I'll Be Seeing You by Rosie Archer

I'll Be Seeing You

Book Summary

A World War 2 saga to warm the heart. Three women become friends when working in their local picture house. When life is so tough for everyone, a trip to the pictures is the perfect way to escape, to dream of romance and hope for the good things peace will bring.

It is 1943 on England's war-weary south coast where the conflict seems never-ending. After the heartache of the previous year, Connie Baxter now appears to have everything a girl could want. There is Ace, a man who loves her. She enjoys an enviable lifestyle despite the deprivations of war. She has friends and a job she adores as an usherette at the Criterion cinema. But appearances can be deceptive and Connie is struggling in more ways than one.

Then, to compound Connie's problem, her nemesis, Cousin Marlene, returns home. Secrets come to light, revealing jealousies that could shatter Connie's world once more, and Connie realizes that Ace isn't the man she thought he was.

In the darkest days of war, the glamour of movies and their stars can lift the bleakest of moods, while friends make the good times better and the bad times bearable.

My Thoughts

I’ll Be Seeing You by Rosie Archer has Queenie going into labor at the Criterion theater during a viewing of Now, Voyager.   Connie, Gertie, Edith, and Len are for there for Queenie who turns out to have a tough time.  Connie must seek an ambulance while bombs are being dropped on the area.  After making sure Queenie gets to the hospital safely to deliver, Gertie and Connie arrive home to a shocking scene.  Marlene, Gertie’s wayward daughter has returned home.  She caused Connie nothing but grief when they were children, and it appears the trend is going to continue.  Ace has two clubs plus several side businesses that are keeping him busy and away from Connie.  Marlene, though, gets to see him each night since Ace offered her a job in one of his clubs.  At the Criterion, they have a new manager who is proving to be just as bad his predecessor.  When money from the evenings take begins disappearing, the manager pins the blame on Doyle.  Connie knows Doyle would never steal and gets help trying to prove it. 

I’ll Be Seeing You by Rosie Archer is the 2^nd book in The Picture House Girls series.  I do suggest reading The Picture House Girls before embarking on I’ll Be Seeing You.  We go back to April of 1943 in Gosport, England where Connie Baxter and her friends work at the Criterion.  I thought the story contained good writing with developed, realistic characters.  The book moved along at a good pace.  I thought the author captured the time period especially with her movie and book references.  There is also talk about the black outs, rationing, and bombings.  The men and women during this time period had to be strong to endure what they did.  You never knew if a soldier would return home or if you would make it home from work.  You could go out to walk your dog and get struck by a bomb.  Of course, there are those who will take advantage of the war.  Black market goods were a hot commodity (racketeering was alive and well) along with acquiring petrol illegally and making “cigarettes”.  The author gave readers a rich atmosphere, so we were immersed in the time period.  I’ll Be Seeing You is an emotional novel with love, grief, heartache, joy, and anger.  I liked how the characters found joy during these hard times by going to the cinema, reading the latest novel, having a girl’s night out, or taking dancing lessons.  I’ll Be Seeing You is a warmhearted historical novel that shows us what everyday people dealt with during the war in Gosport.

I'll Be Seeing You is available from Amazon*.  The first novel in The Picture House Girls Series is The Picture House Girls.  You can find Rosie Archer's other novels here.  I hope I have helped you find a new book and author today.  Tomorrow I am featuring Christmas Comes to Morning Star by Charlotte Hubbard.  It is the 3rd book in The Maidels of Morning Star series.  I hope that you have an agreeable day.  Take care, be kind, and Happy Reading!

Kris

The Avid Reader 

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