The Great War has begun, and young men all over Europe and England are enlisting. Evie Elliot begins to correspond with both her brother Will and his best friend Thomas, believing the war will be over by Christmas. Against the backdrop of the unimaginable horrors of World War I, Evie and Thomas share their thoughts and hopes through their letters. Could their friendship become love? And will this war and other obstacles let them be together eventually?

Oh my goodness, this one is a new Christmas favorite! I listened to the audio, and they used a whole cast of readers — it was FANTASTIC. It reminded me of an old-fashioned radio show. I loved the structure of this epistolary novel, with all its letters and telegrams. The research and writing were so well done, and I will absolutely be finding more to read by Hazel Gaynor and Heather Webb. The characters came to life on every page, and I was actively rooting for Evie and Thomas the entire time. The ending brought me to tears (if you know me even a little, you know whether they were happy or sad tears!). All the Christmas seasons throughout the novel brought just the right level of holiday feel to the story.

If you enjoy well-written historical fiction and romance with a hint of holiday and a touch of Downton Abbey mixed in, read this! You will love it!