Waves of Freedom Books in Order

The Waves of Freedom series drops you into Boston and the North Atlantic in the early years of World War II. The books follow members of the Avery family and their friends as they serve in the Navy or support the war effort on shore. Each story pairs a different couple, but the characters weave in and out of one another's lives, giving the series the feel of one long, unfolding community drama.

The tone is part cozy home front, part tense battle against German U boats.

In Through Waters Deep, quiet Boston Navy Yard secretary Mary Stirling prefers to stay behind the scenes, keeping ships and paperwork in order while other people take the credit. Her childhood friend, Ensign Jim Avery, serves on the destroyer USS Atwood, escorting convoys across increasingly dangerous waters. When hints of sabotage touch Jim's ship, Mary's eye for detail and Jim's access to the fleet pull them into an investigation that plays out against isolationist rallies, whispered accusations, and a hesitant romance neither is sure they should pursue.

Anchor in the Storm centers on pharmacist Lillian Avery and Ensign Archer Vandenberg, Jim's wealthy but battle shaken friend. Lillian arrives in Boston eager to prove herself in a male dominated profession and tired of having her abilities underestimated. Arch returns from sea still struggling with combat nerves and alarmed by how many sailors rely on sedatives to cope. As the two of them trace forged prescriptions and suspicious overdoses, they uncover a dangerous drug ring that touches the docks, the dance halls, and Arch's own circle of privilege.

In When Tides Turn, exuberant socialite Quintessa Beaumont is determined to reinvent herself. She joins the newly formed WAVES program, trading glamorous parties for uniforms, code work, and long hours at the Anti Submarine Warfare Unit. There she collides with methodical Lt. Dan Avery, who would rather focus on chasing U boats than mentor a woman he assumes is frivolous. Their partnership deepens as Tess digs into oddities among her French expatriate friends and Dan faces hard choices between a coveted sea assignment and helping expose a possible spy.

Across all three novels, Boston itself becomes a character, from crowded shipyards and corner pharmacies to blackout drills and church choirs.

Taken together, the series charts America's shift from uneasy neutrality to full engagement in the Battle of the Atlantic. Readers see how small acts in offices and drugstores can matter as much as decisions made in war rooms. The books can be read on their own, but moving through them in order lets you watch the Averys and their circle grow through friendship, faith, and hard won trust.