I wanted to love “Dark Tides” because I love Philippa Gregory’s lyrical style, deft storytelling, and famous attention to detail. Given that I loved book 1, right up until it became a cliffhanger for book 2, and everyone’s character seemed to do a 180, I was determined that Gregory would make all right in book 2. All the elements are here: intrigue, well-drawn characters, and a plot that weaves in and around London, to Italy, and back to London...but goodness, it is slow, bloated. (Also there is the alternating story of Alinor’s brother, Ned Ferryman, who has gone to New England to start anew. Which felt disjointed from the London story and read like it should have been a different book entirely—if only I had cared about any of those characters.) Anyway, what I found most frustrating about this novel was that it is obvious from the beginning to Alinor and Alys (to me!) that the widow from Italy is not telling the truth about Rob’s death, yet she is welcomed into the house almost at once. Add to that, Sir James Avery, for all his returned lands and title, is still the same wet noodle he turned out to be in book 1–and despite how much I wanted Alinor to find true happiness, it was not to be in this novel.

Thank you, Simon & Schuster, Atria Books, for this advanced copy from one my favorite authors...Just not my favorite book.

I would like to consider myself a huge fan of Philippa Gregory. I loved the Order of Darkness series. So, I dove into this book thinking how wonderful I get to read another great book, but sadly that's not how it turned out for me. I'm not one to tell you what the book is about, instead I give insight to how it makes me feel or what kind of impression the characters made while reading. This leads to my explanation about Dark Tides. The beginning of the book gave me a solid introduction to the characters. There are two story lines that play out. One takes place in London. The other in New England. It took me until I was 46% into the book that the story started to pick up. Normally, I would have given up on the book. And I don't do this often. Leading up to my 46% I found myself skimming. I abandoned the New England story line after this point. I didn't feel it was relevant and I definitely did not miss out on anything pertinent. The London story was far more interesting and became my focus. The main characters are strong women which is a good thing when done right. I just didn't feel engaged. Instead I'm left disappointed. Thankfully Gregory has other great books to make up for this one. A special thanks to NetGalley and Atria Books for giving me the opportunity to read this book in advance for my sincere and honest opinion.

Philippa Gregory is one of my favorite authors. It therefore makes me sad to say that I had to give up on this book 3/4 of the way through. Blame it on the enforced quarantine that has left us with little to do but read, or say that the repetition of the two narratives that make up this novel became to much to endure.

In Tidelands, the first book in this series, we left Alinor and Alys 25 years ago, both pregnant with bastards. Alinor nearly died after being drowned as a witch, and she and her daughter escaped to London. Alinor's brother, Ned the Ferryman has gone to the Massachusetts Colony where he lives closely with both the colonists and the Native tribes.

Alinor and Alys run a wharf and storage facility and work hard for their living. Her son's widow arrive s with his baby and moves in. Alinor doesn't trust her or believe her when she says her son Rob, drowned. She's also not too sure that baby is her grandson. The widow is up to no good. We all know it won't end well. She makes a play for James, returned to make things right with Alinor for his betrayal of her and to acknowledge his son and heir.

Neither will it end well for Ned in his half of the narrative. So it goes, on and on, until you simply don't care any more. I gave it up. My sincere apologies to the author. It's probably my fault.

Thanks to Atria for an ARC copy of this book to read and review.

What a fascinating story! Actually it is three different stories set in two dramatically different locations. Two of the stories are about a woman run household in England in 1670 and 71. The women have a wharf and small warehouse they use for trade. They are reputable, honest and well received by their neighbors and those with whom they work. The third story is about Ned, the brother of the eldest woman who is a Ferryman and who has moved to the new world following Cromwell’s defeat and is attempting to assimilate himself there by living and working with both the settlers and the natives. Back in England, Livia, a widow from Italy who tells the women she was married to the brother of the younger woman and that the child she brought with is his son. She convinces the women to take her and her entourage into their home and family. Going any deeper into the plot will lead to spoilers, but I highly recommend it. Thanks to Net Galley and Atria for an ARC for an honest review.

This book is so rich in the descriptions and characterizations of the most basic of all human emotions. Greed, betrayal, love, family loyalty, survival -- i could go on and on. The sections about Ned, brother to Alinor and uncle to Alys and Rob showed the slow but sure beginnings of the betrayal and ultimate massacre of the North American Indians in the New World. Sections of the chapters of the frienship between him and his friend who "lived between two worlds" feeling that he was failing at this almost impossible task by trying to keep peace between the settlers and his people by having the English keep to their treaties brought tears to my eyes. Alinor's love and tenacity in believing not in Livia's lies about her husband Rob drowning in Venice was a strong element throughout the novel and made the ending joyous. Livia's greed and duplicity was very aptly portrayed. She was a beautiful, utterly selfish and greedy manipulative woman out for all she could get including the now remorseful and lonely James Avery who I believe not only never forgave himself for his abandonment and earlier betrayal of Alinor but uttlerly got his comeuppence in the end. I have read all of Philippa Gregory's books and have never been disappointed. Dark Tides is another masterpiece. Many thanks to Net Galley and Atria books for allowing me the pleasure of reading this new addition to this marvelous series.

I wanted to like this book truly I did. I really liked the first one and I was excited to read this one. However the characters did not have the same resonance with me as in the first book. I hated Livia and I had trouble connecting with Sarah and Johnnie and Alys. And I really didn’t care for the Ned storyline either. It was well written and the story flowed, I just did not care for the characters and I read it quickly so I could get through it.

I received a copy of this book from Netgalley and Atria.

This book is basically life coming along and dropping a big cket of dung on poor Alinors head at random intervals.

Now this is actually a good thing! See I like Alinor and I want the best for her!

It's just a lot to process.
So if you like deep-dive historical books you're gonna love this one!