In the Shadow of Truth

Well. Leak did it again. Somehow she has made me feel every single emotion possible, leaving me with dread, and hope all at the same time. I really don't know what to say. I stumbled onto the first novel, only to binge read it into the second, completely falling in love with Jenny and Kathryn, and how different they are to each other, yet are just so good together, if they let themselves be.

I love historical fiction, or at least for a loose setting. Don't expect this story to go deep into war/Nazi details. Just accept that it's going on. I learned from the last installment to not expect the author to really allow for Jenny and Kathryn to have any real happiness- because a war is going on and a LOT is happening. And Kathryn, the soldier that she is, can't let go of her duties. In Shadow of Truth, you really get to see what's going on in Kathryn's head. The focus is more on her, and even though I wished that there was more time spent with her and Jenny, together, I see why Leak wrote it this way, as much as it hurt. Gosh, it hurt, to watch Kathryn go through everything she does, and how she rationalizes her actions, and what she needs to do to protect Jenny. I do think that some things are unforgivable regardless of intentions, and I don't know how they will survive what Kathryn has done (she does A LOT), because you best believe there will be a book 4. But here I am, with hope – because of course Jenny understands, or will understand, because she's the only person in the whole world that understands Kathryn and her actions, even more than Smitty.

The last quarter of the novel was to say bluntly, depressing. It was really hard to swallow everything that Katheryn did. Sure you can say it has to do with survivor's guilt, or that she's following the mission. You basically witness Kathryn hit rock bottom. I may not agree with all of her actions, and am not pleased with the current company she keeps at the end of the novel– but I see a Jenny turning into a one woman platoon going to fight to get her woman back. That's me hoping anyway- because regardless of all the ugly there was in this novel- Leak has written both characters in such a way (including ALL their flaws (yes you, Kathryn) that you can still see the light within them and hold on to hope. Don't let this romantic down!

An ARC was given to me for this honest review.