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Excerpt:
August 17, 1944.
“Johnny should be here any minute.” Audrey Roberts bit her lip and almost shredded the telegram in her hands as she stood by the lace covered window.
Keeping a classroom full of third-graders entertained enough to learn their lessons was easier than the job that soon awaited her. Dropping the tattered pieces of paper on the floor, she twisted her fingers together. Nonsense! As the eldest child of Edward and Hannah Roberts, she’d been raised to be the responsible one, the kind and considerate one, the studious one with her head in a book and her feet planted firmly in reality.
Still, a fine drop of perspiration trailed down her forehead, over her cheek and past the stiff collar of her white blouse. Nothing stirred in the late afternoon. Not even the breeze from the rickety, old fan clanging in the background. The humid temperatures languished in the interior of her mother’s first floor apartment in Mercy, Michigan.
“Why did I have to go and make such a mess of things?” Her fingernails dug into her palms. Why, she felt more skittish than the new-born colt just born on Uncle Henry’s farm. Silly nonsense. She was a grown woman in charge of educating a roomful of children.
Certainly she could handle telling her sister’s suitor that Kathryn had run off with another man. If only she hadn’t created the masquerade that was sure to end in disaster. The nerves in her stomach bunched together like a pail of her younger brother’s worms. She closed her eyes and leaned her forehead against the faded, floral wallpaper. A young Johnny’s smiling face floated in front of her darkened lids. She’d complicated things because she’d taken to him the day her younger sister, Kathryn, had introduced him to her.
Audrey had fallen in love immediately with the handsome soldier. She’d sensed a disquiet about him, a need that called out to her on a deep emotional level. She’d continued to fill that need long after Kathryn had pushed him aside to pursue a better prospect.
Reviews:
Fallen Angel Reviews 5 Angels
Review by Linda L.
When Johnny Comes Home is a heartwarming story that transports the reader to an era where even though the conflict of war is raging and bringing sorrow to many families, it is a nostalgia that is hard to forget. I adored the beautiful written letters between Johnny and Aubrey, not to mention almost hearing the sounds of Glen Miller playing in the background. One can almost see the soldiers saying goodbye to their loved ones and feel the emotions when they are reunited again. I was mesmerized by the whole ambiance of the era. Kim Watters paints a beautiful read that captures the reader and holds them spellbound. I could read this sweet romance over and over again, and still feel my heart melt again with characters that release great emotion.
The Long And The Short Of It 4 Books
Reviewed by Dandelion
In When Johnny Comes Home, Ms. Watters gives us a lovely, heartfelt story about what happens after war, when a soldier comes home and discovers that the woman he left behind is not the same one who waits for him to return. This was a very satisfying read, aside from some minor editing issues. The setting, post-WWII small town America, is well constructed, and the main characters are flawed, injured by war and its fallout, but extremely likable. You will root for them to fall in love!
Cocktail Reviews 4 Champagne Flutes
Reviewed by Lovely Butterfly
Johnny writes to Kathryn while he is away at war. Their letters are charming—I almost felt guilty reading, as though I was sneaking a peek at someone’s private business. The love they share for one another is highly apparent (almost made me
cry!), and though Johnny gets hurt, his injuries at least allow him to come home.
But—was it Katherine writing the letters to Johnny?
I’ll say no more, except that When Johnny Comes Home is a wonderful love story, made special by the setting, the year, the whole wartime experience. I really enjoyed this short tale, which actually seemed longer than what it was—in a good way!
Romance Readers Daily Blog
Reviewed by Leann Burke
Have you ever read a tease or a back blurb that has pulled you so much you couldn’t help but buy the book which you had no intention (or didn’t have room in your budget for) to? That’s what happened to me this week when I read some promo on one of the many loops I belong to about WHEN JOHNNY COMES HOME. I just had to have it. The fact that it was only $1.50 was a bonus.
This is the story of Johnny and Audrey. Johnny is at war (WWII) and Audrey is at home loving him from afar.
I don’t want to give too much away of the story, but The Wild Rose Press and Ms Watters did an awesome job with this short story. I simply couldn’t put it down until I had finished reading it. I can’t wait to read more short stories from this publisher and books from Ms Watters. In my opinion this book is worth so much more than what I paid for.
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