The Sea Before Us

GIVEAWAY

SUNDIN, SARAH
THE SEA BEFORE US

Nothing but love could heal the wounds of war

In 1944, American naval officer Lt. Wyatt Paxton arrives in London to prepare for the Allied invasion of France. He works closely with Dorothy Fairfax, a "Wren" in the Women's Royal Naval Service, who pieces together reconnaissance photographs with holiday snapshots of France -- including those of her family's summer home -- in order to create accurate maps of Normandy. Maps that Wyatt turns into naval bombardment plans for D-day.

As the two spend concentrated time together in the pressure cooker of war, their deepening friendship threatens to turn into something more. But both of them have too much to lose to give in to love...

My Review:

A book that is as luscious as this cover promises! And how exciting to be at the beginning of this new series. I adore the way Sarah Sundin brings her historical novels to life. From characters to setting to the World War II backdrop -- this author has a talent for weaving facts and fiction together in a most compelling way.

And I especially appreciate the strong faith thread she has woven into the fabric of this story. Bold but not preachy,  I was never in doubt that I was reading Christian fiction. And honestly, that deeply tangled and sometimes frayed inspirational thread makes this story so much richer, transforming this book into an experience to be savored.

Wyatt is my favourite kind of hero -- emotionally wounded and valiantly trying to compensate. Here is a man anchored by his faith, even though he still wrestles with his past. I love that he's a work in progress -- just like me! And while Dorothy is just as committed to contributing to the war effort, she has let her faith slide as she wrestles with finding God in the midst of the ravages of war. These two have some amazing discussions as their friendship deepens.But, honestly, Dorothy can be such an addlepated ninny at times that I just wanted to box her ears and send her home on more than one occasion. :-) Luckily Wyatt is more patient than I am.

So, along with the angsty romance, Sundin treats her readers to epic battle scenes filled with action (but not bogged down by too much technical detail). And there are some disagreeable secondary characters that need a good purse whomping. Gah! But I do so enjoy being all righteously indignant on behalf of a hero and heroine and the author provides plenty of those moments here. And to top it all off there's even a bit of mystery percolating in the background -- one that brings Wyatt and Dorothy closer together and then threatens to pull them apart.

And can I just say that Sarah Sundin is the queen of epic blockbuster endings?! I'm still all twitterpated over this one.

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

If you would like a chance to win a copy of The Sea Before Us, leave a comment below or email me at kavluvstoreadATyahooDOTca. If you add your email to a comment, remember to use AT and DOT instead of @ and . in order to protect yourself from spammers. If you enter the draw via email, please add the title to the subject line so it's easy for me to spot your entry. Draw will be held and winner announced on Sunday February 25, 2018. Offer open to International Readers. Good luck!