The Tides of Time
A Storm Tide Romance
In Sarah M. Eden’s romance novel The Tides of Time, a seamstress fleeing persecution is cast eighty years into the future, where she faces unresolved pain from her revolutionary past.
In France, Lili smuggles people to safety from the guillotine. When one of her rescue missions strands her in a lightning storm, she’s transported to an English island in 1873. There, Armitage and his grandfather, both lightkeepers, shelter her through her disorientation. Lili’s interactions with everyday objects, including a paraffin lantern, stove, and barometer, punctuate her sense of displacement. Unsure whether her saviors have plotted an elaborate ruse or whether to believe the logic-defying truth, Lili seeks clues about her circumstances.
Lili is a complicated heroine whose background includes loss and betrayal by her power-hungry brother. She has ample reason to be cautious. Still, she is resourceful and courageous, even as she holds back her memories from Armitage out of fear. Though Armitage is bewildered by her behavior, he thaws to her in time; they are kind to one another. And Armitage’s grandfather acts as an anchor for Lili, hinting that he foresaw all that transpired. The trio’s rapport is aided by their growing empathy for one another as each person discloses more about themselves. Love seems poised to flourish between Armitage and Lili until another time traveler arrives and upends their circumstances.
Laced with legends surrounding the magical powers in coastal waters and tension about the new arrival’s wrenching link to Lili’s former life, this is a story that celebrates profound commitments to moral justice. Its unfurls in a deft manner, and its twists and crescendos are satisfying.
In the alluring novel The Tides of Time, love transcends great distances and dangers.
Reviewed by
Karen Rigby
Disclosure: This article is not an endorsement, but a review. The publisher of this book provided free copies of the book to have their book reviewed by a professional reviewer. No fee was paid by the publisher for this review. Foreword Reviews only recommends books that we love. Foreword Magazine, Inc. is disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.
