Book Review: When Tides Turn by Sarah Sundin

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Title: When Tides Turn

Author: Sarah Sundin

Series: Waves of Freedom #3

Genre: Historical Fiction

Audience: Adult

ABOUT 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 REVIEW ~

**5 stars**

Absolutely amazing and well worth the wait! Filled with adventure, friendship, faith, romance, hard lessons, emotion, and a bit of danger, When Tides Turn made me so in love with reading. ❤ 

I'm always excited to dive into another book from Sarah Sundin. She brings the 1940s and World War II to life, and sucks me into the lives of her sweet, dear characters. Quintessa Beaumont was quite lovable with her vibrant personality. It was exciting to get her story, and watch her work through life issues, recognize her faults, and become such a beautiful person. And Lt. Dan Avery! I just loved him. And it was so adorable how Tess brought out the color in him. I feel like Sarah Sundin did such a great job bringing to life the uniqueness and complexity of these two characters, and their relationship with each other.

I love how these books center on one family. Seeing Mary, Jim, Lillian, and Arch again was amazing. So sweet.

The historical aspect, the mystery, the character growth, the humor, the friendships, and romances ... What can I say? Stunning, as usual. 

A thoroughly enjoyable, lovely, and meaningful finale to the WAVES OF FREEDOM series. Can hardly wait to read more of this author's work!

Book Review: Between Two Shores by Jocelyn Green

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Title: Between Two Shores

Author: Jocelyn Green

Series: Standalone

Genre: Historical

Audience: Adult

ABOUT THE BOOK

The daughter of a Mohawk mother and French father in 1759 Montreal, Catherine Duval finds it is easier to remain neutral in a world that is tearing itself apart. Content to trade with both the French and the British, Catherine is pulled into the fray against her wishes when her British ex-fiance, Samuel Crane, is taken prisoner by her father. Samuel asks her to help him escape, claiming he has information that could help end the war.

Peace appeals to Catherine, but helping the man who broke her heart does not. She delays ... until attempts on Samuel's life convince her he's in mortal danger. Against her better judgment she helps him flee by river, using knowledge of the landscape to creep ever closer to freedom. Their time together rekindles feelings she thought long buried, and danger seems to hound their every mile. She's risked becoming a traitor by choosing a side, but will the decision cost her even more than she anticipated?

~ MY REVIEW ~

**4 stars**

Between Two Shores was a very unexpected but very beautifully-crafted story. Set during the 1750s, it follows the life of Catherine Duval ... daughter of a Frenchman and Mohawk woman. After losing her mother, Catherine leaves the Mohawk village to join her father in his trading business. And life is anything but easy as she struggles to find her true identity. Though this book had some shocking twists and turns that I'm not sure I was ready for, Jocelyn Green is quickly becoming one of my newest favorite authors!

I love the historical depth and authenticity of Jocelyn Green's books. Exploring 1700s Montreal, the French and Indian War, and native American tribes was fascinating, if not heartbreaking. There was lots of adventure and emotion. Catherine and all the other characters were wonderful. Untangling the lives and emotions of Catherine Stands-Apart, her brother and sister - Joseph and Bright Star, Samuel, Thankful, and all the others was a worthwhile journey. Oh, how dear many of them became to me!

The unexpected twist ... still not exactly sure how I feel about how that played out. But I appreciate Jocelyn Green spotlighting themes of singleness, healing from heartbreak, godly friendship, and finding one's identity in Christ! Truly powerful.
To fall in love, and have your heart denied, is a very damaging thing. My heart aches for certain characters. But thank the Lord, there is healing even from tragic events. And this book showed that. Even though some of the characters could have possibly made different - better - choices, there was healing, hope, honor, and forgiveness. Which is quite beautiful.

So yes. Different, but good. There were at least two powerful scenes that squeezed my heart and brought out all the emotion. I applaud Jocelyn Green for penning a tale that isn't what we expected (or perhaps initially hoped). *bittersweet smile*

I received a copy of Between Two Shores from Bethany House Publishers, and this is my honest opinion.

Most Popular Posts on Lady Grace

Hello, friends! I'm sorry my posting has been a little sporadic again. I have some new life updates, and hope to do a blog post about that very soon! *smiles*

For now, I wanted to share about a few posts from my Lady Grace blog that are generating the most interest.

If you read follow Lady Grace (or even if you don't), feel free to comment below and let me know what topics you'd like me to write about!

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