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Great War Great Love #3
Ella's Promise
When she joins the war effort during the Great War, American nurse Ella Neumann doesn’t see allies or enemies. The daughter of German immigrants, all soldiers -- Allies or Axis -- are human beings in need of care. A promise to herself and a promise made to her by an enemy officer become the catalyst for the life she plans to lead after the war. But a handsome Canadian soldier may complicate her plans. In this third installment of the Great War - Great Love series, join Ella in a tale of promises, betrayal and unconditional love.
- GenresHistorical Fiction
242 pages, Kindle Edition
Published October 22, 2019
25 people are currently reading
33 people want to read
About the author
Ellen Gable
36 books147 followersEllen Gable (Hrkach) is an award-winning, bestselling author of thirteen books, contributor to numerous others, ghostwriter of five books, and publisher/editor of 60 other books. Her newest book, Life From the Bottom Shelf, is a humorous look at being short. Her novel, Where Angels Pass, was #1 in New Releases on Amazon.ca. for two days and won first place in Religious Fiction in the 2022 CMA Book Awards. Four of her other books have also won literary awards. She and her husband, James Hrkach, are the parents of five adult sons, three beautiful daughters-in-law, and grandparents to four precious and entertaining grandchildren. Her books are available in several languages and on Audible. When not writing, Ellen enjoys watching classic movies, reading, researching her family tree, and playing board games with her family.
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
October 25, 2019
In Ella’s Promise, the third installment in the Great War Great Love series, Ellen Gable delivers another sweet romance filled with faith amidst the horrors of wartime France.
Ella’s intelligence, integrity, and determination make her an admirable heroine and perfect match for compromised Allied spy Garrett Smith.
Best of all, the series ends with a satisfying post-war glimpse at all of the couples in the series.
Ella’s intelligence, integrity, and determination make her an admirable heroine and perfect match for compromised Allied spy Garrett Smith.
Best of all, the series ends with a satisfying post-war glimpse at all of the couples in the series.
February 1, 2021
I really enjoy reading stories set during WWI, especially sweet romances like Gable writes. This is the third book in the Great War Great Love series and I think it's my favorite one. The books get better each time with more details and more intrigue added to the plot. I'd love to see this whole series turned into a movie or movies!
October 28, 2019
Ellen Gable: she doesn't disappoint. M'girl just keeps getting better, and Ella's Promise is proof. IMHO, this one is the most exciting of the Great War Great Love trio.
Spy novel AND romance! James Bond's got nothing on Gable's leading male character Garret Smith. (And I'm quite sure Garret Smith is more deserving of readers' love and admiration!) And what woman would not sympathize with and admire Ella Neuman, a beautiful example of Christian charity in the midst of the horrors of WWI?
The only downside to Ella's Promise is that it's the last book in this moving and memorable series. But, to Ms. Gable's credit, I give her props for nicely wrapping up all the characters' stories of the series in a most satisfying manner. I got the same warm, fuzzy feeling finishing the GWGL series as I did with Pride and Prejudice's conclusion. Just perfect.
Spy novel AND romance! James Bond's got nothing on Gable's leading male character Garret Smith. (And I'm quite sure Garret Smith is more deserving of readers' love and admiration!) And what woman would not sympathize with and admire Ella Neuman, a beautiful example of Christian charity in the midst of the horrors of WWI?
The only downside to Ella's Promise is that it's the last book in this moving and memorable series. But, to Ms. Gable's credit, I give her props for nicely wrapping up all the characters' stories of the series in a most satisfying manner. I got the same warm, fuzzy feeling finishing the GWGL series as I did with Pride and Prejudice's conclusion. Just perfect.
October 29, 2019
This latest installment in the Great War Great Love series delivers another great story! Ella’s Promise is a meaningful historical romance that follows the journey of a selfless nurse and a complicated soldier. Can Ella and Garrett find hope and joy while immersed in the hardships of war?
What begins as friendship soon blossoms into more. But during wartime, nothing is simple, and both characters are severely tested. Ella’s Promise features secrets, espionage, courage, risks, and sacrifices. Crucial lessons are learned about patience, kindness, honesty, faith, and true love. Stakes are high, and the exciting climax is sure to satisfy! Fans of faith-filled historical romance won’t want to miss this one.
What begins as friendship soon blossoms into more. But during wartime, nothing is simple, and both characters are severely tested. Ella’s Promise features secrets, espionage, courage, risks, and sacrifices. Crucial lessons are learned about patience, kindness, honesty, faith, and true love. Stakes are high, and the exciting climax is sure to satisfy! Fans of faith-filled historical romance won’t want to miss this one.
June 8, 2021
Summary
Ella’s Promise is a historical Christian romance fiction by Ellen Gable, and the third book to the Great War Great Love series. Major Gerhard Schmidt’s real name is Garrett Smith. He’s an allied spy in the German forces. As he tries to escape the POW camp at Le Tréport, a military hospital, Nurse Ella Neumann ruins his plan to escape. Later on, he learns from Lieutenant Collins that Ella has saved him. That he would’ve faced a firing squad had he escaped and returned to his German battalion. He then changes his looks and identity. With darker hair, rimmed glasses, and no moustache, no one would recognize his former German officer person, but can he pull it off once he crosses paths with the sharp-eyed Ella?
Review
I miss stories like this! It’s so clean, wholesome, and charming! I instantly felt nostalgic upon reading this because it’s been a while since I read a great romance book set during wartime. I felt every bit of tension in Garrett’s risky mission as a spy, and also felt Ella’s challenges as a nurse who doesn’t see allies or enemies, needing to attend to human’s needs without bias. I think the meticulously detailed habitats and condition of what it’s like to live during the era of Great War in the 20th century was very impressive. It felt like I was on the same complex and remarkable journey as Garrett and Ella.
Overall, I’m giving this book 5 out of 5 stars. It’s a great historical love and war story that revives the classic mode of communication, and imparts knowledge on history, medical procedure, and Christian values. I highly recommend this book to teens, young adult, and even to older readers like me. This standalone to a great series is a MUST-READ!
Ella’s Promise is a historical Christian romance fiction by Ellen Gable, and the third book to the Great War Great Love series. Major Gerhard Schmidt’s real name is Garrett Smith. He’s an allied spy in the German forces. As he tries to escape the POW camp at Le Tréport, a military hospital, Nurse Ella Neumann ruins his plan to escape. Later on, he learns from Lieutenant Collins that Ella has saved him. That he would’ve faced a firing squad had he escaped and returned to his German battalion. He then changes his looks and identity. With darker hair, rimmed glasses, and no moustache, no one would recognize his former German officer person, but can he pull it off once he crosses paths with the sharp-eyed Ella?
Review
I miss stories like this! It’s so clean, wholesome, and charming! I instantly felt nostalgic upon reading this because it’s been a while since I read a great romance book set during wartime. I felt every bit of tension in Garrett’s risky mission as a spy, and also felt Ella’s challenges as a nurse who doesn’t see allies or enemies, needing to attend to human’s needs without bias. I think the meticulously detailed habitats and condition of what it’s like to live during the era of Great War in the 20th century was very impressive. It felt like I was on the same complex and remarkable journey as Garrett and Ella.
Overall, I’m giving this book 5 out of 5 stars. It’s a great historical love and war story that revives the classic mode of communication, and imparts knowledge on history, medical procedure, and Christian values. I highly recommend this book to teens, young adult, and even to older readers like me. This standalone to a great series is a MUST-READ!
November 4, 2019
I have read all three books in this series. I know I am not the intended audience. But I absolutely loved this book and the whole series. They are Christian Historical Romance, but there is so much of the historical that I read it, and was captivated by the history, the way story, and the relationship though a centerpiece was so well written I could not put the book down. Over the last several years I have read a number of non-fiction books about Military Chaplains, and this book is not about a chaplain but about the same times and circumstances. All three in this series are excellent reads. When I heard that this book was forthcoming, it was immediately added to my to be read list. And it did not disappoint, in fact it might be the best in the series.
In my review of the first book in this series I stated: “I must admit as a middle-aged man this book would not be my normal reading. I do read a lot of YA, but hardly any romance. And this book is really so much more than that.” I am a father of daughters. And I often read books before recommending them to my girls or before rereading them with them. I picked up the first book in this series thinking about my oldest who is now a teen. And I loved that first book so much that I eagerly anticipated books 2 and 3. I am planning on reading this book with my oldest this year and will read it again in a few years with my youngest.
The three stories in this series have a bit of overlap, specifically in characters. But this book ties the three stories together and the ending was wonderfully written. But let’s get back to this specific story. Ella Neumann is serving the war effort, but as a nurse who had studied at surgical school, and wants to be a doctor after the war, she does not distinguish between Allie or axis soldiers if the person is in need, she wants to provide care. Even if it means defying direct orders. She is the oldest daughter of German immigrants, and she is fluent in German, and had become very passable in French. She saves the life of a German officer a POW and he promise that if he can ever do anything for her he will. She falls in love with a Canadian soldier. But that soldier has secrets and soon her feelings are in conflict. She has gone under cover behind enemy lines but refused to spy on the POW’s in her care. The Great war has complicated her life, but also opened to her new opportunities. During the closing days of the war she must risk it all to save the man she has fallen in love with, just as he has risked all on a desperate mission that might help the war to end much sooner.
But to find out how it all works out you will need to read this excellent novel. If you give this book or the whole series a try, I am certain you will not be disappointed. I have not yet read a book from Full Quiver Publishing or Ellen, that I did not really enjoy. The tag line for Full Quiver on their website is "Theology of the Body Fiction”. And I am following both the author Ellen Gable and all Full Quiver publications closely. Another great read by Ellen Gable and from FQ publishing. A great read for all ages!
Read the review on my blog Book Reviews and More and reviews of other books by Ellen Gable.
Note: This book is part of a series of reviews: 2019 Catholic Reading Plan!
In my review of the first book in this series I stated: “I must admit as a middle-aged man this book would not be my normal reading. I do read a lot of YA, but hardly any romance. And this book is really so much more than that.” I am a father of daughters. And I often read books before recommending them to my girls or before rereading them with them. I picked up the first book in this series thinking about my oldest who is now a teen. And I loved that first book so much that I eagerly anticipated books 2 and 3. I am planning on reading this book with my oldest this year and will read it again in a few years with my youngest.
The three stories in this series have a bit of overlap, specifically in characters. But this book ties the three stories together and the ending was wonderfully written. But let’s get back to this specific story. Ella Neumann is serving the war effort, but as a nurse who had studied at surgical school, and wants to be a doctor after the war, she does not distinguish between Allie or axis soldiers if the person is in need, she wants to provide care. Even if it means defying direct orders. She is the oldest daughter of German immigrants, and she is fluent in German, and had become very passable in French. She saves the life of a German officer a POW and he promise that if he can ever do anything for her he will. She falls in love with a Canadian soldier. But that soldier has secrets and soon her feelings are in conflict. She has gone under cover behind enemy lines but refused to spy on the POW’s in her care. The Great war has complicated her life, but also opened to her new opportunities. During the closing days of the war she must risk it all to save the man she has fallen in love with, just as he has risked all on a desperate mission that might help the war to end much sooner.
But to find out how it all works out you will need to read this excellent novel. If you give this book or the whole series a try, I am certain you will not be disappointed. I have not yet read a book from Full Quiver Publishing or Ellen, that I did not really enjoy. The tag line for Full Quiver on their website is "Theology of the Body Fiction”. And I am following both the author Ellen Gable and all Full Quiver publications closely. Another great read by Ellen Gable and from FQ publishing. A great read for all ages!
Read the review on my blog Book Reviews and More and reviews of other books by Ellen Gable.
Note: This book is part of a series of reviews: 2019 Catholic Reading Plan!
October 25, 2019
This standalone novel concludes the "Great War Great Love" series, and I'm sorry to see it end. As a whole, the series has been a fascinating look at a time period we don't read about much. Ella Neumann, the daughter of Germans who emigrated to the USA long before the war, is a volunteer nurse in France. Having been a medical student at home before the war, she hopes her experience will land her a coveted place as a surgical nurse, but her supervisor doesn't trust her because of her ethnic background, and gives her the least-desired jobs. Ella's encounter with a prisoner of war and an enemy officer, coupled with her ability to speak German, put her in danger as well as allowing her to help others in unexpected ways. With edge-of-the-seat suspense, the story will captivate teen and adult readers alike. (Advance review copy received from author.)
December 31, 2020
I loved all three books in the “Great War - Great Love” trilogy, but I think I liked this one the best of all. This book is such a beautiful work of Catholic fiction! Highly recommended for older teens and young adults.
February 15, 2022
When she joins the war effort during the Great War, American nurse Ella Neumann doesn’t see allies or enemies. The daughter of German immigrants, all soldiers -- Allies or Axis -- are human beings in need of care. A promise to herself and a promise made to her by an enemy officer become the catalyst for the life she plans to lead after the war. But a handsome Canadian soldier may complicate her plans. In this third installment of the Great War - Great Love series, join Ella in a tale of promises, betrayal and unconditional love.The Woman's Medical College of Pennsylvania was founded in 1850,and was the second medical institution in the world established to train women in medicine to earn the MD degree.The New England Female Medical College had been established in 1848.Lille is a city in the northern part of France,in French Flanders.On the river Deule,near France's border with Belgium,it is the capital of the Hauts-de-France region,the prefecture of the Nord department,and the main city of the Metropole Europeene de Lille.It was severely tested by the two world wars of the 20th century during which it was occupied and suffered destruction.During WWI,warring powers used the "secret war" to try to break the balance of the battlefield.The warring sides were committed to espionage behind enemy lines and in the neutral countries,but also performed other tasks such as tapping radio communication;sabotage;counterintelligence;and propaganda.German Canadians and German Americans were citizens of both countries who happened to be of German ancestry or Germans who emigrated to and reside in their adopted countries.They were treated with suspicion by many people and they were interned as a result during WWI.However, many of them did do their part in helping the Allied cause to win the war.The Hague Conventions of 1899 and 1907 are a series of international treaties and declarations.Along with the Geneva Conventions,the Hague Conventions were among the first formal statements of the laws of war and war crimes in the body of secular international law.Joyce Kilmer was a renowned American writer and poet who was KIA in WWI.
May 26, 2021
This third book in the Great War Great Love series is my favorite. Although I love all three books for the author's fine portrayal of female healers, Ella is a physician lacking only her degree. Who could not admire Ella as she selflessly tends to the sick and uses her surgical skills to repair the wounded on both sides of the war? The young man who captures her romantic attention is an exciting and noble character who makes political intrigue fun for readers like me who typically don't enjoy it in fiction. Like the other books of the series, Ella's Promise can stand alone. The epilogue ties the three stories together, but I usually don't read prologues or epilogues unless I think I might miss something important. I only skimmed the epilogue of this book after the first page or two.
January 12, 2024
I have been reading Christian romance for many years, but have been longing for a more Catholic approach. This series filled the bill. I have avoided World War stories, but these were beautifully done without being too gruesome! Additionally, they made me realize more clearly that my Dad was born during WWI and it put a greater perspective on that. I really hope to find more stories with Catholic characters who try to live their lives folowing Christ!
May 31, 2022
Good
This book was simple, but nice to follow. I'm not Catholic, so none of the prayers to the saints, etc appealed to me.... but the storyline held its own and I like how it wrapped up in the end.
This book was simple, but nice to follow. I'm not Catholic, so none of the prayers to the saints, etc appealed to me.... but the storyline held its own and I like how it wrapped up in the end.
September 4, 2024
I had a great Aunt Ella Neumann ( German Ancestory)who was a nurse in WWI. I was always intrigued by her experiences. Ironic this book was about a fictional Ella Neumann. Unlike the happy ending of this book my relative lost a boyfriend in the war and came home with what we now know as PTSD.
November 1, 2019
Though I've read a number of book series over the years, there's part of me that's kind of frustrated with them.
Can't we just have one book? JUST ONE? PLEASE?
And yet, I'm torn, because I ALSO don't want those beloved characters to go away. They're part of me, and I'm invested in their stories, their worlds, their ways of being.
So, here I am, reading series of books (and sharing about them quite often in my newsletter), eagerly snatching up the opportunity to review the latest in what used to not be a genre I even liked (historical fiction, for what it's worth).
Ella's Promise is the third and final installment of Ellen Gable's Great War Great Love series. It stands alone, however (and I say that as someone who read it and didn't remember the details of the other books and wasn't forced to go back and find those details; I'm quite sure there are delicious finds and ways the books interact that went straight over my head).
This series is really one where I can say, without any hesitation, that you can read the books independently of each other. They're linked together, and characters appear in the books, but the stories are not dependent on you having read the previous book in the series.
I enjoyed Ella's Promise and recommended it to my historical fiction junkie friend immediately. Historical fiction isn't usually my favorite flavor of fiction, mind you. I've read all of Gable's books, though, and I've appreciated, more than anything, the amount of work that goes into the back end of writing a book like this.
It's not just about a story, really. It's about knowing the setting and being able to be true to it.
Can't we just have one book? JUST ONE? PLEASE?
And yet, I'm torn, because I ALSO don't want those beloved characters to go away. They're part of me, and I'm invested in their stories, their worlds, their ways of being.
So, here I am, reading series of books (and sharing about them quite often in my newsletter), eagerly snatching up the opportunity to review the latest in what used to not be a genre I even liked (historical fiction, for what it's worth).
Ella's Promise is the third and final installment of Ellen Gable's Great War Great Love series. It stands alone, however (and I say that as someone who read it and didn't remember the details of the other books and wasn't forced to go back and find those details; I'm quite sure there are delicious finds and ways the books interact that went straight over my head).
This series is really one where I can say, without any hesitation, that you can read the books independently of each other. They're linked together, and characters appear in the books, but the stories are not dependent on you having read the previous book in the series.
I enjoyed Ella's Promise and recommended it to my historical fiction junkie friend immediately. Historical fiction isn't usually my favorite flavor of fiction, mind you. I've read all of Gable's books, though, and I've appreciated, more than anything, the amount of work that goes into the back end of writing a book like this.
It's not just about a story, really. It's about knowing the setting and being able to be true to it.
October 31, 2019
This is the third book in the Great War, Great Love trilogy by Ellen Gable. While this book is part of a series about young couples who meet amid the heartbreak of war, it is a standalone book as well. There are a few characters that are in each of the books, but this story is mostly about Ella, a young American woman working at a field hospital during World War I.
It’s hard to know for sure since I enjoyed each of the wonderful books in this series, but I do believe this is my favorite of the three. I adored the strong, competent, faithful Ella. I also enjoyed the secret agent intrigue of the story.
Each of these books highlights a beautiful, Catholic love-story but they also showcase interesting historic elements as well which I think will be quite interesting for today’s teens - such as medical advancement, roles of men and women, communication technology, etc. This would be a great supplement to a lesson on the Great War.
While the books can be read without having read the other stories, the author also provides a nice conclusion to the series for those fans that have read them all.
It’s hard to know for sure since I enjoyed each of the wonderful books in this series, but I do believe this is my favorite of the three. I adored the strong, competent, faithful Ella. I also enjoyed the secret agent intrigue of the story.
Each of these books highlights a beautiful, Catholic love-story but they also showcase interesting historic elements as well which I think will be quite interesting for today’s teens - such as medical advancement, roles of men and women, communication technology, etc. This would be a great supplement to a lesson on the Great War.
While the books can be read without having read the other stories, the author also provides a nice conclusion to the series for those fans that have read them all.
January 8, 2020
Another fantastic book by Ellen Gable. I enjoyed all three books in the series Great War, Great Love. I recommend you read them all. Wonderful, Catholic historical fiction.
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews