Patriotic Service Leads to Victories in Romance Relive life on the American homefront as four women of the WWII era join the workforce and discover romance in surprising ways. Moonlight Serenade by Rita Gerlach 1941, Washington D.C. When Kate St. Claire takes over a sailor’s job at the Naval Yard in Washington, DC, she is thrown into a romance she never expected. Only Forever by Lauralee … never expected.
Only Forever by Lauralee Bliss
1943, Springville, New York
Marilyn and Arthur learn the hard way that it’s not the outside that matters, but the inward working of the heart that is precious to God and each other.
Blue Moon by Johnnie Alexander
1943, Oak Ridge, Tennessee
After humiliating each other, a WOOPs officer and an Army Intelligence agent team up to protect a top-secret atomic bomb facility from sabotage.
Dream a Little Dream by Amanda Barratt
1945, Palm Springs, California
When an army nurse and a former film star are reunited at a wartime hospital, can they move beyond their past and into a future together?
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These four stories of women working and finding love on the homefront during WWII will warm your heart and refresh your soul.
What a wonderful collection of WWII stories!
I loved the spunk of Kate St. Claire in Moonlight Serenade. It was interesting to read about working in a Naval Yard as well. What courage these people had to do this demanding job!
Only Forever was a sweet story of faith and love.
Blue Moon had some mysterious twists and turns which I enjoyed. This story kept me guessing as to who’d done the instigating of some very dangerous things.
Dream a Little Dream had me hooked from the mention of a “golden age” of the film character. I love all the old movies, and Amanda Barratt’s story had the panache and glamor of this era in Hollywood.
Each story kept me entertained if you love historical fiction, you’ll want to read this novel.
3.5 stars
Enjoy these unique peeks into four lovely stories about women whose courage and bravery amidst disappointment and heartache made them memorable “homefront heroines” during the dark days of WWII.
“Some people say that if we worry, we’ve lost our faith. I don’t believe that. It pushes me toward God, to trust Him that everything will be alright.” – Moonlight Serenade by Rita Gerlach
“God, I need water right now. I’m drying up under all this. I’ve made a mess, and only You can make it right again.” – Only Forever by Lauralee Bliss
“He’d failed at his mission . . . . . And now he’d have to suffer the consequences. And the indignity of being caught by the WOOPs-de-doo who was never supposed to know he was there.” – Blue Moon by Johnnie Alexander
“She’d lived her life making few mistakes. If tonight was to be one, well, maybe she’d earned it.” – Dream a Little Dream by Amanda Barratt
I must say, my love of subterfuge drew me into “Blue Moon” especially and quickly. And who wouldn’t want to meet a movie star . . . . . “Dream a Little Dream” was . . . . well, . . . dreamy. What an enjoyable collection of inspiration and romance!
I have a bit of a love-hate relationship with novella collections. While novellas are quicker to read, and the collections give you a chance to explore new authors without a large time commitment, the collections inevitably contain some stories that I don’t like as much as the others.
Out of the four stories, I loved three of them. I’ve included my thoughts on each individual story below.
Moonlight Serenade by Rita Gerlach
I had to push my way through this. The romance was rushed, and I didn’t find it believable. I know a lot of romances may have been rushed back then because of the war, but I’ve never been a believer in love at first sight. However, I did enjoy the look into women working for the war effort. I also liked that the focus stayed on Kate and the work she was doing.
Only Forever by Lauralee Bliss
This was a sweet and well-written story. The fact that Marilyn and Art already know each other makes the quick timeline believable. And Art is such a sweet character, you can’t help but root for him to get the girl.
Blue Moon by Johnnie Alexander
This was my favorite. There’s plenty of suspense and action, and Kathleen and Roger’s interactions made their relationship come alive. I think Johnnie Alexander outdid herself here. My only complaint is the way it ended. The characters needed to have a conversation, and I wanted to see it, but instead it happened “off-screen” and we find out about it later. But other than that, it’s a fast and delightful read.
Dream a Little Dream by Amanda Barratt
This was my second favorite and a wonderful way to complete the collection. Amanda Barratt does a great job showing her characters’ personalities, and I loved seeing the way Cliff and Rosemary transform over the years. The romance is sweet and well-paced. No doubt you’ll be swept away by Cliff just like Rosemary is.
Overall, Homefront Heroines is a great collection for any history lover or WWII buff. If you love Sarah Sundin’s books (and what’s not to love), you’ll definitely enjoy this collection.
Four stories set in historical through around a decade in the 1880s. These women will become mail order brides to men in the west but are these their intended groom or was there a mistake some where along the way. Only God knows for sure. A man in jail for murder, a surprised groom who isn’t wanting to get married, a man looking for help with his wheelchair bound sister and a farmer looking for help with his grandmother will find the wrong woman comes to town. These four men with find that these Mail Order Mishaps may just be the person that God has meant for them.
Mail Order Mishaps takes a well-known practice in the old west and turns it upside down. Four stories of women becoming mail order brides to men only to be the wrong ones. God’s hand is brought into the mix to make sure these grooms and brides find their true love. They face danger, unknown circumstances, and an attraction that they can’t ignore. Lives will forever change as these couples come together with faith and love. Mail Order Mishaps is written by four well known Christian writers to put love of God, each other, along with faith that their lives will work out in good time. Facing adversity will bring these couples together and help them to realize their lives were meant to be shared. Mail Order Mishaps shows that when misunderstandings and accidents happen true love will bloom along with God’s love.