Book Review (and a Giveaway!): Across the Blue by Carrie Turansky

Love soars to new heights in this Edwardian romance filled with adventure, faith, and inspiration, but how much will it cost Bella and James to follow their dreams?

Isabella Grayson, the eldest daughter of a wealthy, English newspaper magnate, longs to become a journalist, but her parents don’t approve. They want her to marry well and help them gain a higher standing in society. After she writes an anonymous letter to the editor that impresses her father, her parents reluctantly agree she can write a series of articles about aviation and the race to be the first to fly across the English Channel, but only if she promises to accept a marriage proposal within the year.

When James Drake, an aspiring aviator, crashes his flying machine at the Grayson’s new estate, Bella is intrigued. James is determined to win that race across the Channel and gain the prize Mr. Grayson’s newspaper is offering. He hopes it will help him secure a government contract to build airplanes and redeem a terrible family secret. James wants to win Bella’s heart, but his background and lack of social standing make it unlikely her parents would approve. If he fails to achieve his dream, how will he win the love and respect he is seeking? Will Bella’s faith and support help him find the strength and courage he needs when unexpected events turn their world upside down?

GENRE: Inspirational Historical Fiction
PUBLISHER: Multnomah
RELEASE DATE: February 20, 2018
PAGES: 354

“Now was the time for men to break free from the bounds of earth and fly unhindered.”

Across the Blue by Carrie Turansky is full of fascinating history and great characters, as well as a riveting plot that reminds us to trust God’s dreams for us.

Bella and James are an endearing pair of characters who quickly carve out space in your heart. Their daring dreams – James, to be the first person to fly across the English Channel in an airplane and Bella, to be one of few female journalists for the time. You will be cheering them on every step of the way, and I must confess that I held my breath more than once while following James’ air adventures. Their shared interest in aviation establishes a friendship that eventually develops into something even sweeter, and Turansky does a great job of building their relationship as the story progresses. It’s a gentle romance, but there’s also a bonus romance or two brewing in the background and I admit that one of those background romances was my favorite relationship in the story!

The setting of Across the Blue puts us right at the center of all the buzz and anticipation surrounding air travel by plane. What a thrilling time in history that must have been, to witness such a great advancement in transportation! There are ups and downs in the progress (quite parallel, in fact, to the actual flights lol) and Turansky nicely captures that crackle of excitement in the air! (No pun intended) From the race to see who will be first to cross the Channel successfully to the competitions at the air meet in Rheims, France – the atmosphere hums with tension and expectation.

Bottom Line: Across the Blue by Carrie Turansky keeps readers engaged in the characters’ lives as well as the excitement of the time period. While it gets a little bogged down in details at the beginning, it evens out into a sweet story of putting our dreams in perspective with God’s dreams for us – and how His are so much better than we imagine. The characters feel like dear friends and settle into our hearts, and the setting comes alive with sights and sounds and experiences. Perfect for history enthusiasts, particularly of  the Edwardian-era, and fans of Turansky’s other books!

(I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book which I received from the publisher. All views expressed are only my honest opinion.)

My Rating: 4 stars / Love it!

KissingBook Level: 2 / Warm rosy glow of sweetness

Carrie Turansky has loved reading since she first visited the library as a young child and checked out a tall stack of picture books. Her love for writing began when she penned her first novel at age twelve. She is now the award-winning author of nineteen inspirational romance novels and novellas. Carrie and her husband, Scott, who is a pastor, author, and speaker, have been married for more than thirty years and make their home in New Jersey. They often travel together on ministry trips and to visit their five adult children and five grandchildren. Carrie leads women’s ministry at her church, and when she is not writing she enjoys spending time working in her flower gardens and cooking healthy meals for friends and family.

She loves to connect with reading friends through her website/newsletter, Facebook, Pinterest, and Twitter. You can also connect with Carrie through Amazon, BookBub and Goodreads!

Other Books by Carrie Turansky

Following your Dreams
By Carrie Turansky

In Across the Blue, Bella Grayson and James Drake both go to great lengths to pursue their dreams. Bella longs to become a journalist and write for one of her father’s newspapers, but in 1909 England, aristocratic young women did not work as journalists. A young woman’s path was set by the unwritten rules of society. At eighteen she was presented at court, and then she took part in the London social season and hoped for a marriage proposal from a young man from a wealthy family, with an estate and title. Marriage, having children, and taking part in social and charitable events was the prescribed course for their lives.

But Bella has a different future in mind. She wants to marry for love, and she won’t settle for anything less. She also wants to write articles about the important events of the day that will inform and inspire people. She wants to be a world changer, and that is a very unique role for a woman in England in the Edwardian Era. At that time women didn’t have the right to vote yet and very few pursued any kind of career.

James is an aviation pioneer, and his dream is to build an airplane that will allow him to be the first to fly across the English Channel. This is no easy accomplishment, and he faces many challenges as he pursues his dream. Aviation is brand new. Wilbur Wright demonstrated his airplane in France the year before and stunned Europeans with his skill. With the help of his mentor, Professor Steed, James conducts experiments, refines his design, and makes countless test flights. It takes great courage and determination to overcome setbacks and make it through near fatal crash landings, but James has his heart and mind set on perfecting his airplane and reaching his goal.

What about you? What hopes and dreams do you have for your future? What goals would you like to accomplish? As you think about your dreams and future plans I hope you’ll gain some insight from James and Bella’s experiences in Across the Blue. When they considered the cost of pursuing their dreams they realized their plans and choices impacted others as well as themselves. James and Bella believed striving for their dreams is important, but they learned it must be balanced with commitments to family and friends, and most of all a commitment to following the Lord on the path He has for them.

Following our dreams and working toward accomplishing our goals, especially those the Lord puts on our heart, is important. However, sometimes we may have to put our dreams on hold and wait for the right time and season. We don’t need to be discouraged when this happens. As we listen to the Lord and ask Him to guide and direct us He will show us the right path at the right time to follow it.

Just like James and Bella I hope you’ll pursue your dreams but also hold them with an open hand, allowing the Lord to guide and direct you each step of the way. When you do I’m confident you’ll be headed toward seeing your dreams become reality in His time and in His way. “For I know the plans I have for you declares the Lord; plans to prosper you, not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future.” Jeremiah 29:11

With that wonderful promise in mind, I hope you’ll enjoy reading Across the Blue and joining Bella and James as they they pursue their dreams. You’re in for high-flying adventure, romance, and inspiration, and I can’t wait to share this new story with you. Happy reading to you!

To celebrate her tour, Carrie is giving away a grand prize of an autographed copy of Shine Like the Dawn and $30 gift card to Christianbooks.com!!

Click below to enter. Be sure to comment on this post before you enter to claim 9 extra entries!

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This giveaway is hosted by Celebrate Lit, not RimSP
Follow along with the tour for more chances to win!

PLUS! Head to my Q&A with Carrie for a chance to win a copy of Across the Blue!