Tomorrow Is for the Brave by Kelly Bowen
Based on true events, Tomorrow Is for the Brave is a
gripping World War II page‑turner about a courageous
woman who risks it all for what is right—perfect for
fans of Natasha Lester and Kristen Harmel.
1939, France: Lavish parties, fast cars, and a closet
full of the latest fashion—to the average eye, socialite
Violet St. Croix seemingly has it all. But what she
truly wants is a life full of meaning and purpose. So
when France falls to Germany, Violet defies her parents’
wishes and joins the war effort. With her impeccable
skill for driving under pressure, she is soon sent to
North Africa to shepherd French Foreign Legion officers
carrying valuable intelligence through dangerous
territory.
But as the Allies encounter one mishap after another,
Violet becomes convinced there is a spy in their ranks.
And when her commanding officer is murdered, Violet
realizes she might be the only one who can uncover the
traitor and save the lives of countless soldiers on the
front lines. Convincing others to believe her is
difficult enough. Finding someone she can trust just
might be impossible.
I loved reading Kelly Bowen's Season Of Scandal series last year but I hadn't tried any of her Historical Fiction books yet, so I was very excited to dive into Tomorrow Is For The Brave and it did not disappoint! I usually read more HR novels than HF but I was drawn in by the premise here and I ended up loving it!
Violet St. Croix is a young socialite who seems to live a charmed life in Nice, France and though she tries her best to meet her parents' expectations, she isn't always happy with the way her family or friends lead their lives. After falling in love with cars a few years ago, she had convinced her father to let herself drive but her new fiance isn't too keen on the way she works on them and repairs them too. Chafing at the restrictions imposed on her, she makes some new friends - George, who wants to volunteer with the Red Cross as a nurse and her brother Henri, who's a bit prickly and not too impressed by Violet at first. When war breaks out, Violet ends up defying her parents and fiance's expectations by signing up to volunteer as a nurse too. Though she's not that talented at nursing, her driving skills are perfect and soon she becomes an ambulance driver and eventually goes on to drive cars for military personnel in North Africa too. And while working there alongside the French Foreign Legion, she encounters some plots that have her suspecting that there might be a spy in their midst.
Violet was a fascinating protagonist and I loved that her character was inspired by the real-life Susan Travers, who was the only official female member of the French Foreign Legion! Her slow growth from a hesitant girl to a confident and brave officer was amazing! She doesn't let the words of her family or other men break her and operates within her own set of principles. I also liked the setting that focused on the North African front, unlike the other WWII novels! There's also a mystery subplot surrounding the spy and a few red herrings as we try to guess his identity. I also liked the touches of romance with Henri and Violet's friendship with George and the other officers. I loved reading the author's note at the end too!
Overall, this was a great historical fiction novel with an admirable protagonist and equal parts action and mystery!
You can also find this review on my bookstagram here
You can also find my reviews of the previous books in the series
here
*I was provided with an ARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review*
Award-winning author Kelly Bowen grew up in Manitoba, Canada, and
attended the University of Manitoba, where she earned Bachelor of
Science and Master of Science degrees in veterinary studies. She
worked as a research scientist before realizing her dream to be a
writer of historical fiction. Currently, Kelly lives in Winnipeg
with her husband and two sons.
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