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The War Between Us
Please note this book was previously titled The Morning Promise and The Silver Locket.
1914.
War brought them together, now duty threatens to tear them apart.
Rose Courtenay is bound by duty to her wealthy family. She is expected to marry well and continue the family legacy. But when war engulfs Europe, she sees her chance to escape.
She volunteers as a nurse on the Western Front, prepared to face the horrors of the battlefield rather than submit to a life she doesn’t want.
Arriving in France, Rose is immediately thrown into the chaos of war as she tends to injured soldiers. At the hospital she is reunited with Lieutenant Alex Denham, her childhood friend she never thought she’d see again.
The connection between Rose and Alex is instant and, as she nurses him back to health, stolen moments turn into something deeper.
But Alex has a secret, one that binds him to a duty he can’t escape. As war rages around them, Rose and Alex must decide — will they fight for love, or will duty tear them apart once more?
A sweeping tale of forbidden romance, sacrifice and resilience
2011 Reviewers' Choice Award from Single Titles.
1914.
War brought them together, now duty threatens to tear them apart.
Rose Courtenay is bound by duty to her wealthy family. She is expected to marry well and continue the family legacy. But when war engulfs Europe, she sees her chance to escape.
She volunteers as a nurse on the Western Front, prepared to face the horrors of the battlefield rather than submit to a life she doesn’t want.
Arriving in France, Rose is immediately thrown into the chaos of war as she tends to injured soldiers. At the hospital she is reunited with Lieutenant Alex Denham, her childhood friend she never thought she’d see again.
The connection between Rose and Alex is instant and, as she nurses him back to health, stolen moments turn into something deeper.
But Alex has a secret, one that binds him to a duty he can’t escape. As war rages around them, Rose and Alex must decide — will they fight for love, or will duty tear them apart once more?
A sweeping tale of forbidden romance, sacrifice and resilience
2011 Reviewers' Choice Award from Single Titles.
313 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 1, 2005
424 people are currently reading
662 people want to read
About the author
Margaret James
31 books30 followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.
Please see: Margaret James
Margaret James has been a member of the RNA for 22 years. She has written thirteen published novels, many short stories, and she also teaches creative writing for the London School of Journalism. Margaret's first novel was A Touch of Earth, a family saga set in Herefordshire where she was born and grew up, and her most recent is The Penny Bangle, set in Dorset and published by Robert Hale. But her personal favourite among her novels is Elegy for a Queen, published by Solidus, a small independent which has a varied and fascinating list. Margaret now lives in Devon, which she loves.
AKA Pamela Bennetts
Please see: Margaret James
Margaret James has been a member of the RNA for 22 years. She has written thirteen published novels, many short stories, and she also teaches creative writing for the London School of Journalism. Margaret's first novel was A Touch of Earth, a family saga set in Herefordshire where she was born and grew up, and her most recent is The Penny Bangle, set in Dorset and published by Robert Hale. But her personal favourite among her novels is Elegy for a Queen, published by Solidus, a small independent which has a varied and fascinating list. Margaret now lives in Devon, which she loves.
AKA Pamela Bennetts
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 55 reviews
October 10, 2017
I listened to the audiobook version of this story and I enjoyed every word. A love story set in the first world war that had me wishing the story would never end.
The horrors of war on the front line and love that conquers all will be a story that will stay in my mind for a long time to come.
Really enjoyed this book and I hope you will too if you should chance to read this book.
Recommended.
The horrors of war on the front line and love that conquers all will be a story that will stay in my mind for a long time to come.
Really enjoyed this book and I hope you will too if you should chance to read this book.
Recommended.
April 9, 2013
I don't normally choose romances but I was quickly engaged in Rose's story in The Silver Locket. I think I enjoyed it more because of its firm geographical and historical setting. To me, it highlighted an aspect of the first world war that isn't often acknowledged in popular fiction: the heroic labour and the bravery of British female nurses actually working in the battle zone. Many of these women were simply volunteers yet they were working in the most atrocious conditions. It just shows how bad their own home backgrounds must have been to them if they chose this sort of life.
Generally, I don't choose to read romantic novels because, to me, they feel a bit like 'empty reads'. That's fine if, as a reader, you just want the escapism of a good story. Personally, I want a bit more substance from my recreational reading; something I can go away and think about at later times. However,I was pleasantly surprised how much I actually gained from my reading of The Silver Locket. The knowledge, or substance, I gained was found in the vivid detail and the little bits of history scattered throughout the text. I learned much about the appalling conditions and terrible waste of young lives during the first world war via the dialogue and interaction of characters found in the narrative.
An additional aspect I found interesting was how Margaret James showed the existence of the powerful and rigid class structure continuing in those (so called) 'modern times'. Men of the 'lower'classes, however able, were still considered simply as fodder. Those, however,who were considered superior types were put in position that some were unable to handle.Consequently terrible mistakes were made resulting in unnecessary deaths and destruction.
Of course, this book is written in a certain genre which may not be attractive to all readers.But, it is not supposed to be 'high' literature and I understand that it is part of what is called the 'Choc Lit' type of writing. (I love that expression!) Margaret James conforms to this style and she does it so very well. It has pattern, style and action and a good story-line; so containing all the elements required for good 'choc-liting': the hero, the cad, the heroine, the fallen woman, the bastard, the kind, and the unkind. Very stylised and crafted; I can see it being made into a good film.
Thank you Ms James for a good read.
Generally, I don't choose to read romantic novels because, to me, they feel a bit like 'empty reads'. That's fine if, as a reader, you just want the escapism of a good story. Personally, I want a bit more substance from my recreational reading; something I can go away and think about at later times. However,I was pleasantly surprised how much I actually gained from my reading of The Silver Locket. The knowledge, or substance, I gained was found in the vivid detail and the little bits of history scattered throughout the text. I learned much about the appalling conditions and terrible waste of young lives during the first world war via the dialogue and interaction of characters found in the narrative.
An additional aspect I found interesting was how Margaret James showed the existence of the powerful and rigid class structure continuing in those (so called) 'modern times'. Men of the 'lower'classes, however able, were still considered simply as fodder. Those, however,who were considered superior types were put in position that some were unable to handle.Consequently terrible mistakes were made resulting in unnecessary deaths and destruction.
Of course, this book is written in a certain genre which may not be attractive to all readers.But, it is not supposed to be 'high' literature and I understand that it is part of what is called the 'Choc Lit' type of writing. (I love that expression!) Margaret James conforms to this style and she does it so very well. It has pattern, style and action and a good story-line; so containing all the elements required for good 'choc-liting': the hero, the cad, the heroine, the fallen woman, the bastard, the kind, and the unkind. Very stylised and crafted; I can see it being made into a good film.
Thank you Ms James for a good read.
January 18, 2011
I picked up this book because I thought it had a very pretty cover and the story sounded interesting.
'never judge a book by its cover' is certainly applicable here - unfortunately the cover was about the best thing about it. Set during World War 1 a romantic Mills and Boom type Novel with dull characters and cliched and cheesy writing. Not my type of book.
'never judge a book by its cover' is certainly applicable here - unfortunately the cover was about the best thing about it. Set during World War 1 a romantic Mills and Boom type Novel with dull characters and cliched and cheesy writing. Not my type of book.
May 17, 2013
I really liked this story and the historical facts were great. The reason that I only gave it three stars is because I would have liked more emotion from the characters.
July 20, 2020
Rose Courtnaey is the only child from a wealthy family, and her life seems destined to follow the path her parents have planned. She will marry Michael Easton, poor but high-class, handsome and strong. They will inherit the fortune and continue the legacy of the family by having children and raising them to be snobs. Rose is not thrilled at the prospect so she continually delays responding to Easton's proposal, and when WWI breaks out, she impulsively joins a nursing unit. She also has an interest in Alex Denham, even though he marries a local girl after getting her pregnant. The future seems more pliable than it ever has before, and Rose is truly happy for the first time. Because of the war, though, everything is subject to change.
This romance is not heavy-handed, so it is an enjoyable, although somewhat predictable read. The characters are forgettable though so while I was interested in the story while I was reading it, I don't care about them enough to read other books in this series.
This romance is not heavy-handed, so it is an enjoyable, although somewhat predictable read. The characters are forgettable though so while I was interested in the story while I was reading it, I don't care about them enough to read other books in this series.
April 3, 2012
The year is 1914. Rose Courtenay is an eighteen year old girl, who in keeping with her upper-class upbringing, is expected to do no more than marry a man of similar social standing, who will be able to ‘form her opinions for her’. With aspirations to go to university, it is clear that Rose has valid opinions of her own. It is also apparent that, though she thinks Michael Easton, the man chosen as suitable by her parents, is handsome, Rose does not feel the same flutter of excitement she experiences in the presence of Alex Denham, a most unsuitable, sullen man: the fruit of his mother’s scandalous affair and who has no social standing. Denying her attraction and stifled by her dull existence, Rose runs away, determined to do more with her life than be a good wife. Thus, we follow Rose’s progress as she volunteers at a hospital – something she is ill-equipped for, finally to end up a dedicated and proficient nurse seconded to the front line. Her flaw, of course, is that she did not consider the devastation she would cause her parents, disappearing without a trace. Meanwhile, in the muddy, lice-infested pits that serve as trenches, Alex and Michael are fighting side-by-side to defend that front line. Alex is Michael’s superior and though Michael is a gentleman he is not a noble man. Alex, on the other hand, has many heroic qualities; embarking on an affair with Rose while married to another woman perhaps not being one of them, unless, of course, one pauses to consider why he would immediately offer to marry a woman he didn’t love, who claimed to be carrying his child. Because of the stigma he carried as a child born out of wedlock possibly?
What makes The Silver Locket outstanding, for me, is the excellent portrayal of what life might have been like for those poor souls in the trenches and for the medical staff that fought tirelessly to care for them when their bodies and spirits were broken. The author obviously put a tremendous amount of historical research into the writing of this book, and managed to relay it – seamlessly – in a way that was compelling, accurate and thought-provoking. Margaret James tells a beautiful story of love, of tragedy and hope.
I got the silver locket link. I also purchased The Penny Bangle.
August 27, 2017
I enjoy historical novels, and this one is a particularly topical read now as it's set during the First World War, so ties in with our ongoing commemorations of its centenary. The story follows the progress of a privileged young woman, Rose Courtenay, who flees her parental home in rural Dorset to volunteer as a military nurse, rather than remain at home under pressure to marry a neighbour's son, whom she dislikes. The fact that she feels the need to run away without contacting her parents for some time suggests just how strong that pressure is - although I confess that as the mother of a teenage daughter, that selfish act diminished my sympathy and liking for her!
Even so, I kept reading, because the set-up was compelling and the historical detail so engaging that I needed to know what became of her. It was fascinating to learn about the lot of a wartime nurse, much of which I hadn't come across before, e.g. the hospital trains on which the nurses lived and worked, ferrying the injured and dying to safety. There is also considerable attention paid to the soldiers' conditions, which tend to be better known, through WWI poetry, I was astonished by the apparent ease with which soldiers and medical staff at or near the frontline were able to communicate with each other by post and telegraph (Rose's love interest and his rival are both serving at the front). They were able to arrange to meet socially on their days off - what a bizarre mixture of civilised behaviour and horrendous destruction. There is also some attention paid to the lot of the poor in the East End of London, and a compelling subplot with a young actress and her sister.
I finished the book feeling very glad I am living 100 years later than Rose and her associates, and I think that even though I didn't much like her as a person, her story and her various dilemmas will stay with me a long time. I'm now interested in reading further about the wartime nurses such as Rose. (I recently also read a eye-opening biography about Florence Nightingale, so continuing a bit of a theme here.)
Even so, I kept reading, because the set-up was compelling and the historical detail so engaging that I needed to know what became of her. It was fascinating to learn about the lot of a wartime nurse, much of which I hadn't come across before, e.g. the hospital trains on which the nurses lived and worked, ferrying the injured and dying to safety. There is also considerable attention paid to the soldiers' conditions, which tend to be better known, through WWI poetry, I was astonished by the apparent ease with which soldiers and medical staff at or near the frontline were able to communicate with each other by post and telegraph (Rose's love interest and his rival are both serving at the front). They were able to arrange to meet socially on their days off - what a bizarre mixture of civilised behaviour and horrendous destruction. There is also some attention paid to the lot of the poor in the East End of London, and a compelling subplot with a young actress and her sister.
I finished the book feeling very glad I am living 100 years later than Rose and her associates, and I think that even though I didn't much like her as a person, her story and her various dilemmas will stay with me a long time. I'm now interested in reading further about the wartime nurses such as Rose. (I recently also read a eye-opening biography about Florence Nightingale, so continuing a bit of a theme here.)
Want to read
February 15, 2016336p If life is cheap, how much is love worth?
It's 1914 and young Rose Courtenay has a decision to make. Please her wealthy parents by marrying the man of their choice - or play her part in the war effort?
The chance to escape proves irresistible and Rose becomes a nurse. Working in France, she meets Lieutenant Alex Denham, a dark figure from her past. He's the last man in the world she'd get involved with - especially now he's married.
But in wartime nothing is as it seems. Alex's marriage is a sham and Rose is the only woman he's ever wanted. As he recovers from his wounds, he sets out to win her trust. His gift of a silver locket is a far cry from the luxuries she's left behind.
What value will she put on his love?
It's 1914 and young Rose Courtenay has a decision to make. Please her wealthy parents by marrying the man of their choice - or play her part in the war effort?
The chance to escape proves irresistible and Rose becomes a nurse. Working in France, she meets Lieutenant Alex Denham, a dark figure from her past. He's the last man in the world she'd get involved with - especially now he's married.
But in wartime nothing is as it seems. Alex's marriage is a sham and Rose is the only woman he's ever wanted. As he recovers from his wounds, he sets out to win her trust. His gift of a silver locket is a far cry from the luxuries she's left behind.
What value will she put on his love?
April 25, 2011
Every choice has a consequence.
Rose and Alex come from very different worlds. Rose is the only daughter in a wealthy and well respected family. Alex was born out of a scandalous affair between his mother and an artist. Despite the gap in their social standing, Rose is drawn to Alex. However, her parents have another suitor in mind, Michael Easton. Rose isn’t sure how she feels about Michael. He’s handsome and charming, but he doesn’t stir her blood the way Alex does. When war breaks out, Rose defies her parents and goes to France as a nurse. There she runs into Alex. The attraction between them is as strong as ever. Unfortunately, Alex is no longer a free man. Even though he’s married to Chloe, Alex pledges his love to Rose, but can she trust him? Will Rose give up everything for a man she might not be able to have?
When I read the blurb for The Silver Locket, I was immediately intrigued by the idea that the hero was married to someone other than the heroine. I wondered how the romance between Rose and Alex would play out. Would Alex leave his wife for Rose? Why did Alex marry Chloe when he has always loved Rose? These questions kept me turning pages in pursuit of the answers.
When I first started reading The Silver Locket, Rose seemed like the typical bored, rich girl. When she leaves her life of luxury to become a nurse, it didn’t seem as if she did it because she had any real concern for the wounded soldiers. She simply wanted to get away from her dull life and have an adventure. However, once the grim reality of war set in, I was pleased to see Rose begin to change. She learned very quickly how to become a real nurse and genuinely cared for all her patients. Her work also brought her into contact with people from all walks of life, and she learned not to be judgmental of others. It was a pleasure watching Rose transform from a spoiled girl to a strong, caring woman.
I have often come across heroines who are just too sweet and trusting. I was pleased to discover that was not the case with this story. When Ms. James created Rose, she definitely gave her some flaws. Even though Rose eventually came to care about her patients, her initial decision to become a nurse was done because she was bored. Impulsively, she left her family without telling them what she was doing. This was a selfish thing to do and caused her family a great deal of pain. Rose’s decision to get involved with a married man can also be seen as a flaw. While it would be easy to simply label Chloe as a gold digger and cheer for Rose, Chloe is legally married to Alex. Rose truly loved Alex, but she was involving herself with a man that wasn’t hers. This decision also had unpleasant repercussions in her life. These flaws made Rose a very real and well rounded character. While I didn’t always agree with the decisions Rose made, I grew to like her as I read.
Alex also seemed simple at first. He was the dark, brooding hero harboring a love for a woman who seemed out of his reach. However, matters became more complicated when he married Chloe. Even though he felt like he was doing the right thing at the time, this decision came back to haunt him the moment Rose walked into his life. Alex doesn’t love Chloe and has never cared what people thought of him, so he has no qualms about beginning an affair with Rose. Though this seems romantic, this choice also brings with it some inevitable consequences and brings up some questions about Alex’s character. If he takes his commitment to Chloe so lightly, how can Rose believe that he won’t abandon her eventually? While this doesn’t make Alex the most likable hero, it does make him a very real one.
What I liked most about The Silver Locket, was the theme that every choice has a consequence. Even when Rose and Alex made choices that they felt were right for them, the effects of those decisions weren’t always pleasant. I liked the fact that Rose and Alex didn’t despair when life didn’t turn out as they planned. They simply made the best of their situations and continued on the path they had chosen. This really served to make the characters and their plights seem very genuine. I found it easy to believe that people like Rose and Alex could have lived and served during World War I.
The only issue I had while reading The Silver Locket was that at times I felt that the transitions between scenes were a bit choppy. I would be reading about Rose at a crucial moment and then find that the next paragraph was following Alex in a place in a completely different part of the world. I found this a bit disconcerting. However, I was able to get used to the flow of the story fairly quickly, and it didn’t detract from my enjoyment of the material.
I enjoyed reading The Silver Locket. The characters were lifelike and the romance was moving. I recommend it to any fan of realistic historical romance.
originally posted at http://longandshortreviews.blogspot.c...
Rose and Alex come from very different worlds. Rose is the only daughter in a wealthy and well respected family. Alex was born out of a scandalous affair between his mother and an artist. Despite the gap in their social standing, Rose is drawn to Alex. However, her parents have another suitor in mind, Michael Easton. Rose isn’t sure how she feels about Michael. He’s handsome and charming, but he doesn’t stir her blood the way Alex does. When war breaks out, Rose defies her parents and goes to France as a nurse. There she runs into Alex. The attraction between them is as strong as ever. Unfortunately, Alex is no longer a free man. Even though he’s married to Chloe, Alex pledges his love to Rose, but can she trust him? Will Rose give up everything for a man she might not be able to have?
When I read the blurb for The Silver Locket, I was immediately intrigued by the idea that the hero was married to someone other than the heroine. I wondered how the romance between Rose and Alex would play out. Would Alex leave his wife for Rose? Why did Alex marry Chloe when he has always loved Rose? These questions kept me turning pages in pursuit of the answers.
When I first started reading The Silver Locket, Rose seemed like the typical bored, rich girl. When she leaves her life of luxury to become a nurse, it didn’t seem as if she did it because she had any real concern for the wounded soldiers. She simply wanted to get away from her dull life and have an adventure. However, once the grim reality of war set in, I was pleased to see Rose begin to change. She learned very quickly how to become a real nurse and genuinely cared for all her patients. Her work also brought her into contact with people from all walks of life, and she learned not to be judgmental of others. It was a pleasure watching Rose transform from a spoiled girl to a strong, caring woman.
I have often come across heroines who are just too sweet and trusting. I was pleased to discover that was not the case with this story. When Ms. James created Rose, she definitely gave her some flaws. Even though Rose eventually came to care about her patients, her initial decision to become a nurse was done because she was bored. Impulsively, she left her family without telling them what she was doing. This was a selfish thing to do and caused her family a great deal of pain. Rose’s decision to get involved with a married man can also be seen as a flaw. While it would be easy to simply label Chloe as a gold digger and cheer for Rose, Chloe is legally married to Alex. Rose truly loved Alex, but she was involving herself with a man that wasn’t hers. This decision also had unpleasant repercussions in her life. These flaws made Rose a very real and well rounded character. While I didn’t always agree with the decisions Rose made, I grew to like her as I read.
Alex also seemed simple at first. He was the dark, brooding hero harboring a love for a woman who seemed out of his reach. However, matters became more complicated when he married Chloe. Even though he felt like he was doing the right thing at the time, this decision came back to haunt him the moment Rose walked into his life. Alex doesn’t love Chloe and has never cared what people thought of him, so he has no qualms about beginning an affair with Rose. Though this seems romantic, this choice also brings with it some inevitable consequences and brings up some questions about Alex’s character. If he takes his commitment to Chloe so lightly, how can Rose believe that he won’t abandon her eventually? While this doesn’t make Alex the most likable hero, it does make him a very real one.
What I liked most about The Silver Locket, was the theme that every choice has a consequence. Even when Rose and Alex made choices that they felt were right for them, the effects of those decisions weren’t always pleasant. I liked the fact that Rose and Alex didn’t despair when life didn’t turn out as they planned. They simply made the best of their situations and continued on the path they had chosen. This really served to make the characters and their plights seem very genuine. I found it easy to believe that people like Rose and Alex could have lived and served during World War I.
The only issue I had while reading The Silver Locket was that at times I felt that the transitions between scenes were a bit choppy. I would be reading about Rose at a crucial moment and then find that the next paragraph was following Alex in a place in a completely different part of the world. I found this a bit disconcerting. However, I was able to get used to the flow of the story fairly quickly, and it didn’t detract from my enjoyment of the material.
I enjoyed reading The Silver Locket. The characters were lifelike and the romance was moving. I recommend it to any fan of realistic historical romance.
originally posted at http://longandshortreviews.blogspot.c...
December 17, 2011
The Silver Locket contains many things I identify with – WW1, music halls, Dorset and the East End.
Straight away we’re introduced to Rose’s dissatisfaction with her life and how negatively she views Alex Denham. The story switches to Alex getting ready to attend Lady Courtenay’s evening party and we learn about the label society has given him. We find out about his negative view of the Courtenay family. During the evening party Rose shuns Alex twice – the second time while she is with local Baronet’s son, Michael Easton. Alex and Michael are both in the Royal Dorset Regiment… so at the very beginning of the story we have the antagonism that makes you want to read on.
Next we are introduced to two sisters living in the East End before we return to the family home in Dorset. One of the sisters performs at a music hall. Intrigue! Why are the two sisters a part of the story?
WW1 begins and while we are following Rose as she starts her voluntary nursing career in London and then in France, we are also spending time with Alex (and periodically Michael) as he fights with the Royal Dorset Regiment.
The war scenes both in the trenches with Alex and with Rose (in hospitals near the frontline and on the trains) are masterfully crafted. While the romance of the ‘dancing’ between Alex and Rose kept my interest, there is also the harrowing and poignancy of WW1 and later in Russia.
Rose is a strong character from the very beginning. She knows her own mind and is not scared of taking herself off to London to fulfil her need to be more than a Baronet’s wife who will tell her how she should think. She continues to be strong when facing the wounds and the terror of nursing on the trains and so close to the front line. She takes herself off, sometimes walking miles to be where she wants to be and everything she does goes against the society rules she was born into. I have much admiration for her!
Alex is also a strong lead. Despite the scandal of his birth, the fact that he doesn’t want to forgive the community in Dorset for their treatment of him and a moment of weakness with Charlotte, he knows what he wants but doesn’t take anything for granted.
The Silver Locket kept my interest throughout the book from the community and family life in Dorset, the romance of Rose and Alex, the nastiness of Michael Easton, the two sisters in the East End, WW1 and the nursing. At no point is the story dull or boring!
Straight away we’re introduced to Rose’s dissatisfaction with her life and how negatively she views Alex Denham. The story switches to Alex getting ready to attend Lady Courtenay’s evening party and we learn about the label society has given him. We find out about his negative view of the Courtenay family. During the evening party Rose shuns Alex twice – the second time while she is with local Baronet’s son, Michael Easton. Alex and Michael are both in the Royal Dorset Regiment… so at the very beginning of the story we have the antagonism that makes you want to read on.
Next we are introduced to two sisters living in the East End before we return to the family home in Dorset. One of the sisters performs at a music hall. Intrigue! Why are the two sisters a part of the story?
WW1 begins and while we are following Rose as she starts her voluntary nursing career in London and then in France, we are also spending time with Alex (and periodically Michael) as he fights with the Royal Dorset Regiment.
The war scenes both in the trenches with Alex and with Rose (in hospitals near the frontline and on the trains) are masterfully crafted. While the romance of the ‘dancing’ between Alex and Rose kept my interest, there is also the harrowing and poignancy of WW1 and later in Russia.
Rose is a strong character from the very beginning. She knows her own mind and is not scared of taking herself off to London to fulfil her need to be more than a Baronet’s wife who will tell her how she should think. She continues to be strong when facing the wounds and the terror of nursing on the trains and so close to the front line. She takes herself off, sometimes walking miles to be where she wants to be and everything she does goes against the society rules she was born into. I have much admiration for her!
Alex is also a strong lead. Despite the scandal of his birth, the fact that he doesn’t want to forgive the community in Dorset for their treatment of him and a moment of weakness with Charlotte, he knows what he wants but doesn’t take anything for granted.
The Silver Locket kept my interest throughout the book from the community and family life in Dorset, the romance of Rose and Alex, the nastiness of Michael Easton, the two sisters in the East End, WW1 and the nursing. At no point is the story dull or boring!
February 5, 2012
Rose is the daughter of a rich gentleman. Michael is the son of a rich family. And Alex is the illegitimate son of a harlot. An interesting love triangle to say the least. Now add in World War I, Jane Austen like arranged marriages, and a lot of strange characters and you have The Silver Locket.
Rose's family wants her to marry Michael, a handsome man who is a good match, but Rose wants to do something else with her life. So she runs away, lies to become a military nurse, and meets all sorts of characters while finding her true place in life. Alex joins the army to forget about Rose, the girl he's loved from afar since he was 12. And in forgetting about Rose, he distracts himself with another woman Chloe who he eventually marries out of obligation, not love. And Michael joins the army out of obligation, hates Alex, and continually tries to convince Rose to marry him to gain her father's inheritance.
I'm not going to give away anything else but will say that as much as I wanted to, I didn't really like this book. I finished it because I have a habit of finishing books and I had to for the purpose of this review. But there wasn't a single character that I actually liked other than maybe Maria who was only in about 5% of the book. I felt like they all had major flaws that were infuriating to me, and they all criticized and judged each other when they were doing the same things, just in a different form. One example that killed me was that Rose thought Michael was a terrible person because he abandoned his own child, but Alex abandoned his wife and child but she didn't seem to care. I did however, like the fact that Rose broke from the mold of her society and ran away to do her own thing rather than being forced into a marriage she didn't want.
I also felt like the story just kept dragging on and on without any new developments. The same story that started in England moved to France and then to Russia. Rose worked a nurse, Alex and Michael fought, and they all worried about each other getting hurt. And it just kept going when in reality the same storyline could have been played out in half the pages. This book may be for some people but it wasn't for me. 2 stars.
Rose's family wants her to marry Michael, a handsome man who is a good match, but Rose wants to do something else with her life. So she runs away, lies to become a military nurse, and meets all sorts of characters while finding her true place in life. Alex joins the army to forget about Rose, the girl he's loved from afar since he was 12. And in forgetting about Rose, he distracts himself with another woman Chloe who he eventually marries out of obligation, not love. And Michael joins the army out of obligation, hates Alex, and continually tries to convince Rose to marry him to gain her father's inheritance.
I'm not going to give away anything else but will say that as much as I wanted to, I didn't really like this book. I finished it because I have a habit of finishing books and I had to for the purpose of this review. But there wasn't a single character that I actually liked other than maybe Maria who was only in about 5% of the book. I felt like they all had major flaws that were infuriating to me, and they all criticized and judged each other when they were doing the same things, just in a different form. One example that killed me was that Rose thought Michael was a terrible person because he abandoned his own child, but Alex abandoned his wife and child but she didn't seem to care. I did however, like the fact that Rose broke from the mold of her society and ran away to do her own thing rather than being forced into a marriage she didn't want.
I also felt like the story just kept dragging on and on without any new developments. The same story that started in England moved to France and then to Russia. Rose worked a nurse, Alex and Michael fought, and they all worried about each other getting hurt. And it just kept going when in reality the same storyline could have been played out in half the pages. This book may be for some people but it wasn't for me. 2 stars.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 15, 2017
I was a little hesitant to read this book but glad I did. I enjoyed the romance, history, and the fact that the book focused as much or more on the role of women in wartime as men.
November 9, 2010
My thoughts:
I was not sure about Alex, I mean he got the girl pregnant, and married her, very good, and proper considering, but then he wants to flee his marriage because all along he was in love with Rose. So I felt kind of, you made your bed, now just lay in it! But still he really loved Rose, oh it was hard, I did fall in the end, because he has just done the right thing, and I did wonder if that kid was even his. His wife was a horrid golddigger so her I did not like one bit.
Rose then, she was nice, and she wanted more from life. Can't blame her for falling for a handsome soldier, even if he is married.
There was also a sidestory with two sisters, one a friend of Rose and fellow nurse, the other one, well I can't say, spoiler alert. But via her I learnt something about a side character in the book. Something not nice.
I had wished for more war, I know, that sounds strange but this war was the last honest one, it was more between soldiers than what war is these days. And I felt there was not enough of the plight and horror. But then again that was perhaps could so it could focus on these two. Because this story was about two people running from problems, but at the same time finding themselves and doing courageous things. It was not so much about the romance, it was there, but it was more the growing they did, and how they tried to put things right.
Final thoughts and recommendation.
I felt it was a bit jumpy at times, and I actually think this could have been a good book written in letterform. Or I am just obsessed with war and letters.
Who to recommend it to,sure there is romance, there is war, so perhaps if you want a bit more drama with your fiction, but still some romance. And also an interesting book about WWI.
I was not sure about Alex, I mean he got the girl pregnant, and married her, very good, and proper considering, but then he wants to flee his marriage because all along he was in love with Rose. So I felt kind of, you made your bed, now just lay in it! But still he really loved Rose, oh it was hard, I did fall in the end, because he has just done the right thing, and I did wonder if that kid was even his. His wife was a horrid golddigger so her I did not like one bit.
Rose then, she was nice, and she wanted more from life. Can't blame her for falling for a handsome soldier, even if he is married.
There was also a sidestory with two sisters, one a friend of Rose and fellow nurse, the other one, well I can't say, spoiler alert. But via her I learnt something about a side character in the book. Something not nice.
I had wished for more war, I know, that sounds strange but this war was the last honest one, it was more between soldiers than what war is these days. And I felt there was not enough of the plight and horror. But then again that was perhaps could so it could focus on these two. Because this story was about two people running from problems, but at the same time finding themselves and doing courageous things. It was not so much about the romance, it was there, but it was more the growing they did, and how they tried to put things right.
Final thoughts and recommendation.
I felt it was a bit jumpy at times, and I actually think this could have been a good book written in letterform. Or I am just obsessed with war and letters.
Who to recommend it to,sure there is romance, there is war, so perhaps if you want a bit more drama with your fiction, but still some romance. And also an interesting book about WWI.
March 16, 2018
Gave up on this at 27%. I really struggled as it uses so many olde worlde references and language I had to keep getting "translated" and has too many mistakes, too. The author seems to think we all lived through the period she's describing in the early 1900s and would know all the points-of-reference, forgetting we've not been immersed in the period as she has probably been for a long time doing her background research. Another thing making this tricky to read is the lack of any paragraph breaks.
She refers to the wonderful RNA in her acknowledgements and I've no idea who they are and neither does Google, it appears. I couldn't locate a photo of the KLM airliner referred to in her author bio, either.
I didn't understand the remark "....she was fawned over and courted by the flower of the county" as I don't see a man being referred to in that way....I needed to look up bandoline, what The Spike was, what bread and butter letters are, a hole and corner wedding, I looked up "takes the shillin'" and that didn't appear to match up with where it was used in the story and the same for the word skite. The meaning didn't match, and it makes it tiresome to keep stopping and starting like this. The abbreviations were a nightmare, too....RAMC, VAD, etc.....
"In mental home" lost a and so did "had letter," "we'll sitting" lost be and I sighed and gave up when "allowed make" dropped to from the sentence. It was WAY too hard-going to read altogether.
She refers to the wonderful RNA in her acknowledgements and I've no idea who they are and neither does Google, it appears. I couldn't locate a photo of the KLM airliner referred to in her author bio, either.
I didn't understand the remark "....she was fawned over and courted by the flower of the county" as I don't see a man being referred to in that way....I needed to look up bandoline, what The Spike was, what bread and butter letters are, a hole and corner wedding, I looked up "takes the shillin'" and that didn't appear to match up with where it was used in the story and the same for the word skite. The meaning didn't match, and it makes it tiresome to keep stopping and starting like this. The abbreviations were a nightmare, too....RAMC, VAD, etc.....
"In mental home" lost a and so did "had letter," "we'll sitting" lost be and I sighed and gave up when "allowed make" dropped to from the sentence. It was WAY too hard-going to read altogether.
April 14, 2011
Rose comes from a privileged background. One where her parents expect her to do her duty to the family by marrying well. Rose has more ambition and decides to volunteer for the war effort to escape her suffocating life.
Alex Denham, has known Rose most of his life but they are from different backgrounds. Alex is sent to the front line in France where he meets up with another familiar face from home, Michael Easton. These men have a reason not to like each other.
A novel set in World War 1 following the lives of soldiers on the front line and the women who volunteered to nurse them. There is lots of romance, but it also explores the conditions and awful results of war. It visits the front line struggles of the young soldiers who did not know it they would make it home. It visits the nursing trains bringing the wounded and dying soldiers home.
Weaved into this account of WW1 is a tangled love triangle. With a raging war will Rose find true love and a happy ever after?
I loved this fast paced, action and romance packed novel and am looking forward to the 2nd book in the trilogy, The Golden Chain.
4 out of 5 - I loved it!
May 3, 2012
This is a story set just prior to, but mostly during The Great War - WW1. It is a good story, well written and well edited. I have been reading a lot of stories from this era lately, not to mention watching Downton Abbey on PBS. I think I may have read enough for a while, as they all pretty much cover the same historal info and the story lines begin to repeat. The society girl falls in love with an unexceptable someone from the lower classes. The men go off to war the women both rich and poor, go off to France as nurses, where they meet the love of their life. After the war nothing will ever be the same (and in reality it never was). The main question is will she marry the man of her class and save all her money (which is what those folks did) or will she give it all up and marry the butler's son?
This is not to say that a good story cannot be built around all of this. Silver Locket is a good story and it varies a bit from what seems to be the prescribed storyline I just stated. There are several characters and each with a story and they do cross paths. I do not want to say more as it would be a spoiler. I'd recommend the book.
This is not to say that a good story cannot be built around all of this. Silver Locket is a good story and it varies a bit from what seems to be the prescribed storyline I just stated. There are several characters and each with a story and they do cross paths. I do not want to say more as it would be a spoiler. I'd recommend the book.
January 1, 2012
If the read this blurb, a lot of you will be put off by it.
However it isn't just a love story.
Maybe its just my age, but I have always been fairly ignorant of the war, apart from the most basic knowledge, and I have never really been interested either. But I actually found this quite interesting. There was only the 2 main characters, Rose and Alex. She is a nurse, he a soldier and the horrors of the war they are involved in. I certainly didnt know there were such things as "hospital trains" and I found it all really interesting to read about.
There is also the love story aspect. Rose comes from a wealthy family but has feelings for Alex...however her family wants her to marry Michael, who is poor and in need of her inheritence, but who is also charming and from a "good family."
I do love a good love story but in the case of this book I just found it all really interesting, and am now intrigued to find some more books about the war and the effort of the nurses and the men behind the front lines (is that what they call it? lol).
However it isn't just a love story.
Maybe its just my age, but I have always been fairly ignorant of the war, apart from the most basic knowledge, and I have never really been interested either. But I actually found this quite interesting. There was only the 2 main characters, Rose and Alex. She is a nurse, he a soldier and the horrors of the war they are involved in. I certainly didnt know there were such things as "hospital trains" and I found it all really interesting to read about.
There is also the love story aspect. Rose comes from a wealthy family but has feelings for Alex...however her family wants her to marry Michael, who is poor and in need of her inheritence, but who is also charming and from a "good family."
I do love a good love story but in the case of this book I just found it all really interesting, and am now intrigued to find some more books about the war and the effort of the nurses and the men behind the front lines (is that what they call it? lol).
May 15, 2011
The Silver Locket is a lot more than just a romance. Set during the First World War, it follows privileged heroine, Rose Courtenay as she volunteers as a nurse – in part to evade a proposed marriage to a man she doesn't love – she wants more from life and she aims to get it.
As the story unfolds we're taken to wartime France (and later to Russia), and all their horrors, which is written with great attention to detail and, I've no doubt, with much research by the author – I certainly learned things about nursing in WWI that I didn't know.
Rose is thrown in at the deep end and must attend the wounded and dying. Add to the mix: family arguments, personal loss, and an illegitimate child along with a complicated love affair with married Lieutenant Alex Denham, and the difficulties he faces when he has to fight side by side with his old adversary, Michael Easton, and you have a thoroughly satisfying read.
A real page-turner – highly recommend.
As the story unfolds we're taken to wartime France (and later to Russia), and all their horrors, which is written with great attention to detail and, I've no doubt, with much research by the author – I certainly learned things about nursing in WWI that I didn't know.
Rose is thrown in at the deep end and must attend the wounded and dying. Add to the mix: family arguments, personal loss, and an illegitimate child along with a complicated love affair with married Lieutenant Alex Denham, and the difficulties he faces when he has to fight side by side with his old adversary, Michael Easton, and you have a thoroughly satisfying read.
A real page-turner – highly recommend.
September 6, 2011
The Silver Locket follows Rose Courtney as she flees the prescriptive confines of home and embarks on a career as a nurse in World War I. A wonderfully caring Heroine, Rose is forced to deal with both casualties of war and casualties of the heart. Then we have the charismatic Alex Denham, the hero of the piece set against Michael Easton, a fabulously penned anti-hero... And of course, there are other characters, all equally as engaging in their own right, who lives inter-weave beautifully within and throughout the story as a whole. Margaret James brings to life the realities of The Great War with such a vividness that as a reader, I couldn't fail to empathize with what the protagonists themselves were experiencing, both emotionally and physically. And for anyone who enjoys an epic love story that contains as much conflict and turmoil as its setting, then this is the book for you.
May 27, 2013
I don't read much historical fiction (I can't think why not). I picked this up because it was going free and I have great faith in Choc Lit as a publisher. The story follows Alex, who is haunted by his mother's disgrace and Rose, who has pretty much disgraced herself by running away from home (and bethrothal) to become a volunteer nurse.
I found the WW1 setting fascinating, especially the details about the hospital trains. The utter misery of war and the way love and hope and make terrible thing bearable were very well portrayed. All the characters were wonderfully drawn. Michael Easton is a splendid baddie!
I'm tempted to go buy the rest of the books in the trilogy now, just to find out what happened to Daisy.
I found the WW1 setting fascinating, especially the details about the hospital trains. The utter misery of war and the way love and hope and make terrible thing bearable were very well portrayed. All the characters were wonderfully drawn. Michael Easton is a splendid baddie!
I'm tempted to go buy the rest of the books in the trilogy now, just to find out what happened to Daisy.
May 18, 2017
This was a lovely surprise of a read. I came across it on Twitter when the author was doing a cover reveal for her latest book. Well one thing led to another and I ended up downloading the whole book after enjoying the sample on Kindle. I just had to find out what was going to happen between the main characters. I loved the 'will they won't they' plot and can't wait to read the next book in the series to see how the story develops.
The World War One details were fascinating and I learnt a lot about the nurses situations, including the existence of ambulance trains transporting the wounded between the front lines and the ports.
I definitely recommend this if you enjoy romances and historical fiction.
The World War One details were fascinating and I learnt a lot about the nurses situations, including the existence of ambulance trains transporting the wounded between the front lines and the ports.
I definitely recommend this if you enjoy romances and historical fiction.
August 23, 2012
Oh this is a truly lovely novel. I always feel engrossed in a novel when, not only am I enjoying the story but I'm learning at the same time. I picked up some fascinating detail in this story about WW1, Margaret James should be a history teacher. The World Wars never interested me at school but I wish I'd had access to Margaret's fabulous novel back at school. A gorgeous insightful novel, highly recommended and a must read! This is the first in a trilogy followed by The Golden Chain and The Penny Bangle, equally as good.
September 11, 2013
I enjoyed this. It was so much more than a romance. The story of Rose and Alex unfolds against the interesting and well-researched background of WW1 and the part that was played by the women who nursed the injured soldiers. Written from both Rose's and Alex's points of view it didn't shy away from the horrors of war and it held my interest for most of the time, although the story was slightly repetitive in places. But on the whole I'm glad I tried it as it was quite different from what I had anticipated.
July 20, 2013
The book was very interesting in the descriptions of battle and the WWI conditions. I found it interesting, though, that there was so little mention of an actual "silver locket!" I fully expected that the locket would have some relevance to the story - which it didn't really! The book could have been much more aptly titled but that was my only criticism. I haven't read much about WWI so found the book a welcome change.
September 2, 2013
Like the historical WW 1 aspect to the story and you got the whole lot; the trenches in France, the field hospitals, train ambulance (didn't know such thing existed) London at war, gossipy country life, etc.
I can't help thinking of Downton Abbey while reading this though and compare Rose and Alex's situation with the Abbey lot. It gives a better picture in my head how they looked liked. Thinking about reading the next book in the trilogy now.
I can't help thinking of Downton Abbey while reading this though and compare Rose and Alex's situation with the Abbey lot. It gives a better picture in my head how they looked liked. Thinking about reading the next book in the trilogy now.
April 6, 2015
An excellent page turner. Full of atmosphere from the genteel life of the upper classes in pre-WWI society to the horror of the trenches and in the emergency hospital stations trying to cope with the wounded. But what makes this such a totally absorbing novel is empathy the reader has for the flawed characters. This is no pallid historical romance - this is a well-researched emotional rollercoaster that sheds light on totally-believable lives lived in a rapidly changing era a century ago.
June 8, 2011
I enjoyed the historical details of James' The Silver Locket, and while it started out slow, socialite Rose Courtenay's battle to become a nurse at the start of World War I kept me hooked. Fascinating details, even gory ones, mingled with the twists of the romantic plot - and I really loved the accuracy of the social upheavals in wartime England. A solid, satisfying read.
January 31, 2012
I really enjoyed this, there interwoven stories between the characters did keep me wanting to know more, and how the stories would end.
The backdrop of the WW1 I felt could have been made more of at some points, but that might just be because I have a fascination of all things war related.
Overal a really good read, one that I struggled to put down the closer to the end that I got.
The backdrop of the WW1 I felt could have been made more of at some points, but that might just be because I have a fascination of all things war related.
Overal a really good read, one that I struggled to put down the closer to the end that I got.
June 5, 2013
This book has a really great story line, it is just a shame that the book is let down in quality of writing. I was very disappointed as these book really does have the potential to be fantastic, but the story felt like it was written in a rush, with key plot changes skipped over and very little by way of description.
August 1, 2013
It won't change your life, but it is very readable and I couldn't put it down... I felt like I had followed the plot before with Birdsong and My Dear, I Wanted To Tell You (although I think this was published before the latter) - so a reasonably typical WW1 love story. Worth reading, all the same.
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