If I Were You by Lynn Austin

If I Were You by Lynn Austin ISBN-13: 9781496437297 Paperback: 464 pages Publisher: Tyndale Fiction Released: June 2nd 2020

Source: ebook review copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

Book Description, Modified from Goodreads:
1950. In the wake of the war, Audrey Clarkson leaves her manor house in England for a fresh start in America with her young son. As a widowed war bride, Audrey needs the support of her American in-laws, whom she has never met. But she arrives to find that her longtime friend Eve Dawson has been impersonating her for the past four years. Eve is frantic that she's going to lose everything again because Audrey now wants a life that she once literally threw away.

1940. Eve and Audrey have been as different as two friends can be since the day they met at Wellingford Hall, where Eve's mother served as a lady's maid for Audrey's mother. As young women, those differences become a polarizing force . . . until a greater threat--Nazi invasion--reunites them. With London facing relentless bombardment, Audrey and Eve join the fight as ambulance drivers, battling constant danger together. An American stationed in England brings dreams of a brighter future for Audrey, and the collapse of the class system gives Eve hope for a future with Audrey's brother. But in the wake of devastating loss, both women must make life-altering decisions that will set in motion a web of lies and push them both to the breaking point long after the last bomb has fallen.


My Review:
If I Were You is a Christian historical set in 1931-1950 in England and then America. Eve's family is poor because her father died in World War I. Her mother works as a lady's maid for Audrey's mother. Eve struggles to better herself, starting as a scullery maid, then working as a typist, then working as an ambulance driver during the war. But Eve's first love interest can't overlook her low origins. She envies Audrey her wealthy, high-class, easy life. Audrey envies Eve because she so easily makes friends, is loved by many people, and is so brave. They're supportive, best friends that build each other up until a series of choices leads to Eve impersonating Audrey until Audrey's arrival forces her to face her sins and find forgiveness.

The characters were all complex, realistic people. I cared about what happened to Audrey and Eve and to the people they cared about. Historical details about what life was like during and after World War II in England were woven into story. Audrey and Eve witnessed some of the major events that happened in England during the war. The story was mostly about their teenage years up to the end of the war with only the wrapping up of loose ends happening in 1950. All of the choices made earlier culminated in 1950 as they faced the various consequences of their choices.

Initially, Eve was the one who believed in God, but she blamed God for allowing so many people she cared about to die. Eve's faith sparked Audrey's belief in God, and she increasingly turned to God through the hard times and grief. Of course, the Good Shepherd seeks out the lost lamb, Eve. There were no (graphic) sex scenes or bad language. Overall, I'd recommend this well-written, touching historical fiction.


If you've read this book, what do you think about it? I'd be honored if you wrote your own opinion of the book in the comments.


Excerpt: Read an excerpt using Google Preview.