The Last Night in London by Karen White – a Review

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Description:
A captivating story of friendship, love and betrayal – and finding hope in the darkness of war.

London, 1939. Beautiful and ambitious Eva Harlow and her American best friend, Precious Dubose, are trying to make their way as fashion models. When Eva falls in love with Graham St. John, an aristocrat and Royal Air Force pilot, she can’t believe her luck – she’s getting everything she ever wanted. Then the Blitz devastates her world, and Eva finds herself slipping into a web of intrigue, spies and secrets. As Eva struggles to protect everything she holds dear, all it takes is one unwary moment to change their lives forever.

London, 2019. American journalist Maddie Warner travels to London to interview Precious about her life in pre-WWII London. Maddie, healing from past trauma and careful to close herself off to others, finds herself drawn to both Precious and to Colin, Precious’ enigmatic surrogate nephew. As Maddie gets closer to her, she begins to unravel Precious’ haunting past – and the secrets she swore she’d never reveal …

Review:

The Last Night in London by Karen White is a wonderful standalone novel. This story switches between the past in 1939, during war torn London, and in the present of London 2019. 

It is a story of two best friends, who were fashion models and roommates; we get to meet American Precious Dubose, and Londoner Eva Harlow. Eva comes from a low-class poor family, and decides to re-invent herself, and only Precious knows about Eva changing her name. When Precious and Eva make friends with Sophia, her fiancé, David, it is Eva who meets Sophia’s handsome brother, Graham.  In a short time, Eva and Graham will fall for each other, with her determined to keep her identity a secret. When Graham goes off to war, Eva finds herself fighting off the attention of Alex, who begins to blackmail her (knowing the truth of her true background), and she ends up in the middle of spies and intrigue.  Precious is Eva’s rock, always there to help and protect her.

In present time 2019 London, we meet Madison (Maddie) Warner, who is a journalist, having just arrived in London to do an interview with 99-year-old former fashion model, Precious Dubose.  Turns out Maddie has discovered she is a distant relative to the family, with her friend Arabella inviting her to do the interview; as well as browse through all the wonderful collections of clothes.  Maddie becomes engrossed in Precious story; her life then, what happened to Eva, how they survived the war, the secrets she discovers in pictures and forgiveness.  Maddie is shocked to discover that an old school friend, Colin is living with his nana, Precious, which makes things a little difficult. 

What follows in the past is a story of love, friendship, betrayal, tragedy, with two fantastic women, one content in her life with friends, and helping during the war, and the other reinventing her life to be with the man she loves, and being blackmailed to help a traitor, and hide her truths.  The present revolves around Maddie, as she delves into papers, photos, accessories to learn more about Precious and trying to discover more about Eva and Graham and the secrets that will be revealed along the way. 

I loved Precious, both the young woman in 1939 and the one in the present that was 99 years old.   I liked Eva in the past, and her love for Graham.  I loved the character of Maddie, who had her own issues, but working with Colin, she began to care for him, as they worked together to resolve the missing pieces from the past.

The Last Night in London was an amazing story that kept me glued to my kindle, devouring both the past and the present.  Karen White wrote a fantastic story, with wonderful characters, a bit of suspense and intrigue, as well as a twist closer to the end.  The Last Night in London was a thrilling story, built around friendship, trust, love, secrets, war and betrayal.  This is a must read.

Reviewed by Barb

Copy provided by Publisher