Publisher’s Overview:
In a time of sacrifice, what price can one put on true love?
Nothing slows Lillian Avery down–not her personal challenges and certainly not America’s entry into World War II. She finally has a chance to prove herself as a pharmacist in Boston. The demands of her new job energize her. But society boy Ensign Archer Vandenberg’s attentions only annoy–even if he is her brother’s best friend.
During the darkest days of the war, Arch’s destroyer hunts German U-boats in vain as the submarines sink dozens of merchant ships along the East Coast. Still shaken by battles at sea, Arch notices his men also struggle with their nerves–and with drowsiness. Could there be a link to the large prescriptions Lillian has been filling?
As the danger rises on both land and sea, the two must work together to answer that question. But can Arch ever earn Lillian’s trust and affection?
My Take:
The second title in the Waves of Freedom series continues the story of the Avery family at war. It opens with the family hearing the news of the attack on Pearl Harbor. Three of the sons are in the US Navy and one has already had an encounter at sea with a German U-Boat. He’s come out of it relatively unscathed, but his friend and ship mate Arch hasn’t been so fortunate. Today, Arch might be diagnosed with PTSD. Instead, he’s told to “get over it.” He’s not alone either and this is a book that looks at the consequences of hiding one’s mental state from those who depend on you.
As I read Anchor in the Storm I could feel the tension rising through the pages. Drama comes on many fronts, both on land and at sea. Both Arch and Lillian are insecure, wanting recognition for who they are and not what they are. The majority of the other characters are sympathetic and likeable, which means the death of one of them has extra impact. (This is a war, death happens.) The plot flows smoothly, and there’s a twist in it towards the end that I hadn’t seen coming.
While the series is mainly about the Avery family, it also focuses on Lillian and her room-mates. One of them is her brother’s fiancée, Mary, who was the star of the first book. I wasn’t surprised to learn that another of the room-mates will feature along with another Avery son in the third installment coming next year. I’m also fairly certain there will be a fourth book, featuring the final Avery son and the other room-mate! It isn’t necessary to have read Through Waters Deep before embarking on Anchor in the Storm as both books stand alone, but if you enjoy this novel you’ll almost certainly want to go back and read it.
Thank you to Revell and Litfuse Publicity for my complimentary copy of Anchor in the Storm, which I received in exchange for my honest review.
This review is part of a Litfuse Publicity blog tour
Have you read Anchor in the Storm? Do you plan to read it? Let me know your thoughts.
Publisher: Revell (a division of Baker Publishing)
Publication Date: 03 May 2016
Page Count: 400
Read more on: Sarah Sundin’s Website Revell’s Website
Purchase on: Amazon Barnes & Noble Books-a-million Christianbook.com
Proverbial Reads 
Thank you for the lovely review! I’m so glad you enjoyed Arch & Lillian’s story! I’m afraid there won’t be a fourth book, however – I’m starting work on another WWII series!
Hi Sarah, thanks for stopping by my blog. I’m glad you liked my review. Disappointed that Yvette won’t get her own book though. What must it have been like for her, cut off from a home land occupied by the Nazis? How would she have felt whenever news of France came through?