I've always been fascinated by stories about the Titanic so I was excited to read On A Cold Dark Sea. The story is told from the alternating viewpoints of three very different women. We learn a bit about each woman's past, her experience with the tragedy and in her life after. On A Cold Dark Sea was a captivating tale of survival and starting over. I have read other books by Elizabeth Blackwell and enjoyed them but she outdid herself with this book!

Such a great read! Was interesting to see so many sides of such a monumental event! I could really empathize with so many of them!!

The only thing bad about this book was, I couldn't put it down to get anything done!!! I loved it! The ending was a bit abrupt and choppy but the writing was well done and the story line fantastic! It was a different take on the sinking of the Titanic, focussing less in the main ship sinking, and more on the rescue of 3 main characters. It covers their lives before and after the tragedy and how it affected them. Very well done!

A very happy surprise. I'll admit that when I noticed Lake Union was the publisher, I had second thoughts about reading this; every book from the company that I'd read previously felt amateurish and shallow. But "On a Cold Dark Sea" was tightly plotted and written, with three-dimensional characters and plausible but unexpected twists and turns.

and fade to black...

While On a Cold Dark Sea opens with chapters of intriguing dramatic possibilities and provides the bits and always popular well-known information about the RMS Titanic and even plays respectively with some legends about its more illustrious passengers it, unfortunately, lacked fluency as the loose frayed lines of connections between characters became an overly tangled story where emotions and outbursts seemed to take over and in the end did not convey a complete point but only faded to black after a long predictable sentimental scene.

Thinking back that seemed to happen alot in On a Cold Dark Sea. Characters would travel (or even show some type growth of understanding) and I cared to get to know the varying classes of passengers, their own painful secrets on that cold April night and what happened to them long after the smoke cleared from the snapping bulbs of ravenous reporters waiting to pounce on pier 59 and 54, but then this novel would just leave me in the dark waiting for a return or another mention as it set different characters adrift after reaching any excitement. Which is a shame because I honestly liked the beginning of this book and style of writing. I suppose I would say this novel is for those who are just looking for an escape that may seem extremely familiar in parts but are also happy to get lost in different Classes of lies and tides of romance.

With thanks to NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing who kindly sent me an Advanced Reader Copy.

Title expected to be released: April 10, 2018

Thanks Lake Union Publishing and netgalley for this ARC.

This book's heroine is just not likeable. I didn't finish this one because it was just too boring.

I spent my entire afternoon off reading this book and not getting anything else done! Anything related to Titanic will always end up on my reading list. I'm so glad this book was not yet another romance where the main characters are spectacularly in love after just 4 days. I very much enjoyed that this story follows three different women in very different circumstances and what happened to them after. Elizabeth Blackwell's writing and plotting were both very good and I will certainly be reading other books if hers!

This book was an interesting and varied take on the Titanic tragedy. It's split into many parts and three different narrators, which makes the focus on the time during and immediately after the sinking less repetitive and drawn out. It also catches up with the survivors 20 years later, reflecting on their experiences with dealing with the grief and guilt.
I enjoyed this novel very much, I found it well written and well paced. The characters were strong, and varied, and the varying socioeconomic circumstances made for a strong look at the whole picture of Titanic's survivors.

On A Cold Dark Sea is another novel based on the sinking of the Titanic. I've read many of these and didn't have much hope for this one, but it is a bit different than the others. This follows the lives of several fictitious passengers who were saved and how the Titanic experience shaped their entire lives. Could anyone who survived the Titanic have a happy ending? The answer to that may surprise the reader!

Great book. Well crafted plot and characters. I enjoyed this author’s writing and look forward to reading more of her books.

I was intrigued by On a Cold Dark Sea. I liked it but at times, it was a little slow. 4 stars.

Omg i love love LOVE any stories that have to do with the titanic. This was a wonderful work of fiction based on 3 different womens perspectives

Wow. What a fantastic read!! I adored the writing and the characters. I found the Titanic to be a fascinating part of the book. I feel like, although it is a novel, I still learned from historical aspects of the book. I have several patrons at my library who read anything about the Totanic that they can get their hands on, and I know they’ll love this one. Thank you so much!

On a Cold Dark Sea is historical fiction at its best. Ms. Blackwell took a subject that has been widely written about and created a book that is fresh, entertaining, and incredibly interesting. On a Cold Dark Sea would make a great literature companion in a high school history class. I can also see it used successfully in an ethics class or as a book discussion selection.

I am a sucker for historical fiction. Throw in exploring the time through multiple character's viewpoints and I am a happy woman. This book focused on three female characters that were from different socioeconomic standings as well as geographical homes.

I really enjoyed how this book told the story of HOW the characters came to be on the Titanic and how being survivors from the Titanic followed them through their lives.

Each character had their own story and their story was done well. They were all tied together well so you saw the overlap and understood how the actions of one character caused great impact on another. The stories unfold well so there is some suspense on how things are unfolding. I enjoyed this aspect a lot.

This is definitely a solid good read.

I seem to always enjoy any book I receive by Lake Union Publishing. This was no different. The story of three women who survived the Titanic sinking and were together on a Lifeboat for hours in the deep, dark, cold sea. The story is told in four parts. Before the tragedy, After, on the Lifeboat and the Aftermath years later. I enjoyed Elizabeth Blackwell's writing very much. I would easily read another book by her. Very enjoyable and entertaining.

ON A COLD DARK SEA was a very well written book, but at times I found myself wondering if there was an actual point to the novel. For me, it was just telling the story of three woman who were loosely connected, but there was no real overall point to the story. The novel centers around the sinking of the RMS Titanic, and, in particular, what happened in one of the lifeboats after the ship sank. The three main characters were all in Lifeboat #21, and their lives are all tied together because of something that happened in the lifeboat between leaving the Titanic and getting picked up by the RMS Carpathia. The problem is that it takes until two-thirds of the way through the book until the reader finds out what happened in the lifeboat. By then, the event has been built up so much that the actual event seems anticlimactic and disappointing. Lifeboat #21 goes back to pull survivors out of the freezing ocean after the ship has gone down. They attempt to rescue a man they find floundering in the water, an argument ensues among the people in the lifeboat, and they ultimately fail to save the man – a man that most of them agree would have probably died anyway. This event haunts three of the women in the lifeboat.
The three main characters of ON A COLD DARK SEA are all interesting, well-developed characters. Esme Harper is traveling in first class with her husband. They are returning from their honeymoon. Esme is a spoiled young woman who really thinks of no one but herself. It’s her affair with a man she met while in England that makes her interesting. As Esme’s lifeboat is being lowered towards the water, she pulls her lover, Charles, into the boat and saves his life. Charlotte Digby is traveling in second class, posing as a married woman. Meanwhile her “husband” is in the cabin next door with his male lover. Charlotte is a pick-pocket and a con artist. Despite her faults, Charlotte is a very likeable and relatable character. In my opinion, Charlotte was the more interesting character and was what kept me reading. The third passenger is Swedish immigrant, Anna Halversson. She is traveling in third class with two of her friends from home, and all three of them are looking forward to their new lives in America. Anna is plucked out of the water by the passengers in Lifeboat #21 before the Titanic sinks.
The first part of ON A COL DARK SEA introduces the three main characters and tells their life story up until they board Lifeboat #21 and the Titanic sinks. The second part of the novel picks up twenty years later when Esme’s lover (now husband) Charlies dies. Charlie’s death forces all three women to confront what happened on the night the Titanic sank. Part two also fills in the readers on what happened to each of the characters over the past twenty years. The third part of the novel puts the three women in the lifeboat and shows us what happened that night. And the fourth part of the novel wraps up each of the three characters’ stories after they’ve confronted what happened that night in the lifeboat.
While I was never quite sure of the point of the novel, it was an enjoyable, well-written read. I enjoyed Charlotte’s character immensely. I believe that Titanic aficionados will definitely enjoy reading ON A COLD DARK SEA.

The sinking of the Titanic remains a subject of interest, even more than one hundred years later. The challenge for writers is to spin the tale in a new and interesting way, and Elizabeth Blackwell has done a fine job in that regard.

The novel begins with three women passengers and their backgrounds, and then soon takes us to Lifeboat 21 and its various inhabitants and challenges. The question of taking on more passengers from the freezing water. The chain of command which is quickly put into place. The water that seeps into the boat through a poorly placed plug.

In the later pages, we are re-introduced to Anna, Charlotte and Esme twenty years later, and we see the effect of the Titanic's sinking which continues to haunt each of them.

You may think you know the ending, but I urge you to read to the very last word to see the twists and turns of this remarkable story.

I read this EARC courtesy of NetGalley and Lake Union. pub date 04/10/18

Wonderful writing, great storytelling. Loved all of the characters and the setting. However, wishing the ending came together more. Was left wondering...

I did not care for this book at all. I could barely get through the first couple of chapters.