Book Review: Like a Ship on the Sea

Like a Ship on the Sea by Kellyn Roth

Historical Romance. 301 Pages. 4 Stars

Synopsis:

If God asks you to confront a storm, how dare you stay in the harbor?

Lady Mary Cassidy O’Connell has a dream that can be summed up in three connecting a loving husband, adorable children, and a home of her own. Her mother’s lack of care makes life difficult for Cassie, and an escape is necessary. The plan? Marry Aubrey Montgomery, the man her parents have chosen for her, and find the peace she craves.

Unfortunately, Cassie is uneasy about marrying Aubrey. Her apprehension grows as she witnesses her dearest friend’s loving marriage take place. At this wedding, she catches the eye of Patrick Hilton, son of a wealthy American. Like Cassie, he’s also set to marry a woman chosen by his parents—only, Patrick claims, he is content with this choice.

Torn between her desire for happiness and the knowledge that God is leading her in a different direction, Cassie confronts the impossible decision. Is a loveless marriage of obligation better than being alone, or will she set sail on a voyage without a safe harbor?

Like a Ship on the Sea is the first novel in The Hilton Legacy, a stand-alone trilogy featuring characters from the author’s first series, The Chronicles of Alice and Ivy.

My Review:

Eep, okay, I’ve loved this cover since it was released and I’ve been anticipating the story because I was intrigued by the synopsis. This is my first read of Kellyn’s books, though I’ve been meaning to get around to reading something of hers for years now it seems.

What drew me to this one (aside from that beautiful cover) was the title and premise. I love the sea and I love storms. And I was curious about a girl wrestling through the storms of life with her faith from the perspective of an author I admire and respect as a person. Little did I know when I first signed up for an advanced reader copy (thank you, Kellyn!) that this book would be released at such a time in my own life.

The historical setting is always fun. The manners, the culture, and the era tickle a girl’s fancy every now and then. And it was cool to see Kellyn show us more than the stereotypical Regency England, but some of Ireland and America, too. The world felt whole and wide because we traveled parts of it, which I really enjoyed.

The characters were fun and easy to root for. There were nods to characters from Kellyn’s other series (which I haven’t read), but this story stood on it’s own. I could tell there were bits and pieces of backstory or other characters’ stories that had been lived that I didn’t fully understand the context too, but that gave this story a bit of charm in knowing there are always stories we don’t know behind the people we meet. I did find it difficult to keep up with all of the names, though. It seemed like every single character had a pet name and at some point went by both their nickname and normal name. But I got the hang of it quickly enough.

Cassie and Patrick were our two main characters. I loved Cassie’s quiet dedication to serving those around her. She stepped in for Alice’s wedding with the sole intent of ensuring Alice and her family could enjoy the day. She was so good with kids and yet not a pushover. I loved that she wasn’t the stereotypical nanny kind of figure, but someone who felt much like an older sister or a woman who was willing to stand firm, but in kindness and love. Cassie had an elegance to her, but a soft heart that moved her to see those society normally ignores. I appreciated her dedication to her faith, though sometimes I wanted to push her along a little toward the end 😉

As for Patrick, it was a delight to see the eldest sibling in full sibling mode. His sense of responsibility toward his two younger sisters was something I strongly relate to. I liked seeing his work ethic, the way he was both good at and enjoyed his work, and his awareness of the world around him. His dedication to raising his sisters with a full, rounded education and finding ways to provide for the mentorship they lacked contrasted beautifully with the very real exasperation with younger siblings. There was a perfect balance of loving and caring for them with annoying and getting under their skin. His practicality felt natural which made his journey something that felt realistic and plausible. The choices he made made sense to me, even if I was rooting for him to change his mind!

And thematically. Thematically is where this one hit home for me. Kellyn wove a strong sense of learning to depend on God’s plan and His timing. There were a few small moments in the end where I felt that affected the pacing of the story, but overall, I was really impressed with her execution with what can be a tricky theme. And personally, there were several moments in the book where Cassie’s journey spoke to my heart. I’m in a season of waiting. And I hate waiting. But sometimes seeing characters wrestle through such relatable struggles empowers us with the hope to keep going in real life. And I think God timed this read perfectly to encourage me and give me hope in a dark time. For that alone, I am grateful to this book.

I do look forward to seeing more from Kellyn, and more in this series in particular. And I would recommend the read to anyone who enjoys uplifting Christian historical romance. It didn’t feel preachy to me, but both Kellyn’s and the character’s faith is evident. It’s not something either shy away from, which is something in its own right to be appreciated.

Content: it’s a clean romance with one brief and non-explicit conversation alluding to marriage responsibilities. There’s no foul language and no violence. But the story does deal with some tougher topics, such as emotional abandonment, miscarriage, depression, and suicide. Kellyn handles each topic with the warranted delicacy and non are graphic or explicit. But neither does she sugar coat the pain that comes from these difficult situations. I believe her recommendation is 16+ and I’d agree with that, unless you have a mature 14/15 year old that you’d be willing to discuss the topics with.

Blog Tour Info:

Today’s review is a little different than normal 🙂 I have some bonus content for you since it’s running as part of Kellyn’s Blog Tour (and there’s a Giveaway)!

Check out Kellyn’s blog to see the start of the tour (and links to the rest of the participating blogs).

About the Author:

Kellyn Roth is a historical romance & women’s fiction author who writes stories to share hope in life’s storms. Her novels include the inspirational Victorian family saga, The Chronicles of Alice and Ivy, and the Kees & Colliers series, which follows a broken family in the tumultuous years of the first half of the 20th century.

Kellyn is a student of the Author Conservatory and a writing coach. When not building her author career or her indie-author-helping business, Wild Blue Wonder Press, she is likely getting lost somewhere in the Pacific Northwest with her friends, watching period dramas and facetious comedies, or spending time with her husband. Find out more on her website.

Giveaway Info:

Enter the Giveaway here!

And stay tuned for a special guest post from Kellyn coming soon!