The Sea Before Us:
By Sarah Sundin
Historical Christian Romance
Synopsis
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 Thoughts
This was the first read for me in 2019 (yes I know…I am sorely behind on book reviewing) And it was something different for me. I’ve not read a WWII book in a long time. I loved it. I adored the heroine, for she reminded me of…me 🙂
The Characters
Dorothy was such a doll. In fact, that was her nickname, as a kid. Dolly. Which fit her perfectly. Of course, by the time she joined the navy, she’d given that name up completely. I loved her character because it reminded me of me in so many ways. The tendency to hide who I really am in favor of impressing people. The tendency to let loose sometimes without thinking, and how I genuinely appreciate those people around me who don’t hinder my personality, even if I am quirky and overbearing at times.
Wyatt was quite the hero, unconventional in many ways. I loved that about him! Where you see quite the amount of heroes who are outgoing, sometimes brash, and almost-over-confident, Wyatt was the opposite. Quiet in demeanor and confidence, with a calculating intelligence and a loving spirit that allowed Dorothy to be who she really was.
The Story
I enjoyed the story as much, particularly because it was well-researched. Great character interactions on the backdrop of great historical descriptions really sold this story for me.
Recommended?
I thoroughly enjoyed this story and if you’re into historical romance, I have a feeling you’ll love it too!
