Customer Reviews

The Hello Girl: The Hello Girl\Ex Marks The Spot

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Hi, Everyone -

Of all the books I've written, THE HELLO GIRL is one of my absolute favorites. I've always been fascinated by WWI, partly because my dad was stationed in France when I was a kid and we lived very close to the killing fields of Verdun. I still remember visiting some of those grim battlefields. Later I studied WWI and the advent of aerial operations as part of my training as an Air Force officer.

But it wasn't until I read about the telephone operators who served with Black Jack Pershing's forces in WWI that I knew I had to write about these fascinating women. Luckily, during my research I was able to find some of their diary entries -- even a copy of the Stars and Stripes published the day the first contingent arrived in France!!!

So I hope you enjoy their story, interwoven with the story of a modern day military officer fighting demons of her own.

Hello Girl is different from the other Merline Lovelace novels I've read, but it was absolutely terrific. The present day story of a crumbling marriage and the love story of the Hello Girl from World War I tugged at my emotions and, coupled with the tension woven throughout, kept me turning pages. I truly felt I was transported back in time with Marie's story and the bravery of both these women made me once again appreciate how proud I am of our country's heroines, the women who serve in the armed forces. This was a fantastic read and the ending brought tears to my eyes.

When I picked up this book, I had no idea who the Hello Girls were. Not only is this story a compelling romance, it conveys a part of our history that few people know about. It's obvious that the author did her research about how the Hello Girls served our country. However, that research in no way overshadows the relationships of the two couples whose heartaches and happiness we get to share.

If you read only one book this year, make sure it's THE HELLO GIRL.

I just finished The Hello Girl, the first book in this two-book edition, and I loved, loved, loved it. A present day female officer is tasked with awarding a medal to a woman who served in France during World War One--a "Hello Girl", one of the battlefield telephone operators who served Pershing in France. Didn't know about them? Me, neither, which made every journal entry of the WW1 woman fascinating. This book was a real page-turner, as I couldn't wait to see which woman's romance would turn into a "happily ever after". Each has to balance the military discipline needed in time of war with their marriages. Both women--and both of their men--were unique, real characters. I cared very much about what happened to each of them, and cried happy tears at the end of the story. A great read--absolutely recommended. (And you'll impress your friends with how much you'll end up knowing about World War One!)

The interwoven tale of a present day couple in a disintegrating marriage mixed with a World War I adventure story, this book is a quick and easy read. The ending of both stories is predictable well before the end. The author's work at researching the historic accuracy of the WWI sections is minimal. There are unnecessary but fairly detailed descriptions of the modern day couples sex life which could have been edited out with no damage to the tale. The book is barely a hair above the trashy "romance novels" so popular with many these days. My Kindle version came with a second book by the same author. I was so glad to get to the end of the first book that I have not yet opened the second half.