Across The Blue was so much better than I expected. It was full of romance, knowledge, and forgiveness. Once I started reading I needed more and was sad when I came to the end because there wasn’t more. It was one of those books that makes you wish it were a series so you could read more about the characters. This book was so well written and flowed so well. It had the perfect amount of time with each character. I was happy to see that Martha and the Professor ended up together. Also, Bella and James. I was happy that Bella’s father sold two of his newspaper companies so he could take better care of his health and rest. Everything about the characters ended perfectly.

“This book was provided to me by NetGalley. I was not required to write a positive review, and have not been compensated for this. All opinions are my own.”

“Across the Blue” spans a fascinating event in history: the race to create an airplane capable of flying across the English Channel. The historical tidbits regarding this event (as well as cameos of real people in this time) were very interesting. I enjoyed a glimpse into the creation of early airplanes (or aeroplanes).

Both James and Bella were Christians, prayed, and sought to trust God despite the circumstances that dashed their hopes. It was consistent through the entire book, but I didn’t find it to be a point in which the characters grew.

The romance was sweet—I didn’t find it to be passionate or wrapped around physical attraction, which I appreciate. They did basically go behind her parents’ backs, as if it was more important to follow their love than to honor her parents (when they really hadn’t talked much about it actually to her parents).

I’ll admit I had a difficult time with this book. It just kind of fell flat to me. The characters didn’t seem very consistent and I had a hard time feeling their emotions or sympathizing with them. The writing read a little stilted to me. I’d say it was just my reading mood, except I’ve been reading other books alongside this one and haven’t had the same issue with those. However, I realize others might not have the same preference with writing style as me, so I’m not knocking my rating down for it.

*I received this book from NetGalley and happily provided my honest review*

As in all her historical novels, the characters grow in faith as she makes a spiritual element essential to the story. There was much excitement with the plane building and air races it was hard not to catch the wind of excitement. The romance aspect left me swooning long after the last plane landed.
This book was given to me by Netgally and publisher. The review reflects my honest reflection.

Looks and books can be deceiving sometimes. I wouldn't consider myself a aviation fan but this book changed my thoughts about the topic of aviation. This book is a great read. Of course, it is. I've never read any Carrie Turansky books that wasn't a great and enjoyable read. I loved the way she wove together aviation, mystery, suspense and romance. Things I really liked was Bella's courage to seek her dreams and not fall into what others expected from her. James and his determination to fly over the English Channel is great encouragement to reach for your dreams regardless of the obstacles. The Professor and Martha are the ideal neighbors and I hope they move to my neighborhood soon. I enjoyed the mystery that James is out to solve concerning his parents and the way he finds the answer hits when you least expect it. A MUST READ!!!
Blessings,
Karen Rating: 5* I received this book as a gift and all opinions are my own.

I enjoyed this whole novel that is set in 1909 Edwardian England.

Throughout the pages, you will find light romance, faith, and adventure. It's a story that kept me turning pages.

The storyline, character development, and research put into this novel were excellent. This is another great book by Carrie Turansky.

I highly recommend this book to others who enjoy this time period. As this novel has light romance, it is suitable for young adult to older adult readers.

A special Thank You to NetGalley, Author, and Publisher for a free copy in exchange for my honest review.

I've heard of Carrie Turansky for EVER, and I've even met her in person once, but I never read a book of hers until just now! And I lOVED it!

I'm so interested in the early 1900s, leading through about WWII, and while there's a lot of books about the latter half of that period, there are a lot fewer about before then. This book is about when airplanes were just starting to become a thing, and it's so awesome!

Bella is the daughter to a well-off businessman, and is supposed to court and marry rich, but what she really wants to do is write for her father's newspaper, although her parents don't want her to. James is an aviator with a broken past who desperately wants to be the first to fly across the English Channel. Both of them want to do things that seem impossible for them to do, and neither of them will stop until they reach it.

This book is so clean and so historical, and I loved it! In addition, there was just so much good faith content, and overall it was just a really really good book!! I enjoyed it so much!

My Ranking-
7/10

Thank you to the publisher, Multnomah Publishing, for providing me with a complimentary e-copy of this book via NetGalley to me; I was not required to write a positive review.

This review first appeared on: https://losingthebusyness.wordpress.com/2018/02/19/book-review-across-the-blue-by-carrie-turansky/

Across the Blue had quite a different scenario to many books I've read. Early on in the book, Carrie Turansky drops in the historical topic of the Wright Brothers. This immediately grabbed my attention. The story further weaves around the progress of pioneering flights inclusive of some of the difficulties they came across.
Amidst this, she very aptly includes the life of Isabella Grayson, an adventurous young lady, daring to break the social norms of the day and James Drake who had a very intriguing start to his life.

I enjoyed this book, but I must admit it got pretty long-winded toward the end. It was an interesting look at the beginning of flight, and the characters were interesting. It was just a tad longer than it needed to be.

I was very fortunate to receive an e-copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. I was looking into a present for my grandfather, who loves historical romances, and this one was competing with 3 other books. The competition was solved within one chapter. This book was so amazing, I phoned the book store and ordered the Dutch translation, and I continued to read.

Across the Blue has a competition, too! ;) It’s around 1909 and the Daily Herald has offered a huge price to the first airplane that crosses the Channel. James Drake is definitely competing. And handsome, brave, honest and cute. I’m not the only one who thinks so, Isabella thinks it too when they first meet after a tiny airplane crash. It’s quite the introduction! But Bella has set her mind on other things than making a suitable match, she wants to become a reporter like her father (whom actually owns the Daily Herald) and is willing to sacrifice a lot to get to her goal.

I absolutely loved this book. The main characters were so well written, their dreams and hopes and flaws, and how they grow throughout the book - and the secundary characters were also very real and distinct! I loved the professor! In previous books of Carrie Turansky, this has been an issue for me, that secundary characters fell a bit flat, but this book is quite the opposite! The story was extremely compelling, there were many twists and there was another mystery to solve besides the Channel crossing, which makes the book very intriguiging. I couldn’t put it down. I’m not very fond of mechanical stuff like airplanes, but this book gave me such an appreciation for the aviators, it’s so amazing and brave that they actually dare to go into this weird covered fabric flying machines with often faulty motors and just do it. It was amazing to read about it! And even though I paid attention to my history lessons so I already knew who won this race, it was still very much fun to read. I absolutely loved it!

Set in 1909, Across The Blue by Carrie Turansky has at it’s centre the first flight across the English Channel. Attempting this amazing feat, James Drake encounters Isabella Grayson, daughter of the Daily Mail newspaper’s owner and aspiring journalist. Both Christian, they rely on God’s guidance and support as they strive towards their dreams. Sharing this journey draws them close but several obstacles come up to prevent their relationship and reaching their goals. The book tracks their progress and development of their faith. The story has all it should to be interesting and it’s well-written with developed characters but, for me, the descriptions were too detailed and the progress too slow, I like a faster pace and slightly less intricate prose. It’s a three out for five.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from WaterBrook and Multnomah through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

This was a nice book. I totally called one thing, but other things I did not expect. I'll elaborate in the hidden sections.

I'm reading more in this period of history, but it's still fairly new to me. Carrie did a good job of not putting too much flying and airplane jargon in the story, while still giving Bella what she needed for her articles.

So, what I called was James' mother being Laura Markingham. I kind of thought that was the angle that would get him "worthy" for Bella, but it turned out to be his dad. I wondered about the man at the top of the cliff, but didn't expect the explanation it had. What I didn't expect was for James to lose both competitions. I guess he had to lose the Channel because of historical accuracy, but I really thought he'd win the other one then. It's kind of unique for a story to have the "hero" fail at two things

Across The Blue Starts off with "For great is YOUR love; higher than the Heavens, YOUR faithfulness reaches to the skies. Bie exalted, O GOD above the Heavens and let YOUR glory be over all the Earth." Psalms 108:4-5 now how was that for starting off the book in the dedication page? The book a Spiritual - Faithful and trusting in the LORD and HIS direction. It is also about dreams coming to fruition. It is also about secrets which is a shame because nothing good comes of secret and is about money( Social standing as well) This is a wonderful book - full of wonder.

My Thoughts

Personal Rating: 4.37               Star Rating: 4/5

"Across the Blue" was the first book I've read by the award winning author, Carrie Turansky.  The book cover captured my attention and the story didn't disappoint my expectations.  "Across the Blue" was set in the early 1900's and focused on aviation developers, especially those who competed in a contest.   A newspaper, The Daily Mail offered one thousand pounds to the first group of developers to design a plane and fly it across the English Channel.  This aspect was fascinating and based on historical events.

Bella Grayson, daughter of the owner of The Daily Mail, wants to be a journalist at a time when women were expected to be successful only at socializing, marrying well, keeping house and child rearing.  When Bella witnesses James Drake crash land his plane on their property, Bella's interest in the pilot and his aviation attempts strengthens her goal of becoming a  journalist. This is a difficult thing to accomplish seeing that her mother is against it and wants her to marry a socially acceptable man.

Carrie Turansky did an excellent job incorporating faith. Even though the romance seemed to be instant love, the progression of the story showed that the characters respected their parents, elders and each other. They continued to pursue their own interests while waiting for God's timing and approval from parents. There were plenty of  other positive character developments as choices had to be made and a mystery needed solved.

History, romance, mystery, familial relationships and competitions all worked well in "Across the Blue".  There wasn't a dull moment to be read and the interest level remained high throughout my reading experience. I highly recommend this book for an individual read or a book club choice.  Questions are included at the end of the book for additional discussion.  I'm pleased to say that I'm so glad I chose this book because I've added a new author to my "Want to Read More From This Author" List.

Note: I received a complimentary copy of this book from WaterBrook & Multnomah through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Title: Across the Blue
Author: Carrie Turansky
Publisher: WaterBrook & Multnomah
Published: February 2018
Reading Format: Kindle Ebook

Award-winning author Carrie Turansky pens a new historical romance set in Edwardian England featuring aviation pioneer and a young woman who longs to be a journalist.

In Across the Blue, Isabella Grayson, daughter of a wealthy British newspaper owner, grows up with her parents’ expectations of a suitable marriage, but she has career aspirations of her own — to follow in her father’s footsteps in the newspaper business. She begins to secretly write letters to the editor for her father’s paper, and her desire continues to grow.

Meanwhile, American aviator James Drake is trying enter and win a race across the English Channel sponsored by Isabella’s father. Success would enable him to build airplanes and a reputation. When they meet, it will take all their faith to reach their dreams.

Turansky excels in rich characterization and descriptive narrative, with a clearly evident presence of faith without being preachy. Her characters struggle with doing the right thing even when it is hard, and following God’s plan for their lives.

https://medium.com/@michellereneekidwell_95261/book-review-across-the-blue-872c91971aaa?source=linkShare-fc43cf21e946-1521549588

This is the story of James Drake and Isabella Grayson. James is an early aviation pioneer trying to win the race to be the first to fly across the English Channel. Isabella is not a typical girl for this time in history. She wants more than a home and marriage. She wants to be a journalist and write articles about all the aviation pioneers. She makes a bet with her parents-if they let her write a series of articles for her father's newspaper she will get married in a years time. This is how she meets James and becomes involved in his aviation career.
I like to read stories about early aviation, and this story was one of the best. Even though James was a fictional character, this story is based on real aviation pioneers. This story involved so many things I like to read-history, romance and even a little mystery thrown in. I thoroughly enjoyed this book!

I seldom call a book enthralling, but this book earned that title. Set in a timeframe that I enjoy, Edwardian Egland, Turansky takes us on a riveting tale of bravery, adventure, and so much more. The messages in this book are worked into in a very natural way and the focus on forgiveness and letting go, and opening up to what God has in store for you wasn't lost on me. From the scenery to Belle's search for the right husband in her third season, I didn't want this book to end. I loved the aviation, something I became fond of because of my own spouse. This is a fantastic read.

My copy came from Celebrate Lit. This review is my own, filled with my thoughts and opinions. I leave this review of my own free choosing.

Across the Blue by Carrie Turansky is a novel set in Edwardian England. This is the first book that I have read by this author and I look forward to reading many more after this one. The author has an amazing ability to bring a historical setting alive and this book will make you marvel at airplane travel like you were really experiencing it for the first time. This book is set in the time when the Wright brothers were introducing the world to air travel. In particular, this book highlights the race to be the first person to cross the English Channel by plane. I highly recommend this book! I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher. These opinions are entirely my own.

I did enjoy this book, overall. I liked the original premise, based on the early history of aviation and the race to make the first solo flight across the channel. It’s amazing, in a way, that so things had developed so much less than a decade after the first powered flight. As you can probably guess, I don’t know much about the period, or the subject matter in question, which made the story more interesting.
I liked James Drake, the hero and his unusual ‘family’ the Professor, and their cook Hannah. In fact, I think I liked them best. James seemed like an honest, and down to earth chap for the most part., doing an important job without much recognition. I also liked Isabella’s father, the newspaper magnate, and the details about that subject which his profession allowed for the exploration of. I also though the faith elements was worked well into the story which explored important themes.

It's hard to put my finger on exactly what I didn’t like about this story, though. There were a few minor things. First off, I never really warmed to Isabella as much as I should have done. I felt she lacked depth. She didn’t seem to have any flaws or much to her except her ambition to be a journalist and her insistence that she only wanted to marry for love, not position, rank or status- which I fear is becoming something of a cliché. This took up all her time and emotional energy for the entire book: that and her relationship with James, apart from the odd lackluster arguments with her parents when they said something she did not agree with or threatened to disrupt her plans. I don’t know, to me she just did not seem real enough. Just a conduit for modern opinions and a love interest.

Also, towards the end, I felt the story started to lag a little. There was still the aviation plotline, and that carried along, but there was more emphasis on romance, and as another said, it came over a little cheesy. The flitting and sudden changes in decisions and attitudes of characters in that part got to me. Although the ending was satisfactory, I think everything came together too easily, and maybe its just me, but it seems God’s will lines up a little too conveniently with the character’s desires in some books like this.

Another thing which bothered me was James’ attitude to his background, and especially his grandfather. James regarded him as cruel and selfish for expecting his mother to go to Ireland when she became pregnant with him, and then give him up.
That was the normal practice for young women from genteel families who got pregnant before marriage. His expectation that his grandfather should have allowed her to stay at home and raise him was unrealistic: it would have ruined her reputation, her chances of future marriage and security, and subjected both him and his mother to shame and scorn from their peers.
He forgives his father but stated he would never forgive his grandfather for the supposed ‘wrong’ he did to his mother. The storyline with his grandfather was never concluded and just left ‘in the air’ so the speak.

Furthermore, and this is a problem I have with this genre, and not this novel specifically, what is so wrong with the idea of maintaining a good reputation?
We always see characters railing against this, and against ‘repressive’ social norms and expectations: yet they are still expected to adhere to Christian teachings. So, no sex before marriage, no adultery, etc. If, as we are told love is the most important thing, and characters who reject repressive social norms are good and brave, why don’t we have gay heroes or single mothers with four children by different fathers? Just something to think on. Perhaps the social norms of the past were not so inconsistent with Biblical values after all.

So overall, this was an enjoyable story, but I think I liked the previous book Shine Like the Dawn better.
I would certainly read more by this author though and would recommend this one to lovers of historical and Edwardian Fiction.

I received an eBook from the Publishers, via NetGalley and Celebrate Lit Bloggers for review. I was not required to write a positive one and all opinions expressed are my own.

The first thing that caught my attention was the historical setting. It completely came to life in this book. I felt immersed and invested as if I were living out Downton Abbey <3

Isabella Grayson's family does not have royal bloodline. They've battled their way into society - or, more specifically, her parents have and now they expect their daughters to find an appropriate match to secure position and wealth. However, Bella has a dream that's calling each day more strongly to her, she wants to be a journalist. Though her father is the owner of many newspapers, he thinks it's not a woman's place and it will only stain Bella's reputation, consequently his own. Still, Bella is able to come to a truce with her parents to write anonymously if she promises to secure a suitor this season.

Her perspective is questioned when she meets James Drake. He comes from questionable background and has no financial security. Still, his character, integrity, and determination tug at Bella's heart each time they get to spend together. James dreams of crossing the canal, and each day this dream becomes more and more important as it proves to be the way to guarantee Bella's father approval towards their courtship. But, as all dream-chasers find out sooner or later, our biggest enemy if not our competitor, rather it lives right inside of us: our pride. Will they learn that what really stays and what really satisfies after the victory might not have anything to do with the dream in itself in time to make the correct decision?

This book is about dreams and the hills and valley's we face when we chase them. It's also about remembering what we've been given in life and how we let it shape us. Sticking together, supporting each other, investing in one another might just turn out to be more precisous than any other conquest.