Tuesday, 9 October 2018

A Discovering Diamonds review of Against the Tide by Elizabeth Revill




Romance / Family Drama
1800s
Wales

After witnessing the brutal death of his father, at the tender age of seven, by a band of smuggling cutthroats, Nathaniel Brookes swears to find his father’s killers. As a man he initially follows a medical career, but he turns his back on his comfortable life and dons the garb of a Riding Officer to fulfil his vow. Hated in all communities, ostracised and friendless, he faces more than just his father's enemies. Little did Nathaniel expect, when taking up his duties to ride the dramatic Welsh coastline, that he would meet and fall in love with local beauty, Jenny Banwen, horrifically scarred by a sadistic young member of the gentry. But Nathaniel is betrothed to his first cousin, Hannah. A betrothal of duty. With his loyalties torn, Nathaniel knows his search for the brutes who savagely took his father’s life, his sad engagement and his family obligations will be tested. They reveal that Nathaniel has a double duty, to his oath, and to his heart's future. That is if he can stay alive long enough to have a future.”

Smugglers, villains, heroes, drama, tragedy, tears, laughter, love and murder – and that’s just the first chapter! Against The Tide is described in the publisher’s blurb as “She [the author] is definitely inheriting the mantle of writers like Catherine Cookson.” With that I wholeheartedly agree.

Cookson was (still is!) popular  because her books were about realistic people doing realistic things in realistic situations. They were curl-up-on-the-sofa or laze on the beach ‘comfort’ reads. You knew what you would be getting with a Catherine Cookson – dastardly villains, handsome heroes, pretty heroines to root for; drama, tragedy, tears, laughter, love, action, adventure and a satisfying read from cover to cover. 

Ms Revill well deserves the same accolade because she has the gift of being a wonderful story-teller and her books lift you into the world of her characters from the opening line until the last. You want to strike the villains, hug the heroes and be best friends with the heroines.

Good story, great escapism.

© Mary Turner




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2 comments:

  1. Wow! Thanks, Mary Turner and Helen Hollick. I am ecstatic much appreciated.

    ReplyDelete

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