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srmcdaniel14's review against another edition
5.0
It’s no secret I adore Sarah Sundin’s novels, and The Sea Before Us is no exception!
I was hooked by the end of the prologue. It was that good. From then on, I was captivated by engaging characters and a fascinating plot. The intrigue of D-Day added brilliant depths to the novel, keeping my eyes glued to the pages.
The heroine, Dorothy, lived in a constant struggle between who she is and who she wants to be. I loved her caring nature which she displays in her constant devotion to her father and those around her. Her position as a wren was enlightening for I had no idea how their faithful roles in the war effort had been integral to the success of D-Day.
Wyatt is an admirable hero who is honest as much as he is Texan. Plagued with guilt and obsessed with always “doing the right thing,” my heart ached for him as he continually sought atonement for a past that haunts him daily.
Put these two characters together, and you have an enthralling story that magnetizes your attention far after you reach the end!
Ms. Sundin continues her legacy of seamlessly threading historically accurate details into a vivid fictional world, bringing the story alive! The Sea Before Us is the first story in the Sunrise At Normandy series, and the next two novels are firmly targeted on my reading radar!
* The author provided me with a copy. All opinions are my own. *
I was hooked by the end of the prologue. It was that good. From then on, I was captivated by engaging characters and a fascinating plot. The intrigue of D-Day added brilliant depths to the novel, keeping my eyes glued to the pages.
The heroine, Dorothy, lived in a constant struggle between who she is and who she wants to be. I loved her caring nature which she displays in her constant devotion to her father and those around her. Her position as a wren was enlightening for I had no idea how their faithful roles in the war effort had been integral to the success of D-Day.
Wyatt is an admirable hero who is honest as much as he is Texan. Plagued with guilt and obsessed with always “doing the right thing,” my heart ached for him as he continually sought atonement for a past that haunts him daily.
Put these two characters together, and you have an enthralling story that magnetizes your attention far after you reach the end!
Ms. Sundin continues her legacy of seamlessly threading historically accurate details into a vivid fictional world, bringing the story alive! The Sea Before Us is the first story in the Sunrise At Normandy series, and the next two novels are firmly targeted on my reading radar!
* The author provided me with a copy. All opinions are my own. *
wqw_bookclub's review against another edition
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Mom=5.0, Tita=4.25, Liza=4.9
english_lady03's review against another edition
4.0
I don’t read a lot of novels set during the Second World War (less than I could count on one hand, probably), but I saw that this one was very popular. Also, one major attraction was that unlike a lot of novels and movies set in this period is that it didn’t just involve on US Army. Sorry everyone, but there is a bit of an American-centric focus in a lot of these things.
I can be a slow reader when it comes to books from Netgalley, so I confess, I cheated and finished this one on audio. Overall, I was pleasantly surprised: the relationship between Dorothy and Wyatt developed slowly from friendship, so it was not instalove. What’s more the protagonists had lives outside the romance. We could read about what they were up to when they weren’t together, which was nice.
Also, the story didn’t get bogged down with details about the Normandy landings and the events of the war. Which is not to say the historical details were ignored, they were just worked well into the story, and all seemed authentic to me. I also liked he treatment of the central themes with two flawed characters who were struggling with personal tragedy and duty.
For one, in increased his faith, and for the other, drove her away. Wyatt was patient and genuine with Dorothy, not preaching at or bashing her, but rather making her think, and allowing for her religious doubts.
My only complaints were the usual Americanisms coming from the British characters. One said ‘gotten’ and another said ‘sidewalk’ at one point. Which was unfortunate but kind of expected.
Overall though, I really enjoyed the book, and would recommend to all lovers of Historical Fiction and WW2 novels.
I requested a copy of this title from the publisher via Netgalley/Revell Reads. I was not required to write a positive review and all opinions expressed are my own.
I can be a slow reader when it comes to books from Netgalley, so I confess, I cheated and finished this one on audio. Overall, I was pleasantly surprised: the relationship between Dorothy and Wyatt developed slowly from friendship, so it was not instalove. What’s more the protagonists had lives outside the romance. We could read about what they were up to when they weren’t together, which was nice.
Also, the story didn’t get bogged down with details about the Normandy landings and the events of the war. Which is not to say the historical details were ignored, they were just worked well into the story, and all seemed authentic to me. I also liked he treatment of the central themes with two flawed characters who were struggling with personal tragedy and duty.
For one, in increased his faith, and for the other, drove her away. Wyatt was patient and genuine with Dorothy, not preaching at or bashing her, but rather making her think, and allowing for her religious doubts.
My only complaints were the usual Americanisms coming from the British characters. One said ‘gotten’ and another said ‘sidewalk’ at one point. Which was unfortunate but kind of expected.
Overall though, I really enjoyed the book, and would recommend to all lovers of Historical Fiction and WW2 novels.
I requested a copy of this title from the publisher via Netgalley/Revell Reads. I was not required to write a positive review and all opinions expressed are my own.
english_lady03's review against another edition
4.0
I don’t read a lot of novels set during the Second World War (less than I could count on one hand, probably), but I saw that this one was very popular. Also, one major attraction was that unlike a lot of novels and movies set in this period is that it didn’t just involve on US Army. Sorry everyone, but there is a bit of an American centric focus in a lot of these things.
I can be a slow reader when it comes to books from Netgalley, so I confess, I cheated and finished this one on audio. Overall, I was pleasantly surprised: the relationship between Dorothy and Wyatt developed slowly from friendship, so it was not instalove. What’s more the protagonists had lives outside the romance. We could read about what they were up to when they weren’t together, which was nice.
Also, the story didn’t get bogged down with details about the Normandy landings and the events of the war. Which is not to say the historical details were ignored, they were just worked well into the story, and all seemed authentic to me. I also liked he treatment of the central themes with two flawed characters who were struggling with personal tragedy and duty. For one, in increased his faith, and for the other, drove her away. Wyatt was patient and genuine with Dorothy, not preaching at or bashing her, but rather making her think, and allowing for her religious doubts.
My only complaints were the usual Americanisms coming from the British characters. One said ‘gotten’ and another said ‘sidewalk’ at one point. Which was unfortunate but kind of expected.
Overall though, I really enjoyed the book, and would recommend to all lovers of Historical Fiction and WW2 novels.
I requested a copy of this title from the publisher via Netgalley/Revell Reads. I was not required to write a positive review and all opinions expressed are my own.
I can be a slow reader when it comes to books from Netgalley, so I confess, I cheated and finished this one on audio. Overall, I was pleasantly surprised: the relationship between Dorothy and Wyatt developed slowly from friendship, so it was not instalove. What’s more the protagonists had lives outside the romance. We could read about what they were up to when they weren’t together, which was nice.
Also, the story didn’t get bogged down with details about the Normandy landings and the events of the war. Which is not to say the historical details were ignored, they were just worked well into the story, and all seemed authentic to me. I also liked he treatment of the central themes with two flawed characters who were struggling with personal tragedy and duty. For one, in increased his faith, and for the other, drove her away. Wyatt was patient and genuine with Dorothy, not preaching at or bashing her, but rather making her think, and allowing for her religious doubts.
My only complaints were the usual Americanisms coming from the British characters. One said ‘gotten’ and another said ‘sidewalk’ at one point. Which was unfortunate but kind of expected.
Overall though, I really enjoyed the book, and would recommend to all lovers of Historical Fiction and WW2 novels.
I requested a copy of this title from the publisher via Netgalley/Revell Reads. I was not required to write a positive review and all opinions expressed are my own.
turquoiseavenue's review against another edition
3.0
I'm a huge fan of author Sarah Sundin! I adore her WWII stories and was excited to begin reading this latest book. I will admit, at first, I was a tiny bit disappointed. The story was really hard to get into for me, but only in the beginning. I felt like Wyatt's background story was somewhat immature and unrealistic. I find it hard to believe a young man would want to kill his own brother over an accident. Maybe the author didn't make it quite real enough for me. However, I understand why the author used this event as the premise for the rest of the story and did like to see how Wyatt corrected the mistakes he made as a young man and grew in his personal relationship with the Lord because of it. About 1/3 of the way through the story, I began really enjoying the book. I loved Dorothy and her story, seeing her find her faith and grow in it was rewarding. I also highly enjoyed the historical events and battles that took place toward the end. I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys WWII fiction. it was a light read, sometimes lacking in depth, but good just the same. I'm looking forward to reading the second book in this series when it is available.
*I received an advance copy of this ebook from NetGalley.com in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
*I received an advance copy of this ebook from NetGalley.com in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
juliaisreadingg's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
inspiring
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
a_kira's review against another edition
5.0
Great book. Love the honesty and way characters come to terms with the truth, repairing and strengthening their relationship with God.
rusticreadingal's review against another edition
5.0
Sarah Sundin is one of my favorite authors. I have loved every single one of her books, so you could say I was excited for her latest release, The Sea Before Us. It did not disappoint. It reiterates Sundin as one of the masters of World War II historical fiction.
With every book of hers, I'm astounded by the amount of research that must go into each one! The attention to detail, the historical facts... wow! I definitely feel completely immersed in the time period while reading her books. And I learn so much interesting and compelling bits of history too. It was so fascinating learning some of what went into preparing for D-Day. It took so much planning and there were so many opportunities for something to go wrong, something that could've changed the outcome.
The way Sundin weaves a brilliant message of faith in with all the history and romance is so amazing and one of my favorite aspects of her books. And what great messages they are in this novel! There are quite a few but the one that stuck out to me the most was the reminder to just be yourself. Don't change yourself to impress someone else or to make them like you. God made you uniquely you, so embrace that.
I highly, highly recommend this book and can't wait for the next one to find out more about the Paxton brothers!
I received a copy of the book from the publisher via NetGalley and voluntarily reviewed it. All thoughts and comments are my honest opinion.
With every book of hers, I'm astounded by the amount of research that must go into each one! The attention to detail, the historical facts... wow! I definitely feel completely immersed in the time period while reading her books. And I learn so much interesting and compelling bits of history too. It was so fascinating learning some of what went into preparing for D-Day. It took so much planning and there were so many opportunities for something to go wrong, something that could've changed the outcome.
The way Sundin weaves a brilliant message of faith in with all the history and romance is so amazing and one of my favorite aspects of her books. And what great messages they are in this novel! There are quite a few but the one that stuck out to me the most was the reminder to just be yourself. Don't change yourself to impress someone else or to make them like you. God made you uniquely you, so embrace that.
I highly, highly recommend this book and can't wait for the next one to find out more about the Paxton brothers!
I received a copy of the book from the publisher via NetGalley and voluntarily reviewed it. All thoughts and comments are my honest opinion.
daisey4's review against another edition
5.0
I love history, I enjoyed the romance, history and a little mystery with it. Unwavering faith in God is always a plus.