Whatever it Takes by Sarah Hanks Review

 

Whatever it Takes by Sarah Hanks is the third book in her Sisters in Arms series. Each of the books in this series is a dual timeline with the historical timeline taking place during the Civil War, focusing on a woman who secretly joins the army disguised as a man. And there is something that then connects the story to the present day timeline. 

In the historical timeline of Whatever it Takes, Henrietta joins the Confederate army so she can earn money to provide necessities for her family as their mother passed away and their father is injured. She is persistant and determined to stick with it, even through the dangers that come her way, from the danger of being discovered, to the danger of being killed on the battlefield. 

The present day timeline in this book focuses on two sisters, Everly and Ivy, both of whose points-of-view we get to see. The sisters are very different from each other, but love each other very much. Emery promised their dying mother that she would watch out for and protect Ivy, so that is what she has done all these years. But now there are some devastating circumstances that are really putting their relationship to the test., as well as their marital relationships.

I fell in love with the characters in this book and was invested in their stories. I love the way the author wove the past with the present. All of the main characters were dealing with such difficult circumstances. It was a very moving story, so many emotions. And it is a story where faith played an important part. 

I loved that we were reunited with a character from book one, A Battle Worth Fighting. It has been a while since I'd read it, and I completely forgot that Henrietta appears in book one. So, now I really need to reread the entire series. 

I didn't use to be a fan of dual-timeline stories, but this author is one that has made me fall in love with them. 

I received an e-copy of this book as a member of the launch team and was not required to write a favorable review. These are my own honest thoughts. 

Friday Fun - April 4, 2025

Welcome to my Friday Fun post. This is where I share with three different book parties that post on Fridays: Book Beginnings on Fridays, the Friday 56, and First Line Friday.

This week I have two books to share with you.

I read Specters in ther Glass House by Jaime Jo Wright for one of my March reading challenges.

I'm currently reading Whatever it Takes by Sarah Hanks as a member of the launch team. The book releases next week on April 9th.

        Book Beginnings on Friday     

(Please join Gilion Dumas for Book Beginnings every Friday to share the first sentence (or so) of the book you are reading, along with your initial thoughts about the sentence, impressions of the book, or anything else the opener inspires. Please remember to include the title of the book and the author's name.)

and

First Line Friday

(Please join Carrie for First Line Friday.)

Here are my Book Beginnings/First Line Friday selections:

 Specters in the Glass House by Jaime Jo Wright:

"Death had always been fashionable."

I was quite intrigued and wanted to know where the author was going with that sentence.

Whatever it Takes by Sarah Hanks:

"'Smile, Everly, it's not a funeral." Ivy's cheery tone masks the lapse of judgment in choosing her words."

I wondered why the mention of a funeral was relevant.

Now for:

The Friday 56 

The Friday 56 is normally hosted over at Freda's Voice. But Anne from My Head is Full of Books is taking over for a while. 

Rules:

*Grab a book, any book.
*Turn to page 56 or 56% in your eReader
(If you have to improvise, that's ok.)
 *Find any sentence, (or few, just don't spoil it) that grab you.
*Post it.
*Add your (url) post below in Linky. Add the post url, not your blog url. It's that simple.

Here are my Friday 56 selections:

Specters in the Glass House by Jaime Jo Wright:

 

"Too much had changed already. The Arnold name was tarnished in Milwaukee. A brewery gone under because of Prohibition, and now a man was hanged in what remained of the estate?"

Whatever it Takes by Sarah Hanks:

"Muted background noises of phone calls and beeping monitors pepper the room. A few seats from me, an elderly man with an oxygen tank, the only other person in the area stares blankly ahead. Awkward silence swirls around us. I should say something, but what? I hardly know my btother-in-law."

Reviews:

Last week I shared two books in my Friday Fun post. I ended up having to set both of those books aside, but I hope to be able to share the links to my reviews next week.

Two weeks ago I shared two books in my Friday Fun post. I previoiusly shared the link to the one, here is the link to the other:

These Long Shadows by Jennifer Mistmorgan