Where Dragonflies Hover

This book has two story lines connected by a diary. Allie is a nurse during World War I and falls in love with Danny, a married man who is a Captain in the British Army. She keeps a diary of their love and dies near the end of World War II. Lexi finds the diary when she tours the house in the hopes of buying it in present day. With her marriage already shaky, her husband Dylan leaves when she goes ahead and buys the estate outside of London. This is one of the best stories I have read that has the parallel stories . Both sets of characters are so well drawn that you know they must be real. Allie's diary has you in the tent near the battlefield, hearing the bombs drop and seeing the wounded soldiers scared and fearful. Loved this book and will take a look at some of her previous books. All ages of readers will appreciate this book. History fans will appreciate the World War I story line and romance readers will enjoy both love stories.

Absolutely loved this book!! Talk about a page-turner! Fell in love with the story, characters, and Hollingsworth House!!

Lexi has always been drawn to Hollingsworth House, since it’s come up for sale, all she can think about is buying it. Unfortunately her husband, Dylan has no interest, as a matter of fact, he’s told her, it’s either their marriage or the house. Knowing that her marriage has been faltering for a while now, Lexi sadly chooses the house. It’s in an old shed on the property that she comes across a diary written by a World War I nurse named Allie. Lexi becomes enthralled with Allie’s story, the terrible battlefield hospitals she worked in, and the married man that Allie falls in love with. As Lexi learns the connection between Allie and Hollingsworth House, she’s even more sure that she made the right decision to buy the house. But Lexi didn’t count on a surprise that will change everything. Alternating between the battlefields of WWI France and present day Yorkshire, this is a story of love that lasts beyond a lifetime

Awesome! I loved the characters. Well written and intriguing. Their love story kept me engrossed until the end.

Where Dragonflies Hover, written by AnneMarie Brear, is truly an amazing story! This is the first book I've read by this author, and I have to admit it exceeded my expectations. The book has two story lines, with a common connection...Hollingsworth House. The two main characters also share the same first name, Alexandria.

The story begins in the spring of 1945, and begins telling the story of Alexandria Jamieson, known as Allie. Allie is sixty years old at that point, originally from Australia, and was a nurse during WWI. She is writing a diary to tell people about the love of her life, Captain Danny Hollingsworth, and to let people know that true love will overcome any obstacles, including war. When asked who will read it, she simply smiled and said, "Anyone who needs to find it will read it."

The story then takes place in 2010, and introduces the next character, Alexandria O'Connor, known as Lexi. Lexi is married to a doctor, Dylan. For some time now, Lexi has known something wasn't quite right in her life, especially in her marriage. She wants to start a family, but her husband wants to wait for five years. He is so busy with his career and is seldom home, and he feels this just isn't the right time to have a baby. There is also something else Lexi wants, and that is to purchase the Hollingsworth House. Once again, what she wants is not what Dylan wants. He feels the house is just too expensive, and needs too much work done to even make it livable. They constantly argue about this, and this only causes even more problems in their already troubled marriage. Despite this, Lexi continues to be drawn to the house, and feels it speaks to her like nothing has ever done before. She is at the house one day, and comes across a locked box, and after opening it, she finds a diary. She takes the diary with her, and begins to read it...it is the diary Allie wrote.

The story alternates between Allie's story, and Lexi's...and as the story unfolds, we learn about these two women, and the common bond they share. This is a beautifully written story, told in vivid detail, that just brings the story to life. It is about two determined women, not letting anyone or anything stop them from having what they want. Both women experience pain and heartache, and both come out of it even stronger in the end. The characters are well developed and true to life. The parts that tell of the war are intense and heartfelt at the same time. Overall, this is an amazing story, and one I could not put down. It is also a story that will stay with me for a long time. I honestly can't stress enough how wonderful this book truly is! AnneMarie Brear is an amazing storyteller, and I will be looking forward to reading more by her in the future!

I was given an advance digital copy of this book from Choc Lit and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

A diary written by a nurse on the front lines during World War I has a profound impact on a woman in the 21st century. Allie, the nurse, had one true love that came to her after she was thirty and while she was caring for the wounded. That love was deep abiding and everything to her and to her Danny. Lexi finds Allie’s diary on property she eventually purchases and reading it impacts her deeply. She cherishes the diary and wishes that she, too, will eventually find that same kind of love for herself.

This is a beautifully written story of two women. The characters are well developed, the issues dealt by both women very believable, the historical aspects of the war intense and educational and the story one I could not put down - at all – I was drawn in from the beginning and had to find out what would happen. I will also say that being an RN and having an interest in the history of nursing made this book even more special to me.

This is the first book I have read by this author but I will be looking for more of her books in hopes that they will be just as wonderful.

Thank you to NetGalley and ChocLit for the copy of this book to read and review.

I do love a good time slip story and this is an excellent one!

The story of Lexi, her house, and Dylan is very up to date and resonant of many marriages today. Life gets in the way and they start to follow different paths. I suspect it was Lexi's unhappiness that made her obsess about the house.

This contrasts beautifully with Allie & Danny's story, set in France and England during the Great War. Their behaviour was not common in those days - except for those involved in the actual fighting and care of the soldiers. They seized every opportunity to be happy, never knowing when they might meet again, or even if. The diary was a fascinating insight into the frontline hospitals of France and Belgium.

I loved that Allie's diary helped Dylan see things more clearly and understand Lexi a bit more.

What would be really nice is that this is the first of a series, following the women of the legal firm.

Overall, the feeling I got from the book was, "Follow your heart". Both Lexi and Allie did, and they both ultimately found happiness.

I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review

Great Book!
This is a great book by Annemarie Brear. Lexi has fallen in love with the Hollingsworth House and everyone including her husband thinks she is crazy. While exploring the house she stumbles across an old diary written by Allie, and Australian nurse who worked in France during the First World War. If you are looking for a great book then you need to read this one. I am looking forward to the next book by this great author. A Review copy was provided to me in exchange for a fair and honest review. The free book held no determination on my personal review.

I'm a huge fan of Time-slip stories and have to say this is one of the best I've ever read. The level of description in both timelines is all encompassing and both characters stories work so well alongside each other that it just makes a pleasure to read

One part of the book is set in 1945 from the perspective of Australian nurse Allie and her extremely detailed and often harrowing descriptions of life in the field hospitals and the kind of injuries that she witnessed whilst working.

And her diary is found in a shed in Leeds in 2010, when lawyer Lexi becomes drawn to Hollingsworth House, which has seen better days and sets her heart on moving there and it becoming her dream family home. This doesn't appear to be the same dream as her husband Dylan who is happy with their life as it is, even though they rarely have time for each other due to work committments. Lexi feels old before her time so when she discovers the diary in the grounds of the rundown Hollingsworth House, she can't stop herself reading it and finds herself swept along in reliving Allie and her memories and it helps her to see past what her life has become.

I was extremely lucky to read this book at the manuscript stage as I'm on the Choc-Lit Tasting Panel, and it is even better than I remember it then! The story never feels rushed or false and it is very difficult to put down once you start! A must read!!

Wow! Wow! Wow! I was intrigued when I picked up ‘Where Dragonflies Hover’, (WWI Nursing, crumbling old manors and romance are the perfect combination to me) but as I delved into the story that AnneMarie Brear created, I was captivated, enchanted and completely in love with the characters, story, setting…just everything! This really is a truly special novel.

The modern day scenes were beautifully wistful of a time gone by, and I loved following Lexi’s journey as she struggled to make her marriage work, but also to embrace the life she wanted to live. Brear did a fantastic job in creating a believable and heartfelt crack in Lexi and Dylan’s marriage, and not once did I hate Dylan, only felt sad that he wouldn’t fight for Lexi more, and vice-versa. All too often, authors make tension by creating unlikable, overly evil charachatures of the men who break their partners hearts, but with Dylan, Brear created a heartbreaking, realistic depiction of a relationship that was falling apart, no matter how much Lexi and he loved each other.

Alternating between Lexi’s struggle in the modern day, we enter the horrors of the First World War Front Line. Allie was a fantastic character, and brilliantly portrayed the no-nonsense, over-worked but feeling and caring nurse of the military hospitals of WWI. Researched to perfection, and as real to me as any contemporary setting, I believed every second of Allie’s hospital work. For anyone who, like me, is still in mourning that the BBC axed ‘The Crimson Field’ after only one series, then this will fantastic story will give you what we all wanted in a second series.

I could blabber away about the perfection of this book for pages, but it wouldn’t be coherent. All I can say is; please, please read this amazing book. It has stayed with me for days, and has inspired me as a reader and writer!

5+ Stars!

*Review copy was kindly provided by the publisher through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review*

When Lexi falls in love with Hollingsworth House her husband Dylan only sees a money pit and a lot of work when their lives are already too busy. As her obsession continues cracks start to appear in the marriage and when he takes a job offer in London she decides to go it alone.

When Lexi finds an old diary in a shed she starts to learn of the story of an Australian nurse, Allie, in WWI and the married love of her life. With her own life in chaos Lexi is completely drawn in to the life of Allie and the two timelines work perfectly

A great book with some lovely characters and whichever time you are in you cant put it down - well worth reading

Thank you ever so much @ChocLituk @annemariebrear and @NetGalley for allowing me to review this thoroughly compelling book. I have never read any of this ladies work before but can honestly say what a pleasure it was from start to finish.

This book has two timelines 1917 and present day. The connection is Hollingsworth House. In the present day Hollingsworth House is run down and for sale. Lexi buys the house and in the outbuildings she finds an old diary written by Allie, an Australian nurse in the First World War. Lexi's marriage is in trouble, her husband gave her an ultimatum and told her if she bought Hollingsworth House then he would leave her. Since she has now purchased the house Dylan leaves to work in London. Lexi becomes engrossed in Allie's diary from 1917. One of Allie's patients was Daniel the owner of Hollingsworth back then. He is married but that does not stop them falling madly in love and becoming devoted to each other, making their relationship work. Lexi finds out she is pregnant but continues to live independently hoping her husband realises how much she loves him and that they can make their relationship work.