The Sea Before Us - Sunrise at Normandy Book 1 - Sarah Sundin

My Rating

★★★★★ - You have bewitched me, body and soul. (More Info)

About the Book

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. Dorothy pieces together reconnaissance photographs with thousands of holiday snapshots of France--including those of her own family's summer home--in order to create accurate maps of Normandy. Maps that Wyatt will turn into naval bombardment plans.

As the two spend concentrated time together in the pressure cooker of war, their deepening friendship threatens to turn to love. Dorothy must resist its pull. Her bereaved father depends on her, and her heart already belongs to another man. Wyatt too has much to lose. The closer he gets to Dorothy, the more he fears his efforts to win the war will destroy everything she has ever loved.

The tense days leading up to the monumental D-Day landing blaze to life under Sarah Sundin's practiced pen with this powerful new series. (From Goodreads)

My Thoughts

No matter how many books I read (Fiction and Non Fiction), there is always an aspect of WWII that I have yet to discover. The Sea Before Us is the perfect example. While I KNEW the Navy was heavily involved in D-Day, I have never thought about them doing much more than ferrying the men across the channel to Normandy. Sarah Sundin approaches D-Day from a new perspective. 

It was fascinating and intense to read about this historic invasion of WWII form the sea. I stayed up waaaaay too late and at one point had to put the book down because my eyes would NOT stay open any longer...RIGHT in the middle of D-Day! I told the husband, "You KNOW I am tired when I put a book down in the middle of D-Day!"

If you have read any of Sarah's novels, you know that her research, quality, and characters are exceptional! You won't want to miss out on this brand new series centered around D-Day.

I received a complimentary copy of The Sea Before Us from the publishers. I was not required to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are mine alone.

About the Author

Sarah Sundin is the author of Through Waters Deep and Anchor in the Storm, as well as the Wings of the Nightingale and the Wings of Glory series. A graduate of UC San Francisco School of Pharmacy, she works on-call as a hospital pharmacist. During WWII, her grandfather served as a pharmacist’s mate (medic) in the Navy, and her great-uncle flew with the US Eighth Air Force. Sarah lives in California.

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Many thanks to Canva for providing an AMAZING program for me to design all these beautiful graphics. Book covers, publisher/tour logos, and author pictures not owned by me. All other graphics created by Bookworm Mama with public domain photos on Canva unless stated otherwise. 

All of You + Giveaway - A Carrington Family Novel Book 2 - Sarah Monzon

"Sometimes the past reaches forward to bring hope to the future."

My Rating

★★★★★ - You have bewitched me, body and soul. (More Info)

About the Book

Maryland, Present Day

Jacqueline Rogers can rebuild anything...except the shambles of her past. A restorer of vintage planes, she's worked hard to earn the reputation of being one of the guys. The last thing she needs is a former Navy pilot fighting his own inner demons stepping in to defend her from dangers she thought she’d outrun long ago. Some battles must be fought alone.

After a freak accident severs Lieutenant Michael “Finch” Carrington’s dreams, as well as two limbs, he’s left with nothing but a fragile faith and a duty-bound promise to watch out for his friend’s baby sister. A promise she insists is as unnecessary as it is unappreciated. But when she turns the tables and begins to weld together the broken parts of his life, it may be his heart that is in need of protection. 

England, 1942

With the world at war yet again, Alice Galloway rejects her father’s traditional expectations and offers her piloting expertise to the Air Transport Auxiliary. She may be a woman in a man’s world, but when she overhears key intelligence, she must find the strength to transcend boundaries and her own fears. Or countless people may die.

My Thoughts

As a newly converted contemporary fiction reader (previously I was strictly Historical), Sarah Monzon's books hit a sweet spot in my heart. A split timeline that weaves the past and the present together in a tapestry that is full of beautiful and unique characters. 

I simply adore what Sarah is doing with this series. The dual timelines are so much fun and make it VERY hard to put the book down. ONE of my favorite parts was reading about the ATA (Air Transport Auxiliary) in All of You. The ATA employed several women during WWII to transport planes. I think this is a part of history that is so important, yet not widely known. You can read more about the ATA HERE. In addition we get to follow Jack around as she flies and repairs planes in the present day thread. I just LOVE IT! It was super easy to jump back and forth for me. And just emphasizes my complete adoration of history. 

As Michael struggles to adjust to his new "normal", he is trying to figure out what to do with the rest of his life. When our lives are taken completely off course from where we were headed, when we were doing what we THOUGHT God had called us to do, it raises a lot of questions. It can be tough and confusing and hard to trust that the end result will be good. But through it all it is so important to keep our focus on Christ. I know that is cliche, but it is true. Sarah mentions the song "Thy Will" by Hillary Scott in her book and so I wanted to include it here for you. Listen to the words, to her heart, let it soak into your spirit. And remember that no matter what we go through: 
"Sometimes I gotta stop 
Remember that you’re God
And I am not"

All of You speaks to the heart and the message is loud and clear: We may not always know why God allows things to happen to us, but putting our trust and faith in Him...to believe that HE knows what He is doing...will lead us to the ultimate freedom. Take it ONE DAY AT A TIME. Allow Him to guide your step. Don't be passive, step through the doors that He opens for you. I pray that as you read All of You, your heart hears the truth on these pages. There is so much I could share about this book, but I will stop here because I want you to read it for yourself! AND, because I love this book so much...I am hosting a giveaway for an eBook copy of All of You! This book releases on May 15th and will be sent to the winner on that day.

I want to hear from YOU...What book have you read with a unique setting/character?

I received a complimentary copy of All of You from Radiant Publications. I was not required to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are mine alone.

Purchase Options

Amazon

About the Author

Sarah Monzon is a Navy chaplain's wife and a stay at home mom to the two cutest littles in the world. Playing pretend all day with them isn't enough, she spends the evenings after their heads hit the pillow to create her own imaginary characters. When she isn't in the world of make believe, she can be found in the pine forests of western Washington taking care of her family, fostering friendships, and enjoying all the adventures each day brings.Her debut novel, The Isaac Project, skyrocketed to Amazon bestseller status while her Sophomore book, Finders Keepers, has finaled in contests such as the Inspy Awards and received a 4 star review from Romantic Times.

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Giveaway

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Giveaway copy provided by myself. I was not compensated for this giveaway.

Many thanks to Canva for providing an AMAZING program for me to design all these beautiful graphics. Book covers, publisher logos, and author pictures not owned by me. All other graphics created by Bookworm Mama with public domain photos on Canva. 

When Tides Turn - Waves of Freedom Book 3 - Sarah Sundin

My Rating

★★★★★ - You have bewitched me, body and soul. (More Info)

From the Back of the Book

Tess Beaumont is tired of being thought of as just a pretty face. Eager to do her part for the war effort, she joins the Navy's newly established WAVES program for women. Perhaps there she can convince people that there is more to her than meets the eye.

Lt. Dan Avery has been using his skills in the fight against German U-boats and hoping to make admiral. The last thing he wants to see on his radar is a girl like Tess. Convinced that romance will interfere with his goals, Dan is determined to stay the course, no matter how intriguing a distraction Tess is.

But love, like war, is unpredictable. When Dan is shipped out at the peak of the Battle of the Atlantic, he finds himself torn between his lifelong career goals and his desire to help the beguiling Tess root out a possible spy on shore. Could this fun-loving glamour girl really be the one?

My Thoughts

Every book in this series has been spectacular! Full of intrigue and drama, faith and freedom, handsome officers and daring heroines, and not to mention bursting with history! I have learned so much about the war of the Atlantic during World War II through these books. Not only does Sarah include REAL events and REAL people in these books, it inspires me to do research of my own. To delve into the facts and history that inspired these stories. 

As the Waves of Freedom series comes to a close, Tess and Dan completely steal the show with their strained relationship and beautiful, er, practical? romance. Tess is full of life, color, and longs to be seen for who she is beneath the pretty face. Dan, has a one track mind focused on his career...That is, until his heart cries out for something more. Both Tess and Dan must learn to trust God to guide their paths, to find who they are in Him, individually. Once they surrender to God's plan, it is amazing to watch the events unfold. 

While the books in this series can stand alone, you will want to begin with book one to enjoy and appreciate the full effect of the storyline. Plus, they are simply amazing books. All three have made it on my top reads list!

Get ready for one last amazing ride in the Waves of Freedom Series. And do not despair...For Sarah has a new WWII series she is working on titled, Sunrise at Normandy. The first book, The Sea Before us will be released Spring 2018.

I received a complimentary copy of When Tides Turn from the publishers (Revell) through Radiant Lit and NetGalley. I was not required to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are mine alone.

Purchase Options

Amazon

Barnes & Noble

Books-A-Million

Christian Book

Google Books

About the Author

Sarah Sundin is the author of Through Waters Deep and Anchor in the Storm, as well as the Wings of the Nightingale and the Wings of Glory series. A graduate of UC San Francisco School of Pharmacy, she works on-call as a hospital pharmacist. During WWII, her grandfather served as a pharmacist’s mate (medic) in the Navy, and her great-uncle flew with the US Eighth Air Force. Sarah lives in California.

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