With Love, Wherever You Are, by Dandi Daley Mackall

    Helen Eberhart has aspired to be a nurse since she was a girl. When the attack on Pearl Harbor occurs, she decides to enlist as an Army nurse. While she is in training for a wartime assignment--she hopes in Europe, since she hates heat--she meets Frank Daley, a doctor who is undergoing basic training before being sent to a battlefield hospital--he hopes in the Pacific, because he hates being cold.
    After their memorable first encounter, they begin a friendship which quickly blossoms into love. Despite the almost unanimous disapproval of their family and friends, Frank and Helen marry after a whirlwind courtship. First Frank, then Helen, are sent to separate duty stations in the heart of the European conflict.
    Beginning a marriage by correspondence--"With love, wherever you are"--forms the basis of this gripping novel. But the hospital scenes and wartime conditions are fully as much a part of the story as their romance. The realism of the situations they encounter in their separate fields of medicine left me with images I won’t soon forget.
    Based on a true love story, With Love, Wherever You Are, is an outstanding novel. I couldn’t put it down. Readers who enjoy World War II-era fiction will want to put this one at the top of their list. It's not to be missed!

Through Waters Deep, by Sarah Sundin

       Self-effacing Mary Stirling's job in the Boston Navy Yard keeps her out of the spotlight, which is just what she wants. At the launching of a new ship, she encounters naval officer Jim Avery--a childhood friend. The two of them begin to spend time together, although Mary knows Jim's heart belongs to her best friend.
    When signs of sabotage appear on the ship to which Jim is assigned, Mary becomes interested in solving the crimes. She and Jim grow closer as they share suspicions, with Mary ever mindful that Jim is only interested in learning the saboteur's identity.
    Through Waters Deep drew me in on two levels. The novel is set during the months leading up to World War II, and the historical background fascinated me. I hadn't been aware of the deep divisions between Interventionists and Isolationists prior to Pearl Harbor. On a story-telling level, Through Waters Deep explores the lives of two people who are each overcoming childhood guilt as they strive become the person they were meant to be.
    As with her previous books, Sarah Sundin's wartime scenes are breathtaking. I love the authenticity she brings to the story. Oh, and Jim and Mary? You’ll have to read the book to find out what happens. You won't be disappointed.

    My thanks to the author and Revell for my review copy.

Review: WHERE TREETOPS GLISTEN, by Cara Putman, Sarah Sundin, and Tricia Goyer

In Where Treetops Glisten, the authors have written three Christmas novellas featuring one family, the Turners. In addition to the continuing family connection, the stories are further intertwined by their setting--Lafayette, Indiana--and the time period--World War II.

Cara Putman, Sarah Sundin, and Tricia Goyer are each known for their skill in writing stories set during World War II, and nowhere do these skills shine brighter than in these novellas.

 I loved the fact that the stories followed one family through the war, so when I finished reading the first novella I could pick up the continuing thread in the second and the third.

In Winter Wonderland, Cara Putman tells the story of Abigail Turner, whose beau was killed at Pearl Harbor. Abigail has vowed never to allow herself to suffer loss again. However, a hard-working young man who is struggling to support his widowed mother tempts her to soften her stance.

    I'll be Home for Christmas, Sarah Sundin's delightful novella, features Abigail's brother Pete Turner, Grace Kessler--an over-burdened young mother, and Grace's handful of a daughter, Linnie. This story is a delight on many levels. Pete and Grace each have issues to overcome, while Linnie persists in running away with the story.

    Tricia Goyer takes readers near enemy lines in Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas. Merry Turner is a nurse serving in the Netherlands, close to the German border. Merry became a nurse in order to serve her country. She hopes by her service and the distance from home that she can heal her broken and betrayed heart. Sometimes gritty, but always gripping, Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas brought me to tears a time or two.

    This is the most enjoyable Christmas collection I've ever read,,and I recommend Where Treetops Glisten highly. This book would make a wonderful gift for the readers on your list, but be sure to buy a copy for yourself.  You won’t be sorry.

ON DISTANT SHORES, by Sarah Sundin

Lt. Georgie Taylor has some great things going for her: a loving family back home, a waiting fiancé, and supportive friends among the flight nurses in her group. But Georgie struggles with doubts about her ability to perform in a crisis. Part of her wants to give up the whole nursing thing and return to her family in the states.
 Sgt. John Hutchinson is a pharmacist by trade. He chose to enlist as such rather than accepting the officer's commission to which his college education entitled him. Pharmacists were regarded as "pill pushers" by the brass, and as his enlistment continues the disrespect for his profession turns him bitter.
 When he and Georgie meet in Italy, it's on the basis that both of them are happily engaged to someone back home. However, soon they find themselves attracted to each other, a situation that raises more problems in their lives. Officers (Georgie) are not allowed to fraternize with enlisted men (Hutch), not to mention that each is already committed to another.
 On Distant Shores, the second book in Sundin's Wings of the Nightingale series, continues the heart-pounding suspense of World War II action, coupled with intriguing romantic situations between the nurses and the men in their lives. Sundin is a master at writing both types of fiction.
 On Distant Shores is a novel to be savored slowly, but it’s hard to resist hurrying along to see what happens next. I loved this story, and know you will, too.

 My thanks to the author and Revell for my review copy.

SMALL TOWN GIRL, by Ann H. Gabhart

 Thankfully, Ann Gabhart wasn't ready to leave Rosey Corner, Kentucky, when she finished writing Angel Sister. Her latest novel, Small Town Girl, brings readers the story of Kate Merritt, the "angel sister" from the first book.
 The story opens with Kate helping her older sister dress for her wedding. One little problem--her sister is marrying the man Kate has been secretly in love with since she was fifteen. At the wedding, Kate meets the groom's best friend, a charmer named Jay Tanner. Jay notices Kate's expression when she looks at her sister's new husband and sets out to make her smile.
 Jay's charm works its way into Kate's heart, but she knows he's a rolling stone and doesn't trust him to remain in Rosey Corner. Since the novel is set in late 1941, the shadow of another world war hangs over the community, adding depth to the story.
 Whether Kate and Jay could resolve the issues that separate them kept me turning pages past my bedtime. Gabhart does a masterful job in bringing Rosey Corner and its inhabitants to life. As a small town girl, I found myself nodding in recognition at the behavior of some of her characters.
 Many of the characters from Angel Sister appear in Small Town Girl, a real bonus for readers like me who came to love the Merritt family in the first book. Small Town Girl is a delightful novel. I'm pleased to recommend it as a great summer read--or a fall or winter read, for that matter.
I thoroughly enjoyed the story.
 My thanks to the author and Revell for providing my review copy.

WITH EVERY LETTER, by Sarah Sundin

Lt. Mellie Blake has always felt like an outsider. Raised primarily by her father, with much of her life spent accompanying him on research trips, she feels awkward around other women. Her shyness makes her appear stand-offish.
Lt. Tom MacGilliver has spent his life trying to live down his father’s legacy. Nicknamed "MacGilliver the Killiver" for committing a double murder, Tom's father was executed when Tom was a young boy.
When Tom and Mellie become involved in a letter-writing exchange intended to build troop morale during World War II, their lives intertwine. The anonymity of the program assures their freedom to share their hearts with one another in ways neither has experienced. The fun lies in wondering how or when they will discover the other's identity.
With Every Letter is Sundin's best book yet. Her knowledge of WWII flight nurses, the Army Corps of Engineers, and battles on the Italian front, set this novel apart. As I neared the end of the story, I found myself slowing down to make the book last longer.
With Every Letter is a heart-warming romance wrapped inside a compelling drama. I can't wait for the next two books in the series. I loved With Every Letter and recommend the book highly.
My thanks to Revell for providing my review copy.

THE DISCOVERY, by Dan Walsh

When best-selling author Gerard Warner dies, his grandson, Michael Warner, inherits the man's stately home in Charleston. On a desk in the home, the grandfather has left a wooden box containing an unfinished manuscript, which he intended for Michael to find.
What follows is a story-within-a-story, as Michael reads the manuscript. The Discovery is structured in such a way that the reader is allowed to look over Michael's shoulder and read along with him.
The story he discovers is a fascinating tale involving little-known events that took place in Florida during World War II. Running through the authentic wartime scenes is a heartwarming love story, told with Walsh’s customary depth and richness.
The Discovery will go on my "keeper" shelf. I recommend it highly, both for history buffs and lovers of touching romantic fiction.

My thanks to Revell for providing me with a review copy of this book.

BLUE SKIES TOMORROW, by Sarah Sundin

Helen Carlisle is left widowed, with a small son, when her husband is killed in the Pacific during WWII. To the people in her hometown, she's a brave woman who is giving her time to support the war effort in honor of her heroic husband's memory. But Helen is hiding a secret about her marriage.
Lt. Raymond Novak wants nothing more than to serve his hometown as a pastor, but with the war raging on, and two brothers already in the service, he enlists in the Air Corps--to train pilots, not to be one.
When Helen Carlisle catches his eye, he’s determined to win her hand, but her past fears place a roadblock between them.  His own fears erupt when he’s called to active duty in Europe. Blue Skies Tomorrow moves seamlessly from California to the European theater and back again. Sundin is a master at writing breathtaking scenes of air battles involving B-17 bombers. The final chapters of this novel will have you holding your breath.
Blue Skies Tomorrow is a fitting conclusion to the saga of the Novak brothers. It’s not necessary to have read the first two books in the Wings of Glory series to enjoy this one. But if you haven’t read A Distant Melody and A Memory Between Us, you’re in for a treat. This is a wonderful series.