Tuesday 12 May 2020

Blog Tour: A Shop Girl at Sea by Rachel Brimble

Bath, 1912.

Amelia Wakefield loves working at Pennington's, Bath's finest department store. An escape from her traumatic past, it saved her life. So when Miss Pennington sets her a task to set sail on the Titanic and study the department stores of New York, she couldn't be more excited – or determined!

Frustrated with his life at home, Samuel Murphy longs for a few weeks of freedom and adventure. Meeting Amelia on board the Titanic, Samuel can't help wonder what painful history has made the beauty so reserved. But he already has too many responsibilities for love.

Ruby Taylor has always kept her Pennington co-workers at a distance. Making sure her little brother is safe has always been her priority. But when that means accepting Victoria Lark's offer of sanctuary, more than one of Ruby's secrets is under threat of being revealed...

A riveting and uplifting saga, perfect for fans of Elaine Everest and Fiona Ford.

Review:

It's a tough ask, writing a love story on the Titanic. Rachel Brimble rises to the challenge with tact and grace. For those who are wondering, of the three POV characters, two become entangled in a romance and the third has a romance of her own as the Titanic sets sail for New York. I do wonder if she could have been given her own book, rather than splitting the focus of this story and receiving equal billing.

I didn't realise until almost halfway through the book that this is actually the fourth book in a series set at Pennington's department store. It is a testament to the strength of the characters and the author's delicate touch that past characters can make an appearance without overpowering the scene with their happy ever after. The characters are well fleshed out and relatable, the antagonists range from perfectly irritating to poisonous, and there's an iceberg on the horizon...

This was a sweet and emotional read about people overcoming past trauma and present circumstances to find love and chase their dreams. I did feel like the last minute fade to black sex felt a little shoehorned in, but it didn't mar my enjoyment of an otherwise good book.

Four and a half stars

Disclaimer: I received an ARC from the author via Rachel's Random Resources; all opinions are my own

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