Book Review: The Sea Before Us by Sarah Sundin

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Synopsis of 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, who pieces together reconnaissance photographs with holiday snapshots of France — including those of her family’s summer home — in order to create accurate maps of Normandy. Maps that Wyatt turns into naval bombardment plans for D-day.

As the two spend concentrated time together in the pressure cooker of war, their deepening friendship threatens to turn into something more. But both of them have too much to lose to give in to love…

My review:

I’ve come to expect a lot from this author of historical romances — exciting action, pleasantly rich historical scenes, wonderfully flawed characters, and most of all love that stands the test of time. I was not disappointed. I truly enjoy learning history this way.

Tragedy has fallen on both Dorothy and Wyatt long before we meet them and  I was immediately drawn into the complexity of their individual struggles to move past what they felt they needed to be versus what God saw them as.

I just loved Wyatt. I so enjoyed his Texas drawl and cowboy manners, but his integrity was bigger than the state he was from. He was quiet, honest, and loyal but it was his heart for God that made him such a wonderful man to root for.

I think the cover on this book is absolutely perfect for how I pictured Dorothy, right down to the partially hidden freckles that she struggles with (both literally and metaphorically). Oh, how my heart broke for Dorothy and how she felt unloved. Don’t we all struggle with wanting to be loved in some way? She represented many of us who tend to see our faults instead of our strengths.

What a match Dorothy and Wyatt were for each other. They were puzzle pieces that needed to fit together. This is a romance so I hope I’m not giving any spoilers when I say that they end up together. As they should. I was on the edge of my seat turning pages when it happened and I must say that I will never look at bread the same way again. 🙂

What I enjoyed most about this book:

The slow friendship that built up between Dorothy and Wyatt, which led to love. Just sigh-worthy. Oh, and there was a twist that I absolutely did not see coming which I loved.

What I didn’t like about this book:

A minor thing really, but I found myself getting lost a little bit in the historical details of the battles. I think that was because I was so anxious for Dorothy and Wyatt to be back together on the pages.

My rating:  4 1/2 out of 5 stars

Would I recommend this book to others? Definitely. There are great characters, wonderful romance, and entertaining history. This is the first book in the series. I wish I didn’t have to wait for the others. I want to find out about what happens with Wyatt’s brothers.

Note: I received this book complimentary as a participant of the Revell Blog Tour. I was not required to give a positive review. All of the opinions I have expressed here are my own.

Where can I learn more about this author and their books?

Sarah Sundin, author website

Sarah Sundin, Revell page

-Loraine Nunley

The Sea Before Us by Sarah Sundin (4 1/2 out of 5 stars) #BookReview #amreading #TheSeaBeforeUs

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