Book Review of SUNSHINE SPIRIT by Barbara Willis

BLURB:

As Jane steps from the rubble of her West End home she meets Will; he offers laughter and love in abundance. But will his kindness lead to a happily ever after, or draw Jane into secrecy and danger?

With the Blitz of London upon them, Will teaches Jane to live for the moment and throw caution aside. He introduces her to his surrogate family, the joys of the theatre and the open road. In turn, Jane acquaints him with her eclectic mix of girlfriends and life at the Grandchester Hotel.

But wartime London is a dangerous place, and they soon find themselves in the middle of deception, desperation and murder. Amid the loss and discovery, a promise is made to wait for a loved one’s return.

MY REVIEW:

I have a penchant for reading mainly fantasy/sci-fi books, so it was enjoyable to be swept away with a well-written historical romance/thriller.  We start off in London during the Nazis Blitz.  Ms. Willis did a superb job showing us the terrible life Londoner’s faced on a nightly basis, waiting for death to drop on their doorsteps.

We start with a young woman, Jane, and the dangers she faces.  Not only from the nightly bombs, but from people who she thought she knew reasonably well.  Jane meets Will, a handsome and dashing actor.  A romance blooms between them, but little do they know Will is being used for nefarious reasons.  Who can they trust?

Unlike action-packed thriller plots, this one moves along, slowing drawing us into Jane and Will’s lives.  There were a few times I thought the prose a little wordy and redundant, but it also takes place during a slower paced lifestyle.  As with all good stories, I felt happiness, fear, uncertainty, and sadness. 

The ending is a bit strange and takes you into the fantasy/sci-fi genre.   Even now, several weeks after reading the book, I’m still not sure how I feel about the ending.

If you’re looking for a good historical/romance/thriller, I recommend this book.  I give it 4 feathers.