📖 Book Description
1914
As war looms over Europe, the quiet village of Stainwick prepares for change.
Acland’s Black Powder Works must expand to meet the demands of conflict, and young accountant David Ainsworth is sent to oversee the transformation.
He meets Sarah Liddell, a widowed schoolteacher and mother, whose life is already shaped by loss.
Before he is deployed to serve in the Army, David persuades Sarah to marry him, despite her reservations.
When David returns from the trenches four years later, mentally scarred by war, he and Sarah try to salvage their marriage.
But when a lightning strike on the powder works triggers a series of explosions and her husband’s secrets are revealed, Sarah’s life is turned upside down.
False Heart is a story of love, deception, and the courage it takes to rebuild after everything has been torn apart.
📚Book Information
False Heart by Jane Whiteford
Publisher
The Book Guild
Available formats
📖 Digital Edition • ISBN: 9781835745946 • Pages: 310 • Published: 28 July 2026
📕 Paperback • ISBN: 9781835744604 • Pages: 272 • Published: 28 July 2026
Find out more
Amazon • Goodreads • The StoryGraph
🌟 Book Tour
I’m delighted to be taking part in the Virtual Book Tour for False Heart, hosted by Zooloo’s Book Tours. The full tour schedule can be found here.
My sincere thanks to Zooloo’s Book Tours for the opportunity to read and review this book, and to The Book Guild for providing a paperback review copy.
As always, my review is based solely on my own reading experience and reflects my honest opinion.
👤 About the Author
Jane Whiteford’s writing is inspired by the history and landscape of the northwest of England where she has lived for more than forty years. Her first novel, Till All the Seas, was shortlisted for The Lakeland Book of the Year 2023.
👩🏻💻 My Review
There are some books that draw you in from the very first pages, and False Heart was one of those for me. From beginning to end I felt completely immersed in the world Jane Whiteford has created, making this a novel that was every bit as much about the journey as it was the story itself.
I have to admit that novels set around the First World War aren’t usually the books I naturally gravitate towards. It’s simply a period of history that doesn’t often capture my attention. That made my experience of False Heart all the more special, because within a few chapters I was completely absorbed.
The historical setting is beautifully realised, with an incredible level of detail that never feels overwhelming. Instead, it brings every scene vividly to life. Whether following the characters through the village streets or witnessing the wider events unfolding around them, I never had to imagine very hard because the descriptions painted such a clear picture. As the characters met in the streets, I could picture them perfectly, almost as though I were standing nearby watching the story unfold.
At the heart of the novel are characters who feel genuine and believable. I became invested in their lives, sharing both their happier moments and the more difficult challenges they faced as the years passed. Against the backdrop of the First World War, the story explores love, loss, deception and resilience in a way that feels both thoughtful and deeply engaging.
What I enjoyed most was the way Jane Whiteford transported me into another time and place. It wasn’t just a story I was reading; it felt like a world I was living in for a while. I happily settled into my favourite chair, lost myself in the pages, and thoroughly enjoyed spending time with these characters.
False Heart is a beautifully written historical novel with richly drawn characters, an authentic sense of place, and an unforgettable atmosphere. Even if, like me, you don’t usually reach for novels set during the First World War, I’d encourage you to give this one a chance. It completely won me over, and I was genuinely sorry to leave its world behind when I reached the final page.
#FalseHeart #JaneWhiteford #HistoricalFiction
#TheBookGuild #ZooloosBookTours
See About My Reviews and Review FAQ for full star rating explanations and review guidelines.
This review may also appear on my social media channels and selected book platforms.
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DISCLOSURE: I received a review copy of this book from The Book Guild via Zooloo’s Book Tours.
As always, my thoughts are honest and my own.
This review is original content.
Please credit and link back if you wish to quote.
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