Perfect for fans of historical fiction. Set during WWI, it's the story of two sisters, It never gets too deep but it does convey a sense of time and place. A good read.

I tried so hard and wanted to love this book so much. Unfortunately, I had to put it on my DID NOT FINISH pile. I just could not get into the story or the writing style.

Thank you Netgalley for the opportunity to preview this ARC of Clementine and Claudia by Piper Melton.

The first war is in full force and our story begins with Clementine, a nurse serving for the troops, on her way home to see her sister Claudia get married. Claudia is nothing like Clementine. While Clementine uses her means to do good, Claudia does everything she can to ignore the war, and to create a comfortable life for herself, even if by questionable means. So as soon as Clementine arrives home for the wedding, everything goes completely awry.

SPOILER ALERT

I have a real problem with romanticizing infidelity. Even if the reasons might seem noble or completely understandable, I just don't like it. Pair that with a bunch of characters who are unlikable and in my opinion, totally selfish, and this book just didn't work for me.

I’m a sucker for World War 1 books. I love the era and the culture of that time. So when I found an copy of Clementine & Claudia on NetGalley. I couldn’t wait to dig in! Cut to almost a year later, and I’ve finished it!

Clementine & Claudia, two sisters, who couldn’t be more different. Clementine is a “plain Jane” who has devoted her time to the Red Cross movement and helping out in the war-time hospitals as much as she can. She’s compassionate, smart, and someone Alexander doesn’t expect to meet, let alone to turn his world upside down. Claudia is strikingly beautiful. Having had multiple beaus it’s no wonder that she catches Alexander in her snares. But as their wedding day approaches, Alexander unexpectedly meets her sister and falls in love with her. What follows is the tale of two lovers pitted against fate and fighting for their future and their country.

I wanted to throw this book across the room on so many occasions! Not because I hated it or because it made me disgusted. But because I got so frustrated with the characters. It seems like no matter what something always stood in Clementine and Alexander’s way! I love this book for that though! I love that I got so involved in their relationship that I was frustrated for them, cried with them, and laughed with them. While it felt like some bits of this story seemed a bit rushed or that the plot was suddenly “convenient”, I still enjoyed every minute of this spectacular novel. If I had to complain about one thing, I want more from the ending! But don’t we all say that?

**I received a copy of this book from NetGalley for an honest review.**

Thank you to NetGalley and Silvertail Books for this free readers edition. In exchange I am providing an honest review.

Milton's first title takes place at the height of World War I. Two sisters, Clementine and Claudia, are as different as day and night. Clementine is grounded and humble, Claudia is flighty and vain. Clementine has received word that Claudia is to marry so she's traveling back to London from her post in France to surprise the family. During her travels she meets a soldier and meeting him changes her life - quite literally. Not only does their meeting one another affect them but it affects all the people in their lives they love.

Piper Milton's book about love in a time of war was an engaging read. I didn't finish it, however, and feel moved or like it was a title I would want to read again but it was very good. It was rather predictable but that didn't bother this reader. What her story does is highlight that things are not so cut and dried, there are multiple perspectives to consider when witnessing a story unfold.

This was one of my absolute favorite books of 2017! Reminiscent of The Last Summer by Judith Kinghorn, Piper Milton really brought the era to life in this novel and spoke to the passion and power that love can have over not only two people, but also everyone around them. The trickle effect of each sister's behavior demonstrated how much can and does happen, but not all is centered around you. You can't know what someone else is thinking or their reasons for acting the way they do, but in turn every action receives a reaction that affects each and every person around you, and then those around them.

So good! Historical fiction isn't my go to genre, but when I find one that draws me in, I'm hooked. Not only is this a remarkable historical read, but it's one of the few I've found about WWI.

My Full Review can be found here: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2068216696?book_show_action=false

Part of my review:
But maybe that's the point, war does crazy thing to people, causing them to do things completely out of character for themselves. So although this book had its slow moments I did find myself caring about the characters enough to be mad at their choices.

Is there better historical fiction out there? Yes. Is this one terrible? No, it's just not the best one out there.

The story conveys heart, tragedy and the dumb choices we make due to fear. I think many people will enjoy it. I want to also thank Piper Milton for being respectful enough to not have intimate scenes. I always appreciate a clean friendly story. :)

Historical fiction fascinates me. I particularly love to read about the World Wars. They are sad stories of love and loss, in most cases. The stories of couples eager to marry and even to conceive a baby just in case the man does not return from the warfield are hauntingly beautiful. The tragedy that many do not return is heartbreaking. When I read knowing that, though this is fiction, the reality is that this was all too often the truth for far too many couples.
Two sisters who already have a volatile relationship both find the man they wish to marry. Claudia realizes her dream before her husband, Alexander leaves for the warfield. Clementine discovers her own true love but does not marry before they both return to the battlefield. She saves lives and he is forced to take them. Life continues to be volatile for the two sisters and in fact, it worsens and may never be repaired.
What a story! This is the debut novel for Piper Milton and I would love to read more! I can easily see the adventures of the characters of Clementine and Claudia continuing. I know that I would love to meet the characters again. So Piper, please consider this if you have not already. Thank you for a beautiful, if sad, story.
My rating for this debut novel is 5 stars *****.
I highly recommend this novel to lovers of historical fiction.
I received a gift of this book from netgalley and the publishers. I was not required to write a review and all opinions expressed are my own.

I stopped reading this at the 10% mark. I figured out the main plot "twist" of the story by then, and it didn't interest me enough to keep reading. Some of the experiences and behaviors of the characters with the "twist" seem a little anachronistic and took away from my potential enjoyment of the story! The writing could have used another pass through as there were many sentence fragments that led to disjointed reading.

The story could be guessed - but I loved the development of characters! Claudia and Clementine were such real people, I felt like I knew them...like I understood their dilemmas and their personalities. I definitely would read the next book by this new author!

An enjoyable book! I think many others will like this story too.

Clementine and Claudia by Piper Milton

I am going to buy this for myself in hardcover for I absolutely LOVED IT!!!! I also want to buy it for all of my friends and family who love a good story. This book was an absolute masterpiece of historical fiction at it's best. You will love this book. It is a multilayered unique in its blend of historical fiction regarding the allied forces fighting in France during World War One. I just loved every single page of this book from start to finish. Piper Milton is a very talented writer and she gets the details right about the bloody, senseless fighting that the Germans started and caused tens of thousands of death by invading France during the year 1914.

Our allied forces fighting German soldiers who invaded France suffered heavy losses of life. Charles is a surgeon who works at the battle front trying to save as many lives as he could however he was out numbered by the shortage of doctors to deal with such vast amounts of dying and wounded soldiers. I am grateful for all the brave souls who had to give their lives so that we can remain our democracy and safety. In World War One their was much bloodshed and not just young boys went off to fight this war but some of the elder men were conscripted into going to war also.

Charles was one of my favorite character's. He was noble and had very good scruples and morals. He was self sacrificing in his putting his needs last before others. I felt so sorry for Charles as he did very selfless acts of kindness he fit the stereotype that good guys finished last. Charles saves Clementine's life and takes her to be his wife and father to her illegitimate twins. He helps her to save face and preserve her dignity in an otherwise impossible situation back in those days. It is very different today the restrictions that were put on women back then. After Charles saves Clementine's life he offers to marry her and be a father to her twin babies. Clementine is pregnant with another man's twins. A man who is the love of her life but goes off to war leaving Clementine to fend for herself with her pregnancy and subsequent birth of twins. She has both a baby girl and a baby boy.

I didn't particularly care for Clementine's sister Claudia who I felt was very superficial and she lied to her fiance who didn't want to marry her in the first place. He only married Claudia because she lied to him telling him she was pregnant when she really wasn't. She would stop at nothing to get a rich man to marry her even though he didn't want to marry her. When he discovers she has lied to him he tells her right after he comes home from the war he is going to divorce her. What she did to Charles was terrible and yet he covered for her to save Clementine family problems and embarrassment. And a huge scandal within her family and the community.

I will be buying all of my friends and family this very engaging and interesting book. It is that good. I would rate this book to be all the stars in the world. I would like to thank Net Galley for the pleasure of reading and reviewing of this book. Also a huge thank you to the very talented Piper Milton and the Publisher for generously providing me with my copy for a fair and honest review.

A story of two sisters, with different values, different goals, and the reader is brought to these two sisters during World War I, with all of the horrors and spoils that changed British society at that time. A slow starter, but not necessarily unengaging, the story of Clementine and Claudia transports the reader to the era and puts them on a path of personal struggles and challenges. On the whole, this is a good read for lovers of stories of society during the Wars.

It takes a certain skill and a lot of research to successfully pull off a historical fiction story. In Clementine and Claudia Piper Milton has done just that. It is a story of two very different sisters in a time of war. These two sisters both fall in love but sadly it is with the same man. This was a swift and very good read. This is a debut novel which has left me eager to see what comes next from this author.

I thank NetGalley and Silvertail Books for the advanced ebook copy in exchange for my honest review,

Clementine never imagined that a trip home for her sister's wedding would change her life forever. A chance meeting on a train... a word left unsaid... a passionate love discovered... all of these are pieces that change Clementine's life forever and the lives of those whom she loves. Bound by propriety and by her shy self-conscious demeanor, yet drawn by an inexplicable love, Clementine embarks on the journey of life and we, the readers, are drawn along with her. The question that haunts this novel is "What if she/he had...?"

Piper Milton's, premiere novel, Clementine and Claudia, is well-written and engaging. The story is well placed in Europe during WWI and the author brings that time period to life vividly. I definitely wanted to yell at the characters - telling what I thought they should do - realizing with a rock in the pit of my stomach what they were about to do. I didn't often agree with the life choices of the characters, but all in all, Clementine and Claudia was a good read!!