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. Dorothy pieces together reconnaissance photographs with thousands of holiday snapshots of France–including those of her own family’s summer home–in order to create accurate maps of Normandy. Maps that … that Wyatt will turn into naval bombardment plans.
As the two spend concentrated time together in the pressure cooker of war, their deepening friendship threatens to turn to love. Dorothy must resist its pull. Her bereaved father depends on her, and her heart already belongs to another man. Wyatt too has much to lose. The closer he gets to Dorothy, the more he fears his efforts to win the war will destroy everything she has ever loved.
The tense days leading up to the monumental D-Day landing blaze to life under Sarah Sundin’s practiced pen with this powerful new series.
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I enjoyed listening to the audio version of The Sea Before Us. It’s a very interesting story that is set during WW2 in England as the Allied forces prepare for D-Day. The hero and heroine were engaging characters, and the explanation of all that was involved in the preparation and the battle was captivating. Sarah Sundin does amazing research that adds to the depth of the story but doesn’t overwhelm it. The romance was sweet and meaningful as were the characters individual journeys.
Loved this novel by Sarah Sundin, which I listened to on audiobook. Highly recommend “The Sea Before Us”!
I loved this book! Written for the WWII era, the characters are just wonderful. Because the time is so uncertain, they try very hard not to fall in love with each other, and nearly succeed! This one is definitely worth reading!
From page one, this book–and the series–is riveting. Ms. Sundin is an author to follow, read, and enjoy.
I found her story to be captivating and loved all the historical aspects of the story. Her characters were interesting and well developed. I found myself immersed in the story from the first few pages.
The Sea Before Us is suspenseful, mysterious, and romantic all rolled up into one very well-written tale. I will definitely be reading the next installment of the series. Highly recommended.
1000+ Stars. This novel gave me all the feels. Wyatt and Dorothy were so perfectly flawed it was heartbreaking on one end and heartwarming on the other to live through their emotional roller coaster. The novel grabbed my attention from the very first sentence, I am a goner for anything World War 11, so picking up this title was a no brainer for me, but there are very few words I can muster to describe how much pleasure I got from reading this novel. Wonderful, story, excellent characters, tightly woven plot, detailed setting and all the angst a tale like this can draw from a reader. I had never heard of Sarah Sundin before, but I am so glad I found her writings.
After reading The Sea Before Us, Sarah Sundin has become an author I’ll be on the lookout for. Prior to reading this story, I had only read a novella by Sundin. How imprudent of me to wait so long to enjoy her writing over the span of an entire novel! A mistake I plan to rectify quickly by downloading her backlist to my iPhone.
What I relished most was the effortlessness of her storytelling. Sundin’s portrayal of the build up to Normandy was delivered with the gravity and respect it deserved. It allowed her readers to feel the pall hanging over England and the hopeful expectation the war would soon turn. So much rich history is woven into the story, yet the plot is never weighed down by it.
Being a veteran myself, I felt a special connection with Dorothy in regards to her sense of duty. She saw herself and her role as vital to the war effort and she maintained the highest level of professionalism, even while swooning over Lieutenant Commander Eaton.To me, her character spoke of how women can display strength without sacrificing their femininity.
While Dorothy is blinded by Mr. Wrong, Mr. Oh-So-Right enters the scene in the form of Wyatt Paxton. I had compassion for this character following the events depicted in the prologue. Despite his poor choices starting in 1941 until he met Dorothy in 1944, he never lost my affections. Among his most noteworthy qualities were his humility and his confidence in Christ’s atoning work. In fact, repentance and reconciliation are strong themes in this work.
Whether you are on the lookout for a great historical romance or a novel with a solid Christian message, The Sea Before Us is an excellent choice. I will undoubtedly recommend it to book clubs over the course of the year. Purchase a copy for yourself and one for a friend!
Christian Shelf-Esteem received a book to facilitate this review. The views and opinions expressed are 100% honest and my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the FTC’s 16 CFR, Part 255 Guidelines, concerning the use of endorsements and testimonials in advertising. https://christianshelfesteem.wordpress.com
Such a fun read. I love Sarah’s passion for WWII. I can’t wait until the next book in this series come out.
“When times are dark, it’s hard to see the light, but it doesn’t mean the light is less real.”
What an amazing journey. This is the first book by Sarah Sundin I have read and I am speechless. I love historical romance and the author has been on my radar for awhile; I can’t believe I waited this long to enjoy her book. Now I need to read her previous releases one by one to immerse myself in the beautiful stories she weaves. Anyone who enjoys a well-researched historical romance during WWII will absolutely love this book.
This novel has it all – writing that is captivating and unexpectedly humorous at times; plot and storyline that flow smoothly; dialogue that is engaging, tender, sweet; characters who are so real, down-to-earth, full of flaws yet so incredibly lovable and relatable; steady faith during one of the toughest eras in world history.
The story brings Wyatt, a US navy lieutenant with a shadowed past, and Dorothy, a British Wren also with a mournful past, together as they work to created strategies for D-Day. Wyatt is so loyal, faithful, steady, and kind though he’s shy and quiet. Dorothy is energetic, creative, spontaneous and also loving and loyal. Wyatt remains faithful to God though he’s lost everything he holds dear. Dorothy has turned her back on God because she has lost almost everything she holds dear. Wyatt’s steadfastness is admirable and Dorothy’s faith journey is heartwarming. Their heartaches and pains hurt my own heart and I found myself shedding tears for both of them throughout the book.
The plot has quite a few surprises thrown into it which added rich, multi-dimensional layers to the characters, their struggles, and their growth.
I am waiting anxiously for the second installment of the series, The Sky Above Us, which will continue the story of Wyatt’s family with his younger brother Adler.
I was given a copy of the book by the publisher via Interviews & Reviews. I was not required to write a favorable review. All comments and opinions are solely my own.
I was drawn into the story from the beginning and kept captivated throughout the entire book. Every moment is brimming with emotion and tension. The relationship between the characters is so real and poignant, you just can’t look away!
As D-day draws ever closer, and the Blitz over England continues, two characters from different walks of life will leave a lasting impact on each other. This newest story from Sarah Sundin is one you won’t want to miss!
There is just so much to love in this story. Dynamic characters that seem so real, I felt like I was sitting in the room with them, hearing the story directly from their lips. Fascinating historical details that send you searching for more, a lively plot with twists and turns sprinkled in with a few unexpected surprises, and gripping emotion that flows from the pages and kept me up way past my bedtime.
These characters are real, they deal with real, everyday life struggles. From feelings of not being enough, learning forgiveness of not only others, but of self, and learning to rely on and trust God in both the happy times and in the times when all seems at a loss. I appreciated the real faith struggles the characters went through, and how it speaks to us today, and reminds us that we don’t always understand, but we can rest knowing that God is in control. God holds us in His hands, and no one can ever pluck us from His hands.
I simply loved this story! Even if reading WWII stories aren’t your favorite, I’d encourage you to give this story a chance. I give The Sea Before Us 5-stars and I am eagerly anticipating the next book in this series.
(I receive complimentary books for review from publishers, publicists, and/or authors, including Netgalley. I am not required to write positive reviews. The opinions I have expressed are my own.)
Great story, with a little romance, suspense, and history too. Enjoyable read.
History comes to life through Sundin’s characters, who cope with the trials and dangers not only on the fields of combat but also in their personal lives. This great combination of dramatic history and likeable characters will keep you turning pages to find out what happens next.
OH. MY.
The faith. The cute Texan. The redemption. The teasing. The writing. The LOVE. This was a deliciously amazing book that was equally cute and deep and touching. This was the first book I’ve read by Sarah and I’m definitely going back for more. *cue me stalking the rest of this series, plus her other series*
Both Wyatt and Dorothy were strong, well-developed characters who grew individually AND as a couple. Their romance was perfectly mixed in physical attraction and an emotional/heart connection. Yes, I am in love with Wyatt. He’s amazing, and Dorothy … oh, I identified with her, which scared me a little bit. But I love when authors can write a character’s faults and show the wrongness of the sins, etc., but still make them lovable. Which is what God does, doesn’t he? I love it.
Wyatt Paxton is a lieutenant in the US Navy. Dorothy Fairfax is a first officer in the Women’s Royal Naval Service. Both of these divisions of the US and UK military are working closely together to plan the invasion of Normandy in June of 1944, which is when Wyatt and Dorothy meet. Dorothy’s job is to piece together thousands of holiday pictures of the beaches of France so that Wyatt can make informed decisions for the invasion. Though Wyatt is drawn to Dorothy, she has her eyes set on another man…who has his eyes set on several other women. Both have to find a way to keep romantic entanglements, as well as other family drama, from distracting them from the ultimate goal–winning the war.
What I liked about this book is that it was not just about the romance. Wyatt and Dorothy both had a lot of other things going on in their lives, and that’s besides the looming invasion. In fact, the romance plot line is what detracted the most, or at least a particular aspect of it, as I’ll explain a bit further below. Overall, though, the book was engaging, enjoyable to read, and clearly well-researched.
The book begins by showing an incident in Wyatt’s past that haunts him throughout the book. It was especially interesting to me, because I’ve already read book #3 in this series and knew of the event, and now got to see it happen. Wyatt himself was a great character–great guy with a lot of depth, and I had an easy time imagining his Texas drawl, because his dialog was well-written. Feeling guilty about his part in the incident that happened before he joined the Navy, Wyatt sees himself as a prodigal son, leaning on God to get him through this tough time, and sharing his faith with Dorothy.
Dorothy had a lot more going on in her story, but I liked her less. She was a good daughter, and not necessarily mean to Wyatt (for the most part). But frankly, it took her way too long to see Eaton, her crush, for what he really was. There were times I was sure she was on the turning point, but she just kept pushing Wyatt aside in her mind and crushing on Eaton. And why was she so set on this? Because of what I felt was the weakest part of the book–her mother once told her that she regretted marrying her father, because he was boring, and she needed excitement. Her mother said that Dorothy was just like her, and warned her to marry someone exciting like Eaton. Why she wrote Wyatt off as “boring” so very quickly, I’m not sure, but she stuck by that assessment for far too long.
Other than a further contrivance later in the book, the rest of it was great. The book follows Wyatt into the invasion, from his position on a naval ship, and though a lot of the terminology was lost on me, I was caught up in it. There were several scenes in the last quarter of the book that made me so happy. In the end, I definitely recommend this book to all who enjoy Christian romance and Christian historical novels.
I truly enjoyed this book. I read the series out of order and ended up reading this last. That meant I knew a lot of what was going to happen, but I still wished the book would have continued for a bit more.
I have always enjoyed reading Sarah Sundin books and this was no exception. They are Christian books, teaching things without being pushy. This book followed that pattern well.
The main characters were very well developed and the story flowed well. The editing was very well done.
I give this book a solid 4 out of 5 star rating and would recommend this to my friends.
I have to admit, I read book 2 first. Regardless, I really enjoyed this book. I loved the Christian undertones and that is definitely something I like in my reading material. The characters, although with human flaws, find a way to work through their personal issues and pasts. It’s a very good book and I will be reading more from this author. She’s a great writer!
I enjoyed the historical time period, bringing you back in time to a difficult time when there were many struggles to survive. I felt as though I was being transported to a time my mother and father experienced. I will be watching for more books from this author! I am really enjoying her writing!
This entire series will capture the reader and not let go. Sundin does a wonderful job of setting up a realistic story world and moving her characters through it.
Having been to the Normandy beaches, this novel, and the history it portrays, beats a thread of remembrance that seems real and true. The tears I shed on Omaha beach related to the lives in this novel, so real and important to freedom. I look forward to the next one.
An uplifting and satisfying series beginning, The Sea Before Us combines the precise historical detail that distinguishes all of Sundin’s novels, the sophisticated romantic tension of her later books, and the grittier interpersonal drama of her earlier ones.
World War II brings together Lt. Wyatt Paxton, a dutiful US naval officer dealing with the aftermath of a guilty past, and Dorothy Fairfax, a British Wren struggling with grief and loneliness. As both of them strive to fulfill their duties to the Allied cause and their families, they also learn about God’s role in their lives.
This book is fast paced, heartwarming, and inspirational. It is full of rich World War II background, intriguing surprises, and relatable characters. I highly recommend it!
This entire series is a “you are there” experience where you will read about World War II and how it impacted these special characters as they served and loved and grew together.