Sarah Sundin: When Tides Turn

By Kelly Bridgewater

When fun-loving glamour girl Quintessa Beaumont learns the Navy has established the WAVES program for women, she enlists, determined to throw off her frivolous ways and contribute to the war effort. No-nonsense and hoping to make admiral, Lt. Dan Avery has been using his skills to fight German U-boats. The last thing he wants to see on his radar is a girl like Tess. For her part, Tess works hard to prove her worth in the Anti-Submarine Warfare Unit in Boston--both to her commanding officers and to the man with whom she is smitten. When Dan is assigned to a new escort carrier at the peak of the Battle of the Atlantic, he's torn between his lifelong career goals and his desire to help Tess root out a possible spy on shore. The Germans put up quite a fight, but he wages a deeper battle within his heart. Could Tess be the one for him?

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 My Review:

Sarah Sundin is my go-to author when it comes to World War II fiction. She writes with such clarity and research that I adore all her stories. When people have approached me with recommendations for books, which happens often, I always recommend her books. With the first two books in the series, Through Waters Deep and Anchor in the Storm, I throughly enjoyed this series. With a wonderful cast of characters and a setting that stays with me, I highly recommend her books for fans of any books.

Sundin always amazes me with how much research she does, and the final result is a great story that does not read like a researched novel. Every time I read a Sundin novel, I feel like I'm living in the 1940's and traveling with the characters as they struggle through the changes of the world. Sundin brings Boston in the 1940's to life for me. I feel the motion of the ocean underneath my feet and hear the sound of the music playing as the individuals dance the night away at a local club.

I have really enjoyed spending time with the Avery family in the Waves of Freedom series. First, learning about Jim Avery and his love, Mary; then moving onto Lillian Avery and Arch; and finally, having the privilege of watching Dan Avery remove his walls to allow love to come in through Tessa. Tessa is generous, cheerful person who makes others feel better about themselves.  When Tessa appears on the screen, she is tired of being seen as a beautiful face who is nothing less. Joining the WAVES, Tessa uses her skills to bring meaning to her life. She changes from a girl who wants to make a change to the woman who does make a change. As for Dan Avery, it was finally nice to learn more about him as Sundin allowed him to share his story. He begins the story as a rock-steady, no nonsense type of guy who won't allow love distract him from his goals at achieving a higher rank in the Navy. By the end of the novel, he realizes he should allow love in and opens up to a lasting relationship with Tessa. Their romance was sweet and made me smile.

The pace of the novel moved great. My only complaint about the plot is that the novel ended before I was ready for it to end. I wanted a longer novel. But that is what a great novelist should do. In When Tides Turn, Sundin threw in another mysery with the possiblitity of a spy. The tension was high and kept me flipping through the story. I was glued to the plot as well as the romance between Dan and Tessa.

I really can't find anything awful to say about Sundin's books. I recommend them all the time to people and can't wait until she has another book come out. She's writing another series about Normandy, and I'm excited already. Go buy the book. Sundin will not disappoint.

I received a complimentary copy of When Tides Turn from Revell Publishing, and the opinions stated are all my own. 

My Rating: 5 out of 5 stars 

My open-ended question: Why haven't you read Sarah Sundin's books yet? If you have, what draws YOU to her writing?