A Refuge at Highland Hall

Penny Ramsey has always considered Highland Hall her home, but when Britain becomes involved in World War One she travels to London to assist her sister Kate with the eight orphan children she and her husband Jon have taken into their home. Doing her part for the war effort takes priority over Penny’s dreams of romance until she meets Alex Goodwin, a Royal Naval Air Service pilot in training.

Alex is determined to prove his worth and do his part to defend his country. Knowing he is heading off for the dangerous assignment of  chasing Zeppelins across the front line in France, he feels it’s unwise to form any romantic attachments. But he can’t help admiring the pretty, warmhearted Penny and wondering what it would be like to find her waiting when he returns home from the war.

As Penny writes to Alex, their friendship blossoms, and she becomes his tie to home and normalcy as he faces the hardships war. But being an RNAS pilot means confronting the enemy, and the fallout form those experiences push Alex beyond Penny’s reach. Can God mend the brokenness left by the losses of war? Will faith and forgiveness bring them together again? (Amazon)

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My Review: Another satisfying story of romance and and action filled with charming characters and historical details. Set within the backdrop of World World One. This time the main character is Kate's younger sister Penny and an old family friend of Jon's, Alex Goodwin. Penny is visiting her pregnant sister to help Kate take care of 8 orphaned children she and Jonathan are caring for when she meets young RAF pilot, Alex Goodwin. The two have an instant attraction but are soon separated: Alex is assigned to protect England from the Zeppelins that are bombarding London. Due to the danger, Kate, Penny, the children, and servants are all sent to live at Highland Hall. 

Due to the distance separating them, their romance develops throughout a series of letters, until a tragedy sends Alex back to England. As he struggles to face his new normal, will he risk developing a closer relationship with Penny? Letters are also an essential part of another blossoming romance that seems doomed to failure. To be honest, I found myself more drawn to this story and wanting to learn more.

This is Book 3 in the Edwardian Brides series, and it was good to revisit familiar characters. (Reading the first two books is not essential, but I do recommend them.) This one did not hold my attention quite as much, but is still a very enjoyable book. I think there were just too many other story lines that I wanted to have more details about...and I really can't complain because Turansky left me wanting more; I consider it to be a mark of a very skilled story-teller.

I received this book at no cost to myself from Waterbrook-Multnomah's Blogging For Books program. I was only required to write an honest review.