Hannah: The Soldier Diaries

by Steve Wallis

“A triumph … A funny, moving, pop tune-filled, uplifting experience that is also a timely reminder of how fragile peace is and how what is happening miles away can be brought to our doorstep.” — Yorkshire Evening Post

A story of love, separation and an uncertain future. When the gorgeous Hannah meets Lance Corporal Jack Webb in the Summer of 2012 she is quickly smitten. However, Hannah has to decide quickly whether to embark on a whirlwind affair or walk away, as the couple only have four weeks together before Jack has to return to the army to fight in the Afghan War. Hannah follows her heart and spends the most amazing four weeks of her life with Jack, before he has to leave. Over two months later, Jack is missing, and Hannah—who is three months pregnant—is beside herself with worry. Out of nowhere, a face she knows only too well appears at her door. Are all Hannah's worries over or is this the beginning of the end for Hannah and Jack?

Hannah: The Soldier Diaries is a musical audiobook featuring a foreword by Ross Kemp. This musical audiobook contains 11 narrated chapters with each chapter being complimented by its own song.

Genres: Audiobook

Audiobook

Published September 1, 2022

Reviews

[Marilyn (not getting notifications) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hannah: The Soldier Diaries (Part 1) was the most unusual audiobook I have ever listened to. I didn’t read the plot summary before I started to listen to this audiobook so I was quite surprised when I heard a song being belted out after the first chapter. Hannah: The Soldier Diaries. After I got over my initial shock, I settled back and enjoyed this musical audiobook. When I closed my eyes, I felt like I was experiencing a live theatrical performance with musical accompaniment. Narrator, Zoe Wright, brought this audiobook performance to life for me. Her performance was perfect.

Hannah: The Soldier Diaries took place in England in 2012. Hannah was a twenty something year old woman who was at her place of employment taking care of one of her steady customers when a very tall, handsome and blonde haired man in uniform walked into the shop where she was engaged in conversation with her client. Hannah assumed that the handsome stranger was her client’s date. She was so wrong. The handsome soldier, Corporal Jack Webb, appeared to be staring at her. Jack approached Hannah and did two things. He introduced himself to her and asked her out on a date. Hannah learned that Jack came from a military family. He was being deployed to Afghanistan soon so he was home on leave. It didn’t take Hannah and Jack long to fall for each other. Hannah did not want Jack to go to Afghanistan. She feared for his safety and his life. As much as Hannah wanted to change Jack’s mind about going, she knew it was a fruitless act. Shortly after Jack was deployed, Hannah learned that she was pregnant with his baby. Then Hannah’s worst fears come to fruition. A plane was shot down in Afghanistan. Was Jack on that plane? Had she lost him before they were even able to start a life together?

Hannah: The Soldier Diaries by Steve Wallis was hopeful, sad and even a bit funny. It proved that being in the right place at the right time can be very rewarding. For me, some of the songs were a bit much but the production of this audiobook was definitely an original idea. I look forward to listening to the second audiobook in this series since the first one ended with a cliffhanger. Overall, I enjoyed listening to this audiobook and highly recommend it.

Thank you to Book Forward Audiobooks for allowing me to listen to Hannah:The Soldiers Diaries by Steve Wallis through Netgalley in exchange for an unbiased review.

[Erica · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is truly such a unique audiobook experience that I wish I could give more than 5 stars! This audiobook combined my guilty pleasure of loving musicals with books, and I truly loved it.
I didn't love that we ended basically on a cliffhanger, but I hope in the future we get more of Hannah and Jack's story.

[Deb Stern · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you Book Forward Audiobooks and NetGalley for the opportunity to listen to this gem.
Zoe Wright is excellent and I could listen to her tell stories all day.
I had no idea what this was about but when it says musical and “listen now”, I give it a try.
Now that I finished it I’m thinking, what the heck just happened?! I’m very unsettled.
It’s short but impactful. Music is good, a bit to pop for me, but hey, I’m 60!
No spoilers, but for all that is good, we need a sequel!

[Angel · Rating 3 out of 5]

"Hannah: The Soldier Diaries" by Steve Wallis is an interesting audiobook with music accompanying each chapter. It's kind of a romance novella.

This is set in 2012 in England. A young woman named Hannah meets an army soldier named Jack on leave before deployment to Afghanistan. They have an idyllic 4 weeks of summer love together. Some of the music read more upbeat than the story seemed to warrant.

The book just kind of ends without resolution, which is just wrong. Books should have beginnings, middles, and ends. This was disappointing.

Characters - 4/5
Writing - 3/5
Plot - 3/5
Pacing - 3/5
Unputdownability - 3/5
Enjoyment - 3/5
Narration - 5/5 by Zoe Wright
Cover - 4/5
Overall - 28/8 = 3 4/8
Rounded down to 3 due to lack of ending

Thank you to Netgalley, Book Forward Audiobooks, and author Steve Wallis for providing this audiobook in exchange for my honest review.

[Dawn (bookscatsandbingeing) · Rating 5 out of 5]

HANNAH: THE SOLDIER DIARIES (Part 1)
Steve Wallis

Thank you Books Forward and the author for my gifted copy.

This was a very cool audiobook experience. Not only is there narration and background sound but there are songs to complement each chapter. The songs help to understand the story more much like musical theater.
Hannah’s story is one of joy, love, angst, heartbreak, and sadness. She and Jack make the very most out of their four weeks together.
The ending seems like a cliffhanger (hence part 1) but if you listen carefully it’s not.
I’m anxiously awaiting part 2.
This is a quick listen, check it out.
Out now.

[Kim Novak (The Reading Rx) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Part audiobook part musical, Hannah is a modern wartime love story. The narrator was more of a voice actress if that makes sense, and the entire story was a legit performance. Reading some other reviews, some listeners have complained about the abrupt cliffhanger ending. I absolutely disagree and feel that the other review missed a huge clue earlier in the story where the twin brothers’ mother talks about their antics as identicals. There is no cliffhanger but a major twist if you really listen to it. Mind blown.

Thank you to NetGalley and Books Forward Audiobooks for the opportunity to listen to this audiobook ARC.

[Erin Clark · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely loved, loved, loved this audio book and cannot wait for the next installment. The music is fantastic, the story is engaging the narration is perfect. Please Mr. Wallis hurry up and finish the next bit, I am on tenterhooks waiting:). Very highly recommended and if I could give more than five stars I would. 5++++ stars.

[Sena · Rating 1 out of 5]

1/5 stars. a musical in an audiobook--conceptually, it was intriguing enough to warrant me picking it up, but this unfortunately fell short for me in quite a few ways.

hannah: the soldier diaries tells the take of a young hairdresser who meets a soldier by chance, and their whirlwind, four-week long romance. for those who hate insta-love, this is the first sign that this likely isn't your cup of tea, as it wasn't mine. the characters fell heads over heels in a short span of time, feeling as if the reader barely got to know either of them or become invested in their relationship.

speaking of characters, i personally found hannah... eye-roll inducing, if not cringe. her 'love' was melodramatic and unfounded, and the tone that the narrator took only further cemented her as a mildly annoying teenager with a crush. perhaps this would have been better suited to a young adult audience.

finally, the production quality was a miss for me where the songs were significantly louder than the narration, resulting in either being unable to hear the story or having music blasting painfully into the eardrums every chapter.

in summary, i wasn't a fan of this one unfortunately, but the concept has potential.

i received an ARC of the audiobook edition in exchange for an an honest review.

[Jamie Bee · Rating 4 out of 5]

High-Energy Audiobook Musical

I've listened to many audiobooks over the last year and a half, and this certainly is unique! It's actually more like a musical audiobook—audiobook musical?—as each chapter has a song played at the end that goes along with it, either adding to the storyline or emphasizing a point made in it. While it isn't 100% like it, of course, much of the music has a Little Shop of Horrors vibe with its energy and drive. The songs are certainly more modern, though, including hip-hop.

The story is about a young British couple who quickly fall for each other before he's just about ready to ship off to the war in Afghanistan. The female narrator does a great job, getting across the energy of youth and the excitement of falling for someone against the backdrop of potential danger and loss. The narrator feels like she's your bubbly, smart talking best friend who's sharing a dramatic story of something important that happened in her life. It feels more acted than read, but in a most engaging way—not overly dramatic or melodramatic, which can sometimes happen with audiobooks that are more acted than narrated.

While I liked the musical aspect very much initially—the opening of the book was such a surprise (as I had forgotten music was an element of it) and made me smile—the concept has its ups and downs. The raw energy of the music was a bit much at times, and sometimes felt at cross purposes to what happened earlier in the chapter. I'll admit, too, I usually listen to audiobooks at the end of my day to help unwind. This musical audiobook will not help you settle down for the evening! There's nothing inherently wrong with that. In fact, it would be perfect if you need a little inspiration to keep doing a boring task, like cleaning out your garage or some other busy work around the home. I actually had to stop listening to it for my evening listen because of most songs’ high energy. However, it was perfectly fine during other parts of the day or doing tasks needing sustained energy. Another audio issue: sometimes, the volume mix wasn't quite right at the end of a chapter. Often, the intro to the song would start while the narrator was wrapping up the speaking part of the story, and her voice was drowned out.

While this did have a few audio issues, as mentioned above, I like the idea of an immersive audiobook including music. Audiobooks open up a whole different realm of possibility for a story. Why not add sound effects, multiple narrators, or songs? Highly enjoyable, unless you're getting ready for bed!

I received a promo code for this audiobook, but that did not affect my review.

[Pinque Noire · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hannah: The Soldier Diaries by Steve Wallis
Narrated by Zoe Wright

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This was a unique and engaging story told from the perspective of Hannah, a young hairstylist still figuring out her path in life, and her brief but intense romance with Jack, a dedicated young soldier.

Hannah and Jack fall passionately in love while he’s on leave from the British Army. Coming out of a toxic relationship, Hannah discovers for the first time what a healthy relationship feels like. But after only a few weeks, Jack is called back to duty, leaving Hannah to navigate the emotional aftermath of his sudden departure—and to face life-changing news that comes as a consequence of their whirlwind romance.

The story is divided into 11 chapters with a conclusion, each ending with a musical-style production that adds a fun and lively touch to the experience. While this format was engaging, the story felt quite short; it might have been better suited as a multi-part podcast series. Still, I thoroughly enjoyed it and found myself really connecting with Hannah’s character. She’s funny, relatable, and feels like someone I’d love to be friends with.

The narrator does an excellent job, capturing the perfect mood and tone throughout—it genuinely felt like a friend sharing a personal story. She brings Hannah’s emotions to life, from gushing over the romantic moments to tearing up during the sad parts, even adding a touch of humor to the more risqué adventures.

The story ends in a way that invites listeners to interpret the outcome for themselves. It’s thought-provoking: how did it make you feel, and how do you need it to end?

Due to mature themes and language, I’d recommend this for adults or with parental guidance. But even with the serious themes, the musical theater-style production brings a sense of fun and lightness to the story.


Thank you to #BooksForwardAudiobooks & #NetGalley for the ALC in exchange for my honest review.

[Michelle (Chelle's Book Ramblings) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm not typically an audiobook enthusiast, but Hannah: The Soldier Diaries was a refreshing change. From the first song, I was hooked. The concept of combining narration with music felt like a musical theater performance, bringing the story to life in a way that traditional audiobooks often lack. (Even with the vast improvements they have done recently)

The narration wasn't simply reading words; it was a performance. Coupled with the music, it created a poignant and immersive experience. The drama, sadness, hope, and humor all felt amplified, thanks to the soundtrack's ability to evoke strong emotions.

This innovative approach reminded me of the power of soundtracks in movies. They can significantly impact a viewer's emotional connection to the story. Why not apply the same principle to audiobooks? Hannah: The Soldier Diaries proves that it's a compelling way to engage readers.

A word of caution: The first part ends on a cliffhanger, be warned about that but it helps in way, leaving you eager for more. If you're a fan of musicals and looking for a unique storytelling experience, I highly recommend giving this audiobook a listen.

[Susan (The Book Bag) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I wasn't sure what to expect when I started this audiobook. I liked the synopsis and was intrigued by it being described as a 'musical theater audiobook'. I am a huge fan of musicals so—yes please!

I loved everything about this story—the storyline was interesting and kept my attention, the narrator was amazing, and the music was fabulous. As the writer notes in the interview below, the book is 'a narration plus songs in a musical theater style'. I loved that each chapter ended with a song relating to the chapter, just like if I was watching a musical!

Hannah is a quick read, or listen I guess, with only 11 chapters, not quite 2 hours listening time and it was very enjoyable. I was left wondering what was going to happen to Hannah and Jack and discovered that the author is releasing book two in December. That thrilled me and I'm excited to continue on with this journey.

[Nicola Butler · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am so happy that I stumbled upon this delightful audio book about Hannah and her relationship with soldier Jack. It is set in Scarborough, which is about an hour from where I grew up, so I recognised some of the locations mentioned and this brought back happy memories. I loved the character of Hannah, she was so normal and down to earth.

Zoe Wright, the narrator, has an amazing voice and her tone (and accent) made it feel like I was chatting with an old friend. The background noises (seagulls, train station etc) really helped set the scenes and the catchy songs had me dancing round the kitchen.

It was funny and moving. I devoured it in one day and can’t wait for the next instalment in the story. I would recommend this to anyone who enjoys musicals.

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, author, narrator and all involved for this ALC.

[Beth · Rating 4 out of 5]

This audiobook is unlike any I have ever listened to before. This was a short story musical audiobook. And it was so much fun. Each chapter ends with a song that adds to the story one way or another.
Hannah meets Jack and they have a whirlwind romance. All the while knowing that in a matter of weeks he will be deployed to Afghanistan. Hannah becomes close to his mother and leans on her in Jack's absence since Jack's father and twin brother have both been deployed in the military. When Jack goes missing, Hannah is distraught., finding comfort with Jack's family. The ending is shocking and ambiguous at the same time.
I would highly recommend this to audiobook fans. This is would be so much to talk a walk to!

[Vanessa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hannah The Soldier Diaries and part one in this series by Steve Wallis qnd narrated by Zoe Wright is a wonderful and magical audiobbok that gripped me from the beginning till the ned.

SO..........Close your eyes and immerse yourself in a story of love, separation, and uncertainty. Experience the magic of the theatre. WoW, this audiobook was special, especially as I was sitting in my gardin on a lovely sunny day listening to Hannah. Set in 2012, in Englsn. A young woman called Hannah meets a young Army soldier named Jack, who is on leave before deplyment to Afghanistan. They only have just four weeks together, and they make the most of their time before everything vhanges.

Hannah, is an excellent audiobook. The music was brilliant and went well with the story. I loved it.

[Amy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hannah, the soldier diaries, is a musical audiobook performance written by Steve Wallis. Hannah, our main character, and storyteller, meets Corporal Jack Webb one day while she is at work. Jack asks her out on a date, and it seems to go from there! I loved seeing the relationship develop, and really enjoyed the music throughout the book.
Hannah is honest about her feelings, her past relationships, and her fears about Jack being sent to fight in the war. As time goes on Hannah’s worries change, and she has to deal with Jack going to war, and not always knowing where he is and that she can not protect him.
I really enjoyed the characters in this book, especially, Hannah, Jack, and Jacks parents. I loved the music throughout the story, and the way it added to the plot development. Definitely recommend!
Thank you to NetGalley, and to the author, narrator, and publisher of this book for an ALC in exchange for an honest review

[Kaye · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very unique. A musical audiobook. It is 2012 and Hannah meets Jack shortly before he will be deployed to Afghanistan. Each chapter tells a section of their story, such as first meeting, a date, meeting his parents etc. and the chapter concludes with a pop song. I like musical theater so this format worked for me. I could imagine this as a stage show. But the ending is either cliffhanger or ambiguous leaving me feeling the story is not complete. I just saw in the notes from the publisher there will be a follow up audiobook . For now I will say four stars with the possibility of it rising if or when there is more to the story.

[Maartje Paauw · Rating 5 out of 5]

A musical audiobook in itself is a groundbreaking idea that I did not know I needed. And on top of that Zoe Wright made this an incredible experience, more acting than just narrating. It’s basically a mini musical for at home. It felt like a conversation with a close friend who was telling me the story of their great love and it ended with us both in tears. Amazing, truly.

Thanks to Books Forward Audiobooks for this ARC! I hope with all my heart, to ever come across another audiobook as special as this one.

[C. Gonzales · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was addictive and beautiful.

Listening to this was so easy. It was beautiful, fluid, and lyrical.

The story itself was compelling and interesting with a cast of very interesting characters and plenty of drama.

This will bring a new appreciation of music and musicals. It's a great production.

[R.K. Emery · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love the full experience of these audiobooks. This one has some heavy subject matter, but the audio version/musical really allows it all to come to life.

An intense journey from start to finish. It has a little bit of everything and will have you getting lost in it.

It's full of themes and life lessons, it's REAL and RAW, it's not cookie cutter and I think that is a great thing.

[Hungry Book Club · Rating 5 out of 5]

This audiobook is quite the experience.

If the show One Day had a baby with Dear John with a musical recessive gene.....it'd be this book.

Great way to showcase emotions - theater in your ears!!

Thanks Books Forward for the ARC!

[eiei · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hannah: The Soldier Diaries is a captivating musical audiobook that weaves love, separation, and uncertainty into its melodic narrative. Set against the backdrop of the Afghan War, it follows Hannah’s whirlwind affair with Lance Corporal Jack Webb.

I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Books Yada Yada · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely adored this audiobook and can't express how eager I am for the next installment! Everything about it was fantastic—the music, the captivating story, and the flawless narration. The audio production truly elevated the experience, making it impossible to stop listening.

[Stacey Mckeogh · Rating 4 out of 5]

A really interesting, unique listening experience. Fun and heartbreaking at the same time. I would've liked the ending to be a bit longer, it felt very abrupt....but then i suppose that's how Hannah's life would've felt at that time.
Thoroughly enjoyable.

[Kacey/Kris · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting story. It is a different way of portraying a somewhat historical fiction. It shows you the lives of people in war time.

[Jenn Marshall · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting format. I really liked the combination of story and music. I don't normally enjoy historical fiction but this was a lot of fun.

4 stars