The Sky Above Us & Between Two Shores {Yet Another Dual Book Review}

The Sky Above Us

Numbed by grief and harboring shameful secrets, Lt. Adler Paxton ships to England with the US 357th Fighter Group in 1943. Determined to become an ace pilot, Adler battles the German Luftwaffe in treacherous dogfights in the skies over France as the Allies struggle for control of the air before the D-day invasion.

Violet Lindstrom wanted to be a missionary, but for now she serves in the American Red Cross, where she arranges entertainment for the men of the 357th in the Aeroclub on base and sets up programs for local children. Drawn to the mysterious Adler, she enlists his help with her work and urges him to reconnect with his family after a long estrangement.

Despite himself, Adler finds his defenses crumbling when it comes to Violet. But D-day draws near. And secrets can't stay buried forever.

Bestselling author Sarah Sundin returns readers to the shores of Normandy, this time in the air, as the second Paxton brother prepares to face the past--and the most fearsome battle of his life.

This book is set during World War II a bit before D-Day. One of the main driving forces of the plot is the fact that D-Day is approaching. I really liked the authentic feeling of the book! You never really (or at least I didn't) know much about how life was like for those American soldiers in England on those bases. I didn't even know that there were different clubs for the soldiers, much less what an aeroclub was! But everything felt very real and it was very cool to have sorta an "inside look" on what it was like on those bases. And whenever the pilots were talking in "pilot-lingo" (idk what to call it xD) it all felt very realistic! I also loved how the pilots named their planes and Nick was amazing.

I liked that each of the characters felt alive to me. They all had their problems and doubts and sorta felt like people that I could run into in the street. While I liked Adler's character arc more, Violet also had a good one! The ending was also good, and I liked what happened to the characters there.

I really enjoy stories that give me a certain feel, like I was present in the story. Sundin did a very good job at making you feel as if you were on that base, or in the clouds along with the pilots. It really brings the story to the next level and makes it ten times more enjoyable!

I'm actually kinda iffy on this romance. I liked how they helped each other grow and there were some very great parts! I think that showing how they helped each other's character arcs was really great and important!

Like I said in the previous section, there was just something that I really didn't like about the romance for some reason? I still gave this book a high rating because I liked it but I never really found myself rooting for the romance.

I think part of this is due to the fact that sometimes the two protagonists had a horrible lack of communication and this made me want to slap them over the head with my copy of the Count of Monte Cristo. Like. Talk to each other. I really don't like when this happens but in some instances, it can work in favor of the story but here it sorta felt as if things were never really resolved when they were supposedly resolved.

It was a generally well-paced story but it kinda draggggggged in the middle.

Violet's attitude towards the soldiers really bugged me and actually caused me to like her a little less. Some of the other characters' attitudes also caused me to dislike this book a bit.

Adler had a really sordid past, and it is another thing that drives the plot. Without spoiling too much because this is a major plot point, but there is mention of a skirt getting higher and someone tossing clothes on him and yeah. Not many details are given but you kinda know what happens and then something is revealed that happened because of that. He also attempts to murder a brother and says that he wasn't the best person at college. And yeah, just not the best past.

Some of the soldiers also have some *coughs* not amazing behavior towards women.

And there are some more intense kisses that I could have done without.

I still really liked this book despite my dislikes and that's what I'm giving it

4 stars

I was given a free copy of this book by Revell Reads in exchange for my honest review. 

Between Two Shores

The daughter of a Mohawk mother and French father in 1759 Montreal, Catherine Duval finds it is easier to remain neutral in a world that is tearing itself apart. Content to trade with both the French and the British, Catherine is pulled into the fray against her wishes when her British ex-fiance, Samuel Crane, is taken prisoner by her father. Samuel asks her to help him escape, claiming he has information that could help end the war.

Peace appeals to Catherine, but helping the man who broke her heart does not. She delays . . . until attempts on Samuel's life convince her he's in mortal danger. Against her better judgment she helps him flee by river, using knowledge of the landscape to creep ever closer to freedom. Their time together rekindles feelings she thought long buried, and danger seems to hound their every mile. She's risked becoming a traitor by choosing a side, but will the decision cost her even more than she anticipated?

Okay, I really liked this cast of characters. They were all so diverse and amazing. I liked how they all had their own issues and ghosts to overcome, and how a certain character that you don't really like gets turned around into someone you really do root for. One of my favorite parts about each character is that they were each struggling with something, and seeing how each dealt with and overcame it. 

I really enjoyed how both the French and Mohawk culture was incorporated. Since Catherine is a mix, you could really feel how being half French and half Mohawk impacted her lifestyle and it was also really cool to see both people side by side (in a sense).

The plot was really interesting! You don't really hear much about the 7 years war except for what part George Washington played in it and the fact that Samuel was part of the British army and yet Catherine and the rest of the characters were kinda going for the French (most claimed to be neutral) was also very riveting and got me even more hooked on the plot!

Most of the romance was in flashbacks, and I enjoyed seeing Catherine and Samuel's progress. I can't give away much more, because #spoilers but I liked how there really wasn't a romance besides the flashbacks. It's hard to explain without giving too much away, so you'll have to read it for yourself!

I really enjoy reading about siblings relationships, and this one was no different. It was rocky in the beginning, but I liked how it developed! AND JOSEPH. UGH. WHYYY.

Honestly, I don't actually think that there was something notable enough that I disliked!

Gabriel (Catherine's father) has a drinking problem and sometimes hits/bruises Catherine.

There are also some other characters who have drinking problems.

Joseph is said to have been born out of an affair of his mother's while she was still married to Gabriel.

I really, really liked this book! So that's why I'm giving it

5 stars

I received a free copy of the book from Bethany House in exchange for my honest review.

Have you read any of these? Do you want to? What have you all be reading recently?