Review: Yesterday's Tides by Roseanna M. White

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 SS officer 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, never expecting to fall in love with Louisa Adair, the innkeeper's daughter. But when war breaks out in Europe, their relationship is put in jeopardy and may not survive what lies ahead for them.

As the ripples from the Great War rock Evie and Sterling's lives in World War II, it seems yesterday's tides may sweep them all into danger again today. 

I absolutely adored this book! The dual timeline is something new for me from Roseanna M. White, and I loved it. There wasn't a moment where I wasn't invested in both. I loved all the characters, and you cannot believe how EXTREMELY pleased I was when I realized that all of my favorite characters got a cameo in the book. I was so sad when I had to leave the WW1 friends, but Margot and Barclay and Brooke and Camden all showed up and my heart was happy. At one point, I was squealing out loud, and I really hope nobody heard me. Evie and Louisa and Rem and Sterling were so perfect. Even thinking about Aunt L and her ending right now is making me tear up again. The grandma's were perfect. I could honestly read a sequel picking right up with Evie and Sterling right this second. I loved that there was sign language incorporated. The espionage was thrilling. The setting was beautiful. I loved the relationship between Evie and the Coast Guards. The whole way this book was sewn together was to die for. I highly recommend to lovers of historical fiction or lovers of Roseanna's books. 

(Also want to mention that Edith is a despicable human and I extremely much do not love her.)

This beauty releases today, so I hope you'll check it out right away!

I received this book as part of Roseanna's street team, but I was not required to post a positive review.

Review: A Mark of Grace by Kimberley Woodhouse

When everything crumbles, her chance for a new beginning hangs in the balance.

Ruth Anniston survived an injury that left her physically scarred, broken, and angry at God. Now, she finds herself working behind the scenes as a kitchen and dining room supervisor at the El Tovar Hotel, hidden away from curious eyes and with little hope of finding love. When money begins to disappear from the hotel, Ruth's entire livelihood is put at risk when she lands on the list of suspects.

Frank Henderson has at last succeeded in obtaining his dream job as head chef at the El Tovar. But competition in the kitchen is fierce, and one mistake could cost him his future. As the thefts at the hotel continue, and his affection for Ruth grows, Frank's career--and his heart--are in jeopardy.

As tensions run high, Ruth and Frank must work together to save the El Tovar. They find themselves growing closer . . . but can their combined ingenuity overcome the odds against them?

 

I've been waiting forever for Ruth's story, and this book was totally worth the wait! There might be a lot of chaos going on here (Let's just say I was getting some anxiety from all the mishaps... I'm sure the characters must've been feeling it even worse!) and there were a few times that I had to put it down for a second to catch my breath. I couldn't ever leave it more than a minute though, because I was just so strongly rooting for Ruth and Frank. The way this book ties up the series is a masterpiece. I felt like I knew that characters so well, even non-POV characters, like Mr. Owens. I also have a phrase stuck in my head now, and it's of the lifechanging variety, since I tend to have a slightly similar personality to Ruth at times: GRACE PLUS NOTHING. Isn't that great? Now, I do have two final things to say, and that is, I knew Oliver's secret pretty early on because I'm a naturally suspicious person and now I'm quite proud of myself, and secondly, while mostly unrelated, isn't there a saying about never trusting a skinny cook? I swear my Spidey senses were tingling as soon as the poor fellow was described. I know I've said this about all three books, but this time I mean it for real... this is the best book in the series! We're going out with a bang! (And a few other loud noises caused by the saboteur and his cronies...) Five stars well earned!

I received a copy of this book for review, but all opinions are my honest own.

A Mark of Grace is available for purchase as of Jan 3, 2023.