Once again another outstandingly beautiful book from this fabulous author she never dissapoints can highly recommend.

Rachel Hore has long been an automatic go to author for me when it comes to historical fiction, and this novel set in the blitzed London is an excellent example of her talent. It is both emotional and uplifting, showing love at its strongest.

Gentle, easy read exploring a moment in time in WW2. Maddie and her children, bombed out of their house in London, move to her husband's family home in Norfolk. Her husband is missing in action over France, believed killed. Maddie has never visited his family home before, but why? Secrets tumble out, fears are raised, families are never simple.

This is a quiet, gentle read which explores a family, the extended family and their lives during WW2. The revelations are surprising but not shocking - until the very end. Then the reader is left feeling empathy with Maddie and even slightly angry.

It is rich in period detail, with interesting characters and a sense of mystery. The two parallel narratives offer further insights into the marriage and the characters themselves, and I wanted more. However, I did find the ending rather rushed and therefore it was a little disappointing.

A lovely, gentle read for a Sunday afternoon by the fire.

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for an early review copy.

At the start of the book, it’s 1977 and in London, Grace is waiting to meet someone.

From there the story goes back to 1941., and its about a young Grace, who after a German bomb falls on her family home, is now homeless. Maddie, her mother has been informed that her husband is missing following Dunkirk evacuations.

So, the Maddie and her daughters, Grace and Sarah go to Norfolk, where they will stay with Philip’s family at a manor house in Knyghton.

The place has many secrets for the family and slowly Maddie begins to find out about them.

We get to know of We Philip’s story, and his travelling across France, missing the German forces, as he attempts to get back home to his family.

I liked reading One Moonlit Night, it’s a book full of mystery, family drama and history I found Maddie was a strong character, wanting to do her best for her daughters.

A fabulous historical novel and I recommend it.

An evocative wartime story about secrets, and the echoes they make down generations.
I love Rachel Hore’s books, particularly as she often uses historic Norwich as a setting.
This is my favourite of all though, and although set in rural Norfolk with the odd glimpses and reference to Norwich in the war, could almost be anywhere. The clever writing creates a micro world within the house of secrets and sadness that is Knyghton.
The story is beautifully crafted like a jigsaw puzzle, and just as you think you have the right piece to place, you find it actually doesn’t fit, and the one that doesn’t look right at all fits.
A must read, and not just for fans of historic fiction.

I’ve read a lot of Rachel Hore’s novels and love the wonderful writing which fully immerses you in the period. This book is set in WW2 and deals with the aftermath of the loss of a husband and a home. The beautiful descriptions of Maddies’s new home and circumstances had me totally captivated. Being a fellow claustrophobe, some of the situations Maddie finds herself in were quite difficult to read which demonstrates the quality of the writing. Highly recommended.

I love Rachel Hore and usually love her books but I found this one a slight let down. Don’t get me wrong, I liked the boom but it wasn’t one of her best. Thanks to NetGalley for the chance to read it. #OneMoonlitNight #NetGalley

A fantastic read, almost like a warm hug. I was instantly drawn into the life of the main characters and enjoyed the story told from two perspectives. The mystery began to unfold and I felt characters were developed well. It was a gentle story in that I felt there was no major climax- but due to the story being set during WW2, it felt more realistic for having a storyline that was not overly dramatic and was fascinating enough to be a part of these characters lives!

An interesting mixture of a Second World War story and family mystery, the more I read of One Moonlit Night the more it intrigued me.
With her husband Philip missing in action after Dunkirk, Maddie is bombed out of her London home and her only safe option seems to be to take her daughters to the house in Norfolk where Philip grew up. But Knyghton holds its own secrets, including the reason why Philip rarely spoke of it and never took her there.
The characters are beautifully drawn and their reactions to the new arrivals complex, convincing and very much of their age.
Although told mainly from Maddie’s point of view, the story is interspersed with Philip’s dangerous journey across France to escape the German occupiers and return to his family and this adds contrast and an extra layer of tension.

This is the story of Maddie, her husband, their family and his family during World War 2. When Philip goes off to fight Maddie is left alone to look after their 2 daughters. When she fails to hear from him after Dunkirk she remains optimistic whilst those around her assume that "missing" equates to ""dead". As he struggles to get back to her, she is forced to take drastic action to keep their family together.

This is a tale of family secrets, friendships and survival.

Thanks to Net Galley and the publishers for the opportunity to review this book.

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Another great read from Rachel Hore set during the Second World War.
Maddie and her daughters are left homeless during the blitz and they travel to her husband’s childhood home in search of a place to stay.
Great characters and a story that kept me entertained.
Thank you to NetGalley and Simon and Schuster UK for my e-copy in exchange for an honest review.

Set mainly in the second World War, Maddie and her two young daughters arrive at her husband's childhood home in rural Norfolk after being bombed out of their London home. He is missing in action in France and she knows little of his childhood. Through the rich cast of characters she encounters she becomes intrigued by the secrets they appear to be concealing. Meanwhile her husband, having survived being shot, is struggling to make his way home. This is a great piece of storytelling that demands emotional engagement from the reader.

Great book, as a historical fiction book, this was set up in a wartime Britain and France, and Maddie as a young woman falls in love with an army boy. This book describes their story, intense, tense, family secrets. I love it.
If you like historical fiction with a love of history and family secrets this book is for you.

I live in Norfolk so chose to read this because I enjoy Rachel's writing and also had the connection. There are only a few gentle references to the setting but I think it was appropriate one as Norfolk was an even more remote place some 80 years ago than it is now!
I won't try to re-write the blurb and describe the plot as I always believe the professionals do it better without giving anything away. This is a different slant on a story about WW2 refugees moving out of London to a manor house in Norfolk and all the mysteries of its past. I enjoyed the idea but if I'm honest there was a little bit missing, I found that I just wanted a bit more from it and felt a little flat at the end. Good writing, characterisation and the drama in the middle all helped to make this a good read however.

I really enjoyed this book. It had all of the right elements for an excellent read -
War , an old country house , family tragedies, family secrets need I go on?
If you like books by Judith Lennox and Katherine Webb this is for you

The story of Maddie and Philip kept me reading until the very end. Maddie overcame trying times, on her own with two young children, whilst trying to earn a living. She made good and bad decisions, befriended people who were initially against her. She kept believing in her husband, when everyone else feared the worst.

I enjoyed the writing of this book. I liked the intertwining of Maddie and Philip's stories, with the different timepoints increasing the suspense.

I will be looking out for further books by Rachel Hore.

One Moonlit Night by Rachel Hore
Publish Date: - 12 May 2022
Book - 480 pages

I have read a few of Rachel Hore's novels. I was excited to start this novel and I was not disappointed. I really enjoy Rachel's writing style. The story is wonderful, with believable characters and dialogue.. The timescale and chapters go between 1941 and 1977. I found the story captivating and intriguing.

I would recommend this novel. I give a 4 star rating

I WANT TO THANK NETGALLEY FOR THE OPPORTUNITY OF READING AN ADVANCED COPY OF THIS BOOK FOR AN HONEST REPLY

A fantastic read. A real page turner!
Maddie and Philip meet, have a whirlwind romance, marry and have two daughters. Then Philip leaves to fight in the war and Maddie is left alone to bring up the children. When her home is bombed she moves in with a neighbour. A folder is handed to her by one of the rescue men. It belongs to her husband. It contains a photograph album she's never seen and the name of a place, Knygton where Philip spent his Summer holidays. Maddie knows next to nothing about Philip's past and is curious. She tracks the place down and asks if they'll take her and the girls in because it's out in the countryside and they agree.
This was my favourite part of the book. I loved the place. In my minds eye I could see the idyll, the author painted with words, which was Knygton and the village of Monksfield.
There are lots of secrets in the place and these slowly unravel over the course of the novel.
There was one episode which happened very quickly and I didn't think it added much to the story. The last chapter could have been a bit longer with a bit more detail about what happened to them all. But these minor woes doesn't warrant dropping a star.
This is my first book by this author and I will definitely be looking out for more.

As you’d expect from Rachel Hore, a fabulous book based on true historical events. Beautifully told with drama, love, human interest and full of believable characters. I’m quite sad to have finished such a wonderful story. As always, looking forward to more more this great author, she never disappoints.

Thank you to Netgalley, the author and publishers for an ARC in exchange for an honest review

One Moonlit Night by Rachel Hore is a book set in wartime Britain and France.  The protagonist is Maddie, a young woman who falls in love with Philip, a Lieutenant in the army. The book describes the course of their relationship, particularly the very tense period in which Philip is missing,  presumed dead, leaving Maddie alone with their two young daughters. When their house is bombed Maddie retreats to Phillip's ancestral home of Knyghton in Norfolk, to live with his aunt Gussie and cousin Lyle whom she has never met. What follows is a roller coaster read about many things including love, loyalty and temptation,  friendship and betrayal,  isolation,  hope and uncertainty, and family secrets and lies. I do not want to give any spoilers but suffice to say there is a good mix of happiness and (plenty of) drama. This is the first book by Rachel Hore that I have read but after reading this I would be keen to try more of her books. I enjoyed the story. I found it a very easy read, a good book for those times when you just want to read something undemanding. I enjoyed the descriptions of Knyghton and its inhabitants. The characters were really interesting- I liked the Fleggs and Gussie and I was intrigued by Flora and her role in the family's outcomes. I liked Maddie's independence and that she fought to keep her career as well as mucking in with the domestic jobs and keeping the family together. It drew on the loneliness of parenthood and being a 'stranger'. It was interesting to read Phillip's story interspersed with Maddie's and it helped to build the tension. I quite liked the way the relationships evolved on the whole, but I felt that, for me, there were parts that seemed rushed. At 470 pages it isn't a short novel, but I felt that there could have been more development around the ending, especially the way things turned out for Lyle and for the family in the future. I also felt that Philip and Maddie's courtship at the beginning seemed a little rushed.  A good test of a book for me is if I am thinking about it when I am not reading it and after I have finished it, and one Moonlit Night passes the test! I would recommend it to people who like reading about wartime, family secrets, and a bit of love and lust. 3.5 / 5 stars. Content warning for injury, shooting, kidnap, adultery, animal harm. Many thanks to Simon and Schuster via Netgalley for kindly gifting me an ecopy of this ARC in exchange for an honest review.