The Tides of Time is a tender, beautifully written story that blends romance, time travel, and heart-tugging emotion in the most seamless way. Sarah M. Eden delivers a love story that feels timeless—full of longing, hope, and the quiet magic of connection across eras. Poignant, charming, and impossible to put down.

I really enjoyed Lili's story, it was so entertaining to watch her learn new things in the year 1873. Armitage was a such a genuine charecter and I really loved his treatment to Lili. I always enjoy books by Sarah Eden and this one was also amazing.

Eden delivers a sweet, modest romance with a fun time-travel twist from Revolutionary France to Victorian England. Fleeing the Tribunal in 1793, Lili Minet is swept into 1873 England, where she’s rescued by reserved lighthouse keeper Armitage Pierce. As a tender bond grows between them, danger from Lili’s past resurfaces—testing whether love can truly transcend time.

Here’s what makes this story shine:

🕰 A fresh twist on time travel. With Revolutionary France and Victorian England as vivid backdrops, this isn’t just historical fiction—it’s a compelling blend of eras that raises the emotional stakes.

💫 Found family & timeless bonds. Armitage’s grandfather adds warmth and wisdom, becoming the anchor both Lili and Armitage didn’t know they needed.

⚔ Peril and pursuit across time. The danger from Lili’s past creates real tension—and makes her courage all the more admirable.

My thoughts? The Tides of Time is a gentle romance wrapped in mystery, history, and just a touch of magic. If you enjoy stories where time travel is a portal to the heart as much as to another era, this tale will sweep you away.

💕 The Swoon Scale 💕

(This is how I rate my books. For more information, see my pinned post on instagram @thewholesomeshelf.)

💍 Swoon-Worthy Sparks ✨ (3.9/5)

💬 The Dialogue 🎭 (3.5/5)

🦋 Butterfly Effect 🥺 (3.8/5)

📖 Re-Readability 🔁 (3.8/5)

Final Verdict: A beautifully written, sweet story that focuses more on the history and what happened to the main characters’ families.

In true Sarah Eden fashion, she delivers a heart wrenching, heart warming story of self discovery and finding a true love of the ages! She combines swooon worthy moments with heart pounding excitement! She truely outdid herself on this story!

I like Sarah Eden's writing and I've read almost everything that she has written. I also love time travel books so I was very excited to see The Tides of Time advertised and happy that I was offered a review copy to read.

The mechanics of the time travel were left a little more vague than some other tales. The how and why are wrapped up in speculation and seem devoid of any particular purposeful guiding power. Maybe that will be developed in the next installment in the series.

The book is well written and the character development is engaging and believable. I think Eden's sweet spot is her Regency era society family novels and though she is a competent writer in other settings I have often felt like that special spark doesn't always carry over. I wouldn't say that about this book. Though the setting jumps between the French Revolution and an isolated island off of England's south coast I felt very much immersed in both settings. The "spark" was there.

But the setting of Lili's past and family became a bit of a barrier to my enjoyment of the book. I had less than no desire to read a novel about the atrocities of the French Revolution. Then there was the villain, with his hatred, his choices and stubbornness when the possibility to leave the path he had been on was offered. It was just plain heartbreaking. While the narrative was well done, Lili's story is heavy and hard, filled with grief and sadness. Perhaps it's just where I find myself these days, but the tension that drives the story and doesn't leave even as the last sentence is written left me trying to decide how to rate this book. While Lili and Armitage have a beautiful narrative of building trust and then love, I felt that there just wasn't enough in the love story to balance the weight of the grief for this to be considered an enjoyable read. I ended the book feeling weary of the ongoing fight, even while I appreciated the ways that hope was highlighted.

But maybe you find yourself with enough emotional space to walk deeply into a difficult story looking for the small glimmers of light and hope in the middle of a great darkness. In that case, this would be a good book for you to pick up.

I received access to read this book from the publisher. My thoughts in review are my own.

Thanks to Netgalley for this arc.

I requested this book because I love Time travell books, and this book is among the best of them.

I love how in this book, the time traveller travells from their present(1789) to a future(1886),yet still in the readers past.
The characters feel like real people, the setting is charming,there are several plot twist I did not see coming.

My one gripe is the fact that the ending is a bit open, though it still is a happy end.

I love the way the time travel works in this book.
The romance is earned, sweet and slow burn. This book has no spice, which might be something some readers miss, personally I did not mind it. Every book does not need sexy scenes.

Honestly? Even though this book ends with few open questions, I love this universe so much. I am crossing my fingers we get a compaion to this book.
This is a book I will shout out to everybody who will listen to read.

When Lili Minet finds herself fleeing from Revolutionary France and Robespierre's Reign of Terror, an ocean storm flings her 80 years into the future. As Lili tries to find her place in the world, old secrets threaten to tear away the peaceful life she is building with the Pierce's.

When Armitage Pierce, lightkeeper, pulls Lili from the ocean, he doesn't quite know what the storm has brought into his life. As Armitage and Lili untangle their pasts, their future seems more uncertain. Only by working together might they have any hope of saving what they hold dear.

I had already started reading The Tides of Time, when I received a notification from NetGalley that I had been approved to read it (just after it was published). So thank you very much to Shadow Mountain Publishing via NetGalley to afford me this opportunity to read The Tides of Time. All opinions in this review are my own.

I always enjoy reading Sarah Eden's work, and this was no exception. It is fun to see an author try out a new to them genre, and a good time-slip novel is something I also enjoy.

The two time era, Victorian England, and Reign of Terror France, were two excellently blended storylines. The connections allowed for some interesting juxtapositions, and also really helped the time-slip dilemmas Lili faced. Having her not speak perfect English worked really well.

I really liked the ensemble of characters, and I especially loved Armitage's grandfather. As he and Lili got to know each other better, I loved the sweet grandfatherly manner he treated Lili with. I would have been happy to have many more scenes with those two together.

Armitage and Lili definitely grew on me. I liked each of them individually, and I think that with a little more exposition, I wouls be sold on their relationship. I felt like the emotional beats/character pacing felt a little underdeveloped for me. It is what stopped this from being a 5 star read for me. The emotional development felt more like a novella to me, rather than a fully fledged novel. And it wasn't only Lili and Armitage's relationship that suffered. I think all the emotional connections with each character deserved some more time on the page. It needed just a little more exposition or development.

Other than that, the world is interesting, and the story was well told. I'm definitely interested in reading the next book.

All in all, a very solid story and interesting take on the time-slip genre.

Goodness, this book is epic!!
So, dear reader, get yourself ready to enter the world of 1793 France, during Robespierre's reign of terror. *Gosh, I love books filled with history!*
The Tides of Time is an emotionally stirring novel that will appeal to fans of historical fiction, as well as readers who appreciate well-developed characters and the complexities of human emotion.
While a new-to-me genre, I had faith in Sarah M. Eden. And she did not disappoint. She never does. Her ability to evoke deep feelings through her writing ensures this book leaves a lasting impression. Sarah's writing shines through her vivid descriptions and the intricate emotional journeys Lili and Armitage undergo. Lili's struggles and triumphs feel authentic, drawing readers into their world. The love story is tender, but the novel does not shy away from addressing the difficulties that come with relationships, especially when life is unpredictable.
The ending... is both poignant and satisfying, though it carries a bittersweet tone. Without giving away too many spoilers, the conclusion is reflective of the themes of the novel: love, loss, and the passage of time. Sarah does an excellent job of wrapping up the plot threads, while still allowing space for reflection.



* I received a copy from the publisher via NetGalley, and this is my honest opinion.*

What a stunning cover and an equally stunning book. I loved Armitage. For a 25 year old young man, he certainly makes an impression on those around him by being kind, intelligent, and hard-working. Lilli is going through a lot, having escaped the French Revolution and being thrown years forward into a small English coastal town. She's confused, wary, and challenging. But as she spends more time in this quaint town with her Armitage, she finds a sense of belonging and hope.

I loved these two characters. Their romance was subtle but deep. Their adventure through time was fast-paced.

Definitely can not wait to read book 2.

#netgalley

I liked the premise of this story. It reminded me of A Rip Through Time by Kelley Armstrong a little. It also reminded me of the Hallmark TV show The Way Home with the time travel through water thing. This was slow to get going though, and it didn't keep me as engaged in the story as I wanted. The characters were very suspicious of each other in the beginning and it made them a little hard to warm up to at first, and I thought there was a lack of chemistry between them. I think it could have been there if the romance had just been more developed.

There were frequent changes in language from English to French and it would have been nice to have translations each time this happened. It got a little tedious. One of my biggest problems with the story though, is the way Armitage and his grandfather spoke. I'm not sure if this was a real thing in that part of the world in that time period, or if it was just made up for this book, but either way, transposing pronouns was a really bad idea in my opinion. It annoyed me so much to read it. I'm on the fence about continuing with this series.

Thanks to NetGalley and Shadow Mountain Publishing for providing me with an ARC of this book.

Such a beautiful tale that demonstrates love is not bound by time. Lili finds herself in a strange place and a strange time. As a survivor, she focuses on how to adjust and settle into this new time without giving her secret away. Grandfather reveals himself to be a trusted ally and then the twists and turns take full effect! The romance between Lili and Armitage is tender and sweet. I adore how both Armitage and Grandfather treasure Lili and show her how much she is loved. As the plot thickens there are so many more secrets that make it near impossible to put the book down! Such a beautiful take on the uncertainty of time travel and how love remains a constant in all the variables. The atmosphere of Revolutionary France is captured so well, as are the dangers people faced every single day. The bravery of those who risked everything is laudable and I’m glad for their representation that brings about some redemption to an otherwise horrific time.
I am hopeful there may be more to this story and the delightful travelers…
I received a complimentary copy from the publisher via NetGalley and all opinions expresses are solely my own, freely given.

This was a very interesting concept and storyline, I feel like I need to read up on the french revolution now!

I hope there is another book after this because I felt like the story wasn't really tied up in the end.

This book sounded so good when I read about it on netgalley. I was right. It was definitely a good read that takes you back in time with people from two different worlds as in where they come from on earth. There is dual POV and it takes you to places you wouldn’t expect a romance book to do. To will love the FMC and what she stands for. The MMC is a handsome man you doesn’t let her just walk all over him or fool him about who and where she came from. I love how instantly he knew something was off and didn’t let it go. Definitely one to add to your TBR

This is the first book in a new time travel, Storm Tide, series by Sarah M. Eden. The story features activities during France's Revolutionary time period and an English island in the 1870s.

I've enjoyed several stories set during the French Revolution, yet this one gave it a different slant. The events that take place in England are also different than the usual story that I am familiar with from that time period. It gave the whole book a new and interesting feel for me. There is romance and history and intrigue and suspense woven throughout the pages of this book. All work together to keep the reader captivated and wanting to know all. I would caution one that does not like to be spoiled, to not read the blurb for this book. In my opinion it hints at events too far into the story. But I am one that enjoys going in blind to a book that I know will not have content that I prefer to avoid.

I will say that this was a difficult book for me to actually read. I do not hear the voices that are printed in my head. Armitage and his family and neighbors have a distinct way of speaking English. It made it very difficult for me to read the printed version of the book. Also, there are many French aspects of the book as well. All together it was making it work for me to read. So to be completely transparent, I waited until the audio was released and listened to that immediately. I loved the story and was able to enjoy it so much more by listening. So, if you find yourself in a similar situation, I think you will love the audio version.

I was given access to an advanced copy of the digital version of this book by Shadow Mountain Publishers and Netgalley. I'm voluntarily leaving an honest review.

I would give this book all the stars in the world if I could. I didn’t know what to expect going in, but I LOVED it! It has everything I love in a story—swoon-worthy hero, brave and beautiful heroine, a bit of suspense, and just enough spice to make it romantic! I didn’t see the big twist coming, and I was not prepared for the ending, and I could not stop until I had finished the last chapter. I never thought I could be a fan of time travel historical romance…but here I am! I hope there are more books to come in this series.
I received a copy of this book through NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

I love a good time travel story. Especially ones that include interesting times in history.

This story got my attention from the very beginning with its dangerous setup. Starting in Paris during the French Revolution, the FMC is thrown through time to England 80 years in the future. I loved the lighthouse setting and all the history we learn about the deadly times in France through the FMC. It was fascinating but also sad.

My only negative for the book is with the romance. The relationship felt too easy, and the romance needed more development. It’s definitely a sub plot in the story, but I wanted more from it.

I also wanted to note that I found the book hard to read because of a narrative detail. It’s a specific way of speaking for this region in England, but my brain didn’t like it at all. I quickly switched to the audio, and really loved the narrator. She did the French accent really well, and it definitely helped my reading experience!

Overall, this was a very enjoyable book. I’ll definitely be continuing with the series!

This was an interesting story with fascinating characters. I enjoyed the two timelines and seeing how the author blended them. I thought the author did a great job of researching both timelines and taking us on a journey to those times. I thought the concept was interesting and although I have read other time slip books, I thought the idea of using the sea was creative. Overall I thought the story was enjoyable and different from other books this author has written but still with the same attention to detail that is in her other books.

I received a complimentary book from publishers, publicists, and or authors.  A review was not required and all opinions and ideas expressed are my own.

I cannot explain the depth of beauty and the overlapping web of mystery this book contains. It is a wonderful book, but beside that, it shows so much for thought and planning. Little details here and there that make a large tapestry of a story. It still flummoxes me how methodical and deep this book is. Great job, Eden!

Thank you to NetGalley and Eden for an advance reader copy in exchange for a wonderful book. These opinions are my own.

#thetidesoftime #netgalley
**A Captivating Tale of Love and Time**

In this beautifully crafted historical romance, readers are swept away on an unforgettable journey through time. Lili Minet’s harrowing escape from the chaos of revolutionary France and her unexpected plunge into the future is both thrilling and heart-wrenching. The author masterfully captures Lili’s struggle to adapt to the unfamiliar world of 1873 England and her growing bond with the brooding yet compassionate lighthouse keeper, Armitage Pierce.

The characters are richly drawn, with Lili’s strength and vulnerability shining through as she heals from her past trauma. Armitage’s quiet resilience and the wisdom of his grandfather add depth to the story, creating a compelling dynamic between the trio. Their evolving friendship and eventual romance are tender and authentic, making readers root for their happiness against all odds.

The novel seamlessly blends historical fiction with a touch of the fantastical, keeping readers on edge as the dangers from Lili’s past resurface. The suspense builds to a satisfying climax, where love and courage are put to the ultimate test.

With vivid descriptions, emotional depth, and a timeless romance that defies the boundaries of history, this novel is a must-read for fans of historical fiction and time-travel romance. It’s a story that lingers in the heart long after the final page is turned.

Sarah M. Eden used to be one of my favourite authors, and I always take immense pleasure in re-reading her Jonquil Brother Series and the Lancaster family series. However, I'm less of a fan of her recent books, and to me, this one was a disappointment.

The cover is absolutely stunning and the summary terribly appealing, so I couldn't resist asking for an eARC to review on Netgalley. However, from the first few chapters, I found the concept of the book more appealing than its execution.

I found the main character, Lili, annoying and unlovable. After being rescued from drowning, she is downright rude and disrespectful to her British rescuer, Armitage, for no reason other than "she cannot trust him because it's the Revolution back in France", which doesn't really make sense. If we could see and sense her vulnerability and understand why she is lashing out at Armitage, that would be fine, but you don't see that part of her. And Lili is amiable to Armitage's grandfather, when she should be just as wary of him.

In addition, she pretends to speak bad English in a way that is very confusing. She knows some complicated words but doesn't understand some basic ones. As a native French speaker myself, whose second language is English, I found this completely unrealistic. I also found it annoying that there were so many mistakes when Lili speaks French — the editor should have made sure that the use of French by native French speakers in the story was correct. I hope this was only because I read an advance copy.

Lastly, while Lili was understandably completely stunned to have travelled in time, she kept being very dumb regarding certain "modern" things when she could have ended up taking them in stride after a little while. She also had a very high opinion of herself, having saved several dozen people in France. While this was admirable, I thought she seemed to think of herself as a saint and wasn't very humble. The romance also felt very flat, especially as I didn't like Lili.

The pacing was off, the first few chapters were too long. I also found that the first chapter didn't set the scene well enough, you don't really get to know and get attached to Lili.

I didn't like the simplistic way in which many things were written, it sometimes felt like a book for a younger audience. I didn't find Sarah M. Eden's magic with words and characters in "The Tides of Times". If anyone is a French speaker, enjoys the setting of the book and is looking for a middle-grade book, I'd rather recommend the Soeurs Espérance series, starting with "Signé Charlotte".

This book has excellent reviews, but despite the promising premise, it just wasn't for me. I'm glad others loved it though!

*I received a free eARC in exchange for my honest opinion*