By The Book

My book club members are big fans of Sarah Sundin. As soon as she releases a new historical novel, we know we have to read it! This month we read Midnight on The Scottish Shore. I love that the book’s setting is on the homefront during WWII. Plus, there are spies! Find out more below.

In a time of war, danger lurks beneath the water–and in the depths of the human heart

As the German war machine devours the Netherlands, the only way Cilla van der Zee can survive the occupation is to do the unthinkable–train to become a spy for the Nazis. Once dispatched to Britain, she plans to abandon her mission and instead aid the Allies. But her scheme is thwarted when naval officer Lt. Lachlan Mackenzie finds her along the Scottish shore and turns her in to be executed.

Yet perhaps she is more useful alive than dead. British intelligence employs her to radio misleading messages to Germany from the lighthouse at Dunnet Head in Scotland–messages filled with naval intelligence Lachlan must provide. If the war is to be won, Lachlan and Cilla must work together. But how can he trust a woman who arrived on his shores as a tool of the enemy–a woman certain to betray both him and the Allied cause?

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 Midnight on the Scottish Shore(February 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.

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

My Impressions:

I don’t know how she does it, but Sarah Sundin continues to write fresh novels set during WWII. Her latest historical romance set in Scotland showcases the military operations that kept the homefront safe. There are also spies! What a great combination for a page turning reading experience. Main character Cilla van der Zee is an earnest Dutch woman intent on resisting the occupying Nazis. But when things become dangerous in the Netherlands, she comes up with a scheme to get out of the country by pretending to be a spy for Germany. Her plan may be daring, but she never anticipates that getting caught in the UK will entail being seen as the enemy. I loved Cilla’s character — she’s honest (except for the lies she tells 😉 ) and brave, but also impulsive and hardheaded. She’s flawed and entirely relatable. She’s given two choices: become a double agent or risk execution. Since she has never wavered in her allegiance to the Allied cause, she takes on the role. Cilla struggles with being seen as the enemy. I can only imagine no one believing me. But, in a time of war, it’s to be expected. The very serious Lt. Lachlan Mackenzie is one of those who doesn’t trust Cilla, but he knows how it feels. Accused of cheating in college, he serves in the Navy with the shame of his past following him. Both are viewed with distrust and must prove themselves over and over. Themes of forgiveness and reconciliation also run throughout the narrative. The historical details are interesting — there was a lot I was not aware of, and the romance is sweet as the two go from enemies to friends to more. There’s plenty of action in the novel too. Spies on both sides are actively working for their causes.

If you like historical romance set during WWII, then Midnight on The Scottish Shore is a perfect choice. There is a bit of loose thread, so I anticipate seeing more of Cilla and Lachlan in the next great book by Sundin.

Recommended.

Audience: Adults.

(I was provided a complimentary copy by NetGalley. All opinions expressed are mine alone.)

Tags: historical romance fiction, Sarah Sundin, WWII