Thank you Philippa Gregory, Netgalley, and Atria Books for the opportunity to read this book!

It has been a while since I have read anything by Philippa Gregory. I read most of her Tudor related stories–there were some that I loved and some not so much but when I saw the synopsis for Tidelands, I was definitely intrigued! The story begins in England in 1648, the English Civil War has ravaged the country and Charles I is imprisoned on an island. Alinor is a fisherman’s wife, whose husband has gone missing. She has two children, Alys and Rob who depend on her. She makes her living as an herbalist and a midwife. But she is a woman and she is poor–every decision could lead to dangerous consequences. When she comes across a priest and gets him to safety, that is the first of many decisions that will bring danger to her and her family.

I just finished this book moments ago. So my emotions are a little raw. God, I love Alinor. She is caught in a world where she has to watch every move that she makes but craves safety, financial security, and love for herself and her kids. She is so strong in the face of hatred and poverty. The men in this book…suck. But that isn’t surprising in the year 1648. However, this book touches on so many aspects like hysteria, that are still relatable.

There are certain aspects of the book that are slow. Especially, scenes when the priest named James, is doing his spy networking. That part should have been thrilling but it felt dull. And just when the moment of the trial comes to pass, it gets skipped over and just becomes a part of a conversation. I wanted to be in that moment and I was waiting for the detail of the trial and execution. (This isn’t a spoiler, this is history, folks.)

BUT THAT ENDING!!! Talk about a cliffhanger!!!! Now, tread carefully SPOILERS AHEAD. This is what I am hoping for in the next book: I hope Alinor and Alys channel their inner witches and curse all these idiot men. Just saying. I want them to SMASH the patriarchy. I want revenge.

With the slow pacing, I was dancing between a 3-star rating and a 4-star rating–but that ending certified a 4-star rating. I do recommend that you have book 2, Dark Tides on preorder before picking up this book.

Thank you Netgalley for allowing me to read this book for my opinion.
I am a huge fan of Philippa Gregory's work. To me, this book did not flow like the others that I have read. The book is about a woman named Alinor who is trying to navigate life with a missing husband, two kids to feed and raise and the attention of an unlikely suitor while England is in the middle of a war.
The story paints a vivid picture of the life Alinor is living. You can almost see the marshes and tidelands come alive by the picture the author paints, but I found I could not connect well with Alinor and found myself struggling to read this book more than I expected.

I really enjoyed this book! Centering on a very important part of English history, the English Civil War and Oliver Cromwell vs. King Charles I, this story is about a woman who has to fight against a puritan society that devalues and degrades her at every turn. She falls in love with the wrong man, a forbidden love, and has to choose between him and her love for her children and all that she knows. This was a quick read. You can tell the author did an exorbitant amount of historical research. The end was very fast-paced and gripping—— I highly recommend! Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this free copy of Tidelands! I look forward to reading Book #2 in the series.

Not a bad book, I just struggled a bit with the characters. I'm sure there were people who strayed out of the norm and acted as some of these characters and I get that if they didn't act the way they did that there would be no story. The character I really struggled with was Alys. I don't want to give away spoilers so if you read it, you can probably see why I struggled with her. I do like Philippa Gregory as an author and although her books are fictional, the time periods depicted always seem to be accurate even if the characters aren't always the most believable. I would still recommend this to others.

I would like to say thank you to Netgalley, Philippa Gregory, and the publisher for allowing me to read this novel.

I have to say I am a big fan of Philippa Gregory, especially her Tudor and Plantagenet novels, so I wasn’t really sure how I would feel about this novel; it being so far removed from the Tudors and from the royal court in general made me a bit nervous. I must say though I was pleasantly surprised and enjoyed the novel very much. Gregory is a master at story-telling and recreating the England of long ago. Her descriptions were beautiful and succeeded in pulling me into the story. Her characters were both complex and easy to identify with.
My only issue with the novel was the ending. Alinor’s daughter worked so hard, lying, stealing, and cheating to make a good marriage and then just walks away from it. It seemed very unbelievable. That being said I am looking forward to continuing the series and seeing what is in store for the characters.

This book is great! Would definitely recommend. Thanks so much to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

Tidelands is set in 17th century England, the king has been sent into hiding because of political unrest. Throughout the whole of the kingdom even in the smallest annexes the people are divided on wanting the king back on the throne and wanting to rule themselves. Most of those wanting the king back on the throne are those that have lands and properties to their names, they have servants and tenants that work and produce for their properties. They have much to lose if the king is overthrown and the lower class people are allowed to rule themselves. Of course, those that have nothing and have worked their fingers to the bone and watched their mothers and fathers do the same want the opportunity to be able to make their own decisions and own their own properties without fear of not being able to provide for their families.

Our main character Alinor is from a small annex outside of London. Alinor has worked all of her life so is no stranger to hard work and does not shame away from working for everything she has. She is a mother of two children and has an estranged husband that has disappeared to sea. The novel opens with Alinor going to the local churchyard to meet the ghosts of what she hopes is her dead husband. Alinor's husband, Zachary, has been nothing but a thorn in her side since their marriage. The only two things that he ever did for Alinor was give her her two children which she tries to take care of all on her own. He was cruel and never contributed anything to their small family unit. Alinor hopes to meet his ghost in the churchyard so she can finally write him out of her and her childrens' lives forever, but instead she meets James. James is a priest that is travelling through London and local annexes trying to rally up support for getting the king back on the throne. Alinor forgets looking for the ghost of her dead husband in order to see James to his destination safely. James professes to Alinor that he has fallen deeply in love with her and Alinor takes him at his word. The reader is enveloped in a Romeo and Juliette type romance that is beautiful. At first you feel that this may be a break for Alinor. Maybe she can have happiness through James? Maybe she can find love again in James? Sadly, during the birth of their relationship James is called back to his duty in getting the king reinstated and leaves Alinor with hopes, promises and something that neither of them realizes upon his departure...

One quote from the book that I feel best described Alinor's character is this, "She thought that the one thing she had learned in this life, which had so many troubles and so few joys: she had at least learned to survive." Alinor's life is an unfortunate one and a picture into the life of a lower class woman in the 17th century. All that Alinor focuses on daily, what keeps her going, is to get her children grown and see them make something of themselves no matter how hard she has to work to get them there. I feel that mothers of any age can relate to Alinor, we all just wish for our babies to be better and do better than we have. I believe that Phillipa created a beautiful picture of the true feeling of a mother's heart. Alinor is constantly sacrificing herself for the benefit of others around her especially her children. She is the epitome of selflessness.

Tidelands is a beautiful story about the relentlessness of a loving mother to see her children into happy lives even if that means sacrificing herself in the process. It is also a testament into how we as a society can forget to help those less fortunate around us. Sometimes situations aren't always as they seem and a little compassion and understanding can make a world of difference to someone that is down on their luck.

Thanks so much to Net Galley and Atria Books for the opportunity to read an advanced copy!

** Disclaimer: I received a copy of this novel from the publishers in exchange for an honest review. **

I’m a huge fan of Gregory and have read almost all of her books. I love her writing style of weaving intriguing stories with historical events.

I really liked it overall. However, I will say that the start was slow, but like all of her stories, she paints wonderful pictures and you get drawn in. The story picks up the pace little before halfway and ends on a huge note. One that had me looking for the next book in the series just to see what happens.

If you’re a fan of Gregory, you shouldn’t be disappointed in taking a chance on this one.

Phillippa Gregory is a wonderful author. She has the ability to create compelling characters who are in situations that we want to read about. Gregory's research is excellent. I've read several of Gregory's books over the years, and they have all been page-turners. Tidelands is another that falls into the same category. Many thanks to NetGalley and this publisher for a free copy in exchange for my free review.

2.5 ⭐️ (Rounded up) Being a woman is hard. Especially in the mid 1600s England in the midst of political strife. Even more so if you are poor and your husband has abandoned you and your children. The situation for Alinor and her children is bleak. Alinor works doggedly, but it’s never quite enough. Somehow magically, opportunities seem to unfold allowing her children to rise out of poverty.

Being a woman, I was infuriated over Alinor’s situation. The harsh judgment she constantly met, most of which was because of situations she had no control over, made me want to rally to her aid. But Alinor is not a character needing of aid. She exemplified great inner and outer strength throughout each ordeal, revealing the ultimate power of love.

I found the first half of the book to be incredibly slow in pace with an immense amount of superfluous details. The last part of the book picked up pace and gave a satisfying ending, answering enough questions while leaving a few in place so that the author can continue this story in the sequel.

Thank you to Atria Books and NetGalley for a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to Netgalley for the chance to read and give my honest review.

I ha e read a few of Gregory's previous books and was looking forward to reading this one. Let me tell ya, it was a doozy!

I love how she fleshes out her characters and brings out the complexity of their relationships with the people around them all while navigating the rough history unfolding before them.

I can't wait to read the next book

I remember reading the other boelyn girl back before all the hype. It quickly came one of my favorite books and Gregory one of my absolute favorite authors. Her books are like comfort foo hot chocolate on a cool day, when you just want to snuggle up and read a really good book they're really good storyline by an excellent author. To me that's pretty much every single one of her books and this is no exception. No matter the time. The subject matter or the characters Gregory always delivers

Alinor is the daughter of the ferryman, married to Zachary Reekie but Zachary has disappeared. One night she is in the cemetery hoping to connect with his spirit so she knows he is dead but instead has a chance encounter with a spy for the King. Due to the secrets she agrees to keep her son is given a position in Sir William's home to be a companion to his son. Her daughter falls in love with a local farm boy and plans to marry. The book started a bit slow for me but it was so beautifully written. The Tidelands sounded miserable. The land was ever changing depending on whether the tide was in or out. It felt like a gigantic mud pit. Sometimes there were roadways to walk and at other times they would be under water.

The plight of being a woman in 1648 was being the lowest on the social ladder, especially one whose husband is missing. If she didn't have her brother, Ned, things would have been a lot worse. Without a husband to support her she kept a garden, spun wool to sell, made cheese, canned fruits, worked for the miller's wife and was a midwife. Her daughter also worked for the millers and that is where she met Richard, her future husband. There was a bit of a love story between Alinor and the spy, James, but I didn't care for him very much. He didn't have a spine to really stand up for the things he believed in. Her daughter, Alys, was bitter and hated being poor. She was determined to marry the farmer and raise her status in life.

The ending was a little abrupt but it was as it should be. I found the last quarter of the book to be quite suspenseful and couldn't turn the pages fast enough.

Thank you to Netgalley and Atria books for providing me with a copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an e-copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion. Philippa Gregory is one of my favorite authors - in fact it was Philippa that got me hooked on historical fiction and I own everyone of her books on The Tudors and The Plantagenet's.

This book is not at all like those and I knew that going in but couldn't' 'resist just the same. The book started out a bit slow for me but then by a little more than a 1/4 of the way through I was hooked. I found myself fully invested in Alinor and love her character. Philippa does such a great job in her writing style that reading along to the hard work of Alinor's day I found myself taking a deep breath as it made me feel tired and all I was doing was reading.

I can't wait to read the sequel Dark Tides. Don't be put off that this is not what you typically read by Philippa Gregory - it's worth it!

Immersive piece of, historical fiction set in medieval England. The story of a young woman raising her children during a time of religious and political turmoil Phillipa Gregory does her research and does a fantastic job of depicting the complex relationships and social constructs of the time period. The beginning of the novel slowly works toward building the foundation of the story while the ending is a bit abrupt in preparation for the sequel to this saga. Thank you NetGalley for allowing me to review this book. Recommend for lovers of historical fiction.

"Tidelands" is the first Philippa Gregory novel I have read in many years and it did not disappoint!

It takes place in 1648. England is on the brink of civil war with King Charles II and his supporters against Parliament and their supporters.

The main character is Alinor- "neither wife nor widow" to a man who has disappeared at sea. She lives on Sealsea Island in the Tidelands of the southern coast of England. She is a midwife, healer, and gifted with herbs. It is a time of witch hysteria and rumour has it, she may be a witch. She is destitute with 2 children, both of whom help out how they can.

One night she comes across a man in need of shelter and decides to help him out. Little does she know this will change the rest of her life.

This novel is atmospheric, mysterious, dramatic, and historical.

If you like Philippa Gregory's other novels, you will like this one too!

I instantly fell in love with the characters. I even loved the ones I hated because they made me want to keep reading!

This was very well done and extremely well written. The author had clearly done a tremendous amount of research on the time period. It is an intriguing story about love, religion, and politics. The ending was very abrupt, but I realize there is a sequel. Thank you to netgalley for the arc.

I enjoyed Tidelands and look forward to the next installment from Philippa Gregory's Fairmile series.
Four stars.

I absolutely loved this book! Gregory did massive amounts of research which made the story authenic. I always learn something by reading her books and to a reader that is a gem of a book when it can also educate you.

It's a entrancing historical novel set in England in the 1600s during Oliver Cromwell's rule. The plot intertwines love, history, religion, and politics. What was once considered normal in England is now banned and some of the citizens are having difficulty with this change and want someone else as the ruler!! The love story part of the plot comes when Alinor, the main character, meets James, a priest who needs help crossing the marshlands. Eventually Alinor becomes pregnant with James' baby, but instead of feeling joy, there is heartbreak. You will fall in love with Alinor and root for her throughout the book.

The story flowed well and the character building was top-notch as only Gregory can do!! I would recommend this book and look forward to book two in the series.

I would like to thank NetGalley and Atria Books for this ARC in exchange for my review.
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