From third class on the Titanic… …to upper-class bride? When barmaid Bridget McGowen boarded the Titanic, she never could have imagined the crossing ahead of her. The resilient Irishwoman saves four-year-old Elsie, the niece of New York banker Karl Wingard. Swept into Karl’s world, Bridget feels like a fish out of water, except for the quiet moments she shares with him. As her connection to … As her connection to Karl and Elsie grows, can she break free from the shackles of society so they can be a family?
From Harlequin Historical: Your romantic escape to the past.
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*** Narrowly misses disaster
I wanted to read this as I thought the early 20th century setting, and tackling the tricky subject of the sinking of the Titanic, were an unusual setting for a Mills and Boon/Harlequin historical romance. I felt the story was handled well, however, I couldn’t engage with Bridget and Karl enough to become invested in their relationship ups and downs.
Overall, the plot hung together, but I didn’t feel it quite became much more than the sum of its parts to create a great story. I’ll happily suspend disbelief for a well-written regency romp full of high emotion and outrageous antics, but this didn’t quite gel together enough to pull me in like that. Things like Bridget being so immediately indispensable to Elsie’s parents, and Karl’s secretary’s ability to outfit Bridget sight unseen in no time at all, seemed either too simplistic or convenient. All in all, it was an enjoyable, competent read, but I didn’t find it totally gripping.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Terrific book. I love that the author wrote another book that takes place in the early years of the twentieth century. It is a period not often covered in romances, and Ms. Robinson does it very well. The icing on the cake is the Titanic backdrop, an unusual subject for a romance.
The story opens as Bridget prepares to leave Ireland for a new life in America. Her father recently died, and she promised to fulfill her promise to open a boardinghouse in Chicago, where her aunt lives. As she boards the Titanic, Bridget rescues a little girl’s doll and searches the first-class deck until she finds the doll’s owner. Little Elsie’s parents are very grateful and invite Bridget, a third-class passenger, to spend time with them. Bridget also offers to watch Elsie in the evenings so that Benjamin and Annette can attend some functions, which is how Bridget comes to be with Elsie the night the ship hit the infamous iceberg.
The author’s description of the fear and confusion that night was so vivid that I felt as though I was there. Bridget’s determination to keep Elsie safe until she could be reunited with her parents brought out an unexpected strength in her. Upon learning of Benjamin and Annette’s deaths, Bridget promised Elsie she wouldn’t let her go until she put Elsie into her Uncle Karl’s arms. The reunion of Karl and Elsie was sweet and showed how much Karl cared for his little niece.
The meeting between Karl and Bridget isn’t quite so pleasant. He’s grateful for Bridget’s care of Elsie but doesn’t think much about what she’s been through. He’s focused on the inquiry into the wreck and expects Bridget to stay on and care for Elsie. The sparks fly when she refuses to cave in to his demands. However, she does eventually give in to the need to make sure Elsie is properly cared for and agrees (with conditions) to stay for a while.
Other than his care for Elsie, Karl doesn’t make a very good first impression. He is arrogant and demanding and appears to think a little too well of himself. As a third-generation bank owner, he is wealthy and very class conscious. Much of this can be laid at the feet of his grandfather and father. Karl also has a very poor opinion of women, thanks to his mother’s abandonment when he was a child.
I enjoyed the development of the relationship between Karl and Bridget. Sparks fly over Bridget’s opinions of how Elsie should be treated, but Karl learns to enjoy the time spent with his niece. Though Bridget is aware of the divide between them, she doesn’t let it stop her from pointing out where she thinks he is wrong. The descriptions of the aftermath of the wreck fascinated me. The treatment of the shipping company toward the various classes of passengers emphasized the attitudes of the time. I liked how Bridget’s influence opened Karl’s eyes to the inequalities. I loved watching the two of them grow closer, both because of their love of Elsie and their work together to help the Titanic victims. There are some sweet scenes as Karl’s attitude undergoes some significant changes.
As they grew closer and their feelings for each other deepened, both tried to resist it. Bridget has her plans for Chicago, believing her promises are more important than her feelings for Karl. There were times I wanted to shake her for thinking that her dreams are not as important. I loved the ending, as Karl’s realizations about his father and grandfather opened his eyes to what he wants for his life. I loved his big moment as he worked to convince Bridget that they belonged together.
I loved how the author used Bridget and her friends to illustrate how the White Star Line treated its passengers in the aftermath of the disaster. While the story didn’t dwell on the horrors of that night, there was enough detail to get the point across. It was a terrific way to learn about an important historical event.
The story begins after the Titanic.
Bridget was on the Titanic for a new life in America. The story tells her tale of what happens afterwards, she rescues Elsie and meets wealthy Karl.
Well done.
Scrappy Irish Heroine Takes on the Titanic… and the US
This author wrote a fantastic first scene that pulled me right in. We are on the docks of Southampton as everyone is boarding the Titanic for its maiden voyage. We watch it from the viewpoint of the Irish heroine who is fulfilling her recently deceased father’s wish of her going to the US for a fresh start. She boards with the third-class passengers, I believe, when she hears a young girl scream above. She steps to the railing of her boarding gangway just in time to catch the little girl’s doll. This sets up a chain of events that changes the heroine’s life forever. The author did an excellent job showing how this 22-year-old heroine felt leaving her homeland, showing her anticipation, excitement, and sadness. I love how the heroine cared for the little girl through all that happened on the fateful night the Titanic sank and its aftermath. The little girl is a sweetie, too, and it tugs at the heartstrings to see her left an orphan after the ship’s sinking. I felt a little frustrated with the heroine once she got to New York. She seemed hard headed and not too bright—which she hadn’t seemed to be previously—when the little girl’s uncle offered her just what she needed—a place to stay and paying work—to allow her to continue on with her American Dream, getting to her aunt in Chicago. Some small things the heroine did, too, didn’t seem logical but were only there to further the plot, like her taking her coin purse out of her skirt pocket just before she naps on that fateful night. She hadn’t been separated from it before, so far as we knew, so why would she have taken it out on that night and left it behind, with all the money she had in the world. It just didn’t make sense, except for the plot. Despite these few complaints, I did enjoy the story.
I received a free copy of this book, but that did not affect my review.
Rich in details and emotions, this is a great story of a woman’s survival from Ireland to New York. I like the way the emotions build between the main couple, slow and steady, always with consideration for the child that bought them together. Karl helps Bridget and her friends after the Titanic tragedy. She helps him by opening his eyes to the circumstances of others and the value of forgiveness as they both discover the wonder of love. A true romance. 5 stars.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
This is my first time reading something by Ms. Robinson. I imagined this to be a sweet and inspirational story and I was right. I appreciate how the author was able to take such a tragic event and turn it into a beautiful story of love and survival. Bridget survives the events of the Titanic and brings a little girl, Elsie , to safety in the process. With Elsie’s parents gone, Bridget takes the responsibility of taking Elsie to her Uncle Karl. Karl is not an easy man to get along with and the conversations between Bridget and him are spirited and humorous. They start to grow closer and so their relationship takes Bridget on a path she never would have expected. With strong characters and a gripping storyline, this book definitely had me captivated all the way through. This was an enjoyable read and I look forward to reading more by Ms. Robinson.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Wonderful and entertaining characters. Twists and turns in this story especially on the Titanic. Plenty of drama and romance abound. Kids always add an unexpected twist. Good read.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Really enjoyed this highly entertaining and emotionally thrilling journey filled with witty and engaging charters, heart racing twists and exciting passion. Was a great read from beginning to end, and so hard to put down.
This was so much more than I expected. It takes the story of the Titanic and gives us some hope, love, forgiveness, and moving forward. It’s sweet and tense at times and captivated me from the very beginning.
The author does a fantastic job turning the tragic event of the Titanic into a sweet love story. She brings strong characters in Elsie and Karl and gives them a strong connection when she rescues his niece. It’s a heartwarming read with detailed and descriptive writing along with her perfectly painted scenes. It’s a beautiful story and I enjoyed reading.
I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book. All opinions in this review are my own and freely given.