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
Sarah Sundin is the absolute queen on WWII era fiction and I will forever be one of her biggest fans!
I was admittedly a little bit disappointed when I heard that this book was a stand-alone and while the plot sounded a little bit different than Sundin’s normal fare I was still intrigued. And honestly, this book blew me away! One of the things that most impressed me was the way that the author took a lot of elements I don’t love in books and somehow perfectly balanced them so that I loved how every piece fit together.
I was poised to not love Evelyn’s character because typically female reporters trying to prove themselves in a “man’s world” always rub me the wrong way in fiction. But, while she was definitely a bold, no-nonsense type, she also had a soft side and she was rational about things to the point that I was fully on her side instead of rolling my eyes and wanting her to calm down. She was fiercely independent out of necessity but I loved seeing her walls come down and watching her learn that it’s okay to lean on someone else’s strength sometimes.
Peter was also a wild card. Starting off as he did with his thoughts on how things were going in Germany I wasn’t sure he’d get to hero status, but boy did he prove me wrong! We don’t often think about how Nazi Germany came to be the awful place it was with no one standing up against it. But the truth of the matter is that while countries like America were struggling in the 1930’s Germany was thriving and on the surface you can see how it would look appealing. Especially for someone in Peter’s shoes who had watched his father die because of a mob incited by their poverty. So while I didn’t agree with his stance, Sundin painted a clear picture of how he arrived there that didn’t make him an awful person. Though I was very happy when he started to see the truth of the dark side of a controlled country. His journey from admiration, to disbelief, to outrage, to fighting back was awesome to watch and I’m not gonna lie, I was legitimately proud of this fictional character! I also loved the way he not only accepted Evelyn’s, as she called them, sharp points, but admired her for them and loved the way they made her who she was. It was beautiful to watch her blossom under his unwavering appreciation for every part of her. Their romance was pretty much the sweetest and I was melting when they finally admitted their feelings!
Another amazing part of this book was the suspense level! I was on the edge of my seat and tense with worry more in this book than any suspense I’ve read in recent years! Both Evelyn and Peter were taking enormous risks over and over again and each time I swear my heart was going to pound out of my chest! I actually had to set the book down several times to take a breath before I could continue!
So if this excessively long review hasn’t convinced you already, let me just say it plainly, I absolutely adored this book and lovers of WWII fiction or just exceptional historicals absolutely need to read this book! You won’t be sorry!
Meet the Author
Sarah Sundin is the bestselling author of several popular WWII series, including Sunrise at Normandy, Waves of Freedom, Wings of the Nightingale, and Wings of Glory. Her novels have received starred reviews from Booklist, Library Journal, and Publishers Weekly. The Sky Above Us received the Carol Award, her bestselling The Sea Before Us received the FHL Reader's Choice Award, and both Through Waters Deep and When Tides Turn were named on Booklist's "101 Best Romance Novels of the Last 10 Years." Sarah lives in Northern California. Visit www.sarahsundin.com for more information.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are my own.
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