ECHOES OF THE SEA, by Sarah M. Eden, Sept. 2, 2025, Shadow Mountain Publishing, Paperback, $18.99 (young adult/ new adult/ adult fiction)
A modern-day London actor is hurled back to 1803, where a love that defies the centuries awaits in Echoes of the Sea, by Sarah M. Eden.
For Kipling Summerfield, the glamour of Hollywood is becoming a distant memory. After losing the role of a lifetime, he’s forced to take a lesser job as a historical reenactor on England’s Guilford Island. But a sudden storm changes everything, casting him into the ocean—and into the care of a mysterious lighthouse keeper. Kip assumes everyone he meets and the island’s historical setting are just an elaborate performance—until he meets the captivating Amelia Archibald, whose quiet strength feels too real, making him question everything about Guilford.
Amelia has spent her life as an unimportant poor relation and is now trapped by her late grandfather’s will on an island she loathes because of her great fear of the sea. When Kip stumbles into her world, his strange ideas and warm presence are both a disruption and an unexpected light.
As Kip and Amelia work to save Guilford Island, an undeniable connection blooms between them. But when Kip uncovers the truth about where—or when—he is, he must make an impossible choice: rise to meet the expectations of Amelia’s world and build a life worthy of her station or walk away from the love that has redefined his very existence. —Synopsis provided by Shadow Mountain Publishing
Echoes of the Sea is the second book in Sarah M. Eden’s Storm Tide series. Both books ask readers to imagine “what if” people could travel through time. Both books stand alone.
The story alternates between Kip and Amelia as they both struggle to make sense of the situations they are in — Amelia trapped on an island trying to restore a house in need of repair and Kip transported more than 200 years in the past. Both of the characters are likeable, although Kip feels a bit stronger. The two have an immediate connection and quickly fall for each other.
Eden’s pacing is strong throughout Echoes of the Sea, and the juxtaposition of two times provides a stark contrast. And her inclusion of some eccentric supporting characters really fleshes out the story.
Echoes of the Sea is a fast-moving, chaste romance that is appropriate for young adults as well as the indented adult fiction audience.
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