If you love, love and the heartwrenching adventures it takes us on, then this is a book for you. We are spoiled with stories both past and present. With loveable characters and an exciting and compassionate story. I was taken on a whirlwind tour of emotions whilst reading. You will need a little box of tissues next to you as you read it. I found the book to be very relatable to a period of time in my life. So when the modern day character found the journal and feels it was written for her, I was mirroring Lexi's thoughts that this book was written for me. Obviously, it wasn't but it could have been. I think if you have had love in your life, may it be in the past or you have it in your life now. You will connect with Where Dragonflies Hover. It really is a gem of a read.

My only negative comment and it's only that in the sense of my bank balance, is that I now have to go and purchase Anne Marie's back catalogue of novels. She is an extremely talented writer with a knack for connecting to your heart and hanging on tight.

Wonderfully evocative, superbly written and absolutely impossible to resist, Where Dragonflies Hover is a stunning dual time frame story from an outstanding storyteller: AnneMarie Brear!

Lexi feels as if her life is falling apart. Her marriage is on the rocks as her husband works every hour God sends, her friends are too busy leading their own lives for them to have any time for her and her job doesn’t give her the purpose and satisfaction which it once did. Lexi is desperate for a fresh start and for a new project and when she claps eyes on Hollingsworth House, she feels as if she has finally found that elusive something which she has been searching for for so long. Compelled to purchase this crumbling and derelict mansion in Yorkshire, Lexi decides to give in to the insistent little voice in her head that is telling her to buy Hollingsworth House and make the property her own. But when Lexi stumbles across an old diary belonging to Allie, an Australian nurse who had worked in France during the First World War, she soon finds herself entangled in a web of illicit desire, strong passion and forbidden love…

As a nurse working on the front line during World War One, Allie knows that she should keep her mind on the job and not get distracted by thoughts of love and romance. But when fate intervenes and she meets Captain Danny Hollingsworth, giving into temptation soon proves inevitable. Overwhelmed by jeopardy, heightened emotions and a staggering fear that each day could be their last, Allie and Danny’s feelings for one another soon escalate. But with so many obstacles standing in their way, does their love have any hope of surviving? Or will this tragic war vanquish all hope of a future for the two of them.

In the present day, Lexi finds herself getting increasingly drawn into Allie and Danny’s story. Although they are divided by time, will Lexi find the answers she has been searching for in Allie’s diary? Will happiness be finally within her reach? Or will the fairy tale ending Lexi has been searching for continue to elude her?

Poignant, powerful and searingly emotional, Where Dragonflies Hover stands shoulder to shoulder with the finest works by some of the genre’s greatest writers such as Catherine Cookson, Audrey Howard and Rosamunde Pilcher. AnneMarie Brear will dazzle and enthrall her readers with this captivating and beguiling tale of second chances, hope and the healing power of love. Effortlessly sweeping her readers up into her story, AnneMarie Brear makes you feel every single emotion her characters are going through and will keep you on the edge of your seat, desperately turning the pages waiting to find out what happens next!

A book guaranteed to make you laugh and cry, Where Dragonflies Hover is first rate storytelling at its finest!

I cannot convey enough just how much I love this book. From the very beginning, I was pulled into first Allie's life during the war, and then Lexi's life in modern England, and I immediately cared so much about these characters. In 1945 Allie is dying and is determined to leave her love story with Danny in the form of a diary, in the hopes that someday it will help someone who needs it - someone who is lost and needs to learn that love isn't always the way we imagine it will be...
It is 2010 when Lexi finds the diary on the grounds of Hollingsworth House, a house that calls to her very soul, and one she longs to own. At this point in Lexi's life, everything seems to be falling apart around her - her marriage appears to be over, her work is becoming less important to her, and her friends all seem to be struggling with their own issues, but her instincts tell her this house is where she is supposed to be. As Lexi navigates many new and terrifying changes in this story, we get to learn about Allie's life from the pages of her diary - the fear and harsh reality of war, mixed up with the meaning of true love - and as Lexi feels closer to Allie, Allie's words help Lexi figure out her own problems.
WHERE DRAGONFLIES HOVER by AnneMarie Brear weaves history and fiction, past and present effortlessly together in such a way that takes a reader's breath away. With stunning description, deep and meaningful characters, and a beautiful message of love, WHERE DRAGONFLIES HOVER by AnneMarie Brear is truly a book not to be missed.

4.5 stars. I don’t read many stories that jump time periods and even less that involve war so with that information you may wonder why I chose to read this? Basically it appealed to me because of the story, I have always loved old buildings particularly castles and houses so the house was something that interested me. Also although I tend to avoid war stories and films, though not all, this is a was story from the perspective of a nurse and that is something I have not encountered before. These aspects piqued my interest and so I decided to take a chance on the book and I was not disappointed.

Despite the fact that I avoid war stories where possible I do know a fair bit about WW1 and the horrors that faced the soldiers there so when I was reading Allie’s thoughts and experiences of dealing with soldiers covered in mud and her observations of trees that were blown up I was not surprised. However, what was new was the way in which this information was conveyed. The story was written in such a way that I felt like a fly on the wall, I was completely immersed in what Allie was seeing and experiencing but was completely safe from any of the dangers that she faced. I know this was an accurate but fictional account of someone but it honestly felt like I was reading someone’s actual diary. I have been having some difficulties of my own recently and this story reminded me of the real struggles that people faced in that war including not knowing if they would even live to see the end of the day. Reading that helped me realise that my problems, while important were not as bad as they could be and that was incredibly helpful for me.

I didn’t like Lexi quite as much as I did Allie. She was still a well-written and believable character but some of the things she did irritated me a little so I enjoyed the periods when she was reading the diary a little more than I enjoyed reading about her. Her story is interesting and equally realistic and I loved the fact that she wanted to buy the house and save it from ruin and development for profit but Allie’s was the stronger story for me and the one I was drawn to most.

Reading this book has made me want to read more about nurses and people other than soldiers in WW1 because their stories tend to be the one’s less focused on but for me are the one’s I want to know more about. In the guest post the author mentions a book she read for research, The Other Anzacs and I think that is an excellent place for me to start as well.

It’s been a while since I’ve said this but this is a book I would highly recommend to anyone whether it is their usual reading taste or not. I wasn’t disappointed and I don’t think you will be either.