Every reader has books that they can't wait to read, books that seem perfect in their descriptions -- only to find that The Perfect Book falls sadly flat. For me, that was THE HAZELBOURNE LADIES MOTORCYLE AND FLYING CLUB. I thoroughly enjoyed Simonson's earlier novel MAJOR PETTIGREW'S LAST STAND; one of my favorite time periods to read about is the First World War (including the interwar years); I love strong, independent female characters.

But I had to push myself to finish this novel. Many of the supporting characters were quite unlikable, and the central characters seemed not only flat, but inconsistent in their attitudes and actions. The character I most enjoyed met a nasty end at the hands of nasty people, and the conclusion of the book seemed forced and contrived.

I loved Helen Simonson's 2010 novel "Major Pettigrew's Last Stand" and I came to this book with high expectations. "The Hazelbourne Ladies Motorcycle and Flying Club" delivers with a well-researched story and a seaside town full of interesting characters. This work of historical fiction is set in England immediately after World War I as our heroine tries to find her place in peacetime. In the great tradition of Austen and others, Constance is an intelligent but poor woman with few romantic prospects. Will she find a suitable job? Will she end up at the mercy of her cruel family friends? Will some dashing, preferably rich man sweep her off her feet? In the meantime, she meets some women determined to continue riding motorcycles, trades barbs with a few racists and gets a ride in an airplane. It's all good fun and well written; my only quibble is that the ending seems just a tiny bit too neat.

It is 1919 and Constance is without prospects. The men are returning from the was and she has been asked to give up her cottage and her job running the estate on which she lives. while looking for a job, she is sent as a companion to an old family friend who is convalescing at a seaside hotel. There she meets Poppy and her circle of friends. The women are forced to confront the fact that the freedoms they gained during war are about to be lost. You will be rooting for these women and he choices they make.

This novel takes place in post WWI and after the Spanish flu pandemic. Constance Haverhill, having recently lost her mother is asked by her mother's wealthy benefactor to care for her aging mother in a seaside resort town. Constance needs this job as she was left with very little, the family farm having being inherited by her brother and his grieving wife.

She is befriended by Poppy Wirrall who sees something of herself in the more timid Constance. The drama unfolds as more of Poppy's titled friends join this little drama along with other forward-thinking females who are part of the Hazelbourne Ladies Motorcycle and Flying Club. Constances finds a camaraderie and a sense of belonging and purpose with these intrepid ladies. But the question of her future and how it may survive this delicate bubble of the posh set leaves her worried.

Excellent character development and descriptive settings made this a story both interesting and fun to read.

Charming characters in post World War I in the English countryside. The young ladies who worked during the war liked that and many don’t want to give it up. Constance, a companion to an older woman, meets up with a group of young, wealthy young women and gets involved with them. She gets a glimpse of an exciting and adventurous lifestyle. She even falls for an injured soldier, yet she knows she is not really one of them. A mostly likable group of characters who are all trying to find their places in the world much changed by war.

Helen Simonson captures the post-war era beautifully in The Hazelbourne Ladies Motorcycle and Flying Club. She has a captivating writing style that places you firmly in the period and describes the societal challenges women faced with real authenticity whilst weaving a story of friendship and romance. I would highly recommend.

Fun, funny, smart story about women after WW I, dealing with repressive social mores, lost jobs, and suffocating family expectations. Poppy is part of the aristocracy, definitely not your typical young woman, who runs a motorcycle taxi service (for women and by women), as well as a women's motorcycle club, and has big plans for more. Constance is a very competent young woman from the country who has left her brother's farm to be a temporary companion for an elderly family friend recovering from pneumonia. Both Poppy and Constance are impacted by the return of men from the war, losing their jobs so the men can have them, even though it means they also lose their housing and are no longer able to support themselves. Constance had been working as the estate manager for a family friend but loses her job as well. The wounded returning men are also facing challenges of their own, as does Poppy's brother. And discrimination and snobbery run rampant. All of this is portrayed through the characters in ways that are funny, sad, exasperating...I absolutely loved this book, and will be looking to read more of Helen Simonsen as soon as I can find another of her books!

In 1920 England is still recovering from the war and the influenza outbreak, returning servicemen are struggling to reacclimate to peacetime society, and women must make way and give up the jobs they held during the war. Constance Haverhill ran the estate office for her late mother's wealthy friend Lady Mercer during the war, but now that the men are back she must find a new place as a governess or companion, but first she's given a special treat of a summer at the seaside as companion to Lady Mercer's mother.

She meets Poppy Wirrall, well born and eccentric, and is soon swept up in the social whirl of the seaside town. Poppy runs a women's motorcycle club and offers employment to some of the recently displaced women by offering a motorcycle taxi and delivery service, and Constance is introduced to this group along with Poppy's brother, a pilot who lost his leg in the war. Constance struggles to find her place, torn between enjoyment of her new friends and the need to support herself and make her way in the world.

The struggles faced by women, disabled servicemen, and minorities are sometimes portrayed with a heavy hand that takes away from the enjoyment of the novel. Well drawn characters make the story interesting but the social message is overbearing at times.

Helen Simonson's latest novel lived up to every hope I had for it. Simonson finds a way to incorporate a wide cast of characters and examine the classism, sexism, and racism of the times, alongside the tremendous growth of independence for women, without inserting a lot of anachronistic positivity and goodwill OR letting anyone off the hook for their prejudices. There are no simple heroes or villains in THE HAZELBOURNE LADIES MOTORCYCLE AND FLYING CLUB and as the best novels addressing the consequences of war, the novel shows the enormous strength and resilience in the generation that survived WWI alongside the immense grief and suffering that left scars on soldiers and civilians in all countries involved. I adored reading about Constance as she grew into herself and dreamed beyond her status. The phrase "I've decided that a woman should aim to be competent rather than decorative" may get embroidered on a pillow in my house. Finally, the romances and heartbreaks of the book add depth to every plot-line without taking over any of the book's enchanting tales of friendship, independence, and a changing society. I was sad to finish and will be eagerly waiting for the next book (and for someone to develop one of these novels into a series already!!). Additionally I will live in hope that maybe Tilly will get her own book one day.

In a style almost reminiscent of some older authors like Emilie Loring and Grace Livingston Hill, Helen Simonson's book just made me happy to read. This was the first time I've ever read her as an author and I will be happy to pick up a book by her again.

Hazelbourne Laides MOtorcycle and Flying Club is just a delightful book following the lives of a summer residents and visitors of a small town in England. The time period is post WW2--just barely past it. Wounds are still fresh. Women are still in a lot of positions they held prior to the war--because the Labor Act forcing companies to hire back men hasn't happened yet. There is a sense of rationing being over--but supplies still being scarce.

Our lead character Constance reminds me soooo much of some of my favorite ladies from books by the two authors I mentioned above. Who through nothing they've done have now ended up at the mercy of others. Who know enough to be able to mingle with the upper crust, but have backgrounds to put them in the servant/farm class. Who live in reality knowing dreams are just that. The ones who keep the stiff upper lip and are reliable when they want to be fanciful and exciting.

Harris is the lovely wealthy wounded veteran with a glass half empty--good for nothing mentality who (as always) is intrigued by the quiet Constance. Yes, their story is in a sense predictable, but it's a fun journey to get to the happily ever after.

Mrs. Fog was delightful! I just loved her character.
Percival was a beast!

The book touches on the racism and prejudices of the time period for the blacks in America and the Indians in England. There is a sense of feminism, but it's more of a why can't we try to enjoy working AND the beauty of a marriage. I loved the feeling of racing on the motorcycles with Polly and Iris.

It was just a delightful book. It was a clean read too which made it that much more enjoyable!

4.5 stars (but giving a solid 4 stars because it wasn't quite 5 star worthy)

*I was given a complimentary copy of the ARC from the publishers and NetGalley. I wasn't required to write a positive review and all opinions are 100% my own.

The Hazelbourne Ladies Motorcycle and Flying Club by Helen Simonson.
I've read Major Pettigrew's Last Stand and The Summer Before the War by this author, so I was excited to be able to read her newest book.
I enjoyed reading about the roles of women in post WWI and showing how they had been given the freedom and responsibility of working to keep things moving forward in Britain while so many of the men were away fighting. The women were expected to give all that up when the men returned. Many of the women struggled between the old ways and women's roles and the new understanding and realism that women were capable of doing so much more.

I thoroughly enjoyed these characters. These women were fierce, determined women as well as vulnerable in their situations. My favorite character was Poppy. Poppy wears trousers, repairs motors and can ride a motorcycle! She created the Hazelbourne Ladies Motorcycle and Flying Club and wants her team to compete with men in races. It was such a fun book!!
I really enjoyed reading it.

Thank you to Random House Publishing Group and NetGalley for an advanced reader's copy in exchange for an honest review.

Courtesy of Random House and Netgalley, I received the ARC of The Hazelbourne Ladies Motorcycle and Flying Club by Helen Simonson, one of my favorite authors. This post WWI historical novel, as lighthearted as it first seems, tackles heavy themes of 1919 Britain, when females who worked throughout the war to keep the economy strong found themselves being forbidden to continue their employment. Focusing also on issues of war injured, survivors guilt and rehabilitation, this story covers friendships, families, racial bias, class distinction, creativity and innovation, and romance. Set in a small British coastal village, with several twists and surprises, this character driven tale didn't disappoint!

This is a very clever piece of writing. On one level it is a relatively light hearted story of some adventurous women in the time immediately after the First World War.

On an entirely different level it explores the class and race prejudices of the time, looks at the plight of the women who had worked hard and driven the war effort from home and now find themselves expected to revert to their limited pre war lives. The situation of the very many injured service men is also an important theme.

The author pulls all these issues together in easy to read piece which is very enjoyable. Recommended.

Thank you to NetGalley and Dial Press for the advanced reader copy of this much anticipated book from one of my favorite authors. Ms. Simonson's previous work, The Summer Before The War, is one of my favorite books and most recommended reads. I absolutely adore reading about the era in which these books are set (before and after WWI). This novel was the perfect book end to The Summer Before The War--we learn things did NOT get easier for women's personal freedoms, yet women continued to push the envelope in ways they may not have prior to the war. Constance Haverhill and Poppy Wirrall are two such strong-willed, independent leaning female protagonists. Constance finds herself as a ladies companion at a seaside hotel, having lost her job as an estate bookkeeper during the war. She was all but evicted from her home after her sister-in-law held her responsible for the death of her child from influenza. All around the characters in this story, most of whom are misfits in one vein or another, hangs a veil of epic sadness, as they have survived the war and the epidemic of influenza. They are cautiously trying to find their way in this new reality. No one does characterization quite as well as Ms. Simonson, her fictional characters leap off the page and her turn of a phrase is so exquisite, I find myself reading and rereading sections of her book for pure enjoyment in how she words things. Like A Summer Before The War, I will undoubtedly be reading this more than once and recommending to everyone I know.

Enjoyable story of a woman who is educated but lives in a time after WW1 when women are being relieved of their jobs since the men are returning from the war. But this woman is not like other women. She finds employment as a companion for an older woman at a seaside hotel, where she meets other women with aspirations also.

A delightful book, set in a small costal English town. WWI has ended and the many women employed during the war to keep hearth and the war effort running have been not so quietly dismissed. Constance Haverhill, in the role of a poor relation, has been sent to the seaside as a companion to the matriarch of old family acquaintances. This summer sojourn plays out as both a very funny comedy of errors and a more serious social commentary. I don’t think I realized the effect the war had on women post war. Many needed to work as they were left widowed with a minuscule pension or had no prospects of finding a man to marry. I have enjoyed all three novels by Helen Simonson and hearty recommend them.

I was hoping for a story about strong women and their lives after WWI. That is the story here, but I found it to be simply boring. I couldn't get involved with most of the characters, and the one I really liked (Constance) finally just annoyed me. I gave up about halfway. The women just kind of wandered around and I didn't see any growth. I usually love historical fiction, but this one just didn't grab me. Two stars for the setting and premise -- not a time period that is often featured.

Simonson has done it again! Leading us into the times and culture of post-World War I, and the ramifications of societal changes.

Constance Haverhill is only days away from being unemployed and flat broke. Her job prospects are very limited now that the men are back from the war. During the war she worked as a bookeeper. That won's happen again now that the men are back. At present, she is working as a lady's companion to an older, sedate lady. Constance's choices are to become a nanny, a housemaid or get married. None of these choices appeal to her.

She meets Poppy who wears trousers, rides a motorcycle, has a motorcycle taxi service and is anything but conventional. She also has a brother, Harris, who was wounded during the war and can't seem to get his life put back together again. All he wants to do is get back in a plane, but the loss of a leg affects people's opinions of his abilities. He chafes against being disabled but can't seem to find a way to work around it.

Constance is invited to join Poppy's Hazelbourne Ladies Motorcycle and Flying Club. Her employer, the prim and proper daughter of the elderly women for whom she is a companion, is shocked and dismayed to find Constance straying from her approved behavior. Oh, the elderly lady turns out to be not as sedate as the daughter would like for her to be!The prejudices of England in the teens are readily apparent, no women wearing pants in the dining room, no men displaying handicaps, no young woman eating a meal with out a proper chaperone. What is to become of Constance? Will Harris ever fly again? Will those motorcycles really run if women are taking care of them?

After the war, in 1919, Constance Haverhill accompanies Mrs. Fog to Hazelbourne-on-Sea for the summer. This is her final trip experiencing luxury, she is penniless and will have to find employment to live. She encounters Poppy Wirrall and her life will never be the same. Poppy is loud, irreverent, and incorrigible. Being the daughter of a wealthy man has afforded her some leniency in society but she is intent to take it to the extreme. Constance is attracted to the constant chaos around Poppy and soon finds herself in the midst of it all. The young women are looking to be more actively involved in business and life. They no longer wish to be tied to hearth and home.

Helen Simonson has created an excellent cast of characters. They are flawed and utterly relatable. The book moves quickly and the activity is constant. Simonson uses the flurry of activity to indicate summer and the slowing of activity showing the transition to fall. Constance is such a likable character that it is hard to let go. This lighthearted look at women coming of age is an enjoyable diversion from everyday life.

A lovely story set in England after World War I where a generation of young women were trying to find their places in a changed world. Constance Haverhill is a penniless companion to an older woman at a seaside resort and gets swept up in the lives of the rich and idle and forms a number of friendships with fascinating consequences. An absolutely charming book.