Last Letter Home is a wonderfully engrossing historical novel. So much happens in the story that is like to read it again. I enjoyed the dual storylines of present day and World War 2. The characters were interesting and I was intrigued towards the latter part of the book, and wasn’t disappointed with the ending.
Definitely one for your book wish list if you enjoy reading stories with twists about relationships, love, jealousy and sorrow.
My thanks to NetGalley and publisher for the digital copy in exchange for my review, and my apologies for the tardiness in providing my review.

Unfortunately I struggled through this book. It was told in duel time but I found it didn’t keep my interest and just couldn’t wait to finish it.

Such a Heart warming book. Set across the decades from world war 2 to today. Briony is trying to find out the secrets of her family based on being given a video of her grandfather stationed in Italy in the war. Why was he there? What's his story?

A beautiful story of war, loss, tragedy and secrets, spanning generations and a love story that stands the tests of time.

I won’t go into the storyline too much as the book description is enough to suffice and for fear that I will let something slip that would take away some of the magic that the plot twists bring to the whole book. Ok so they may not come as a massive shock but they need to be discovered for yourselves along the way.

The characters are wonderfully portrayed and you can’t help but become emotionally invested in Sarah and Paul’s story and the historical parts of the book steal the show massively. Briony’s part in this tale set in the present day ties the whole story together with an echo of the past that entwine’s the parallel storyline blurring a few of the lines.

It has a “Dear John” feel to it and I am sure if you are a fan of Nicholas Sparks then your are probably way ahead of me discovering Rachel Hore’s novels but now I have finally ticked this book off my ever-increasing to be read pile I will now be adding her other novels to that pile! (I’m going to need a bigger bookcase!)

As far as historical romance novels go, this one has a bit of everything you could wish for with some harrowing scenes of war and a love story that sustains and endures it can’t fail but to sweep you along and bring out the soft side of even the hardest of hearts!

Beautifully written, characters to fall in love with, and some to detest it is a book I would highly recommend to anyone with a soft spot for war-torn love stories that will itself stand the tests of time.

And at this time of year it would make a perfect Christmas present 🎁🎄

Many thanks to the author Rachel Hore, publishers Simon & Schuster UK and NetGalley for my copy in exchange for an honest, independent review.

https://debbiesbookreviews.wordpress.com/2018/12/08/last-letter-home-by-rachel-hore/

An enjoyable read with likeable characters, with a quality of writing we've come to expect from Rachel Hore. I am a big fan of historical fiction and would recommend to anyone who also enjoys this genre.

This is the story of Briony, her friendships and their quest to find out about some old letters that come into her possession. It is also about a long term romance between Paul and Sarah, the letter writers.

I always enjoy novels set in two time zones and this was no exception. The intrigue of how the English characters (and of course Paul who is of German descent) are involved in daily life in Norfolk and in the Italian conflict in WW11 is very well written and I could feel myself being drawn into the locations.

My thanks to the publishers and Netgalley for allowing me to read the electronic version in exchange for my review.

This book is written in dual time - modern and war time. The war time parts were interesting and well researched but I found the modern parts didn't hold my attention and the plot within that was weak.
3 stars***

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Review will be up on my blog soon.

Please note however that due to personal reasons, reading and blogging has slowed down.

I found this book to be a little different to Rachel Hore's usual offerings. I didn't feel that I connected quite so well to the characters in the story as I usually do.

Review: I have read some of Rachel Hore's books before so I was excited about reading Last Letter Home. The blurb sounded intriguing. Set in the war with family history to solve. I did find this book a little difficult to read as there was so many twists and turns to the plot but at the same time I did enjoy the mystery of it but it did take some enjoyment out of the reading process for me. This was not as good as the other books by Rachel that I have read. That does not mean it isn't a good book, it would;d really suit someone who is looking for a historical novel with lots of twists and turns.

A well researched historical novel set in two time periods some 70 years apart, WWII and the present. Rachel Hore skilfully blends the two storylines producing a superb epic novel based on wartime love and carrying with it a set of secrets, lies and betrayals that carry forward their consequences into the present time.
Briony Wood, an historian , goes on holiday to Italy to a place where her grandfather had fought in wartime. In trying to piece together his life she uncovers the relationship between Paul, who had been sent to England with his mother to escape Nazism in Germany , and Sarah who shared a love of gardening with him. Their story underlies the part set in wartime while on a parallel is Briony’s tale . They are well pieced together in a complex ‘jigsaw’ of characters and discoverie to create an interesting storyline

A great read spanning generations from before the war to present day. History author and lecturer Briony stumbles onto a story with hidden secrets while on holiday in Italy, she has to find out the truth about what happened to theses people. Sarah and Paul’s letters are so warm and loving like a jigsaw falling into place.. Briony is determined to find out what happened to them and people are still keeping secrets so many years later. I loved this book and particularly liked the twist which I didn’t see coming.

I always enjoy a dual timeline, often finding myself invested more in one timeline than the other. In Last Letter Home I enjoyed both but Sarah and Paul’s story drew me in emotionally. Paul keeps engaging with life despite the trauma we see him go through. After the war I so wanted things to work out for him. Despite Sarah’s circumstances she has a strength and determination with a zest for life … and I wanted to find out how her story ended. I wanted to read that elusive last letter home!

Briony is vulnerable and the character who I felt grew the most but she just didn’t get under my skin in the same way that Sarah and Paul did. Possibly because of the harrowing scenes from the war. I certainly felt the past had more to lose and more to fight for. A different way of life when you have to fight to survive, whether that’s with the people around you or against others on the battlefield.

Both have difficult love lives that are just not easy, both going against societal rules – but for very different reasons. Which of course can lead to secrecy and hiding the truth (not only from others but from yourself too).

With betrayal, lies and deceit in both timelines there’s plenty of conflict to raise pulse rates. At times I was indignant at what was going on. There’s a couple of characters whose motives I wasn’t sure about … who or what were they protecting? What would they gain? I thoroughly enjoyed the intrigue surrounding Harry Andrews, trying to work it out a couple of times but for the majority of time, just letting myself get swept away by the story itself.

It was easy to step into both timelines in Last Letter Home and become a part of the story. A testament to the skills of a great storyteller 🙂

One for your reading lists.

I’m delighted today to be sharing my review of Last Letter Home by Rachel Hore, published by Simon & Schuster on 22nd March, available now in hardback and for kindle (thanks to the publishers and netgalley for my reading e-copy). The paperback will follow in August, and I can already picture it in that “bestseller” top row in my favourite bookshops.

Some of the reviews I’ve seen of this book mention that they prefer the wartime story to the modern thread, but I really don’t agree – I thought they were both equally strong, and the transitions between them quite seamless. I really liked Briony, with her fragility, awkwardness and personal issues, her friendships, her encounters and sometimes challenging relationships, and her drive to find out the story behind the discovered letters.

The wartime story is something a little different – Sarah’s friendship with German-born Paul develops quite beautifully, with the shared interest in gardening, his “outsider” status, the obvious issues as war approaches, and the story focuses both on those left behind and the horrors of warfare on the Italian front. The wartime scenes are exceptionally well done – vivid and more graphic than expected, moving and emotional.

I always enjoy a book with a strong sense of place, and I loved this book’s Norfolk setting and the focus on Westbury Hall and its surroundings – its glorious past, its wartime changes and its modern face, converted into the inevitable luxury apartments but retaining the links with its past. The descriptions are superb – I’d love to stay in the gardener’s cottage, sit with a book and glass of wine in the gorgeous walled garden. The Italian settings too – in wartime and the present day – are plainly well researched and vividly drawn.

The story of secrets and simmering resentments is totally engrossing – this is a substantial book at 560 pages, but it never felt like it as the pages turned easily, drawing you into the wonderful story. I very much enjoyed this one.

I've been a big fan of Rachel Hore's work ever since I stumbled across her first book The Dream House in my local library many years ago, since then I have read and loved everything she has written. She has a powerful way of blending the past with the present and I love how historical fiction but some elements of fact are present always have such an intriguing dominating role to play in the overall plot and themes of the story. In Last Letter Home, Rachel has once again written a story that within a few pages will have you lost in the world of the characters as someone in the present attempts to uncover mysteries from the past.

This character being Briony Wood, a historian who lecturers at a university but also engages in research. Briony has written a book about the ATS, The Women's Infantry Service, during World War Two. She appears on a TV programme to promote her book but this leads to disaster. Both real life and online trolling ensue and suffice to say Briony is not in a very good place when we are first introduced to her. She feels unstable as if her life is falling apart with no way for her to climb out of the black hole that has been created for her. She feels she has already struggled all her life and now with this set back her confidence and self belief has taken such a huge knock. Family issues that have swept under the carpet also play a part in Briony's state of mind. Talking to a councillor does help some what but what she really needs is something to take her mind off everything, something she can get her teeth stuck into to keep the demons at bay.

Several months later Briony is on holiday in Tuana, Italy with her best friend Aruna and Aruna's boyfriend Luke. Briony feels like a spare part but maybe the peace and relaxation is what she needs to overcome her recent traumas. As she explorers on her own she stumbles across an abandoned villa where it has been left to return to the wilderness. Her interest is sparked as her grandfather was stationed there during WW2. When Mariella the maid of the villa where they are all staying gives Briony a projector with film reels alongside a bundle of letters so sets in motion a journey of discovery. One of the men in the film is recognisable to her. That side of the family she believed to have been lost to her forever so when she sees a tentative connection surely it would be foolish not to investigate further? This will be an incredible journey for her, one in which Briony discovers so much about herself but also her past family history.

I sensed Briony needed this quest/challenge partly because history was her passion but also it was a chance to satisfy some unresolved family issues and questions. She needed this task to keep her on the straight and narrow to put the feelings of discomfort around the trolling at bay. So many questions draw her even further back in time. As she begins to read through the letters written by Sarah to a Paul Hartmann, the reader is taken back to the war years and a beautiful love story unfolds. It's not without its difficulties or constraints but it surely was fascinating to read of Sarah and Paul's story.

From then on each chapter focused on Briony in the present as she attempts to untangle the past, and Sarah who resides in Norfolk after returning from India with her mother and sister following the death of her father. Sarah lives in Flint Cottage on the Westbury estate, her family have to acclimatise to being back in England after such a traumatic event befell them. The walled garden of the estate speaks to her, she wants to indulge her passion for nature and flowers and cultivate a garden which will hold special memories for her. It will also take her mind off the absence of her father and how her mother and sister are also dealing with the situation. The descriptions of the estate and the new life Sarah and her family are experiencing were so vivid and quickly became well established in my mind. I felt Sarah was more resourceful and somewhat more with it than her family. She was a woman ahead of her time who would never let prejudice stand in her way especially as the outbreak of war was not so very far away. Forbidden love as outlined by the circumstances of the time was not something that she wanted as an obstacle to her happiness. I warmed to Sarah instantly and the use of the letters throughout the book as Briony read them in the present day really helped bring about connections and understanding between the past and the present.

Paul Hartmann who is gardener at the estate shares a kindred soul with Sarah, both are restless but at the same time feel a sense of duty to one's family. Paul's personal background and situation do have a more significant bearing on the storyline once war was declared on Hitler. Paul seemed so caring, loving and generous as he bonded with Sarah as they worked in the garden. But later, scenes that followed as his circumstances drastically changed were at times hard to read for I felt he should not have had to endure such a thing. As Sarah is afforded new opportunities the guilt begins to creep in that her mother and sister both of whom are very vulnerable will not manage of she is not present. In fact Diane, Sarah's sister, very much surprised me with what unfolded with regards to her but I had sensed she was not always fully present and would be prone to going off the rails if given the chance.

I enjoyed reading of how Sarah and her family coped with the war whilst at the same time being given an insight into Paul and also Ivor who was the son of the estate manager. Some of the scenes on foreign soil were incredibly emotive and only served to reinforce for me just how far reaching and devastating the war was. The fact, thankfully I never experienced such sights or experienced such hardship is one I am grateful for but none the less I think it is testament to the brilliant writing of Rachel Hore that I felt very much taken back to a time and place where life was never easy for those left at home and even more challenging for those men away fighting for their country.

Both strands of the story, Briony in the present and Sarah were equally as strong and as riveting as the other. Sometimes in a dual timeline book I find myself racing through one time period to get back to another but here I found myself very interested in what was ongoing at all times. Briony's story really ramped up a notch when she finds herself staying at a cottage on the Westbury estate so she can continue to work in solitude on her book. For her this was meant to be. There was a story lying there waiting to be told, for connections and truths to emerge and be confirmed and she was in the right place and at the correct time to do so. I felt Briony very much needed this affirmation to move on and find peace, love and acceptance in her life. She wouldn't rest until she had reached the bottom of a mystery that she never knew existed until she discovered that abandoned villa. It was almost like the villa had been calling her.

The overwhelming sense of secrets and things unspoken pervaded throughout the story. Yet it didn't feel like the book was all doom and gloom or that a sense of suffocation dominated. Bravery, loss and endurance are some of the emotions that come to mind when reading of Sarah's story and it made me realise what an incredible woman she truly was. The last quarter of the book given a slight lull in the mid section really brought things together. With each turn of the page more and more revelations came to the fore and at several points I was left gasping out loud as I thought god I should have seen that coming or oh now that makes sense. Simply Last Letter Home is another triumph from Rachel Hore and it has reminded me just why I love historical fiction so much. This is definitely one for the keeper shelf.

I do love a good dual time-line story and this one has two geographical references to enhance the experience even further.
In Last Letter Home historian Briony Andrews visits Italy with her friends and finds a link to her past in an old derelict house. Not totally unsurprising as she knew that her Grandfather had fought there during the war, but even so what could be more magical than to see him on an old reel of film. Even better she is handed a letter written by one Sarah Bailey to an as yet unknown man.

In 1939 Sarah Bailey settled in Norfolk after spending some time in India. She lives with her mother and sister mourning the loss of their father. While there she meets a distant relative of their neighbours at Westbury Hall, a young man Paul Franklin who is half-German. Not a great nation to have hailed from at this time!
The past story is a particularly interesting twist on the usual WWII storyline due to the inclusion of Paul Franklin. I think few of us consider what it must have been like to be a settler in the UK at this time as a German. How would your neighbours react? Where would their loyalties lie if they were to fight? And a myriad of other questions are subtlety posed through the characters Rachel Hore has so richly drawn.

Of course being Rachel Hore this isn’t simply a character study, her books, and I’ve been a fan for years, all are backed up with meticulous research. In this book we learn about the campaign in Naples in 1943 and we are not spared some of the crueller realities of what war is really like some of which we view in letters home from the front-line, others are told through the research our fictional historian carries out in her quest to find out what became of Paul and Sarah after the war was over.

Briony’s story is also fascinating as she lives a modern life as a single woman with a close friend Aruna. As the story opens it is social media that is in the spotlight as Briony is invited to do a piece on TV for which she gets mauled. The contrast between 2016 and the past could not be more clear despite Paul being distrusted by some of his peers back then. The holiday to Naples is born from Briony’s mishap and Aruna’s new boyfriend Luke is more than welcoming even if the other couple are of the kind that you’d rather not be stuck on holiday with!

Rachel Hore has excelled with both her characterisation and the descriptions of her settings, I was easily transported to Italy in both the past and present. However it is well-rounded characters and interesting storylines that make these kind of historical novels and although I was inevitably drawn towards the mystery of the past, Briony’s life in the present was far from boring giving a story that had me longing to know what would happen in both the past and the present.

I’d like to say a huge thank you to Simon & Schuster UK who allowed me to read an advance copy of this book ahead of publication on 22 March 2018. This unbiased review is my thanks to them.

This the first book I have read by this author who I know is very highly regarded by many other bloggers I follow. Last Letter Home is just the kind of book I enjoy. As you'll possibly know if you have followed my blog for a while, I never can resist a book which involves letters which is why I was drawn to this one and I do love a dual time line story.

Whilst on holiday in Italy, Briony comes across a beautiful but abandoned old villa in the hills above Naples. When asking about it, she discovers that it was used by soldiers during WW2. Her grandfather had been stationed in the area during the war so she is curious to know whether he might have been at the villa. An old film reel seems to suggest that he might have been and when she is given some old letters found at the villa, she becomes determined to find out more about the villa, the letter writer and the recipient.

Last Letter Home is a book that took me back in time to Italy in two ways. First of all, it brought back memories of when I was on holiday last year near Sorrento. I could completely identify with the stifling summer heat that the author writes about so vividly. Secondly though, was the journey back to wartime Italy. I think that the author has captured perfectly the atmosphere not just of Italy at the time but also of Britain before and during the war. In particular, the way that half-German Paul was treated by people in the lead up to the war was well depicted. It seemed harsh to have been so suspicious of a man who had lived in their midst for some time, so I was pleased that Sarah could see him for who he really was. It was sad to read about how he was still mistrusted after the war, even though he had fought for Britain.

The modern part of the story had a very different feel from the historical part of the story. I liked the main character Briony very much and, like her, I can see that I would have become obsessed with uncovering the mystery of the villa, the photos, the old film and the letters, especially if I thought there was a family link to the whole story. The characters she meets as she investigates the letters and the family mystery seemed very realistic especially the older characters' reluctance to talk about experiences which to them were not history, but times they actually lived through.


I loved the sense of mystery and the gradual unfolding of the story. I particularly liked the way the author connected the stories in the past and present. Last Letter Home is an absorbing story about love, family and friendship.

Rachel Hore is another author that I've heard many, many good things about but haven't read her books - yet! I was truly excited after being approved to read "Last Letter Home" on NetGalley - I do love a good historical fiction, I do love a dual timeline and I loved this beautiful cover. And so, without further delay, I dived into the fictional world of love, drama and the aftermath of the WW2.

Being on holidays in Italy, historian Briony not only stumbles across a ruined villa in the surrounding area, a villa that has connections to her grandfather, who was stationed there in 1943, but is also being given some film reels and love letters. Reading them, she starts to feel desperate to discover the story of Sarah and Paul, who wrote the letters to each other. She doesn't expect it, but here starts her journey full of secrets and discoveries, truths and lies.

This book was for sure beautifully written. I loved how Rachel Hore has knitted together the life in the pre - war English country, the aftermath of the war, family secrets and tragedies. I admit, it took me some time to get into a book, and there was no particular reason for it, it was just one of the things. It was a little confusing for me also, what with the sudden change in setting and the different tone which seemed as two different stories.

It was a great escapism that slowly unfolded as Briony started to piece together the story behind the letters and their writers. While mostly it was fast paced, there were moments that it dragged on a little for me and was losing the temperature. It also took me some time to warm to the characters and to actually make out who is who and how they are all related as we were presented with a varied, colourful cast of characters. Briony was really well fleshed out but my problem here was that I just simply couldn't completely warm to her - she was reserved and I had a feeling I just can't get into her head. I think that the wartime subplot, and the whole secret behind the letters, the relationship between Paul and Sarah were the better part of this book, I really do love historical fiction and this time it was a tale with a difference and it was really interesting to see all the repercussions and problems because Paul was German.

I really liked the way how the past and present, the WW2 parts and the present days, flowed effortlessly together. The Norfolk and Italy settings were so seamlessly brought to life, as all other parts as well, actually. It also shone through the pages how much time and effort went into research.

"Last Letter Home" was a complex, clever story full of secrets, lies and deception, and the author knows how to build tension. Rachel Hore's writing is very descriptive and very colourful and it's very easy to imagine the things she's writing about. As I've already mentioned it, it was my first book by this author but it was a great story and here starts my adventure with other Ms Hore's novel. Highly recommended!

This is a haunting story of love, tragedy and the aftermath of war. Beautifully written, Rachel Hore knits together the pre-war English country living, the legacies of the Second World War and family secrets.
Historian Briony Wood discovers some letters buried in a derelict cottage in Tuscany which lead her on a journey to Norfolk and meeting the descendants and a contemporary of those people mentioned in the letters.
A twisting story of secrets, lies and deception – be prepared for some late nights.
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2324879380

Another wonderful story by Rachel Hore. You are drawn into the scenes feeling as if you are watching from the sidelines. Rachel Hore is in a class of her own and quite rightly so.I loved the scenes set in WW you got a real feel for what it must have been like.Thank you to Net Galley and Simon and Schuster for this advance copy. Sheer brilliance.