This book was a stand alone historical fiction book set in London during the second world war. It is EXTREMELY character driven as we meet and follow along with 3 very different people. 2 teenagers - one very poor and the other wealthy- and a middle aged book store owner and widower.

The book spends a VERY long time detailing each of their lives and the tragedies that have occurred to each of them. It is extremely tragic, almost to the point of being depressing. While I enjoyed getting to know these characters, the amount of every day life ends up slowing down the flow of the story. It made the story FEEL long and heavy.

At the same time, I really did enjoy this story. The level of character development was impressive and by the end, I felt like I KNEW each of them and experienced such a wide range of emotions with them. I will admit to a few tears as well.

Thank you to NetGalley and Hachette Audio | Grand Central Publishing for the opportunity to read and review this ARC. The opinions above are mine and mine alone. This book will be out for publication on April 15, 2025.

Thank you NetGalley for an arc copy of this book. I really enjoyed this historical novel and I could definitely see the research he did.. The characters were very loveable.

A powerful story of three people whose lives would not have crossed paths but do so during the war. They come together and rebuild their lives as a “family”. The characters are all strong in their own way and what they overcome leads to a beautiful life.

3.75 - 4⭐

Strangers in Time really surprised me. It’s not your usual Baldacci... it’s slower, more emotional, and grounded in the harsh realities of 1944 wartime London.

The story follows three strangers:
1. Charlie, a teenage boy surviving on the streets;
2. Molly, a girl returning to a life that no longer exists;
3. Ignatius, a grieving widower running a small bookshop.
Life brings them together, and for a while, they manage to build something that feels like hope.

This book doesn’t hold back. It’s about loss, about how war takes everything—family, homes, routines, minds and souls. And even when it feels like the worst is over, you learn it's not. The final chapter especially left me feeling... bittersweet. I was glad for Molly and Charlie and how far they'd come, but also completely heartbroken at what they had to leave behind. Baldacci didn't pull any punches.

It’s a quiet, powerful story about surviving more than just bombs...it's about surviving the grief, the emptiness, and still choosing to move forward. Not everyone gets a happy ending, and that makes this one feel all the more real.

Also, the narrators were excellent. They captured the tone and emotion of each scene so well, giving each character a distinct, memorable voice. Their performance really elevated the story and made the listening experience even more impactful.

If you're in the mood for something emotional, raw, and rooted in found family during one of the darkest moments in history, this one’s worth picking up.

ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

David Baldacci is one of my favorite authors, so I was so excited to get an advanced audio copy of this book. The narration was fantastic. This one is different than his usual books, but it absolutely did not disappoint.
Set during WWII, the story is told by two teenagers and a widower. The story is heartbreaking and heartwarming all in one.
This is a must read if you are a Baldacci fan or WWII fan.
Thank you NetGalley and Hachette Audio for my advanced audio copy.

This is a surprisingly wonderful departure from Baldacci’s superb legal thrillers. A brilliant historical novel involving two teenagers in London during WWII and the man who aims to keep them safe. I could not turn it off!

The full cast narration is outstanding and really helps with the large cast of characters in this book.

I hope this is not the only historical fiction this author plans to write.

Taking place in London during World War II, Strangers in Time follows three main characters. Charlie is a 14 year old boy from the poor East End of London. Molly is a rich girl from Chelsea who has just returned to London after spending the last few years in the English Countryside. Ignatius Oliver is the owner of a book shop. While they all come from different backgrounds, they all become friends shortly after meeting each other. They bond through their personal losses and trying to survive the nightly German bombings. They each have their own secrets that torment them, but their bond proves strong.

I really enjoyed this book from Mr. Baldacci. The setting of London during World War II was a good backdrop to follow three different people from very different backgrounds. The characters were deep and well developed. They also interacted well with each other.. There was a little bit of mystery behind their lives, but mostly this book just tells their story of trying to live through a tough time. Mr. Baldacci did an excellent job capturing the landscape of London during World War II. It was very gritty and believable. I appreciated that they picked a narrator with a British accent to read the book. Just just made the book feel more realistic.

This is an excellent historical novel that is well worth picking up. The story has depth and is intrigue while building the characters and keeping you engaged. Thank you to NetGalley, David Baldacci, Hachette Audio, and Grand Central Publishing for a free advanced readers copy for an honest review.

I have been a fan of Mr. Baldacci for a while but this book just didn't do it for me. When I got an advanced copy of this book I thought that it would be a little like the other books that I have read but that was not the case with this one. In fact it was a historical fiction read that was set during World War II time when three strangers come together from three different walks of life. The trio are each working to overcome their own tragedies from the war. They are all hiding something from one another while still showing their humanity during this difficult time. In other words, three strangers dealing with a lot of sad stuff in their lives at a very slow pace in this book - the opposite of what I have come to expect from Mr. Baldacci's other work. Overall, this was a sad yet slow moving read set during a difficult time in history for these characters and not what I was expecting. In the end it just was not the book for me.

It was a story of found family, forgiveness, heartbreak and heartwarming. I found the storyline to be bit meandering at times but still enjoyed it and loved it was based on real people.
I posted review in GoodReads.

David Baldacci is not typically known for historical fiction, but he steps into the genre with a unique take on World War II. Set in England during the final days of the war, the story follows two teenagers, Molly and Charlie, who come from very different backgrounds—Molly from a wealthy family, and Charlie from a life of poverty. Both are left orphaned by the war, though not in the usual way seen in many WWII novels, which often focus on the experiences of Jewish children. Instead, Molly and Charlie must navigate survival on their own, with some support from Ignatius, a man mourning the recent loss of his wife. If you enjoy WWII fiction with a fresh perspective, this book is well worth the read. The audio version is read by multiple narrators.

What a great book! The narrators are perfect. This is a tale of relationships, warfare, toughness and found family. This is different from David Baldicci's other books but it might be one of my favorite books I've read this year. I will definitely be recommending it to others, just an awesome audiobook!
Thanks to NetGalley and Hachette Audio for my advanced listener copy.

This is my all time favorite novel by David Baldacci. This is very different from anything I’ve read by him. This story was both heartwarming and heartbreaking. As a listener, my emotions ran the full range. The narration was outstanding and the author narrated the Author’s note. The narration definitely added another layer to the book.

I’ve enjoyed 100’s of books set during WWII and I believe this may be my all time favorite. We hear from the perspective of the three main characters, two teenagers and a widower starting in 1944 in London. The characters were well defined and easy for me to form an attachment. It was a unique, detailed story of these civilians during this time, it was researched and detailed. I found it to be fast paced and difficult to find a stopping point. I pray Mr. Baldacci will write more novels like this.

I was blessed with an ARC of the audio through NetGalley and the opinions expressed are my own. I enjoyed this novel so much I will revisit it again. Highly recommend.

If there were ever a way to have me listen to and enjoy or appreciate a historical war story, it would be that my favorite thriller author branched and wrote it.

This was a well woven tale about two orphaned teens, from opposite sides of the tracks, meeting a widowed bookshop owner and forging their way through war. The bond formed was compelling.

I was heavily invested in the characters and their individual outcomes. I’m pretty sure I ducked a time or two during the air raids. I may also have had a temper tantrum at a certain part of the story. Invested.

Audio:
I enjoyed hearing Molly, Charlie and Ignatius brought to life in audio. Their three characters were portrayed well, easy to listen to and get lost in the story.

If you’re drawn to the outline, grab this and read or listen to it!

Recommend-yes!

With thanks to NetGalley and Hachette Audio for the advance listening copy.

This tale is set in London in 1944 during the London Blitz of WWII
Charlie Matters is fourteen years old. He lives with his grandmother in poverty. He isn’t allowed to work so he supports himself in the only alternative manner, he steals. He takes what he needs to survive. Charlie plans to join the military as soon as he is old enough; he is ready to take on the Germans! Charlie is well aware he life could end at any moment, as the bombs explode.
Molly Wakefield, was from a wealthy family, like so many others, was sent to the countryside to stay with the host family, for protection. She hasn’t heard from her family in quite some time. The fifteen-year-old has returned to London to find everything different. She rushes to her parents’ home only to discover they are both gone.
Ignatius Oliver is a recent widower; he owns a bookstore. He takes Molly and Charlie under his wing, offering them protection and guidance. Together the unlikely trio form a family.
This is a tale of relationships, warfare, toughness and family. Author David Baldacci demonstrates how people responded to the bombings. He describes the devastation. Baldacci brings three unlikely people together to form a relationship, a family. Baldacci shows the best of humanity, despite the horrific events of that era, many people were kind and caring.
Thank you NetGalley for the ARC

Thanks so much to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC copy of this book!
What a wonderful book!
Such a different but quite refreshing change from the usual David Baldacci novels.
I listened to the audiobook version and the narration was excellent! John Lee is one of my very favorites and his comforting voice made this all the better!
Highly recommended and I will definitely be telling all!

Very different from his previous novels and just as well written. Great historical mystery. He does this genre so well.

Gosh David Baldacci can write a story can’t he!! He has been one of my favourite crime writers for a long time and his historical fiction book last year, A Calamity of Souls, was my favourite book of the year. So when ai saw that he had written a story set in WWII London I just had to read it.

This was such a moving story, so many times I had tears in my eyes while listening to this tremendous cast of narrators. They really did bring Strangers in Time to life, along with the authors brilliant writing. I feel like I was walking the streets of London with these characters. Any story set during wartime is going to be emotional, and this one really does tug at the heartstrings.

It is a story of 3 people that are brought together by the war. 3 people from different backgrounds and places in society, that may not have met under normal conditions. Charlie lives with his gran in the East End, and they battle for every penny and morsel of food that they can get their hands on. Molly has just returned to her home in affluent Chelsea after being sent to the country for years to escape the war. And Ignatius is a widowed bookseller who has plenty of dark secrets of his own. The 3 form a friendship that gets stronger and stronger the more that is thrown at them.

This is a story of war, of family, of friendship, betrayal, survival and love. It is an eye opening look at the real people that the war affected. It shows the real courage of those who did what they had to do to survive and protect the people that they loved.

Thank you so much to Hachette Audio for my advanced audio copy to listen to. Out on April 15th.

I love a good WWII book and was excited to read this one. It started out great, the main characters were interesting and very likable, and I learned some new details about life in London during the war and specifically the air raids. About half way through, the storyline introduced some unbelievable circumstances that seemed to detract from the validity and believability of the story being told.

The voice actors were easy to listen too, no one had any annoying mouth noises (I will absolutely quit a book if the narrator(s) is/are annoying), and I always enjoy each role being read by the same gender. (Versus a male trying to adopt a female-influenced voice.) The narrator for Molly was my favorite main character brought to life!

This book should come with an advance trigger warning regarding mental health, PTSD, and the other delicate subjects in the book.

Thanks to Hachette Audio and Grand Central Publishing for an advanced copy of this audio book. All opinions are completely my own.

Book Review: Strangers in Time by David Baldacci

Huge thanks to @HachetteAudio, @GrandCentralPub, and @NetGalley for allowing me to listen to this ARC audiobook!

⚠️ Spoiler Warning! ⚠️

I rated Strangers in Time ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (4/5) because while I found the story engaging and heart-wrenching, there were moments where the writing leaned more on telling rather than showing, which pulled me out of the narrative a bit. It was also longer than what I typically read or listen to, though that might be a plus for some!

What I loved:
📖 The vivid descriptions of WWII-era London and the hardships people endured.
🎧 The voice actors did an incredible job bringing the story to life!
🔫 Learning about the weapons used in WWII was fascinating.
🏡 The historical details, especially about children being sent to the countryside.
🧠 As someone with a background in psychology, I was both fascinated and horrified by Molly’s mother’s treatment in the hospital—it was tragically realistic for the time.
💔 The way the characters’ stories wove together was compelling, and I appreciated the bit at the end showing where they all wound up.

While I wasn’t shocked by many of the twists (I could see most of them coming), I still thoroughly enjoyed the journey. A small part of me had hoped Molly and Charlie would have ended up together together, but I understand why they didn’t.

Overall, I’d recommend this to anyone who enjoys historical fiction, especially those interested in WWII-era stories with deep emotional stakes.

#StrangersInTime #DavidBaldacci #HistoricalFiction #WWIIHistory #Bookstagram #AmListening #AudiobookReview #BookReview #NetGalleyReads #WWIIFiction #HachetteAudio #GrandCentralPublishing

Another 5⭐️ from David Baldacci. I’ve been a fan since Absolute Power and Total Control. Last year’s Calamity of Souls was also a 5⭐️. Baldacci keeps getting better and better, no resting on his prolific laurels. Strangers in Time is a beautiful story about 2 WWII orphans, Charlie and Molly, from different backgrounds that befriend Ignatius Oliver, a widowed book store owner. This moving story of found family, coming together in worn torn London.

The narrators were the perfect team, especially my favorite John Lee.

I am ever grateful to Hachette Audio and NetGalley for my advanced audiobook. All opinions are my own.