In Love's Time by Kate Breslin

In the summer of 1918, Captain Marcus Weatherford arrives in Russia on a secret mission, with a beautiful ballerina posing as his fiancée. Marcus searches for the Romanov Tsarina and her son--who both allegedly survived the murdering Bolsheviks--and the information behind an allied plot to assassinate Lenin. But Marcus's sense of duty battles his desire to return home to Clare--his actual love. Hospital orderly Clare Danner still suffers from Marcus's betrayal and now fears losing her daughter to the heartless family who took Daisy away from Clare once before, but only Marcus can provide the critical proof needed to save her daughter. Faced with danger and unexpected circumstances, can Clare trust Marcus, or will he shatter her world yet again?

This had a bit of a fairytale element to it--the old trope of the "true bride." Usually the hero promises his love to one woman, but then is ensorcelled (often with a memory-wipe) to trick him into marrying another, at which point the heroine must rescue him. 

Though I enjoyed all the author's other books, this one was a struggle for me. Clare has a big chip on her shoulder, which all the misunderstandings do nothing to diminish, and I just didn't like her all that well (she also tends to make poor decisions). It didn't help that thanks to amnesia, Marcus isn't really himself for most of the book; I was really looking forward to getting to know this super clever spy, but he's lost the last decade of his memories. Everyone is always deciding to not tell people things, which means misunderstandings grow out of proportion, and problems that could have been avoided entirely blow up instead.

I did like how Clare helps Marcus reconnect with his memories and family, and the way they essentially fall in love a second time is sweet. But I think I would have liked it better as a Jason Bourne-type story from Marcus's perspective, as he's figuring out and piecing back together his memories just in time for the end.

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.

Related novels:

Not by Sight
High as the Heavens
Far Side of the Sea
As Dawn Breaks

"The Blackout Book Club" by Amy Lynn Green

An impulsive promise to her brother before he goes off to the European Front puts Avis Montgomery in the unlikely position of head librarian in small-town Maine. Though she has never been much of a reader, when wartime needs threaten to close the library, she invents a book club to keep its doors open. The women she convinces to attend the first meeting couldn't be more different--a wealthy spinster determined to aid the war effort, an exhausted mother looking for a fresh start, and a determined young war worker. At first, the struggles of the home front are all the club members have in common, but over time, the books they choose become more than an escape from the hardships of life and the fear of the U-boat battles that rage just past their shores. As the women face personal challenges and band together in the face of danger, they find they share more in common with each other than they think. But when their growing friendships are tested by secrets of the past and present, they must decide whether depending on each other is worth the cost.

I highly enjoyed the fact that out of the first four members of the Blackout Book Club, only one person really likes books. Avis is just trying to keep the library open for the sake of her brother (and only reads magazines if she can help it), Louise attends out of a sense of obligation as reluctant library owner (not that Louise dislikes all books, just anything fictional outside of Wooster & Jeeves), and Ginny mostly wants the free food. Only Martina, the single-parent-working-mother immigrant, legitimately loves reading. And the only person mentioned to love Pride & Prejudice is Louise's crotchety, deceased father. I just really appreciate how the love of books is turned on its head in this story. And yet it still is a celebration of books, be it mystery, nonfiction, comedy, poetry, or even picture books. And the stories within the books help them process life better: Martina uses one of the books to help explain the truth to her children about their father, while another book forces Louise to confront her buried past.

I do love learning new facts through historical fiction. Of course, I've heard all about the blackouts in Britain to protect against air raids. But I'd had no idea that the blackouts on the East Coast were not so much for safety of the cities, but rather for the ships that were illuminated by the lights on shore and thus easy targets for the German subs. 

I generally prefer books with only one or two main characters (as opposed to four), but I can see how a book about the strength of community is more powerful from multiple viewpoints. The minutes from the meetings were my favorite parts.

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.