In spring 1918, Lieutenant Colin Mabry, a British soldier working with MI8 after suffering injuries on the front, receives a message by carrier pigeon. It is from Jewel Reyer, the woman he once loved and who saved his life–a woman he believed to be dead. Traveling to France to answer her urgent summons, he desperately hopes this mission will ease his guilt and restore the courage he lost on the … the battlefield.
Colin is stunned, however, to discover the message came from Jewel’s half sister, Johanna. Johanna, who works at a dovecote for French Army Intelligence, found Jewel’s diary and believes her sister is alive in the custody of a German agent. With spies everywhere, Colin is 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, danger and deception turn their search for answers into a battle for their lives.
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After time spent at the Front in WWI, Colin Mabry is left with scars both physical and emotional. Despite these limitations, Colin is determined to do right by Jewel Reyer, the French woman who protected him behind enemy lines. He is caught completely off guard by an urgent note from her, requesting his help. When he arrives back in France and finds Johanna, Jewel’s half-sister, instead, he’s immediately suspicious. As they work together to untangle an increasingly complex plot, they are drawn closer to each other and further into danger.
Now, I admit that I was curious to see how Kate Breslin was going to bring the story to a peaceful conclusion with the possibility of two sisters competing for one man’s affection. I shouldn’t have worried, though. Colin’s and Johanna’s personal struggles are handled with sensitivity and a beautiful message of hope, and the ending is so wonderfully satisfying!
Far Side of the Sea has all the right notes of mystery, tender romance, and faith. I highly recommend this book to everyone but especially to those who are interested in the unique history of World War I. While this book can be read as a standalone story, I recommend enjoying Not By Sight first. I received a copy of this book through NetGalley and am under no obligation to provide a positive review. All opinions are my own.
‘Despite his prayers, a year of fighting had taught him that peace was someone’s naïve ideal, a vague optimism offered to comfort the suffering. A distant dream beyond reach.’
Taking up where Not By Sight left off, Kate Breslin brings us another tale of war, espionage and courage. It’s 1918 and Lt. Colin Mabry, injured in the war, and now serving decoding messages for his country, receives an urgent message by carrier pigeon from a woman who saved his life and is now in grave danger. When he goes to France to meet her, he discovers her sister is the one who sent the message. These two travel through France and Spain to find the truth and keep ahead of the enemy. Will they trust one another completely, even when they are embroiled in a treacherous plot and must battle for their lives?
Breslin once again gives her readers rich details of the time period and causes us to think of all those brave men and women did and suffered for the cause of war. Recommended.
*My thanks to Bethany House and the author for a copy of this book. The opinions expressed here are entirely my own.
Rich with historical detail of WWI and the backdrop of Paris & Barcelona, Kate Breslin gives us a fictional account of Lieutenant Colin Mabry, wounded in war and trying to find his way in a new life. Decoding a personal message delivered by a carrier pigeon, he ventures on a quest that will test the limits of his heart, his faith and his strength. Full of adventure, danger, espionage, spies, and in a world plunged in war, will he find love among the chaos?
“For a moment, he gazed at the woman beside him, considering how little he really knew about Johanna Ryer. And then a sudden, disquieting thought…How much more he still wanted to learn.”
I’ve only read a couple of books set in WWI and I felt Breslin did a wonderful job portraying what it must have been like for her characters to live in that time. The idea of sending messages via carrier pigeon was fascinating to me, a piece of history I didn’t know about. They had to travel many miles in dangerous conditions to deliver sensitive information to the front lines. It was so interesting to read about! In reality, the whole story was very enjoyable, one that was meaty and had lots to discover in it. I could probably re-read this and find something new within the pages each time! I also loved getting to know both Colin and Johanna, two people thrown together by happenstance for one mission and finding their inner worth along the way.
“Johanna’s illegitimacy had made her growing-up years difficult, subjected to ignorance and the prejudice of others. It bothered him to think she believed herself beneath God’s love and His miracles.”
Breslin mixed up a remarkable tale of love, faith, romance, and wartime & made it all work for this reader, leaving me fully satisfied at the end. A stunning example from an extraordinary author.
*I received a complimentary copy from Bethany House via Netgalley and was under no obligation to leave a favorable review. All opinions are my own. *
This was my first book by this author and it won’t be my last. I really enjoyed reading this book. It had a little bit of everything. History, wartime suspense, romance, humor, a few surprises also.
The author did a great job of keeping my interest in the story. There were many characters of all different nationalities. Irish, British, French, Spanish, American, German! This book is full of WWI espionage, PTSD, carrier pigeons and so much history. I loved the characters and how their story played out.
When reading the author’s note at the end, I realized that this book picked up with a minor character from a previous book, Not by Sight. Now I want to read that book. I wish I’d known that before. I’m a stickler for reading books in order even though it’s a minor character from the first book becoming a major character in the second book. I feel like I missed out on some good info. I’m looking forward to reading that book now.
This is a good, clean, Christian fiction. Not heavy or preachy. Just characters living out their faith as they struggle through life.
In spring 1918, Lieutenant Colin Mabry, a British soldier working with MI8 after suffering injuries on the front, receives a message by carrier pigeon. It is from Jewel Reyer, the woman he once loved and who saved his life–a woman he believed to be dead. Traveling to France to answer her urgent summons, he desperately hopes this mission will ease his guilt and restore the courage he lost on the battlefield.
Colin is stunned, however, to discover the message came from Jewel’s half sister, Johanna. Johanna, who works at a dovecote for French Army Intelligence, found Jewel’s diary and believes her sister is alive in the custody of a German agent. With spies everywhere, Colin is 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, danger and deception turn their search for answers into a battle for their lives.
I enjoyed reading this book. It started out rather slow as it was setting the stage for the trip to Paris. Once they got to Paris the pace picked up considerable. As the plot unfolded, I had trouble figuring out who was the good guys were. It kept me guessing for quite a while. They mystery was well woven throughout the book. The characters were likeable. Although Johanna used deceit to get Colin to meet her in Paris, all she wanted to do was find her father. Colin was still recovering from the trauma he experienced on the war front. Today we would call it PTDS. He was still very self conscious of not having a hand. I would recommend this book to those who like a good mystery.
I was given this book by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. I was not compensated in any way.
Kate Breslin continues to excel in writing outstanding historical fiction. Her beautiful prose draws the reader into a world that is torn apart by the hardships of WWI. Though her main characters have suffered both physical and emotional injury, Breslin gives us a courageous hero and spunky heroine. Lieutenant Colin Mabry is healing from injuries he received on the Front. After receiving a mysterious message, he returns to France to aid a young woman he once cared for. To his surprise, he finds that the message was sent by her half-sister. The two forge an unlikely alliance as they travel across France and Spain, seeking to rescue the missing woman. Breslin’s adroit pacing and expertly revealed twists keep the reader enthralled as she skillfully weaves an adventurous tale of spies,espionage,romance and faith into a masterpiece.
A favorite quote: ” You said God was always with me, and I realize now He has been there my whole life, watching over me, teaching me to be strong.”
I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book which I received from the author/publisher. I was not required to write a review. All opinions expressed are my own.
With her fourth novel, Far Side of the Sea, Kate Breslin once again expertly gives a glimpse into the life and time of World War I. With vivid portrayals of the elegance and beauty of the French countryside and architect, the charm of an English wedding as well as the despair and deceit of war, I was drawn into the story immediately and captivated to the last page. Johanna is an outrageous and daring young woman who is willing to do anything and go anywhere to find a sister she has never even met. Colin, hero extraordinaire, is compelled to go back into the fray of the war to rescue the woman he left behind. As Colin and Johanna meet and begin their mission, they find an adventure of a lifetime. Watching their story unfold is almost magical as they take risks, overcome obstacles, and oftentimes do not know who they can trust. And yet throughout it all, Colin recognizes that what first looked like a mistake, his return to Paris, might just have been in God’s plan after all and Johanna begins to recognize that she can trust God to guide her and to always be with her. The author does an excellent job keeping the reader’s interest in historical events and intriguing details of WWI. The information regarding the use of carrier pigeons was fascinating. I enjoyed her occasional word plays such as one character’s use of the alias Monsieur Outis which is a Greek word meaning nobody. Far Side of the Sea is a captivating story of overcoming fears and guilt, of the intrigue and suspense of war, and a beautiful romance. For lovers of historical romance, not to be missed.
I read a complimentary copy of the book and was not required to write a review. The opinions are my own.