Monday, September 6, 2021

[Review] - Far Side of the Sea by Kate Breslin


It's another day, and here's another book from my TBR stack that's been collecting dust on my desk. The title is Far Side of the Sea, written by Kate Breslin and published by Bethany House in 2019. It's set in my least favorite historical setting - World War I. Typically, I don't care to read about the era. I prefer my historical romances set in the 19th century. Nevertheless, like any reading champ, I turned to Chapter One on page 9 and gave the novel everything I have, which means it received my full attention in between rounds of coffee.


The novel is set in France, though a few chapters take place in England and France and an epilogue in New York. The story begins in England with injured Lieutenant Colin Mabry spending his daytime hours decoding messages for MI8. Out of the blue, he receives an urgent message from Jewel Reyer, an ex-love he believed was dead. 

Colin returns to war-torn France to reunite with Jewel. However, things don't go as planned. Instead of meeting Jewel, another woman is waiting for him - Jewel's half-sister, Johanna, a dovecote for the French Army Intelligence. She came in possession of Jewel's journal and now believes her sister might be in the custody of a German agent. With spies around every corner, Johanna sought out Colin to help her find Jewel.

(Note: After reading the 'Author Note' in the very back of the book, I learned Far Side of the Sea is somewhat of a sequel to Not By Sight.)


Final Thoughts

I'm not 100% positive, but this might be the first book I've read by author Kate Breslin. Keep in mind that I've read many (and I mean many) books over the years, so my memory could be wrong. Within a few chapters, I was heavily impressed with the author's attention to detail. I'm referring to the descriptions, which helped me imagine what it was like in 1918. Though WWI settings are my least favorite in historical romances, I was engulfed in the story by the second chapter. The author deserves a big applause for creating intriguing and likable characters.

Overall, Far Side of the Sea is a well-written WWI romantic thriller. Yes, I said thriller. The novel may not be called a thriller, but it was thrilling enough to keep me turning the pages.

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