Lexi’s War by Rosie James || Mini ARC Review

“In Cecilia’s opinion, her daughter was still a child, far too young to be assuming any financial responsibility. There was plenty of time for all that.”

Synopsis: A family at breaking point. A nation at war…

1914. Young Lexi doesn’t want much – just her family’s happiness. She’s been working all the hours she can at the local sweet shop to help her mother lift her little brother and sister out of poverty. Maybe one day, if she tries hard enough, they can save enough to leave their tiny, cramped flat – and terrifying landlord, Mr McCann – behind. Although Lexi can’t help but wish her friendship with the landlord’s son, Johnny, could turn into something more …

Source: Goodreads

Title: Lexis’ War
Author: Rosie James
Links: Amazon CA | Goodreads

Genre / Themes: Historical Fiction | Realistic Fiction | Romance
Point of View: Third Person

Publisher: HQ Digital
Publication Date: 2018
Format: eBook
Pages: 286

I received an ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review; thank you for the opportunity to read and review this novel. This in no way sways my review or opinion of the novel.

DNF at 30%

This is one of the two books I had on my TBR list from NetGalley for longer than I care to admit. So for the O.W.Ls challenge I’m currently participating in, I thought I would read this one … unfortunately, this novel was another DNF for me this year. A lackluster with little engagement, I grew bored rather quickly. I wasn’t going to write a review, but I decided to at least to a mini review on my thoughts.

For mini reviews, my points will be in point form.

• For those looking for a light and easy read, Lexi’s War may be your cup of tea.
• The historical context of gender roles and society are relatively accurate.

• The author may have done some research, but not enough historical speaking. One particular incident is a character singing “Somewhere Over the Rainbow”, which wasn’t released until sometime slightly prior to/during World War II — this novel takes place during World War I.
• The writing’s extremely descriptive heavy, with little dialogue to help break this up. I find this style of writing wonderful for short stories, but not in a larger novel context.
• The author provides the reader with too much “information overload”, making the first chapter feel 5 times longer than it actually is. I’m a reader who enjoys slowly discovering about the character’s traits and past … so this was not agreeable for my personal reading tastes.
• The language itself was written rather poorly — it felt too simplistic.
• Even though there’s a lot of descriptive portions going into detail about the characters, I still felt like they were “plain” and had no depth to them.

Rosie James’ Lexi’s War is a lighthearted novel exploring family love, the strive for survival, and how a community is effected by war. Though there’s potential, this novel was ultimately boring and mundane for my personal tastes. However, I do feel other readers would enjoy this novel — the lighthearted nature and simplicity of the time may be your cup of tea!

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