3.9/5. i liked this book a lot but the ending was super repetitive, boring and predictable.

The story is enjoyable enough, but it is obvious and predictable. The dialogue is pedestrian, as is using a lunch as a way to give a “who’s who” of characters. Characters frequently contradict themselves after about a paragraph. The one bright point is that the author does capture the terror of being in a bomb raid very well.

For some reason, this book didn’t appeal to me. It was a Book of the Month Club main selection in June of 2022, but because I get most of my books from the library, I had to wait until October of 2022 to read it. I typically love romance, but some of the books have a tendency towards weak storylines and a LOT of misogyny. Based on the title of this book, I assumed there would be women pushed heavily towards “traditional” female roles. While I wasn’t completely wrong, it contained much more. At the onset of this story, it had the same misogynistic feel I was anticipating. We met Grace, who was planning her marriage to a lump of a man she really had no feelings towards. She was getting married because it was expected of her. Then we met Cressida, who was shunned by her family because she decided to pursue a career instead of finding a husband. Finally, we met Violet, who had very lofty ideas about finding her perfect match with a titled, wealthy man, because that was the expectation she grew up with. They came together in a community sewing group, also an activity traditionally hoisted upon women. To be fair, this book was set during World War II in a small village outside of London, so those roles weren’t questioned during that time or place. Grace was initially complacent, Cressida resolved, and Violet vapid. Throughout their time together, each of the women were able to grow into different, stronger versions of themselves. While the end goal of the book was for each of these women to find love, they were also able to find a purpose for themselves outside of a romantic partner. Each of the characters went from being bland a lifeless to ambitious, caring, and full. While the entire story itself was pretty formulaic, it was an enjoyable read.