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The Land Beneath Us by Sarah Sundin Review

Happy Wednesday Everyone :)

I hope you're all having a great week so far, and I want to thank you all for joining me for another book review here on The Preppy Book Princess.

Today I'm excited to bring you my first Revell Reads Blog Tour of 2020. I was ecstatic to get to participate in this highly anticipated release, and I can't wait to share with all of you today what I thought about it.

The Land Beneath Us by Sarah Sundin:



Source: Publisher as part of the Revell Reads Blogger Program

Publisher: Revell

Publication Date: February 4th, 2020

Genre: Christian Fiction/Historical Fiction

Series: Sunrise at Normandy

Synopsis:


In 1943, Private Clay Paxton trains hard with the U.S. Army Rangers at Camp Forrest, Tennessee, determined to do his best in the upcoming Allied invasion of France. With his future stolen by his brothers' betrayal, Clay has only one thing to live for—fulfilling the recurring dream of his death.

Leah Jones works as a librarian at Camp Forrest, longing to rise above her orphanage upbringing and belong to the community, even as she uses her spare time to search for her real family—the baby sisters she was separated from so long ago.

After Clay saves Leah's life from a brutal attack, he saves her virtue with a marriage of convenience. When he ships out to train in England for D-Day, their letters bind them together over the distance. But can a love strong enough to overcome death grow between them before Clay's recurring dream comes true?


(synopsis from goodreads)


My Review:

The Land Beneath Us was my first experience with a Sarah Sundin novel, and I'm now completely hooked on this amazing lady's writing. I'd heard wonderful things about her books in general, and this trilogy in particular, but I still wasn't prepared for just how much I was going to enjoy this beautiful story.

The World War Two era tends to be one of my favorite time periods to read about in historical fiction, and yet I don't think I've ever truly read a novel set in this time period that's as well researched and historically accurate as The Land Beneath Us is. The reader can tell that Sarah Sundin put a considerable amount of time into researching the events of Normandy and other aspects of World War Two, and it blends together with her original story flawlessly. With how much historical information is included, it's impressive that the story never drags or seems hard to follow, and instead keeps the reader invested right from start to finish.

Marriage of conveniences are something I've truly come to love reading about in Christian fiction, and it was the perfect setting for romance in this lovely story. Clay and Leah come together in the aftermath of a horrific circumstance, and since Leah's found herself in a complicated manner, and Clay truly believes that God is telling him he's going to die in battle, a marriage seems the best way to benefit them both. After Clay ships out, the two continue to communicate through letters, and the reader gets to see Clay's point of view in training and battle, and Leah's point of view as she struggles to adapt with the changes in her life, and the prejudices still coming her way. Clay only wants to fulfill his destiny, Leah's only ever wanted a family and to feel like she belongs somewhere, and if they're willing to trust God's perfect plan for their lives, they'll come to realize that their destiny includes more than they ever could have hoped for. 

I'm only sorry that it's taken me this long to finally read a Sarah Sundin novel, and now I can't wait to read more of her books. While I do think you could read any of the books in this trilogy as stand alones, I still plan on reading the first two now since I loved this installment so much, and I'd love to read Wyatt and Adler's stories as well. The Land Beneath Us is a breathtaking story about overcoming harsh circumstances, sacrifices, bravery, and learning to forgive with the help of our Heavenly Father whether we feel the person deserves our forgiveness or not. I personally really enjoyed Clay and Leah's story, and the way they are able to keep and grow their faith even when neither of them has had much in their lives to remain positive about. Their romance is truly beautiful, and I finished this one with a big smile on my face.

Final Rating: 5/5.

I couldn't possibly recommend this heart wrenching story enough, and my first experience with a Sarah Sundin novel was everything I was hoping for and more.

Thanks so much to Revell for providing me with a complimentary copy of this novel to read and review!

I received a complimentary copy of this novel from the publisher, Revell, as part of the Revevll Reads Blogger program in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own. I was not required to give a positive review. 

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