The Irish Nurse at the Lodging House by Natalie Meg Evans

1940 London World War II

Grace is weary and desperately seeking work; her mother and brother rely on her to pay the rent and provide food, already scarce due to the war. However, fate intervenes when she secures a challenging nursing position in a private home and unexpectedly meets Owen, a fighter pilot, on the very same morning. Driven to escape her abusive brother, Cormac, Grace makes the bold decision to move closer to her job. She finds a shared room with two other girls, Betony and Jess, and must learn to juggle the demands of her challenging patient alongside her family obligations and a blossoming relationship during tumultuous times.

Betony has always lived a life of privilege, but when she believes she has found true love, she rebels against her parents' orders to abandon the war-ravaged city. Determined to make her romance work, she takes an independent leap of faith and rents a shared room with Grace and Jess. The more she chases after Owen, the more he eludes her, and she pushes away Winter, a dependable Canadian pilot who clearly cares for her and is always ready to lend a hand. She soon begins to wonder if she is chasing the wrong pilot.

Struggling in her role as a mail reader tasked with uncovering secrets within letters for the war cause, Jess barely makes it through each shift. In the search for her missing sister, she encounters nothing but dead ends. Then, one harrowing night, she believes she sees her sister. Confronting her father for answers only leads to more confusion about her sister's fate—he insists she is dead, leaving Jess with lingering doubts. In need of stability, Jess becomes the third occupant in the room with Grace and Betony, taking the opportunity to rest and regain some direction.

Evans propels readers into the heart of the story from the very first page. The WWII-era narrative shines with vivid details, from the hunger of rations to the terror of German night air raids, to the diverse levels of living and the recklessness of love in the moment. Complemented by compelling characters and a fast-paced plot, The Irish Nurse at the Lodging House is an emotive, page-turning historical must-read fiction that readers will not want to put down until the end.

I am hoping for more to come, as there's so much story left to tell for these characters, especially Grace's journey.

Thank you to Bookouture and NetGalley for the opportunity to read The Irish Nurse at the Lodging House. Opinions expressed are my own.