I received a copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Bride from the Sea by Frances Housden begins on board the San Miguel, a provision ship for the Spanish Armada. The captain brought his daughter, Celestina, and her duenna, Rosalinda,with him on the voyage despite the widespread belief that it was bad luck to sail with women.

Her father, Capitan Xavier del Vargas, is swept overboard in a violent storm. Celestina dives overboard to avoid being murdered by the crew.

She washes ashore in Scotland and is rescued by a Scotsman, Niall McDonnall, who believes she is a selkie. There is an immediate attraction between them, and Sellie, as the family calls her, allows the incorrect belief to continue. She suffers from a guilty conscience but believes she will be rejected if she tells the truth.

Niall McDonnall, laird of Inverbrevie Keep, is a widower with three young daughters. His nurse maid, Aileen, cares for the girls, telling them tales of selkies and other magical beings.

Celestina's secret could lead to great danger if discovered. The author weaves suspense and romance to a climax that satisfies.

This was an enjoyable read, and those who prefer historical romance will not be disappointed with this tale.

I received a free copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I love the legend of the selkie and really wanted to love this book. Sadly, I could not.

This book reads like a novella with a far too generous helping of gratuitous sex scenes added in for length. I had to start skimming the pages and pages of sex just to find a sprinkling of plot.

When there was plot, it was far-fetched. Niall has just discovered his late wife not only wasted all his money but was cheating on him as well. She was a liar hiding behind a pretty face. Yet he was perfectly accepting that Celestina was lying behind her pretty face...

Why Celestina was lying and pretending to be a selkie for so long makes no sense to me. Once she realizes that she is safe with Niall and his family she could have told them the truth. But she keeps up the charade.

I love historical romances and this one certainly swept me away. I was so engrossed in the story that I just had to read from start to finish before I could even think about doing anything else. An excellent story and one that I can highly recommend.

My thanks to Netgalley and the Publishers. This is my honest review.

Reviews were posted to Goodreads and Amazon.

A Spanish beauty has escaped and washed up on a Scottish shore where the mysteries and tales of old still live. Niall, the Laird, finds this lass after the storm and believes he is being visited by his own Selkie. This is a new author for me and enjoyed the nuances of these characters along with the family as they survive, find the truth and heart to love.
Ebook from netgalley and publishers with thanks. Opinions are entirely my own.

'The creature had already begun to shed its skin!'

And so begins a young woman's unwitting disguise taken from legends. If one has to hide then masquerading as a creature from local tales is as good as any I suppose.

Bride of the Sea compels with a dramatic opening where a young Spanish woman, Celestina, is forced to choose the wild seas rather than stay aboard her father's ship at the mercy of his sailors. They believe their misfortune has been caused by having a woman onboard ship. Celistina's father's ship supported the Armada. After escaping the firestorm the English threw at the Armada, the ship is blown of course into the North Sea by a raging storm. Celestina's father was lost overboard.

Fortunately the leap to certain death left the unconscious Celestina washed up on a beach, where she rescued by a widowed Scottish Highlander Laird, Niall McDonall, who believes her to be a Selkie. Evident to his eyes was the skin like silk that the creature had started to shed. The truth is made even more confusing by Celestina uttering Celi when asked her name, which Niall decides confirms his suspicions. This mistaken identity from a legendary tale leads to a dance of half truths between the two. Out of fear of being thought an enemy Celi is forced to disguise who she is and how much she understands.
Selkies, the stuff of magical stories, are reputed to bring good luck. Niall does find that things start to turn around on his holdings, including finding out the harsh truth about his wife.
He has three daughters whom Niall is not managing at all. They are really rather delightful and take to Celi, unknowingly helping her through the minefield she has stepped into. All are likeable characters. I do have a hard time reconciling Niall's belief that Celi is a creature out of legends, however this is 1588, beliefs and superstitions about the natural world were a fact. All in all, if one can suspend reality, a pleasant and somewhat intriguingly different romance between a Spanish lady and a Scot's Laird.

A NetGalley ARC

(January 2017)

WOW this is such a fabulous story one that kept me turning the pages it is sensual and beautiful sit back relax with a nice drink and see what happens when the beautiful Spanish Celi meets the ruggedly handsome Scott Niall you know men in kilts can't go wrong

Niall is widowed with three daughters the keep he calls home came with the dowry when he married but he spends a lot of time fighting as a mercenary to earn coin to keep everything going and he arrives home to find problems but then he discovers a Selkie on the beach will is Sellie change his life because immediately there is a spark a sense of magic and love.

Celestina is travelling on her father's ship with the Spanish Armada when a storm causes havoc and death but Celi is such a strong woman that she survives and is washed up on a beach and is discovered by a Scottish Laird who believes she is a Selkie who will bring magic and love to his family. But will the secret she keeps change all of that.

For Niall and Celi a tale of Selkies will come true for them when true love blossoms between them their journey is a very sensual tale the characters come to life on the pages they kept me smiling and sighing I truly loved this story and cannot recommend this story enough MS Housden never disappoints and this one left me feeling very happy .

Celestina, is on board her father's ship when they are hit by a storm, her father is swept overboard and drowns and she is left in the clutches of an enraged crew. Fearing for her life, she jumps into the sea herself.

Celestina is swept up onto Inverbrevie beach where Niall McDonall finds her thinking she is one of the Selkie and takes her back to his keep.

Celestina doesn't correct Niall and as time goes by they both fall for each other and suffer guilt, she for not telling the truth of who she is and he because he thinks he's stopping her from returning to the sea.

I was swept away by this story and I can honestly say I couldn't put it down.

I voluntarily received an advanced readers copy of this book from Netgalley.

I had a hard time connecting with this book and the characters. Everything happens quickly, the characters seem stilted and I felt it difficult to even like the main characters. The whole story felt off somehow.