I wanted this to be a 5 star book. The subject matter was riveting. The action was thrilling. The characterization came up short particularly at the end where everything was wrapped up a bit quickly for them. Yes they did help each deal with the aftermath of terror but moving on to the next phase seemed a bit out of character with how they expressed themselves through the book. I'm still glad I read it and the book would make an interesting book club discussion.

Overall an enjoyable quick read. I found the dialogue to be realistic except for Polly's inappropriate language. I had a disconnect with her using that language with her parents and not just in stress situations.

I also found Polly to be a bit too wise for her years. As a 15 year old I found it hard to believe that she was so knowledgeable about the world and able to repeat a wide range of facts at random. I'm sure she is smart but this was a bit excessive and didn't always move the plot along.

A good summer read which would provoke some thinking on how our early actions resonate later in life and the power of family to help each other come to terms with mistakes made.

How did events during WWII in London relate to what's happening to 2 people in London in 2011? The author uses time shifting to tell 2 stories that are ultimately related. She handled the shifts in stories well. At times the prose was not as tight as it could have been. There also were some events that were needed to tie the stories together but seemed contrived. The ending was a bit too pat for my liking.

Overall, a good summer read and has potential for book club discussions about choices made and the quests for love in both times..

The plot & characters engaged me at the start of the book. The issues described and the picture of that time were well handled at the start. However as the book progressed, the writing started to wear on me. The similes and use of adjectives were distracting me from the story and characters. By the end of the book I felt there were too many coincidences driving the plot and that things were resolved too neatly. It would make a good book discussion to see others' reactions to the author's writing style and plot resolution.

While I enjoyed the refresher on ecological & social issues, my willing suspension of disbelief in plot & characters was overwhelmed. I feel the book would benefit from fewer minor story lines & tighter focus on the main characters & plot. Still it will make a good winter diversion for those of us snowbound & dreaming of island vacations.