Book Review: On Distant Shores

I was so thrilled to have the chance to review On Distant Shores, by Sarah Sundin.  A while back, I had read and reviewed the first book in her Wings of the Nightingale series, With Every Letter, and I really loved that book.  I definitely wanted to find out more about this group of WWII flight nurses.

From the publisher:

Lt. Georgiana Taylor has everything she could want. A boyfriend back home, a loving family, and a challenging job as a flight nurse. But in July 1943,  Georgie's cozy life gets more complicated when she meets pharmacist Sgt. John Hutchinson.  

Hutch resents the lack of respect he gets as a noncommissioned serviceman and hates how the war keeps him from his fiancée. While Georgie and Hutch share a love of the starry night skies over Sicily, their lives back home are falling apart. Can they weather the hurt and betrayal? Or will the pressures of war destroy the fragile connection they've made?  

With her signature attention to detail and her talent for bringing characters together, Sarah Sundin weaves an exciting tale of emotion, action, and romance that will leave you wanting more.

One of the things I really loved about With Every Letter (and other Sundin books I've read) is the historical accuracy.  An even bigger draw is that she is writing about aspects of World War two that aren't very familiar to me.  On Distant Shores carries on in that tradition.

According to the back of the book, "During WWII, her grandfather served as a pharmacist's mate (medic) in the Navy and her great-uncle flew with the US Eighth Air Force in England."  Whether grandpa told stories about his time in the war, or whether his involvement spurred Sundin to research the pharmacist angle on the war, clearly Sundin knows what she is writing about.

I'll confess that I was a bit confused when I started reading this book.  It's been nearly a year since I read book 1, so I wasn't remembering a lot of detail from that one.  Not being familiar with the first book is fine, as I do believe this book stands alone.  But vaguely remembering the last one, that wasn't a good thing.  These two books overlap slightly, and that is what was confusing me.  Once it finally occurred to me that we had stepped back a bit in time to pick up Georgie's story, it was much easier for me to follow.

This story goes back and forth, looking at event from Georgie's point of view, then from Hutch's.  I loved seeing both sides of the story, and I particularly enjoyed the portions that Hutch told.

This book is simply fabulous, and Sarah Sundin is one author I make a point to read.


Sarah Sundin is celebrating the release of her latest novel, On Distant Shores, with a Romantic Weekend Getaway giveaway!

One grand prize winner will receive:

• A $200 Visa Cash Card (good for a perfect couple's getaway)
• With Every Letter and On Distant Shores by Sarah Sundin

Enter today by clicking one of the icons below. But hurry, the giveaway ends on September 2nd. Winner will be announced September 3rd at the "On Distant Shores" Author Chat Party on Facebook. During the party Sarah will be hosting a book chat, testing your trivia skills, announcing the winner of the Weekend Getaway, and giving away a ton of books, gift certificates, and more. Oh, and she'll also be giving party goers an exclusive look at the next book in the Wings of the Nightingale series.

So grab your copy of On Distant Shores and join Sarah on the evening of September 3rd for a chance to connect and make some new friends. (If you haven’t read the book, don’t let that stop you from coming!)

DON’T MISS A MOMENT OF THE FUN; RSVP TODAY. HOPE TO SEE YOU ON THE 3rd!

Disclaimer:  I received this book through LitFuse Blog Tour.  No other compensation was received.  All opinions expressed in this review are my own.