Definitely a page turner, though as a whole I feel kinda "meh" about it. The letters and diary entries from Margo and Caro were very intriguing and I honestly would've loved it if the whole book followed them. The modern day storyline kinda dragged on and I was just making it through them to get to more Margo and Caro; they were much more interesting to me than Caroline.

Caroline Payne has spent her life rejecting love, unable to relax and breathe after the death of her sister. When an old college friend Mat, contacts her to tell her he will be publishing an article uncovering a secret about her family, the adventure begins. Caroline asks Mat to hold off publishing until they find out more. Named after her great aunt, also Caroline but called Caro by her twin sister Margaret, Caroline researches whether Caro ran off with a Nazi in 1942. Both the present timeline and the WWII timeline are absorbing and very emotional. The secret of Caro impacted her grandmother and father’s life, extending the unhappiness to Caroline. I highly recommend this novel of historical fiction, and thank Edelweiss for the ARC.

This is a tough one. It is definitely not 3 stars but also not 4 stars. It’s very similar to When We We’re Brave by Suzanne Kelman. If I had read this book first I may have given it a higher rating but I felt too much deja but to give it 4 stars. 3.5 stars

This book was such a delightful treat! I’ve been waiting to read a Katherine Reay book for such a long time now; but with the endless other books that I’ve committed to, it just didn’t seem likely.

I am beyond impressed with her writing. From the first page I knew that I’d found a gem.

When I read a book I’m looking for that story that is an immersive experience. I like to be able to feel like I’m in the book–as weird as that sounds. And that wasn’t a challenge at all with this one.

For Caroline Payne and her family, the truth is a tricky thing. Her great-aunt’s past is called into question when one of Caroline’s old school friends–and former crush–Mat, decides to write about her aunt, and her German lover during the time of WWII. But, not all is as it seems.

We get old letters and flashbacks into the life of Caroline’s great-aunt (also Caroline) and what she was actually dealing with during this period.

Besides getting those dramatic peeks, I would say that the effect that her sordid history have on the present Caroline and her family is the most heart-wrenching part of this story. To see the pain that her entire family has been in since WWII–all because of what they suspect happened–it’s just awful.

By the end of the story I was sad, hopeful, and encouraged by the lives of these characters and the promise of what the future would hold.

I can’t wait to read more from this author–I’m so glad that she already has so many other books published!

I really liked the story, although sometimes the writing was a bit long-winded, could have been edited to be more concise.

Speaking of editing, I found at least 2 obvious mistakes in the e-book version, which was honestly jarring.

Beautifully written, this historical fiction novel focuses on WWII and the spy network that is still so full of mystery. I love the way the story is told through letters and diaries from the past. Sometimes dual timelines are hard for me, but this one is written seamlessly. One of the arching themes is how secrets and lies from the past can haunt us in the future….and sometimes even destroy families. I felt so strongly for these characters. But especially for the ones who had already gone on, and never had answers. I just love when historical fiction has me thinking so deeply…..and wanting more answers! I look forward to reading more from this author.