with my ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own.

#AWarApart #BarbaraWhitaker #TheWildRosePressInc #NetGalley

Barbara Whitaker’s historical romance, “A War Apart,” is a unique look at risking heartache to take opportunities in the midst of war. At a time when people had little control over their lives, whether in the military or not, it was common for people to make rash decisions and grab opportunities when they were presented. Whitaker explores the possibility that during wartime it was necessary to take a risk on love because people never knew if or when they’d see each other again. There was a sense of urgency in the air with matters of the heart. 

Mrs. Rosemary Hopkins has lost her husband during the war….to another woman. Heartbroken, she leaves their home on the base and moves out on her own. Not long afterwards, he dies in a freak accident on base. When she packs up to head back to his parent’s home where they’d lived as a married couple, she has difficulty obtaining a train ticket as they are only issued to army personnel. Seeing a beautiful woman, clearly upset, at the ticket counter, Guy Nolan, a soldier, steps up claiming her as his wife and buys tickets for them. This starts a beautiful romance between two people who are seeking to be loved and appreciated for who they are.

Whitaker’s success is due to her unique plotline, her meticulous research and the fact that there’s equal parts of Guy’s battlefield experiences to Rosemary’s contributions to the war effort. This is not a story of a woman at home pining for a man at war, but rather a story of a strong woman who makes her own happiness and seeks fulfilment outside of her current circumstances. When something doesn’t seem to be working for Rosemary, she stops and moves on. You’ll be rooting for the tender romance between the two main characters and hoping that they can achieve the happiness they deserve. 

Thank you to Barbara Whitaker, Wild Rose Press, Inc and NetGalley for this advance copy in exchange for an honest review.