well, colour me disappointed with this book. I was hoping for more substance in the story, but it's a basic romance with a little bit of drama thrown in at times to make it less boring.

Paul was just too good of a character to be believable. It seemed that every other male character (except for Lorna's dad) was angry and mean, perhaps a deliberate contrast to show just how kind and understanding Paul was. I wold have liked to see him get mad once or twice - and there were definitely times when he should have. Also, I'm really disappointed that we never found out if Paul's mother and sister survived the firebombing of Dresden or not.

As for the romance itself, I know some people are disturbed by the fact that it's a German soldier who is the male lead, but I'm okay with it. Maybe it's because that I was a huge fan of "Summer of My German Soldier" when I was a kid (and related so much to Patty). Maybe it's because I see a lot of gray and I can sympathize with how people were caught in an overwhelming system. And there is a difference between the Wehrmacht and the SS. If Paul had been SS or SD or Gestapo or something like that, my feelings would likely be very different.

I found myself disliking Iris, Lorna's "best friend," completely. Caught up in a romance with William, a not-so-nice guy, Iris pretty much abandons Lorna (something that, perhaps, hit a little too close to home for me) for most of the book. She also spills Lorna's secrets to William, which is something that a best friend should NOT do, especially when they were as sensitive as Lorna's were. Iris and Lorna patch things up towards the end, but I don't see their friendship lasting, especially since Lorna isn't all that great of a friend to Iris, either. She never tells Iris that her beloved, controlling boyfriend hits on Lorna in the barn - something that is pretty important, I feel. And even though Iris stands up a bit more to William at the end, I have a sinking feeling that if this was real life, Iris would soon be married and sacrificing her dreams for William's sake. I don't like having that taste in my mouth for most of the book.

For a book about war, there is remarkably little war talk to be had here. There's only one death in the whole town, which seems improbable at best - and it's Gregor, who we never see on page in the first place.

The whole thing with Nellie seems highly unrealistic. She becomes pregnant by an American soldier stationed in Scotland - a soldier who is already married, although she doesn't know that at the time. Lorna's dad, who spent the first half of the book pretty much thinking Nellie was a waste of time, suddenly is okay with an unwed teenage mother living on his farm for however long she wants. I'd understand this if there was some type of breakthrough with Nellie and Lorna's dad, some type of Moment or understand, but there isn't.

And there's no conclusion to this book! It reads like there's a sequel, but there isn't. There are so many loose ends that are never tied up or resolved in a satisfactory manner. Meh. I'm disappointed. ( )

This book is set during World War II in Scotland. I thought it was a great book, especially considering it is YA Historical Fiction, which is rare. Lorna lives on a farm with her Father. A group of German prisoners of war come to the farm to work, they receive a POW named Paul. As hard as Lorna tries to hate Paul, it doesn't seem to work.
“Yes, he was quite nice really. For a German.”
As he works on the farm longer, Lorna see's him as he really is, just a person. She starts to bond with him, and as you can probably assume, they start to fall for each other. But it is not predictable and it is not sudden. But there is some prejudice from the towns people involving their relationship, considering is technically IS from the Nazi side.
“I am German, yes, but I am not a Nazi. There is a difference, and one day I hope you understand that.”
As they start to get closer, people see Lorna as a "bad" person as well. But she does try to keep the relationship a bit hidden.
Paul has issues of his own as well. He is young, and he has his mother and his sister back home that he desperately wants to see again. But as he is a prisoner of war, he must stay in Scotland
“I am not proud that my country killed many of your people, though please remember, your country has killed many Germans too. But that is war is about. We do not like it, but we must all live with it until it is ended.”
The cool thing about this book is the fact that is was never predictable, especially the ending, which I could have never seen coming. This book was very sweet. And to me the ending was perfect! This novel is more so of the two caught in the war than the war itself, there is not much gore (at least involving the war). It is a very clean novel so the younger YA audience will most likely enjoy this ( )

Reading Wait for Me by Caroline Leech was the perfect way to spend a relaxing weekend afternoon! I found the book to be well written with a story-line that flowed well. The characters were engaging and the challenges they faced realistic and intriguing. I really enjoyed reading this book.

I received this book for free. A favorable review was not required and all views expressed are my own. Thank you to HarperTeen and Edelweiss for the opportunity to review this novel. ( )