We Fly Beneath the Stars is the fictionalized story of Russian female bomber pilots in WWII, and is based on actual female pilots during the war such as Major Marina Raskova. When Russia joined the war against Hitler, sisters Tasha and Nadia joined the air force to help their country. This is an action-packed historical novel and it inspired me to read more about the Russian 'Night Witches', that these brave women became known as. Thanks to author Suzanne Kelman, Bookouture, and NetGalley. I received a complimentary copy of this ebook. The opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.

DNF at 50%. The writing style and characters were just not doing it for. I don't normally do historical fiction or women's fiction, so I'm guessing this is a me problem rather than a this book problem.

Loved it!! I had no idea the Russian Night Witches even existed, so the book was an extremely interesting read. The female pilots put up with so much harassment from their male counterparts. The women did the same job and were given less training. Tasha definitely grew on me. I couldn't stand her. From the start, she was like a whiny, teenager who only thought about herself. She refuses to marry Luca, even though she loves him and then gets mad because he signs up for the war. Then she leaves home and doesn't let her grandmother or sister know where she went. The constant fighting and competing with her sister was ridiculous. She put so many people at risk with her disregard of rules. It was her selfish actions that caused Nadia and her to be captured. So many things would have turned out differently if she would only have turned the plane around. From that point on, Nadia and Tasha suffered one bad thing after another. It wasn't shocking when Nadia finally learned her husband's secret. I would have never guessed the book actually took place in Russia, besides the use of comrade and the constant mention of Stalin. It felt like it could have been anywhere. I still enjoyed the book, but the people didn't have that Soviet feel. They seemed to have so much freedom and everyone was happy and not spying on their neighbors. I still loved the book.

Definitely recommend the book. Loved the characters, story and writing style. Look forward to reading more books by the author. Loved the book cover.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Bookouture, through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Having read a lot of this authors other books I was delighted to be reading this early, this author never dissapoints, she takes you to the very edge of the lives of her amazing characters, I never give anything away and can really recommend this fantastic 5⭐️ read

Going into this book I had no idea or any knowledge of or about the only female- bomber battalion , I knew that there was female plots who flew the planes from one place to other but never read anything on a bomber Squad that was all female. And wow did this story brings them to life even through its historical based on their lives, history and their battles they were in. This story showed their courage, their strength, and their will to survive. It also brings to life the way things was from the battles to the Nazi work camps ,

“Survival is a moment-by-moment choice. Sometimes you fight. Sometimes you make yourself so small you are barely seen. But always, absolutely always, you believe in a different tomorrow. So, stop creating problems today. You have to be strong and fight.”

This was my first introduction to Russia’s Night Witches, the daring female pilots who were a crucial Soviet asset to winning WW2. Kelman invites us to journey alongside two of the 46th Taman Guards Night Bomber Aviation Regiment who flew under the cover of darkness in bare-bones biplanes dropping bombs on Nazi targets. A sign of a good historical fiction book is that you are left with a desire to research on your own and look out for more books on the topic! I’ve just done both.

I’ll admit, the cutesy lovey dovey stuff at the beginning almost had me putting this in the DNF pile. Once I skimmed past it, the rest of the story was great. So, if you don’t care for OTT declarations of love, persevere. It’s worth it. Kelman’s characters are sublime. Tasha and Nadia are as opposite as my sister and me and I understand the conflict and emotions at stake. Kelman used it to her advantage in the plot.

It only takes a moment of weakness for things to go horribly wrong and that’s what happens to the sisters. Blinded by love, Tasha lets her guard down and soon they find themselves in hell on Earth ~ Wiesenberg slave labor camp.

“If hell is a place on earth, then surely this is it. But hell is just a name, and it can only mean that to you if you allow it.”

Kelman doesn’t shy away from the uncomfortable; there are intense battle scenes, death and Nazi work camps. What she does stress, though, is that we all need to be reminded of the indomitability of the female spirit. We can see this in the above quote and throughout her novel.

My favourite character was Gaia, mainly because of what she represented and her outlook on life. A close second would be Tasha because I wished I was more like her. She knew what she wanted and went after it with passion and perseverance, showing everyone that being female wasn’t limiting.

A quote that I will take with me, thanks to Gaia:
“If despair is not an option, then hope is all you see.”

This is a wonderful introduction to the forming of the Night Witches and will be a perfect springboard for anyone wanting to investigate further.

I was gifted this advance copy by Bookouture and NetGalley and was under no obligation to provide a review.

Excellent. Loved the narrative. Wonderful to feel the description of the flights, fears and bravery of the pilots and what they did in the war effort. Very well researched and entangled into the lives of the pilots.

very emotional read about the first female bomber batallion. Love stories inspired by real facts and what inspirational women these were!

I wanted to enjoy this but I feel like it was not what I was expecting, I was left wanting more but also... not wanting to read another.

Based on a true story. Remarkable concept and impeccable execution from start to the end. Every single page gives a full-throttle effect. The story moved marvellously. I finished the book overnight. The book supercharged me. Empowering females at its best!

“We Fly Beneath the Stars” is a WWII historical fiction book by Suzanne Kelman. What I liked about this book was how immediately the two main characters (sisters Tasha and Nadia) were easy to keep apart while the story was set-up and even after the storyline got moving. Additionally I enjoyed how engrossing the storyline was … and also how Ms. Kelman didn’t have the perfect happy ending for all. It’s obvious that this book had a bit of historical research done, but I really wished to have seen some of the sources Ms. Kelman used - or where I could go to read up more on these incredible women fliers.

What an inspirational book. 'We Fly Beneath the Stars' takes you up in the sky, in the freezing cold cockpit. Your stomach clenches as the pilot somersaults to evade enemy fire, and you quickly turn the page for more.

Tasha and her sister Nadia join the Russian Air Force in the middle of WWII, wanting to use their aviation skills to help defend the motherland against Hitler's quickly advancing army. However, the Germans aren't the only enemy these sisters and their female comrades must face, they must also prove themselves to their male counterparts, 'We are proud to be women, but we will fight like men'. Night after night, the sisters successfully bomb their enemy targets, becoming known by the Germans as the 'Night Witches'. Success, however, breeds complacency in Tasha and it gets her and her sister in trouble, and in a German work camp. Survival becomes, 'a moment-by-moment choice', especially when your life and the life of your loved ones are at stake. 'If despair is not an option, then hope is all you see'.

Suzanne Kelman's book, based on true events, draws you in and opens your eyes to the less publicised war effort made by Russian women. Kelmans' characters are believable, as is their story. The pace of the book works well and covers a lot of ground; with enough detail to be captivated but not so laborious as to be heavy and stagnate.. Well worth a read for WWII historical fiction fans - especially those who enjoy strong women characters, with a bit of romance thrown in too.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for the opportunity to read and review this book.