Love in a Time of War

The Three Fry Sisters #1

by Adrienne Chinn

The Internationally Bestselling Author of The English Wife

Three sisters. The Great War. The end of innocence.

In 1913, in a quiet corner of London, the three Fry sisters are coming of age, dreaming of all the possibilities the bright future offers. But when war erupts their innocence is shattered and a new era of uncertainty begins.

Cecelia loves Max but his soldier’s uniform is German, not British, and suddenly the one man she loves is the one man she can’t have.

Jessie enlists in the army as a nurse and finally finds the adventure she’s craved when she’s sent to Gallipoli and Egypt, but it comes with an unimaginable cost.

Etta elopes to Capri with her Italian love, Carlo, but though her growing bump is real, her marriage certificate is a lie.

As the three sisters embark on journeys they never could have imagined, their mother Christina worries about the harsh new realities they face, and what their exposure to the wider world means for the secrets she’s been keepin

Genres: Historical Fiction, World War I, Historical, Ebooks, Fiction

490 pages, Kindle Edition

First published February 25, 2022

About the author

Adrienne Chinn was born in Grand Falls, Newfoundland, grew up in Quebec, and eventually made her way to London, England after a career as a journalist. In Britain she worked as a TV and film researcher before embarking on a career as an interior designer, lecturer, and writer.

Her second novel, The English Wife -- a timeslip story set in World War II England and contemporary Newfoundland -- was published in June 2020 and has become an international bestseller. Her debut novel, The Lost Letter, was published by Avon Books UK in 2019. Her third novel, Love in a Time of War, the first in The Three Fry Sisters series centred around three English sisters, was published in 2022, with the second book in the series, The Paris Sister, following in 2023. The third book in the series, In the Shadow of War, was published in 2024. A stand alone historical timeslip novel, The Queen's Necklace, will be published in 2025, and the fourth book in The Three Fry Sisters series will be published in 2026.

Reviews

[Karren Sandercock · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Fry sisters, Cecilia, Jessie and Etta live at Clover Bar in 1913, with their father Gerald and mother Christina. Gerald owns a photography studio, he tries to keep his snobby wife Christina happy and he has no idea she’s kept a big secret from him for years!

Cecilia Fry's studying German, she madly in love with her teacher Max Fisher and he’s only four years older than her, with the outbreak of the war looking imminent, Max returns home to Germany and they promise to wait for each other. Celie helps her father in his photography studio, and he’s busy taking portraits of young men going off to fight in, The Great War. Celie has always been interested in photography and she starts writing articles and taking pictures for the Mirror and she wants proper credit for her work. Years go by, she hasn’t heard from Max, meanwhile Frank Jeffries continues to pursue Celie and he hope’s she will change her mind about the German?

Jessie Fry's studying to be a nurse at Kings College Hospital, and matron puts her name down as a possible candidate to join the Queen Alexandra Imperial Military Nursing Service. When the war breaks out, Jessie's sent overseas, and she’s nurse’s patients on a hospital ship during the Gallipoli campaign. Eventually she's working as a theatre nurse at the General Hospital in Alexandria in Egypt, here Jessie meets Doctor Aziz Khalid, she has to keep reminding herself that she wants to remain single and stay dedicated to her career.

Etta Fry's studying art, much to her mother’s horror and meeting all kinds of bohemian people. Carlos Marinetti’s a struggling Italian artist living in London, they fall madly in love and elope to Italy. Etta and Carlos are living together in Naples, and Carlos joins the second army thirteenth infantry division and a pregnant Etta goes to stay with her mother’s cousin Stefania in Capri.

Love In A Time Of War follows the three Fry sisters through the long war years, it was a time of great change, young women left home for the first time, traveled overseas unchaperoned, employed in jobs that men traditionally did and many decided they were no longer happy working as domestics. Like Milly the Fry's maid, she starts working in the dangerous ammunition factory, handling TNT and they became known as the canary girls.

I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review from NetGalley and HarperCollins UK, I did find the story a little slow to start with and Adrienne Chinn skillfully picked up the narratives pace. The Fry sisters found themselves having to forge new lives during, and after The Great War and overcome many challenges. I look forward to the next book in the series and four and a half stars from me stars from me.

[Pam · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great story about 3 sisters and the very different paths that they each take during WWI. We travel with Cecelia, Jessie and Etta to Italy, Egypt and Canada. I will definitely be looking for the next book in this series!

Thanks to Netgalley and Harper Collins UK, One More Chapter. This book is scheduled to release February 25, 2022.

[Alayne Emmett · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book. It was a dual time-line which I love and I found the lives of the Fry sisters fascinating. It dealt with nursing in WW1 and the suffragettes. The girls were all so different which made this so interesting. I’m looking forward to to reading the next one is this series. My thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for giving me the opportunity to read this book in return for an honest review.

[Sophie Narey (Bookreview- aholic) · Rating 4 out of 5]

This isn't my usual type of book to read but after reading the blurb I thought I'd give it a go and I am so glad that I did do ! In this book we meet the Fry sisters along with their mum and dad . The book is set in 1913, the author gets it absolutely spot on with the descriptions of the characters and the setting , when reading it you can clearly picture the type of places they are in .

All three sisters have lives that are interesting to read about ,and as the war starts it was great to read how they altered their lives to adjust to their new roles. The book starts off slowly but it soon picks up pace and there are plenty of things to discovery on their journey...including a secret their mother has kept for years!

Brilliant read , very well written and easy to get hooked into!

[Debby *BabyDee* · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Love in a Time of War” by Adrienne Chinn, new author to this reader was a captivating and wonderful read. Having never read any of this author’s works before, I thought the story was well-written and a story that draws the reader into the lives of the Fry Sisters. The story starts off a bit slow in the beginning but with novels I’ve read related to war times that was understandable for me and did not deter me from continuing the read.

The scene is during war time 1913 over a span of approximately six years and is told through the perspective of the Fry Sisters, Cecelia, Jessie and Etta. I loved these characters because their personalities and view of their stories captures you and appears so realistic when they tell their stories of the emotions and feelings during that timeframe. This is where I think Chinn has done a remarkable job of bringing these characters to life on page to make the reader see them as more believable than fictional. Sub-characters, to include their mother was a welcome addition to the well-written plot.

I’ve come to love the One More Chapter series stories as they have been enlightening and worth the read. This was a heartfelt and warm story of family and how the war changed the lives of three sisters. Truly enjoyed this story. A highly recommended read.

Thank you NetGalley and HarperCollins UK, One More Chapter for this ARC in exchange for my fair and honest review.

[Helen - Great Reads & Tea Leaves · Rating 4 out of 5]

Love In A Time Of War is the first in an expected trilogy which follows the lives of the three Fry sisters. Book one begins just prior to the commencement of World War I when women’s lives were on the brink of incredible change. Adrienne does a fabulous job of portraying, through these three very different sisters, the spirit of all women who went on to forge new lives for themselves during and after this time of war.

‘I’m recommending you for immediate advancement into the surgical specialty. I suspect we may need trained surgical nurses sooner rather than later. The world is not a peaceful place, Fry. I believe war is inevitable.’

Interestingly, it is also a dual time narrative with flashbacks to the sisters mother, Christina, at the same age but in Italy where she grew up. This is probably an aspect I found questionable as with there being three sisters, it added to the number of characters, bringing a lot of dialogue and plot lines to follow. So it does jump around a bit, skipping back to the mother’s timeline which at times upsets the flow of the story. It also makes for a very long book that took some time to establish itself but worked out well towards the end, despite not being a standalone and therefore a future instalment is required.

‘The problem is the past is still alive inside her. She carries it with her every second of every minute of every hour. She will never be free of her past. It stares her in the face every day.’

This book follows these very different sisters through a time of great change - women were now able to leave home alone, travel overseas without a chaperone or take on roles and positions traditionally held by men. Adrienne has strong focuses on the British suffragettes and the role of nursing in the war years. There is, of course, romantic relationships - one Italian and one German - which makes for next level problems given the world situation of the time.

I enjoyed being in different locales - England, Egypt, Italy - and how family secrets were to become exposed. So if this time period appeals to you and you enjoy epic family dramas and are prepared to invest in a trilogy, then Love in a Time of War should definitely be on your reading list.

‘No matter where we are in this world, we’ll always be together, Jessie. You, me and Etta. The three Fry Sisters.’






This review is based on a complimentary copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. The quoted material may have changed in the final release.

[Nicola “Shortbookthyme” · Rating 3 out of 5]

Love in a Time of War had so much going on within the story.
The story is about the First World War and takes you to England, Egypt and Italy. Many family secrets come out along the way.
Following the lives of the Fry Sisters (Cecelia, Etta and Jessie) and how the war changed them as they find romance and love during the war.
This is a very long book….be ready for a slow beginning that does speed up as it goes on.
If you want to read a story about a family and their journey to overcome adversity, you need to read Love in a Time of War.
Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and author for the opportunity to read this book for my honest review. All opinions are solely my own.

[Cathy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was first introduced to the writing of Adrienne Chinn when I read The English Wife in 2020 and I remarked then on the author’s ability to enable the reader to navigate multiple timelines. Love in a Time of War is a little more straightforward, moving between events in the years 1913 to 1919, with occasional trips back to the 1890s.

Love in a Time of War is the first book in a trilogy featuring the Fry sisters – Cecilia (Celie) and non-identical twins, Jessica (Jessie) and Etta – and their mother, Christina. The author has created distinct personalities for the three sisters. Celie, the eldest, is clear-headed, thoughtful and has a strong sense of justice particularly when it comes to the question of women’s suffrage.  Etta is more headstrong, fired up by the desire to become an artist and willingly immersing herself in a bohemian lifestyle.  Jessie is the most serious of the sisters, determined to put her nursing skills to use and resist the pressure to follow the conventional path of marriage and motherhood.

The latter is the path their mother Christina is determined they should follow.  She appears almost puritanical in that respect, indeed one might say hyprocritical given what the reader learns about her early life.  Being more generous, perhaps her actions are driven by a genuine desire to prevent her daughters making the same unwise decisions that she did in allowing her heart to rule her head. Whatever her motivation, it seems to have the opposite effect to that she intended as both Celie and Etta become involved in relationships with men who do not make ideal husband material in the eyes of Christina. Even Jessie, who was my favourite character, eventually embarks on a relationship with a man who for many reasons would probably not be welcomed with open arms in the Fry household. (I’d have welcomed him in any day!)

A character I’ve not mentioned so far is the sisters’ father, Gerald. He was the character with whom I empathised the most. Having done his best to provide a stable home for his daughters, encourage their interests and be a devoted husband, I was intensely moved by his discovery that all is not what it seems in his marriage. In keeping secrets from her family, I was reminded of the quotation from Marmion by Sir Walter Scott, ‘O what a tangled web we weave, when first we practice to deceive.’

Although the First World War provides the backdrop to many of the events in the book and transports the reader to a number of locations including Italy and Egypt, another constant element is the campaign for women’s suffrage.  All three sisters reflect the ideals of the movement, albeit in different ways. Celie’s is the most obvious, becoming involved in organising marches for Millicent Fawcett’s National Union of Women’s Suffrage Societies and, later, writing newspaper articles and taking photographs to publicise the vital contribution of women to the war effort, such as those working in munitions factories.  Etta’s unconventional lifestyle is a challenge to social conventions that sees her hobnobbing with leading lights in the Bloomsbury Group such as artists Vanessa Bell and Duncan Grant, and writer Virginia Woolf.  Jessica’s determination to forge her own path in life and be judged on her ability rather than her gender, represents the independence that many women were fighting for.

Those who love the idea of chance encounters will be rewarded by some coincidences that conjure up that famous line from the film Casablanca, ‘Of all the gin joints in all the towns in all the world she walks into mine’. Indeed at one point, when a family connection is discovered between two strangers, one of them remarks, ‘Small world, isn’t it?’. Quite.  However these encounters are pivotal to the storyline, on occasions in quite deadly ways. They also serve to demonstrate that, in war, soldiers on both sides experience the same level of fear and anxiety and face the same moral dilemmas.

As might be expected from the first instalment in a trilogy, Love in a Time of War ends at significant moments in the lives of the sisters. With the war finally ended, what new horizons await them? There will be plenty of readers eager to find out.

[theliterateleprechaun · Rating 4 out of 5]

The first of a three-book series, Love In A Time Of War, follows the lives of three Anglo-Italian sisters through World War 1. Inspired by her own grandmother, Edith Adele Fry and her two great aunts, Jessie and Ettie, this book is a nod to the spirit of all the women who found themselves forging new lives during and after the war. Chinn is a Canadian author and this book has been included on CBCs list of books to read in 2022.

Readers really get a sense of the imminent end of innocence for the Fry girls. They are coming of age and dreaming about their futures when their world is turned upside down. War erupts and their dreams of the future are tested.

Celia, the oldest, falls in love with her German teacher, Max. Her mind knows she shouldn’t pursue him, but her heart tells her otherwise. When he goes off to war, promising to come back for her, she busies herself in her father’s photography studio and fights off the pursuits of Frank Jeffries. Will she wait for Max?

Jessie, a twin, enlists with the Queen Alexandra Imperial Military Nursing Service and is deployed to Gallipoli where she works on a hospital ship and then to Egypt where she works in a hospital in Alexandria. When she meets Dr. Khalid she’s forced to decide if falling for him is worth breaking her promise to remain dedicated to her career.

Etta, a twin, is the black sheep of the family. A bohemian, she falls in love with a struggling artist, Carlos, and tries to juggle their secrets alone after he’s drafted for the army. Will anyone find out about her marriage or pregnancy?

I was invested the minute I knew this was set in Italy and Egypt as they are my two favourite places for an adventure. The family secrets held my interest as did the girls’ journey negotiating unique paths in a changing world. I eagerly await book 2 set in the 20s and 30s to be published in late Spring of 2022 and book 3 set in WW2 to the 70s to be published in Spring of 2023.

I was gifted this advance copy by Adrienne Chinn, HarperCollins UK, One More Chapter, and NetGalley and was under no obligation to provide a review.

[Shirley McAllister · Rating 5 out of 5]

Girls in Love

Romance, Heartache and the ravages of war are contained within the pages of this book. It spans countries, and continents in its story of wartime Romance.

The story is set during the first world war. You will travel to England, Italy, Egypt and even Canada. It follows the Fry family of three girls Celia, Etta and Jesse. They each find love and romance during the war, some not so happy and all challenging.

Celia is in London...she is marching for women's rights. She loves a man in a German uniform..the enemy. Jesse enlists as an Army nurse and travels to Egypt. She meets a doctor and marries, but at a great cost. Etta elopes with her Italian lover to Capri, but although her baby bump is for real, her marriage is not.

Christina..the mother of all holds a secret close to her that she can never tell. Because of this she worries for the safety of her daughters out in the world at war.

I love this book it was a long one, but it described everything in detail. I felt like I was walking on the cliffs in Italy and I felt the dirt sting my face in Egypt.

The book was well written, the Characters were wonderful and the depiction of the first world war and the trenches was realistic as were the zeppelins. There has been a lot written on WWII recently, but WWI is not so widely written about.

I hope there is a book two so I can follow the girls on the next section of their lives, especially Celia and Frank in Canada and Jesse and Aziz in Egypt. I also like the ending and hope that Christina once again finds happiness with Henry.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book and I would recommend it.

Thanks to Adrienne Chinn for writing a great story, to Harper Collins U.K., One More Chapter for publishing it and to NetGalley for making it available to me.

[Caroline arrow_reads · Rating 4 out of 5]

A story that follows three sister before and during the Great War taking different journeys. Cecilia, falls in love with Max, a teacher from Germany. Jessie, a nurse who enlist in the army going to Egypt. Then there is Ettie, an artist who moves to Capri. We see the difficulties of life and love during the time of war and different cultures. There is a family secret with a dual-timeline to the mother’s own youth. I’m looking forward to book two in The Three Fry Sisters series ti see how their stories continue. My favorite character was the girl’s father; kind and faithful. There was a touch on the Canary Girls, British women who working on manufacturing TNT. This is something I want to learn more about.

[Jennifer · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you like slow moving long historical fiction novels with zero closure then this is the perfect book for you 😂😂😂. The book follows the lives and stories of the Fry Family (the mother and the three sisters). The book takes places during the WWII time frame. It wasn’t a horrible book HOWEVER for close to 500 pages I wasn’t expecting it to end with practically no closure. I am assuming there will be other books in the series but for a book that long not a whole lot happened and the story could have been told just as effectively in half the number of pages. Even though I made it through to the end the story was just average so I’m giving it a 3/5

[Jamie · Rating 2 out of 5]

This felt very flat. For a book about war and love, it didn’t manage to make me feel anything at all. I found that the characters weren’t very fleshed out, and the decisions they make are simply to move the plot along. It kinda sucked to be honest.

[Amanda · Rating 4 out of 5]

If there’s one thing that I like doing, it’s discovering new authors. Adrienne Chinn is certainly a new author for me. I especially like discovering new authors who write historical fiction as I am a bit of a history nerd too. So imagine my excitement when I read the synopsis of ‘Love In A Time Of War’. The story sounded so interesting that I grabbed my Kindle, grabbed a cup of tea and settled down for what I hoped would be a fab afternoon of reading. I really enjoyed reading ‘Love In A Time Of War’ but more about that in a bit.
I have to admit that it did take me a little while to get into the story. I had received some bad news and I initially found it hard to concentrate for any length of time. However once I got to know the characters a little better and got used to them that was it and I was away. I was intrigued by all three sisters and how different they were from one another. I had my own suspicions as to what was going to happen and I had to keep reading to see if I was on the right track or if I had wandered down another path entirely. I became so wrapped up in the story that I lost all track of time and just how quickly I was turning those pages. All too quickly I reached the end of ‘Love In A Time Of War’ and I had to say goodbye to the three Fry sisters. I found ‘Love In A Time Of War’ to be a lovely read and full of drama, romance and heartache. I was gripped by the story from start to finish.
‘Love In A Time Of War’ is really well written. Adrienne has one of those writing styles that is easy to get used to and easy to get along with. Adrienne certainly knows how to draw readers into what proves to be one hell of a story. Adrienne has clearly done a lot of research into the time period of when the story is set and this shines through in the very vivid and realistic way in which she tells the tale. Adrienne cares about her characters and she describes them so clearly and realistically that they seem just as real as you and I. Whilst reading ‘Love In A Time Of War’ I did find that I ended up going through every emotion that the characters were going through. I love the way in which Adrienne made me feel as though I was part of the story and at the heart of the action.
In short and overall I did enjoy reading ‘Love In A Time Of War’ and I would recommend it to fans of historical fiction. I will certainly be reading more of Adrienne’s work in the future. The score on the Ginger Book Geek board is a very well deserved 4* out of 5*.

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a long saga of three British sisters set during WWI. Each sister is so different than the other, even the twins. The one similar thing that binds them together is their deep and undying love for the men in their lives. Intertwined is the story of their mother, the cool and co trolled woman that they know is nothing like the you g woman she once was.

A story of love found and love lost. Italy, Egypt and England play an important part in each of their lives as they grow into the women they are meant to be.

I found this book very slow in the beginning and I wasn’t completely happy with the ending but the book is enjoyable to read.

Thank you to Harper Collins and One More Chapter for the invitation to read this ebooks via NetGalley.

[Sian · Rating 3 out of 5]

.5

My review of Love in a Time of War can be found on my blog...

https://quirkybookreads.wordpress.com...

[Anne G. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely loved it , another one that I had trouble putting down. This was book 1 of the series, can't wait to read the next book to see what the sisters are up to.

[Suzanne · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this story of three sisters navigating their way through the first World War. We also get the story of their mother as a young woman in flashbacks, and (or course) it ties in nicely with her daughters' lives.

I thought the romance between Cecelia and Max was particularly well done because it showed that really England and Germany were close and cooperative before the war - no wonder these two characters fell in love. And I was surprised by the end of Etta's story, in a good way!

Some things didn't end as I wanted, but they ended in a totally realistic way. And I for sure want to read the next book and see what happens once the war is over.

[Caroline arrow_reads · Rating 4 out of 5]

A story that follows three sister before and during the Great War taking different journeys. Cecilia, falls in love with Max, a teacher from Germany.
Jessie, a nurse who enlist in the army going to Egypt. Then there is Ettie, an artist who moves to Capri. We see the difficulties of life and love during the time of war and different cultures.
There is a family secret with a dual-timeline to the mother's own youth. I'm looking forward to book two in The Three Fry Sisters series ti see how their stories continue. My favorite character was the girl's father; kind and faithful. There was a touch on the Canary Girls, British women who working on manufacturing TNT. This is something I want to learn more about.

[Anne · Rating 5 out of 5]

My goodness, I really enjoyed this one – a wonderfully written and entirely all-consuming story of the lives of three sisters making their way into adulthood against a vividly drawn backdrop of a world in turmoil from the beginning of the First World War. It was one of those rare books where I became so caught up in the characters and their story that I really didn’t want it to end – and I couldn’t be more delighted that this is the first in a planned trilogy, and that I’ll have the opportunity to immerse myself in their lives and experiences once more.

Celia is the eldest, separated from her German fiancé Max, involving herself with the efforts of Mrs Fawcett’s National Union of Women’s Suffrage, writing newspaper articles always hoping that her gender will be recognised, her photographs – a skill learned from her father Gerald – capturing the times and the impacts of the conflict on the home front. The other two sisters are non-identical twins, and live very different lives. Jessie is a nurse, joining the Queen Alexandra’s Imperial Military Nursing Service despite her mother’s opposition, eventually finding herself in Egypt in a time of change that is reflected by her own life choices. Etta is the flighty one, a fledgling artist caught up with the Bloomsbury set, falling in love with artist Carlo and finding herself alone in Capri with a young child when the war tears him away. And Capri is where her mother Christina’s story began – it’s cleverly laced through the story of the sisters, along with the layers of secrets that explain her protectiveness of her daughters and her fervent wish (or maybe that should be vain hope…) that they will all follow a conventional path to marriage and motherhood.

The writing really is exceptional – the locations are far more than a backdrop, the era and settings quite wonderfully brought to life with vivid and detailed descriptions, along with a realistic recreation of the conventions of the time. And the story-telling really is tremendous – the three sisters are distinct and well-drawn characters, and the author wraps their stories around each other in a way that is a real pleasure to read. There’s a strong romance element to all three stories – beautifully and convincingly done – and the emotional content has a very sure touch.

This is a book that really has a bit of everything – drama, romance, conflict, heartache, rich historical detail, wonderfully drawn locations – and “swept me away” doesn’t begin to do it justice. It’s also a book that made me feel, and really deeply, for its characters – there were times I was in tears at the desperateness of their situations, but the moments of joy were perfectly handled too. And although the sisters’ stories (and their mother’s) are largely complete by the book’s end, it leaves a few intriguing threads to be picked up and followed later – I enjoyed this book so much, and I can’t wait for the next one!

[Anne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and author for the invitation to read this ebook early.

This felt like a very appropriate read given the time of year and with Remembrance Day coming up. I thought this book got off to a slowish start although I did like it. There were some characters I liked more than others and I have to say the ones I didn’t like much at first slowly grew on me as the book progressed. This is a beautifully written book that takes place mostly over a 6 year timeline with much of it being set during the war time period and I think the author has portrayed her characters so realistically and believably and wrote of their thoughts, feelings and emotions so eloquently. I loved the way the story was told through the different characters as the war progressed and from different places. I could picture some of the scenes and characters in my mind when reading, and I think the author has done a great job of making them come vividly to life as she wrote their stories. This, for me, was such a lovely and engaging read, it was sad, heart breaking, poignant and yet a very well written book that had my attention from the first page to the last and held it all the way through. If you like family stories, particularly told during war time and times of adversity I would highly recommend this book. I really, really enjoyed this book and felt quite sad when I reached its end and am looking forward to the next book featuring this family.

[Annette · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a love story of three sisters set against the backdrop of war. The sisters are all different but all very likable. It was kind of a long epic story. I enjoyed it
Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the early copy

[Jeanne · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this. It was long at almost 500 pages and at times it went slow but I was seeing the characters develop more and that worked for me.

Christina Fry lives with her husband, Gerald. She is Italian and can be a bit snobby at times. He has a photography business. There are three daughters with Cecelia the oldest, and the twins Jessica and Etta. Cecelia is taking German lessons and has fallen in love with her professor. They agree to marry and when war breaks out Max has to return to Germany. Jessica and Etta couldn't be more different. Jessica is the sensible one who wants to be a nurse. She joins the Queen Alexandra nurses and is sent to Egypt to take care of wounded soldiers. Etta is studying art when she falls in love with a fellow artist, Carlos. Christina is not happy with any of this. She wants her girls to marry and lead respectable lives in England but Christina also has secrets. For the most part each chapter covers one of the girls and Christina and while that could be confusing I felt it worked because of the different settings of Capri, England and Egypt.

There is going to be more in the series and I'm looking forward to reading them all.

I would like to thank Netgalley and Harper Collins UK for providing me with a digital copy.

[Kathleen Freeman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Overall I enjoyed this book, I got pulled into the lives of the Fry family, I liked how we followed different characters in different locations. I look forward to the next book in the series to follow these characters into life after WWI.

[Jenni Ogden · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyed this story of the three Fry sisters, set in WWI (a nice change for the numerous WWII women's fiction stories). The story was well written and the characters and plot realistic and engaging. Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for an advance digital galley.

[Galina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Love in a Time of War by Adrienne Chinn is a dual timeline historical saga, set in 1891 as well as before and during the WWI. It's a sweeping and dramatic novel, crammed with romance, emotion and heartache.

Young Christina is staying with her cousin in Capri, Italy, taking Italian lessons and exploring the countryside. She is carefree and artless, and falls head over heels with a dashing young aristocrat Harry Grenville.
Years later, we see her as a married mother of three, living in London. She is different from the young woman we encounter earlier.

The Fry sisters, Cecelia, Jessie and Etta, are coming of age in the pre-war London. They all have their dreams and hopes.

Celie is studying German and hopes to become a teacher one day. Her tutor, Max Fischer, believes she needs to have more confidence in herself.

Cecelia's mother thinks her studying German is a total waste to time. The father of the family, Gerald Fry, loves his daughters unconditionally and supports them all.

Mr Fry owns a photo studio, and Celie helps him to run it.

The Women's Suffrage is the cause Celie feels strongly about. She attends meetings and helps organise rallies around London and beyond.

When the war begins, the age of innocence comes to an end. Celia's love, Max, has to do the military service in Germany. All of a sudden their future seems to be doomed. They are on the opposite sides of the conflict.

Jessie is training as a nurse, while Etta is free to pursue her artistic studies. Jessie and Etta are quite stubborn, rash and ego-centric, in their own way.

While Jessie might have chosen a caring profession, she does it more out of ambition to see the world and not be confined to the role of the obedient wife and mother of the family.

Despite her mother's objections, Jessie becomes an army nurse. The adventures she craved become a horrifying reality, when she is posted to Gallipoli and Egypt.

Etta's bohemian aspirations bring her into the close circles of the Bloomsbury group.

Etta falls in love with an Italian artist, Carlo Marinetti, and elopes with him to Italy. She is expecting a baby, and writes deceptive letters to her family in London about their marriage.

Each sister undertakes a personal journey of self-discovery. Their mother Christina is anxious that her daughters do not repeat the mistakes of her youth. There are secrets she's been keeping from her family.

Christina seems to be unable to let the past go. It has affected her so much that her whole personality has changed. She is distant and aloof, and can't bring herself to love her firstborn, or her devoted husband.

There is a certain Chekhovian theme, of a conflict between illusions, dreams and reality, which could be traced through the storylines of all Fry women (mother and daughters). All the Fry ladies are educated and refined, but unlike the Chekhov's Three Sisters, Cecelia, Jessie and Etta are able to change their lives.

The portrayal of the war is unflinching and moving.

Set against the catastrophic and poignant historical backdrop, Love in a Time of War is a captivating exploration of the spirit of the women forging new lives during and after the WWI. Immersive and moving.

In the Acknowledgments, the author talks about her grandmother and other family members who became an inspiration for the characters of the Fry sisters. Adrienne Chinn says, she is proud to come from a stock of independent, self-reliant women.

[Sandra · Rating 3 out of 5]

‘Love in a Time of War’ by Adrienne Chinn is the story of three sisters during wartime, how the inconveniences of war can shatter dreams and promises, disguise lies, hide secrets and offer opportunities previously unimagined.
In 1913, Cecilia Fry, eldest of the three Fry sisters, is nineteen when this story starts. She has fallen in love with her young German teacher and must decide whether to spend the summer with Max in Germany or in London working for the suffragist movement. Eighteen-year old Jessie is studying at nursing school and has been offered an amazing opportunity of which her mother disapproves. Jessie’s twin Etta visits the Summer Exhibition at the Royal Academy of Arts where she meets an Italian artist. All three sisters have dreams for the future, but those dreams are to be thrown into disarray by the Great War.
‘Love in a Time of War’ starts with a Prologue set in Italy in 1891. A young Englishwoman called Christina, visiting her Italian family on the island of Capri, falls in love with a young tourist. What happens during this Italian summer reaches through every page of this novel with its themes of the life of women at the dawn of the twentieth century, the new possibilities for women, promising independence, a voice and freedom of expression, weighed down by society’s traditional expectations of their role and behaviour. This is a view of a prosperous middle-class family, though the plight of working-class women is glimpsed via Milly, the Fry’s maid of all work who leaves to work in a munitions factory, and Jessie’s nursing friend Ivy. The three sisters choose completely contrasting paths in life and their stories are followed as war is declared and the family separates. Each in turn faces a difficult choice and then must learn to live the life they have chosen. Little do they realise how their own decisions echo the choices their mother also faced at a similar age.
Towards the end there are number of coincidences which enable the tying up of loose ends, these felt awkward and abrupt. But the Acknowledgements at the end explains how the novel was inspired by the author’s own three great-aunts and grandmother who lived in Britain, Canada and Egypt. So perhaps real life does provide coincidences that are presumed good, or bad, luck.
A gentle, romantic war story, ideal for reading on holiday. As the first book in a family saga series, ‘The Three Fry Sisters’, this book ends as life after war begins and the sisters face the new lives they have chosen. Book Two will cover the Twenties and Thirties, while Book Three will span World War Two into the Seventies.
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[Doreen Prentiss Gabriellini · Rating 4 out of 5]

Love In A Time Of War by Adrienne Chinn is the first in an up and coming trilogy which follows the lives of the three Fry sisters. Celie and fraternal twins, Jessie and Etta. The author has developed three unique personalities in these sisters. Celie,is the oldest. She is an early crusader for women’s suffrage. She is also extremely thoughtful. Etta is the bohemian of the sisters. She is an artist and very headstrong. Jessie is the most serious of the sisters. She has no desire to follow convention and get married and have children. She is interested in putting her nursing skills to use.

This first installment of the trilogy begins just prior to the start of World War I. Historically this is the cusp of great change for women.
Women are now taking on roles/positions traditionally held by men. Of course the men are called to be in the armed services so the women are left to fill all of these jobs. Women are allowed to travel without a chaperon and travel overseas. Of course there are romantic relationships for the sisters which makes for major problems given the world climate at the time.

Ms. Chinn does an excellent job of portraying and developing the characters of all three sisters. The sisters come alive on the page and are memorable to say the least. Part of this story is about the sisters mother, Christina. So there is some back and forth between when Christina was a young woman and present day where we find the sisters approximately the same age.

A character I’ve not mentioned so far is the sisters’ father and Christina’s husband, Gerald. He was the character who I empathized with the most. He did his very best to provide a comfortable and stable home for his wife and daughters. He definitely encouraged their interests and was a devoted husband. I was surprised by his discovery that all is not what it seems in his marriage.

It makes for a long book. However, that is the point of a trilogy. You fall in love with a character(s), enjoy the family drama and the time period. If this sounds appealing, then Love in a Time of War should definitely be on your reading list.

This is the second book I have read by Ms. Chinn. I adored The English Wife which debuted in 2020. Love in the Time of War did not disappoint. There were some things that I would tweak but overall a great read. It will definitely leave you wanting to see what happens in the next installment.

I would like to thank Adrienne Chinn, One More Chapter and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[L.S. · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Fry sisters are coming of age in a time when rights for women are in the news and the future seems positive for them all. Cecelia – Celie – is the oldest of the three, in love with her German teacher, Max, and planning a life with him. That is, until the Great War erupts. Will she ever be able to marry and enjoy life with a man who fights for the enemy? And what of her future? To fill her days, she helps out at her father’s photography shop, becoming a skilled photographer in her own right and taking photos that really tell the story of life during those days. Getting them published, however, is less easy, particularly as a woman.

The twins – Jessie and Etta – are a few years younger than Celie, but both have passions that define them.
Jessie is an adventurer, and sees nursing as a platform towards being an independent woman. The war enables her to pursue it further and she enlists with the Queen Alexandra Imperial Military Nursing Service. Working in Egypt, she meets Dr Khalid who notices her exceptional skill as a surgical nurse and insists on working with her. Their relationship turns to romance, and Jessie has to decide whether to give up nursing and be a married woman (the two things are not compatible in those days). But what is she if not a nurse? Can she watch from the side-lines?

Etta has always been the arty type, les restricted by formality and more prone to follow the path less travelled. Upon falling in love with Italian artist, Carlo, she follows her heart – and him – to Italy, but when Italy joins the war, she joins her aunt who helps her raise their daughter. The aunt was there where Etta’s mum, Christina, needed similar help, and she knows Christina’s secret. Is that secret in danger of coming out? Or does Etta have enough on her plate to keep her own secret from her family?
I thoroughly enjoyed this book, following the intertwining stories of the Fry sisters through the Suffrage protests, the Great War, and their own romances and life-changing experiences. All of this, while mum, Christina, endeavours to hold on to her secret for as long as she can. The letters exchanged by the girls and their parents and loved ones fill in the gaps but keep the mystery going. Their father is a wonderful man, and his part in their story is both joyful and heart-breaking. I look forward to the next book in the series and will be watching for those big secrets to be revealed.

[Julie · Rating 4 out of 5]

A sweeping emotional roller-coaster from a master storyteller, Love in a Time of War is a compulsively readable historical novel from Adrienne Chinn.

It’s 1913 and three young girls living uneventful lives in a quiet corner of London are coming of age and are excited about what the future holds for each of them. With the possibilities for these three girls being endless, there is absolutely nothing that they cannot do. However, little do they realise that just around the corner there is a seismic event that will shatter their promising futures and take them on eventful journeys halfway across the world that will leave them wrestling with terror, uncertainty and heartbreak: the First World War.

Cecelia is head over heels in love with Max and had hoped to spend the rest of her life with him. However, Max wears a German uniform and the man she loves is now the enemy and out of her reach. Is a future for the two of them possible? Or has the war put paid to any hope they had of being together? Jessie has always craved adventure and excitement and it looks like her wish has come true when she enlists as a nurse with the army and is sent all the way to Galipoli in Egypt. However, on her arrival, Jessie wonders just what she had got herself into. Etta has just eloped to Italy with the love of her life, Carlo. Etta is expecting a baby, but the marriage certificate she carries is not worth the paper it is printed on.

As her three girls embark on their journeys that will take them to the four corners of the world, their mother Christina worries not just about the dangers they face, but about the secrets she’s kept from her daughters all this time…

Adrienne Chinn’s Love in a Time of War is a wonderful historical novel that effortlessly draws readers into a beautifully evoked world of secrets, jeopardy, hope and love. A sublimely written epic that takes readers from London to Cairo and Italy, Love in a Time of War is a beguiling novel set during the First World War that is full of captivating female characters forging forward in an uncertain world armed with determination, resilience and hope.

Haunting, atmospheric and enjoyable, Adrienne Chinn’s Love in a Time of War is an unforgettable historical novel I highly recommend.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an Advanced Reader Copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.