Reviewing: Until Leaves Fall in Paris by Sarah Sundin

 ...from the publisher...

As the Nazis march toward Paris in 1940, American ballerina Lucie Girard buys her favorite English-language bookstore to allow the Jewish owners to escape. Lucie struggles to run Green Leaf Books due to oppressive German laws and harsh conditions, but she finds a way to aid the resistance by passing secret messages between the pages of her books.

Widower Paul Aubrey wants nothing more than to return to the States with his little girl, but the US Army convinces him to keep his factory running and obtain military information from his German customers. As the war rages on, Paul offers his own resistance by sabotaging his product and hiding British airmen in his factory. After they meet in the bookstore, Paul and Lucie are drawn to each other, but she rejects him when she discovers he sells to the Germans. And for Paul to win her trust would mean betraying his mission.

...my thoughts...

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It is a heart wrenching, suspenseful novel of such a time when the world was so uncertain. Times when worlds collided, and people were praying that the war would end and somehow the world could return to peace once more.

Until Leaves Fall in Paris, by Sarah Sundin is a compelling read, especially today. Full of wonderfully complex characters, once again Sarah has done impeccable research. Lucie did her best to keep Green Leaf Books open until she had to return home to the states. But until that time, she was creative in her ways to keep customers coming back to her little haven among the shelves. It was just that spirit of creativity that captured Paul's attention when he took his young daughter Josie to the story hour. Filled with puppets regaling children’s tales, Paul took notice in how Josie came to life at the bookshop and resolved to return each week to give her some joy. 

 It was amazing how Paul and Lucie found each other under trying circumstances as the situation became ever so dangerous in wartime Paris. To the outside world, they led double lives in order to survive. Their courage and love are captured by an author who can keep you in suspense while making you keep turning those pages until the very end.

I recommend Until Leaves Fall in Paris, a story as timely today as it was close to eighty years ago. A time when so many lives were changed forever by a world that was out of control.

When Twilight Breaks Amazing Historical Fiction by Sarah Sundin

 ...from the publisher...

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.

 ...my thoughts...

I had a hard time putting When Twilight Breaks down.  From start to finish this book was a gripping story set just as Nazi Germany was about to pounce on the rest of the world.  Intrigue was at its highest and the pure hate deeply embedded within, showed its ugly head like a snake slithering into the very lives of the vulnerable.  Sarah Sundin has done it again with her standalone novel When Twilight Breaks.  Impeccable research with the gift of masterful writing, this reader was captivated by the story of Evelyn and Peter.

Unlikely as suitors, Peter and Evelyn are thrown into a whirlwind as danger escalates in Germany. Evelyn lived by a code she established as a woman correspondent trying to succeed in a world with doors open to men only.  She was highly motivated to get the best stories and was very aware of the danger posed in Munich in 1938.

Peter was engaged in groundbreaking work in language studies at the university while pursuing his PhD. He fit into society, and was immune to the threat posed by the Nazi regime.  After all, the overall country appeared to be doing so well since he visited as a youth. Nothing impeded his work and he enjoyed the freedoms he was accustomed to at home in America.  However, once his eyes were opened to what lay beneath the prosperous land, he and Evelyn embarked on quite a gripping journey together. It was full of suspense that kept me turning pages to see how far they could go to escape the clutches of those who wanted to stop them. 

What an amazing story.  I recommend this to all who enjoy historical fiction mixed with a bit of suspense and romance.  A five star book that is destined to become a bestseller. 

The Land Beneath Us by Sarah Sundin Destined to Be Bestseller

...from the publisher...
In 1943, Private Clay Paxton trains hard with the US 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?


...my thoughts...

The Land Beneath Us is the third book in Sarah Sundin's Sunrise at Normandy series.  Each book in the series follows  a Paxton brother and their lives after a fateful night where life in a warm, loving family changed for good. Angry words, feelings of revenge and unthinkable behavior.  Each young man was a time bomb full of anger and, remorse.

Sarah Sundin is a renowned author in the Christian fiction world.  Her research on the complex theater of World War II is amazing.  Her characters come alive amid battles the reader may have seen distant descriptions of yet in reading Sarah's books find themselves in the midst of the story.  I have long been a fan of her work.  It makes me appreciate all the more, the brave men and women who served our country in dark times.

Clay and Leah's story is one beautiful love story.  Both have baggage that could upset the perennial apple cart. They are both courageous beyond their young ages.  I believe that could be said of many young people faced with the challenges of a war that caused so much uncertainty in the world.  Their faith yielded a strength of character that kept them going.  From Leah's upbringing in an orphanage to Clay's bitter feelings toward his brothers, this book came alive and has a strong message of forgiveness and difficult choices. This is a book that historical fiction readers will enjoy.  It is engaging, entertaining and full of compassion.  Yes, even a few tears showed up.  I am sad to see this series end, but I am confident that Sarah Sundin has more stories to write.

Anchor In the Storm

For Lillian Avery, life couldn't be more exciting.  Her Pharmacy School days are over and she has a job waiting for her in Boston. As a woman pharmacist, she is embarking on a career traditionally filled by men. She is undaunted by the challenges of competing with men for jobs because she has met other obstacles head on, including getting through life with one leg after a childhood accident. The accident changed her life but it didn't hold her back despite being a beautiful young woman who wore a prosthesis.  She was driven to become the best in her field and make a difference to her patients.

World War II is just about to begin in Sarah Sundin's latest, Anchor In The Storm, Book 2 in her Waves of Freedom Series.  Lillian is joined in the story by her brother Jim, his Naval Academy friend Arch Vandenberg and Jim's girl, Mary Stirling.  Lillian is put off by Arch, only son in a wealthy family. In her eyes, the handsome young man must be insincere and full of himself. In his eyes, she is a beautiful woman who, unlike other women he met, was independent and indifferent to his wealth.  All three travel back to Boston together where the men are assigned to a new destroyer, the U.S.S. Ettinger and Mary has a job as a secretary at the Naval Yard.  Lillian planned to room with Mary, so much to her chagrin, she would be thrown into Arch's company when Jim came to see Mary.

 On Lillian's first day at Dixon's Drugs when Mr. Dixon discovered her artificial leg. He let her know he hadn't wanted a woman in the first place but a cripple was the last straw. She convinced him to try her for a few weeks and he agreed only if she kept behind the counter so nobody would see her leg.  With that hurdle behind her she was determined to keep her job. Right away Lillian noticed an unusual amounts prescriptions for Phenobarbital.  She was determined find out why such high amounts of the drug were prescribed. Mr. Dixon, however, didn't want discrediting the drug store with her nosing around on things that she had no business questioning.

In the meantime, Arch was having his own difficulties on board the Ettinger.  He suffered from Battle Fatigue, what we now call Post Traumatic Stress.  When the Atwood was attacked just before the war began, he was injured in the engine room and still had nightmares and trembling hands.  He sought help, was prescribed Phenobarbital and after one groggy dose decided he would fight this on his own. It didn't take long, however, before he began to notice the symptoms among his men. He also recognized signs that some of the men were taking the drugs he had been prescribed.  These men were impaired on duty and Arch was going to make it his business to get to the bottom of who and how the men got these drugs.

It was only a matter of time before Arch and Lillian discovered they shared a concern: he for the men who were taking the drugs and she because she knew the high volume of drugs prescribed was above safe limits for anyone.  They began an investigation on their own to uncover what had to have been a drug ring.

By joining forces, they also fell in love, something they were both avoiding. She didn't want to trust any man again after a bitter breakup and he was on guard for any woman who preferred money more than the man he was.  Both rely on their faith to grapple with the many odds they face in such a turbulent time.

Intrigue, romance and some dangerous waters are what you will find in this book. I was hooked from the beginning. If you read Through Waters Deep, you will enjoy reading more about Mary Stirling and Jim Avery while getting to know Arch better as he and Lillian tread toward their own Anchor In The Storm.  A good mystery mixed with romance make for a good book to enjoy with your favorite cup of tea. Many thanks to Revell for the opportunity to review this book, which ended too soon!  I am waiting already for Book 3 in this series, When Tides Turn coming  March 2017.

.

Fiction Friday: Through Waters Deep

Through Waters Deep is my first foray into pages written by Sarah Sundin and it was not a disappointment. I love American History and the time leading up to World War Two was one time our country desperately needed to come together. The world was a scary place and our countrymen were at odds with each other over deep political views. Europe was at war and England needed our support. Wary of getting into another war, isolationist and interventionist points of view created dangerous partnerships as new ships were being built in the Boston Navy Yard.

Mary Stirling, secretary extraordinaire quietly saw to the details of the launch ceremony of the Ettinger and noticed there was something amiss with the foil on the bottle of champagne. Had she read too many Nancy Drew novels in school or was something going to happen. A near miss encounter with gasoline substituted for champagne sets the stage for our quiet, unassuming heroine who would just as soon stay in the background than avoid all the clues of sabotage she stumbles onto.

Ensign Jim Avery, a familiar face from back home in Vermilion, Ohio is also on the platform waiting to see the ceremony for the Ettinger.  Mary spotted him but was pretty sure he wouldn't remember her, the girl always in the shadow of others.  As fate would have it he sees her and remembers her as the sidekick of his former high school crush.  She remembers much more....but as one who was always content to be in the background, it is a step out of the comfort zone to play tour guide to Jim, his buddy Arch and his glamorous girlfirend Gloria.

Events at the Naval Yard puts Mary in an interesting position where she sees a lot, hears a lot and has a nose for clues leading to the resolution of developing sabotage.  I have to bite my tongue or in this case, watch my keystrokes to keep sharing some spoilers. The story is lively, refreshing and full of the hopes and dreams of the young men and women in one of the scariest times in our country. We know the outcome of the war but not the names of the saboteurs and their motives.

The ensuing love story is one that stretches Mary and Jim, making them become stronger in ways that only a developing war surrounding them could bring forth.  I recommend this book for the wonderful characters and a plot that had me going almost until the end!

I am looking forward to the next two books in the Waves of Freedom series Anchor In The Storm and and The Face of The Deep.