WHEN TOMORROW CAME, by Hannah Linder, Barbour Publishing, Inc., March 28, 2023, Paperback, $15.99 (young adult/ new adult/ adult fiction)
A brother and sister’s lives take different paths following their father’s disappearance in When Tomorrow Came, by Hannah Linder.
Nan and Heath Duncan, siblings abandoned by their papa and abused by their guardian, have no choice but to survive on the London streets. When a kind gentleman rescues Nan from such a life, the siblings are separated and raised in two vastly different social worlds. Just when both are beginning to flourish and years have healed some of their wounds, their long-awaited papa returns and reunites them ― bringing demands with him. Nan is expected to marry a rich suitor she’s never liked, and Heath is expected to forsake his gentle spirit and become the hardened man his father always was.
Dangers unfold, secret love develops, fights ensue, and murder upsets the worlds Heath and Nan have built for themselves.
They’ve waited their whole lives for their papa to return, for tomorrow to come — but now that it has, will they be able to see through to the truth and end this whirlwind of a nightmare before it costs one of their lives? —Synopsis provided by Barbour Publishing, Inc.
When Tomorrow Came is Hannah Linder’s sophomore novel. Her first being Beneath His Silence. Both are Regency romances told from alternating viewpoints. But When Tomorrow Came feels a bit moodier than Linder’s first book.
That’s not a bad thing, though. This more Gothic tone pairs well with the storyline, creating a hauntingly unique experience.
Nan and Heath are at the center of the story, but both of their romantic interests also play major roles. Each of the four characters are well explored and feel complete. Their personalities play well off each other, and they feel “right” together.
When Tomorrow Came isn’t a particularly fast read, but it does — for the most part — hold interest. Tighter editing could have strengthened the pacing. And there are some moments where Christian elements feel a bit heavy handed. But neither quibbles would hold me back from recommending the book. It’s a slow-burning romance that fits well into the chaste Regency genre.
*Cracking the Cover occasionally features books that are technically adult fiction but are appropriate for young adult readers. Though there are a few moments of violence and descriptions of death, When Tomorrow Came is still suitable for fans of young adult, new adult, and adult fiction.
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