Daffodils (The Katherine Wheel Saga Book 1)

Not necessarily an easy read, but a worthwhile one - the market is full of WWII books, but not nearly so many WWI books - and not so many that are written quite as well as this one. WHile some of the plot twists and turns are seen so far away as to be visible from 30,000 feet - gee, I wonder if [thing the Lord refuses to do] will direct and tragically affect [lower-class person]? - that doesn't make them any less realistic or interesting. I didn't give the book five stars only because so much of what was about to happen was telegraphed to the point where I wanted to yell OKAY I GET IT, I KNOW WHAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN NEXT at my Kindle. That, and some of the characterization falls a little flat.

An enjoyable "beach read," and definitely a book I'm glad I read.

I would have liked to see more about the role women played in the war. There was more about the community she lived in. Since this was supposed to portray women during the war effort, I was disappointed with that part of the book. The rural community was interesting.

Just could not put it down. A wonderful story leaving me wanting to read more. I loved The Twisted Vine also, could not put that one down either , so now I am really, really, looking forward to her next.

Loved the characters the story and the setting. The historical aspects of the story added dimension to it. I enjoyed following these characters through all their joys and sorrows and look forward reading the next chapter in their lives.

With the advent of self-publishing, I've learned to pretty much just shut up and read, because bad punctuation, bad research, and even bad writing are so prevalent now as to render griping useless, but I have to say some things about this book. It actually had possibilities, I thought, but it was poorly researched and carelessly written. There's a note in the beginning saying "The author has endeavoured to research historical facts accurately." It's a shame she only researched history, and didn't research things like medicine, geography, language, and punctuation. Punctuation is literally all over the place. Believe it or not, Ms. Martin, there are rules for commas, and when used, they help a book sound better. A decent copy editor would have benefited this book greatly.

A copy editor might have told the author that nobody said "Cassandra had been partying" in World War One days.

A copy editor might or might not have gone the extra step in pointing out that this passage:

"She still thinks of Tipperary as a place for heroes. Tell that to the kid who’s coughing up his lungs after being gassed"

makes very little sense. I know there was a military hospital there during WWI, but the way this passage is written, the author makes it sound like Tipperary was a battlefield. Ireland? Really?

A copy editor might have said, "hey, this passage is a FRAGMENT, and it's not an effective one:" Content to be quiet, one hand on her flat belly, disbelieving the taut skin could hide a new life, and one he had helped to create.

A copy editor--after laughing hysterically--might have pointed out that "his becalmed wife" does not mean "his calm wife." "Becalmed" is strictly a nautical term, referring to a ship that can't move because there's no wind in the sails. Well, maybe his wife had no wind in her sails, who knows.

And a copy editor might also have pointed out the difference between typhoid and typhus, which the author clearly does not know. They are two separate diseases with different causes. The symptoms she pointed out--especially the characteristic abdominal rash--indicates typhus, not typhoid. And typhus breaks out in individual cases, like the one with the baby. But she called the disease typhoid throughout the book, whereas if it had really been typhoid, the death of one baby would have only been the beginning. Half the village would have died if the water supply had really been contaminated. Typhoid outbreaks are seldom single--they are more like epidemics. And since this fake-typhoid-really-typhus plays such a huge part, the author pretty well torpedoed the first section of the book right there.

A copy editor might have pointed out homonyms like peak/peek and similar words that mean different things like draught/drought. And passages that were intended to sound literary but only came off as pretentious and worse, made little sense, like "an avalanche surged through her straining body". What the heck does that MEAN, really? I know what she's going after, but she's not achieving it.

Finally, a copy editor might have questioned the author's research into and portrayal of the military. I was in the military in the 1970s, when the American army still had the WAAC; in fact my entry was at just about the time the WAAC was transition to the WAC; my basic training unit was among the last to get to wear the Pallas Athena. And though it was stressed that we were female and therefore not to be in combat (very different from today's army, I know), we were still told we were part of the military and must act it at all times. In one chapter this author had a colonel ignoring a brigadier when the guy was standing right there; that would not have been tolerated. And a low-ranking female soldier didn't just walk into a group of officers, especially not a lot of field-grade officers, taking off her cap outside (that was always something that would've gotten us dropped for pushups) and without a salute for any of them, just address the chaplain as if no other officer was present. It would NOT have happened, or if it had, the consequences to the female soldier would not have been pleasant.

And it's really not fair of the author to have one soldier say, "These ruddy chaplains!...None of 'em goes to the front and sees what it's really like." The soldier later qualifies the remark by mentioning that the Catholics do. But this isn't true; most army chaplains by 1916 were going up to the front for long periods of time--some of them were even decorated for bravery there.

In writing a review for the store, reviewers now have to indicate the answers to a lot of multiple choice questions. However, frequently the available answers don't match the questions, so we muddle along as best we can, but saying the mood of the book is "thoughtful" is only the best answer because the rest of the answers were worse. It's not a thoughtful book, not like "The Young Lions" or even "The Shack." Essentially it is a very simplistic, slow-moving romance, but that's not one of the available answers. And to say the characters are "developed" does not mean they are WELL developed. Katy, the protagonist, comes off at the beginning of the book as someone who marries simply because there's nothing else she can do. Caught in an embarrassing situation and fired without a reference, she can't get a job and her reputation is ruined. Everything she has done up to that point indicates that not only does she have no interest in marriage, but she especially does not wish to marry Jem, the gardener. He is portrayed as her parents' choice for her and someone she'd really just as soon not associate with at all. He has no interest in traveling; she does; he doesn't care about reading; she does; he is a nice but simple man and she is a temperamental and someone flighty woman. She marries him because she has no other alternative. So how he suddenly becomes THE LOVE OF HER LIFE, the man she has ALWAYS loved, is something of a non-sequitur. I was baffled by that turn of events, as well as Katy's suicidal behavior after he goes missing in battle. I wanted to understand Katy, but much of her behavior was simply illogical for the way the character was written (a substantive editor might have pointed that out, but if the author would not fork out a few bucks for copy editing, there's no way she'd put out a couple hundred for a real edit). And the character of the vicar, Lionel, is well developed, but so creepy he had no place in the book. He would have been more at home in the Bates Motel, really.

I read this book for three reasons:

(1) It was free.
(2) The cover looked intriguing.
(3) The blurb made it sound like "Personal tragedy sends a young woman into the WAAC."

Really, though, the free part was the only thing that played out. The cover is boiled down to a single scene with one character who is barely even in the book, but obviously the author was in need of a fourth character to match the photo so she stuck her in. It's like bringing a stranger in to be a fourth at bridge or something; since we know nothing about the fourth character and no effort was made to develop her, we wonder why she's there. And as for the third reason, the protagonist doesn't even join the WAAC until Chapter 45--the last quarter of the book. Little is told about the WAAC, and still less is accurate, so that that's not a good reason to read it, either. Really, it doesn't even come across as a historical novel, since most of it is set in the little cottage the blissful newlyweds establish, and an occasion reference to a newspaper or record doesn't really help the atmosphere once. In fact, the comment about playing a Strauss waltz was rather shocking, since during WWI most English people were breaking German or Austrian records, refusing to eat German-Austrian dishes, and occasionally even killing dogs that had a German or Austrian origin. So there is not a lot of WWI atmosphere until we get to France, and even then, the writing doesn't seem authentic.

But hey, it's free. The only thing I wasted was my time. Don't waste yours--read something better.

A girl is employed by a very rich and aristocratic woman who likes her much more than her previous paid companions.
The employer is ready to get as far as arranging the future of her beloved grown granchild to fall in love with the young girl

I enjoyed this book. It's not anything deep or thought-provoking, but the characters were well drawn and true and the story kept me turning the pages. I'll probably read the next in the series if I find it at my library.

Alex Martin has crafted a wonderful story. I adored reading it and was replete with an ending that is completely right and satisfying . It's a rich feast of a book. The characters are vivid taking you on a fascinating journey. It's the kind of story you become so absorbed in nothing else matters. The twists and turns of the action are emotionally charged. I was up; I was down and all over the place breathless with anticipation of what was to come.
It's a sweeping tale that gives so much to the reader - insight into what life was like for Katy a young servant girl in the early part of the last century; dreadful suffering of so many young soldiers and the wounded of WW1 as well as life back home for families struggling to cope without their men folk. Katy leads the action and you'll find yourself chewing your lip, biting your nails and praying she makes the right decisions. What are the dilemmas she must wrestle with? You'll have to read the book to find out and believe me you'll read it again and again.

A beautifully written story of the effects of WW1 on the lives of two small towns in England, centered around three families. The heroine, Katy, was a treat to follow as her character developed throughout the story. Her husband, Jem was the hero, risking life and limb for England. And Lionel, the vicar and "villain" of the story - the liberties he took using his position as a shield. This story just swept me up and I felt as if I was there with them at every turn of the page. Although heartbreaking at times and very grim, this is a beautiful love story against the backdrop of WW1.

A fantastic story which was written beautifully. I have not read many books based around WW1 and this was just right.

The characters have some hard times and I found myself in tears at times, but overall the story was told in a way I could relate to and understand.

Highly recommended for fans of historical fiction.

This narrative was a good in-sight into how life was lived in UK/Europe prior to the 1st World War. As the story unfolded, there was a subtle change in the rigid class system that prevailed @ the time. There were graphic descriptions of life in the trenches, & also the horrendous injuries sustained by the troops.

You noticed that for the 1st time, women played a major role in the running of the war, thus ushering in the world we know today. You could sense the under-lying thought, that after the war, women were not just child bearers & domestic servants. You could see the subtle changes that were invoked by WW1. A very thought provoking read.
Respectfully, Trevor Wakely.

The author weaves together a tale of English families--aristocrats and servants--into a story that leads into World War I. Character development was fascinating, especially the blurring of class distinctions brought about by the war, leading to changes in English society. The heroine of the book goes through many phases from childhood playmate on the manor to servant to mechanic for English troops. A very worthwhile read!

of history, romance and real life in England during the WWI era. Strong and likable characters come to life, giving the reader a feeling of being there with them and feeling their pain and joys. Very well written.

I really enjoyed reading Daffodils and the last few chapters really intensified the story. We can only imagine what effects WW1 had on everyday working class people and Daffodils brought one simple story to life. The ending did bring tears to my eyes from sadness and joy, what more could you ask from a writer.

I cant believe this was a free download, as my partner downloaded it as a freebie, but I would have happily paid for it.

read this book in one afternoon so it really held my interest. Was surprised by some of the events but it was fairly predictable in the plot. I will be interested in reading more of this series just to see how things progress

A loveley story written around the time of the First World War. Alex captures the mood perfectly. The book takes you on a roller coaster ride through your emotions with jealousy, sadness, laughter and joy in abundance. You feel you know each character personally, I can't wait for the next book to find out what has happened to my friends.

World War I brought so many changes to England and much of Europe. This poignant story of a young ladies maid and her husband a gardener whose families had lived and worked at the same country manor house for generations plunges you into a world where nothing is as they knew it. Jem leaves his new wife Katie to go off to fight in the war and when he is declared missing in action she joins the WAAC' s and is trained to be a mechanic. Their story is probably one that many others lived during that time but the author has made them and that time in history come alive and I very much enjoyed this book.

This story warms your heart and give you a lot of hope with the war going on today it reminds us we sometimes forget what we're fighting for . War hasn't solved anything yet but the love between these people was so joyful and heartwarming great job done by the author

Being “in service” was a way of life that neatly identified and separated the “upstairs” and “downstairs.” When a ladyʼs maid risky behavior results in her dismissal, Katyʼs future looked rather bleak. But that way of life was beginning to erode with the advent of World War One ... the one to end all wars. Katy had to settle for a marriage she was only “luke warm” about, but would prove to be her salvation. When her husband goes to war Katy realizes that she does indeed love him. When she receives word he is missing in action, she enlists in the WAAC in hopes that she will be able to go to France and find her Jem. The ending is just one of the many happy scenarios that followed the war as friends and lovers “found” each other. Katy has a great deal of spunk and readers should love her.

I enjoyed this book. It's not anything deep or thought-provoking, but the characters were well drawn and true and the story kept me turning the pages. I'll probably read the next in the series if I find it at my library.

A very good story filled with great characters and their adventures trough life in a simple English countryside. Going through Love,Lies,hurts,sicknesses,births and a horrible War it tells a tale of how life goes on.

Stellar story. You are drawn in from the start, a graphic look at life at the beginning of World War I, and the trials and tribulations that ensue as the war continues. Highly recommend!Looking forward to the next book.

This story follows the lives of two young people from Wiltshire, to the horrors of France in WW I. Amazing depth of characterization, story line well written. Young love to mature love, sorrow of loss, joy of reunions - looking forward to next book in series of 4

I loved the depth of the Katy character; Jem, not so much, but it suited his lack of depth. I am not sure whether, historically, many upper class women headed to the front. Lots of reality about the horrors of war without being too gory. I did not think the vicar character was believable. Great description of the countryside. The only thing that bothered me was how the reader had no immediate closure with wounded Jem x2. Won't say more and spoil it for those who have not read the book yet.

Really enjoyed reading about various jobs women performed in France during the War To End All Wars. Interesting there was still a class divide as to what job a women could do. Looking forward to reading next books in series. Hopefully, they will be just as good.