I was given a copy of The Clockmakers wife by Daisy Wood in exchange for an honest review. The book is a dual time novel. Nell is the Clockmakers wife during world war 2. Ellie is Nell's grand daughter living in America. When Ellie finds a watch she goes to London to find out more about her grandmother. A great historical fiction novel.

The Clockmaker's Wife is a dual timeline story about Nell (the clockmaker’s wife) in London during the blitz and then her granddaughter Ellie who travels to London in the present day to investigate and hopefully discover the mystery surrounding her grandmother.

I love historical fiction and particularly dual time narratives so I was really looking forward to this read. The story starts off really strong with the bombing and frenetic fallout. I enjoyed Nell’s relationship with her husband Arthur and learning all about clocks, particularly Big Ben, I found to be really interesting. However, after Nell receives a mysterious phone call from Arthur, to which she then pursues to uncover what was happening, it really tapers off somewhat. Certain happenings just did not seem realistic and the whole spy/fascist aspect difficult to believe. Lots of questions and not enough answers to support outcomes. I would have loved more of a contribution from Arthur. Still, it was engaging to read of how the Londoners attempted to counteract the nightly attacks.

The present storyline with Ellie finding a watch belonging to her grandmother (of which she knows so little) sees her jetset to London to begin a search to uncover the mystery surrounding questionable aspects of her grandmother's behaviour. This part of the story was okay but things seemed a little rushed. I liked it when she met up with Brenda, yet conversely, I wish the whole love interest with Dan had not been included. The interactions with Gillian could have been far more pivotal rather than completely over the top.

Overall this was an entertaining story in Daisy’s first attempt at writing an adult novel. The whole aspect of Big Ben was well researched and fascinating to learn about the running of clocks as a whole back then. Daisy’s writing of locations were on point and absorbing. If you enjoy historical fiction about strong determined women then I suggest you give this book a go.

‘Wars had been fought, fires had raged and people had died in the streets below, but these bells had carried on striking and the vast clock had counted the minutes through it all.’




This review is based on a complimentary copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. The quoted material may have changed in the final release.

A great dual timeline ww2 story. The plot was really interesting with the big Ben and pocket watch elements and certainly made compelling reading. The dual timelines worked really well and I would definitely recommend this book to fans of this genre

Thanks to Netgalley for a copy of this book for an honest review.

A dual timeline book, set in London during WW2. Arthur and Nell are newly-weds with a small daughter (Alice). Arthur is a clockmaker and works in the Palace of Westminster, keeping Big Ben in working order. The second timeline is Alice's daughter Ellie travelling to London to seek out information on her grandmother.

Interesting read with a different take on the WW2 books of late. Loved Nell's timeline!!

The Clockmaker’s Wife by Daisy Wood was a beautifully written book and is set in set in two timelines from Nell in World War 2 and her granddaughter, Ellie in the present present in 2021. I found this book a very interesting read from start to finish. It's not a book I would of chosen but I loved the way the cover looked and I just wanted to read it. It did not disappoint I loved it especially as Daisy Wood is a new author to me. It will not be the last book I read from her......I will be looking out for more books by her! So, if you are a fan of historical fiction this is a book for you.

Big Thank you to NetGalley and Avon Books UK for granting me access to this Advance Reader Copy.

I didn’t get why she had her baby in London during the Blitz and was so annoyed by it that I stopped reading.

This was an interesting WWII - present-day time-slip novel. I liked how the author revealed pieces of the mystery in each time period and loved the family connections in the story. This is definitely a story that will show you that things are not always as they seem and how events from the past influence the people we become.

Arthur and Nell live in London in the late 1930s. Arthur is the clockmaker, or rather, the man who keeps Big Ben working. Both of them are newly married and very happy. In 1940, their home is bombed during the Blitz and Nell goes to her parents' place with her baby, Alice. She expects Arthur to join her there for Christmas but receives a cryptic phone call from Arthur following which he is jailed, shortly after. Nell goes back to London to unravel the events that caused Arthur's arrest and clear his name. In 2020 New York, Ellie is dissatisfied with her life. Her best friend has become a mother and she is ever-increasingly busy nowadays. Ellie's shop isn't doing too well, either. Her mother, Alice, is in a hospital and Ellie suspects Alice is slowly losing her memory. On a whim, Ellie decides to travel to London to see what she can find about her grandmother, Nell. Alice has no recollection of her mother because she died when Alice was still a baby. Ellie wants to give her mother something about her parents before she loses her memory altogether.

I am a huge fan of books set in WW2 so I was quite excited to be able to read this novel set in England - mostly in London, during the Second World War. It is completely fictional, but the author has done an excellent job of giving a real feel to the time and place. I enjoyed reading this, but initially, the English characters sounded American. Thankfully, that improved later. In some ways, the plot felt like it developed unrealistically fast.

This is a first for me by the author and one I enjoyed and would read more of their work. The book cover is eye-catching and appealing and would spark my interest if in a bookshop. Thank you very much to the author, publisher and Netgalley for this ARC.

Excellent historical fiction that kept me reading.
It's well researched and well written, the characters are well developed.
Thoroughly enjoyed it.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine

I enjoyed this book very much. It's character driven and a slow burn. In a dual timeline form Nell and her daughter flee from war torn London, Leaving her husband behind. Present day, Nell's grand daughter finds disturbing evidence that her grandmother was a Nazi. She sets off to London to uncover the truth. She finds family, unexpected romance, and answers. This is a story of family, secrets, espionage, and truth. . A great WWII novel focusing on defending Big Ben during the Blitz.

Many others have written good resumes of this book so I don't need to follow on and am aware that doing so could spoil the plot for future readers. Just to say it is a book told from two time frames with the latter researching the former. It was an interesting and enlightening historical subject, although I question how far fetched it is in reality. There was plenty of filling storyline around the main aim which at times I found frustrating and distracting. However I understand that there needed to also be a further story alongside the amily history research in order to make a more complete book.
I was not overly keen on the style, perhaps you'd describe it as flow, of the writing but overall a pretty good idea and interesting read with a good dose of romance thrown in!

*Disclaimer: I was kindly gifted an electronic copy of this book by Netgalley and Avon Books UK in exchange for an honest review.

"Wars had been fought, fires had raged and people had died in the streets below, but these bells had carried on striking and the vast clock had counted the minutes through it all."

Five reasons why you should read The Clockmaker's Wife
1. It's a historical fiction set in London in 1940 during the Blitz.
2. The Big Ben plays an important part in the story.
3. There is research into family history.
4. An unexpected romance blossoms.
5. Sacrifice for the safety of others.

The Clockmaker's Wife by Daisy Wood is a novel set in London in 1940 about Eleanor (Nell) Spelman, the wife of the clockmaker Arthur Spelman who maintains the chiming of Big Ben. Bombs are falling and buildings are left in rubble; fear and anxiety grip London and its residents.
After their house is bombed and reduced to nothing, Arthur begs his wife Nell to take their daughter Alice and stay with her mother in the country. While living with her mother, Nell receives a distressing call from Arthur and she knows her husband needs her. Leaving Alice in her mother's care, Nell returns to London and goes undercover to find Arthur. Nell meets people along the way, some become friends and other enemies.
After finding a Fascist badge between Arthur's possessions, Nell is filled with doubt. Arthur's family was Jewish, why would he possess a Fascist badge?

In the present day, Alice is grown up, an elderly woman at this point, and has a child of her own named Ellie who is the look-alike of her late mother. Ellie visits her mother in a nursing home and inquires about her mother's childhood. Ellie only knows that her grandmother died during the Blitz, her grandfather remarried and had a daughter, Gillian, the half-sister her mother now despises. After the mention of family photos, Ellie searches through her mother's possessions and discovers a part of history that takes her on a journey to London to find out more about her mysterious grandmother and the aunt her mother loathes.

This story is aptly named since it centres around Nell Spelman; a brave woman who made a choice to help her husband during a dangerous time and died while doing so. It's a dual timeline and I like that we get to know Nell better through her granddaughter's research. The setting comes to life with the author's beautiful descriptions and it's evident that the author did research about Big Ben and the maintaining of it.

"The dolphin streetlamps along the Embankment are shining like strings of pearls as the sinking sun outlines fleecy clouds in pink and gold; the lights of barges heading towards the docks gleam like fireflies on the water."

It's interesting to experience the contrast of the magnificent presence of Big Ben and the carnage the bombing left behind. This is a story of hope and inspiration; through all the pain love drove one woman to make a choice that affected the lives of her daughter and granddaughter. This journey down memory lane brings an unexpected romance and closeness between family members.
This is the first historical fiction I've read that is set in London and I really enjoyed it. If you liked The Girl Behind The Wall by Mandy Robotham, you will enjoy this book.

A tale of a wife devoted to her husband, who was willing to risk her own life to save the reputation of her husband. The story is set during WWII London, and Big Ben plays a pivotal role in the plot of the story. Saving Big Ben from the German bombs is vital, as is preserving the Clockmaker's reputation.

A really enjoyable and intriguing read. I loved the characters and felt the storyline was good apart from towards the end when it got a little confusing and far fetched. However, it all came together at the end.

Set in London during WWII. Arthur’s responsibility for chiming of. Big Ben is his main care.. he sends his wife, Neil, and daughter to the country for safety. Difficult read without strong plot to hold your interest

Written in a dual timeline, The Clockmaker’s Wife is a touching story of past meets present. Young and in love, Nell and Arthur Spelman’s world is torn apart by the events in London during WWII. In present day America, Ellie wants to learn more about the grandmother she never knew, Ellie travels to London and what she learns is truly amazing!

A solid 4 stars.

As an unrepentant fan of WW2 historical fiction this novel was right up my alley. Set at the start of the war, the characters are well flushed out and the plot is solid. The book took an interesting turn 2/3 of the way through, which I did not expect but thoroughly enjoyed.

Recommended and enjoyed!

Many thanks to both the publisher and NetGalley for an advanced copy of this novel. My opinions are my own and not influenced by anyone or anything. Ever.

A great historical novel!

I really liked this book. First it was al little hard to read, the story of Arthur, Nell an daughter Alice in Londen during the war was interesting, but hard to see where it was going. When the second time-line starts, it’s getting better. Ellie in America, the daughter of Alice, wants to find out about here grandmother, who died during the war. She travels to Londen to meet Gillian, half-sister of Alice. Then the story really starts and it’s exciting and adventurous, with the discovery of a complot and fire fighting on the roofs of Londen.
I like the character of Nell, and was curious of her search for the truth. She’s a real heroin. I also liked Ellie and her search for her grandmother. And also Dan, Gillian and Brenda completing the story and are nice persons to read about.
I loved this novel and really recommend this to readers who love to read about WWII and novels with two timelines.

3.5

First off I just have to say how much I LOVE that cover! As I read a lot of Historical Fiction based around World War 2, I appreciate that this story was unique and interesting.

It's a dual timeline story. The first one is in 1939/1940 and Arthur and Eleanor "Nell" are newlyweds who live in London and have a very young baby named Alice. Their house is bombed out and Arthur sends Nell and baby Alice to live in the country with Nell's family for their safety. Arthur cannot go with them as he is a clockmaker by trade and keeps the bells chiming for Big Ben. The present day storyline begins in New York, USA. Ellie (Alice's daughter) finds a treasure that once belonged to her Grandmother. She decides to fly to England to find out more about her Grandmother Nell and her family overseas. Ellie will discover the true story of her Grandmother's death.

The book started off pretty strong and was intriguing. For me things turned the wrong way when Nell received the mysterious call from Arthur and promptly left for London. I admit the story went a little south at that point. Some of Nell's actions were a bit far fetched. I also wanted to know more about Arthur. The present storyline with Ellie was interesting but things seemed a little rushed especially with her love interest, Dan.

Overall it was a good story that kept me entertained. The author did a lot of research on Big Ben and the running of the clock. London and the surrounding landmarks were superbly described. Past and present. The descriptions really set the mood and tone. This was the author's first ever adult novel and I think Daisy Wood shows promise in this type of category.

I'd like to kindly thank NetGalley and Avon Books UK for granting me access to this Advance Reader Copy.

Being a huge historical fiction fan, I was delighted to be tucking into this read from author Daisy Wood.
Set in the midst of World War two 1940, we meet Arthur & Eleanor (Nell to those who know her) Spelman in this story. A young couple who appear to be very much in love.
Arthur is one of the Clockmaker's who keep Big Ben in London chiming.
When their daughter Alice is born, Arthur feels it would be best if Nell & Alice stay with her parents away from London and the regular bombings.
One evening Nell gets a call from a panicked Arthur saying he has been arrested but not telling her much more...
What we see next is Nell hightailing it back to London to help Arthur out of his predicament.
A very hard mystery to solve with little information to go on..
What I adore about this story is the two timelines to it..
Arthur & Nell's story and then their granddaughter Ellie's quest to find out about her family and grandparents.
The author's characters were so likeable and I found myself being completely absorbed in their lives. There was many a moment where I closed my eyes to imagine the surroundings...
We are carried along by the mystery of the story and to what has happened to Arthur.
Bravery and courage really do shine through the pages...
So well worth your time..