Review: Far Side of the Sea by Kate Breslin

In spring 1918, Lieutenant Colin Mabry, a British soldier working with MI8 after suffering injuries on the front, receives a message by carrier pigeon. It is from Jewel Reyer, the woman he once loved and who saved his life - a woman he believed to be dead. Traveling to France to answer her urgent summons, he desperately hopes this mission will ease his guilt and restore the courage he lost on the battlefield.   

Colin is stunned, however, to discover the message came from Jewel's half sister, Johanna. Johanna, who works at a dovecote for French Army Intelligence, found Jewel's diary and believes her sister is alive in the custody of a German agent. With spies everywhere, Colin is skeptical of Johanna, but as they travel across France and Spain, a tentative trust begins to grow between them.   

When their pursuit leads them straight into the midst of a treacherous plot, danger and deception turn their search for answers into a battle for their lives.

 This is the first book I've read by Kate Breslin, and I have to say, I am captivated! World War II is a common backdrop for Christian historical novels, but from the very beginning, I felt that Far Side of the Sea wasn't "just another WW2 book." It has a little bit of everything. It has espionage. It has romance. It has complicated characters with real emotions and human reactions. Jo fights against her past, while hoping desperately for a future with someone who can love her and belong to her. Colin's fight includes shell shock and a little bit of self-consciousness over his war injuries. I can honestly say that until the end of the book, I never could decide who I could and couldn't trust. It kept me on the edge of my seat and held me captive. From flamboyant Jo, to guarded Colin, I couldn't get enough of these characters. Especially the slow romance. I could have died every time Colin called Jo "Mrs. Mabry" as you know he meant it more and more as time passed. I dreadfully hope that Marcus gets his own story, as well. (JK, just realized he did... It's called In Love's Time and it's on my TBR now...) If you love books with intrigue, suspense, danger, romance, and hope, you will love this beautifully crafted story from a very talented author. I listened on Audible, and the narrator is honestly one of my favorites. I want her to narrate all the books. Just all of them. (Please also forgive me for any misspellings of names, as I listened to the audiobook and am therefore slightly insecure about it.)