The English Wife is a deep dive into the contributions of Clementine Churchill during WWII. I have been reading a variety of WWII historical fiction and I learned so much more about what was happening behind the scenes of the British Government during this time in history. Clementine Churchill was much more than just Churchill's wife. I really enjoyed the narration and the story that was told by Anna Stuart. I wish I could go back in time and meet Clementine as she was another women ahead of her time.

Thank you Net Galley, Anna Stuart and Bookouture Audio for the opportunity to preview this title. The opinions shared are my own.
The English Wife is now available.

I loved listening to this book! There was nothing not to enjoy about the story. And the narrator did such a great job! Definitely a recommend from me to any historical fiction lover.

I voluntarily reviewed this audiobook provided by NetGalley.

In this fictional novel inspired by the life of Clementine Churchill, she navigates the challenges of being married to Winston Churchill during World War II. As bombs rain down on London, Clementine supports her husband both personally and politically, realizing her own potential to make a difference through her visits to hospitals and air raid shelters. The story explores the power of love, courage, and partnership as Clementine and Winston work together to face unimaginable challenges and fight for freedom.

The English Wife by Anna Stuart is a captivating historical fiction novel that weaves together romance, complicated relationships, and suspense. Set against the backdrop of World War II, Stuart's writing brings both the historical setting and the characters to life, immersing you in the emotional turmoil and tension of the era. The strong, well-developed characters and following Clementine as she finds her own way to serve, kept me engaged throughout. While the pacing at times may feel a bit slow, the book’s rich historical details and the relationships of these strong women make it a worthwhile read. A solid 4-star book for those who enjoy historical dramas with a touch of intrigue.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thank you NetGalley & Bookouture Audio for this advanced reader digital copy.

Pub Date: 3/26/25

I found this really fascinating. I go to Blenheim palace a lot (living nearby) and I never even thought of Winston Churchill's wife and the power behind the throne, so to speak. I was just engrossed and it made for a completely different insight into that era. I found it touching how the author aluded to how difficult it would be for woman's struggles post -war as the men came home.
I also found it interesting how different elements of the war were explored - Clementine's trips to Russia especially. I never knew anything about the relief work that happened in Britain for Russia.
i found the post note where the author explored her review really interesting.
The narration suited the very Englishness of the book.

I didn't know a single thing about Clementine Churchill before I listened to #theenglishwife and boy am I glad to no longer be able to say that. I loved the perspective of this book that truly highlighted the important, and often times lonely and sad, lives of the INCREDIBLE women that often serve as the backbone for their more famous spouses. A unique twist on historical fiction but one I would definitely recommend!

#arc #netgalley #annastuart

Outstanding Read! This is a first by author, Anna Stuart and normally not a go to type of book for me. The cover art caught my eye and drew me in - and then the description, had me wanting more and so glad I did. Inspired by true accounts of Clementine Churchill and her work during the war and the author does a great job of sharing her story while adding her own touches.

We learn about a time in history that is hard to hear and learning more about the people, women behind the scenes making a difference, is truly an inspiration. It's hard to fully put this into words, it is impactful and inspiring and a must read!

I really enjoyed this audiobook. I loved having a glimpse of what life was like in this era. I found it to be well researched and entertaining. I'm looking forward to reading more by this author

World War II is my favorite time in history to visit. It’s the standing up for what’s right and laying your life down for your beliefs. It’s the heroics in such a dark part of history.

Reading about real people? Even better! The best way to get the head of someone real beyond just the facts we have, is to have an author research them and come up with plausible scenarios and have it be as true as possible while still being a fascinating story.

In her acknowledgements, Anna Stuart shares some fascinating tidbits about what was real and what was imagined about the life of Clementine Churchill, the wife of Prime Minister, Winston Churchill.

Expect 👉🏼 Historical Fiction with real people, WWII, Britain, Women During the War, Marriage

This book follows the life, friendship, marriage, political and humanitarian contributions of Clementine during the war.

Her story is fascinating. Her devotion to her husband is not common. She is in a class all her own. I enjoyed exploring her friendship with Jenny and getting that perspective as well.

Such a wonderful glimpse into the life of someone who was often overlooked for her valuable contributions to Britain and her allies, the war effort, a parent, a friend, a confidant, a sounding board for one of the most important historical figures from that time period.

4.5/5

Thank you Book Outure for the gifted alc

Such a good listen!!!

This is a work of fiction based on real events and real people. The fact that this centered around Clementine Churchill and not Winston is already interesting enough but the story showcasing what Clementine was probably like and the impact she more than likely had on Winston and those around her made it even more interesting to me. Clementine seems to have been such a pillar of grace and support and I loved reading about her in this and now want to learn more about her. I also was intrigued by the Jenny character who is based on Janet Murrow; Jenny shows strength and growth throughout this both women symbolize the fight and struggle women faced to establish themselves as more than wives and mothers.

I just really enjoyed this and encourage others to read/listen to this.

Strong Women! Loved this historical fiction. I did not know too much about Clementine Churchill or the other women involved in English politics and the peripheral circles. The author did a wonderful job portraying this time period with plausible interactions between the characters.

The narrator, Jane McDowell, did a wonderful job portraying the concerns, fears and lives of these women. I loved the facts being woven into the story. I also enjoyed the ups and downs these women faced in their marriages, social lives, and life in general. This time period was a tough one for Europe and did dramatically impact the UK. Many of the war narratives coincide with the stories my friends’ mothers told us while I was attending DoD schools in the sixties and seventies. This was a horrific time for all.

I thank Netgalley for the opportunity to listen to this book. These opinions are my own. I enjoyed my first book written by Anna Stewart. The portion after the story was enlightening.

For the lovers of Kristin Hannah and all things historical fiction, this is a unique WWII story following the wife of Winston Churchill. There are a lot of things to love about this book, and at the beginning I was completely captivated. However, for my personally, it began to drag in the middle. I absolutely loved how many different women this book looks at. If you are feminist, this is a must read.

Thank you Net Galley for my free ALC in exchange for an honest review! I rated this one 3.25 stars!

This dragged a bit for me. I really expected to LOVE it as I love historical fiction, and especially little known WWII stories, but I had a hard time staying engaged and didn't find myself wanting to pick this up as often as I'd like.

I do think it's definitely worth a shot if you love WWII fiction!

This is an historical fiction novel set in 1940, WW2. The main characters in this book are Winston and Clementine Churchill. I thought this book was highly fascinating. It brought life to them as a couple. It even touched on the Roosevelt's. 5 stars.

Many thanks to Net Galley and Bookuture Audio for an audio ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

If you enjoy Historical Fiction, take a look at this one! I totally enjoyed this, although at times I wanted to bite my nails, yell, throw something at someone…etc, etc…

This one revolves around Clementine Churchill and her husband Winston. It begins when they are courting, and when he finally gets around to asking for her hand in marriage, he makes it very clear that his wish is to be the Prime Minister of England… and is she sure she wants to be with him?

And let me tell you, that this was probably the BEST thing that could’ve ever happened. As everyone depended on him, and his wisdom in order to bring the country to the best position possible…. BUT, Winston depended on Clementine (Clemmy) to guide him in all of his decisions!! And together, they made the world a better place. It seems that Winston had intuition on what was going on, or going to happen, way before anyone else!

We also get some insight into Roosevelt and his wife, Eleanor …and the dynamics between all of them!
And let me tell you, women were treated VERY differently back then…

We also have Jenny and Ned Miller…who were American journalists covering all that was going on with the war and Hitler…
Jenny is loosely based on a woman (Janet) that Clementine was very friendly with in real life.

Beautifully written, with terrific descriptions of the interactions of these very powerful couples… their beautiful relationships with each other (their partners), their families, their countries…and all the good that they brought with them through all the horrors of the war.
And, loved how this highlighted the roles these women played, in not only their husbands lives, but in the overall goodness of the world!🌎

#TheEnglishWife by #AnnaStuart and narrated beautifully by #JaneMcDowell.

5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ for me!

Thanks so much to #NetGalley and #BookoutureAudio for an ARC of the audiobook, in exchange for an honest review.
*** Release date is March 26, 2025 so look 👀 for it in just about a week !! ***

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I don’t read many historical fiction books like this but this one sounded interesting so I decided to give it a shot.

I liked the story very much. It’s very entertaining .

I liked the narration as well.

This is one I do highly recommend.

Thank you Netgalley and Bookouture Audio for the opportunity to discover this story.

A beautiful representation of women's strenght and power.
The story was lively and made me feel as though I was in the room with the characters.
The story was riveting, but maybe a bit slow at times. It was fascinating and I had a really good time reading this story and learning more about the Churchills' and this time period.

I have to admit, I wasn’t able to finish, and here's why:

I wanted to like The English Wife, especially since it’s based on the fascinating historical figure, Clementine Churchill. The premise of delving into her life as the wife of Winston Churchill during World War II sounded promising, but unfortunately, I couldn't bring myself to finish the book.

While the historical context and the portrayal of Clementine’s personal struggles were intriguing, I found the pacing to be quite slow, and I struggled to connect with the characters. The writing felt somewhat detached, which made it hard to get emotionally invested in Clementine’s journey. Her inner turmoil and relationship with Winston, which should have been compelling, didn’t come across with the depth I had hoped for.

I also found the narrative style a bit dry and difficult to follow at times. There were sections where the book seemed to lose its focus, and I found myself zoning out rather than being drawn into the story. The book had great potential, but ultimately, it didn’t engage me enough to keep going.

Perhaps it’s just not the right fit for me, but I didn’t feel a strong enough pull to push through. For readers deeply interested in Clementine Churchill or the time period, this might still be worth picking up, but for me, I had to set it aside.

While this isn’t my first historical fiction, this is my first Anna Stuart book and I really enjoyed it! I’ve read a few different WWII focused stories but this is the first revolving around the Churchills, while we all know of Winston Churchill, I don’t remember learning anything about his wife, Clementine, so I loved learning about her and what the war was like from her perspective.
Anna shows us how strong and determined Clementine was in her efforts to help with the war whether it was taking care of Winston, her friends, or supporting other women and families affected by the war. While she wasn’t perfect, she loved fiercely and showed that war can be fought in more ways than with just weapons.
Since I listened to the audiobook, I would be remissed not to mention how great Jane McDowell was at narrating and differentiating between the English and the American characters in the story.

Release Date: March 25, 2025

Thank you NetGalley and Bookouture Audio for proving me with this ALC in exchange for a review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This is my first book by Anna Stuart and won't be my last! I was hooked from the beginning and often found myself Googling information as I listened to the story. This is a powerful, well-written novel featuring gutsy, resilient and formidable characters with many historical facts woven throughout. I didn't know much about the Churchills and didn't realise how big a role Clementine played in supporting both her husband and the community during WWII and in the years that followed. I also enjoyed learning more about Eleanor Roosevelt, the rise to power for Winston, his health struggles, and the behind-the-scenes planning for tactical maneuvers etc. Through other characters, readers experience the daily struggles of those trying to survive war and there is a strong message of the importance of friendship and family in times of great hardship and fear. The author's notes at the end were a welcome addition that helped me separate fact from fiction.

The English Wife is one of my favourite books so far this year, and it will stay with me for a long time. The narration by Jane McDowell is excellent, and she portrays each character well, giving each their own voice and personality.

I received a complimentary ARC from NetGalley for review. My review is voluntary, and all opinions are my own and unbiased.

The English Wife is written by Anna Stuart. I was fortunate to listen to the audiobook that is narrated by Jane McDowell. I am going to separate this review into two parts. The actual material and the audio. I have read this author before. She has the gift of being able to transport readers back into time. Her stories bring history to life. I was a little skeptical when I realized this contained Clemmie and Winston Churchill. However, I am ashamed to admit, that I did not know a lot about this couple. The author really brought them to life with her work.

Clemmie and Winnie. They have been through a lot. He needs her more than she knows, and she is able to read him like a book. Her marriage to Winston was inspiring. I really enjoyed seeing England before the war, and how Winston tried to warn everyone. I think my favorite part was how fascinated Clemmie was with the women wearing turbans when she is out touring hostels. She is so fascinated with them so much so she starts to wear them herself.
Jenny Miller is an American. She and her husband are in London broadcasting. She becomes friends with Clemmie - and I loved the unique sisterhood they shared. Jenny wants so bad to be a mother, that month after month when it does not happen - she gets discouraged. I loved how Clemmie was like a big sister to her and soothed her heartache.

Ok, now onto the audio portion. I loved Jane McDowell's voice. Her voice was soft, crisp and kind of reminded me of the narrator for Call the Midwife. I was mesmerized by her narration. I could not get enough.

well done! I am so thankful to the author, publisher and Netgalley for allowing me to read/listen to a copy of this book - all thoughts are my own.