A Kind of Homecoming⭐⭐⭐⭐

Book Blurb: 1914 England

Stepping off the curb, nose buried in her anatomy book, Rose Maddox never saw it coming. By the time she looked up, it was too late to avoid the bicycle about to crash into her. Her saving grace was that the young man on the bike saw her first. Although he managed to swerve at the last second, she had no way of knowing how much this near-miss would impact her life.

Restless, Rose is searching for something beyond the country village she has called home for eighteen years. Her collision with this young German, Sebastian, is like a breath of fresh air. He is a kindred spirit, and they spend spring and summer blending their lives together, exploring the Yorkshire countryside on his Royal Enfield motorcycle. She finds herself falling for him, embraced in the glow of their love affair, imagining a future travelling the world.

A thousand miles away, storm clouds are forming as the Archduke of Austria is assassinated in Sarajevo. The winds of war sweep across Europe threatening to blow away Rose’s hopes and dreams like a cold autumn wind.

Review: I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

I find it hard to review this book as I don't want to give any spoilers away. The story starts in 1913 - England with Rose, who is on her way to nursing school. The story then moves to Germany and introduces Sebastian who is offered an apprenticeship in England. In England, he meets Rose. Gary takes you through WWI and I liked the way he takes you from England to Germany to France. Although the story is focused on Sebastian and Rose, there was enough ‘world-building’, and I enjoyed reading it. I cared for the characters and finished the book within a couple of hours.
I truly enjoyed this book and I really would like to read ‘Margaret's last prayer’, by Gary, which is set in 1924.