‘IN PERFECT TIME,’ BY SARAH SUNDIN

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Positive reviews plus my appreciation of this era suggested this might be the kind of novel that’d be just my cup of tea. When it popped up in my inbox with an offer to review, no matter my stack of books, I took the chance to review the third and final novel in popular novelist Sarah Sundin’s second WWII series. As a flight nurse, Kay Jobson is happy in her work, not to mention eyeing a promotion and is one of the girls who easily impresses her patients with her knowledge of baseball – she’s fun to be around. She’s the girl who has a fellow in every airport. 

Shutting out her friend’s attempts to talk about Christ and sensitive to any hint of Christianity after a rough childhood, Kay’s tentative friendship with the quiet Army pilot Lt. Roger “Coop” Cooper comes as a surprise to them both. Firm in his faith- after disastrous teen years, Roger is one guy, who never tries to make a pass on Kay, which makes their friendship blossom – and proves “dangerous” to Roger’s own past.

In Perfect Time, by Sarah Sundin | Book Review

This story is full of historical detail and presumably accurate catch phrases that immediately make me think of a WWII television series. The plot lets its rich backdrop facts shine without losing sight of the core of the novel. From the characters to the locations and the vignettes that unfold within it all, it manages to find a way to be charming even in a time in history that’s anything but happy. Sarah doesn’t seem to take for granted the era and instead uses it to the best advantage by putting her characters in situations that force them to be heroes in the true sense of the word (all done so with grace) while allowing for some of the “carefree” spontaneity of the 1940’s to ring through, lightening an otherwise serious story.

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Parts of the story do color me confused. This is not because of any author fault, rather thanks to being unfamiliar with the prior characters that float through the entire trilogy. This doesn’t take away from the primary two people in the book, which are Kay and Roger, both of whom are sensational characters. These two are some of the more realistic, genuine characters I’ve run across. Between their silly squabbles and the cute flirty banter (or rather, codes; read the book if you wonder what this means), this is a couple easy to cheer on. 

The romance does focus too much on the physical though it’s understandable why; especially since the story begins with Kay hiding behind her physical attributes. The co-mingling of history and characteristics is brilliant. Every moment, every conversation, every tension peaks at the right time. This is one that starts out familiarizing us with who these characters are and what they do, and then midway through this unusually long novel, the excitement keeps the pages rapidly turning.

In Perfect Time really is genuinely perfect because of its flaws; it’s one of those rare narratives that is able to use its sincerity to an advantage. It isn’t afraid to be what it is, which is a story of genuine friendship, and love (two hearts afraid to lay their heart bare). When woven together as expertly as Sarah does, this makes for a sophisticated, bold and downright swell tale.  

About the Book:

Author: Sarah Sundin
Publisher: Revell
Source: Litfuse via Publisher
Publication Date: 2014
Find the Review elsewhere: Goodreads | Novel Crossing | WordPress
Shop the Book: Goodreads
Series: Wings of the Nightingale, book 3
Genre: Fiction; Historical, Romance, Series
Rating: 4.5 out of 5

Sincere thanks to Litfuse for providing a complimentary copy of this book for reviewing purposes.