"Blue Skies Tomorrow" Review & Giveaway

*Before you get started, don't miss the giveaway for "The Colonel's Lady" or the latest free book posting.

Ever since I got my hands on my first Tricia Goyer book, I have been slightly obsessed with World War II. Now, when you have a favorite author - that totally rocks a time period - it can be hard to open a book by someone else. But, can I just say... Sarah Sundin is AMAZING?!

"Blue Skies Tomorrow" was one of those books where I just kept telling myself, "Just ten more minutes, then I will go to bed!". Only to have finally finished around 2am (good thing I don't have a real job!)

About the book: 

It is 1944 and America longs for the war to be over so their boys can come home. This war has taken too many lives and made too many widows, orphans, and broken hearts. However, the homeland continues to pull together and buy bonds to support the troops, and Helen Carlisle has become the town’s war widow heroine. Doing her part with her son, she faithfully appears at community events asking people to support the troops. But deep down she is troubled. How much longer can she do this? Is she living a lie? Was her dead husband a hero? How can she live with the past?  

Lt. Ray Novak prefers to follow his calling into ministry rather than the cockpit. But his current position offers him the luxury of a personal life since he is stateside training B-17 pilots. His interest in Helen, the young war widow, grows, but he knows she is hiding a painful past under a frenzy of volunteer work. Ray is called to fly a European combat mission at the peak of the air war. Their romance is tense because Helen is afraid, but Ray cannot help because he is in Europe. As Helen tries to make ends meet and confronts the past, Ray encounters a deadly enemy of his own. Will they find the courage to face their challenges? Will the truth come out? Will hope and redemption ring true for Helen?

About the author: 

Sarah Sundin received the 2011 Writer of the Year Award from the Mount Hermon Christian Writers Conference, and her second novel, A Memory Between Us, is a finalist for an Inspirational Readers’ Choice Award.  She is the author of A Distant Melody and A Memory Between Us. Her great-uncle flew with the US Eighth Air Force in England during WWII. Sarah lives in California with her husband and three children. For more interesting information about Sarah and to enter her contest for a vintage apron and Kindle, visit her website.

My thoughts: 

Sarah is a wonderful writer. She weaves not only an incredible tale, but an adventure that makes you feel like you are a part of the story. 

The main characters, Helen and Ray are 'real' and believable. They aren't perfect and the troubles they face and struggles they are working through make you want to cheer for them to find peace and end up together in the end. 

As a history addict, inaccuracies can really ruin a book, so I appreciate the research and thought put into the details. I was really impressed when I found out that Sarah actually toured a B-17!

I thoroughly enjoyed the book and didn't want to put it down and I was sad when it ended. I want to read more about Helen and Ray and what life brings them in the future.

"Blue Skies Tomorrow" is number three in the "Wings of Glory" series, but is a 'stand alone' novel. However, after reading it, you will want to download both A Memory Between Us and A Distant Melody.

Thank you Sarah for a wonderful book! I am looking forward to the next series.

"Blue Skies Tomorrow" is available August 2011 at your favorite bookseller from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group.

Now for the giveaway!

How to enter:
1. Main entry - Leave a comment answering the following question:  In "Blue Skies Tomorrow", Helen was so busy keeping secrets, trying to maintain the 'perfect' illusion. Have you ever lived your life that way?  

Bonus entries - Please leave a separate comment for each entry.

2. Like "Our Crazy Life" on Facebook (or if you already do, leave a comment letting me know!)

3. Share this post on Facebook - or any other Social Networking Site using the "Share the Love" buttons below the post. One Bonus entry per 'share', make sure to leave a comment for each entry! (P.S. You can share 1x a day for each site!)

4. Follow me on Google Friend Connect (or if you already do, leave a comment letting me know!)

5. Add my button to your blog (Worth two entries, leave two comments!)

Make sure you leave a way to contact you, either by having your reply-to email address set or by leaving your email address in your posts.

Contest will end Monday, 9/5/11, at 10:00 pm CST and the winner will be chosen by a random number generator.

Winner will be mailed a copy of Sarah Sundin's "Blue Skies Tomorrow" via media mail.

*Fine Print: I was provided with a complimentary copy of this book for review purposes. The opinions expressed are all mine and I was not required to give a positive review.

I hope you win! ;)

Love,