Genre: Historical Fiction
Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥ Five out of five hearts= excellent!
About
In spring of 1918, Lieutenant Colin Mabry, a British soldier working with MI8 after suffering injuries at the front, receives an unexpected message by carrier pigeon: it is an urgent summons from Jewel Reyer, the woman he once loved and who saved his life—a woman he believed to be dead. Leaving Britain’s shores to return into war-torn France, he hopes his reunion with her will ease his guilt and this mission restore the courage he lost on the battlefield.
Colin is stunned when he arrives in Paris to discover the message came not from Jewel, but from a stranger who claims to be her half sister, Johanna. Johanna works at a dovecote for French Army Intelligence; having found Jewel's diary, she believes her sister is alive and in the custody of a German agent. With spies everywhere, Colin is at first skeptical of Johanna, but as they travel across France and Spain, a tentative trust begins to grow between them.
When their pursuit leads them straight into the midst of a treacherous plot, however, that trust is at stake, as danger and deception turn their search for answers into a battle for their lives.
Back cover copy from www.katebreslin.com
My Review
Kate Breslin's latest novel, Far Side of the Sea, takes you on a journey through many places you've probably never seen before. Describing France and the other locations Colin and Johanna visit in riveting World War I detail, you'll hear the sound of the waves, feel the sand between your toes, taste the salt in the air- and hear the bombs as they wreak destruction on the world.
Colin's wounds have left him scarred- in body and soul. Throughout all that, he's still not lost his strong faith in God. Through all his hard times, he knows God has been with him, helping him- Johanna, however, is the opposite. Bodily and mentally, she's fine; it's her heart that's in trouble. Growing up with a tough but caring mother, Johanna was never taught to trust a loving heavenly Father. Throughout their long quest, Colin and Johanna will find what they thought they knew challenged and tested- and they'll have to learn to trust each other.
Colin and Johanna are, yet again, a couple for the ages. I'd been looking forward to reading and learning more about Colin ever since I first met him in Not by Sight (reading it isn't necessary before enjoying this novel, but would be helpful in understanding some parts of the book), and I was really glad his story turned out like it did. He needed someone like Johanna in his life, and she needed him.
Colin and Johanna are, yet again, a couple for the ages. I'd been looking forward to reading and learning more about Colin ever since I first met him in Not by Sight (reading it isn't necessary before enjoying this novel, but would be helpful in understanding some parts of the book), and I was really glad his story turned out like it did. He needed someone like Johanna in his life, and she needed him.
I loved reading about this time period and learning more about the use of carrier pigeons, codes and other secret spy stuff with regards to the war. Kate Breslin writes with interest and adventure, hooking you with mystery and questions. Namely, what happened to Jewel? And who is truly loyal to the Allied cause? As Colin says, "A good spy never trusts another spy."
Another thorough, riveting historical romance from Kate Breslin!
Another thorough, riveting historical romance from Kate Breslin!
I received this book from the author in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
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