1. Blue Skies Tomorrow, Wings of Glory Series #3
    Sarah Sundin
    Revell / 2011 / Trade Paperback
    Our Price$15.99 Retail Price$20.00 Save 20% ($4.01)
    4.8 out of 5 stars for Blue Skies Tomorrow, Wings of Glory Series #3. View reviews of this product. 44 Reviews
    Availability: In Stock
    Stock No: WW734237
4.8 Stars Out Of 5
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  1. i blog 4 books
    5 Stars Out Of 5
    Blue Skies Tomorrow
    September 12, 2011
    i blog 4 books
    I've seen Sarah Sundin's name floating around on bookshelves and been intrigued by her books, but I've never read any of her books. Now that I've read Blue Skies Tomorrow, let me just say, "WOW!" I was intrigued from the beginning. World War II. A soldier with something to prove. A widow hiding her relief. Overbearing in-laws. And a God big enough to redeem it all. Sundin masterfully weaves together a story that is hard to put down. Ray and Helen quickly felt like friends to me. At times I caught myself wanting to talk back to the characters ... a true test of how "into" a book I am. In addition, the book was well-researched. It takes talent to detail flying a bomber during an airstrike into a romance novel and not lose my interest. Sarah Sundin definitely has a new fan ... I can't wait to go back and read the first two books in this series!

    I received a free copy of this book from LitFuse Publicity in exchange for my fair and honest review.
  2. addicted reader
    Age: 35-44
    Gender: female
    5 Stars Out Of 5
    September 12, 2011
    addicted reader
    Age: 35-44
    Gender: female
    Quality: 5
    Value: 5
    Meets Expectations: 5
    Blue Skies Tomorrow is the third book in the Wings of Glory Series written by Sarah Sundin. Helen Carlisle is a widow with a young boy. She throws herself into volunteering for the war efforts to cover up her feelings. She is a prisoner of sorts to her husbands family. She is keeping secrets that no one knows about and it is all she can do to not tell. Ray enters her life and boom... she starts to think she has a way out..... only if she was braver...

    For the life of me, I kept trying to find out what kind of secret Helen was carrying.... I never saw it coming!

    This is a great story about love, trials, friendships...... You will not want to put it down, believe me!

    Get it at your favorite book store today!
  3. Stephanie
    upstate NY
    Age: 35-44
    Gender: female
    5 Stars Out Of 5
    Sarah saved the BEST for last!
    September 2, 2011
    Stephanie
    upstate NY
    Age: 35-44
    Gender: female
    Quality: 5
    Value: 5
    Meets Expectations: 5
    Blue Skies Tomorrow is the third book in Sarah Sundin's Wings of Glory series, and I must say, she saved the BEST for last!

    I initially wanted to read Sarah's books because of the WWII setting — that's one of my favorite eras. After reading book one, I realized it was more of a homefront setting, which was unusual for me. I prefer the intrigue of the European arena, although I loved Walt and Allie. Same with Jack and Ruth's story in book two. Enjoyed it...

    But Blue Skies Tomorrow topped them both in my opinion — hometown romance, past scars, present grief, and my favorite: a bit of intrigue in Europe.

    The characters in this story about the third Novak brother were real, the plot believable (well...I could imagine a bit of crazy Hogan's Heroes in part of it — I'd love to know where the inspiration for that came. Just your imagination, Sarah...or any bits of a true story)?? Anyway, I empathized with Ray. I agonized with Helen. I was disgusted by Vic. I was astonished by the events surrounding Esther and Carver. I felt sorry for Mrs. Carlisle and even little Jay-Jay. The list goes on!

    I can't spoil the story for you — but Ray's decision to pilot a plane during combat brings about circumstances that kept me turning the pages, quite unsure of a happy ending. I especially loved the 'ending' of the story of the ink stain on the piano... You'll have to read it! And poor Ray's outburst in church... oh! I can't tell you! How embarrassing. Made me giggle.

    Truly, Blue Skies Tomorrow was great. Although each book in the Wings of Glory series has a few overlapping characters, you don't need to read them in sequence. I think you can easily understand and enjoy Blue Skies without having read the first two.

    Recommended read!

    By the way, I've heard Sarah has a new series slated...this time based on three flight nurses. I can't wait!

    *I received a free copy for review purposes from Litfuse. No other compensation was given, and all thoughts are 100% mine.*
  4. bookwomanjoan
    Oak Harbor, WA
    Age: Over 65
    Gender: Female
    5 Stars Out Of 5
    great historical novel of World War II
    September 2, 2011
    bookwomanjoan
    Oak Harbor, WA
    Age: Over 65
    Gender: Female
    Quality: 5
    Value: 5
    Meets Expectations: 5
    The time is during World War II. Helen Carlisle has become a war widow. Her husband Jim was killed in the Pacific. It has been a year since his death. Jim's parents have provided a place for her and two year old Jay-Jay. In return for that provision they have made some very unhealthy demands upon her.

    Vic Llewellyn has wanted Helen as his wife for years. Disappointed when she married Jim instead, he is after her again.

    But Ray Novak catches her eye. His job training B-17 pilots allows his to spend time with Helen. As the two fall in love we learn facts that had been hidden. Jim had been an abusive husband. The town reveres Jim as a war hero but Helen has had to live with hiding his true character.

    Live gets even more difficult for Helen when Ray decides to go to Europe to fly bombing runs. Being a pastor at his core, he needs to prove to himself and others that he can do it. After thirty successive runs, Ray volunteers for more. His plane goes down and Ray is reported lost. When his dog tags are found, he is presumed dead.

    Helen accidentally causes a fire in her bungalow and she and Jay-Jay must live with the Carlisle's. To her horror she finds out Jim's dad is a wife beater too. When Jay-Jay angrily hits a little girl, Helen knows she must get out of that house. He only answer seems to be Vic. She doesn't love him but he says he loves her and will take good care of her.

    A marriage is planned but before it occurs, Helen learns of Vic's true character. How can she marry a liar?

    All of these events going wrong in Helen's life may seem a bit much but it "works" in this novel. The story portrays the dilemma of a young widow with a toddler to raise under war time conditions. I would have preferred that Helen be a stronger character. In my mind she made some foolish mistakes. But this was a different era and certainly a different society than today.

    Some of the novel is based on actual events during that time. One is the explosion at the ammunition magazine at Port Chicago in July of 1944. Many of the 320 killed were African-American sailors. When many of the African-American survivors refused to go back to work because of safety issues, they were convicted of mutiny and sentenced to long prison terms. The publicity over this and similar cases eventually led the Navy to change its policies, beginning to desegregate its forces in February of 1946.

    I had to go online to find out the facts of this event in the novel. I would have preferred that readers be told which parts of the novel were based on true historical events. The reader is encouraged to visit the author's website to find out the history behind her novels, but that was at the end of the book. I want to know that information at the beginning of the novel.

    A discussion guide at the end of the book makes this a good choice for a reading group. It is the third in the "Wings of Glory" series. The first two books are about Ray's brothers and their war adventures. I have not read the others yet found this to be a great book on its own.

    I received a copy of this book from the publisher for the purpose of this review.
  5. Cara Putman
    Indiana
    Age: 35-44
    Gender: female
    5 Stars Out Of 5
    Wonderful WWII Novel
    September 1, 2011
    Cara Putman
    Indiana
    Age: 35-44
    Gender: female
    Meets Expectations: 5
    Calling all World War II fans. Sarah Sundin is back with another fantastic installment in her Wings of Glory series. Blue Skies Tomorrow focuses on the third brother, Lt. Ray Novak. A pilot like his brothers, Ray has been an instructor, but now he can't do that anymore because the army is saving those slights for those returning from the war. He's not sure he likes his new assignment, but it allows him to spend time at home where he reacquaints himself with a neighbor girl Helen Carlisle. The widow of the town hero, Helen has lost herself in the battle to live up to everybody's expectations of her.

    She's lived a nightmare and in her quest to establish a life for herself and her young son, she's trapped in the quagmire of being the grieving widow. Too bad she's not really sad, especially now that Ray's back in town.

    The story is richly woven with the feel of the era. I love Sarah's books

    because she gets the details right. The characters are richly drawn and fully fleshed. I could feel the dilemmas and battles facing Helen and Ray. I experienced their struggles to the extent I wanted to grab Helen and take her to coffee so we could straighten out a few things. Most of all, I love the way the story illustrates that we must let go of the past and people's roles they thrust on us. We have to step into the freedom that God has for us...risky and scary as that proposition often feels.

    If you love rich, multi-layered historicals that ring with authenticity, then you must read this book.
Displaying items 11-15 of 40