Somewhere in France by Jennifer Robson

from goodreads

5 stars

Well school started. Miss G was a bit nervous. She started grade one today and was worried that she would only get to play at recess. I told her that she would be singing songs and playing games to help learn things especially the french language, as she is in french immersion. When I left her this morning she was holding hands with one of her friends and gave me a big smile to let me know everything was going to be okay. I can't wait for her to tell me about her day.

It still feels like summer here so this review is for you if you are looking for a late summer read.

Synopsis

Lilly, aka Lady Elizabeth Neville-Ashford feels fenced in her life. She would love to travel, gain skills, learn science and shocker, perhaps go to university. But her mother has different plans which involves finding an eligible match, marriage and children.

With the outbreak of WWI and the meeting of one of her brother's friends, Robert, a scottish doctor from humble beginnings, Lilly find the strength she needs to break from her mothers hold and go on her own adventure, perhaps finding love along the way.

My Thoughts

I loved this book. I totally met it at the right time and just loved it. It has the perfect blend of history, adventure and romance. Seriously what more could you ask for in a book. If you are looking for a great summer read this is it. It is not too heavy but there is enough happening to keep your interest. I stayed up till one in the morning reading it (which any busy mom knows is really dumb). I could not put it down.

I liked that the story didn't concentrate on the horrors of the trenches but dealt with the wounded and medics. It was great way to talk about what was happening in the war to these men without having to go through graphic battle scenes.

I liked that the characters showed a bit of restraint for most of the book. And when they finally got together, though it was a bit longish of a sex scene, it seemed sweet and lovely. It showed kindness and true intimacy. Lilly was completely naive to the sexual side of relationships and I loved how Robbie took his time and explained things to her so that she didn't feel dumb or confused. It felt that they were truly in a relationship where both partners were equal and looked out for each other. We need more examples of that I think.

The ending was a bit abrupt and left me with a few questions. Like did Edward and Charlotte have some sort of a past? There are other questions but they would give some of the book away and I wouldn't want to do that.

So to sum up, while this is essential a romance novel it is not your standard chick lit, shirtless guy with rock hard abs kind of story. It is a war story, with great historical details, a romance that is so nice to see unfolding  and just a great story to fall into. It was the kind of book I needed this summer, maybe you do too.