In 1917, Arlene Favier leaves Kentucky after a fire burns down her childhood home. Suddenly in desperate need of money, Arlene finds herself as an ambulance driver in war-torn France with the female-led American Women’s Hospital. She and her fellow female ambulance drivers, nurses, doctors, and surgeons face danger and unparalleled tragedy as they care for civilians and soldiers at the Front.

While working, Arlene catches the attention of a suave but treacherous Captain Felix Brohammer and reunites with childhood friend Jimmy Tucker, leading to a precarious love triangle that threatens both Jimmy and Arlene’s futures.

I really enjoyed the history and the story in Mercy Road. I did not know about the American Women’s Hospital before reading, so it was a lot of fun to learn about such a strong and brave group of ladies. The supporting cast of characters is colorful and entertaining, and the descriptions of the French countryside and the work done by the AWH were obviously well-researched.

I am a sucker for a wartime romance, so Arlene and Jimmy’s relationship would have been enjoyable enough for me. But the added drama and plot twists with Captain Brohammer were just so exciting and made the book that much better.

However, I struggled a bit with the writing style of the author. There were enough awkwardly constructed sentences for it to be distracting to me. And I found the ending disappointing and short. I would have loved a few more chapters.

But overall, the story is 100% worthwhile and I will definitely read other books by this author.

(Thanks to NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for the ARC.)

*ARC provided by the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*
Rating (on a scale of 1 to 5, 5 being excellent)
Quality of writing: 4
Pace: 3
Plot development: 4
Characters: 4
Enjoyability: 4
Ease of Reading: 5

Overall rating: 4 out of 5

I truly enjoyed this book! It was a stirring and thought provoking story during a time of time in history that was truly dark! I felt a part of the story and moved through the scenes as if there! It almost made me wish I could have been a part of the AWH! As a nurse myself, I appreciated so much the efforts of these women! History come alive for me is truly something I can get into! Thank you for such a great story

Ms. Creel's novel about women ambulance drivers during WWI couldn't be better. The book, filled with details, gave the reader love, courage and strength that these women endured during the most horrific times. Her research was impeccable.

Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

In an instant, Arlene's life changes. She realizes she has to leave her family's horse farm in Paris, Kentucky to find work. World War I is raging on in Europe. With her ability to speak French, Arlene accepts a position with the American Women's Hospital, as an ambulance driver.

They were a unique medical unit comprised of women with the mission to provide medical care to both civilians and the military. In this novel, the reader follows Arlene as she becomes part of this group of women and faces the horrors war. Arlene
grows and matures through her experiences. She learns the areas of France while dealing with war.
The characters were well developed and interesting.

Arlene even finds romance making for an even more dramatic story. This was a wonderful read a blend of history and fiction.

I voluntary to read and review this advanced copy of Mercy Road by author Ann Howard Creel. I really enjoyed this book and was glad to see the author true facts about WWI and the women's American hospital. The plot line flowed very well and very realistic. You can help but appreciate Arlene, Cass and the other women's determination and dedication to what job they had. I feel this speaks to how women helped pick up the slack and did what they had to do and how brave and strong they were. I am sure alot of what they saw and heard was true and real. This is a great book for any type of reader and if you are a history, mystery, or romance reader this book is for you. Read it you won't be disappointed!!

Mercy Road is the story of Arlene Favier, a young girl from Kentucky horse country who goes to France during 1918 with an organization called the American Woman’s Hospital. This historical fiction novel pays tribute to the American women who funded, planned, organized, and equipped all female medical teams to go to France and care for wounded civilians and eventually military. Arlene is an ambulance driver, who sees the terrible ravages of war... to not only the French people, but their many villages as well, as the Germans destroyed everything in their path. They went not for money or glory and put themselves at tremendous risk to help out! It is a story that is really little known. You feel like you are right on the battle lines. Written with depth and caring, you follow the life of Arlene through it all. A beautiful story, especially for anyone interested in World War 1 history.

I enjoyed reading this book so much! What an interesting story of love, loss, and rebuilding.

The main character, Arlene, is so strongly written, I found myself believing in her just as Cass and Jimmy did. I loved reading about this aspect of history and found it very compelling to read.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

A wonderful historical novel a book inspired by real events.Characters that come alive warm emotional moving a lovely read #netgalley #lakeunionpublishing

Mercy Road is a wonderful historical novel that is descriptive, engrossing,and moving. The characters are well developed and the book is well written.

Ann Howard Creel's books are inspired by history and her female characters face life-changing challenges.

Her newest novel Mercy Road was inspired by a photograph of a female ambulance driver in France during WWI. Female doctors and nurses were banned from serving in the U. S. Army so they formed the American Women's Hospital and raised funds to send a volunteer team to France.

Creel's novel begins with a tragedy that leaves Arlene Favier aware of how life can change in an instant. A fire takes her home and father and the family's source of income. Desperate to find a job to support her mother and brother, and with dreams of rebuilding her father's stud farm, Arlene stumbles into an opportunity that will use her few employable skills--as a chauffeuses driving an ambulance for doctors volunteering in France.

With most French doctors serving at the front, there was a lack of medical services for civilians and refugees. With her command of French and experience with machines, Arlene is the perfect volunteer. With the lure of a cash bonus at the end of the war which would allow her to rebuild the family home, Arlene joins the American Women's Hospital service, formed to aid citizens and refugees.

To go to France in May 1918 required great courage and fortitude. The war had destroyed the land and the infrastructure. By September 1918, there were 1.85 million refugees. Food shortages and the lack of housing and clean water contributed to illness including typhus, tuberculosis, dysentery, and influenza. The Hospital Service also assisted men wounded at the front. The women were exposed to the horrors of battlefield wounds, the dead, and the dying.

Now I not only knew death; I knew the shade and scent of human blood and the charred appearance and stench of burnt human bodies. I knew the look of what lay beneath our skin. from Mercy Road by Ann Howard Creel

Arlene was excited to arrive in Paris, her father's birthplace. With restrictions against seeing soldiers, she rebuffs the attention of the handsome but oversure Captain Brohammer. He takes it as a challenge, pursuing her throughout the war even though Arlene makes clear she is not interested. But when she meets up with a childhood friend once employed by her father, her hesitancy to become romanticly involved is challenged.

The plot involves intrigue, accusations with devastating implications, and personal growth that challenges old ideas and the embracing of possibilities.

I received a free ebook from the author in exchange for a fair and unbiased review.

Mercy Road by Ann Howard Creel brings to life the little-known story of the courageous women who staffed the American Women’s Hospital in war-torn France during World War I. Serving as doctors, nurses, aides, and ambulance drivers, the women of Creel’s historical novel come to life as they struggle to be respected in a traditionally male environment. The author expertly captures the chaos of war and the dilemmas faced by the women as they must cope with the horrors of war, and choose between personal desires and the demands of duty. I was fascinated by this story.

Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC. My review is voluntary and unbiased.

In amongst a plethora of "the war is a backdrop to a story that could happen 5 years earlier or later with no change" books, here is a story that doesn't glamourise the war but takes its inspiration from the true story of the American Women’s Hospital, which operated in France in WW1 (I wasn't previously aware of the AWH but I was aware of similar British initiatives)

The book follows Arlene Favier, a horse-mad French speaking (both thanks to her father) young woman, who, through a series of unfortunate events, ends up joining a team from the American Women’s Hospital as an ambulance driver & heads to France. Amongst the very real dangers of the bombs, the gas attacks & the desperate situation that she encounters, we see her friendships, her worries, her divided loyalties, her yearning for home and her sense of duty to her role & those who need her. We see her struggle to deflect the attentions of a very "eligible officer" who pursues her, and to handle her increasing feelings for an "unsuitable ranking".

I felt the ending was a bit weak - I don't know whether the author wanted to leave it open for a sequel, but the epilogue seemed redundant ... Overall though, I enjoyed the book & would definitely read a sequel to it, and other books by the author.

Disclosure: I received this book free from NetGalley for review, but all opinions are my own.

Mercy Road by Ann Howard Creel is a delightful historical fiction novel focussed on the WWI era and inspired by the true presence of the American Women’s Hospital that existed during this time. I will leave the reader the ability to look up historical facts of this amazing, liberating, and inspiring group on their own.

I love the main female protagonist, Arlene Favier, and the moral compass she possesses.
Arlene is a good person and her heart is always in the right place, which sometimes gets her into trouble (but not justly so). She is a strong character, and does what she can to help her family during this difficult time.

I love the descriptions of the wartime experiences and scenes, the depictions of the beautifully etched out French landscapes, and her developing relationship with Jimmy.

I love how she was able to overcome adversity, and I love the ending. The supporting cast of characters helped round out everything nicely.

This is a fabulous novel that gives the reader insight on an organization that is not as well known, and gives us a strong female character that we can like and relate to during a time when those qualities were frowned upon.

Excellent read. 5/5 stars.

Thank you NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for this ARC, and in return I am submitting my voluntary and unbiased opinion and review.