Though this did not play out the way I thought it would, I really enjoyed it! I really enjoyed seeing some about the WFC and the how those young women aided in the war effort, and seeing little bits of country life during the war. I loved the romance aspect of this book; it wasn't overly passionate and it was really very sweet. I really liked the plot twist, too! I think Breslin set it up perfectly and it was the perfect "ah-ha!" moment. I thought the Christian bits of the story were written really well and made sense to the characters and their journeys.
I wish Jack had taken an interest in Christianity sooner than the last couple chapters of the book, and while I didn't love the third-act breakup, it made sense to the plot so I'll take it.
Overall a really entertaining story!

Not by Sight by Kate Breslin is set during WWI and focuses on the roll women played during this time period. Sorry to say, but that is about the only thing I enjoyed about this book. I don't know why I struggled so much with it, but I just couldn't get engaged in the story. It seemed very predictable and very "shallow". I felt like I was drudging through and couldn't wait for it to be over. I have read one other book from this author and I struggled with it as well. I notice that so many are giving this book good reviews, so I'm not sure why, but it doesn't mesh with me. I would say it must be my own personal preference in writing style and this author just doesn't meet the mark for me. However, I wouldn't want to turn anyone away from reading this novel as I am sure that many of you would enjoy it. If in doubt read some of the other reviews and you will see how many there are that have truly enjoyed it!

You can find out more about the book and purchase it on Amazon by clicking HERE.

MORE ABOUT THE BOOK:

With Britain caught up in WWI, Jack Benningham, heir to the Earl of Stonebrooke, has declared himself a conscientious objector. Instead, he secretly works for the Crown by tracking down German spies on British soil, his wild reputation and society status serving as a foolproof cover.

Blinded by patriotism and concern for her brother on the front lines, wealthy suffragette Grace Mabry will do whatever it takes to assist her country's cause. When she sneaks into a posh London masquerade ball to hand out white feathers of cowardice, she never imagines the chain of events she'll set off when she hands a feather to Jack.

And neither of them could anticipate the extent of the danger and betrayal that follows them--or the faith they'll need to maintain hope.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

A Florida girl and former bookseller, Kate Breslin migrated to the Pacific Northwest where she lives with her guitarist husband and a persnickety cat. Author of travel articles and award-winning poetry, Kate received Christian Retailing's 2015 Best Award for first time author, and her debut novel, For Such A Time, is a Christy award, RITA award, and Carol award finalist. Kate's second novel, Not By Sight, releases August, 2015. When she's not writing inspirational fiction, Kate enjoys reading or taking long walks in Washington's beautiful woodlands. She also likes traveling to new places, both within the U.S. and abroad, having toured Greece, Rome, and much of Western Europe. New destinations make for fresh story ideas. Please visit her at www.katebreslin.com.

***Thank you to Bethany House Publishing for providing me with this book in exchange for my honest review.

When I saw this was a white feathers of cowardice story, I immediately wanted to read it. How could I not when its premise reminded me of The Four Feathers movie, which I always weep my way through? The feathers aspect of this story was unique to the storyline and well written. I liked that the feathers kept coming back, because that showed a good attention to detail and great usage of props.

The steel mask was reminiscent of The Man in the Iron Mask, yet, again, it was handled with the author’s unique style and voice. I liked the details of the mask and how it was used throughout the story. I also appreciated the reasons for the mask, which I’ll keep secret so you have something interesting to discover when you read this book.

Suffrage is not my favorite topic, but it was written very well in this story. It seemed completely natural rather than in your face, which made it more enjoyable to read about.

The heart, hope, and mystery threaded throughout this story kept me focused and intrigued. It was neat that friendship was a huge theme. This book was so enjoyable, from the cover to the characters’ journeys to the heart-wrenching surprises along the way.

I really wish I would have read this book before Far Side of the Sea, because these books technically should be marketed as a series. Not by Sight is about Grace Mabry, while Far Side of the Sea is about her twin brother, Colin Mabry. How are these books not labeled as a series???

Content: one expletive, unwed pregnancy mentioned, prostitution mentioned, alcohol

Christian Historical. Living during WW2 wasn't easy. Grace was trying to disgrace men who were conscientious objectors and did not fight in the War by giving them a white feather. What she failed to realize was that there was more than one way to fight, and she singled out Jack unfairly. But it fit his cover story perfectly, since he was actually working as a spy. After she targeted him at the ball, things fell apart - for both of them. Banished from society, Grace joins the WFC as a volunteer. Even though being a volunteer was noble, her place in society wasn't appreciated and didn't set well with some of the other WFC girls, who set out to make her life miserable. The WFC did very hard physical work and Grace was struggling to find work she could do, bungling everything. Circumstances bring Grace and Jack back together, their story woven throughout with spies and subterfuge. It's an interesting, intricate story that holds all your interest, keeping you wondering what will unfold next. Highly recommended - you won't be bored!

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher and NetGalley book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

"Gripping Sophomore Novel from a Rising Historical Romance Talent.

With Britain caught up in WWI, Jack Benningham, heir to the Earl of Stonebrooke, has declared himself a conscientious objector. Instead, he secretly works for the Crown by tracking down German spies on British soil, his wild reputation and society status serving as a foolproof cover.

Blinded by patriotism and concern for her brother on the front lines, wealthy suffragette Grace Mabry will do whatever it takes to assist her country's cause. When she sneaks into a posh London masquerade ball to hand out white feathers of cowardice, she never imagines the chain of events she'll set off when she hands a feather to Jack.

And neither of them could anticipate the extent of the danger and betrayal that follows them--or the faith they'll need to maintain hope."

And this was not entirely picked because the whole white feather issue that fascinates me that anyone could be so cruel...

Ms. Breslin writes with such clarity that you become one of the characters. Her historical research is impeccable and I always walk away knowing more about the time period then I did when I started the story.

This author is an auto-read for me and many of my patrons.

Kate Breslin is a wonderfully talented author. Her novel, “Not by Sight” was one that I was not able to stop reading until the end. I stayed up far too late for a couple of evenings because each page-turn brought more curiosity about what would happen next. There was also the hint of danger and espionage along with the story of the Women’s Land Army of WWI. I was intrigued by these women who did their part for the war effort by doing back-breaking farming work to free up the men to fight…very well researched and presented.

In this novel Grace has no use for conscientious objectors who will not join up. She is particularly frustrated and angry at Jack Bellingham, a supposed rake and rogue who plots to avoid joining up, when Grace’s brother Colin is fighting in the trenches. Unbeknownst to Grace, Jack is a part of the war effort, not just in the way she thinks he should be. I am not going to go into the description of the plot of this story because I don’t want to spoil it for future readers. Just know that I will pounce on any book written by Kate Breslin. She always gives the reader great characters, great plots, great word images to go along with the story so that you feel a part of it.

Thank you for the opportunity to read and review this book! It ultimately was assigned to another reviewer on our site, so I did not have the chance to review it myself. I look forward to more Bethany House titles!