Category: Sarah Sundin

I will admit, though, it was almost eerie reading in light of what's going on in the world today. So much of what I was reading seems to be playing out, albeit somewhat differently, in the headlines today. Europe in turmoil, check. Refugees fleeing their homes, check. Invasions, check. Food shortages, check. A little hard to tell if we're talking 1941 or 2022 isn't it?

I was completely intrigued and engrossed by Until Leaves Fall In Paris. The entire premise sounded fascinating and it became even more so the more I read. Sarah Sundin had me hook, line, and sinker with her wonderful characters. Lucie, Paul, Josie, and the dynamic duo Feenie and Mr. Meow. From page one to the last I was immersed in their fictional lives and they soon felt like friends.

One thing I just have to mention is that the paperback cover is gorgeous. It has got to be one of my favorite covers. The color scheme and images fit the story and are just lovely. The illustrations inside that serve as breaks were also a beautiful touch.

I cannot recommend Sarah Sundin highly enough if you are into WWII fiction or historical fiction in general and Until Leaves Fall In Paris is one of her best. It's sweet, poignant, heartbreaking, charming, and really brings the drama and danger of Paris in the early 40's to life. Definitely one of my favorite reads this year!

Tell Tale Book Reviews gives Until Leaves Fall In Paris by Sarah Sundin a 5 Bark rating.

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Throwback Thursday - July 15th, 2021 (somewhat late)

7/18/2021

Will a chance meeting in a time of war change her life forever?

Never pretty enough to please her gorgeous mother, Allie will do anything to gain her approval - even marry a man she doesn't love. While Allie has nearly resigned herself to that fate, Lt. Walter Novak - fearless in the cockpit but hopeless with women - takes his last furlough at home in California before being shipped overseas.

Walt and Allie meet and begin a correspondence that will change their lives. As letters fly between Walt's muddy bomber base in England and Allie's mansion in an orange grove, their friendship binds them together. But can they untangle the secrets, commitments, and expectations that keep them apart?

Book 1 in the Wings of Glory series, A Distant Melody is an exciting and tender story of love, courage, and sacrifice during World War II.

ISBN-13: 9780800734213

My Thoughts

This was not my first Sarah Sundin book, in fact I'd probably read 5 or 6 by the time I popped my Kindle open to it. I was quite impressed. While Sarah Sundin has improved her writing skills over the years A Distant Melody just didn't read like a first-published book. It was that good! As with all of her stories I as captured by the romance, drama, and the history. If there's one thing Sarah Sundin does well, it's immersing readers into the WWII era, almost like watching a movie filmed at that time. With well written and emotionally moving books like A Distant Melody it's no wonder that WWII fiction is so popular with Christian fiction readers...

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Book Review - When Twilight Breaks by Sarah Sundin

2/28/2021

Genre:
Historical Romance

When Twilight Breaks
by Sarah Sundin

-From Goodreads-

Munich, 1938. Evelyn Brand is an American foreign correspondent as determined to prove her worth in a male-dominated profession as she is to expose the growing tyranny in Nazi Germany. To do so, she must walk a thin line. If she offends the government, she could be expelled from the country--or worse. If she fails to truthfully report on major stories, she'll never be able to give a voice to the oppressed--and wake up the folks back home.

In another part of the city, American graduate student Peter Lang is working on his PhD in German. Disillusioned with the chaos in the world due to the Great Depression, he is impressed with the prosperity and order of German society. But when the brutality of the regime hits close, he discovers a far better way to use his contacts within the Nazi party--to feed information to the shrewd reporter he can't get off his mind.

This electric standalone novel from fan-favorite Sarah Sundin puts you right at the intersection of pulse-pounding suspense and heart-stopping romance.

ISBN-13: 9780800736361

Can they live long enough to do the right thing?

I first learned about WWII in Europe and the Holocaust through the lens of a children's version of Corrie ten Boom's The Hiding Place, I was about 7 or 8. I read the adult version by the time I was 10. For me, those horrible events and the heroism of people like the ten Booms are very real. As an adult I listened to a woman tell her story of witnessing Kristallnacht when she was a young German girl. Those events caused Hitler's ideology of hate to fail with her, instead she learned to love every human no matter their ethnicity, politics, or religion. Those true stories have stayed with me, and will continue to do so for the rest of my life.

This Book received a 5 Bark rating.

Sarah Sundin

And, though fictional, I suspect that When Twilight Breaks will stay with me for a long time as well. I originally picked it up only because it was a Sarah Sundin book and she is one of my favorite WWII fiction authors. I was in for a surprise when I started reading When Twilight Breaks. It's a little different in tone than most of Sarah Sundin's books, a bit darker I think, but that makes it all the more hard hitting.

I ran the gamut of emotions while reading When Twilight Breaks. The insidious hatefulness of the Nazis was hard to read sometimes, but what was even more difficult to hear was just how many Americans were fooled into admiring the regime. But, before you think this new novel from Sarah Sundin is all doom and gloom, it's not. She richly describes the scenery and traditions of Germany and the story itself is also entertaining in addition to thought provoking. When Twilight Breaks is a must read for fans of WWII fiction and of Sarah Sundin. It's riveting. It's gripping. It's real history...

Tell Tale Book Reviews gives When Twilight Breaks by Sarah Sundin a 5 Bark rating.

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Book Review - The Land Beneath Us by Sarah Sundin

2/25/2020

Genre:
Historical Romance

The Land Beneath Us
Sunrise At Normandy book 3
by Sarah Sundin

-From Goodreads-

In 1943, Private Clay Paxton trains hard with the U.S. Army Rangers at Camp Forrest, Tennessee, determined to do his best in the upcoming Allied invasion of France. With his future stolen by his brothers' betrayal, Clay has only one thing to live for—fulfilling the recurring dream of his death.

Leah Jones works as a librarian at Camp Forrest, longing to rise above her orphanage upbringing and belong to the community, even as she uses her spare time to search for her real family—the baby sisters she was separated from so long ago.

After Clay saves Leah's life from a brutal attack, he saves her virtue with a marriage of convenience. When he ships out to train in England for D-Day, their letters bind them together over the distance. But can a love strong enough to overcome death grow between them before Clay's recurring dream comes true?

ISBN-13: 9780800727994

Can love and faith get them through dark times?

Wow, this was quite a story. I've only read a few of Sarah Sundin's books but I've come to expect a lot from her. The Land Before Us topped them all. I do have to admit that I have not read book two in the Sunrise At Normandy series as of yet. But that did not diminish the impressiveness of this book. In The Land Before Us readers finally get to find out Clay's perspective of the events that tore his close-knit family apart, driving all three Paxton sons into various branches of the military during World War II. There's a lot of emotion in this story. Both Clay and Leah have painful pasts in addition to turmoil of present circumstances.

This Book received a 4.5 Bark rating.

Sarah Sundin

Sarah Sundin captured my attention right from the start. I became immersed in the setting and invested in Leah and Clay's story very quickly. They are just the kind of people you love to have as friends in real life. And, I'll tell you, that made some parts of the story a little difficult.

I really did enjoy The Land Beneath Us and was reminded just how much I like Sarah Sundin's books. The story is by turns, fun, poignant, romantic, and even has an unexpected mystery angle. Clay's recurring dream was a surprising twist that I positively liked. All in all, this is a great wartime historical romance from a good author, a story you won't want to miss.

Tell Tale Book Reviews gives The Land Beneath Us by Sarah Sundin a 4.5 Bark rating.

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2018 Favorites (Print)

1/6/2019

Favorite Print Books From 2018

Here is a list of Tell Tale Book Reviews' favorite books read and reviewed in 2018.
You can find all of these reviews and many more by visiting our Book Review List page

2018 Reviews

Fiction

Isaiah's Daughter

Lone Star
Christmas Witness

The Innkeeper's
Daughter

Mind Games

Lady Of A Thousand Treasures

A Rumored Fortune

Beneath The
Surface

The Reckoning At
Gossamer Pond

Caught By
Surprise

A Sparkle
Of Silver

The Great Lakes
Lighthouse Brides
Collection

A Light On
The Hill

Top Secret Target

Dead Drift

Kappy King And
The Pie Kaper

My Heart Belongs
In Glenwood Springs, Colorado

Fugitive Spy

The Backcountry
Brides Collection

The Amish Quilter

Flaw Abiding
Citizen

Amish Christmas
Emergency

Who I Am With You

A Refuge Assured

A Secret
To Die For

The Sea Before Us

Secular Fiction

The Key-Lock Man

The Secret Of
Mirror Bay

My Brother Michael

Non-Fiction

Staying Stylish

The Three Faces
Of Nellie

Joy To The World
Adult Coloring Book

We are excited to start reading and reviewing in the
new year and hope you will be joining us for...

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Book Review - The Sea Before Us by Sarah Sundin

2/11/2018

Genre:
Historical Romance

The Sea Before Us
Sunrise At Normandy book 1
by Sarah Sundin

-From Amazon-

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.

ISBN-13: 978-0800727970

2 hurting people find love in the midst of war...

This Book received a 4.5 Bark rating.

Sarah Sundin

I think it's been a couple of years since I've read a Sarah Sundin book but when I heard that she had a new series coming out with 'Normandy' in the name I was intrigued. I'll freely admit that, while I've heard how important D-Day was and even knew the names of at least two of the beaches, I actually really wasn't that aware of the facts behind it. I can't say that anymore. In The Sea Before Us author Sarah Sundin weaves a story of loss, love, and longing, within the facts of one of the most pivotal events in WWII history. The sheer magnitude of the planning behind D-Day is staggering! But make no mistake, The Sea Before Us is by no means dry and boring with endless dusty dates. It did take me a bit to get into the story, I had to take some time to warm up to Dorothy, though I loved Wyatt right off. But then, wham!, I was hooked and couldn't put it down! I read a good half the book in about 3 hours or so! Moving and inspirational with a dash of mystery The Sea Before Us is a MUST read for fans of Sarah Sundin and WWII historical fiction!

Tell Tale Book Reviews gives The Sea Before Us by Sarah Sundin a 4.5 Bark rating.

1 Comment

2016 Favorites (Print)

1/7/2017

Favorite Print Books From 2016

Here is a list of Tell Tale Book Reviews' favorite books read and reviewed in 2016.
You can find all of these reviews and many more by visiting our Book Review List page

2016 Reviews

Fiction

A Family Under The Christmas Tree

A Flight
Of Arrows

A Portrait
Of Emily Price

Anchor In
The Storm

At Love's
Bidding

Cold
Shot

Dressed
For Death

Fetching
Sweetness

Finding
Margo

Gone To
Ground

Incriminating
Evidence

Merchant
Of Alyss

Missing

My Sister's
Prayer

Playing
The Part

Proof

Random Acts
Of Malice

Silent
Sabotage

The Beautiful
Pretender

The Domino
Effect

The
Firefighter Daddy

The Golden
Braid

The Pattern
Artist

Titus
Returns

White

Kids/Juvenile

Esther: The Belle
Of Patience

The League And
The Lantern

The Nickle
Nuisance

Non-Fiction

My Mother's
Quilts

Gratitude: A Prayer And Praise
Coloring Journal

We are excited to start reading and reviewing in the
new year and hope you will be joining us for...

1 Comment

Book Review - Anchor In The Storm by Sarah Sundin

5/30/2016

Genre:
Historical Romance/WWII

Anchor In The Storm
Waves Of Freedom book 2
by Sarah Sundin

-From the back cover-

IN A TIME OF SACRIFICE,
WHAT PRICE CAN ONE PUT ON TRUE LOVE?

Nothing slows Lillian Avery down – not her personal challenges and certainly not America's entry into World War II. She finally has a chance to prove herself as a pharmacist in Boston. The demands of her job energize her. But society boy Ensign Archer Vandenberg's attentions only annoy – even if he is her brother's best friend.

During the darkest days of the war, Arch's destroyer hunts German U-Boats in vain as the submarines sink dozens of merchant ships along the East Coast. Still shaken by battles at sea, Arch notices his men also struggle with their nerves – and drowsiness. Could there be a link to the large prescriptions Lillian is filling?

As the danger rises on both land and sea, the two must work together to answer that question. But can Arch ever earn Lillian's trust and affection?

ISBN-13: 978-0800723439

Step back into the 1940's...

This Book received a 4 Bark rating.

Sarah Sundin

Once again Sarah Sundin transports readers to a time that we would love to think of as simpler but in reality was as challenging as today. I was totally immersed in the lives of Lillian and Arch feeling as if I'd been transported directly into the 1940's.

Arch was not one of my favorite characters in the previous book but it really didn't take long for him to grow on me. I liked Lillian right off even though there was a time or two I wanted to shake some sense into her. A wonderful cast of characters and I hope to meet some of them again in the next book.

One of my favorite things about Anchor In The Storm it is more than just a historical romance novel. There is a wonderfully chilling thread of suspense woven into it that leaves the reader questioning the motives of just about everyone. Also, Sarah Sundin's meticulous research is readily evident in the richly detailed story. I learned quite a bit in this book as well. I had no clue about the sheer number of attacks on American vessels right of our own East Coast, I also didn't know about the shortage of escort vessels for convoys.

Anchor In The Storm is a wonderful story of love, forgiveness, and learning to trust. It was a great read and I sincerely look forward to the next book in the series.

Tell Tale Book Reviews gives Anchor In The Storm by Sarah Sundin a 4 Bark rating.

1 Comment

2015 Favorites (Print)

12/31/2015

4 Comments

Favorite Print Books From 2015

Here is a list of Tell Tale Book Reviews' favorite books read and reviewed in 2015.
They are in not listed in any particular order.
You can find all of these reviews and many more by visiting our Book Review List page,

Here

The Wood's Edge

Shadows Of Ladenbrooke Manor

The Pharaoh's Daughter

The Memory Weaver

A Most Inconvenient Marriage

Beyond All Dreams

The Crimson Cord: Rahab's Story

Sabotaged

Tiffany Girl

The Good Girl

Uncharted Redemption

Taken

The Cactus
Creek Challenge

Vendetta

Every Girl
Gets Confused

In Good Company

Lorie's Heart

Standoff At Christmas

My Brother's Crown

A Reason To Stay

Through
Waters Deep

Dangerous Tidings

Not By Sight

Emissary

The Huntress Of Thornbeck Forest

Yankee In Atlanta

Deadlock

We are excited to start reading and reviewing in the
new year and hope you will be joining us for...

With love,

4 Comments

Book Review - Through Waters Deep by Sarah Sundin

8/18/2015

Genre:
Historical (WWII)

Through Waters Deep
Waves Of Freedom book 1
by Sarah Sundin

-From the back cover-

WAR IS COMING.
CAN LOVE CARRY THEM THROUGH THE ROUGH
WATERS THAT LIE AHEAD?

It is 1941 and America teeters on the brink of war. Handsome and outgoing naval officer Ensign Jim Avery escorts British convoys across the North Atlantic in a brand-new destroyer, the USS Atwood. On shore, Jim encounters Mary Stirling, a childhood friend who is now an astute and beautiful Boston Navy Yard secretary.

When evidence of sabotage on the Atwood is discovered, 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.

Love Sarah Sundin's latest!

Sarah Sundin is one of the best WWII fiction authors out there. I've really come to enjoy her books and so I have looked forward to the release of Through Waters Deep. The book lived up to and exceeded expectations as her books always do. I loved the addition of suspense with the sabotage angle.

Sarah Sundin has a way of painting pictures with words. The reader is transported into the pre-war atmosphere, and I felt like I was right there walking the streets of Boston and the decks of the Atwood.
I actually learned quite a bit while reading this book. I had never heard the terms 'isolationist' and 'interventionist' nor had I ever really thought about how intentionally blind to the impending war that many Americans were. Sarah Sundin successfully and subtly blended a little history lesson into this very entertaining story.

This Book received a 4 Bark rating.

Sarah Sundin

Author's Website

I really liked how Mary and Jim didn't always have it all together. Past mistakes continue to influence them, in Jim's not wanting to make waves and Mary's fear of calling attention to herself. But dangerous situations don't exactly allow for that, both will have to take action in ways that will take them far out of their comfort zones.

Through Waters Deep has one of the loveliest covers. It really matches the uncertainty and drama of the story and leads the mind back to days gone by. The red dress was a nice touch as readers will recognize the nod to Mary's blossoming and tentative choosing of the bright color.

Historical fiction and WWII fiction fans are in for a real treat in Through Waters Deep, a story that is not to be missed!

Tell Tale Book Reviews gives Through Waters Deep by Sarah Sundin a 4 Bark rating.

Paperback: 384 pages
Publisher: Revell (August 4, 2015)
ISBN-10: 0800723422
ISBN-13: 978-0800723422

PRINT

KINDLE

Notice: I have an affiliate with Amazon so if you purchase a book through the links provided I will receive a small kickback.

1 Comment

2014 Favorites (Print)

1/3/2015

3 Comments

Favorite Print Books From 2014

Here is a list of Tell Tale Book Reviews' favorite books read and reviewed in 2014.
They are in not listed in any particular order.
You can find all of these reviews and many more by visiting our Book Review List page,
HERE

Distortion

Down And Dead
In Dixie

Harvest Of Rubies

Stuck Together

A Bouquet Of Love

Price Of Privilege

A Match Of Wits

All For A Sister

Palace Of Darkness

Sidetracked

The Land Uncharted

The Princess Spy

Caroline's Secret

Annie's Stories

The Yuletide Rescue

Slave Again

A Bridge Unbroken

Abandoned Memories

A Woman Of Fortune

Silenced

The Quilted Heart Omnibus

The Pursuit Of Tamsen Littlejohn

Firewall

Where Courage Calls

Death By The Book

The Captive Maiden

The Turning

Unseen

In Perfect Time

We are excited to start reading and reviewing in the
new year and hope you will be joining us for...

2015 image from freedigitalphotos.net

3 Comments

Book Review - In Perfect Time by Sarah Sundin

8/13/2014