When I saw that this one was sporting a blurb by Sarah Waters on the cover I knew I had to read it!
Louise is a young dairy maid on a prosperous farm when she's chosen to become lady's maid for the master's niece far away in a seaside town. Her mother, wary of her daughter's proximity to the dangerous waters after losing a husband and a son to ship life, begrudgingly consents to her new task. Rebecca, the lady in question , is far different than anything Louise ever expected and threatens to change her life completely. While Louise takes to her new position, Luke, a young man, finds himself aboard a naval vessel with men that have been taken into the sea life by force. Faced with a new way of living, Luke must learn the ways of the pack quickly in order to survive. A gritty tale of sea life and its dangers, readers will feel like they stepped back in time.
First, let me say that I really enjoyed this novel despite having a few issues overall. It's official that I'm less fond of stories told in the style of alternating between two characters. It can really break up the story and make it a bit more confusing than a straight narrative. I also found I was much more taken with one narrative in the book than the other and had a harder time reading the chapters that weren't as engaging. However, each character had their own distinct voice which made this style successful in the end. I could see the similarities in the two writers' styles shortly after beginning the novel. While Waters has had far more time to perfect her craft, Worsley will not disappoint with this debut novel. Bits of dialogue reminded me very much of Waters's Fingersmith, and were at times a little too similar, but enjoyable nonetheless. All and all, it's a great novel that is perfect for those who enjoy detailed stories with multiple characters.
**Readers beware! There are some pretty distressing subjects in this book. While they aren't necessarily discussed in gory detail, subjects are strongly alluded to and could be distressing for some readers.
Oh! and guess what?? TLC Book Tours is offering one lucky reader a copy of this beautiful book!
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