Tide and Tempest by Elizabeth Ludwig ~ My Review

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About the book~

TIDE AND TEMPEST

Edge of Freedom ~ Book #3

Dreaming of a better life, Tillie McGrath leaves Ireland behind and, with her beloved fiance by her side, sets sail for America. But when illness robs her of the man she holds dear, she's left alone with only a handful of tattered memories. While forging on proves difficult, Tillie soon finds some new friends at her New York boardinghouse, and begins pursuing a new dream--to open a home for orphaned children.

Despite two years passing, Captain Keondric Morgan has never forgotten the lass who left his ship so heartbroken. When a crewman's deathbed confession reveals her fiance's demise was the result of murder, the captain knows he must try to contact her. But his attention draws the notice of others as well--dangerous men who believe Tillie has in her possession something that could expose their crimes. And to their way of thinking, the best way to prevent such an outcome is to seize the evidence and then hand Tillie the same fate as her naive fiance.

Sharing my review~

I enjoyed Dark Road Home, the first book in the Edge of Freedom series, so I was especially excited to dig into Tide and Tempest. The opening scenes flowed fast, and again I found myself immersed back in 19th century New York, becoming reacquainted with Tillie McGrath and getting to know Captain Morgan. The Celt is back, along with the Irish Fenians, and the complicated plot around a special ring chugs ahead, full steam. 

A couple years before, Tillie had sailed with her fiance from Ireland on Captain Morgan's ship. When her fiance died onboard, she felt that she deserved God's punishment. She worked as a milliner by day, and volunteered at a shelter most nights, trying to earn God's favor. I appreciated the underlying message, a subtle thread throughout the book, that grace and forgiveness is a gift, not to be worked off or earned. Captain Morgan had never been able to get Tillie off his mind, and commits to protect her until they discover her fiance's killer. Tillie and Morgan were totally lovable, even with their occasional rash actions. 

As I noted in my review of Dark Road Home, I definitely recommend reading the first book in the Edge of Freedom series, No Safe Harbor before picking up the next two books. The plot and most of the characters played out through the entire series. If you love historical romantic suspense, you'll want to include all three books in your personal library.

Disclaimer: Sending a big thank you to Elizabeth Ludwig and Bethany House Publishers for providing me with an advance review copy of Tide and Tempest. The opinions expressed in this review are my own, and I received no monetary compensation.

Have You Read DARK ROAD HOME by Elizabeth Ludwig?

Dark Road Home by
Elizabeth Ludwig

About the book~
The nightmares of her past have found Ana Kavanagh an ocean away.
Ana Kavanagh's memories of Ireland are mostly of fire and pain. As a girl she survived a blaze that left her an orphan, left her scarred, and left her angry at God. Now in New York, Ana finds a kindred spirit in Eoghan Hamilton, who's struggling with his own anger. His twin sister, Cara, betrayed him by falling in love with his enemy.

Cast aside by everyone, Eoghan hopes to rejoin the Fenians, an organization pushing for change back in Ireland, by securing information against Rourke, the man his sister married. Ana, Cara's friend, may be his best source, and despite the attraction he feels, Eoghan determines to use the girl's sweet nature to his advantage.

Adding to the danger is a specter from Eoghan's own past, one whose thirst for vengeance knows no bounds. Eoghan must choose which road to follow--bitterness or forgiveness--and where to finally place his trust.

My Summary...

Irish immigrants Ana Kavanagh and Eoghan Hamilton both vowed never to cross the threshold of a church again, but for different reasons. Beaten and bruised by the Fenians and bitter over his sister's betrayal, Eoghan wakes, gazing up at a steeple, robbed of his last coin. Father Ed offers a meal in exchange for some work around the church. Ana blames God for the fire that ravaged her home, killing her mother and sister, and leaving her an orphan far away from her home. When Ana's friend practically drags her to the church to help feed the women and children staying in the mission, Ana discovers Eoghan's identity. While Eoghan barters to get back in the good graces of the Fenians, Ana hopes to reunite Eoghan with his sister. Neither of them are aware of the rippling effect one circumstance has on the other.  

My Review...

Typically, I'm not a huge history buff, but the author did a great job sparking my interest in 19th century life for Irish immigrants living in New York. 

As circumstances brought Eoghan and Ana together, each had to decide whether to stay bitter or forgive. This was especially true for Eoghan. Faced with a life or death situation, he was forced to choose who to trust. Their faith journey was totally realistic and organic to the story.

What an interesting, intense plot with layers of depth! This isn't a book you'll breeze through in a couple of hours. I savored it over a few nights, soaking up the history and the author's delightful way with words. This was a new author to me, and I'll definitely be keeping abreast of future books by Elizabeth Ludwig!

To note...

I definitely recommend reading the first book in the series, No Safe Harbor, before Dark Road Home. The plot started with No Safe Harbor and continues, I suspect all the way through the third book in the series. Also, had I read No Safe Harbor first, I believe that my questions about the Fenians would have been resolved sooner. 

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Disclaimer: Sending a big thank you to Elizabeth Ludwig and Bethany House Publishers  for providing me with an advance review copy of Dark Road Home. The opinions expressed in this review are my own, and I received no monetary compensation.

Have you read Dark Road Home? 

Do you agree with my review? What were your thoughts?