The Sea Before Us

I got book 3 in this series from NetGalley to read/review, so was suuuuper happy to find I already owned this one (book 1)!

I blitzed through it—no pun intended to its WWII setting—and not because I was in a rush to get to book 3. I do, after all, also have to read book 2 first!

No, I read it in 2 days because I had to find out what was going to happen with Wyatt and Dorothy. Pardon me as I quote “You’ve Got Mail” and how much Kathleen Kelly adores “Pride and Prejudice,” wondering if Elizabeth and Darcy will ever get together. That was me and this book, in the best way.

And, there’s a reason Sarah Sundin is my go-to WWII author...she’s amazing. The depth of research she does for (and includes in) every book makes me show more wonder how there’s anything left to tell in anew book, let alone a series...but there is!! I got so immersed in the days leading up to D-Day, it was hard to come back to present day sometimes.

SO GOOD. show less

Sundin continues to focus on the WWII era in her inspirational historical novels. "The Sea Before Us" is the first entry in a new series Sunrise at Normandy and may be her best series to date, if this novel is any indication.

Wyatt Paxton is suffering severe pangs of guilt and inadequacy. A sudden unexpected tragedy tore his family apart, and his subsequent behavior has left him deeply ashamed and anxious to make atonement. He has turned to his faith to seek forgiveness, and while he believes in forgiveness, he finds it hard to personally accept it. He is obsessed with "doing the right thing" as atonement.

Dorothy Fairfax, on the other hand, is dealing with family tragedies of her own. Her mother has died in an air raid, and her two show more brothers have died in the fighting. Only her father remains, and he has turned in upon himself, ignoring his daughter, his business and his own health. Convinced that she is fundamentally unlovable, Dorothy is turning herself inside out to become a different woman, with the kind of looks an personality that would attract the childhood friend of her brothers, a British naval officer and ladies man of considerable repute. Even if this woman bears almost no resemblance to the real Dorothy.

Reluctantly, these two lost souls are drawn to each other, despite their reservations. Dorothy encourages Wyatt to reconcile with his family while he still has them, and Wyatt tries to help Dorothy see that her natural self is lovable to her father, to Wyatt and to God. But there may be no time for anything deeper to blossom, as D-Day is looming just ahead.

I greatly enjoyed this book. The characters were likable, without being unrealistically wonderful. The religious content flowed as a natural part of the story and the characters rather than reading as inserted sermons. And the historical background, especially how the beaches at Normandy were mapped out in incredible detail ahead of the invasion based on vacation snapshots collected from British holiday makers. A wonderful read all around.

I received a free advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. show less

Yet another stunning novel by Sarah Sundin! The Sea Before Us was everything I hoped for and more. Sarah managed to weave a sweet romance between the bitterness of war and the disillusionment of misplaced expectations. With a prologue that will reel you in and many unanswered questions about the Fairfax family, this story of forgiveness, both human and Devine, as well as characters riddled with flaws and brimming with honesty and potential, will hold you captive until the end.

As we follow the stories of American naval officer Lt. Wyatt Paxton and "Wren" (Women's Royal Naval Service) officer Dorothy Fairfax, the picture of London before D-day becomes clear and vivid. Wyatt, a Texas boy at heart, finds himself working in London preparing show more for the "big day" alongside Dorothy who has eyes only for a handsome officer she's known since childhood.
Tensions rise, both on the war field and off, but the thing I loved the most about this story was the realness of Sarah's characters. It's not easy to create believable issues (both past and present) without things becoming too heavy to bear or too fake to trust. Sarah uses her characters to point out fundamental truths of the heart as much as she shows the raw and honest struggle with forgiveness.

I flew through this book not only due to the easy style of Sarah's writing (something I've always admired about her books) but because the plot was well paced and the character struggles easy to believe. The setting only enhanced the experience and left me feeling like I'd walked out of my own personal experience of WWII.

Highly recommended to those who love Christian historical fiction, sweet romance, and fans of all things WWII. You will find this book chocked full of realistic detail and a sense of the time period that will transport you back in time to a lesser known aspect of D-day.

I'm already looking forward to book 2!

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I received this book for free but was under no obligation to post a review. I do so under my own motivation and the opinions I have expressed in this review are honest and entirely my own. show less

Wyatt Paxton is a lieutenant in the US Navy. Dorothy Fairfax is a first officer in the Women's Royal Naval Service. Both of these divisions of the US and UK military are working closely together to plan the invasion of Normandy in June of 1944, which is when Wyatt and Dorothy meet. Dorothy's job is to piece together thousands of holiday pictures of the beaches of France so that Wyatt can make informed decisions for the invasion. Though Wyatt is drawn to Dorothy, she has her eyes set on another man...who has his eyes set on several other women. Both have to find a way to keep romantic entanglements, as well as other family drama, from distracting them from the ultimate goal--winning the war.

What I liked about this book is that it was not show more just about the romance. Wyatt and Dorothy both had a lot of other things going on in their lives, and that's besides the looming invasion. In fact, the romance plot line is what detracted the most, or at least a particular aspect of it, as I'll explain a bit further below. Overall, though, the book was engaging, enjoyable to read, and clearly well-researched.

The book begins by showing an incident in Wyatt's past that haunts him throughout the book. It was especially interesting to me, because I've already read book #3 in this series and knew of the event, and now got to see it happen. Wyatt himself was a great character--great guy with a lot of depth, and I had an easy time imagining his Texas drawl, because his dialog was well-written. Feeling guilty about his part in the incident that happened before he joined the Navy, Wyatt sees himself as a prodigal son, leaning on God to get him through this tough time, and sharing his faith with Dorothy.

Dorothy had a lot more going on in her story, but I liked her less. She was a good daughter, and not necessarily mean to Wyatt (for the most part). But frankly, it took her way too long to see Eaton, her crush, for what he really was. There were times I was sure she was on the turning point, but she just kept pushing Wyatt aside in her mind and crushing on Eaton. And why was she so set on this? Because of what I felt was the weakest part of the book--her mother once told her that she regretted marrying her father, because he was boring, and she needed excitement. Her mother said that Dorothy was just like her, and warned her to marry someone exciting like Eaton. Why she wrote Wyatt off as "boring" so very quickly, I'm not sure, but she stuck by that assessment for far too long.

Other than a further contrivance later in the book, the rest of it was great. The book follows Wyatt into the invasion, from his position on a naval ship, and though a lot of the terminology was lost on me, I was caught up in it. There were several scenes in the last quarter of the book that made me so happy. In the end, I definitely recommend this book to all who enjoy Christian romance and Christian historical novels. show less

My Impressions:

My book club gives its unanimous approval to The Sea Before Us by Sarah Sundin. This WWII-era romance has everything we look for in a book — great relatable characters, realistic story line, and a setting that captures our imagination. We also had plenty to talk about! Most of us didn’t know much about the planning of the D-Day invasion or the sea support of the campaign, and this novel was a wonderful glimpse into the strategy and sheer determination of the participants. This one is a recommended read from By The Book.

The Sea Before Us is set in the months leading up to the D-Day invasion. Main characters Dorothy, a WREN, and Wyatt, a US Naval officer, are both involved in the planning stages. I loved the detail show more Sundin shares in the meticulous mapping of the Normandy coast in a time way before Google Earth. In addition, the complexity of the naval operation is told in a way even those with no military background can understand. But this novel also gives a glimpse into the wartime psyche of the people of England. The famous stiff upper lip hid a multitude of fears but served as a means for civilians and military alike to defeat the evil that took over Europe. Dorothy and Wyatt, both dedicated to their jobs, were influenced by their past mistakes and sense of unworthiness. While it helped get the job done, both needed to put aside failures and rejections in order to discover their worth in God’s eyes. This aspect of the novel made both characters realistic. As for the romance, sparks ignite for the Texas cowboy and the vivacious red-headed English girl. For Dorothy a family secret is revealed, but Wyatt’s family issues remain — the story will continue in the next two books.

We all loved The Sea Before Us, but are not satisfied that we will have to wait so long for the next two books! But we are definitely putting them on our 2019 and 2020 reading list.

Recommended.

Book Club Approved.

Audience: adults. show less

The Sea Before Us by Sarah Sundin is the first book in her Sunrise at Normandy series. Wyatt Paxton is stationed in England awaiting D-Day. He meets Dorothy Fairfax, who is a “Wren” in the Women’s Royal Naval Service. She studies snapshots of the coast of Normandy in order to create accurate maps for the allied landings. Wyatt transforms those maps into naval bombardment plans for D-Day. As they spend more time together will they learn to forgive or will they let their past rule their future? I loved the way that Wyatt clung to God during his trials instead of pushing Him away. It’s a lesson we all should learn. At times Dorothy was a little too thick-headed for my liking, but overall, she was a great heroine. Stories of World show more War two have always held a special interest for me. I have actually stood Omaha Beach and it was a very moving experience. So, it was easy to picture all the scenes as they unfolded. Dorothy’s love and devotion to her father was very touching. The humor that was woven through-out the story came at just the right times. Ms. Sundin is a very talented author. Her research was woven into a very moving story. show less

The Sea Before Us is a riveting start to the Sunrise at Normandy series by talented author Sarah Sundin. It is a well-researched and informative novel based on an actual slice of history during WWII. The characters are multi-layered, realistic, and engaging. This story starred U.S. naval officer Lt. Wyatt Paxton and British “Wren” Dorothy Fairfax. They both have tragic backstories and things they need to resolve in their lives. I liked how they were able to help each other and worked together to solve problems. With plenty of action, suspense, inspiration, and some romance, this is a beautiful tale of forgiveness, healing, faith, and hope.