With Every Letter (Wings of the Nightingale #1) - Sarah Sundin

Ever since I came across this author, I know that her books are something to look forward to.  I've had this one on my Kindle for some time, because I knew that once I started it, I wouldn't want to put it down.  Now that the kids are back in school, I was ready to dive into this book.  I've read her first series, Wings of Glory, in the past and really enjoyed them. That series included A Distant Melody, A Memory Between Us, and Blue Skies Tomorrow.

In this series, we're learning about the flight nurses in WWII.  Mellie is an outcast that has never learned how to make friends.  When she is convinced to join in a letter writing exchange, Mellie gets to be herself without having to worry about the man on the other end judging her by her looks or her awkwardness.  Mellie doesn't fit in with the other nurses and it puts her place on the squad in jeopardy.

Tom has been judged his entire life by the actions of his father.  His father was executed for murdering two people and there's even a children's rhyme that immortalizes the fact. To compensate for his father's past, Tom, an engineer, doesn't lead his men, he bribes them with rewards for getting their work done.  His leadership skills are coming into question because of his constant need to convince everyone that he is not his father.  He enjoys writing Mellie anonymously because he can be himself and not be judged.

A chance encounter causes Mellie to figure out who Tom is and she holds that information to herself.  She believes that if she tells him who she really is, he will reject her and he won't be able to be as open as he is in his letters.  As Tom struggles with his feeling between letter-Mellie and the real Mellie, he pushes to meet the letter writer and take his chances.  Mellie resists.

As with her other books, the author has obviously done her homework.  It is evident in the amount of detail you read in the scenes.  If you've read my review of A Distant Melody, you'll know that I am really interested in WWII history because of my grandfather.  I have to say that I was happy to see an honorable mention of the B-26 in the book, the plane my grandfather piloted, even though his service was a little later in the war than when this book is set.  I almost give myself eye strain reading Sundin's books.  There's a great balance of history and romance and I highly recommend them.  The second book in this series came out on August 1 and is called On Distant Shores.  It tells the story of Georgiana and I anxiously await a price drop! Remember to read these in order for the best read.  Great Book!