The Sea Before Us (Sunrise at Normandy #1) by Sarah Sundin

Title: The Sea Before Us (Sunrise at Normandy #1)

Author: Sarah Sundin

Pages: 375

Release Date: February 6, 2018

Genre: Historical Romance - WWII

Publisher: Revell

Format: Paperback (also available in eBook)

Note: I received a free copy of this book from the author. I have chosen to write this review to express my personal opinion.

About 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. 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 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.

My review:

     This is an absolutely incredible historical romance!

     The main characters are fantastic! They are so well developed that I felt like I was their friend and just sitting down with them for a cup of tea. The heartaches that both Wyatt and Dorothy were carrying around were deep and very easy to understand. 

     I have one favorite quote that grabbed my attention and held me fast on one page for a good 5 minutes. “At least God had forgiven him. Thank you, Lord. Your forgiveness is all I need, but you know it isn’t all I want.”  There have been many times and situations in my life that I have felt that way. I was just never able to put it into words so clearly.

     The way that Wyatt and Dorothy slowly built a solid friendship was wonderful. They supported and encouraged each other so much. 

     I loved seeing what was involved in the planning of D-Day! It was also a lot of fun to get a look at how the U.S. Navy and the British Navy worked together and some of the differences in their terms and procedures. I had heard about the Blitz in London. This book really helped me to understand more fully how terrifying that had to have been.

     This marvelous book is getting a 5-star rating from me. I have to highly recommend it.

Disclaimer: *Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a copy of this book for free in the hope that I would mention/review it on my blog. I was not required to give a positive review, only my honest opinion - which I've done. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.*