Tag Archives: Sarah Sundin

Top 10 Tuesday — Most Anticipated Books of The Second Half of 2026

30 Jun

Happy Tuesday! Today TTT bloggers are sharing upcoming books that they cannot wait to read. It’s really hard to limit the list to just 10, but here goes.

For more books bloggers can’t wait for, please visit That Artsy Reader Girl.

Books I Can’t Wait to Read (Releasing Second Half of 2026)

The Bachelor Spy by Pepper Basham (July)

Fatal Finale by Nancy Mehl (August)

Library of Forbidden Books by Mario Escobar (September)

The Resurrection of Evania James by Jaime Jo Wright (October)

The Second Chance Trailer Park by Katie Powner (July)

Taken without A Trace by Hope Welborn (August)

Things We Cannot Keep by Amanda Cox (August)

Twelve Days And Twelfth Night by Sarah Sundin (September)

Twilight Tactics by Lynette Eason (August)

When Silence Breaks by Elizabeth Goddard (August)

Book Review: Mists Over The Channel Islands

15 Jun

Sarah Sundin is one of my book club’s favorite authors. We were not disappointed with her latest WWII-era novel, Mists over The Channel Islands. If you are a fan of Sundin or like well-researched historical novels, you need to check this one out!

Behind enemy lines, adversary and ally become impossible to distinguish. 

The German invasion of the British Channel Islands shatters Dr. Ivy Picot’s peaceful world, forcing her to shoulder the weight of her father’s medical practice and hold together a family unraveling under the strain of war. As conditions worsen in Jersey with the arrival of thousands of forced laborers, Ivy’s quiet allegiance to the Allies compels her to risk everything by providing medical aid to escaped workers–even as danger closes in.

Dutch engineer and resistance member Gerrit van der Zee volunteers to build fortifications for the Germans so he can secretly send maps and diagrams to the Allies. On his arrival in the Channel Islands, he crosses paths with Ivy, who shows him contempt for the uniform he wears. As tensions mount and their missions grow increasingly dangerous, Ivy and Gerrit must confront the cost of courage, the meaning of sacrifice, and whether love can survive in the shadow of war. Will their covert efforts turn the tide–or will they pay the ultimate price for defiance?

Renowned WWII fiction author Sarah Sundin crafts a compelling historical romance featuring enemies-to-lovers, wartime resistance, and medical intrigue–a tale of loyalty, resilience, and courage when love and duty collide.

Sarah Sundin enjoys writing about the drama and romance of the World War II era. She is the bestselling and Christy Award-winning author of Mists over the Channel Islands (February 2026), Midnight on the Scottish Shore (2025), Embers in the London Sky (2024), The Sound of Light (2023), Until Leaves Fall in Paris (2022), When Twilight Breaks (2021), and several World War II series.

Sarah’s novels have received starred reviews from Publishers Weekly, Library Journal, and Booklist. Until Leaves Fall in Paris received the 2022 Christy Award, The Sky Above Us won the 2020 Carol Award, The Sound of Light was a finalist for both the Christy Award and the Carol Award, and When Twilight Breaks and The Land Beneath Us were finalists for the Christy Award.

A mother of three, Sundin lives in Southern California and enjoys speaking to community, church, and writers’ groups. Sarah serves as co-director of the West Coast Christian Writers Conference.

My Impressions:

Mists over The Channel Islands is another great WWII-era novel from Sarah Sundin. Sundin is a favorite of my book club, and this one did not disappoint us. There is so much to love about this book. First off, the setting. We knew little about the Channel Islands in general, specifically Jersey, but really didn’t know anything about the strategic position it holds in the English Channel and its role during WWII. It seemed inconceivable that this tiny island so close to England had been occupied by the Germans. The people had strong ties to Britain and many evacuated before the coming of the Germans. The experiences of those who remained are faithfully recreated in this novel. While there was no large resistance movement on the Channel Islands, the people chose small acts of defiance that yielded big results in the lives of its citizens, as well as those imprisoned by the Germans. Sundin’s characters, both main and secondary, are well-developed, and as a reader I soon became invested in their struggles. Individual heroism is juxtaposed against characters who collaborated with their occupiers. The book really portrays a balanced view of the island during that time. As always, Sundin presents thought-provoking themes and a strong faith thread that keeps the reader thinking, feeling, and turning the pages.

I highly recommend Mists over The Channel Islands for those who love novels set during WWII, for those who want a unique historical setting, and for those who love a good story told well. It achieved a unanimous thumbs-up from my book club!

Highly Recommended.

Great for Book Clubs.

Audience: Adults.

(I received a copy of this book from NetGalley. All opinions expressed are mine alone.)

If You Liked . . . Mists over The Channel Islands

29 May

I loved my book club’s selection this month. Sarah Sundin is one of our favorite authors, and her books never disappoint. Her latest WWII-era novel, The Mists over The Channel Islands, presents a little known or talked about story — the German occupation of the Channel Islands, specifically Jersey. The subject matter is fascinating and the characters are special. Make sure to read this one soon.

If you have already read (and loved) it, check out a few more book recommendations.

Flame of Resistance by Tracy Groot

Years of Nazi occupation have stolen much from Brigitte Durand. Family. Freedom. Hope for a future, especially for a woman with a past like hers. But that changes the day American fighter pilot Tom Jaeger is shot down over occupied France. Picked up by the Resistance, Tom becomes the linchpin in their plan to infiltrate a Germans-only brothel and get critical intel out through Brigitte, a prostitute rumored to be sympathetic to the Allied cause.

D-day looms and everyone knows that invasion is imminent. But so is treachery, and the life of one American pilot unexpectedly jeopardizes everything. He becomes more important than the mission to a man who cannot bear to lose another agent and to a woman who is more than just a prostitute, who finally realizes that her actions could change the course of history.

The Guernsey Literary And Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows

January 1946: London is emerging from the shadow of the Second World War, and writer Juliet Ashton is looking for her next book subject. Who could imagine that she would find it in a letter from a man she’s never met, a native of the island of Guernsey, who has come across her name written inside a book by Charles Lamb. . . .

As Juliet and her new correspondent exchange letters, Juliet is drawn into the world of this man and his friends—and what a wonderfully eccentric world it is. The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society—born as a spur-of-the-moment alibi when its members were discovered breaking curfew by the Germans occupying their island—boasts a charming, funny, deeply human cast of characters, from pig farmers to phrenologists, literature lovers all.

Juliet begins a remarkable correspondence with the society’s members, learning about their island, their taste in books, and the impact the recent German occupation has had on their lives. Captivated by their stories, she sets sail for Guernsey, and what she finds will change her forever.

Written with warmth and humor as a series of letters, this novel is a celebration of the written word in all its guises and of finding connection in the most surprising ways.

The Librarian of Saint-Malo by Mario Escobar

Libraries are being ransacked. France is torn apart by war. A French librarian is determined to resist. Told through smuggled letters to an author, an ordinary librarian describes the brutal Nazi occupation of her small coastal village and the extraordinary measures she takes to fight back.

Saint-Malo, France: August 1939. Jocelyn and Antoine are childhood sweethearts, but just after they marry, Antoine is drafted to fight against Germany. As World War II rages, Jocelyn uses her position as a librarian in her town of Saint-Malo to comfort and encourage her community with books. Jocelyn begins to write secret letters smuggled to a famous Parisian author, telling her story in the hope that it will someday reach the outside world.

France falls and the Nazis occupy Jocelyn’s town, turning it into a fortress. The townspeople try passive resistance, but the German commander ruthlessly begins to destroy part of the city’s libraries. Books deemed unsuitable by the Nazis are burnt or stolen, and priceless knowledge is lost.

Risking arrest and even her life, Jocelyn manages to hide some of the books while desperately waiting to receive news from her husband Antoine, now a prisoner in a German camp.

Jocelyn’s mission unfolds in her letters: to protect the people of Saint-Malo and the books they hold so dear. Mario Escobar brings to life the occupied city in sweeping and romantic prose, re-creating the history of those who sacrificed all to care for the people they loved.

First Line Friday — Mists over The Channel Islands

15 May

Happy Friday! My book club is discussing Mists over The Channel Islands by Sarah Sundin this month. It is a look at an unfamiliar (at least for us) chapter of WWII. It’s a fascinating story with characters you will love. Have you read it yet? We’d love to know what you thought.

If you haven’t, here’s the first line:

Words failed Dr. Ivy Picot, so she sketched her father with gray-flecked hair, packing to go to war.

Behind enemy lines, adversary and ally become impossible to distinguish. 

The German invasion of the British Channel Islands shatters Dr. Ivy Picot’s peaceful world, forcing her to shoulder the weight of her father’s medical practice and hold together a family unraveling under the strain of war. As conditions worsen in Jersey with the arrival of thousands of forced laborers, Ivy’s quiet allegiance to the Allies compels her to risk everything by providing medical aid to escaped workers–even as danger closes in.

Dutch engineer and resistance member Gerrit van der Zee volunteers to build fortifications for the Germans so he can secretly send maps and diagrams to the Allies. On his arrival in the Channel Islands, he crosses paths with Ivy, who shows him contempt for the uniform he wears. As tensions mount and their missions grow increasingly dangerous, Ivy and Gerrit must confront the cost of courage, the meaning of sacrifice, and whether love can survive in the shadow of war. Will their covert efforts turn the tide–or will they pay the ultimate price for defiance?

Renowned WWII fiction author Sarah Sundin crafts a compelling historical romance featuring enemies-to-lovers, wartime resistance, and medical intrigue–a tale of loyalty, resilience, and courage when love and duty collide.

Sarah Sundin enjoys writing about the drama and romance of the World War II era. She is the bestselling and Christy Award-winning author of Mists over the Channel Islands (February 2026), Midnight on the Scottish Shore (2025), Embers in the London Sky (2024), The Sound of Light (2023), Until Leaves Fall in Paris (2022), When Twilight Breaks (2021), and several World War II series.

Sarah’s novels have received starred reviews from Publishers Weekly, Library Journal, and Booklist. Until Leaves Fall in Paris received the 2022 Christy Award, The Sky Above Us won the 2020 Carol Award, The Sound of Light was a finalist for both the Christy Award and the Carol Award, and When Twilight Breaks and The Land Beneath Us were finalists for the Christy Award.

A mother of three, Sundin lives in Southern California and enjoys speaking to community, church, and writers’ groups. Sarah serves as co-director of the West Coast Christian Writers Conference.

May Book Club Pick — Mists over The Channel Islands

1 May

My book club loves Sarah Sundin! We are so excited to read her latest WWII-era novel, Mists over The Channel Islands. I think this one may become our very favorite!

Behind enemy lines, adversary and ally become impossible to distinguish. 

The German invasion of the British Channel Islands shatters Dr. Ivy Picot’s peaceful world, forcing her to shoulder the weight of her father’s medical practice and hold together a family unraveling under the strain of war. As conditions worsen in Jersey with the arrival of thousands of forced laborers, Ivy’s quiet allegiance to the Allies compels her to risk everything by providing medical aid to escaped workers–even as danger closes in.

Dutch engineer and resistance member Gerrit van der Zee volunteers to build fortifications for the Germans so he can secretly send maps and diagrams to the Allies. On his arrival in the Channel Islands, he crosses paths with Ivy, who shows him contempt for the uniform he wears. As tensions mount and their missions grow increasingly dangerous, Ivy and Gerrit must confront the cost of courage, the meaning of sacrifice, and whether love can survive in the shadow of war. Will their covert efforts turn the tide–or will they pay the ultimate price for defiance?

Renowned WWII fiction author Sarah Sundin crafts a compelling historical romance featuring enemies-to-lovers, wartime resistance, and medical intrigue–a tale of loyalty, resilience, and courage when love and duty collide.

Sarah Sundin enjoys writing about the drama and romance of the World War II era. She is the bestselling and Christy Award-winning author of Mists over the Channel Islands (February 2026), Midnight on the Scottish Shore (2025), Embers in the London Sky (2024), The Sound of Light (2023), Until Leaves Fall in Paris (2022), When Twilight Breaks (2021), and several World War II series.

Sarah’s novels have received starred reviews from Publishers Weekly, Library Journal, and Booklist. Until Leaves Fall in Paris received the 2022 Christy Award, The Sky Above Us won the 2020 Carol Award, The Sound of Light was a finalist for both the Christy Award and the Carol Award, and When Twilight Breaks and The Land Beneath Us were finalists for the Christy Award.

A mother of three, Sundin lives in Southern California and enjoys speaking to community, church, and writers’ groups. Sarah serves as co-director of the West Coast Christian Writers Conference.

Top 10 Tuesday — The Time of Day!

28 Apr

Happy Tuesday! Today is a Freebie day on TTT — anything our heart desires! Today I am featuring book titles containing times of day, some of which are more poetic than actual positions on a clock. I hope you find one you want to read no matter what time it is!

For more fun lists, please visit That Artsy Reader Girl.

Top Titles Featuring A Time of Day

As Dawn Breaks by Kate Breslin

Cold Light of Day by Elizabeth Goddard

Sunrise Reef by Irene Hannon

The Golden Hour by Beatriz Williams

As The Light Fades by Catherine West

Shadows at Dusk by Elizabeth Goddard

When Twilight Breaks by Sarah Sundin

Night Fall by Nancy Mehl

Midnight on The Scottish Shore by Sarah Sundin

Cold Dead Night by Lisa Phillips

Top 10 Tuesday — New to My TBR

7 Apr

Happy Tuesday! Today I just was not feeling the TTT topic — bucket list books. I have done a couple of these posts and didn’t really want to do the research on books and destinations, so instead I am sharing the latest additions to my NetGalley Shelf. A few of these have already released, so I need to get going on my reading. There is also a good mix of genres — I hope you find one to love.

To discover on topic bloggers, please visit That Artsy Reader Girl.

Top 10 Recent Additions to My NetGalley Shelf

The Bell Tolls at Traeger Hall by Jaime Jo Wright

A Brewed Awakening by Pepper Basham

Dark Design by Nancy Mehl

Daughter of The Rebellion by Jamie Ogle

Echoes of a Silent Song by Amanda Wen

Harbor Pointe by Irene Hannon

Mists over The Channel Islands by Sarah Sundin

More Than Friends by Denise Hunter

Spies, Lies, And Alibis by Natalie Walters

Witness Protection by Robert Whitlow

Top 10 Tuesday — Spring TBR List

24 Mar

Spring has been around for weeks in my area of the country, but it has been erratic! We’ve had record high temps, severe weather threats, and even a bit of snow! So crazy! But the flowers are blooming, the trees are budding, and my husband is mowing the grass! LOL! Today’s TTT topic is Spring TBR Lists. I am embarking on a novel approach to my reading life — choosing to read what I want, when I want. Even the few review titles are those I really, really want to read. It’s been a while, folks! I am having a blast! I had to really think about today’s post because past seasonal TBRs have been filled with required reading (books for review.) Today’s list features book club picks and mood reads, which are hard to plan for. But I think I have a great list planned. Let me know what you are reading this season.

For more Spring TBRs, please visit That Artsy Reader Girl.

Spring 2026 TBR List

Anna of Arimathea by Susanne Blumer

Della’s Song by Donna Jo Stone

The Girl Upstairs by Jessica R. Patch

Harbor Pointe by Irene Hannon

How to Sparkle by Leslie Kirby DeVoought

Miss Beth Bettencourt by Eva Marie Everson

Mists over The Channel Islands by Sarah Sundin

Perilous Tides by Elizabeth Goddard

Spies, Lies, And Alibis by Natalie Walters

A Weekend on Allyson Island by Susannah B. Lewis

Top 10 Tuesday — Ordinal Numbers

10 Mar

Today’s TTT topic, Ordinal Numbers in book titles, looks easy on the surface. It proved harder than I thought though. There are lots of books with first and second in the title, but beyond that there are not many others. Plus, I wanted to include books that I have either read or that I want to read. I ended up adding a few books that my husband has enjoyed (the Joel Rosenberg titles) as well. I hope you find a book that interests you!

For more book fun, check out That Artsy Reader Girl.

Top Books with Ordinal Numbers in Their Titles

America’s First Daughter by Stephanie Dray and Laura Kamoie

The First Hostage by Joel Rosenberg

Second Story Bookshop by Denise Hunter

Taking A Second Shot by Leslie Kirby DeVooght

The Third Target by Joel Rosenberg

The Fifth Avenue Story Society by Rachel Hauck

The Lights on Tenth Street by Shaunti Feldhan

The Twelfth Imam by Joel Rosenberg

Twelve Days And Twelfth Night by Sarah Sundin

Top 10 Tuesday — The Love Boat!

10 Feb

Happy Tuesday! Today TTT bloggers are celebrating all things romance with a Love Freebie! After many years of creating these posts it is a bit daunting to come up with something fresh. Today I am featuring romance novels — contemporary, historical, and suspense — that have part or whole of their settings on boats. You know, The Love Boat! 😉 Extra points for those whose characters cement their love on the open seas. Come aboard, they’re expecting you!

For more Love Freebie fun, please visit That Artsy Reader Girl.

Top Ten Books with Love Boats!

The Choice by D. L. Wood

The Glass Bottom Boat by Laura Thomas

The Indigo Heiress by Laura Frantz

Love Overboard by Shannon Sue Dunlap

The Magnolia Duchess by Beth White

The Mayflower Bride by Kimberly Woodhouse

Midnight on The Scottish Shore by Sarah Sundin

The Mistletoe Countess by Pepper Basham

The Pirate Bride by Kathleen Y’Barbo

Stranded by Dani Pettrey