Tragedy, unrelenting guilt, and hostile hallucinations of his dearly departed sister — that’s just typical life for Reuben Radford.
That is until one atypical May Day. In the most unlikely of places — the cemetery of their quiet Hampshire town — Reuben meets Maggie Archer. Quirky and spontaneous, she’s like no other woman he’s ever met. By the time they part ways, in a promise not to meet again for a year, he knows she could be the love of his life.
There’s just one problem. Reuben and Maggie’s families have left them both with enough emotional baggage to fill a steamship.
Not to mention one other little complication. Reuben has a secret. It’s not pleasant. It’s not pretty. And it’s one he’s determined to keep buried at all costs.
But if there’s one word to describe Maggie, it’s headstrong. Once she resolves to uncover the truth, she’ll stop at nothing to find it. After all, what does she have to lose? Unlike Reuben, Maggie never believed in love.
Spanning five years of England's Edwardian era, Across Oceans is the captivating story of first love, lost innocence, and the unexpected moments that change everything.
That is until one atypical May Day. In the most unlikely of places — the cemetery of their quiet Hampshire town — Reuben meets Maggie Archer. Quirky and spontaneous, she’s like no other woman he’s ever met. By the time they part ways, in a promise not to meet again for a year, he knows she could be the love of his life.
There’s just one problem. Reuben and Maggie’s families have left them both with enough emotional baggage to fill a steamship.
Not to mention one other little complication. Reuben has a secret. It’s not pleasant. It’s not pretty. And it’s one he’s determined to keep buried at all costs.
But if there’s one word to describe Maggie, it’s headstrong. Once she resolves to uncover the truth, she’ll stop at nothing to find it. After all, what does she have to lose? Unlike Reuben, Maggie never believed in love.
Spanning five years of England's Edwardian era, Across Oceans is the captivating story of first love, lost innocence, and the unexpected moments that change everything.
Flo's Review
Across Oceans tells the love story of Reuben Radford and Maggie Archer. It will be a delight for those who love historical fiction. I actually really enjoyed reading the Author's Note at the end of the book as she talked a bit about what was real, what was made up, and the inspiration behind the story.
I also enjoyed reading about everything surrounding the May Day festivities in a couple of the towns where this story took place. And when I first saw the name of a well-known ship mentioned, my heart started pounding faster as I debated the implications of what this could mean for the story.
Reuben and Maggie both have issues. It's understandable, based on the hand that life has dealt them both, but if I got a penny for every time I was screaming in my head for Maggie to be reasonable and for Reuben to not go down a dark path in his thoughts, I would have no voice. The banter between Maggie and Reuben was mostly fun, though when they tended to have the same conversation over and over (as commitment-phones might do), I rolled my eyes and was ready to move on.
I adored Tena and Charles! They are adorable both individually and together. They are perfect best friends for Maggie and Reuben, and they are perfect for each other. They did a great job of being foils for the main characters -- while Maggie worried about being trapped in marriage, Tena embraced it without hesitation. While Reuben worried that people would think him crazy if they knew his secrets, Charles wanted to be open about his relationship with Tena and never turned his back on Reuben.
The story ended not so much on a cliffhanger, but on a question. Same effect though. I'm all kinds of curious about the answer to the question left in the air.
Thank you to the author for providing me a copy of the book in exchange for my honest review.
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