Echoes of the Sea by Sarah M. Eden

Echoes of the Sea (Storm Tide #2) by Sarah M. Eden
Published by Shadow Mountain
Publication Date: September 2, 2025

Description from the publisher:
A modern-day London actor is hurled back to 1803, where a love that defies the centuries awaits.
For Kipling Summerfield, the glamour of Hollywood is becoming a distant memory. After losing the role of a lifetime, he’s forced to take a lesser job as a historical reenactor on England’s Guilford Island. But a sudden storm changes everything, casting him into the ocean—and into the care of a mysterious lighthouse keeper. Kip assumes everyone he meets and the island’s historical setting are just an elaborate performance—until he meets the captivating Amelia Archibald, whose quiet strength feels too real, making him question everything about Guilford.
Amelia has spent her life as an unimportant poor relation and is now trapped by her late grandfather’s will on an island she loathes because of her great fear of the sea. When Kip stumbles into her world, his strange ideas and warm presence are both a disruption and an unexpected light.
As Kip and Amelia work to save Guilford Island, an undeniable connection blooms between them. But when Kip uncovers the truth about where—or when—he is, he must make an impossible choice: rise to meet the expectations of Amelia’s world and build a life worthy of her station or walk away from the love that has redefined his very existence.

My Review:
Time travel is not my favorite trope, but I was totally pulled in by this story. I thought the whole storyline with Kipling thinking everyone was extremely in character all the time at a historical reenactment site was quite clever and unique--a good reason for him to be unaware that he'd even time traveled for a good portion of the book. It was a fun twist that made a not-so-favorite trope totally work for me.
I really liked Kipling and Amelia. They were both vulnerable but strong; they faced hard things but didn't get bitter and grumpy; they just kept trying t figure things out and move forward. I also really liked how kind they were to each other. They could tease each other (and there were moments that totally made me laugh out loud) but were also gentle and supportive of each other, and that was just really sweet. I absolutely loved them together. Secondary characters were also endearing; I like how the community came together to help Amelia and how they also gave some really good advice to help Kipling and Amelia think about things a bit differently.
Two quibbles with the book: I didn't feel like the reason Amelia's grandfather was so cruel was adequately explained...and I want to know what Kipling's tattoo looks like, not just that he has one!
This was a pleasure to read. Highly recommend! 5 stars.

I read a DRC provided by the publisher via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

Julia by Heather B. Moore

Julia
By Heather B. Moore
Published by Shadow Mountain

Publication Date: September 2nd, 2025

Synopsis from the publisher:
Before she stepped into the spotlight as a master of French cooking, Julia Child navigated the shadows as a WWII intelligence officer.
On the sunny shores of California, Julia McWilliams is poised to embrace a life of comfort and financial security, with a marriage proposal from a wealthy man to consider. But as World War II erupts in the US, her patriotic fervor compels her to abandon her secure future. Trading country clubs for covert codes, Julia joins the Office of Strategic Services, where her sharp mind aids the Allied cause in the shadowy realm of espionage.
Amid strategic missions in Ceylon and China, Julia crosses paths with Paul Child, a fellow OSS officer whose delight in art, culture, and cuisine awakens a new hunger within her. Their chance meetings ignite a spark that blossoms into romance, leading to a proposal that Julia eagerly accepts. Together they embark on a new chapter in postwar Paris.
In the City of Light, Julia grapples with a different kind of challenge: she refuses to be confined by the societal expectations of a married woman. Drawn to the tantalizing world of French gastronomy—a pursuit her peers deem superfluous—she enrolls at the famed Le Cordon Bleu, and with Paul’s unwavering support, Julia immerses herself in her new passion.
Facing skepticism and prejudice in the male-dominated kitchens of Paris, Julia’s resolve never falters. Her relentless pursuit of culinary mastery not only transforms her own life but also introduces a revolutionary change in kitchens throughout America. From intelligence officer to beloved chef, Julia takes readers on an extraordinary journey.

My Review:
Having never actually watched Julia Child or so much as peeked inside any of her cookbooks, the WWII tie in was the biggest draw for me going into this book. I really liked learning about Julia's war work ad well as her blossoming romance with Paul Child. I really liked how she and Paul supported each other. It was also interesting to see all of the work that went into her first cookbook--all the cooking and revising and changing things to work for American cooks with different ingredients and resources available. Although I went into this book knowing very little about Julia Child, I was quite impressed with her and how her determination and optimism shone through the pages.

4 stars.

I read a DRC provided by the publisher via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

To Love a Beast in Texas by Karen Witemeyer

To Love a Beast in Texas (Once Upon a Time in Texas #1)
By Karen Witemeyer
Publication date: June 10, 2025

Description from the Publisher:
Beauty & the Beast in 1800's Texas.
Once known among New York's elite as the American Adonis, Everett Griffin now lives as a recluse in the wilds of Texas. The treachery of a former admirer left his face and his spirit riddled with scars, so he hides himself away, his only companions a trio of trusted servants and an oversized dog. Locals whisper of the beastly man who lives in the gloomy manor outside of town and his tendency to attack anyone who dares approach. Everett relishes his fearsome reputation and uses it as a shield to guard his privacy. Until a young woman as stubborn as she is beautiful infiltrates his sanctum and lays siege to his defenses.

When an injury to her father jeopardizes the family's book binding business, Callista Rosenfeld determines to fulfill the contract herself, and no insufferable client or woman-eating dog will deter her. Finding unlikely allies among Mr. Griffin's staff, Callista secures her position and sets to work transforming the manor's remarkable library. Her employer transforms as well, his ill-tempered growls subsiding to reveal a considerate, intellectual nature. Affection blooms as Callista and Everett discover hidden depths in each other, but the evil schemes of a vengeful hunter threaten to leave their love and their lives in tatters.

My Review:
I love fairy tale retellings, but with so many out there, sometimes they get repetitive--so I was very pleased to find so many unique elements in this one! While there were definite nods to the beloved Disney version (I love the staff's names, for example!), there were so many things that really made this story stand out--such as how Everett became a "beast," why Callista encounters Everett, and what the villain's motivations were. I was hooked from the start and thoroughly enjoyed every page of this book. I especially appreciated seeing into Everett and Callista and what made each of them act as they did.

5 stars!

I read an ARC provided by the author. All opinions are my own.

A Lesson in Propriety by Jen Turano

A Lesson in Propriety (Merriweather Academy for Young Ladies #1)
By Jen Turano
Published by Bethany House
Publication Date: May 1, 2025

Description from the publisher:
With her father dead, her fortune stolen, and her fiancé casting her aside, Miss Drusilla Merriweather's privileged life has been upended. She is left with only one option: to provide for her family by opening a finishing school in the allegedly haunted castle she's inherited from her eccentric aunt. However, her plan is immediately threatened by unscrupulous developers keen on claiming the coveted estate for themselves, by any means necessary.
Mr. Rhenick Wittenbecker, a dashing architect with a tendency to charm his way out of trouble, is convinced he can protect Drusilla but is challenged by her fierce independence. Yet when strange occurrences--walking suits of armor and unexpected ghostly visitors--arise within castle grounds, Drusilla must decide whether to risk her family's safety and her school on the gallant architect who seems to have found his way into her heart.
In this entrancing series starter, Turano presents a tale of laugh-out-loud adventure, swoon-worthy romance, and delightful mischief in the Gilded Age.

My Review:
Jen Turano is known for her humorous historical fiction, and this book definitely kept me laughing, but what I loved what most about the book was Rhenick and his complete support for women in general and Drusilla in particular. I also liked seeing the women support each other, without a bunch of cattiness and competition like is common in a lot of books.
The plot was a lot of fun--with antics from people and animals alike--and I enjoyed the mystery element. I'm definitely looking forward to the next book in the series and seeing what happens once Merriweather Academy for Young Ladies actually opens!
I've read and enjoyed all of Turano's books, so when I say this is my favorite of all of her books, that's high praise. Not only is this my favorite book of hers, but I'm naming it as one of my picks for the best books of 2025.
5 stars.

I read a DRC provided by the publisher via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

A Time Traveler's Masquerade by Sian Ann Bessey

A Time Traveler's Masquerade (A McQuivey's Costume Shop Romance)
By Sian Ann Bessey
Published by Shadow Mountain

Description from the publisher:

 
Romance blossoms when Isla Crawford steps into McQuivey’s Costume Shop in London and is swept back in time to 1605, where she and Lord Bancroft attempt to thwart Guy Fawkes’s Gunpowder Plot.

One moment, Isla Crawford is inside McQuivey’s Costume Shop trying on a Jacobean-style gown for the parliamentary Autumn Ball, and the next, she is standing in an unfamiliar garden, barefoot, coatless, and at the mercy of a fierce storm. Confused, she seeks refuge in a Tudor manor, where she discovers that she has inexplicably traveled back to 1605, mere weeks before the culmination of Guy Fawkes’s infamous Gunpowder Plot.
Simon Hartworth, Lord Bancroft, finds his orderly seventeenth-century life disrupted when a mysterious woman appears on his sister’s doorstep during a storm. Intrigued by the stranger’s quirks and bewildering speech, he feels compelled to protect her and heed her warnings about a fatal plot against Parliament. As Simon is drawn into Isla’s dangerous scheme to stop the evildoers, he can’t help but also feel drawn to her.
With seemingly no way to get back home, Isla uses her twenty-first-century knowledge of the past to try to thwart Guy Fawkes and his coconspirators without altering the course of history forever. She and Simon must race to unravel the threads of the treasonous plot even as they wonder how their hearts will navigate their deepening connection and the seemingly insurmountable four centuries that separate their lives.

My review:
Heading into this book, I knew next to nothing about Guy Fawkes (I had heard of Guy Fawkes Day and knew that Fawkes was a villain, not a hero), but I also knew that Sian Ann Bessey's books are awesome (I've read several and they've all been four or five star books), so I was quick to snap up the chance to read this one. I enjoyed learning more about Fawkes and his plot as well as the Jacobean Era in general. Isla and Simon were fantastic leading characters. I found myself really appreciating that they quickly came to trust each other and that Simon's family was accepting of Isla, too; while some skepticism certainly wouldn't have been unreasonable, it was kind of a relief to have them quickly accept Isla and all work together, with the conflict in the book not stemming from internal issues but rather from external. The romance was sweet and the plot was engrossing.
4.5 stars--and I'm so eager for the next book in this series to come out!

I read a DRC provided by the publisher via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

The Tides of Time by Sarah M. Eden

The Tides of Time (Storm Tide #1) 

By Sarah M. Eden 

Published by Shadow Mountain 

Description from the Publisher: 

In 1793, a storm propels Lili forward through time, kindling a love that transcends the ages. 

Fleeing the clutches of Robespierre’s revolutionary Tribunal in France, Lili Minet makes a desperate escape on a ship headed to England, but her dangerous flight takes an unexpected turn when a violent storm catapults her off the ship and eighty years into the future, leaving her stranded in the unfamiliar world of 1873 England. 

When lighthouse keeper Armitage Pierce rescues a woman from the tumultuous sea, he does not anticipate her silent, cold response to his gallant efforts. Though he is wary of this woman and her odd behaviors, he finds she is just as wary of him. And he can sense that she is not telling him something of great import to her. Only Armitage’s grandfather, a man seasoned by the mysteries of the sea, can seem to penetrate Lili’s defenses to offer her support. But as Lili heals from the physical and emotional wounds of her ordeal and Armitage continues to offer light and safety to her, a tender friendship blossoms between the two. 

Yet the shadow of danger looms as the threat that chased Lili from France all those years ago reemerges in her new present. Together Lili and Armitage must navigate the challenges of a romance that grows to defy the boundaries of time and the perils that reach across the decades to ensnare Lili. As the storm clouds gather, Lili and Armitage face the ultimate test—discovering whether their bond is strong enough to rewrite the pages of history itself to save them and their love. 

My Review: 

Neither time traveling nor the French Revolution are things I ever seek out in a book; they're not just big draws for me (and in some cases, they can be big turnoffs). However, Sarah Eden's researching and writing are always superb, so I figured I'd at least like this book--but I more than liked it. I really enjoyed seeing Lilli and Armitage fall for one another. I also loved Armitage's grandpa and the people in his village. There were a couple of twists that I did NOT see coming at all. I do feel like it wrapped up a bit quickly--I have to be careful here so I don't give anything away, but the last 20% of the book could have had a lot more added to do it without bogging it down. I wanted more details there of what happened and how! There is at least one more book to follow this one, so I'm sure some of my questions will be answered there, but I still would hae liked a bit more to explain how certain things were brought about in this book. My one other quibble with this book is the amount of French it; of course it SHOULD have French in it, given that Lilli is French and parts of it take place in France, and there were times when I could get the gist of what was being said just from context...but for obsessive readers like me, who have to go translate every French passage because we want more than just the gist of what is being said, it kinda disrupted the flow sometimes. Not a huge problem, but just something perhaps to be aware of if you're a similar sort of reader. 

All in all, 4.5 stars and I'm very much looking forward to the next book! 

I read a DRC provided by the publisher via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

Some Like It Scot by Pepper Basham

Some Like It Scot 

By Pepper Basham 

Published by Thomas Nelson Fiction 

Publication Date: April 8, 2025 

Description from the Publisher: 

She lives her life on the fly. His heart is double-knotted to home. Can two different souls create a life together? 

 Popular travel writer and podcaster Katie Campbell roams the world collecting other people's stories. She's built a career as "Miss Adventure," known for saying yes to anything new--country, food, or experience--and predictably finding those adventures taking a downward turn into misadventures. 

Offered the chance to explore her ancestral roots through a three-week Edwardian experience, Katie finds herself immersed in the beauty and eccentricity of Scotland. In her period attire, with traditional foods and activities, the opportunities for misadventures are endless, especially with the presence of a maniacal macaw, a jealous co-worker, and an all-too-surly Scotsman. 

Reclusive and protective Graeme MacKerrow doesn't venture far from his island home. A stoic Scotsman, Graeme's comfort zone has always been family, and after his sister's death, he's even more determined to save the MacKerrow ancestral home and keep those he loves close. The sudden intrusion of a six-foot-one American lass, famous for her traveling misfortunes, was far from his plan. 

As this world of folklore, community, and woodworkers-in-kilts tempts Katie to discover her own story, could this one grand series of misadventures lead her directly to where she belongs? And would a settled-in-Scot ever risk loosening his grip on what's familiar to allow a wanderlust writer a home in his heart? How could their very different worlds share the same page of life's story when "home" is in two very different places? But maybe home--and the future--isn't quite what either one imagined it would be. Maybe home is less about a place . . . and more about a person. 

My Review: 

I absolutey adored this book. Everything about it just worked completely for me. I loved Katie--her personality and her fears and her quirks just made her such a fun and relatable character, and her backstory made her believable and endearing. Graeme also stole my heart--his worries and his reactions were also believable. I appreciated how both characters were willing to do some self-examination and try to grow and not just hide away. Despite being a homebody at heart, all of the descriptions of Scotland (and the Scottish words thrown in!) made me want to book a trip to see the beauty of the country for myself. I also adored the supporting characters (at least, the Scottish ones. Some of the other participants in the Edwardian Experience had me shaking my fist at them!) All in all, this book was just delightful! I loved it. I'm definitely going to have to snag the audio version as well because I'm sure it will be even more fun to listen to! 

5 stars! 

I read a DRC provided by the publisher via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.