By Kelly Bridgewater
Historical Romance books that will be published from January 1st through April 30, 2025 that I can not wait to read.
All covers come from Goodreads.
When Stars Light the Sky by Elizabeth Camden
Midnight on the Scottish Shore by Sarah Sundin
Tempest at Annabell's Lighthouse by Jaime Jo Wright
The Curious Inheritance of Blakely House by Joanna Davidson Politano
This Promised Land by Cathy Gohlke
I love this genre. What other books are you looking for to?
By Kelly Bridgewater
As the German army invades the Netherlands in 1940, Aleida
van der Zee Martens escapes to London to wait out the Occupation. Separated
from her three-year-old son, Theo, in the process, the young widow desperately
searches for her little boy even as she works for an agency responsible for
evacuating children to the countryside.
When German bombs set London ablaze, BBC radio
correspondent Hugh Collingwood reports on the Blitz, eager to boost morale
while walking the fine line between truth and censorship. But the Germans are
not the only ones Londoners have to fear as a series of murders flame up amid
the ashes.
The deaths hit close to home for Hugh, and
Aleida needs his help to locate her missing son. As they work together, they grow
closer and closer, both to each other and the answers they seek. But with bombs
falling and continued killings, they may be running out of time.
My Thoughts:
Embers in the London Sky
by Sarah Sundin features a Dutch speaking woman who lost her son as her and her
abusive husband try to leave the lower part of Europe to London. Once in
London, she tries to survive the Blitz, but also, tries to uncover her missing
son. With the hurt of her past marriage, she has a hard time allowing love to
enter her heart. She is a brave and determined mother who will do anything to
find her missing son. On the other hand, Hugh, a BBC correspondent, interviews
and captures the story of the London Blitz for firsthand accounts. His voice is
recognized all across London. I really liked the BBC War correspondent element
to Hughes’ character. Readers, of course, are familiar with the radio
broadcasts that were familiar during this time period. It was nice to see the
reporter’s viewpoint and how Sundin brought that to life through Hugh. When
their two lives intersect, then the sparks begin to fly. The plot has an
element of a murder mystery as bodies start to end up dead in different parts
of the city. I enjoyed the murder element to the plot. Love World War II
stories and suspense, so this was nice to see together in one novel. Sundin
does a wonderful job at bringing the readers into the setting and time period
that readers will forget that they are sitting somewhere in 2024 instead of
1941. She invites readers to experience the horror of the bombing from the
Germans, love of the characters, and well-crafted plot. I can’t wait to own
this book in my library.
I received a complimentary copy of Embers in
the London Sky by Sarah Sundin from Revell Publishing, but the opinions
stated are all my own.
My Rating:
4.5 out of 5 stars
Purchase Embers in the London Sky
By Kelly Bridgewater
The title says it all.
Here are the Most Anticipated Historical Romances for Spring 2024: (All Images come from Goodreads.)
Night Falls on Predicament Avenue by Jaime Jo Wright
Embers in the London Sky by Sarah Sundin
While the City Sleeps by Elizabeth Camden
If the Boot Fits by Karen Witemeyer
Set in Stone by Kimberely Woodhouse (From Amazon)
Elusive Truth of Lily Temple by Joanna Davidson Politano
The Sleuth of Blackfriars Lane by Michelle Griep (From Amazon)
What about you? Know of any other books that I should add to this list.
By Kelly Bridgewater
When the Germans march into Denmark, Baron Henrik Ahlefeldt
exchanges his nobility for anonymity, assuming a new identity so he can
secretly row messages for the Danish Resistance across the waters to Sweden.
American physicist Dr. Else Jensen refuses to leave Copenhagen and abandon her
research--her life's dream. While printing resistance newspapers, she hears
stories of the movement's legendary Havmand--the merman--and wonders if the mysterious and silent shipyard worker
living in the same boardinghouse has something to hide.
When the Occupation cracks down on the Danes, these two passionate people will
discover if there is more power in speech . . . or in silence. Bestselling
author of more than a dozen WWII novels, Sarah Sundin offers pens another story
of ordinary people responding to extraordinary circumstances with faith,
fortitude, and hope for a brighter future.
My Thoughts:
The Sound of Light by Sarah Sundin
invites readers into a physicists world during World War II. The plot features
rescue attempts and bravery from the heroine and hero. At the beginning of the
novel, the story does lay the background to Else and Henrik's character. A
little boring and repetitive at times. But once you pass the first twenty
percent of the novel, then it becomes the Sundin story I was expecting.
Characters full of heart. Brave. Resilient. Willing to risk their own lives to
save Jews and stop the injustice by the German soldiers. A delightful story.
The writing style is wonderful, and Sundin delivers just exactly what she
promises. A World War II novel to inform the readers and allow them to see a
good ending to a story. Sundin does a
wonderful job at crafting a realistic setting full of time period pieces that
keeps the readers in the 1940's mindset in Denmark. Overall, The Sound of Light by Sarah Sundin takes a
little time to lift off, but once she does, it becomes a unique and powerful
story that should be read by all.
I received a complimentary copy of The Sound of Light by Sarah Sundin from Revell Publishing, but the
opinions stated are all my own.
My Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
Purchase The Sound of Light
By Kelly Bridgewater
As the Nazis march toward
Paris in 1940, American ballerina Lucie Girard buys her favorite
English-language bookstore to allow the Jewish owners to escape. Lucie
struggles to run Green Leaf Books due to oppressive German laws and harsh
conditions, but she finds a way to aid the resistance by passing secret
messages between the pages of her books.
Widower Paul Aubrey wants nothing more than to
return to the States with his little girl, but the US Army convinces him to
keep his factory running and obtain military information from his German
customers. As the war rages on, Paul offers his own resistance by sabotaging
his product and hiding British airmen in his factory. After they meet in the
bookstore, Paul and Lucie are drawn to each other, but she rejects him when she
discovers he sells to the Germans. And for Paul to win her trust would mean
betraying his mission.
Master of WWII-era fiction Sarah Sundin invites
you onto the streets of occupied Paris to discover whether love or duty will
prevail.
My
Thoughts:
Until
Leaves Fall in Paris by Sarah Sundin features a brave
hero and heroine who are stuck in France and are willing to sabatoge the
Germans at every step. The story features the resistance and the inner workings
of how they actually worked. Learning about what they actually did to threaten
the Germans was a delight to read and learn about. The overall plot idea was
interesting and held my attention, but at times, the story did move at a slow
pace to move the story along. Of course, Sundin's research was well-handled
since it brought the story to life. I enjoyed the historical elements of the
story. The romance, on the other hand, developed at a nice pace. Slow and steady won the hand of
love. If readers enjoyed this novel, then they might enjoy reading The White
Rose Resists by Amanda Barrett. The novels have the same resistance twist to
the plot. Overall, Until Leaves Fall in
Paris by Sarah Sundin is an interesting novel on the importance of standing
up for what a person believes in. I believe this is a great novel to invest
time in.
I received a complimentary copy of Until Leaves Fall in Paris by Sarah
Sundin from Revell Publishing, but the opinions stated are all my own.
My
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
Purchase Until Leaves Fall in Paris
By Kelly Bridgewater
These books I can't wait to get my hands on and read.
Today will reach the Historical Romance books that I can't wait to devour.
All images come from Goodreads.com
Until Leaves Fall in Paris by Sarah Sundin
Twilight at Moorington Cross by Abigail Wilson
Drawn by the Current by Jocelyn Green
To Disguise the Truth by Jen Turano
The Letter from Briarton Park by Sarah E. Ladd
The Winter Rose by Melanie Dobson
High-Wire Heartbreak by Anna Schmidt
How about You? Anymore that you would add?
By Kelly Bridgewater
Romance.
Valentine's Day.
Two years ago, I did a blog post around this time for year for my favorite couples. Then last year, I did a blog post for couples that really should not have been written together.
This year, I thought I would write a blog post that had cute romance couples on them.
I thought this would be easy.
Boy, was I wrong.
Most novels feature the heroine or a setting. Some even have the hero on the cover.
But to have both of them on the covers . . .
I didn't find many.
So without further ado, here are the few romance couple covers that I did enjoy . . .
(All images come from Goodreads.)
Through Waters Deep by Sarah Sundin
Blue Skies Tomorrow by Sarah Sundin
A Love Like Ours by Becky Wade
Her One and Only by Beck Wade
It Had to be You by Susan May Warren
The Dancing Master by Julie Klassen
What about you? Any covers that feature both the heroine and hero?
By Kelly Bridgewater
Munich, 1938. Evelyn
Brand is an American foreign correspondent as determined to prove her worth in
a male-dominated profession as she is to expose the growing tyranny in Nazi
Germany. To do so, she must walk a thin line. If she offends the government, she
could be expelled from the country--or worse. If she fails to truthfully report
on major stories, she'll never be able to give a voice to the oppressed--and
wake up the folks back home.
In another part of the city, American graduate student Peter
Lang is working on his PhD in German. Disillusioned with the chaos in the world
due to the Great Depression, he is impressed with the prosperity and order of
German society. But when the brutality of the regime hits close, he discovers a
far better way to use his contacts within the Nazi party--to feed information
to the shrewd reporter he can't get off his mind.
This electric standalone novel from fan-favorite Sarah Sundin
puts you right at the intersection of pulse-pounding suspense and
heart-stopping romance.
My
Thoughts:
When
Twilight Breaks by Sarah Sundin's cover is one of my
favorite covers so far for 2021. I LOVE this cover. It is a delight for my eyes
and makes me want to dive into the story, which I truly did. Peter and Evelyn
were strong vocal American characters stuck in the war-torn Germany with
nothing to hold them back. They were trying to make a difference through
writing and their teaching of the German versus English language. While the
world around them changes and supports Hitler, they both realize the horrors of
what is happening, and try to expose the weakness and horrors of Germany. The
first half of the novel is getting to know these characters as they interact
with Germany as Americans who really serve no loyalty to Germany. The second
half is a predictable and overdone run for their lives story. This has happened
in a number of World War II novel. Where the author shows the characters on the
run from the horrors that are happening in Germany. They have to do whatever it
takes to survive, and they fall in love in the process. Not that I don't enjoy
Sundin's writing. Trust me. She is one of my favorite World War II writers, but
the second half has been done, so I knew exactly where the story was headed
before it arrived there. Sundin's writing and research is well done. Trust me.
This won't make me pick up another Sundin novel. I'll keep reading them.
Overall, Sarah Sundin crafted a World War II novel with action that has been
seen and written before, but fans of Sundin will still enjoy the novel. At
least, I did.
I received a complimentary copy of When Twilight
Breaks by Sarah Sundin by Revell Publishing, but the opinions stated are all my
own.
My
Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
Purchase When the Twilight Breaks
 |
| From Goodreads |
