"When Twilight Breaks" by Sarah Sundin - wonderful pre-WWII romance

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. But she walks a thin line--if she offends the government, she could be expelled from the country, but if she fails to truthfully report on major stories, she'll never be able to give a voice to the oppressed. As part of an assignment, she meets American graduate student Peter Lang, who 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. But their efforts to expose oppression attract unwanted attention, pulling them deeper into danger as the world marches toward war.

This was a thoroughly engaging story. It technically takes place before World War Two (pre-invasion of Poland), so we see each step Germany takes in downward spiral into fascism, but from the perspective of two Americans living in the country--with, at least initially, differing viewpoints on Germany's choices.

The author touches on some of the seductiveness of the Nazi regime, like things as basic as giving up a few freedoms to see one's family fed; accepting a few harsh penalties to see crime reduced and the streets cleaned up; ignoring unjust ideologies to see prosperity and dignity restored after years of destitution and degradation---all tantalizing rewards for a few small compromises here and there. It's little wonder that Peter is initially impressed with the way Germany has grown over such a short time.

However, Peter is both convicted and disillusioned as the senseless violence increases, making him a worthy hero for our spunky heroine. I loved their romance, especially their close friendship before Evelyn will allow him into her heart. And that climax! Super thrilling. I enjoyed it immensely. 

Thank you Revell and NetGalley for the complimentary e-book. I was not required to write a positive review, and all opinions are my own.

"The Prince of Spies" by Elizabeth Camden - Hope and Glory, book 3

Luke Delacroix has the reputation of a charming man-about-town in Gilded Age Washington, DC. In reality, he is secretly carrying out an ambitious agenda in Congress. His current mission is to thwart the reelection of Congressman Clyde Magruder, his only real enemy in the world. But trouble begins when Luke meets Marianne Magruder, the congressman's only daughter, whose job as a government photographer gives her unprecedented access to sites throughout the city. Luke is captivated by Marianne's quick wit and alluring charm, leading them both into a dangerous gamble to reconcile their feelings for each other with Luke's driving passion for vital reforms in Congress. Can their newfound love survive a political firestorm, or will three generations of family rivalry drive them apart forever?

I am amazed at what Elizabeth Camden can turn into a fascinating book premise. Preservatives are not high on my list of thrilling subjects, but there is no question that this book--really, this whole trilogy--is fascinating and full of thrills. It's especially fun to find out just how much is taken directly from history, like the Poison Squad. 

I loved the romance. The two families are in a generations-long feud, which would make it seem like a Romeo and Juliet romance, but it's so much more mature. Luke and Marianne don't just ignore the issues that divide their families; they discuss them, standing on opposite sides, and yet they're still friends when they're done. But more importantly, each is willing to do what is right, even when it flies in the face of a long-held belief--whether that's owning up to dishonesty or making peace with one's worst enemy. 

Thank you Bethany House and NetGalley for the complimentary e-book. I was not required to write a positive review, and all opinions are my own.

Hope and Glory
1. The Spice King
2. A Gilded Lady
3. The Prince of Spies

"The Paris Dressmaker" by Kristy Cambron

In WWII Paris, dressmaker Lila de Laurent is drawn to La Resistance and is soon using her skills as a dressmaker to infiltrate the Nazi elite. Sandrine Paquet catalogs the priceless works of art bound for the Führer’s Berlin, but she also secretly forages for information from the underground resistance. Beneath her compliant façade lies a woman bent on uncovering the fate of her missing husband. Told across the span of the Nazi occupation, The Paris Dressmaker highlights the brave women who used everything in their power to resist darkness and restore light to their world.

Once I got into the rhythm of the story, I really liked it (and found it easier to keep track of what was going on). The point of view alternates between Lila and Sandrine, with two chapters from Lila's perspective--first her experiences earlier in the war and then her experiences near the end of the war---and then the same for Sandrine (beginning then end), until their histories have caught up with the turmoil of the liberation. So there is a lot of seesawing back and forth, both between characters and in time.

This was a different view of WWII than I've typically run across, as the story specifically concentrates on Paris and life under Nazi occupation, with a strong focus on art and couture. Both Lila's and Sandrine's stories depict the lives of the women of Paris and the compromises they made to survive. It gives a balanced picture of resistors and collaborators. I think I would have preferred it as two full-length novels--Lila and Sandrine don't connect until near the very end, and then not so intimately that it felt particularly impactful. But I definitely enjoyed both stories; each has a hefty dose of suspense, and both are romantic, though in different ways. It's hard to say which I liked better-- Lila's deliberate and active journey deeper into the resistance and back into the arms of the love who once spurned her, or Sandrine's careful dance with the Nazi captain as she feigns compliance while remaining true to her husband and country.

Thank you Thomas Nelson and NetGalley for the complimentary e-book. I was not required to write a positive review, and all opinions are my own.

"A Cowboy for Keeps" by Jody Hedlund - Colorado Cowboys, book 1

Greta Nilsson's trip west to save her ailing little sister, Astrid, could not have gone more wrong. First, bandits hold up her stagecoach, stealing all her money. Then, upon arriving in Fairplay, Colorado, she learns the man she was betrothed to as a mail-order bride has died. Homeless, penniless, and jobless, Greta and her sister are worse off than when they started. Wyatt McQuaid is struggling to get his new ranch up and running and is in town to purchase cattle when the mayor proposes the most unlikely of bargains. He'll invest in a herd of cattle for Wyatt's ranch if Wyatt agrees to help the town become more respectable by marrying and starting a family. And the mayor, who has promised to try to help Greta, has just the candidate in mind for Wyatt to marry.

I did enjoy the book. It's primarily a story of Wyatt and Greta's relationship, but there's a perfectly despicable villain to hate, which adds some excitement to the plot. Wyatt's a sweet cowboy, rather back-woodsy, but good-hearted and kind, though he can stand his ground well enough. I liked him a lot. Greta is a devoted sister, selfless in her care for Astrid (not a lot more to say about her--it pretty much defines her). Both Wyatt and Greta get down on themselves a lot, a result of their experiences in the past, though they eventually grow. Astrid toes the fine line between precocious and obnoxious (she's frustratingly disobedient, especially when she's in obvious danger. But the stuff that comes out of her mouth, while generally mortifying to Greta, is undeniably amusing).

It's a small thing, but forced public displays of affection really bother me, and this is not the first book by the author in which someone publicly pressures the characters into "proving their relationship" in front of them with arduous kissing. I just can't see anyone bullying people into kissing like that in real life (obligatory wedding day kisses aside), and propriety is a lot less constrained now than it was in the 1860's. It really rubs me the wrong way, even in fiction.

Thank you Bethany House and NetGalley for the complimentary e-book. I was not required to write a positive review, and all opinions are my own.

Colorado Cowboys
1. A Cowboy for Keeps
2. The Heart of a Cowboy
3. To Tame a Cowboy