What I’m Reading: If I Were You

I was looking at Hoopla the other day and ended up putting several books on my shelf to listen to.  One of the books was If I Were You by Lynn Austin.  I was happy to find this book as a blog reader suggested it to me.  I can’t remember who…sorry.  So did I like it??

I did like it.  I always like stories that deal with class.  One of the main characters grew up rich and the other worked at her manor house.  It made for an interesting tail especially when WWII broke out.  I honestly really liked the book but then about 1/2 way through or so out of the blue thrown in is a “Christian” element.  I don’t mind reading Christian fiction.  I used to read a lot of it but it seemed in this book it was a little awkward the way it was thrown in.  I almost felt like the author thought, “oh, I need to stay in the Christian fiction category so I need to quickly throw something in.  How about here?

It didn’t make me not like the book.  The story was still very interesting and the writing good…

I appreciate that a reader recommended this…it was definitely worth my time.

Here is what Amazon has to say:
“From bestselling and eight-time Christy Award–winning author Lynn Austin comes a remarkable novel of sisterhood, self-discovery, and romance set against the backdrop of WW2.

1950. In the wake of the war, Audrey Clarkson leaves her manor house in England for a fresh start in America with her young son. As a widowed war bride, Audrey needs the support of her American in-laws, whom she has never met. But she arrives to find that her longtime friend Eve Dawson has been impersonating her for the past four years. Unraveling this deception will force Audrey and Eve’s secrets―and the complicated history of their friendship―to the surface.

1940. Eve and Audrey have been as different as two friends can be since the day they met at Wellingford Hall, where Eve’s mother served as a lady’s maid for Audrey’s mother. As young women, those differences become a polarizing force . . . until a greater threat―Nazi invasion―reunites them. With London facing relentless bombardment, Audrey and Eve join the fight as ambulance drivers, battling constant danger together. An American stationed in England brings dreams of a brighter future for Audrey, and the collapse of the class system gives Eve hope for a future with Audrey’s brother. But in the wake of devastating loss, both women must make life-altering decisions that will set in motion a web of lies and push them both to the breaking point long after the last bomb has fallen.”

Amazon readers give the book 4.7 stars.  Hmm.  I think I would give it 4.3.  If was good but as I said earlier, the “Christian” element seemed like an afterthought, and for me, it made the book just a little awkward.  It’s still a very good book and I would recommend it.

You can find the book HERE on Amazon.