A Promise Born

Buckeye Promises #2

by Cara C. Putman

In the midst of World War II, when the navy WAVES gives Evelyn the chance to get out of Washington, DC, and contribute to the war effort, she can’t leave fast enough.

            Mark figures the distraction the WAVES cause doesn’t justify the assistance they provide. That is until a certain beautiful ensign offers suggestions that may help the engineers succeed in their mission.

            When the actions of a spy put both Mark and Evelyn under suspicion, will the investigation make their relationship another casualty of war, or will it bring about the birth of a true promise of love?

Genres: Romance, Historical Fiction, Christian Fiction, Historical, Christmas, Fiction, Family

176 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published October 14, 2009

About the author

Cara C. Putman lives in Indiana with her husband and four children. She is a clinical associate professor in law and ethics at Purdue University's School of Business. She has loved reading and writing from a young age and now realizes it was all training for writing books. She loves bringing history and legal romantic suspense to life.

An honors graduate of the University of Nebraska, George Mason University School of Law, and Krannert School of Management, Cara left small town Nebraska and headed to Washington, D.C., to launch her career in public policy.

Cara is an author chasing hard after God as she lives a crazy life. She invites you to join her on that journey. She's currently writing her 46th book with more on the way. Please check out her website to learn more about her books and read first chapters.

Reviews

[Andrea Cox · Rating 5 out of 5]

Spies, codebreaking, engineers, faith, family, deep and tough questions…

My heart was completely happy with this story.

[Robin Hatcher · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm listening my way through all three of the Buckeye Promises books. They are short, move quickly, and include sweet romances. This story had to do with the cracking of the German codes created by the Enigma machine. I've known about England's work on decoding, but I hadn't realized how involved America was in the same work to break the German codes. One reason I love historical fiction. There's always a chance to learn something new.

[Rebekah Morris · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this WWII story. It was fun to learn just a little about the Enigma and the secrets surrounding cracking it. The romance was good without being overly dramatic or overly sappy. I really liked the characters. I haven’t read book 1 yet, but I was not confused or felt like I was missing parts reading this book first.

I was confused about where and when Christmas was coming in because the cover makes it look like a Christmas book, and one of the genres is “Christmas”, but there was no mention of Christmas until the last 2-3 chapters. Most of the book is spent in spring and summer, so I wouldn’t call this a Christmas book since there is so little of Christmas in it, but maybe that’s just because I like and expect lots of Christmas in “Christmas” books.

This was clean, Christian book. A few kisses, but nothing descriptive.

[Melmo2610 · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a good story. I liked the fact that Evelyn was an engineer and so smart. Enjoyed this one.

[Loraine · Rating 4 out of 5]

World War 2 romance that includes a great salvation thread, spies, and a testing of faith.

[Shreedevi Gurumurty · Rating 4 out of 5]

In the midst of World War II, when the Navy WAVES give Evelyn Happ the chance to get out of Washington, DC, and contribute to the war effort, she can’t leave fast enough. The fact that she can use her college degree to contribute to the war effort makes the assignment even better. She arrives in Dayton, Ohio, to learn the engineers and military professionals don’t take her seriously at all. Why is it so hard to believe that she’s more than a pretty face?Mark Miller believes the WAVES are an unneeded distraction—the top secret project he’s assigned to is critical to the war and he and his team must focus on cracking the enigma code. Nothing they try works until a beautiful ensign offers solutions that help the engineers succeed in their mission. He’s not sure what to think about her, but has to admit that she’s brilliant enough to see the problem from a fresh perspective. He’s never met anyone like her and wants to know more.When the actions of a spy put both Mark and Evelyn under suspicion, their loyalties to the country and each other are tested. Will their blossoming relationship survive, or be another casualty of war?NCR Corporation, previously known as National Cash Register, is an American software, managed and professional services, consulting and technology company.NCR had been based in Dayton, Ohio.During WWII, the American bombe designed by Joseph Desch.The US Navy Bombe was built by the NCR for the United States Naval Computing Machine Laboratory,to decrypt the Enigma machine that encrypted German military messages.The NCR made American bombes were faster, and soon more available, than the British bombes at Bletchley Park and its outstations.The WAVES served at 900 stations in the US.Many female officers entered fields previously held by men, such as medicine and engineering. Enlisted women served in jobs from clerical to parachute riggers. Many women experienced workplace hostility from their male counterparts. The Navy's lack of clear-cut policies, early on, was the source of many of the difficulties.

[Anne Wolters · Rating 5 out of 5]

Evelyn Happ, a Navy Wave is about to board a westbound train from her hometown of Washington D.C. It's the middle of World War II, and the group of Waves haven't been told their final destination. Maybe it will be on the west coast some thought, with sunny skies, an ocean and warm temperatures. Much to their surprise and dismay their final destination is Dayton, Ohio. Evelyn has an engineer degree so is hoping for some challenging work that will contribute to the war effort, however, the entire group of Waves ends up doing some very routine, mindless assembly work that they learn ultimately impacts a secret project taking place in a locked room.

Mark Miller, also an engineer is working on the top secret project that intrigues Evelyn, however, she's not even cleared to enter the room where this project is housed. She does however, manage to sneak into the room a couple times. Mark doesn't see the value of the Waves although he is impressed with Evelyn's engineering knowledge and when a huge obstacle is impossible to overcome with the secret project he thinks Evelyn might be the person who could give them a new perspective along with ideas.

This is a heartwarming, delightful story that takes place in the late 1930s of the bond and friendships that are made while working together and learning to survive during challenging times.. Cara Putman is gifted in creating characters that come to life on the page and live on even after the last page has been turned.

[Jeanie Womack · Rating 5 out of 5]

Overcoming

In spite of the lofty level of Washington society her parents occupied, Evelyn chose to support the war effort, becoming a Wave. Leaving the train station in DC, she and her friends were surprised to find themselves being ushered off the train in Columbus, Ohio, closer to their point of departure than anyone had expected. With her bachelor's degree in engineering, Evelyn was hoping to be able to use her knowledge to make a difference for the service members. Arriving at Dayton, the Waves were taken to their cottages, housing meant for half the number of occupants and a bathroom that served two suites of 4 women each, with one mirror!
Evelyn finds she and her friends will be working at the National Cash Register Company, her job is sodering pieces to be used in manufacturing...something very secret. Curiosity and drive to use her degree have her sneaking into a top secret lab and yearning for the desire to become part of the team of engineers working on the secret project.
A wonderful read made more exciting because of its historical behind the curtains view of something amazing happening in Dayton to try and shorten the war while saving lives. Truly enjoyable, must read!

[Joleen · Rating 4 out of 5]

May-December. 1943

This second book in the Buckeye Promises series was a much better book to my thinking me than #1. It deals with a machine that was desperately being developed and programmed to decode German messages during WWII. Something was causing it to overheat and failed over and over, meanwhile Germans are winning battles and thousands are dying.

Evelyn, a member of the Navy's WAVES had an engineering degree from Purdue, but was not being utilized by the Navy to the best of her ability.

Noticing her persistence to assist with this decoding matching called "Adam" she eventually became part of the team. Her friendship with Mark Miller and his mother changed her life.

My favorite quote from the book showed me this author's integrity because it’s a huge pet peeve for me in Christian fiction.

"He knew better. The Bible was clear. Do not be unequally yoked. That had to apply to all stages of a relationship or it had no meaning at all"

Good book despite the abrupt ending. And now I’m really looking forward to #3.

[Anne Rightler · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Promise Born is a sweet WWII romance by Cara C. Putman. It is second in the Buckeye Promises series but can easily be read as a stand-alone story. Having read several of this author's books before I was looking forward to reading this and was not disappointed. Although not on the war-front, the story brought out interesting things about the war. I especially enjoyed hearing about the WAVES being involved in code-breaking and the Enigma code during the war. Engaging, believable characters, broken dreams, growing faith in the midst of fears and disappointments, and a captivating romance--A Promise Born has it all. Connie Shabshab does a great job narrating the book, giving voice to the characters and their story, making for an enjoyable listening experience. I won a copy of the audiobook version of the audiobook in a contest and was not required to write a review. The opinions are my own.

[Jessica · Rating 5 out of 5]

another perspective of WWII life

I enjoyed reading this book and seeing yet another perspective of life on the Homefront while war raged across the ocean. It is hard to realize that technology was just not advanced enough to solve every coded message without enormous computers and whole groups of people staffed to try and make these machines work. Evelyn learned so much in this story, and I appreciated she questions and the consistent biblical advice she received to those questions. Mark had some big learning and faith building happen in this story, too. I appreciated Mrs. Miller and her quiet, steady, sincere faith throughout. Although it is part of a series, I think this book could be read as a stand alone, too.

[Jennifer K · Rating 4 out of 5]

The narrator, Connie Shabshab, did a good job with this interesting historical fiction. With a clear and understandable voice, she communicated the characters and reflected the action of this WWII homefront romance. The story involves the stateside work of engineers and the military to break the enigma code. At the same time, one character seeks answers regarding faith, while others continue to walk their own path of faith. The author, Cara Putman, also adds a rocky romance in the mix. After listening to this book, I am curious about the other books in the series. I won a copy of this audiobook from the author. All opinions are my own.

[Karla · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great story set in WWII era. I very much enjoyed the setting in Dayton with the Waves as the starting focus. Evelyn joined the Waves after completing her engineering degree at Purdue. She completed basic training in Washington DC before being sent on a train. Not knowing where she was going or what she would be doing, she and the other women talked and questioned among themselves. Great descriptions of what they were doing, how they lived and what they did was very interesting. The romantic relationship that developed and the Christian beliefs that Evelyn learned and came to understand are an important part of this story.

[Shirley McAllister · Rating 5 out of 5]

Romance in the air

Evelyn joins the Navy Waves and is stationed in Ohio. Mark is already stationed in Ohio. Mark meets Evelyn when the waves arrive at their station. Evelyn meets Mark's mother at an event for the new Waves and she takes her under her wing. Under the gentle teachings of Marjorie (Mark's Mother) Evelyn finds her faith. A lighthearted romance develops between Mark and Evelyn. I love the faith teachings referenced in the book and the clean refreshing writing style. Another great book.

[Caryl · Rating 5 out of 5]

Evelyn Happ is highly intelligent and determined to do her part in the war. I enjoyed watching her discover the love of her Creator through her friendships with the WAVES and others in the community.

Mark Miller is laser-focused on his top secret assignment. So much so that he might miss the blessing that has been brought across his path.

A Promise Born is a sweet romance that you don't want to miss.

Recommend to those who enjoy inspirational, historical fiction.

I borrowed a copy from Kindle Unlimited. All views expressed are my own opinion.

[Kim Paulus · Rating 5 out of 5]

WWII Historical Romance

Evelyn and Mark fighting for their country during WWII . Evelyn is enlisted in the Navy women's core called the Waves. While Mark is a civilian engineer. Both working on a top secret project that will break the German encrypted coded messages. This story is a quick read and for me, I had a hard time putting it down! This s the second one in the series. It can be read as a stand alone.

[Cindy Harris]

Exceptional book. The ending seemed just a little abrupt, or rushed. Otherwise, a good read. Ms. Putman incorporated true historical facts into this fiction. Mostly, I love how she incorporated God's Plan of Salvation and the inspiration to trust Him more. Good book. Not the first I've read from Cara C. Putman, and certainly won't be the last.

[Barbara Whitaker · Rating 4 out of 5]

Set mainly in Dayton, Ohio, during WWII, the WAVES heroine and engineer hero are involved with building machines to break the German Enigma codes. Both the main characters struggle with personal issues as well as work issues. I recommend this book to anyone who loves inspirational stories and the WWII era.

[Mary Mccauley · Rating 5 out of 5]

A interesting story

I love WWII stories. This is set on the home front. A secret project in the Midwest. While many served in the military others used their knowledge to serve in the private sector under government oversight.
This is the story of a young woman who finds herself aware of her need for Jesus. Will she also find true love?

[Alicia Lowery · Rating 3 out of 5]

While I liked learning a bit about WAVES. The story just didn't grab me. To be fair, I had hoped it would be okay as a stand alone, but it really should be read in conjunction with the first book. The ending was way too abrupt for me also.

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

A sweet war-time story as two engineers navigate the waters of romance. I loved the role family played in this story, as Evelyn not only fights for recognition as a female engineer, but searches for truth to her questions of faith.

[Marty Moore · Rating 5 out of 5]

Can Love take hold during WWII

The WAVES played an important and vital role during WWII. This story gives us a better look at what a select few were tasked with during that time.
Can the stress of the war along with the secrecy allow for love to bloom?

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book because of the history that was in it. Even though the characters were not real people, I enjoyed the way it took something from history and turned it into a really good read.

[Ckainer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Possibly my favorite in the series. Interesting to watch a scientific mind grasp Christianity.

[Kayla Hollatz · Rating 3 out of 5]

Overall, it is a light and easy read, although unnecessarily dramatic and cheesy at points. I had a few small issues with it, but it did have some good historical research included.

[Faye · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cozy romance

I enjoyed this light romance story built around the less-known involvement of NCR of Dayton, Ohio and the WAVES in the code-breaking task during WW2.

[Angie Quantrell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well written and engaging. I enjoyed the MC as an engineer set in a time when women were not encouraged to do such manly work. Lovely romance.

[Marie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a cute story and learning about the WAVES was interesting.

[Lori Hooten · Rating 5 out of 5]

This WWII historical fiction story was a fun look at another group of people who made a tremendous impact during the war. The ladies of the WAVES branch of the Navy did such helpful work and this takes a look at one of them who was also an engineer. Evelyn Happ had the privilege of a very good education and desired to do more than just brush or solder pieces, especially after she got an accidental glimpse of a top secret project stuck in the middle of the National Cash Register Company. That accident brought her mind something to consider and puzzle over and she did everything she could to get assigned to the project. Once she was assigned to the Enigma project with the computer named Adam, her life found much more meaning. It also brought the complication of her heart finding hope and love. But the road to that joyous relationship was blocked by the fact that Evelyn was not a Christian. She was, however, cared about deeply by a woman who patiently talked with her, studied with her, and answered all the questions she had. This brought about a hope and a peace that was elusive outside of Christ. And it changed her life. In more ways than she could imagine.

I truly enjoyed this book. I have a habit of reading WWII novels and I love it when it is about a piece of that history that I hadn't know much of before. This did just that. The fact that it was a Christian novel made it even more enjoyable. I enjoyed how the author wrote about the process of Evelyn seeing the difference Christ made in someone's life and then learning, step by step, about Christ, the Bible, and salvation. (Salvation is a topic that was sort of skimmed over in the book and I do wish they had gone more in depth about that and how baptism is required by God as part of salvation.)

I have no hesitations about this story and would recommend it to anyone.

[Laura · Rating 3 out of 5]

A PROMISE BORN is a sweet romance about Mark Miller who works a top secret job for the Navy (so secret even the military doesn't know about it) and Evelyn Happ who signed up to be a WAVES so she could use her engineering degree. BUT she's assigned to a welding job and keeps sneaking into the building where the top secret stuff is and getting run out. You have to admire her perseverance. She does finally get transferred to where she wants to be but that ties Mark up in knots. He's practically engaged and Evelyn ignites feelings he never had for Paige. But Evelyn isn't a Christian.



The story is rather slow, and it took awhile for me to wade through it, but I did grow to like Evelyn and Mark and it was nice to know more about Kat and Josie where were featured in other books in this series.



If you like World War II romance and missed A PROMISE BORN when it was first published by Heartsong Presents, now is your chance to snag a copy.



I was given a copy of Ohio Brides free and this story was included in it. All opinions are my own.