Today I’m sharing my book recommendation for Heart in the Clouds, the fabulous debut novel by Australian author Jennifer Mistmorgan.
Here’s the book description:
He’s a charismatic Australian bomber pilot used to beating the odds.
She’s the radio operator he speaks to each night before he flies.
He makes a bet that he can steal a kiss….and ends up getting much more than he bargained for.
If you enjoyed gripping wartime romances by Sarah Sundin and Roseanna M White, you’ll love this heart-stopping story of love, chance and consequence.
RAF Bottesford, November 1942: Maggie Morrison joined the Women’s Auxiliary Air Force for a free ticket into the romance she craved, away from her sleepy life as a vicar’s daughter. But the men of Bomber Command are careless with the hearts of women. She hides the pain of her broken heart and mother’s sudden death behind calm confidence on the airfield radio, as the last voice men hear before they fly into danger.
Australian pilot Alec Thomas is a gambling man on a winning streak. Every night when he flies with RAF Bomber Command, the odds of surviving are fifty-fifty. And every night so far, he’s made it back to English soil. But as the battles over Europe intensify, Alec’s luck feels less certain.
When Alec bets with his crew he can get Maggie to kiss him before the year is out, he has no idea it’s the most important wager he’ll ever make. But pursuing her leads Alec to reexamine everything he believes about his so-called luck, prompting him to question what—or who—is behind it all. Even if Alec can win his bet, can his risk-taking ways win her heart? Or will his luck in the brutal air war over Europe run out before their first kiss?
Narelle’s Thoughts:
I loved reading Heart in the Clouds, the debut WW2 historical romance novel by Jennifer Mistmorgan. A failed relationship has taught Maggie that pilots are trouble. Her attraction to Alec, a charming Australian pilot from the other side of the world, can’t lead anywhere good. Maggie is a strong and independent woman who lives on base and works overnight on the airfield radio when the pilots are on bombing missions. She’s dealing with grief after losing her mother, and guilt from leaving her grief stricken father and needy teenage sister to manage at home.
Alec flirts with danger every single time he flies a mission over Europe in German territory, and he wonders if luck is enough to keep him alive. He’s drawn to Maggie and frustrated by her prejudices. I liked how Alec and Maggie challenged each other in different ways as they worked through their issues and considered the possibility of a future together. I appreciated seeing Alec’s faith journey play out in the story.
I loved the action scenes when Alec is flying with his crew, and the realistic and relatable side characters who brought to life the 1940’s English village setting amid the hardship of war. The mystery subplot in the story kept me turning the page, wanting to know how it would resolve. I highly recommend Heart in the Clouds to historical romance readers who like gritty WW2 military stories with a solid faith element set in England.
Visit Jennifer Mistmorgan’s website to learn more about the book.
https://jennifermistmorgan.com/heart-in-the-clouds/
This is on my tbr list I did start and loved what I was reading then a few things happened and reading went by the way. I want to restart in the new year when I have time to read it.
I had an uncle in the RAAF not sure where he was stationed. But I enjoy reading these sorts of books.
Hi Jenny, I hope you’ll have a chance to read it in the New Year. I wasn’t all that familiar with the history of the Aussie RAAF pilots based in England and I enjoyed learning more about that aspect of WW2.