Book Review: Nightingale (Blog Tour) and giveaway info

I have been enjoying the opportunities I have had to read and review some wonderful books, thanks to my relationship with litfuse publicity. The most recent book tour I have had the privilege of participating in is Nightingale
by Susan May Warren. Here is a synopsis of the book and a bit about the author:

About Nightingale: Esther Lange doesn’t love her fiancé—she’s trapped in an engagement after a mistaken night of passion.

Still, she grieves him when he’s lost in battle, the letters sent to her by the medic at his side giving her a strange comfort, so much that she strikes up a correspondence with Peter Hess, an Iowa farmboy. Or is he? Peter Hess is not who he seems. Indeed, he’s hiding a secret, something that could cost them both their lives, especially when the past comes back to life. A bittersweet love song of the home front war between duty and the heart...a battle where only one will survive.

Don’t miss book 1 in this stand-alone collection, Sons of Thunder
.

About Susan May Warren :


Susan May Warren is the RITA award-winning author of twenty-four novels with Tyndale, Barbour and Steeple Hill. A four-time Christy award finalist, a two-time RITA Finalist, she’s also a multi-winner of the Inspirational Readers Choice award, and the ACFW Book of the Year.

Susan's larger than life characters and layered plots have won her acclaim with readers and reviewers alike. A seasoned women’s events and retreats speaker, she’s a popular writing teacher at conferences around the nation and the author of the beginning writer’s workbook: From the Inside-Out: discover, create and publish the novel in you!. She is also the founder of www.MyBookTherapy.com, a story-crafting service that helps authors discover their voice.

Susan makes her home in northern Minnesota , where she is busy cheering on her two sons in football, and her daughter in local theater productions (and desperately missing her college-age son!) A full listing of her titles, reviews and awards can be found at: www.susanmaywarren.com.

The book is available for sale here
.

What I thought of the book: There is a lot of historical information dealing with World War II, but unlike so many historical fiction books dealing with this era, this dealt quite a bit with German POWs in the US. I had some trouble connecting with the characters in this book, but I did find it difficult to put the book down each night. I enjoyed reading along as Esther grew and evolved through the book. She struggles with choosing between what she believes is right and what she truly wants. As she faces her struggles, she also begins to grow in her faith in Christ. While the book is not preachy, it is definitely a Christian faith-based book. The first part of the book is told exclusively from Esther's perspective, but in the second part of the book, it switches back and forth between Esther and Peter as the narrator. Personally, I did not care for this style, but it is almost necessary to properly tell the whole story.

I enjoyed this book and would recommend it to any one who enjoys historical fiction, Christian love stories, and/or anyone who has ever had to make the difficult decision of choosing between what you want and what you believe is right.

Susan May Walker is also holding a giveaway:

Enter the Contest: Nightingale
is about letters, the power of written correspondence to convey thoughts and emotions to those far away. And sometimes near. Letters are forever, they are something we savor and pull out to read again and again. They are often cherished and kept in a special place.Nightingale, Susan would like you to write a letter. One grand prize winner will receive a Flip HD Camcorder. 5 runner's up winners will win a signed copy of Nightingale. There are two ways to enter the contest by writing letters.

1. Write a letter to a soldier. At the end of the contest we’ll print out and mail your letter for you.

2. Write a letter to a friend, loved one, family member, enemy. Tell them something you wished you’d told them before. Tell them you love them, or maybe how they touched your life. Perhaps an apology is in order or a thank you. Or perhaps you'd like to relate a funny tale or just share life. Whatever it is, submit it here along with your email address and we’ll send it for you.

Enter at the SHARE page on the Brothers in Arms website. Or simply click on the button to the right.


***Disclaimer***
I received a free copy of this book from litfuse publicity in exchange for my review.