Lizzie Mackenzie departs Scotland to join the Women’s Auxiliary Air Force in England, she’s sad to leave her uncle’s Hamish’s croft but she's excited to start her training and she has no idea she’s about to meet two other brave women and the three women will become best friends. 
London 1940, after Lizzie finished her WAAF’s training she becomes a plotter at a sector station operation rooms, they kept track of the type, number and direction of incoming German planes. Her friend Diana Downes is part of an all women’s team operating a barrage balloon called Bertha and they used balloons to defend the London sky from German bombers. Julia Sullivan works for the government at The War Office building at Whitehall as a typist, it’s a top secret job and she can’t tell anyone what she does.

During WW II English people had to keep going, life was lived one day at a time, they still went to work despite not getting a lot of sleep, many were shift workers, they put up with food shortages and were constantly worried about their loved ones. I really enjoyed how the story followed the three friends from when they first met, their wartime jobs and romantic relationships they had during the war.
Julia was married to John, he’s fighting in Africa and she sent her two young children Tom and Maggie to stay with an Aunt in the country. During a bombing raid Lizzie is trapped in the basement of a theatre, Jack Henson trips over her in the dark, they spend the night talking and start dating. Diana meets the corporal Len Shelley; and she’s not sure if they ever be more than good friends?

By reading Under a Sky on Fire, you understand what life was like in England during WW II and the sacrifices everyone made including adults and children. The incredible determination, faith and enduring spirit of English people during the nightly bombing raids of London.
Thanks to NetGalley, Bookouture and Suzanne Kelman for my copy of Under a Sky on Fire, I highly recommend the book and five stars from me.

I am excited to be taking part in the #BooksOnTour #BlogTour for Suzanne Kelman's new heartbreaking historical WW2 tale UNDER A SKY ON FIRE.

As an avid fan of Suzanne Kelman's historical fiction, I jumped at the chance to take part in the blog tour. I have loved her two previous books so I knew I wouldn't be disappointed with this one either. And I wasn't.

UNDER A SKY ON FIRE is an amazing tale set during one of the darkest times Britons faced during WW2. The Blitz. OMG! I felt the fear and the terror within the pages as if I was there living it. I think why it stands out to me so much is because my dad was a very young child during the Blitz and even just the sound of an air raid siren now brings it all back to him...and I can see the distress it causes him to relive it through just a sound. It would have been a frightening time for anyone but for a 2 to 3 year old child (he was 2 when the Blitz began and 3 when it stopped), it would have been terrifying. So whenever I read stories that bring to life the Blitz, I see my dad there as a terrified young boy. And that brings me to tears.

A story of endurance, tenacity, love and friendship, UNDER A SKY ON FIRE is a story of three women playing their part in the war effort. They meet by pure chance and begin a friendship that lasts a lifetime. Together they share their hardships, their good times, their laughter and their tears. It is about those at home helping to keep their lads' spirits up and those who are left to pick up the pieces the war spits out. It is heartbreaking but it is also heartwarming. I laughed and I cried and by the end I felt I had lived those lives alongside those women.

From the highlands of Scotland, Lizzie Mackenzie embarks on a new journey as she travels to London to join the Women's Auxiliary Air Force, carrying with her a secret shame as she set out to start a new life. When the train pulls into Birmingham, she is joined by Diana Downes who, against her father's wishes, leaves her life behind for one in the WAAF. Both women are nervous as they begin their journey but are thankful to have found each other before arriving in London. They bunk together for their six weeks of training before they are issued with their new positions, which were individually chosen based on their levels of fitness, academia and strengths. Lizzie was thrilled to find herself assigned as a plotter to Kenley airfield while Diana's task was with the barrage balloons.

Despite working and living in different parts of the city, the two women would spend their leave together visiting London's sights or cafes. One evening after a day of brutal training, Diana wanted nothing more than to collapse into bed and sleep for 12 hours. But Lizzie was filled with the excitement of being in the city and coaxed Diana into heading into London and maybe go to the pictures. It was when a woman had come in late, sat next to Lizzie and then at the end inadvertently left with her scarf, that Lizzie caught up with her outside and the women introduced themselves. Julia was ever so apologetic and offered to take the two women to a nearby cafe by way of apology. Upon leaving to catch their respective buses, they discovered that they'd missed the last bus that would take them back to barracks. So Julia offered them a room at her place for the night...and even the luxury of a bath!

From that moment on the three women became close friends. Whilst Lizzie and Diana were in the WAAF, Julia worked as a typist in Churchill's war rooms...even transcribing letters and speeches from the big man himself. She was married but her husband John was away fighting and her two children, Maggie and Tom, she had sent to the Cotswolds to stay with her Aunt Rosalyn for their own safety. London was becoming a hotspot for Hitler's bombs and it was no place for a child. But that didn't stop Julia from feeling guilty about sending them away...especially when Tom was so sensitive and was missing her terribly.

Throughout the course of their work with the WAAF, Lizzie and Diana managed to find love in the midst of war. Lizzie found herself trapped in a theatre one night during a performance and met the handsome RAF Squadron Leader, Jack Henson. After spending the night in darkness in the theatre basement, along with other patrons, Jack invited Lizzie to a dance the following week to which she accepted. When Diana was hauled out of bed one night to fill in as sentry, she didn't bother getting dressed but rather pulled a pair of oilskin trousers on, a mac over her nightie and a scarf over her curlers before setting off for her post. She didn't expect to meet Corporal Len Shelley, whom she thought looked like Cary Grant, at four o'clock in the morning in the rain whilst manning the sentry box. She didn't expect to fall in love with him either. But love can be found in the strangest of circumstances in wartime. And for both women, those snatched moments and hours of happiness bring a contentment that can only be appreciated in wartime.

But Lizzie's secret could potentially derail her new-found happiness. What will Jack do when she reveals she has a daughter? Will he be like her parents and the folk of the Isle of Barra in the Outer Hebrides, from which she came, and reject her as "soiled goods"? Or will he understand her predicament and help her search for "Annie"?

But when Lizzie comes across a lost little girl in the debris of rubble after a raid, she doesn't hesitate to rescue her. She asks the girl's name, where her parents are, where she is from...but the little girl doesn't speak. Instead she throws her arms around Lizzie and stays nestled in the safety of her arms. Lizzie takes her home to Julia's, where she now lives after a raid destroyed her barracks, and the women try to coax the little girl to speak. They take her to the Red Cross and register her as found in the hope of finding her family, but there are so many children that Lizzie decides to take her home, leaving her address should the girl's family found.

One day, Lizzie plays a little game with her to coax her into telling them her name...by drawing the letters of her name in Lizzie's hand. When the little girl draws an "A" Lizzie's heart leaps. Could this be her "Annie", the name she secretly gave her baby? She asks is her name Annie and the little girl shakes her head and continues...with a "b". Lizzie asks "Abigail" and the little girl nods. Now they have a name for the child but she still refuses to speak. After months living with them, sleeping alongside Lizzie in her bed, too afraid she'd lose her, and Abigail was a fixture in the house. Julia and Lizzie loved having her there and Lizzie knew she was growing attached to the little girl.

So when the WVS (Women's Voluntary Service) knocked to say that all orphaned/abandoned children were to be sent to an orphanage in Wales, Lizzie was devastated. She knew Abigail wouldn't cope there...but she was not her child and she had no legal say in her future. When the day came when she had to bid her farewell on the train platform, Abigail wouldn't let her go but the WVS woman was unsympathetic and prized her free. Lizzie was devastated...but even moreso when as she left, the siren sounded for a raid and when it was over she left the shelter to find the train station decimated and Abigail's train still on the platform. Lizzie screamed in horror. Where was Abigail?

There is so much to this story that just fills you with an overwhelming abundance of emotions. From love to loss, from triumph to tragedy, from happiness to heartbreak...that as the reader, you cannot come through UNDER A SKY ON FIRE unscathed. It will encapsulate you that you will feel that you have lived it too. Whether you identify with Lizzie, Diana or Julia, you will finish this book having walked in their shoes alongside them.

I loved each woman's story but it was Lizzie's that I found the most heartbreaking as she searches for a lost child and finds a bittersweet love. I cried buckets for her and her tragedies. And I loved how she featured at the end in the epilogue, which gave every piece of closure to each story that a reader needs. It was beautiful and it was perfect.

I must admit to googling every so often for some of the aspects of the story...for example the barrage balloons. Although Suzanne Kelman described them thoroughly I still had trouble picturing them because to me balloons are round. So I googled them to see what they looked like and how they actually worked. I loved that Kelman was incredibly descriptive in the workings of the balloons but I was amazed at the video footage I came across of them in action. Kelman was thorough in her descriptions of the workings of plotting, barrage balloons and even Julia's work in Churchill's war office. Imagine transcribing a speech with Churchill sitting up in bed in his jammies! That image made me chuckle. And always with his trademark cigar.

By the end of the story I was so moved and in tears, even my dog scarpered (as he doesn't do tears - they frighten him...lol) But I do recommend that you read Suzanne Kelman's "afterword" that sheds a little more light to the story and how it came about. Of course, I shed even more tears again.

One thing that has always been clear, whether it be through fiction or historical fact, the British people were stoic and remarkable in their strength and their perseverance through all they endured. I cannot imagine living through being bombed day after day and night after night for eight long months, the first of which was 57 days straight out of 58. The staying power of those people to pick themselves up and keep going throughout it all is remarkable. Just the mere thought of it brings me to tears as I think of my own dad as a terrified 2 year old throughout the Blitz. The mere thought is terrifying.

A heartbreaking yet heartwarming story, UNDER A SKY ON FIRE will have you reaching for the tissues as you share in the tenacity of these three young women living "under a sky on fire".

As with all Suzanne Kelman's books, I highly recommend UNDER A SKY ON FIRE. It's a story that will remain with you for a long time to come. I cannot wait for her next book.

I would like to thank #SuzanneKelman, #NetGalley and #Bookouture for an ARC of #UnderASKyOnFire in exchange for an honest review.

Under a Sky on Fire intrigued me with the description and unfortunately that's where it stops. I was so looking forward to this story but the description is different than the actual story. I liked that there was multiple POVs but there wasn't enough. The overall story was good but it felt robotic at times and didn't flow very well. I also liked that I learned a few new things about The Blitz.

*ARC provided by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review*

This was a stunning read. Wonderful characters who I liked and cared about, a fast pace, and excellent detail which showed heavy research. 
The 3 women had a range of skills and they showed the life of women in WW2 perfectly. This was enlightening and portrayed the strength of character needed to survive the war. Highly recommended.

September 1940, London: Lizzie MacKenzie finds herself heading towards London. She knows she must help in  the war effort.  But she has another reason for leaving the security of her Scottich Village: the illegitimate child she gave up,for adoption nearly five years ago is living somewhere in the city. She just wants to know her little girl is safe from the bombs. Then she finds herself trapped in a dark theatre during a bomb raid where she meets Pilot Officer Jack Henson. The pair quickly fall in love. But if he discovers her secret past, he may never forgive her. 

Lizzie becomes a filter plotter who keeps track of planes during air raids.  She also becomes close friends with Diane and Julia. I neither liked or disliked the characters who came across as a bit bland. There was not enough written about Lizzie's search for her daughter either. The three women share their good and bad times together. It must have been hard living through the Blitz and the author covers this well. You must read the authors notes. This is a well written book that seems true to the era.

I would like to thank #NetGalley, #Bookouture and the author #SuzanneKelman for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Under a Sky on Fire by Suzanne Kelman
Publication Date: October 13, 2020
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Description from NetGalley...
“September 1940, London
As the German Luftwaffe begin a terrifying bombing campaign that will come to be known as the Blitz, thousands are evacuated to safety. But Lizzie Mackenzie finds herself heading towards London.

She knows she must help in the war effort. But she has another reason for leaving the security of her Scottish village: the illegitimate child she gave up for adoption nearly five years before is somewhere in the city. And – as the bombs rain down – she will stop at nothing to find her and make sure her little girl is safe.

Then she finds herself trapped in a dark theatre during a bombing raid, where she meets Pilot Officer Jack Henson. Against all her instincts, she falls in love. But what chance is there for that love to flourish? Because if he discovers the secret shame of her past, he may never forgive her. And with Jack facing the enemy every day in the sky, and Lizzie’s job guiding pilots into battle – life and love has never felt so fragile.

Until a chance encounter with a little orphaned girl changes everything, forcing Lizzie to ask herself what truly matters. Because, in the darkest days of war, every life counts. And – when tragedy strikes – saving one child’s life might just give Lizzie a reason to survive…”
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Thank you to @NetGalley @bookouture for the digital ARC in return for my honest review.
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My thoughts...
What I look for in a true historical fiction (as opposed to fantasy and the likes) are: strong woman/women protagonist(s), details of their war-work, a relatable or at least believable background story/life story, a believable and touching romance (not too prolonged or too gushy), true to the actual history it was based on and well-written that hooked you from the first page, filled with action (where you cannot wait to turn the page and not necessarily “fighting”), inspirational and heartwarming. Impossible, you think? It’s not. What Suzanne Kilman wrote here has all of the above. But, that’s my opinion. I absolutely loved this book. And yes, I shed a couple of tears. And now, I have a book hangover.

Three words. 

Have. Tissues. Ready.  

I knew from this author’s previous books, A View Across the Rooftops and When We Were Brave, that I was in for an emotional and heartfelt story, and I was not disappointed. Ms. Kelman has a particular talent for creating characters and situations that are so real, a reader can imagine being a part of the story. She is probably my favorite historical fiction author. 

I really liked the way she set up the main characters, all young women with very different backgrounds. It took a while to figure out what the connection would be and how they would all relate to each other. 

First was Lizzie, from the Highlands, with a deep, personal secret she was determined to atone for. Then we met Diana, from Birmingham, whose father is still suffering from Shell Shock from WWI. Last was Julia in London, whose husband is called up, leaving her alone with two young children.

Lizzie and Diana are joining up in the Women’s Auxiliary Air Force, while Julia finds herself promoted to being a steno in Churchill’s War Rooms. Each woman takes her own path to help the cause, and the ways they all get there are both engaging and informative. 

I especially liked Julia’s job. Her proximity to Churchill and interactions in the War Rooms were very realistic. I got chills reading some passages, knowing how accurate they were (we visited the museum of his War Rooms when we were in England a few years ago). Well done to the author for that. 

And then the Blitz occurs. 

Again, this is where the author’s talent for creating authentic scenes shines. The terror and uncertainty of the residents of London is palpable, and I truly felt like I could smell the smoke and see the rubble of the bombed-out buildings. Very few authors can evoke such vivid scenes. 

Of course, with it being wartime, you know that there is going to be heartache and loss. The author does a fantastic job of building the tension, tracking each of the three ladies as they learn their jobs, meet new people, and form relationships that may or may not be fruitful. 

You just know that one (or more) of them is going to suffer a tragedy of some sort. I kept waiting for the shoe to drop. And even though I expected it, I wasn’t prepared for it when it actually happened (and no, I’m not going to tell you what happens or who it happens to). 

But this is where you will definitely need those tissues I mentioned at the beginning. The emotion that pours from the pages is absolutely heart-wrenching. 

I did like how the author highlighted the strength of women and the important parts that they played in the war effort. There were a few times it verged on preachy, but then it became more restrained and palpable. To be sure, there were a lot of unsung heroines over the course of the war (the details on the barrage balloons were especially educational). 

There was a small subplot about Julia’s mother-in-law that popped up late in the story and for the most part, didn’t go anywhere. I would have liked to have seen that fleshed out, especially in light of Julia’s job. 

Ultimately, this is a story about how friendships forged in fire are quick but resilient, and family doesn’t have to mean blood relations. I loved every minute of this book, even though it left me a sniffling mess by the end. I highly recommend picking this one up.

As I go back and read all the notes I took on this book, I have to laugh at myself, because they do not flow at all and are so disconnected to each other. 
I feel like that is a good way to describe how I felt about this book. The writing tended to be a bit robotic and I was really disappointed in the level of seriousness I felt in regards to the subject matter. 
I was so excited to read this book. As the blurb describes, this was supposed to be a love story sandwiched in with some family drama, all taking place during the very significant bombing event in London during WW2 known as the Blitz. This sounded right up my alley. Exactly the type of book I’m known to fall in love with. 
Unfortunately, I felt really let down.
First of all, the prologue and the first couple chapters really pulled me in. The writing wasn’t lyrical or poetic by any means, but if this had been the pace setter for the book then it would have been great. There were also some really interesting tidbits of information throughout the book. I really enjoyed learning about the barrage balloons and the filter plotters. I even found myself doing a little more research after, because I had never heard of them before. 
After the strong beginning, the story began to lose its flow. The perspective changed between 3 different women and I felt like the bouncing around added to how slow the story line was and took away from each woman’s narrative a little bit. We pretty much got a day-to-day life of each woman for the first 40% of this book. I was aggravated that nothing exciting had happened. Then, when something did happen, I found myself angry with the reactions of the characters and I couldn’t emotionally connect to the story. There was no fear or sense of urgency. 
Bombs were dropping and the “sinking feeling” Lizzie got was because her mail was destroyed? There was no feeling of devastation due to civilian lives lost or destruction to a city or a way of life? 
Hundreds of bomber planes were flying in and Diana checks her watch and proceeds walking to the tea shop to meet her friend? Having a quick cup of tea before a bombing sounded crucial? 
The German retaliation “appears to be aiming at all areas in the city”, but Lizzie’s theatre ticket was expensive so she just couldn’t miss the show? She didn’t think she should go into work and help wherever she could? 
I was a little thrown.
Maybe my expectations were too high. Maybe I’ve read and watched too many WW2 stories. Maybe people were actually this naïve then, I can’t say, but I felt like there was no depth. I expected someone working in some part of the war effort should understand how grave and pressing what was happening actually was. This was so aloof. I felt like the importance of the event that was being written about was missed and unrealistic. 
I also expected more of a love story and more about Lizzie’s daughter as it leans towards in the description, but I found it fell short and wasn't an accurate representation of what this book was about.
In the end, the writing was just not for me. If you enjoy a lighter focused WW2 story then this book is perfect for you and I would recommend it to those types of readers.
2.5 stars 
Thank you Netgalley and Bookouture for a chance to read this novel. All thoughts are my own.

Indomitable strength through war and personal suffering🛩🌥

By the end of this story I was so moved and then I read Kelman's afterward and it took me that bit further to tears.  For an American, especially one of a younger generation, the terror and loss the British people endured under the onslaught of Hitler's intense bombing campaigns is hard to imagine, though it's sadly rivaled presently by the wanton destruction in Syria and Yemen.  This story provides a window into those dark days through the lives of three young women working for the British war effort in London.  Each has her own, individual duty and fear to confront.  

I found Scottish Lizzie's story the most heartrending as she searches for a lost child and finds bittersweet love.  Young mother Julia suffers separation from her husband as he goes to war and within days faces the difficult choice of how best to keep her young children safe and content even if it means further separation.  Diana grapples with a strenuous duty keeping London's anti-aircraft balloons afloat and a difficult distancing from her father who still bears the physical and psychological scars from his service in the trenches in WWI.  

Romance does bloom and is a key part of their story.  But their friendship and support of each other through dark times are the glue that pulls their separate stories together into a bigger, moving tableau of the sacrifices British women endured as their world tumbled around them.  Literally.

I started this book comparing it to Kelman's 2019 release A View Across the Rooftops, which I loved.  Initially I found Lizzie, Julia and Diana's story less of a draw, especially while Kelman details their adjustment into their new wartime duties and routine.  But as Lizzie meets flyer Jack and the German bombs rain down thick and repeatedly, I was totally immersed in their struggle.  And those moments, snatched hours of happiness, particularly for Lizzie and Jack,  the calms in the midst of the storm and destruction of war .... just sublime😌.

Strong female protagonists, action, love, betrayal and grievous loss -- Kelman has created a truly moving tale filled with the indomitable spirit of three women committed to saving their world from chaos even at great self sacrifice.  In its own way, I believe it's just as compelling and unforgettable as A View Across the Rooftops.

Thanks to publishers Bookouture and NetGalley for sharing an advance copy of the book;  this is my voluntary and honest opinion.

I absolutely LOVED the author's previous two books (When We Were Brave and A View Across the Rooftops), so I was excited to read this one. I enjoyed it, but it wasn't my favorite. The story was good, but it felt like things were missing at times. Not sure how I feel about the way Agnes was handled. Plus that storyline seemed strange. Would she really do that? It seemed so extreme. I liked Lizzie, Julia and Diana but I didn't love them. Barrage balloons were new to me, so I found that interesting. I thought Lizzie's search for her daughter would have been a bigger story in the book. 

Recommend the book, especially if you enjoy historical fiction with some romance. The book is full of love, friendship, forgiveness and so much more. Look forward to reading more books by the author. 

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Bookouture through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Omg this book made me cry. And that is a good thing, I love it when a book can make me feel an emotion. Why did the book made me cry? It was about love during ww2 how you had to let someone go to save them. It was about the strong friendship between women. Where there is such a strong Bond that they Will always support each other.. it is about growing up . Realizing
You have to live your own life no matter what other people think of you. A must read book . Thank you to netgalley for letting me read this e arc in exchange for an honest review

This is my first book by this author, but I am going to check out her other books. I enjoy reading books about WWII and this one told a story from a side I hadn't read about much. It takes place during the bombings of London. The damage and heartbreak, but also the strength and work and togetherness that arise in these hard difficult times. 

It tells a story of three women and how their lives are forever changed because of those months. It is a story about friendship, growing up, loss, love and determination.

I would recommend this book.

I'm a big historical fiction fan and always love learning little things in books like this. The description that was given to the book though was not exactly what the whole story was about in my opinion. It sounded like it would be based on just one character but there were really 3 characters that the book would jump around too. I enjoyed the characters but felt myself craving more of their stories, not just quick descriptions. I wanted more depth to the novel and find out more about these women. The novel held my attention in the beginning but then it started to feel like important events were happening in a chapter and then be done in the next. It started to feel a little rushed and I was unsure what direction this novel was going.

I'm giving it a 2.5/5 though because even though I did enjoy the history throughout and learnt new things (I had no idea about The Blitz that happened in London), I just felt like this novel could have had a lot more depth and connection to the characters as well as sticking to one story line.

#UnderaSkyonFire#NetGalley 
Big thanks to NetGalley, Bookouture and Suzanne Kelman for an ARC to review.
First of all this book should be awarded more than 5 stars honestly. 
I love reading historical fiction especially WWII books, I read so many but this one really touched me especially with the author's note relating how her own grandmother inspired one of the characters story.
Lizzie, Diana and Julia forge a remarkable bond of friendship during the London blitz horrible era. Each facing her own struggle, each serving the country by whatever she could offer. No job is insignificant, no effort is wasted... Julia with her typing, Lizzie guiding the planes, Diana managing the Balloon. All efforts collaborating towards their freedom and ultimate goal.  
Men went to the war to fight leaving behind women to fight their own kind of war. A bitter sweet story, you will laugh, you will absolutely cry your heart out but above all else your heart will be filled with hope and unstoppable determination. 
Under a sky on fire, you will see how the people continued to live their everyday life under the daily attack of deadly bombs. Under the attack of the unknown, seizing any slight chance of normality and happiness. My heart ached most as every war story with the children stories and how families ended up torn apart. And as Lizzie pondered, nobody is winning no matter how it ends, both sides must have a widow grieving her loss. 

{And Julia, we're going to be okay. I promise you, we're all going to be all right. You know why? Because we're women, that's why. And even though some men will never take us seriously in this war, we have a secret weapon. The one thing that those men have little appreciation for because it's a bit unglamorous, and that's our spirit of endurance. Women are experts at holding on. It's woven into the very fabric of our being through centuries of just...holding on. It might not sound as impressive as valour, but it is that grit and determination that will keep this nation together}

A 10 Star book in every aspect! It has intrigue, romance,action,drama, and twists and of course a sacrifice, but there is always a little bit of a happily ever after ending. The ending may not want what we want it to be, but I think in this particular book it’s for the growth of the characters!  

Lizzie and the other women start off soft and by the end the War has changed them in so many ways! Even Jack the pilot has grown in his character and the way he was able to see Lizzie. 

The author intertwined these ladies in so many aspects that she grows the readers to discover what is on the next page! I personally could not put the book down until I finished it. I cried and commiserated with choices that were out of their hands. It was part of there jobs and that’s the way it was and a person has to compartmentalize things into a box and I believe the author did a phenomenal job in relating that. 

I would definitely recommend this book to anyone looking for a 10 star read!

Friends for Life

A very heartwarming story of friendship.  Three young women working for the war effort in London meet and become friends for life.  Lizzie from Scotland left with a secret for a new life, Diana joined against her father's wishes and Julia's husband was somewhere out there fighting the war and her children sent away to the country. They bond together and eventually end up living with Julia . 

These women lived through the worst of the war called "The Blitz". Fifty six days of bombing raid over London out of fifty seven days. They learned to trust and lean on each other. They were there for each other through bad news and good. When Lizzie rescues a small child from the disaster following a bombing they all bond with her to provide her a home until her family is found.  

They remained friends all their lives and always remembered those days and years of the war. They got together once a year to talk about their bond of friendship, The people they'd lost, the ones they'd loved, and the women they had become.

This was a wonderful read, I loved the characters and the history.  I would recommend this book.

Thanks to Suzanne Kelman, Bookouture, and NetGalley for allowing me to read a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

This is a WWII Historical Fiction. I found the beginning hard to get into. There is so many WWII books and this one did not stand out for me. I just found this one a good story, but I read so many WWII book so I want the stories to stand out and jump off the page. I was kindly provided an e-copy of this book by the publisher (Bookouture) or author (Suzanne Kelman) via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review about how I feel about this book, and I want to send a big Thank you to them for that. This book is schedule to be release October 13-2020.

London is burning. Thousands of people are dying or misplaced. Interwoven among these tragic years is the compelling story of three young women. It's a gut-wrenching journey through heartbreak, lost love and a bond that will keep them together forever. Freedom comes to replace the fires and bombs with peaceful sunsets.

I have read a lot of books set in one of the 2 world wars and frankly had gotten tired of this genre.  However I have now read 2 of this author's books set in WW2 and now I am hooked again.  This one was set in London during the blitz bombings.  It really opened my eyes to what life would have been like living through the daily bombings and having to spend hours each day in bomb shelters.  I also found it very interesting to read about how the women left behind as the men joined the military stepped up and took on jobs that many of them would have never imagined being able to do.  Lots of human interest, nice romance, some happy and some sad - much like real life.  I would definitely recommend this book (and this author).

Under a Sky on Fire is a historical drama set in World War II London during the height of the Blitz.

The story follows three women as they embark on their own war efforts on the home-front line, together with the story of Lizzie, who comes down from the Highlands with another motive too - to find her adopted child.

This was an epic book, I really enjoyed the depictions of life in London during the Blitz. and it shone a light on some parts of WW2 which I did not previously know about, for example the descriptions of Churchill's war rooms.

I felt the author captured the blitz spirit perfectly, together with the realities of living through a war.  Clearly a lot of work had gone into researching and capturing it.

I've given this book 4 stars as I thought it was excellent but that there were almost too many strands running through it (eg I'm not sure the storyline about the mother-in-law was entirely necessary), but all in all found it a good easy read which captured my attention.  Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.