Dead to Me

Beautifully written, this book is tough to read due to the physical abuse inflicted on Verify and Ruby by their parents especially Archie. Despite this coupled with the war, their friendship perserved. There were good people in their life and through Luke and Miller, true love was found. The end sparked hope.

I very much enjoyed this tale of war and friendship, showing how strong the spirits of people are even in the face of the most brutal of circumstances. A wonderful and powerful read!

This is definitely not a lighthearted read. Rippled with abuse, war, hardship and struggles. However, it is a great read, the characters are well developed, and the ending was quite good.

This was an exceptional, historical fiction story starting in 1935 and ending in 1943. The characters throughout the time frame were completely captivating. The relationship of Verity and Ruby was very compelling, heartbreaking and heartwarming...all the emotions that came together.

The story is told with such love and care that you feel you are right there with them. Lesley Pearse manages to connect the reader with the characters so you know them well. Her descriptions of the area make you see and smell the sea.

I enjoyed this story and the characters tremendously and Ms. Pearse can count me as a fan. I really look forward to reading more from her. Please note: The book must be read with tissues handy for both happy and sad tears.

Review: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
I really enjoyed reading this book because it was about war, friendship, and true love. It was an exceptional book, and I love reading books that are during the 19th and 20th century.

I felt as if I was physically there with the characters, and I give props to Lesley Pearce for making it fairly easy for the reader to connect with the characters.

I only took of one star because it had a lot of physical abuse and struggles. Overall, I enjoyed reading this book, and will definitely read more of Pearce’s books!!

Synopsis:
Hampstead Heath, Spring 1935. Two girls meet by chance and become fast friends. They share their romances and heartbreaks, their struggles and dreams. But most of all, they share a sinister secret.
Upon their meeting, Verity and Ruby could not be more different: Verity is the epitome of money and class; Ruby lives a life of squalor and survival. Despite the disparity, an instant affinity forms a resilient bond between the two girls.

With Britain blitzed by the raging war, will Verity and Ruby find a way back to each other before it’s too late?

In this sweeping wartime saga of friendship and love, Pearse explores the depths of lifelong bonds, compassion, betrayal, and forgiveness.

This story is based in war times. No one had it easy then. Ruby and Verity included! The heart break of war is apparent in this sorry but mostly it is about love and friendship and how it can bring people together.
Great descriptions of the places in the novel made it very easy to see it all in your mind's eye. Sometimes thought provoking, sometimes sad, sometimes funny but always keeping you connected to the characters
If you enjoy historical fiction with unforgettable characters and amazing descriptive writing woven into a fantastic plot amazing story!

I flew through this book! This was such a fun read- at the end of each chapter, I had to keep reading to find out what happens next!

Verity and Ruby were such fun characters and I adored their relationship throughout the entire book. Even though the friendship became strained at times due to incredibly difficult situations, they eventually found their way back together and always seem to bring out the best in each other.

Even though this book takes place during WWII it isn’t really a novel about the war. It has murder and crime, friendship and loss, romance and lots of suspense- a little bit of everything! I had never read anything by Lesley Pearse before but I look forward to reading more of her work after seeing what she did with this book!