As Dawn Breaks

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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

Far Side of the Sea

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BRESLIN, KATE
FAR SIDE OF THE SEA

In spring 1918, Lieutenant Colin Mabry, a British soldier working with M18 after suffering injuries on the front, receives a message by carrier pigeon. It is from Jewel Reyer, the woman he once loved and who saved his life -- a woman he believed to be dead. Traveling to France to answer her urgent summons, he desperately hopes this mission will ease his guilt and restore the courage he lost on the battlefield.

Colin is stunned, however, to discover the message came from Jewel's half sister, Johanna. Johanna, who works at a dovecote for French Army Intelligence, found Jewel's diary and believes her sister is alive in the custody of a German agent. With spies everywhere, Colin is skeptical of Johanna, but as they travel across France and Spain, a tentative trust begins to grow between them.

When their pursuit leads them straight into the midst of a treacherous plot, danger and deception turn their search for answers into a battle for their lives.

My Review:

"God sees us with the heart."

A Downton Abbeyish spy thriller that held me completely spellbound. I binge-listened to the audible version which was brilliantly narrated by Sarah Zimmerman. I hung on every word and was sorely tempted to hike up the speed and listen chipmunk-style when things got tense. You'll be happy to know I resisted the urge...barely, choosing instead to savor every nuance of the exceptional storytelling.

Intrigue, danger, romance! Plot twists galore! I was thunderstruck numerous times. I'd get pretty full of myself, thinking I'd figured something out only to have Breslin blow me away with something so much better than anything I could imagine. And all the rich historical details -- be still my heart! Lots for a historical fiction connoisseur to swoon over. The carrier pigeon angle was utterly fascinating -- especially in view of our 21st century communication devices. Riveting stuff.

And then there's the hero and heroine. Colin with his misplaced sense of loyalty that set my heart aflutter even though I didn't want him to be that noble. lol And Johanna who has her own agenda. I wasn't sure about her at first but she grew on me, especially as the author wove a beautiful redeeming thread into her story. Theirs is the kind of love story that has the power to shred a sensitive reader's heart if she's not careful.

Another stunning novel from an author who knows how to deliver a delicious mix of intrigue, inspiration and the sweet promise of romance.

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

If you would like a chance to win a copy of Far Side of the Sea, 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 September 7 2019. Offer open to International Readers. Good luck!

High as the Heavens

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BRESLIN, KATE
HIGH AS THE HEAVENS

A British nurse in WWI German-occupied Brussels, Evelyn Marche spends her days at the hospital and her nights working at a cafe...or so it seems. Eve's most carefully guarded secret is that she also spends her nights carrying out dangerous missions as a spy for a Belgium resistance group.

When a plane crashes as she's en route to a rendezvous, Eve is the first to reach the downed plane and is shocked to recognize the badly injured pilot as British RFC Captain Simon Forrester. She risks her life to conceal him from the Germans, but as the secrets between them grow and the danger mounts, can they still hope to make it out of Belgium alive?

My Review:

Voraciously stunning. I couldn't put it down until about two thirds the way through when I was so invested in these characters that I almost didn't want to keep reading because...well....occupied Brussels...resistance groups...spies!!!! I knew it was going to get worse before it got better and I was about jumping out of my skin in fear and trepidation all the while yearning for Eve and Simon to overcome and rejoice in the possibility of a future together. Honestly, my heart was hammering so hard I think I have bruised ribs!

And -- clueless me -- I had no idea there were resistance groups in World War I. Thankfully Kate Breslin has opened my eyes and increased my knowledge in a delightfully captivating way. And be sure to read the author's notes at the back of the book -- even more eye opening and explains the inspiration behind heroine Evelyn Marche.

What an incredible woman! Deeply wounded emotionally but with an inner core of strength that compels her to do amazing things. And I love the contrast the author gives us through flashbacks of Eve before the war. My heart ached for the loss of innocence but I can also see how even the most negative circumstances have shaped the woman she has become.

And Simon with his Scottish bur...fainting couches are a definite requirement for this read! Think brawny and tender and an outrageous tease. When he winks at me...er...at Eve...well, my butterflies have butterflies.

This isn't an easy story to read -- partly because Eve and Simon and a host of other characters are reflections of real life heroes who stood for right in whatever way they could. I dream about having that kind of courage, but I'm honest enough to say I'm not sure I would.

A sensational Historical Romance that educates and inspires even as it entertains.

Book has been provided courtesy of Baker Publishing and Graf-Martin Communications Inc.

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

If you would like a chance to win a copy of High as the Heavens, leave a comment below ore email me at kavluvstoreadATyahooDOTca. If you add your 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 easier for me to spot your entry. Draw will be held and winner announced on Sunday July 29 2017. Offer open to International Readers. Good luck.

Not By Sight

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BRESLIN, KATE
NOT BY SIGHT

Gripping Sophomore Novel from a Rising Historical Romance Talent

With Britain caught up in WWI, Jack Benningham, heir to the Earl of Stonebrooke, has declared himself a conscientious objector. Instead, he secretly works for the Crown by tracking down German spies on British soil, his wild reputation and society status serving as a foolproof cover.

Blinded by patriotism and concern for her brother on the front lines, wealthy suffragette Grace Mabry will do whatever it takes to assist her country's cause. When she sneaks into a posh London masquerade ball to hand out white feathers of cowardice, she never imagines the chain of events she'll set off when she hands a feather to Jack.

And neither of them could anticipate the extent of the danger and betrayal that follows them--or the faith they'll need to maintain hope.  

My Review:

This one has been hovering on the top of my TBR pile for a couple of weeks. As anxious as I was to read it since I loved Breslin's debut novel, I was apprehensive too. Why? I dreaded reading that white feather scene. Anyone remember Walter Blythe in Rainbow Valley and Rilla of Ingleside by L. M. Montgomery? He's Anne and Gilbert's son -- a gentle soul with a poet's heart. He gets a white feather when he doesn't enlist in the army as soon as war breaks out. My eleven-year-old heart took a beating over that scene and I still remember it to this day. So, yes, you might say that a former traumatic reading experience hindered my ability to pick up this book. (Now my book nerdiness is well and truly confirmed!)

I'm glad I overcame my trepidation though because Not By Sight is a soul-stirring read I wouldn't want to miss. It's definite Downton Abbey ambiance holds huge appeal while the gripping plot kept me spellbound. There are so many twists and turns and downright surprises! And the history revealed -- aspects of the British home front in World War I that I wasn't even aware of made this read all the richer.

I grew to love Grace (after the white feather incident!) She's passionate about every cause she embraces, from the suffragette movement to supporting the war effort. And though she is from a privileged class, she isn't afraid to get her hands dirty in order to help either cause. Her naivety at the beginning of the novel gradually falls away as she begins to grasp the fact that not everything can be measured in black and white.

Her hero, Jack, is as brooding as Mr. Rochester in Jane Eyre. I loved their encounters. Witty dialogue highlights Grace's gumption and humour. Jack is intrigued in spite of himself. But a different kind of intrigue is afoot as well. This is a spy story after all, and Breslin sets her characters (and readers) on a merry chase.

Absolutely loved the scripture tie-in for the book -- both in story and title. For we live by faith, not by sight (2 Corinthians 5:7) It is intricately woven throughout the plot and affects a multitude of characters in various ways. Breathtaking and uplifting stuff.

Book has been provided courtesy of Baker Publishing Group and Graf-Martin Communications, Inc.

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY

If you would like an opportunity to win a copy of Not By Sight please leave a comment below or email me at kavluvstoreadATyahooDOTca. If you post a comment and add your email address, please use AT and DOT instead of @ and . in the address to protect yourself from spammers. If you enter the draw via email please remember to put the title in the subject line so that it's easy for me to spot your entry. Draw will be held and winner announced on Sunday August 30 2015. Offer open to international readers. Good luck!

For Such a Time

GIVEAWAY

BRESLIN, KATE
FOR SUCH A TIME 

Powerful Retelling of the Story of Esther

In 1944, blonde and blue-eyed Jewess Hadassah Benjamin feels abandoned by God when she is saved from a firing squad only to be handed over to a new enemy. Pressed into service by SS-Kommandant Colonel Aric von Schmidt at the transit camp of Theresienstadt in Czechoslovakia, she is able to hide behind the false identity of Stella Muller. However, in order to survive and maintain her cover as Aric's secretary, she is forced to stand by as her own people are sent to Auschwitz.

Suspecting her employer is a man of hidden depths and sympathies, Stella cautiously appeals to him on behalf of those in the camp. Aric's compassion gives her hope, and she finds herself battling a growing attraction for this man she knows she should despise as an enemy.

Stella pours herself into her efforts to keep even some of the camp's prisoners safe, but she risks the revelation of her true identity with every attempt. When her bravery brings her to the point of the ultimate sacrifice, she has only her faith to lean upon. Perhaps God has placed her there for such a time as this, but how can she save her people when she is unable to save herself?

My Review:

Wow -- I'm nearly speechless over this one. The romance has an ethereal, fairy tale quality that carries it far away from the gruesome reality of a World War II concentration camp. That stark contrast makes the entire story all the more magical.

But Breslin doesn't flinch in conveying the conditions the Jews have to deal with -- though her readers might. Heart-breaking stuff laced with the strength and determination of an unconquerable people. There were many goosebump moments for me as I read this epic novel. Many tears shed too. I loved the way she paralleled the Book of Esther with the events in For Such a Time. Honestly, a stunning celebration of life and the grace of God in the midst of impossible affliction. This is one incredible read you don't want to miss.

Giveaway Opportunity:

If you would like an opportunity to win a copy of For Such a Time as This please leave a comment below or email me at kavluvstoreadATyahooDOTca. If you post a comment and add your email address, please use AT and DOT instead of @ and . to protect yourself from spammers. If you email me, please be sure to put the title in the subject line so it is easier for me to spot your entry. Draw will be held and winner announced on Sunday April 20  2014. Offer open to international readers. Good luck.

"Book has been provided courtesy of Baker Publishing Group and Graf-Martin Communications, Inc.Available at your favourite bookseller from Bethany House, a division of Baker Publishing Group".