New historical fiction from Jane Yunker

 I'm pleased to welcome back Janet Kay reviewing Jane Yunker's newest historic fiction. This review originally appeared on Wisconsin Writers Association book review forum.

Alice, The Betrayal, Jane Yunker

Historical Romance, 280 pages
Published: May 3, 2021
Publisher: Self-published
https://wiwrite.org/book-reviews/10637512 posted June 14, 2021

 
Buy on Amazon Barnes and Noble
Ebook $3.99; print $12.99
 
About the Book:

It's 1918, and Alice, Betty, and Lizzie have been best friends for as long as they can remember. But everything changes when one goes on a campaign to lure away the fiancé of another. How can they remain friends when one betrays another? Harry Barnes returns from France with half his face damaged and his nights haunted by the friends he lost on the battlefield. How can anyone love the monster he has become? Alice Armstrong wanted nothing more than to be Harry's wife. But when he returns from the Front wounded and angry, he repeatedly pushes her away. How can she convince him their love is all that matters? Harry's brother Jack has secretly loved Alice since they were children. When Harry is caught spending time with Betty, Jack sees his chance and declares his love. How can he make Alice see that he's the one who can make her truly happy? When one brother offers the dreams of the past, while the other promises all the possibilities of the future, how does a girl choose? 

Janet Kay’s Review:

The author takes us back in time to the year 1918, to a devastating time in our history as our country was being ravaged by the Spanish flu pandemic. A time that those of us who survived the Covid-19 pandemic, or lost loves ones to it, can all relate to.

The tranquil rural community of Pine Lake in Northwest Wisconsin anxiously awaited the safe return of their brave soldiers who were away fighting for their country in World War I. That included Alice Armstrong and her “best friends forever,” Lizzie and Betty.

Alice could hardly wait to become Harry’s wife. They planned to wed immediately after his return. But Harry came home severely disfigured, missing one eye, haunted by nightmares of bomb raids, friends dying, and untold horrors of war. Angry, explosive and psychologically damaged, he couldn’t believe that Alice would still want to marry a man as disfigured as he was.

The pandemic hit Pine Lake just as a weary Harry arrived back home. Alice caught the flu but survived. Her parents did not. With everyone locked down in their own homes, Alice and Harry could not spend any time together. She had to rely on Harry’s brother, Jack, to help her through her grieving process and tend to the farm chores that her father would have done – if he had survived. Jack had been her father’s right hand man for years.

But Jack was secretly in love with Alice. He had been since they were children growing up together. It angered him greatly to see the way his brother now treated the woman they both loved. Harry began to drink heavily and was prone to outbursts of anger and violence. Surely, Alice deserved better than that. Surely, he, Jack, could make her happier than Harry ever could. He finally declared his love for her and did his best to claim her as his wife.

Alice struggled with her conflicting emotions. She loved them both in different ways. Harry represented the past, their many dreams of a life together. But he had changed and seemed to be on a self-destructive track that she was unable to help him out of. Jack offered a lifestyle on the farm she loved along with permission to pursue the nursing field she felt strongly called to after assisting the local doctor throughout the pandemic.

Which one will she choose? Or, will the choice be made for her? As she struggles with this decision, one of her “best friends forever” betrays her by making a devious play for Harry. The outcome will change all of their future lives.

Jane Yunker has written an intriguing novel, beautifully written, with very well-developed characters. She captures the historical essence of what it was like to live through those times as well as the family dynamics and conflicts that resulted. I highly recommend Alice, The Betrayal. 

About the Author:
Married with two adult children, Jane Yunker is a poet and fiction writer living in northwest Wisconsin along the beautiful and inspirational St Croix River. In her spare time, Jane enjoys cross-stitch, jigsaw puzzles, golf, and walking the trails around her home. And, of course, reading. Books are her passion and it has been her dream for as long as she can remember to write some of her own. Mary Bishop is her first, and will not be her last. Find her blog at: https://janeyunkerauthor.com

Reviewer Janet Kay (Jan Jenson) lives and writes on another pristine lake in Northwest Wisconsin. She is the author of four psychological suspense/wilderness adventure novels with a supernatural twist. Her latest, Rainy Lake Rendezvous, was endorsed by New York Times bestselling author William Kent Krueger. Check out her website at www.novelsbyjanetkay.com