On the Edge of Uncertainty: A Women in War Historical Romance

Many thanks to NetGalley, BooksGoSocial, and author E.V. Bancroft for this ARC. I am happily leaving my honest review. I have been meaning to read an E.V. Bancroft book as I have been hearing wonderful things and was thrilled to be given the opportunity. The rumors are true and this book was spectacular. I am a huge fan of historical sapphic romance and On The Edge of Uncertainty was simply lovely. We are treated to a deeply emotional, lost love, second chance romance that takes place over decades. This story is wonderfully multifaceted and aptly discusses heartbreak, loneliness, resilience and inner strength. A perfect blend of vulnerability and courage, this book left me at once satisfied and saddened to see its end. I will look for more by Bancroft in the future. I have not yet had the pleasure of reading the other books in this series but did not feel confused or as though I was missing anything here. This book absolutely stood on its own for me. However, after reading this book and enjoying it immensely, I will seek out the others. Florrie is a beautiful woman, inside and out. She is the heart and soul of this story and I honestly became quite enamored with her. Having lived through her fair share of trauma and pain, she remains a gentle and kind beacon of light. It is through Florrie’s memories that we see the vibrant, strong and remarkable woman she is. Florrie is a generous and selfless woman who has spent her life putting everyone above herself. She has spent her…

Without any uncertainty I can say that I love this story. I love the atmosphere, self honesty, dialogue and shared insights between all the characters and the realities they had to live through in that place and time. A special romance later in life.

This is another exceptional story by Ms. Bancroft. I like the time period that she writes in. The two M Cs were very interesting in that they seemed like two very opposite women, yet they were attracted to each other. The years were not kind to them, but things ended happily. I highly recommend this book, in fact read all of her books. I just love them!

I’m not a huge fan of historical fiction, but overall I enjoyed this story. Set in 1950 with flashbacks to the Great Depression, but in England not the USA. Florrie is the selfless aunt who sees this different side of her niece Cam and steps in to raise her when her sister is terrible at it. At the same time she needs work and meets Diana and starts to believe she has found her partner. A story of love, becoming lost, and finding love and trust again.

E.V. Bancroft’s On the Edge of Uncertainty is sapphic literature’s latest must-read. This sweeping story takes on themes of daring, aging, frailty, open-heartedness and the meaning of joy. I highly recommend On the Edge of Uncertainty for all aging readers of sapphic fiction, which is everyone. The protagonists from On the Edge of Uncertainty come from sharply contrasting worlds that are symbolic of the women who inhabit them. With the devastation of World War I in the recent past, the two central characters meet in the 1920s at one of London’s glittering see-and-be-seen social affairs. Diana Stratford holds court among an artistic and intellectual Cambridge set, the obvious towering genius among them. Florence Cooper, wearing a hand-me-down gown, trails after her obsequious sister and officious brother-in-law until she notices Diana and follows the pull into her aura. When the stock market crashes and the Great Depression grips the world economy, Florence Cooper goes dormant and metamorphoses into the singularly devoted Aunty Florrie from Bancroft’s Encrypted Hearts, raising and championing her exceptional niece Cam Langley. Diana acquires a minor title and is swallowed into English society. Twenty years and a devastating second world war later, Europe is recovering, Aunty Florrie is loved, and Diana spins in her social orbit, until their worlds again collide at a Cambridge graduation ceremony. These now mature women have faced unimaginable trials, and they carry the…