With Britain caught up in WWI, Jack Benningham, heir to the Earl of Stonebrooke, has declared himself a conscientious objector. Instead, he secretly works for the Crown by tracking down German spies on British soil, his wild reputation and society status serving as a foolproof cover.
Blinded by patriotism and concern for her brother on the front lines, wealthy suffragette Grace Mabry will do whatever it takes to assist her country's cause. When she sneaks into a posh London masquerade ball to hand out white feathers of cowardice, she never imagines the chain of events she'll set off when she hands a feather to Jack.
And neither of them could anticipate the extent of the danger and betrayal that follows them--or the faith they'll need to maintain hope.
My thoughts:
My expectations for a historical romance are different from that of a contemporary, young adult, or even a dystopian novel.
That being said, Not by Sight lived up to my expectations!
I had forgotten how much I enjoy historical romances. There's a certain amount of charm that comes from being swept to an enchanting era, while knowing full well that when you close the cover you still have access to modern plumbing.
It's the simple things in life. ;)
I really liked Jack's character, and I thought he was well developed. He was egotistical and wounded, with a touch of brooding. I love that combination for a hero! I liked Grace, too. She was obviously meant to be the strong, shining example, but there were times I wished she had been a little more reckless. That seems strange to say, but we are all human, and sometimes act rash. I think that would have made her a teensy bit more relatable, but I honestly thought the author did an excellent job with Grace's character.
While Grace needed to remain strong in her faith towards the end of the story when her world fell apart, it was really Jack who needed to learn to live by faith and not by sight. A few chapters into the novel, you learn that Jack has lost his sight while in service to his country. He truly has to live his life relying on everything but his sight. However, he has trouble living by a faith that's failed him. The title, Not by Sight, was quite fitting for this story!
Grace is an aspiring writer, and when Jack finds out during their time together, he uses Grace as his "eyes." Jack has an uncanny ability to navigate his surroundings despite his blindness. He hires Grace to be his driver, has her drive to the middle of nowhere, and then describe the scene to him. Long descriptions of their surroundings were instead used as dialogue. As a writer myself, I enjoyed this little trick that the author used. :)
Not by Sight was a very enjoyable story. While I still had some questions at the end, I quite loved the resolution between Jack and Grace. I highly recommend this book!
I received Not by Sight by Kate Breslin from Bethany House in exchange for my honest review.
See you guys on September 1st! God bless you guys!
V. Joy Palmer
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