I had high hopes for this novel but it fell a bit flat for me half way through. Set during WW2 the focus is on the farming community in north England who mostly escape the worst of the war, but who house evacuees and use German prisoners of war for labour. When a German plane crashes in the remote area the pilot finds his way to the home of a young widow who decides to help him. What follows could’ve been so much more but I was left feeling slightly underwhelmed by the end. Do read the authors notes at the end though, to discover where the idea came from. Thanks to the publisher for the arc.

Heartfelt and emotional. This is guaranteed to tug at your heartstrings and won't let go in a hurry until it has consumed you. Fantastic reading.

Lovely story about love against adversity, we don’t choose who we fall in love with. Really enjoyed this book and getting to know the characters

This is a stunning book, which forces you to read on and on, because you want to know what happens next.
A German paratrooper crash lands near a farm, and after burying his parachute, discovers his shoulder is dislocated from his crash landing. Millie Sanger, whose farm he has lands near, finally discovers him, and even though she knows it is dangerous, helps him - first by getting his shoulder into the right place, and then by feeding him, and giving him some of her dead husband's clothes.
Hugh Adamson, who farms the next farm over is in love with Millie, even though she has given him no encouragement, and she keeps him at arms length, even though they have known each other since childhood.
As the war goes on, the story becomes more and more complicated, especially when some evacuees are billeted at Millie's farm.
This is an excellent novel, with believable characters, and a stunning plot.

Wartime England and a pilot crashes his plane ejecting into Berkshire countryside. What follow is a wonderful flowing narrative that is peopled with great characters. It felt less like an historical fiction than it did a romance and this I enjoyed. Often wartime novels feel heavy and depressing but I fell into this one and barely came up for air. At the same time the author has woven into the narrative the most important facets of the wartime story,

The author also highlights the moral dilemmas of that time where perhaps individuals responded less to their true ethical compass than to their country's beliefs. The ending is not unexpected but does have facets that I really didn't see coming.

I have throughly enjoyed the book and would definitely look for more by this author

When Lukas Schiller bailed out of his Messerschmitt I dare say he had little thought as to how he would be received, his only hope that he would be alive to receive it! So begins LP Fergusson’s ‘A Dangerous Act of Kindness’.

Quite a lovely story and beautifully told. So much of it reminded me of my boyhood in Devon. Being cut off by heavy snowfall in our village for two weeks during the winter of 63. Having a snowdrift reach the bedroom window (it wasn’t a bungalow) and the silence of snow. The natural rhythms of rural farming life.

We were reminded of the plight of those caught up in the blitz and how they forged a new life in the country after everything they had was destroyed in the cities.

Behind the historical setting there‘s a love story, one where circumstances create great difficulties for it to flourish. However, love finds a way in the end.

Imaginative, plausible and thoroughly entertaining.

This novel really was an emotional read!

"A Dangerous Act of Kindness" was set during the Second World War and was wonderfully written. It was a lovely story of love, kindness and hope. The basic plot was straightforward but the different threads contained within took this novel to the next level. The characters were well drawn by LP Fergusson and overall this was a fantastic and very worthwhile read. A truly deserved five stars.

I received a complimentary digital copy of this novel, at my own request, from Canelo via NetGalley. This review is my own unbiased opinion.

This novel drips with authenticity and you feel that all the period details are spot on. With the exception of Hugh, I felt that all the characters were sympathetic and credible. In particular, you feel for Millie and Lukas and appreciate their loneliness. It is interesting to see the conflict through the eyes people from different sides and to realise that they are not that different at all.
Millie's farm seems to be the focus for people who are displaced and it offers a degree of security to the evacuees and the farm workers. It really does feel like a separate bubble. I can thoroughly recommend this book if you enjoy reading stories set in the Second World War and there is a depth to the emotions which carries you along.

In short: An emotional read which captures the spirit of the era.

Thanks to the author for a copy of the book.

Year 1940, a German fighter plane crashes in a nearby field and Millie helps the injured pilot Lukas, an act that could be considered treason and death by hanging.

I have to be honest and say that I almost gave up on this book in the first quarter. I am so glad I persevered because it turned out to be a very good story about love, compassion and forgiveness in very trying times.

Readers of historical romance set in WWII will enjoy this book and I highly recommend it.

This book starts with a bang! Never a more apt description of a book was made than that- it literally starts with a bang as a German fighter plane comes into trouble. The result of this leads to Milly offering him shelter. In the middle of WW2 and on opposing sides, this is a risky move, which ultimately leads to a intense romance between them. Fast forward and they can not allow this secret to become common knowledge. A real roller coaster of emotions, the attention to detail was fantastic, and the characters will stay with me for a long time.

Although quite predictable this is a lovely, well written story with a real heart. The narrative doesn’t shy away from harsh realities either. I cared about what happened to the characters. A lovely holiday read that is more than just a love story.

Whilst, not something I would usually read, I was gripped throughout and will definitely be on the lookout for more from this author in the future

I loved this book, it was so romantic. I love wartime romances and this one definitely didn't disappoint. It was extremely tense and exciting and the ending was brilliant. I would love to read more of this author. The twists at the end were so unexpected.

A far more realistic story about what England was like in world war 2 set against the story of a farm girl saving a downed German pilot. The English were not all as good and pure and in harmony together as some books would say, and some Germans had no part in the atrocities committed but still had to wear the shame and guilt. A book of many layers

What sets this apart from other World War II historical fiction that I have read is the characters and the setting. So much of what I read is about those living throughout the blitz in a war torn London. In contrast this is set in the country, where the inhabitants are affected by the war due to rationing, and the inflow of women and children who are swarming out of the cities. They are not however directly affected by the constant bombing, and therefore, at times, the war can feel to be far away. The sense of this is really captured within the novel. Of course the war is part of their every day lives, but not necessarily in the same way as those who found themselves night after night in air raid shelters, escaping the constant bombing.

The characters also set this novel apart. Millie is a woman widowed, left fighting to keep her farm afloat in the absence of her husband. She is struggling in a way that very few could understand due to the circumstances of her husbands death. When a German plane comes down near Millie's farm, the war becomes more real for the local villagers as they revel in the successes of Britains war effort in destroying the enemy.

When Millie finds Lukas, the injured German pilot, on her land she finds herself drawn to him despite the danger it puts them both in. She protects him, as she finds herself becoming more and more emotionally involved as they both try to forget the circumstances they find themselves in. I really enjoyed reading about Lukas - it was fascinating to read about the British war effort through German eyes, to find out more about the propaganda that the German forces were fed and how certain they were that they were mere days away from victory. What he sees when he eventually leaves Millie and is captured is eye opening.

This is such a poignant tale of war, of love, of guilt and of betrayal at a time when all of these things were at the forefront of everyone's minds. It really is a beautiful debut novel, and I hope to read more historical fiction from LP Fergusson.

This is a very emotive story set in the early years of the 2nd World War and up to 1951. The tension of " will he won't he" carries on right to the end. A lovely conclusion and a fascinating story to read.

I adore fiction set during World War Two, the kind that explores how regular people coped in irregular times. This book does just that and in a well researched, engaging manner.

While it might be seen as a simple love story, there is so much more. The author deals with the horrors of war, the concentration camps, PTSD, spies, betrayal of a person's country (from both British and German perspectives), gender roles and how women had to step up and deal with life with their husbands away from home, unrequited love, domestic abuse, people living for the moment amidst the fear of war, attitudes to 'the enemy' even when POWs were helping the Allied war effort by farming and so on.

I could keep going with all the issues explored. The author is able to cover so many issues by weaving together lots of subplots. These relate to the overall story of Millie, a young widow who runs a farm, and Lukas, whose plane crashes in Britain and who ends up being cared for by Millie.
We also have Hugh, a simple yet decent (if a little needy and whiney) man who loves Millie and wants a simple yet happy life. There is Brigsie, Millie's friend with secrets of her own, who comes alive as a young woman with a heart of gold but who has tough decisions to make. There are Lukas' fellow airmen who, along with Lukas, slowly begin to realise that the propaganda they have been fed about the might of Germany may not be strictly true and facts about the actions in the East jave been omitted. It really helped distinguish between the Nazis and ordinary service men who are just fighting for their country clueless to the bigger picture.

The base plot is straightforward but the different threads woven throughout subplots take this novel up a notch. The characters are well developed and overall this is a great read.

This book tells the story of Lucas a young german pilot that is forced to bail out of his plane somewhere over england. He is helped by a young woman called Millie who although she knows what will happen to her if she is found helping a german continues to hide him. It gives an insight into the hardships suffered by people during the war and will tug on your heartstrings. At times I felt that Millie was a slightly selfish woman who toiled with the affections of another farmer so didn't feel much sympathy for her character. It is a love story with a great storyline thrown in and I enjoyed reading it very much.

I really enjoyed this book, which was beautifully written with great characters. The story of a young women who helps a German pilot who was shot down at the beginning of World War 2. A most believable story which felt almost like a true event. You really wanted the two to meet up again.
A great read which I found hard to put down.

I foolishly started this ARC at bedtime, fell asleep reading it, and then woke up at 3.30am and continued reading until 6am! I finished it later on this afternoon as I just couldn't concentrate on what I was doing.

I loved the drama, the romance, the fear and the outcome. I did wonder if it was a little bit too expanded, but, I thoroughly enjoyed what I read and will definitely be recommending to others .