Christian Historical Romance Book Review: Beyond the Clouds by Elizabeth Camden

Some stories take you gently by the hand. Others drop you straight into the turbulence of history and dare you to believe that love can still rise above it.

Beyond the Clouds is set against the devastating backdrop of Belgium during World War I, a time of famine, fear, and fractured loyalties. But at its heart, this story isn’t only about war. It’s about two orphaned children who once dreamed of flying kites and building a life together… and whether love can survive betrayal, distance, and the shifting winds of duty.

If you love emotionally rich historical romance with spiritual depth and layered character growth, this one will stay with you long after the final page.

Title: Beyond the Clouds

Author: Elizabeth Camden

Series: The Women of Midtown

Genre: Historical Romance, Christian Romance

Rating: 5 out of 5 ⭐

Disclaimer

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I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book which I received from the author. All views expressed are only my honest opinion.

My Thoughts:

This book is about the devastating history of Belgium during World War I and the complicated relationship between childhood loves, Delia and Finn. Two orphaned children raised together at an orphanage in the United States – they each carry their own personal burdens. But the comfort they found in one another was unmatched.

As they grew up together, they developed a share fascination for starting a kite shop. But the development of airplanes and the arrival of war, takes Finn in a very different direction. Leaving a heartbroken young Delia behind to fend for herself.

Having not seen or spoken to one another in about ten years, Finn is returning home temporarily from the war as a war hero. His plane had gone down in Belgium and he survived hiding in one home and then stowing away on a relief ship to escape and avoid detection.

Now him and Delia are facing one another again to work together to help raise funds for the same company that sends relief ships to Belgium to help the people there.

With the complications of their past, it’s awkward for a while as they learn how to be themselves now around one another. They’ve each had varying difficult experiences and are not the same kids they had been the last time they saw one another. But one thing is for sure, a love like theirs doesn’t burn out. It only waits for the oxygen in the room to pick back up.

This is one of those stories where they are challenged emotionally and spiritually to believe in the goodness of others even when you think there’s no light left. They had to trust one another after their childhood parting left Delia $300 poorer, and they are facing the realities of war around them.

I loved how deeply the emotions were felt in this one. From Finn’s personal pain that he carries about how he lost his mother and his desire to be everyone’s hero, even to his own detriment, to how much he wants to forgive himself and be the man Delia deserves. Even Delia goes through incredible growth from believe she should settle in and marry her boss, to realizing her own worth and that she can set off to do the things that mean the most to her.

A wonderful story that depicts real struggle, life, and grace of how our decisions lead us to the people we were always meant to be.

Publisher’s Blurb:

They lost each other once before; now the clouds of war may give them a second chance.

As teenagers, Delia Byrne and Finn Delaney fell in love while flying kites and dreaming of a future together—until betrayal tore them apart. Now, as America enters World War I, Delia works for peace as a paralegal and pacifist. Her values forbid her from supporting the war effort, but she volunteers for a relief organization trying to save millions of lives in famine-stricken Belgium.

Returning to America as a decorated war hero, Finn is eager to get back to the front but is assigned to use his fame to raise funds instead. Little does he know that this mission will bring him face-to-face with Delia, the only woman he ever loved and once hoped to marry. As their shared mission draws them together, old sparks of romance begin to stir—until duty sends them behind enemy lines in occupied Belgium. Will the greatest danger be the conflict raging around them—or the possibility of falling in love again?