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Just Another Girl on the Road
Summer 1944: Stranded behind enemy lines in France, eighteen-year-old Katrinka Badeau escapes German deserters with the help of Major Willoughby Nye. Once an employee on her father’s merchant ship, Nye is now part of an undercover Jedburgh operation, working for the Allies. When he offers her a job on his team, she accepts.
Her work throws her together with Sergeant Wolfe Farr, the team’s tough-talking radio operator, and they embark on an intense love affair. But Katrinka is not prepared to accept Wolfe’s plans for the future. And her love for Nye, which has evolved from an adolescent crush to that of a young woman, still endures.
With the liberation of France, both men are sent to the Far East. Realising what she has lost, Katrinka joins a small entertainment troupe, and sets out on an arduous journey around the world to find Wolfe. But when the three are finally reunited, which love will withstand the test of time?
Her work throws her together with Sergeant Wolfe Farr, the team’s tough-talking radio operator, and they embark on an intense love affair. But Katrinka is not prepared to accept Wolfe’s plans for the future. And her love for Nye, which has evolved from an adolescent crush to that of a young woman, still endures.
With the liberation of France, both men are sent to the Far East. Realising what she has lost, Katrinka joins a small entertainment troupe, and sets out on an arduous journey around the world to find Wolfe. But when the three are finally reunited, which love will withstand the test of time?
- GenresFiction
328 pages, Paperback
First published July 8, 2019
3 people are currently reading
21 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
January 16, 2021
Sorry, I couldn't warm to this book. I thought the premise sounded great - set during WW2 - but I didn't like the execution at all and it's not my type of 'romance'. The scenes changed rapidly, had lots of things happening and the first chapter didn't hold my attention and I got a bit confused, so I didn't continue. There's clearly a lot of research here, but perhaps it needs smoother editing and not so much information and characters bombarding readers at the beginning, so it doesn't throw readers like me off. The writing is fine in itself. My thanks go to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC in return for my opinion.
August 9, 2019
The setting of WWII for stories is always emotional and evocative. There is so much courage, bravado, grit and determination shown and at the same time the lesser attributes of betrayal, cowardice and envy and very often the more basic " fear for your life" and for those around you.
This story encompasses all that is a girl of mixed background who found herself in circumstances and places beyond her control and displayed a sense of compassion to the dying which was not understood by all.
Displaying courage way beyond her 18 years our heroine is made of sterling stuff.
Slightly different to the usual settings of WW II
August 11, 2019
Netgalley gave me a copy of this book for free, which is good because if I'd paid for it, I'd be pissed.
In the first chapter, which is 15 e-pages long, we switch perspective at least that many times. It's dizzying. Couple that with inserting an absurd amount of irrelevant historical details (yes, yes, we get it, you researched, congratulations) and a brutal rape-for-no-reason and I was fine with putting the book down after those pages.
Normally I like to give a book a fair shake: a few chapters to get its spine straightened out. There are exceptions, however, and "too many tropes/bad editing decisions in too few pages" is one of them. Sorry, not sorry?
In the first chapter, which is 15 e-pages long, we switch perspective at least that many times. It's dizzying. Couple that with inserting an absurd amount of irrelevant historical details (yes, yes, we get it, you researched, congratulations) and a brutal rape-for-no-reason and I was fine with putting the book down after those pages.
Normally I like to give a book a fair shake: a few chapters to get its spine straightened out. There are exceptions, however, and "too many tropes/bad editing decisions in too few pages" is one of them. Sorry, not sorry?
July 12, 2020
Set in 1944, Kensington’s debut historical drama will charm fans with its intimate warmth and intense romance.
Stranded behind enemy lines in France, eighteen-year-old Katrinka Badeau escapes German deserters and joins the undercover Jedburgh operation under the command of Major Willoughby Nye, her adolescent crush and a close friend and former employee of her father. Her work throws her together with Sergeant Wolfe Farr, the team's tough-talking radio operator. Soon the duo begins a passionate love affair. But the couple’s contrasting aspirations for the future clash, coming between their love. And Katrinka has never stopped loving Nye. When both men leave for the Far East for duty, Katrinka sets on an arduous journey around the world to find them. But which love will withstand the test of time?
Kensington’s stirring, meticulously researched novel stands not only as a tense, moving romance but also offers a definitive account of otherwise a little-known resistance mission. Her detailed account of the early Jedburgh operations—the ambushing of German convoys, rendering the enemy's telecommunications ineffective, delaying or completely stopping the enemy divisions, and disrupting the movement of German reinforcements to the base— provide both the novel's fascinating historical background and true drama.
It’s among and between the accounts of the undercover Jedburgh operation, Kensington weaves the story of her three protagonists and their evolving relationship. The story twists delicately around various personal conflicts while artfully addressing the theme of what is the real meaning of love. It emphasizes the arbitrary nature of love, the fact that one can neither define it nor control it.
The most interesting is watching how for Katrinka “love” is stripped of any dizzy idealism or guided by any fixed set of values. She is unable to understand how society imposes layers of meaning to the word “love” as the meaning can be subjective depending on a person’s viewpoint. Katrinka’s many romantic escapades make it occasionally corny but also playful, reflective, and passionate. It’s fascinating to watch how love changes her as a person toward the end.
Kensington combines multifaceted, unforgettable characters with strong, lyrical prose. The pacing of the novel never slows down despite the crucial details of the covert operations hefty on espionage plotting and blood-and-guts combat scenes. Kensington’s ability to place these rather trivial covert operations in the context of the Allied operation will please fans of military history.
This deeply engrossing page-turner is the one not to be missed.
This is a stellar debut.
Stranded behind enemy lines in France, eighteen-year-old Katrinka Badeau escapes German deserters and joins the undercover Jedburgh operation under the command of Major Willoughby Nye, her adolescent crush and a close friend and former employee of her father. Her work throws her together with Sergeant Wolfe Farr, the team's tough-talking radio operator. Soon the duo begins a passionate love affair. But the couple’s contrasting aspirations for the future clash, coming between their love. And Katrinka has never stopped loving Nye. When both men leave for the Far East for duty, Katrinka sets on an arduous journey around the world to find them. But which love will withstand the test of time?
Kensington’s stirring, meticulously researched novel stands not only as a tense, moving romance but also offers a definitive account of otherwise a little-known resistance mission. Her detailed account of the early Jedburgh operations—the ambushing of German convoys, rendering the enemy's telecommunications ineffective, delaying or completely stopping the enemy divisions, and disrupting the movement of German reinforcements to the base— provide both the novel's fascinating historical background and true drama.
It’s among and between the accounts of the undercover Jedburgh operation, Kensington weaves the story of her three protagonists and their evolving relationship. The story twists delicately around various personal conflicts while artfully addressing the theme of what is the real meaning of love. It emphasizes the arbitrary nature of love, the fact that one can neither define it nor control it.
The most interesting is watching how for Katrinka “love” is stripped of any dizzy idealism or guided by any fixed set of values. She is unable to understand how society imposes layers of meaning to the word “love” as the meaning can be subjective depending on a person’s viewpoint. Katrinka’s many romantic escapades make it occasionally corny but also playful, reflective, and passionate. It’s fascinating to watch how love changes her as a person toward the end.
Kensington combines multifaceted, unforgettable characters with strong, lyrical prose. The pacing of the novel never slows down despite the crucial details of the covert operations hefty on espionage plotting and blood-and-guts combat scenes. Kensington’s ability to place these rather trivial covert operations in the context of the Allied operation will please fans of military history.
This deeply engrossing page-turner is the one not to be missed.
This is a stellar debut.
October 14, 2019
Just Another Girl on the Road is the story of Katrinka, a young girl caught in the middle of the war in France in 1944. We learn more of Katrinka's upbringing as the story develops which helps to explain her complex character, having two very different men as fathers caught in a love triangle with her independent mother. History looks to be repeating itself a she becomes involved in her own love triangle with Nye and Farr.
But this is much more than just a love story, we also learn how the war affected every day life and how ordinary people risked everything to aid the Allied Forces and the French Resistance.
The sexual scenes do not really add much to the story, some readers may find Katrinka's attitude to sex a sign of an independent, strong young woman - others may feel it is the sign of deeper issues coming from her childhood.
I was given a copy of Just Another Girl on the Road by NetGalley and the Publishers in return for my unbiased review.
But this is much more than just a love story, we also learn how the war affected every day life and how ordinary people risked everything to aid the Allied Forces and the French Resistance.
The sexual scenes do not really add much to the story, some readers may find Katrinka's attitude to sex a sign of an independent, strong young woman - others may feel it is the sign of deeper issues coming from her childhood.
I was given a copy of Just Another Girl on the Road by NetGalley and the Publishers in return for my unbiased review.
December 22, 2019
Stars 3.5
Interesting story, following eighteen-year-old Katrinka Badeau in war torn France, London and the Far East all during World War II, as well as a little bit of the American West Coast. It does contain quite a bit of erotica as Katrinka seeks sexual fulfillment from various men she meets, either for fun, favours or love.
Sometimes it is a confusing read as it refers to the male characters either by the first name or their last, so at times I forgot who as who - or even who Katrinka was sleeping with that time, especially when it came to Wolfe or Will Nye.
Ending was surprising for a love story, though I didn't end up crying at the event that happened; something missing perhaps as normally I'm a big blubber at things like this!
I received this book from Netgalley in return for a honest review.
Interesting story, following eighteen-year-old Katrinka Badeau in war torn France, London and the Far East all during World War II, as well as a little bit of the American West Coast. It does contain quite a bit of erotica as Katrinka seeks sexual fulfillment from various men she meets, either for fun, favours or love.
Sometimes it is a confusing read as it refers to the male characters either by the first name or their last, so at times I forgot who as who - or even who Katrinka was sleeping with that time, especially when it came to Wolfe or Will Nye.
Ending was surprising for a love story, though I didn't end up crying at the event that happened; something missing perhaps as normally I'm a big blubber at things like this!
I received this book from Netgalley in return for a honest review.
July 31, 2019
I loved the WWII resistance story, the story itself was good. The characters were rather odd and the scenes did not match the character. The story would be good with Katrinka a young girl as a resistance fighter, but unbelievable in how the character was portrayed. The story was very good than out of nowhere there would be an explicit sexual scene that added nothing to the story and felt rather out of place. If those scenes were not there I would probably give the book 4 stars for the resistance story. It would have been better if the romance would have been left between Farr and Katrinka or at least Farr Katrinka and Will. The story of the resistance fighters was rather good in itself and if you are one that likes explicit scenes you will probably like this book.
September 6, 2019
***Received ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review***
I started reading this book with high expectations as its one of my few WW II based books. But the expectations dropped right in the first chapter. The first chapter itself is confusing and changes POV multiple times.
After reading 35% of this book in kindle, I still can't follow what's happening in the story. Maybe it's just me. So, right now I am DNFing this book. I don't know whether ill pick it up again or not. I will update the review once I finish this book.
Rating: 2.5/5
I would like to thank NetGalley, the author and the publisher for providing me with this book for review.
I started reading this book with high expectations as its one of my few WW II based books. But the expectations dropped right in the first chapter. The first chapter itself is confusing and changes POV multiple times.
After reading 35% of this book in kindle, I still can't follow what's happening in the story. Maybe it's just me. So, right now I am DNFing this book. I don't know whether ill pick it up again or not. I will update the review once I finish this book.
Rating: 2.5/5
I would like to thank NetGalley, the author and the publisher for providing me with this book for review.
August 12, 2021
At first I wasn’t sure if it was for me but as the story developed I fell in love with the various characters. They seemed real and extraordinarily unique compared to my other favorite genre characters. I think this would make a great movie. It must be because she did such a great job of painting the scenes. I think the writing improves as the story progresses. I’m going to miss Katrinka.
August 16, 2019
I usually like books set during the war but this one was disappointing. The characters seemed flat and the storyline jumped from one major event to another without any continuity. The write up in the books seemed like a great plot but the novel did not follow through.
July 21, 2019
The author did a brilliant job of capturing the time period in this novel. The characters and plot were also well written. This was a great piece of historical fiction!
November 28, 2019
The first chapter of the book was slightly confusing. There seemed to be so many characters and sub-plots to keep track of.
As I mentioned at the start, the book surprised me. How ordinary citizens were plunged into taking on roles to survive and save their country, is not new to WWII stories. But this is the first one I’ve read where a young woman’s emotional and romantic to more than one man is explored. I know that some readers found the inclusion and descriptions of erotic scenes somewhat unnecessary. However, I can see how sex could become an escape from all the pain.
While initially one doesn’t really like Katrina, you begin to understand and appreciate her bravery and compassion, especially for an 18 year old.
On the whole, I quite enjoyed reading this book.
As I mentioned at the start, the book surprised me. How ordinary citizens were plunged into taking on roles to survive and save their country, is not new to WWII stories. But this is the first one I’ve read where a young woman’s emotional and romantic to more than one man is explored. I know that some readers found the inclusion and descriptions of erotic scenes somewhat unnecessary. However, I can see how sex could become an escape from all the pain.
While initially one doesn’t really like Katrina, you begin to understand and appreciate her bravery and compassion, especially for an 18 year old.
On the whole, I quite enjoyed reading this book.
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews