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About the book:

When pampered Jacqueline Abington secretly elopes with the family gardener, she asks another woman to take her place on the much anticipated maiden voyage of the Titanic. Tessa Yarborough hails from a poor corner of London but has been granted the opportunity of a lifetime--a ticket to sail to America aboard a famed vessel. But there's a catch: she must assume Jacqueline's identity. For the first time in her life, Tessa stays in luxurious quarters, dresses in elegant gowns, and dines with prestigious people. Then a wealthy American man takes an interest in her, and Tessa struggles to keep up the ruse as she begins falling for him. When tragedy strikes, the game is up, and two women's lives are forever changed.

My review:

I am a total Titanic buff and love to read stories about that fateful voyage. And yes, I've watched James Cameron film "Titanic" about ten times. That said, I enjoyed the premise of this story. The setting appealed to me as well as the plot. The spiritual arc was strong and there were good reasons why Peter sought to help his sister. Now granted, I was disappointed in him, so I hope in the future he resolves his issue. I also wished one of the main characters would have fallen for the man her father arranged for her. Ah, well, sometimes things have a way of going in a different direction and as a reader, you just accept that.

Regarding the romantic aspects of the story, they were heart-warming. I would have loved to have seen more romantic tension, but for whatever reason the story didn't play that out. I know it was a short voyage so not much could be done in such a short time. And we certainly didn't want to see the characters do what Rose and Jack had done in the film. At the same time there is something about staring at death that makes people desperate enough to change their minds about what really matters. The sinking was sad, of course, but it was not shown in a way that would traumatize the reader. The movie did that well enough. In some ways it wouldn't have seemed right to dwell on the negative in this book but rather focus on second chances.

Anyway, I enjoyed this story, though it didn't have quite the zing I'd hoped for. Part of that may be due to the many different points of view rather than the two main characters as is typically done in romantic novels. Nevertheless, it was an enjoyable read. The best part of the story was probably the healing that took place regarding the issue with fathers in several characters' hearts. In some ways I would have liked to see more of that aspect of the story because it was so rich and deeply felt.

Queen of the Waves was published by Summerside Press and released in Oct. 2012.