AUTHOR: Elizabeth Camdem
DATE: 2017
PUBLISHER: Bethany House
STARS: ****
It has been six years since army nurse Jenny Bennett's heart was broken by a dashing naval officer. Now Lieutenant Ryan Gallagher has abruptly reappeared in her life at the Presidio army base but refuses to discuss the inexplicable behavior that destroyed their happiness.
Ryan is in an impossible situation. One of the few men in the world qualified to carry out a daring assignment, he accepted a government mission overseas that caused his reputation to be destroyed and broke the heart of the only woman he ever loved. Honor bound never to reveal where he had been during those six years, he can't tell Jenny the truth or it will endanger an ongoing mission and put thousands of lives at risk.
Although Ryan thinks he may have finally found a solution, he can't pull it off on his own. Loyalty to her country compels Jenny to help, but she never could have imagined the intrigue she and Ryan will have to face or the lengths to which they will have to go to succeed.
The author’s research skills shine in this historical novel, and I enjoyed learning about the birth of the cultured pearl industry. The tangled web of secrets keeping Ryan and Jenny apart were unusual and quite fascinating. Their characters seemed realistic; I admired Jenny, especially, with her rough background and tender heart.
One problem I had with this story were the names of hero/heroine Ryan and Jenny. Seems trivial, but those particular names felt more like a 1970s story and pulled me out of the 1928 setting. In fact, I checked a couple websites of popular names for that era and found Jenny at number 645, but Ryan didn’t make the list of the top thousand.
Nevertheless, I enjoyed To the Farthest Shores with its multi-layered characters. Almost against my will, Finn managed to find a tender spot in my heart.
To the Farthest Shores is the first book I’ve read by Elizabeth Camden, but it won’t be the last. It earns four stars. Book has been provided courtesy of Baker Publishing Group and Graf-Martin Communications, Inc.