“In Love’s Time” is the sixth work of historical fiction by Kate Breslin, and the fifth set during WW1. During the summer of 1918, Captain Marcus Weatherford continues his dangerous work for Britain, hoping to put an end to the war that has dragged on far too long; his latest secret mission to Russia involves the search for the Romanov tsarina and her son and a plot to assassinate Lenin. Although Natalya, the beautiful ballerina that accompanies him, is posing as his fiancé, Weatherford only has eyes for one woman: Clare Danner, a hospital orderly working to care for herself and her young daughter Daisy. Marcus knows that duty and love don’t mix and is torn between the two, especially after Clare witnesses something that convinces her that Marcus is in love with another. Clare herself is waging her own war against the family that wants to take her daughter away from her, and when Marcus is injured, all of their futures are at stake.

I will start with saying that I’ve been a reader of Ms. Breslin’s books since her first novel, “For Such a Time” was published in 2014, and every time she publishes a new one I know I’m going to be reading long into the night to finish it! I read “In Love’s Time” in one day, to the detriment of everything else (so technically, it’s her fault that my laundry isn’t done…), and I may be rereading it this week. The characters and places she creates are so real, I feel like I spent a whole day in WW1 England; I totally lost track of time and place and was completely immersed in the time period and swept up into the drama of their stories. (I may have cried at the end, just a little). I think one of my favorite aspects of her stories is that the characters aren’t overtly religious–you can tell that they are Christians and believers, but it doesn’t come off as preachy; Clare deals with jealousy and hatred and doubt just like I do, and is far from perfect, yet her faith sustains her. It reminds me that it’s okay for me to be perfectly imperfect, and inspires me to keep practicing my faith every day, even in the face of challenges. The reminder that there is a loving Savior that is with us through all our trials is woven through the entire story, and feels like a warm hug. It’s a story that everyone can enjoy and connect with.

This is a must-read, and if you haven’t read her other books, you should! https://katebreslin.com/