A beautiful novel with an incredible sense of place & time, I was immediately transported to a post-war Britain from ruins of bombed-out homes to the smokey jazz clubs of Soho you feel like you are there, so vividly described London becomes a character in its own right.

I enjoyed the dual narrative running thought the novel. Lawrie & Evie are well-drawn characters, interesting characters by no means perfect but reasonably flawed, I soon found myself rooting for. Hare really captures the young love against all odds feeling between the pair.

I found it difficult to read in places the racial and social mistreatment suffered by immigrants who answered England's call for help after the war is heartbreaking.

It just missed out on 5⭐ because I found it was a bit slow at times and dragged a little.

Overall this vivid, atmospheric & thought-provoking debut is well-worth reading.

Thanks to HQ Stories for sending me this in exchange for an open and honest review.

⭐⭐⭐⭐