The Enemy Between Us
In Melinda Sue Sanchez’s historical romance novel, The Enemy Between Us, the reader gets to experience the devastating loss that war can bring amidst the juxtaposition of how love can find a way to blossom in even the most difficult circumstances. Set in WWII Italy and following Franca Chessari, the daughter of a wealthy Italian partisan leader, and Peter, a former German soldier who rejects the Nazi ideology, the story twists and turns with excellent action sequences intermixed with more standard romance scenes as the two fall in love despite their countries being at war. The story is also one of personal growth, as the responsibilities of helping her family during a war inspire Franca to push her boundaries to new limits, while Peter overcomes personal guilt for his actions during the war to see that he can redeem himself in the eyes of others and also himself.
Although Sanchez does make some questionable plot reaches near the end of the book that push the most extreme boundaries of timely luck, The Enemy Between Us is a solid enough novel with a satisfying ending to appease most historical romance readers.
