Tag: falcon point historical

ARC Book Review: Bridge of Betrayal (Falcon Point Historical #3) by A.L. Sowards

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Rating: ★★★★
Audience: Historical Romance
Length: 310 pages
Author: A.L. Sowards
Publisher: Covenant Communications
Release Date: March 3rd, 2026
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

Sometimes it takes a small deception to uncover the truth.

England, 1954

Anna Lang lost everyone she loved during the Second World War—except her cherished music teacher, Esther Haymann. When Miss Haymann dies under suspicious circumstances and rumors of suicide swirl, Anna doesn’t want to believe them. Her doubts intensify when she catches a stranger rifling through Miss Haymann’s papers, claiming a link between her death and that of renowned scientist Alan Turing.

Arthur Cavendish, a former prisoner of war in Korea, can’t completely escape the nightmares of combat and captivity. Nor can he forget that Dr. Turing’s advice once saved his life, so Arthur is determined to get to the bottom of his associate’s alleged suicide, even if it involves trespassing and danger.

When a suspicious fire nearly kills Arthur and Anna, they form a reluctant alliance to clear their mentors’ names. From shadowy corners of seaside resorts to the guarded gates of a secret government agency at Hanslope Park, Anna and Arthur chase elusive clues—and wrestle with their growing attraction for each other. With divergent goals and hidden secrets, a future together seems unlikely. Yet as more and more pieces of the puzzle fall into place, a sinister pattern unfolds, and they find that their hearts are not the only things at risk. Uncovering the truth might cost them their lives.

Thank you to the publisher and the author for a gifted copy.

BEAUTIFUL STORY.

This was incredibly easy to fly through. I loved being back with these characters and getting to see Anna’s story. Her growth in learning to let go of the things she couldn’t hold on to was full of strength. I love reading about resilient characters. And I really liked the spy mission vibes of this one!

I loved the connection between Arthur and Anna. It had the essence of being what the other person needed, while also meeting each other where they were on their path. The soft moments combined with the protective hero moments are always my favorite.

The historical points were great and it was interesting to see a 1950’s England and how perilous things still were post WW2. It’s well research and in combination with the author notes at the end I felt like I learned a lot (and that’s one of my favorite aspects of historical fiction books).

Overall audience notes:

  • Historical Fiction Romance
  • Language: none
  • Romance: kisses
  • Violence: moderate
  • Content warnings: gun violence, physical altercations, PTSD, war themes and multiple mentions of torture (recounted), near death experiences, loss of loved ones

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ARC Book Review: Roads of Resistance (Falcon Point Historical #2) by A.L. Sowards

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Rating: ★★★★★
Audience: Historical Fiction
Length: 370 pages
Author: A.L. Sowards
Publisher: Covenant Communications
Release Date: July 15th, 2025
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

The line between enemy and ally can shift in a heartbeat.

1940

After her father is murdered, fifteen-year-old Ingrid Lang flees her home in Austria only to become separated from her siblings and stranded in the Dutch city of Arnhem with a pair of broken legs. Her future would be bleak if not for the kindness of a local doctor and his daughter Anita van der Veen. But before Ingrid can finish her healing and continue her journey to find her brother and sister, the forces of Nazi Germany overrun the Netherlands, leaving her trapped in an enemy occupation.

Four years later, Gerrit Hendriks, wanted by the Gestapo for his work with the underground, flees to his grandfather’s home in Arnhem, where he finds Ingrid and the van der Veens deeply ensconced in the local resistance. But suspicion, prejudice, and conflicting beliefs soon leave Ingrid and Gerrit at odds with each other.

As Ingrid and Gerrit gather intelligence for the Allies, smuggle airmen and other refugees to safety, and plan acts of defiance against the Nazis, irritations soften and teamwork blossoms. They soon realize that if they want to have any hope of outsmarting a German intelligence officer with a tie to Ingrid’s past, they’ll have to work together. As Ingrid and Gerrit begin to recognize just how much they mean to each other, they find themselves in the middle of an enormous airborne operation, and the imminent battles have the potential to change everything—for Ingrid, for Gerrit, and for the Netherlands.

Thank you to the author and the publisher for the gifted copy.

ABOUT TOOK ME OUT.

A.L. Sowards continues to be one of my favorite historical authors and this was another book that took me on an intense journey. I love the way that A.L. pulls out these complex characters and getting to see many angles of the war and how it effected everyone for years to come.

I just loved Gerrit and Ingrid. There are so many nuanced things I could discuss about them independently and as a couple that I could fill pages with. The resilience and strength and the willpower each step took as the years stretched was empowering to read. I love their love.

A.L. never shies away from the intensity and brutality of war and that was once again present here. I liked the Netherlands setting because it’s one I don’t know as much about and only added to the story. Sowards knows how to craft an amazingly intricate and beautiful book and it wrenches my heart every dang time.

Overall audience notes:

  • Historical Fiction
  • Language: none
  • Romance: closed door
  • Violence: high
  • Content warnings: WW2 themes (starvation, mentions of concentration camps, work camps and more), loss of life, weapons violence, physical violence, loss of a baby, grief/depression depiction

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