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4.5
Whether you have read any of the Pendleton Petticoat series by Ms. Hatfield, or not, you will not be lost reading the Hearts of the War series that is a spin-off of characters from the Pendleton series. While people from previous stories are mentioned, and a very brief refresher on them and their connections and history without retelling their stories, you will see some of them in this story.As with all of Ms. Hatfield’s books, this is a sweet, clean, and emotional romance, and this new series is based during World War II. One thing for sure, Ms. Hatfield writes a story with strong female characters, one with a backbone, grit, and integrity. The story has a great cast of characters, plenty of angst, emotion, and takes the reader back in time, and on a journey that will also bring parts of history to lifeNew Year’s Eve, 1941, just a couple weeks after the bombing of Pearl Harbor, in Pendleton, Oregon, two people will meet and forever change their lives. For Sergeant Klayne Campbell, he will be dragged to a party, but stay hidden in the corner near a dying Christmas tree and fireplace people watching. For Delaney Danvers, she will reluctantly come to appease her best friend, Amy. Together, leaving the party and going to a local diner will allow these two time to talk and get to know each other. Can love happen at first sight?Klayne has never known what family was like Having been abandoned at birth to an orphanage, and even shunned and treated poorly there; he has only had one friend his entire life, Billy. Together, they traveled the rails and countryside and eventually, joined the Army together. But now Billy is gone, killed in a training accident, and Klayne has volunteered for what has been deemed a suicide mission. Trained as a bombardier, all he knows is that his time in Pendleton is limited, and soon he will be shipping out.Delaney Danvers isn’t considered a girly-girl, having worked just as hard as the men on their farm, and never one to date really, it comes as a shock to her that Klayne Campbell has turned her head. When he proposes to her his unorthodox plan to a marry of convenience so that if or when something happens to him, he can leave her with a small benefit, she will accept his offer of marriage, but not only in name.The story is a very emotional roller coast ride of happiness, as well as heartache, of angst, anger, bitterness, disappointment, shocks, secrets, disillusion, forgiveness and new beginnings. Klayne’s good intentions leave Delaney feeling lost and confused, hiding their marriage, and a very unexpected surprise. Hearing newscast and seeing pictures in the paper and magazine shows him on a critical mission, but no word from him, and not able to get news from the military, leaving her in the dark.Dealing with trouble on the farm, an injury to her father, and tragedy to their family will place the burden of the world on her shoulders. She can’t just curl up into herself; she must keep pushing forward for her family. No news is good news, but it leaves a young woman in limbo too. Having felt abandoned, seeing her soldier boy comes with such mixed emotions. “Klayne…Emotions swelled in her throat and obliterated her ability to speak. Anger, relief, elation, dismay, joy, and despair warred within her at the sight of him.”Life will change, war has changed both of them and the family around them. Mixed emotions, along with feeling abandoned, leaves a war bride confused, and while thrilled to see her soldier alive, angry for months of silence and uncertainty. Can Klayne find forgiveness and happiness from the woman that gave him a reason to live? “Every inch forward he’d gain with his wife had been a battle of wills, determination, and just plain stubbornness.”
