London Tides by Carla Laureano
Reviewed by Sally Ferguson
Radiant Lit Blog Tours
Genre: Romance
Publisher: David C. Cook
Date: June 8, 2015
“Irish photojournalist Grace Brennan travels the world’s war zones documenting the helpless and forgotten. After the death of her friend and colleague, Grace is shaken.
“She returns to London hoping to rekindle the spark with the only man she ever loved—Scottish businessman Ian MacDonald. But he gave up his championship rowing career and dreams of Olympic gold years ago for Grace … only for her to choose career over him. Will life’s tides bring them back together … or tear them apart for good this time?
“Carla Laureano is the author of the RITA® award-winning romance Five Days in Skye as well as London Tides and the Celtic fantasy series The Song of Seare (as C. E. Laureano). A graduate of Pepperdine University, she worked as a sales and marketing executive for nearly a decade before leaving corporate life behind to write fiction full-time. She currently lives in Denver with her husband and two sons.”
The Dedication Page immediately grabbed my attention: “To all my sisters who feel unseen and insignificant – You are loved. Your stories matter.”
Who hasn’t felt insignificant at some point? Laureano writes a sensitive story about the choices that change the scope of a person’s life, and how those decisions affect those around her. She tackles difficult topics of grief, career and PTSD.
The publisher, David C. Cook’s Mission Statement is: “To equip the Church with Christ-centered resources for making and teaching disciples who obediently transform today’s generations.”
Their website calls “London Tides a fresh, socially aware novel.”
Actually, London Tides is edgy, with alcohol and steamy relationships. Grace Brennan, the main character, works in a man’s world. She doesn’t seem aware of God’s preservation of her life, until a few references are made at the end of the book about receiving second chances. It’s not the type of book I expected from a Christian publisher, but in the end, find Laureano to be a compelling author. She carries the story with ease, bringing in surprises to keep the reader engaged. She displays a thorough knowledge of the change needed in charitable organizations, in order to make a difference in the world. She certainly brings awareness to the plight of many, woven in the artful form of story.
Would I recommend this book? Absolutely. It is a raw look at life, with pain, confusion and beauty.
Sally
London Tides is available for purchase from Amazon.com
Note: I received this book as part of the London Tides blog tour from Radiant Lit. I received no compensation for this review and only received a copy of the book for review purposes.
Review copy provided by the publisher.
