As Dawn Breaks

GIVEAWAY
RANDOM RETRO READ!

BRESLIN, KATE

AS DAWN BREAKS

Her daring bid for freedom could be her greatest undoing.

Amid the Great War in 1918 England, munitions worker Rosalind Graham is desperate to escape the arranged marriage being forced on her by her ruthless guardian. When the Chilwell factory explodes, killing hundreds of unidentified workers, Rose realizes the world believes she perished in the disaster. Seizing the chance to escape, she risks all and assumes a new identity, taking a supervisory position in Gretna, Scotland as Miss Tilly Lockhart.

RAF Captain Alex Baird is returning home to Gretna on a secret mission to uncover the saboteur suspected in the Chilwell explosion, as Gretna's factory is likely next.  Fearing for his family's safety, he's also haunted by guilt over failing to protect his brother. Alex is surprised to discover a young woman, Miss Lockhart, renting his boyhood room, but the two eventually bond over their mutual affection for his family -- until Alex receives order to surveil her.

Rose squirms beneath Alex's scrutiny while she struggles to gain her workers' respect. But when her deception turns to danger, she and Alex must find a way to put their painful past behind them and together try to safeguard their future.

My Review:

published in 2021

'Downton Abbey' meets 'Bomb Girls' with a splash of espionage! 

Seriously stunning historical details bring this time period and setting to vibrant life. I learned so much reading the novel! Like what 'Canary Girls' refers to and the perils of munition work that seemed to bring emancipation to women  only to confine them in a different kind of bondage. I was appalled and amazed and spent half the read hollering at everybody to get away from all those toxic chemicals! 

And the intrigue and suspense provides a slow build of tension with wonderful twists and turns until it reaches an edge-of-your-seat crescendo.   Loved the spy aspect -- Alex watching Rose -- and Rose's hidden identity. So many complex layers to not only the suspense, but the romance as well.

And now, let's take a moment to swoon over our hero and his Scottish burr. Love the way the author incorporated authentic dialogue and phrasing -- not to the point of making it hard to understand, just enough to make swooning a common occurrence during reading sprints. :-)

The importance of friendship and family create a solid foundation for the rest of the novel. So many great secondary characters! Breslin has really captured the heart and courage of ordinary people facing extraordinary times.

Once again Kate Breslin has entertained and educated me through a work of fiction. If only my history classes had been this captivating!

Goal Update: #5 Diversify my reading.

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

This giveaway is for a paperback or ebook copy -- winner's choice

If you would like a chance to win a copy of  As Dawn Breaks, leave a comment below or email me at kavluvstoreadATyahooDOTca. If you add an email to your 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 to spot your entry. Draw will be held and winner announced on Saturday August 6 2022 . Offer open to International Readers. Good luck