Nancy Drew meets WWII -- Through Waters Deep

I have enjoyed each of Sarah Sundin's WWII novels that I have had the chance to read -- but Through Waters Deep is definitely my favorite.

As always, Sarah provides credible WWII descriptions and details in a way that provides a history lesson in the wrappings of an intriguing story.  In this story, she masterfully weaves together elements that are romantic, suspenseful, dangerous, serious, and fun.  Her characters are sometimes transparent and simple and oftentimes complex.  Many twists and turns along the way help maintain an exciting pace.

If you enjoy a good "who-dun-it" with a taste of Nancy Drew, if you are a sucker for a great love story whose outcome you can't be sure of until the very end, or if you appreciate well-written authentic WWII history, Through Waters Deep is a great choice for you.

Thanks to Litfuse Publicity Group for providing a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

See what other readers think about Through Waters Deep here.

About the Book:

It is 1941 and America teeters on the brink of war.

Outgoing naval officer Ensign Jim Avery escorts British convoys across the North Atlantic in a brand-new destroyer, the USS Atwood. Back on shore, Boston Navy Yard secretary Mary Stirling does her work quietly and efficiently, happy to be out of the limelight. Yet, despite her reserved nature, she never could back down from a challenge. When evidence of sabotage on the Atwood is found, Jim and Mary must work together to uncover the culprit. A bewildering maze of suspects emerges, and Mary is dismayed to find that even someone close to her is under suspicion. With the increasing pressure, Jim and Mary find that many new challenges---and dangers---await them.

Sarah Sundin takes readers to the tense months before the US entered WWII. Readers will encounter German U-boats and torpedoes, along with the explosive power of true love, in this hopeful and romantic story.

About the Author:

Sarah Sundin is the author of With Every Letter, On Distant Shores, In Perfect Time, and the Wings of Glory series. In 2014, On Distant Shores was a finalist for the Golden Scroll Awards from both AWSA and the Christian Authors Network. In 2011, Sarah received the Writer of the Year Award at the Mount Hermon Christian Writers Conference. 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 in England. Sarah lives in California with her husband and three children.

Find Sarah online: website, Facebook, Twitter

Hope and perseverance -- Hope Harbor

Hope Harbor -- the very title of Irene Hannon's latest novel offers the promise of something great.  And that promise is beautifully fulfilled in this awesome story by one of Christian fiction's most talented writers.  Hope Harbor is an awesome story on so many different levels.  It is a story of unexpected -- maybe even uninvited -- romance.  It is a story of determination and perseverance in the face of seemingly insurmountable odds.  And it is a story of great loss and great potential for restoration and reconciliation.

Irene fills her narrative with interesting characters -- some of whom are just a little quirky -- who definitely drive the story.  Tracy and Michael each have their own complex stories which provide the main plot of the book.  Anna is tremendously interesting to get to know, and Charley (and his taco truck business) provides his own unique perspective.  Also, Irene's picturesque description of Hope Harbor easily transports you to this enchanting locale.

I highly recommend Hope Harbor to fans of great contemporary Christian fiction.  Thanks to Revell Books for providing a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

About the Book:

Come home to Hope Harbor--where hearts heal . . . and love blooms.

 Tracy Campbell never wanted to leave Hope Harbor, Oregon, or the idyllic three-generation cranberry farm where she grew up. But life--and love--altered her plans. Now she's home again--with a floundering farm to run . . . a tragic secret . . . and a wounded heart. Romance is not on her agenda. Nor is it on Michael Hunter's. The visitor from Chicago has daunting secrets and devastating regrets of his own. But when Tracy recruits him to help with a project that is close to her heart, winds of change begin to sweep through Hope Harbor, bringing healing, hope, and love to countless lives--including their own.

About the Author:

Irene Hannon is the bestselling author of more than forty-five novels, including That Certain Summer, One Perfect Spring, and the Heroes of Quantico, Guardians of Justice, and Private Justice series. Her books have been honored with two coveted RITA Awards from Romance Writers of America, a Carol Award, three HOLT Medallions, a Daphne du Maurier Award, two Reviewers' Choice Awards from RT Book Reviews magazine, a Retailers' Choice Award, a Booksellers' Best Award, and a National Readers' Choice Award. In addition, she is a two-time Christy Award finalist, and Booklist included one of her novels in its "Top 10 Inspirational Fiction" list for 2011. She lives in Missouri. Learn more at www.irenehannon.com.

A quartet of southern love stories -- Among the Fair Magnolias

Among the Fair Magnolias is a collection of four love stories by four different authors set in the South in the decade following the Civil War.  Even though the stories share a common time period, the authors' writing styles, the settings, and the characters are quite different in these four enjoyable stories.

I was drawn to the novella collection when I saw that Tamera Alexander had written Savannah Derby's story.  Savannah was an "old friend" from To Win Her Favor and had a story that needed to be told.  In her typical style, Tamera (who appears to be a proper southern belle herself) told a beautiful tale of love and faith that was my favorite of the four.

Shelley Gray is the other author that I was familiar with before reading this book.  Russell's return home was a very fitting addition to her Heart of a Hero series, bringing some of the characters full circle to where their lives seemed to fall apart, while learning important lessons about their own feelings. 

Elizabeth Musser's story dealt with some of the most difficult and ugliest parts of this time period and did so with a great deal of class.  Some of the twists and turns in this story certainly helped keep the interest level up.

Dorothy Love wrote a story of well-to-do southerners forced to make difficult decisions with far-reaching consequences.  This story did not draw me in as much as the others in the collection did.

Fans of good historical fiction should enjoy Among the Fair Magnolias.  I am not always a fan of short novellas, usually preferring the opportunity to see stories develop over the span of a longer book.  But I found these stories to be well paced, even with the limitations of 80-90 pages each.

Thanks to Litfuse Publicity Group for providing a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

See what other readers think about Among the Fair Magnolias here.

About the Book:

In the most turbulent decade of our nation’s history, four Southern women—destinies forged by birth, hearts steeled by war—face near impossible choices on their journeys in life . . . and in love.
 
To Mend a Dream by Tamera Alexander
Savannah Darby would do almost anything to revisit her family home. So when new owner, Aidan Bedford, a Boston attorney and former Union soldier, seeks to redecorate the house for his fiancée, Savannah jumps at the opportunity. But the clock is ticking. Can she find the
box her father supposedly hid there during the war before her assignment is completed? And before she sees yet another battle lost on the home front. This time, one of the heart.

An Outlaw’s Heart by Shelley Gray
When Russell Champion returns to Fort Worth, he’s determined to begin a new life. But when he arrives at his mother’s homestead, he discovers she’s very ill, and the woman he loved is still as beautiful and sweet as he remembered. With time running out, Russell must come to terms with both his future and his past.

A Heart So True by Dorothy Love
Abigail knows all too well what is expected of her: to marry her distant cousin Charles and take her place in society. But her heart belongs to another. A terrible incident forces Abby to choose between love and duty.
 
Love Beyond Limits by Elizabeth Musser
Emily has a secret: She’s in love with one of the freedmen on her family’s plantation. Meanwhile, another man declares his love for her. Emily realizes some things are not as they seem and secrets must be kept in order to keep those she loves safe.

About the Authors:

Tamera Alexander is the best-selling author of numerous books including “A Lasting Impression” and “The Inheritance.” Tamera is a two-time Christy Award winner, two-time RITA winner, and a recipient of the prestigious Library Journal Award.

A native of west Tennessee, Dorothy Love makes her home in the Texas hill country with her husband and their golden retriever. An award-winning author of numerous young adult novels, Dorothy made her adult debut with the Hickory Ridge novels.

Shelley Gray is the author of The Heart of a Hero series. Her Amish novel (written as Shelley Shepard Gray), “The Protector,” recently made the New York Times best seller list.

Elizabeth Musser, a native of Atlanta, Georgia now living in France, is a novelist who writes what she calls ‘entertainment with a soul.’ For over 25 years, Elizabeth and her husband, Paul, have been involved in mission work with International Teams.


Here is a video where you can get a little background information and learn a few "fun facts" about the authors of these stories.



Find out more about Alexander, Gray, Love, Musser at http://www.thomasnelson.com/among-the-fair-magnolias.