It's not often you see the Coast Guard featured in fiction, and even less so that you see the SPARs featured....anywhere. In this World War 2 era novel, we meet the early women of this branch of USCG, a group of women who answered the call to serve their country and found themselves doing so in an unexpected way! There are so many historic facets interwoven into the pages, addressing cultural norms, race relations, German spies here in the US, sleeper cells, and so much more, all skillfully crafted into a novel that will keep you on the edge of your seat through the epilogue. A must-read for any fan of WW2 fiction!

Why do boys get to have all the fun in going off to war? When Shirley Davenport gets a chance to join the Coast Guard SPARs, a new all-female unit, she jumps on it. She’s smitten with Captain Leo Webber and he experiences feelings of his own. When codebreakers detect a threat against Eleanor Roosevelt, Shirley is sent home to Lubec, Maine, supposedly with a dishonorable discharge but actually as a spy.
I like this book. It’s a page-turner. Clues throughout had me guessing the outcome, but it was more intense than I expected. I would like to have learned a little more about what became of the guilty persons. The Coast Guard setting is different from most WWII books and much appreciated.

First off: Five Stars, Two Thumbs Up, and a signal buoy to relay information.

Second: Barbour Publishing and NetGalley.com provided the copy I read for this review. All opinions expressed are solely my own.

Third: My reasons for choosing this book to read have much to do with my father's service in the Coast Guard during World War II and my love for novels set during this era.

Daddy served on the USS Menges DE 320. He was a Carpenter's Mate 3rd Class, which made him a Petty Officer, and he was Shore Patrol for his ship. Among the Menges exploits is the fact that the crew members and the rest of the crews in the Hunter/Killer group of Destroyer Escorts received one of the few ribbons for the American Theater of the war for sinking a U-Boat off the coast of New Foundland. The Menges was torpedoed, taking the back 1/3 of the ship. It was towed to Algiers for temporary repairs, and then towed back to Boston and put into drydock for more permanent repairs. The damaged stern was removed and the stern part of another DE was welded to the stern to make a slightly longer sea-worthy ship.

Saving Mrs. Roosevelt is based loosely in fact. There are some historical characters populating the book and actual events that help to build the plot. The plot itself is moving, intriguing, compelling, engaging, and otherwise interesting. Treason, betrayal, heroism, and grief all play a part in the book.

Shirley Davenport wants to do her part to aid in the war effort. She's twenty-two years old and spends her days working with her father on his fishing/lobster boat. When Captain Leo Webber comes to Lubec, Maine, to recruit women to serve in the newly formed SPARS branch of the Coast Guard, Shirley and her best friend, Joan, go to enlist. She's soon sent to Iowa for Basic Training and spends much of her time studying and learning basic protocols and customs of the Coast Guard.

When threats are made on Eleanor Roosevelt's life, Shirley is chosen to go back home under the guise of a dishonorable discharge to see if she can find the source of the threats. Her parents are hugely disappointed in her and the gossip mill in her small town has ostracized her to the point that it is hard for her to accomplish what she's been asked by her government to do.

This book is part three in the Heroines of World War II series, but each is a stand-alone book. These books do not have to be read in order because the plots do not overlap. The authors chosen for this series are top-notch writers, and Candice Sue Patterson certainly fits this bill quite nicely. I want to read more books by her.

SAVING MRS ROOSEVELT by CANDICE SUE PATTERSON is an interesting and exciting WW11 novel with a strong Christian message and some sweet romance.
Shirley Jean Davenport frustrates her best friend and neighbour, Joan Fischer, by being such a tomboy. Joan is sexy and prone to theatrics whilst Shirley is resourceful and sensible. Both girls join the SPARs whose motto is Semper Paratus = ‘Always Ready’, but upon finishing the course they are sent to different areas.
When Shirley is sent back home as a spy, under the guise of a dishonorable discharge, the man she is supposed to have had an affair with, Captain Leonard Webber, and her African American friend Alma Evans, are her main support. It is her job to uncover the group who are threatening the first lady, largely because of her ptoposed refugee program. The hatred of those who are different, especially Jews and those of a different colour, is particuarly rife at this time. As Leo says, “How did God feel, watching His prized creation destroy one another?” and, “was this rhe beginning of the end?”
Shirley is very courageous as she risks, not ony her reputation, but also her life, using her boating and fishing skills to uncover the perpetrators of the plot against her country. The author describes what she and Leo are going through and also what her parents are going through, thinking their daughter has ruined her life and let them down. We see how it takes great courage to try and fix a broken world!
Saving Mrs Roosevelt is a worthwhile and inspirational read and one I highly recomend.
I was given a free copy of the book by NetGalley from Barbour Pubishing. The opinions in this review are competely my own.

Shirley Davenport spent her whole life fishing with her family. The war breaks out and she's the only one left to help, but she feels useless to help her country. When they begin recruiting women for a special group of the Coast Guard, she eagerly signs up - not knowing what her assignment would entail. The challenges she faces as a spy, the secrets and ruined reputation are more than she bargained for, but a certain captain helps her through until the enemy strikes close.

I related easily with Shirley's ambition to contribute to a cause worth fighting for and the person she wanted to be, and I really enjoyed the historical aspect of the threat to Mrs Roosevelt and the establishment of SPARs. If you enjoy historical fiction of the WWII era, along with suspense, this is definitely for you!!

Saving Mrs. Roosevelt by Candice Sue Patterson is an excellent WWII-era historical fiction that has it all: history, suspense, mystery, action, and romance. It literally has a little bit of everything that will appeal to every reader!

This book is quite unique in that it does several things exceptionally well. Not only do we get a perfect blend of historical facts and events mixed with a compelling fictional narrative, but the author also has added a lesser known branch of the military into the story line to help inform and shed light on another collection of real-life heroes that helped play a part in the fight for freedom. I absolutely love it when I am able to learn about something all the while enjoying a delightful novel.

The author places the spotlight on the United States Coast Guard- Women’s Reserve (SPARS), which was a real entity that was signed into place in 1943 by President Roosevelt. The author does a great job in taking the excellent main female character, Shirley Davenport, and weave her into this assigned position. Shirley grows, matures, and navigates her way through intrigue, political landscapes, relationships, friendships, and through life to find her purpose, her passion, and her place in helping secure the safety of her country (and possibly a famous leading lady as well) and in the process, her own future as well.

I loved everything about this book and cannot recommend it enough. This is what historical fiction should be.

5/5 stars

Thank you NG and Barbour Publishing for this wonderful arc and in return I am submitting my unbiased and voluntary review and opinion.

I am posting this review to NG only at this time and will post it to my GR, Bookbub, Amazon, Instagram, and B&N accounts upon publication on 12/1/21 per publisher request.