This beautiful work of historical fiction follows two separate woman from 1912 to 1945.

Violet begins her journey by boarding the Titanic, and a lifelong at sea quickly follows. She experiences WW1 as a volunteer nurse and steward, but is consistently weighed down by her obligation to her family. Her story absolutely broke my heart the most. I was rooting for Violet to learn her self worth the entire time, and cried when she finally chose herself first.

Daphne is the quiet daughter of a famous movie director, and is desperate to prove herself during WW2. Her ambition for being an undercover agent quickly changes when she witnesses the tragedy of war. Throughout her mission, Daphne takes multiple aliases and finds who she truly was all along.

If you love historical fiction, strong FMC, and romance, I strongly recommend Unsinkable.

Thank you for the opportunity of receiving an ARC, and I am leaving this review willingly.

I always rush to read any book, magazine article, interview about the Titanic whether it is fiction or historical fact. It was a breath of fresh air to find a historical fiction that IS NOT WW II, Nazi or anything like that part of the storyline. I did like the dual storyline between Violet (1912, in the past) and Daphne (current, WW II; did not bother me). I was torn between intrugue and boredome while reading this. Let me explain...

Violet and Daphne are both heroines in their time helping others and saving themselves. I thought they were strong heroes. The actual storytelling is what bothered me. I usually follow dual storylines well, but it felt disjointed and not fluid. Plus, it was boring....

Violet's story in 1912 was way more interesting than Daphne's in the 1940's. I found myself skim reading through Daphne to get to anything about Violet.

Would I recommend this? I do not know. Would I read this again? No.

Thanks to Netgalley, Jenni L Walsh and Harper Muse for an ARC in exchange for honest review.

Available: 1/9/2024

I was provided a free advanced copy of this book from @netgalley in exchange for my honest review.
This is a fictionalized story of the life of Victoria Jessop, Miss Unsinkable. She was the Olympic mishap, and survived the sinking of both the Titanic and Britannic! She worked as a stewardess with a stint as a nurse during the first world war. Even through all of her incidents she continued to work as a stewardess on ships for many many years! We also learn about Daphne (a fully fictional character) who joins the Special Operations unit as a spy in France during WWII. These two women's lives are connected by their tenacity, hard work, unsinkable drive, and maybe a bit more too!
This was a really interesting story hearing about these two siblings, as well as some of the similarities and differences between the two wars. If you are a fan of historical fiction add this one to your TBR list! It is set to be published on 9 Jan, so go ahead and check it out soon!
#NetGalley #Unsinkable

This is a little difficult for me to rate. Part of the time it seemed to go so slowly; then it picked up and I didn't want to put it down. It was actually two different stories set in different generations, and I just knew they had to connect at some time. SO I kept reading to learn how. Otherwise, I might not have finished during the slow periods. Over all, I have to say that it was pretty good, and I did enjoy learning more about the Titanic.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. Thankful to NetGalley.

A good read about two resilient women- Violet and Daphne- that spans WWI and WWII. Violet's story is based on a real woman who survived three (!) sunken ships and kept going in order to support her family, Daphne, with a talent for languages and a desire to prove herself, works for the SOE in France. If I have a quibble it's that these two deserve their own novels- especially Violet, whose life was new to me. Thanks to netgalley for the ARC. For fans of historical fiction. Don't miss the afterword.

I LOVED this book. I absolutely loved the individual stories and eventual intertwining of Violet and Daphne. Both women are brave and smart and strong, and I enjoyed the love stories not being such a huge part of the book. I enjoyed the plot, the history, and the character development. I will definitely be recommending this book!

This dual timeline book, "Unsinkable" by Jenni L. Walsh, is based on several real women and was a page turner for me. Each timeline had me wanting to read just one more chapter and the entire book just flew by.
Violet Jessup grows up in difficult circumstances with a mentally ill mother and many younger siblings. She vows to support her family and goes to work on the Titanic (and later other ships) to make that happen. She puts her family first for many years of her life and bases all of her decisions on what is best for them. As an aside, she has a deaf sister who lipreads well. While at first I was sad to see this stereotype in a book (lipreading is better done by the hard of hearing as they are assisted by what they can hear), it is based on a real person so I accepted this character better knowing that. She plays a very minor part in the book too.
Daphne Chaundanson survives the sinking of the Titanic as a baby (though her mother does not) but grows up privileged but feels unwanted by her father. She bases her decisions on what will get her a nod from her father. She is talented with many languages, and so becomes a spy. She travels all over and impacts the war. (This character is based on several different women). Both women change and grow throughout the story and are interesting characters.
I highly recommend this book for any historical fiction fans. Thank you to NetGalley for providing me the ARC for an honest review.

Great book - loved the ending!

Two women who's lives crossed paths at pivotal times. Great historical novel/love story in one.

Thank you NetGalley and Harper Muse for a complimentary copy of this novel!
This is a historical fiction novel about two women…Violet and Daphne…and how their lives intersect unbeknownst to them. It falls on Violet’s shoulders as the oldest of nine siblings to help provide for her family. She does so by being a stewardess and a wartime nurse. She ends up surviving a shipwreck and 2 sinkings, including the well-known Titanic. With so much weight to bear for her family, will Violet be able to finally settle and have a life of her own?
Daphne grows up with an estranged father and mother who died when she was just a baby. She occupies herself by learning numerous languages and eventually is invited by the Special Operations to join as an agent in WW2 due to her language skills. Wanting to help her country and earn her father’s approval, she joins. With all the turmoil she encounters in the war and her fear of being on any floating object, she finally learns the truth about her past.

These two women’s stories are beautifully woven together by Jenni L. Walsh! I enjoyed her previous book, The Call of the Wrens and this one does not disappoint either! Available January 9, 2024

What a fun read!

Unsinkable is a dual timeline story featuring two brave heroines who want to fight to make things better, whether that's for their family or for an entire country.

Violet Jessup (who was a real woman, although her story here is somewhat fictionalized) is Miss Unsinkable. After having survived the sinking of the Olympic in 1911, she then manages to survive the sinking of the Titanic in 1912. Both afraid of and called to the sea, Violet must set aside her personal feelings to earn money to take care of her family. As war and tragedy continue to find Violet, she must decide to continue on the path she's always followed or forge her own path to happiness.

Daphne Chaundanson is a whiz at languages but not so much a whiz at connecting with her famous father. With the onset of WWII, Daphne is approached to join the SOE and become a British secret agent in Nazi-controlled France. But being a secret agent is hard, and although she's good at her work, Daphne finds her mission may require more than she ever expected. Although Daphne herself wasn't a real person, the author's note states that her character's story is based on the lives of real SOE women.

Violet and Daphne are both fascinating characters who find themselves in dangerous situations time and time again. Although Daphne chooses to face such dangers, Violet's circumstances are more bad luck than anything. Her survival in ultimately three shipwrecks would be funny if it wasn't so tragic, but Violet finds a well of bravery in order to keep returning to the sea. Her motives are entirely unselfish, too, which makes her decision all the more admirable. Daphne's motives are initially selfish, but once she lands in France and sees the suffering of the people, she refuses to back down from the Nazis. Her exploits are fun to read, even when they're unsuccessful, and her unexpected connection with a fellow Resistance member is sweet.

For about 99% of the book, the connection between Violet and Daphne is unknown. Daphne loves history and occasionally refers to the tragedies in which Violet was involved, but it's unclear as to why Walsh chose these two characters to serve as the dual narrators. It's not until the final few pages that the connection between the two women is revealed--at least to readers--and while I loved the connection and guessed correctly at what it was, I would've liked confirmation a bit earlier in the story. My only other complaint is that there are several large jumps in time in Violet's story, but some of these are explained in the author's note.

Overall, Unsinkable is a great read and a wonderful story of bravery, dedication, and selflessness. Covering several major historical events, Violet and Daphne's stories will keep readers turning the pages and guessing as to what will happen next.

espionage, WW2, multicultural, multi-generational, multilingual, WW1, stewardesses, dual-narrations, dual-time-frames, historical-novel, historical-figures, historical-places-events, historical-research, historical-setting, history-and-culture*****

Burdened with inescapable responsibilities, Violet is a stewardess on the White Star line who comes to
survive the sinking of the Titanic, then continues with her life and has two more brushes with death on ships. She was a real person whose life has been researched and some of her story retold as fiction.
Daphne becomes a Special Operations Executive agent during WWII due to her natural abilities in linguistics and a nearly photographic memory. Her story is a composite of many women who served their countries in exceptional ways during the second World War.
These are the women representing so many others whose lives have been unavoidably changed due to unstoppable circumstances. Well written and easily readable.
I requested and received an EARC from Harper Muse via NetGalley. Thank you!

Unsinkable by Jenni Walsh

Well written book, and my first Jenni Walsh book.

I enjoyed this dual timeline historical fiction of the Titanic. I Learned many facts I didn't know. Two different points of view from 2 different time periods. I fall in love with Violet's Point of views.



If you enjoy WW1 WW2 novels or The Titanic, then I highly recommend you read this novel. Pre-order your copy today.

Unsinkable by Jenni L. Walsh is a gorgeously-written and refreshingly clean dual timeline about perseverance, hardships, courage and hope. Two women are highlighted, the real Unsinkable Violet Jessop and fictional Daphne Chaundanson, both determined women who faced danger around every bend in their occupations.

Violet's job as a stewardess serving the uber wealthy on the unsinkable Titanic was interesting to read about. Not only did she survive its deadly sinking but she also survived the Olympic and Britannia tragedies. She wasn't a glutton for punishment but rather needed tips as the sole supporter for her mother and siblings. As she couldn't pursue her dream of medicine she was well placed to help others in a different way. Her life was adventurous and took her to live in the Andes when younger.

Daphne was eager to please her father and mastered several languages. As a clever woman she was willing to learn more and knew a smattering of words in others. She trained for the SOE in WWII and worked in France with several assignments using various code names. Her life was under constant threat of torture, imprisonment or death.

Though both characters and time periods are fascinating, Violet's relentless determination and loyalty to her family grabbed me in particular. She was a true heroine..

The writing and plots are engrossing, the characters believable and convincing and the harrowing details painted vividly. A truly enjoyable book. Do be sure to read the author's notes.

My sincere thank you to Harper Muse for providing me with a digital copy of this spellbinding novel.

Nicely spwritten book. Enjoyed reading many facts that I didn’t know about. Didn’t enjoy so much bouncing back and forth to the different stories but I guess it had to be that way for the outcome to be what it was

Fans of WWI.and WWII era books with dual timelines this book is for us! I initially was drawn to this book for the Titanic tie in but that part of the book is very short. Instead we see the dual timelines of Violet and Daphne.
I found myself more invested in Violet and her storyline. She is truly the unsinkable star of this book.

Overall a nicely written historical fiction book! I definitely recommend giving it a read.

I received a digital ARC of this book from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for my honest opinion.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a complimentary copy of this book; I am leaving this review voluntarily.

I enjoy a good dual timeline historical fiction novel, but as with other books with this sort of setup, I found myself favoring one timeline over another. Violet's character is based on a real person who happened to survive three maritime disasters: the Olympic, the Titanic, and the Brittanic. The other timeline involves a British woman named Daphne involved in special ops during World War II.

I was drawn to the story because of the tie-in to the Titanic disaster, but it surprised me that it only took up a small portion of Violet's story. With every job she takes that's onshore, she finds herself wishing to be back on the sea, Part of it is because she can make good tips and has a family to care for in an invalid mother and her younger siblings. A good portion of her story takes place during WWI when she's working as a nurse and the horrors she sees and worrying about her four younger brothers who all enlisted.

Daphne was an interesting character as was her time in special ops for the British forces in France, but I found myself skimming over those parts as I wondered the connection to Violet. It's not apparent until almost the end of the book, but even with that intrigue, I wanted to stay with Violet and find out more about her life.

While I thought the story was very good overall, I thought it could have been executed a little bit better. I did appreciate the author's notes at the end, explaining there was only so much information available about Violet and the rest was imagination.

What a wonderful book. I enjoyed every minute of it. As a true Titanic buff, I have read hundreds of books from every angle, but this was so different. I so enjoyed the depictions of Violet’s character.and all her experiences. It seemed so true to life…and it was. The other character is a compilation of many who served the SOE. I found this part of the book very interesting and informative. The author does a wonderful job of bringing it all together in a thoroughly enjoyable read.

I did not want this book to end. Absolutely incredible. (I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.)

It’s everything I could want in a historical fiction novel, with an awesome dual-perspective between Violet and Daphne, who in their own respective times are absolute heroes along perilous journeys. Not to mention both of them surviving multiple ship sinkings? Both on the Titanic? World War I, World War II, romance, espionage, the “what do I want out of life” great questions… I can’t do this book justice with a review, I absolutely loved it. I could’ve read thousands of pages of this story. Thank you so much to Harper Muse and Jenni L. Walsh for this advanced copy. It was a total joy.

I will read just about anything to do with the Titanic so i was really excited to grab this. I was completely intrigued with Violet's point of view, less sk with Daphne, which I felt dragged a little. While the chapters are somewhat long, I was compelled to keep reading. A very well written historical fiction that ties together nicely.

4.5 ⭐️

Unsinkable was a lot different than I imagined--but also better in some ways than I'd hoped!

Violet Jessop, also known as Miss Unsinkable, was such an intriguing character. As someone who has a healthy fear of the ocean and getting on a ship that will sink, watching Violet come back to the sea after not one, but multiple sinking on ships she was aboard gave me an adrenaline rush. Her character was so relatable: she has a family she's responsible for and sacrifices her needs to give them their best shot in life. Her love story was so touching, and then heartbreaking, and once again touching.

Daphne Chaundanson was one of my favorite characters in Unsinkable. As someone who loves history, and especially WWII, I was immediately intrigued by Daphne's role as a Special Operations Executive agent in France. This timeline in the book reminded me of Kristin Hannah's "The Nightingale." It's got all the right elements to tell a gripping story that holds both your attention and your heart.

The only thing that kept me from giving this story a full five stars is that the ending felt too rushed and slightly disappointed me. There wasn't anything wrong with it per se, but I guess I envisioned it playing out differently.

All in all, Unsinkable is a gripping, powerful read, and I’d absolutely recommend it! Thank you to NetGalley and the author for an eARC of Unsinkable. A positive review was not required, only my honest opinion. All thoughts are expressly my own.

Content warning: one use of the s*** word.