by 
English nurse Fleur Armitage wants to escape all reminders of the Great War, which killed family, friends and patients – by living as far from its reminders as possible – in outback Queensland. Jack Edgarson is a war hero, pastoralist and damaged man. Suffering from nightmares and sleep walking, he fears he may harm someone, so lives in isolation. Through a chance meeting, their lives become entangled. They come to share a love of the wide western plains, but dare they love each other?
I haven’t read many war time stories and so this was a welcome experience. The hardships and the adversities of a war and its impact on people who are directly involved was something that the author got out beautifully in this book. I could feel the hurt, sadness, bone deep grief and the difficulties faced by Fluer and Jack in getting back to living normally as civilians. The romance is sweet and I enjoyed the scenes between Fluer and Jack.
The writing style of the author is simple and manages to engage the reader in the story. Although I was interested in the story, I could not help but feel the absence of a proper development of the sleepwalking angle to the story and the angle between Bill and the Matron. Also some pages should have been used to properly explain the insecurities of Fluer and Jack. Bits and pieces of their reasons to stay away from a happily-ever-after did make me a bit confused and also make me feel as if they were themselves not sure of their reasons to not love!
The characterization is good but needs polish. Although I loved the characters I just could not make a mental picture of them in my mind. At first Jack is shown as a man of around forty and then later when his friend Bill is introduced then although Bill is forty he is shown as a middle aged man who is now aged to the point that he needs only companionship while Jack despite being forty is still not that old and can go after ladies for love! This was discrimination in my opinion or a lapse by the author in properly sketching these two characters.
The best thing about the book is its underlying message of hope. Two people who have seen and suffered so much in their lives come together and take a chance with love to find their happily-ever-after. The book will leave you feeling happy, satisfied and blessed that you live in peaceful times away from all the gruesomeness of war.
Overall, All Quiet on the Western Plains
I received an ARC of the book from the author and the tour organizers and I am very thankful to them. The above review is my honest and unbiased opinion and in no way influenced.
Isabella Hargreaves is an Australian author of historical romances. While growing up in Brisbane, she read historical fact and fiction, but that wasn’t enough, so she became a historian and spends every work day researching and writing about people, places and events from the past. Now she combines her love of history and romance in writing historical romances. Recently, Steam eReads published her prize-winning, Regency historical novel, The Persuasion of Miss Jane Brody. Since then it has been short-listed in the ‘Favourite Historical Romance’ category of the Australian Romance Readers Awards.
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