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Saturday, February 4, 2023

Yesterday’s Tides - by Roseanna M. White: Book Review

Title: Yesterday's Tides
Author: Roseanna M. White
Pages: 432
Publisher: Bethany House Publishers
Publishing Date: January 24th 2023
Genre: Historical Fiction
Themes: WWI, WWII, Christian, Romance
Format: Kindle
Rating: 4

 

GoodReads Synopsis:

In 1942, Evie Farrow is used to life on Ocracoke Island, where every day is the same--until the German U-boats haunting their waters begin to wreak havoc. And when special agent Sterling Bertrand is washed ashore at Evie's inn, her life is turned upside down. While Sterling's injuries keep him inn-bound for weeks, making him even more anxious about the man he's tracking, he becomes increasingly intrigued by Evie, who seems to be hiding secrets of her own.

Decades earlier, in 1914, Englishman Remington Culbreth arrives at the Ocracoke Inn for the summer, but he doesn't count on falling in love with Louisa Adair, the innkeeper's daughter. When war breaks out in Europe, and their relationship is put in jeopardy, will their love survive?

As Evie and Sterling work to track down an elusive German agent, they unravel mysteries that go back a generation. The ripples from the Great War are still rocking their lives, and it seems yesterday's tides may sweep them all into danger again today.

Bestselling and award-winning author Roseanna M. White whisks you away to two periods fraught with peril in this sweeping and romantic dual-time tale. 


My review of Yesterday's Tides:

This dual timeline novel follows two women during the First World War (in 1912) and the Second World War (in 1942). I enjoyed following both stories, but especially the one during the year 1942.

Ignoring the very large number of characters, so large that I had to create a list of them to keep track, the novel flows smoothly. As you read more of the stories, you get familiar with all the characters. It's more a plot driven novel, but you do get to see the characters' development throughout. The mystery aspect of the novel, not knowing for sure whom to trust, the intrigue with the war spies and war intelligence made me turn the pages faster.

Besides the romantic plot line, where we learn about Evie Farrow's and Louisa Adair's love stories, the novel deals with themes of racism, class divisions, multiple generations, and war intelligence. The best thing was reading to see how the two story lines converge and how the characters connect with one another. It was a wonderful reading experience. I admit starting this hoping for an easy read during a weekend, but there is substance to the story, and a couple of weeks later, I still think about this story sometimes. 

For fans of historical novels, especially set during either of the two world wars, this is a good choice of reading material. In the note at the end of the novel, the author does mention how these characters are in fact characters from her previous works. I haven't read anything by her before, but I didn't feel like there was a lack of depth to the way the characters were constructed. However, those familiar with her other novels will probably get an extra level of enjoyment recognizing other characters.

I received a free e-book copy of this book from the publisher, Bethany House Publishers, via Net Galley. However, all thoughts expressed in this review are my own.

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