CJ WrayRecensioni

This was a dual timeline story – both present day and WW2 featuring two now elderly British sisters who both “did their bit” for their country and are headed to Paris with their great-nephew Archie to receive the Legion d’honneur award.

I thought it started out kind of silly, but I began to enjoy it more once the story reverted to the sisters’ wartime experiences. In addition to the backstory of the war years, this ultimately charming novel included a mystery, as well as some romance, and an exciting current day drama during the last few chapters.

Aunties Penney and Josephine were endearing, and it was refreshing to have the nonagenarian sisters portrayed as feisty, clever, and still sharp instead of the stereotypical doddering biddies.

If you’re looking for a light, entertaining read with quirky characters, war-time secrets, cocktails, and a happy ending, this is the book for you.

Really good. It gets a little confusing at times between all the characters and shifting time periods, but everything wraps up very nicely at the end.

Two old ladies plus friends and relatives have multiple adventures starting in Paris 1939 and ending in Paris 2022. Penny is delightful and plays a modern day Robin Hood. Josephine has multiple secrets. The grandnephew is sweet. The whole craziness at the end may not have been necessary.

This book about 2 elderly women who served in WWII was fun and interesting. Penny, now 97, was in FANY - First Aid Nursing Yeomanry, and her sister Josephine, now 99, served as a WREN - Women's Royal Naval Service. The book starts with the women being awarded the Légion d’honneur medal for their service, but then gives their back story as well. It follows their young lives, their service during the war, the loves they had, the secrets they lived and kept, and the current time in their lives. There is also a jewel heist story and a hostage situation.
It is quite an adventure.

Told in multiple timelines, we follow two spirited nonagenarian sisters who are Britain's most treasured WWII veterans. With elements of comedy, mystery, and espionage, this is also a captivating blend of historical fiction with a dash of romance.

While entertaining, the plot's complexity sometimes overwhelms. But amidst the chaos, I love how their great-nephew Archie's love and devotion for them shines through. This book is full of love and laughter. It will keep you guessing what trouble these sisters will cause next!

Even though this book was fabulous, it took quite a while to reach that point.

Some of the issues I had with this novel were:
The language - thank goodness my Kindle has a translator. The old-fashioned British language also threw me for a loop at times.
The chapters jumped from year to year, century to century, and not in a straightforward manner.

All this aside, the story was riveting. There were so many secrets, some that I figured out independently and some that just floored me when I found out.

The ending kept me riveted, and I wish there were more to the book so we could have had some solid tie-ups for some of the secondary characters.

I loved this book, and it will be going on my re-read shelf!

ARC was supplied by the publisher, HarperCollins, the author C. J. Wray, and NetGalley. My thanks.

FROM GOODREADS: Release date: Jan 30, 2024
We're giving away 100 early copies of CJ Wray's delightfully witty drama, THE EXCITEMENTS! Enter now! ...more
A brilliant and witty drama about two elderly female World War II veterans with a secret past who embark on one last adventure to right some historic ...more
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