I loved this mystery story. Do you love a good suspense? I think you will like this tale. Recommend to all friends and family!

I love Philippa Gregory and the Fairmile series is no exceptoin! I liked how there were heavy romance themes in the novel, Historical Romance is my favorite and Gregory is a master in the field! Thank you so much for my copy!

Fantastic book by a wonderful author! Thank you to publisher and NetGalley for allowing me to read this book..

I have read many books by Philippa Gregory and this book didn't disappoint. It took me a bit to really get into the book. Once I did I couldn't put it down. Highly recommend this book.

I was a big fan of Gregory's earlier books on famous women in the British monarchy. So when I heard that she had put out books focusing on women of the lower classes in a similar time frame, I jumped at the chance to read them. Tidelands has all the marks of what I recall from her earlier works: a storyline that draws you in, an intense romance, and a strong woman working for what she wants. However, Tidelands fell a bit short for me. I had a hard time connecting to any of the characters. Alinor, in particular, was frustrating, especially with her naivite. I wanted things to turn out for the best for her but she kept getting in her own way. I also wish we had spent more time from the POV of Alys or Rob, rather than James; his storyline felt a bit forced and like it was just added in to provide an historical context instead of moving the story along.

A little thing that also bothered me: the number of times that a character or the narrator used 'Tidelands.' I was so sick of that word by the end.

Overall, the story is engaging but left me wanting a bit more. I will read the sequel, if only to know what happens to these characters, but I'm not dying to know what happens.

I started reading Philippa Gregory books in my 20s. I loved the historical nature in her books and learning more about England’s history. I continue to be enamored with her writing with this series.

Although a little more of a slow start than some of her others, I understood the need for background and context. The hardship and lack of opportunity during this time in history was evident and showcased in Alinor’s story. She is a hard working midwife who has a vast knowledge of herbal remedies. Rumors swirl around her and her children, Alys and Rob.

Fully researched and engaging once the story got going, I really enjoyed this look into such a poverty- stricken and unsettled time. Religious and political unrest amplify the message. Neighbors turning against each other and accusing one another. Once this book hit the halfway point, it really took off.

I look forward to the other books in this series as the ending was a complete cliffhanger.

Thanks to NetGalley and Atria Books for an egalley in exchange for an honest review.

It's been a very long time since I relaxed with a Philippa Gregory novel and I was so happy to see this in the Read Now section of NetGalley. Set in Cromwell's England, this is the story of one ordinary family led by a woman just trying to get by. That's what makes Alinor a very fascinating character as she seems to rub all of her fellow villagers the wrong way. It's a bit of a slow burn of a novel but I did find it a great summer read. Despite the fact that history appears to be in the background and not the foreground, I just couldn't get enough of this family. Off to read book #2!

Publication Date 18/02/20
Goodreads review published 06/09/21

I did not finish - I have tried reading this book on multiple occasions and just could not get into it.

“She thought that the one thing that she had learned in this life, which had so many troubles and so few joys: she had at least learned to survive.”

When Alinor meets a strange man in the graveyard on Midsummers eve in 1648, her life will be forever changed. This is different from other stories I have read by this author. The main character is a very poor woman trying to get by after her husband fails to return home from sea. After a slowish start, the story really grabbed my attention. The characters were well developed and this historical account of life and superstition in 1647 England was very interesting. The story ends in a bit of a cliffhanger, and I am looking forward to reading the next book in this series.

Thank you Philippa Gregory, Simon & Schuster and Netgalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an unbiased review.

DNF. I read several chapters twice, and the outcome was the same, I got nothing. I tried twice, it is a Netgalley and a time period that I'm unfamiliar with. I was bored and found myself looking for something else to read.

This may be a historical fiction time period for someone who will be excited to see the synopsis. This was my year to branch out from WWII. Based on my unfamiliarity with the era, I'm going with 3 stars, knowing I didn't finish it and not all time periods work for us all.

#Netgalley
#England1648

Very different from her other books. Not sure what I was expecting but this was not it. Thanks to Netgalley for the opportunity to read this book

Philippa Gregory never disappoints but this book is truly spectacular. While most of her books focus on the royals in all their glorious cruelty and dysfunction, this new series is about the life of an impoverished woman - which I am sure was the majority of the people in that time. These women toiled along through their entire lives to survive from one day to the next, with absolutely no hope of ever improving their station in life. They suffered every indignity and cruel treatment from their husbands and even their own neighbors. I look forward to this series to see how Alinor and Alys continue as strong, independent women who will not compromise their beliefs and ethics even if it means they can move ahead in the smallest increment. As always the attention to historical detail is extraordinary and I learned way more about cutting and gleaning wheat than I even needed to know, but it certainly served to illustrate how hard these women worked, for so little return. I received this e-book from Atria through NetGalley and even though it is long past the publication date I appreciate the opportunity to read this book.

Tidelands is the first book in a new series written by Philippa Gregory, an author whose work I have read in the past. While I'm only fifty percent through devouring the Plantagenet and Tudor series (15-book collection), I was awarded the second book in this series via NetGalley, so I had to order the debut before jumping into the next one. What a great way to mix up the author's various series, enjoying her trademark beautifully penned historical fiction with a completely newly inspired time period and cast of intriguing characters.

Mid-seventh century. English coast. Poor village caught between kings and religion. Alinor is a young mother of two teenagers, and she finds herself helping a stranger in the dark. Her husband disappeared months ago, and her daughter wants to marry a local farmer who's several rungs on the ladder above her, at least social status-wise. Will Alinor risk helping the stranger? Will those who suspect her of being a witch finally cast their stones in public at her? Alinor falls for the man, and her assistance paves the way for her family to gain status and wealth. But with fortune comes a darker side, and they will all suffer the spoils.

Wow! At first, I was intrigued and focused, but I didn't feel compelled to read it each night. I was happy to take a break, until I hit the fifty-percent mark. Then it was a non-stop page-turner as everything that once magically spun into gold unraveled backward. That poor family! Those horrible neighbors! The greediness of men! Oh, Gregory pulled me in and held me tightly. Had the first half not been a bit slow, I would've given this five stars. And that ending - cliffhanger of all!!! I cannot wait to dive into book two next month. I'm taking a couple of weeks off (in between) just to let the ambiance of the story settle in. What a thrilling comparison to her other books.

Thank you to NetGalley, the publishers, and the author for giving me the opportunity to review this book. Philippa Gregory is an automatic buy for me. Her storytelling is incredible. After finishing Tidelands, I immediately want to go grab Dark Tides to see what happens next!

Sweeping and atmospheric, Tidelands brought me to Sealsea Island in Cromwell’s England, 1648. Gregory has such a gift for description in this highly detailed tale of witchcraft, faeries, and taboo romance. I really enjoyed this one.

Special thanks to Atria Books and NetGalley for a reader copy of this novel. All opinions shared are influenced by nothing other than my own reading experience.

I have always enjoyed Philippa Gregory and she hasn’t disappointed me in Tidelands.It is always nice to sit back and escape in time. I Am hoping for a third book in the series.

I received Tidelands as part of a NetGalley giveaway.

Mid-17th century England is a land at war with itself: as Cavaliers and Roundheads battle for supremacy, Alinor, a poverty-stricken woman from the Tidelands seeks to find a way forward for herself and her two children following her husband's disappearance and presumed death. In meeting the renegade priest James Summer, she finds herself courting danger. Yet even as the suspicious eyes of the community settle upon her, the pair engage in a passionate but ill-fated love affair, one that will have ramifications for generations to come.

I'm the opposite of most Philippa Gregory readers, I think, in that I can take or leave her royalty-focused fiction but am completely enthralled by the historical fiction featuring original characters., such as the Wideacre trilogy. So naturally, Tidelands hit all the right spots for me. Gregory has a gift for placemaking and atmosphere, and those talents really shine here: the poverty and precariousness of life in the marshes of Sussex, the dangers of the English Civil War, and the misogyny that runs rampant through it all. Very excited to read the rest of the series.

This is the first book in a new Series for Phillipa Gregory. Whilst I enjoyed this, I have not yet picked up the second which tells me that it didnt grip as i had hoped.

4 stars. Despite a somewhat slow start, Philippa Gregory does it again and shows why she is such a hallmark author in the genre of historical fiction, her books evoke the past and this is no different. Reading a good historical fiction novel is the next best thing to time travel and this title is just that.

Tidelands by Philippa Gregory was an epic, well-told and deeply feeling story. It is one that will stay with me for a long time!