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The Glass Ocean

Beatriz Williams (Goodreads Author),

Lauren Willig (Goodreads Author)

Karen White (Goodreads Author)

3.89 · Rating details · 6,064 ratings · 869 reviews

From the New York Times bestselling authors of The Forgotten Room comes a captivating historical mystery, infused with romance, that links the lives of three women across a century—two deep in the past, one in the present—to the doomed passenger liner, RMS Lusitania.

May 2013
Her finances are in dire straits and bestselling author Sarah Blake is struggling to find a big idea From the New York Times bestselling authors of The Forgotten Room comes a captivating historical mystery, infused with romance, that links the lives of three women across a century—two deep in the past, one in the present—to the doomed passenger liner, RMS Lusitania.

May 2013
Her finances are in dire straits and bestselling author Sarah Blake is struggling to find a big idea for her next book. Desperate, she breaks the one promise she made to her Alzheimer’s-stricken mother and opens an old chest that belonged to her great-grandfather, who died when the RMS Lusitania was sunk by a German U-Boat in 1915. What she discovers there could change history. Sarah embarks on an ambitious journey to England to enlist the help of John Langford, a recently disgraced Member of Parliament whose family archives might contain the only key to the long-ago catastrophe. . . .

April 1915
Southern belle Caroline Telfair Hochstetter’s marriage is in crisis. Her formerly attentive industrialist husband, Gilbert, has become remote, pre-occupied with business . . . and something else that she can’t quite put a finger on. She’s hoping a trip to London in Lusitania’s lavish first-class accommodations will help them reconnect—but she can’t ignore the spark she feels for her old friend, Robert Langford, who turns out to be on the same voyage. Feeling restless and longing for a different existence, Caroline is determined to stop being a bystander, and take charge of her own life. . . .

Tessa Fairweather is traveling second-class on the Lusitania, returning home to Devon. Or at least, that’s her story. Tessa has never left the United States and her English accent is a hasty fake. She’s really Tennessee Schaff, the daughter of a roving con man, and she can steal and forge just about anything. But she’s had enough. Her partner has promised that if they can pull off this one last heist aboard the Lusitania, they’ll finally leave the game behind. Tess desperately wants to believe that, but Tess has the uneasy feeling there’s something about this job that isn’t as it seems. . . .

As the Lusitania steams toward its fate, three women work against time to unravel a plot that will change the course of their own lives . . . and history itself. ...more

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Hardcover, 408 pages

Published September 4th 2018 by William Morrow

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3.89 ·

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· 6,064 ratings · 869 reviews

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Aug 29, 2018 Dorie - Traveling Sister :) rated it liked it

Shelves: historical-fiction, netgalley-feedback, edelweiss

This book was a 2 rounded up to a 3. My review is going to be different from many that I’ve read so far. This book first had me disliking it, then liking it, then disliking it again. It didn’t help I guess that I had just watched Titanic with my granddaughter for about the 10th time. Here’s what I thought.

There is such an extensive blurb for this book that I will just give you snippets of what the book is about. There are three different narrators, two that will be aboard the Lusitania in the p This book was a 2 ½ rounded up to a 3. My review is going to be different from many that I’ve read so far. This book first had me disliking it, then liking it, then disliking it again. It didn’t help I guess that I had just watched Titanic with my granddaughter for about the 10th time. Here’s what I thought.

There is such an extensive blurb for this book that I will just give you snippets of what the book is about. There are three different narrators, two that will be aboard the Lusitania in the past and one in the present, or at least 2013.

Caroline is the wife of a very wealthy industrialist Gilbert Hochstetter, she has felt that lately her husband has been preoccupied and not very attentive to her. She is hoping this trip to London will rekindle the marriage fires. Gilbert is definitely up to something, but what?

“Tessa Fairweather is traveling second-class on the Lusitania, returning home to Devon. Or at least, that’s her story. Tessa has never left the United States and her English accent is a hasty fake. She’s really Tennessee Schaff, the daughter of a roving con man, and she can steal and forge just about anything” Her sister Ginny is the one who talked her into this “job” aboard the Lusitania. She was under the impression that she was going to steal and then copy a long lost waltz by Strauss, but when she finds out this is about something much more she wants out of the job! She isn’t even sure of what she found in the safe, what is this extra sheet of paper with numbers, etc?????

Sarah Blake is a best selling author but in 2013 she is struggling to find her next big idea for a book. She breaks a promise to her mother and opens a chest that belonged to her great-great grandfather. She finds references to the sinking of the Lusitania and perhaps something else that might make for a great story. She decides to go to England to find John Landford whose family archives etc might hold the secret to what really happened on the Lusitania.

Confused yet? I certainly was. I usually don’t mind books that go back and forth in time, in fact I like that writing style, but this book did not flow smoothly for me. Add to that there are several romantic triangles, none of which were very convincing as the women kept changing their minds as to whom they loved.

I felt that there were many comparisons to the story of the Titanic in the beginning including the description of the opulence aboard the ship, etc. Tess also just happened to be a remarkable sketch artist, very, very talented, sound familiar??

When I researched the sinking of the Lusitania, just through Goggle, it seemed crazy that the ship even sailed when the Germans had warned the US and Britain that they would attack any ships sailing in a war zone. According to the book they were supposed to have an escort by the British Navy but there is no history to support that according to what I found.

I really wanted to like this book but it ended up being just an o.k. read for me and at times really confusing and annoying to sort out. I’m giving it 3 stars because the premise was a good one and there was some good writing here.

I received an ARC of this novel from the publisher through Edelweiss.
...more

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Sep 03, 2018 Jennifer ~ TarHeelReader rated it really liked it

Shelves: 2018-reads, arcs, ew-ew-wishlist, kindle-version, super-excited-about

4 absorbing stars to The Glass Ocean! ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐

I’m a fan of each of these authors, and when they joined forces previously to co-author The Forgotten Room, magic happened multiplied by three. My brief gushing review of The Forgotten Room is on Goodreads.

The Glass Ocean is a historical mystery blending time and place across three narrators, two a century in the past, and one in the present.

In 1915, Caroline Telfair Hochstetter is a southern belle married to Gilbert, who was once attentive to her 4 absorbing stars to The Glass Ocean! ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

I’m a fan of each of these authors, and when they joined forces previously to co-author The Forgotten Room, magic happened multiplied by three. My brief gushing review of The Forgotten Room is on Goodreads.

The Glass Ocean is a historical mystery blending time and place across three narrators, two a century in the past, and one in the present.

In 1915, Caroline Telfair Hochstetter is a southern belle married to Gilbert, who was once attentive to her but is now distant and overworked. She plans a trip for them to London aboard the Lusitania in the lap of luxury and hopes it will be a turning point in their marriage. At the same time, an old male friend of hers is also aboard the ship, and Caroline feels a connection to him, while also restless and discontent; not exactly how she expected to feel on this alluring vacation.

Also in 1915, Tessa Fairweather is aboard the Lusitania, and she is returning home to Devon, but that is not exactly the truth. Tessa is an American with a fake accent to boot. In truth, she’s the daughter of a famous con, and is a con in her own right, but she craves an end to that part of her life. Her partner has one more trick in mind, and then they can move on with life.

In the present day, Sarah Blake is a bestselling author with troubled finances. She finds herself opening a chest she had promised her mother she would not open. It belonged to her great-grandfather who passed away on the Lusitania in 1915. She discovers a mystery and travels to London for help in solving it.

Everyone knows what happens to the Lusitania on that fateful day. With one chapter ending and the next beginning with one or two words from the previous, the masterfully blended narratives build the tension of the mystery at its heart.

I loved all three characters. They are strong women with secrets to hide and brave stories to tell. There’s a love triangle and a mystery with a backdrop of the Lusitania steaming forward towards its tragic demise. Seamless writing, a sense of adventure, and exceptional storytelling define The Glass Ocean, and I hope these three authors come together again for another spellbinding read!

Thank you to William Morrow for the complimentary ARC. All opinions are my own.

My reviews can also be found on my blog: www.jennifertarheelreader.com
...more

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Aug 18, 2018 Elizabeth of Silver's Reviews rated it it was amazing

Booking passage on the Lusitania or any ship during WWI would not seem like a good idea to me, but Caroline Hochstetter and Gilbert needed to get closer, and figured this would be a wonderful way to help their relationship. Did Gilbert really agree to the reason they were going on the Lusitania or did he have ulterior motives?

Along with Caroline and Gilbert on a ship in waters that German submarines were prowling, we meet Tess, a female thief, who needed to steal valuable music sheets to pay her

Booking passage on the Lusitania or any ship during WWI would not seem like a good idea to me, but Caroline Hochstetter and Gilbert needed to get closer, and figured this would be a wonderful way to help their relationship. Did Gilbert really agree to the reason they were going on the Lusitania or did he have ulterior motives?

Along with Caroline and Gilbert on a ship in waters that German submarines were prowling, we meet Tess, a female thief, who needed to steal valuable music sheets to pay her bills. We also meet Robert Langford, a man who has been in love with Caroline since the first day he saw her many years ago.

All of the characters had a reason to be on the Lusitania, and the reasons were all different.

Meanwhile the story line moves from the 1915 Lusitania story to present day and introduces the reader to a struggling author, Sarah Blake, who found a trunk containing things of her great grandfather’s who perished on the Lusitania. This mystery centered around what could these things have to do with Robert Langford and the story.

And.....what could Sarah, Caroline, and Tess have in common all those years apart. We knew why Robert was there even though it actually was a coincidence that he and Caroline were booked on the same ship.

THE GLASS OCEAN weaves all of these characters together taking us on a ship that was to be a luxury cruise but leads to intrigue, mystery, death, and secrets.

The writing is flawless and beautiful even though I was a bit confused at first about how it all was to fit together. Learning the history of the Lusitania, the life style and protocol of the ship’s passengers, and having no sea legs along with the passengers kept my interest.

THE GLASS OCEAN is another marvelously researched book that smoothly moves from chapter to chapter and gives the reader a marvelous history lesson.

One chapter ended and the next began with a take off from one or two words that ended the previous chapter.

ENJOY when you read the newest gem by these lovely, talented ladies. 5/5

This book was given to me as an ARC by the publisher. All opinions are my own. ...more

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Jun 26, 2018 Elise (TheBookishActress) added it

Shelves: 2-star, elise-s-did-not-finish, released-2018, genre-histfic-past, genre-mystery-suspense

DNFed at 45%; this wasn’t awful, but the writing is very low-quality and the narrative very unengaging. It takes an ocean disaster and turns it into a story of a love triangle and a disgraced writer.

And how about that love triangle, huh? One criminal, one southern belle, and the only dynamic the authors could think to put between these two women was a love triangle. Which I found very disappointing.

And the modern-day plotline is downright boring. We’ve established a conflict between which of th ...more

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Dec 01, 2018 Sandy *The world could end while I was reading and I would never notice* rated it really liked it

Shelves: 2018, audio, 4-star, contemporary-fiction, family-drama, historical-faction, mystery, romance

EXCERPT: When I wasn't in a hurry, when I was just strolling or even sitting on a bench, eating a hot dog with ketchup and mustard but no onion, I liked to study them, my fellow New Yorkers. I liked to pick someone out from the crowd, some man in a suit, loosening his tie, checking his watch. I tried to divine his life, his history, the peculiar secrets hidden in his past. Mom used to tell this story about the dinner parties they once had, before Dad left, and how I used to peek through the bann ...more

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May 23, 2018 Jamie rated it it was amazing

Shelves: arcs, bjanowitz-fall-2018-popsugar-recs

Three different narratives, one sinking ship. What is not to love here? This story is centered around the sinking of The Lusitania ship and is told in present day from a writer investigating a distant family member who was aboard, and two women, both of whom are hiding something - albeit very different things! I can say with confidence you will greatly enjoy watching how all three stories converge throughout this beautiful novel.

I received an advance copy. All opinions are my own.

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Sep 23, 2018 Toni rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

4.5 rounded up to 5 brilliant Stars over the Glass Ocean!

Several theories are still argued surrounding the sinking of the Lusitania in 1915. Was she merely a British passenger ship sailing back to England through dangerous waters during their war with Germany? Was she also carrying active munitions or just shells as was stated on the ship's manifest? What caused the second blast on the opposite side of the ship directly after the torpedo hit? Some questions have been answered, some are still lef 4.5 rounded up to 5 brilliant Stars over the Glass Ocean!

Several theories are still argued surrounding the sinking of the Lusitania in 1915. Was she merely a British passenger ship sailing back to England through dangerous waters during their war with Germany? Was she also carrying active munitions or just shells as was stated on the ship's manifest? What caused the second blast on the opposite side of the ship directly after the torpedo hit? Some questions have been answered, some are still left unanswered to this day. This version of that maritime tragedy, over 100 years ago, is historical fiction at its best.

The three authors, respectfully known, heretofore as 'W3' (Williams, Willig, and White), conceived this story which intertwined two women of completely different, socioeconomic backgrounds boarding the Lusitania in NYC in 1915, and one woman in present day 2013, looking for answers about her relative, an employee aboard the ship. First, Caroline Hockstetter, beautiful, refined and married to the very wealthy Gilbert Hockstetter, a new, successful businessman not yet completely welcomed into New York's society elite. Next, we have commoners, Tess, primarily, and her sister Ginny, two con-women, trained by their father from an early age, preparing to extract a few precious items from the Hockstetter's in a variety of clever ways. Third, is Sarah Blake, a best-selling author who’s investigating documents that were found on the body of her great-grandfather, Patrick, the first-class steward assigned to the Hockstetter’s suites. In these documents, is an envelope addressed to Robert Langford, Jr., a charming, wealthy British gentleman, along with a note about, “no more betrayals.” Sarah wants to know what they mean!

The tale is written in the voices of the three women, in the two time periods of 1915 and 2013, later adding secondary characters and a descendant or two. Every story line is so well crafted you’ll have to be “on your toes’ to stay in the game. At times I felt I was reading an Agatha Christie Mystery. No one is whom they seem to be, especially aboard the ship. Everyone wants to get their hands on the original manuscript of an unfinished Strauss’ Waltz, owned by the Hockstetter’s. The value is enormous, but some believe it’s more than just music, that there’s a secret message coded in with the clefs and notes buried in the score.

Surely a puzzle to solve amid war-time where anything can happen, and anyone is suspect. Fact and fiction are well combined in this absorbing novel wrapped around one of the tragic events that eventually led the U.S. into WWII.

I highly recommend this book. ...more

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Oct 21, 2018 Mellie Antoinette rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

I ... am .. speechless. No I’m not. I loved this book so much! LOVED it so much I DEVOURED it in one sitting. I want to read Erik Larson’s Dead Wake ... like tomorrow. Such incredible plot depth. It’s sexy, suspenseful, suspicious, scintillating and snazzy! It’s all the s’ss and so much more! Wow. Just wow!

P.S. I will now proceed to reading everything ever written by these 3 ladies ... starting with The Forgotten Room!

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Nov 06, 2018 Britany rated it liked it

Shelves: 2018, audiobook, historical-fiction

Three narrators, three authors and two points in history.

With three experienced authors at the helm, I find myself curious how they went about this book. How did they divy up the sections, the characters, and how did they decide to write about this time period? Maybe more research will answer those questions for my intriguing frame of mind as I finish this novel.

Alternating story lines take us through present day Sara Blake- an author who is looking for a new biography, one with a key to her pas ...more

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Jul 28, 2018 Magdalena aka A Bookaholic Swede rated it liked it

Shelves: read-2018

THE GLASS OCEAN is a joined project by authors Beatriz Williams, Lauren Willig and Karen White. It's a book about the fate of three women. Two of the women were on board the doomed passenger Line, RMS Lusitania. Although they differ in class. While Caroline Telfair Hochstetter is traveling in first class is Tessa Fairweather traveling in second class. But, both women's lives will intertwine...

Years later bestselling author Sarah Blake breaks her promise to her mother and often the old chest that THE GLASS OCEAN is a joined project by authors Beatriz Williams, Lauren Willig and Karen White. It's a book about the fate of three women. Two of the women were on board the doomed passenger Line, RMS Lusitania. Although they differ in class. While Caroline Telfair Hochstetter is traveling in first class is Tessa Fairweather traveling in second class. But, both women's lives will intertwine...

Years later bestselling author Sarah Blake breaks her promise to her mother and often the old chest that belonged to her great-grandfather. He died when RMS Lusitania sank after a hit from a German U-Boat in 1915. What she finds makes her travel from the US to England. There she obtains the help from John Langford to find out more about what she found in the chest...

I'm a fan of Beatriz William, have read almost all of her books. So far, haven't I read that many books by Lauren Willig and Karen White. I was, therefore, curious to see how this joint collaboration would work out for me. I would say it's a book that for me felt a bit predictable, and I struggled a bit with the storylines from 1915. It's a risk while reading a book with a dual storyline that you will find yourself more taken with one of them. In this case, there are three women's stories we are following and I found Caroline's storyline to be the one I had the hardest time enjoying. It could be the fact that she suddenly out of the blue started to have feelings for another man while at the same time being in love with her husband. I just couldn't find myself truly enjoying this triangle drama. I found Tess's story, and her character to be more much interesting and engaging to read about. Especially as her story started to mix more and more with Caroline's. And it's Tess interaction with Caroline that makes Caroline a bit more interesting to read about.

Then we have Sarah Blake. Without a doubt was it the modern storyline that I liked the best. I enjoyed her hunt for the truth. Her growing closeness to John Langford. Sarah for me was the character I found I liked so much that I almost groaned when it was time to go back to the 1915s. Although there is one event, one so totally frustrating towards the end of the book. That typical "let's throw in a predictable problem between Sarah and John," that almost made me scream with annoyance. I had myself a face-palm moment there.

Still, I liked the ending. And, part of me wanted more. I had wanted to learn more about what happened after RMS Lusitania sank, not just snippets at the end. And, I loved that Beatriz Williams threw in a connection to her own books in that there were two ladies on the ship with a familiar surname...

I want to thank William Morrow for providing me with a free copy through Edelweiss for an honest review! ...more

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Sep 04, 2018 Tammy rated it it was amazing

Shelves: netgalley-read, read-in-2018, read-in-september-18

There is so much to love in this beautifully written book! The glamour and sinking of the Lusitania, espionage and a love triangle. I loved reading the three different viewpoints in the story. Williams, Willig and White knocked it out of the park with The Glass Ocean!

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Jan 06, 2019 Caz rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: audiobook, audiogals, historical-fiction

I've given this a B+ for narration and a B for content at AudioGals.

Three authors, three main characters, three narrators; The Glass Ocean is a dual timeline story from the pens of the 3Ws – Williams, Willig and White – that weaves together interconnecting stories featuring three very different woman in two different time-periods almost a century apart. I have no idea which author penned which character – and apparently it’s a very closely guarded secret – but the narration is clearly assigned, I've given this a B+ for narration and a B for content at AudioGals.

Three authors, three main characters, three narrators; The Glass Ocean is a dual timeline story from the pens of the 3Ws – Williams, Willig and White – that weaves together interconnecting stories featuring three very different woman in two different time-periods almost a century apart. I have no idea which author penned which character – and apparently it’s a very closely guarded secret – but the narration is clearly assigned, with Vanessa Johansson reading the chapters told by Sarah Blake, and Brittany Pressley and Saska Maarleveld reading those from the points of view of Caroline Hochstetter and Tess Schaff respectively.

Five years earlier, Sarah Blake wrote a very successful book about the mid-nineteenth century Irish Potato Famine. For a year she was feted, interviewed, sought after for book signings and events… but when inspiration for a follow-up book failed to arrive, she more or less fell off the radar, and now, even her agent hardly ever calls her. She’s struggling – both creatively and financially – and in desperation, turns to an old family heirloom, breaking her promise to her Alzheimer-stricken mother and opening the chest that belonged to her great-grandfather, who died when the RMS Lusitania was torpedoed by a German U-Boat in 1915. What she finds there leads her to travel to England to request access to the archives of the Langford family in the hope that the documents contained within it will help her to find answers to the questions raised by her great-grandfather’s papers. The problem is that getting permission to view the Langford family’s documents is going to be difficult. John Langford MP has recently become unwillingly entangled in a scandal involving his ex-wife and is lying low in an attempt to dodge the paparazzi stalking him, so Sarah is going to have to approach him carefully – and probably using subterfuge – if she’s to stand any chance of getting him to agree to her request.

You can read the rest of this review at AudioGals. ...more

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Jul 05, 2018 Amy Bruno rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: ebook-galley, for-review, edelweiss, historical-fiction, on-my-kindle, september-2018-review, read-in-2018

Absolutely amazing!

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Sep 30, 2018 Heather Webb rated it it was amazing

What good fun this book was! That's probably a strange thing to say about a tragic event in history, but the book's strong suits hit my sweet spot--WWI, spies, a little mystery, and a bit of a love story. I gobbled it up in just a couple of days. I kept seeing the Titanic film playing through my head, in particular in Caroline's story, and I couldn't help but root for poor, desperate Tess and the clever and funny Sarah, all the way through. Grab a copy and curl up in your bathtub with a glass of ...more

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Dec 02, 2018 Chris Mara rated it liked it

Two timelines; the past, 1915 and the present, 2015. Three female characters take the main lead in this historical mystery.

But actually, if you want to get down to it, the above description gleaned from the book cover is not entirely true. There are more characters, both male and female, who preside in the story. And there are actually three major timelines; 1915, 2015 and 2017.

Three well known authors have co-authored this book and maybe that’s why I felt it was “pieced together” rather than Two timelines; the past, 1915 and the present, 2015. Three female characters take the main lead in this historical mystery.

But actually, if you want to get down to it, the above description gleaned from the book cover is not entirely true. There are more characters, both male and female, who preside in the story. And there are actually three major timelines; 1915, 2015 and 2017.

Three well known authors have co-authored this book and maybe that’s why I felt it was “pieced together” rather than a whole culminated effort. I don’t know if each of the 3 authors took it upon themselves to write from each of the three female character viewpoints with their own writing voice? Because there were some parts I enjoyed reading and it made sense, and then there were other parts that were disjointed and confusing. There were some characters I liked, some others were annoying. I wouldn’t call this an exciting book; it’s lightly mysterious. There’s some sexual behavior which in 1915, would be gossiped about and scorned upon, and scandalous to a person and their marriage.

The espionage portion of the story, while being key, was not built up as strong or exciting as it really could have been. It seemed to weakly thread along. I’m not looking for John Clancy and the likes to join the ranks of this writing team to take it up seven notches, I’m just saying if the plan was to spark up the spy/thievery bit, the writing did fall short there.

It took me a while to read this; longer than usual, which probably added to the overall disjointedness. It was not that kind of a book that I would feel the urge to hurry back to it and pick it up to find out what’s happening next. But I did forge on and I read it to the end.

The current day quest by Sarah and John, to search and uncover the truth of the ancestors and their past history was the part I liked reading the best. The fact that it panned out to be mildly romantic was an added plus to their part of the story.

Overall, I give this book 3 stars.
It could have been better; it could have been worse. It was just fair. ...more

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Oct 20, 2018 Donna rated it liked it

Shelves: historical-fiction

This was between 3 and 4 stars. I'm not sure if I'll be rounding up or down. I like Karen White as an author. I've read many of her books. I love her way with words and her stories. I've read fewer books by Beatriz Williams. She tends to be a little too 'sweet' for me. I found that to be true here also. Everything was tied up a little too perfectly. And the 180 that Robert does at the end, just was not in any way believable. But someone wanted a red bow for him too, so 'poof' he got one.

Other r ...more

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Nov 13, 2018 Pam Jenoff rated it it was amazing

The tremendous trio of authors returns with an incredible story of a bestselling author who, searching for her next book idea, delves into the mystery of her great-grandfather, who died when the Lusitania sank. The story shifts between the present day and two women who were on the doomed ship: an American sociality and an English thief. Mystery, history and romance combine for a fabulous tale.

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Sep 16, 2018 Rhonda Ruff rated it really liked it

Hmmm. Still trying to decide about this book 3.5 rounded up. I liked the story. I had a hard time with the characters. I found I really enjoyed Caroline’s and Sarah’s story. Tess fell flat for me. This story was more about the romance and less about everything else. I love all the authors so I will still be going back to their books. This one seemed to fall a bit flat

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Sep 19, 2018 Tracy rated it really liked it

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Sep 11, 2018 Jess rated it it was ok

Shelves: 2018-all, 2018-new, historical-fiction, general-fiction, library-ebook

The alternating POV chapters in this didn't really work for me, because I didn't like Caroline, I was meh on Tess, and I liked Sarah a lot, but her story obviously got the least amount of attention. I would have happily just read a novel about her. The rest was sort of disappointing.

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Aug 14, 2018 Stephanie rated it really liked it

Shelves: contemporary, edelweiss, fiction, historical-fiction

4.25 Stars

I have to admit that this is the first time that I've read a book authored by either Beatriz Williams or Lauren Willig, but I've been a long-time reader and fan of Karen White's books so when I saw that she had co-authored The Glass Ocean, I just knew I had to get my hands on this book!

My desire to read it was certainly rewarded as this is a fabulously written historical novel that kept me enthralled for the day it took me to read it! Plus, I found two new authors to love in Williams a 4.25 Stars

I have to admit that this is the first time that I've read a book authored by either Beatriz Williams or Lauren Willig, but I've been a long-time reader and fan of Karen White's books so when I saw that she had co-authored The Glass Ocean, I just knew I had to get my hands on this book!

My desire to read it was certainly rewarded as this is a fabulously written historical novel that kept me enthralled for the day it took me to read it! Plus, I found two new authors to love in Williams and Willig and already have several of their books waiting to (very soon) be read on my bookshelf...I love it when that happens, don't you?

The story is told from the perspective of three different women, all strong, resilient, vivid, yet very distinct personalities. It is hard to say which one of the three that I loved the most because I just loved all three!

Two of the women are traveling to London in 1915 on the RMS Lusitania even though there is a threat of German U-boats: there is the beautiful, wealthy, Caroline Telfair Hochstetter, who is traveling with her very distant husband Gilbert in first-class. She's desperately trying to hold onto his attention while trying to ignore feelings that are being stirred by an old beau.

Then there is very clever Tessa Fairweather, or should I say, Tennessee Schaff, a young forger and con artist who desperately wants to start a new, crime-free life in London if she can pull off one last big heist, a heist that puts her squarely in the path of Caroline in ways that neither would ever foresee when they boarded the majestic ship.

In the present day, there is Sarah Blake, a young author, struggling to pay for the care of her Alzheimer's ridden mother. She's just discovered her next book idea after reading the trunkful of papers belonging to her great-grandfather, who was a porter aboard the Lusitania when he died. She needs answers to the mystery that she's discovered, so she makes her way to England and enlists the help of John Langford, great-grandson of Robert Langdon, who knew her grandfather when he was also aboard the ship when it met its tragic fate.

Although at times I could tell White's distinctive writing voice throughout the novel, what I thought made this novel so enchanting was how flawlessly all three of the writer's voices combined into storytelling perfection. The writing is just beautiful, the research is meticulous, and each chapter seamlessly blends into the next one as you read with bated breath this novel of mystery, adventure, espionage, and romance. A masterful read!

If you love historical fiction, then you definitely need to pick up The Glass Ocean! Or if you are a fan of any of these authors, then you will enjoy this one! I know that I can't wait to read another novel by these three fabulous collaborators!

**Thank you Edelweiss and William Morrow for an ARC in exchange for my fair and honest review.**

...more

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Jan 13, 2019 Pamela rated it did not like it

Shelves: dnf

I give up. One-third of the way through and I don’t care about the characters. The historical tidbits are inserted with a heavy hand (several times a character runs into nannies with children and authors seem to make a point of having the nanny call the child by name. One feels research included the passenger manifest. Same with details about the interior of the ship). The romances seem cliched and had me rolling my eyes every now and again.

Last year, I decided to quit wasting my time finishing ...more

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Nov 14, 2018 Peggy rated it really liked it

Great read! Have read a couple books by Williams and one by White, but Willig is new to me. I thought they did seamless job transitioning between stories. A little romance & mystery. A perfect read!!

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Feb 01, 2019 Jackie rated it liked it

This book took me a month to read. It was a decent read for me it wasn’t a book that made me what to go and read it when I was done with work

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Aug 29, 2018 Robin rated it really liked it

Shelves: kindle-drc, 2018-september, beach-books

This was a terrific collaboration between three fabulous authors and it kept me riveted. This had everything a reader can't resist: appealing people, tangled love affairs, the intriguing setting of the Lusitania, all splashed with a few tears at the end. Each author created a set of distinct characters and stories that were fluidly combined into a compelling narrative. I now want to read Erik Larson's "Dead Wake," the book that inspired the authors to set their book during this time period.

Fans ...more

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Oct 12, 2018 Carol Irvin rated it it was amazing

Loved this book!! Told by 2 women in the past and 1 in the present about the doomed Passenger ship...

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Nov 20, 2018 Maureen DeLuca rated it liked it

As far as historical fiction goes... 2.5 - At times I thought this book was very confusing... There are many good reviews for this book- so take my 2.5 with a grain of salt- I just didn't care for it like some others did....

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Mar 29, 2018 Biz (Formerly Rachael) marked it as desperately-waiting-for

HOLY CRAP THIS SOUNDS AMAZING

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Dec 03, 2018 Jenny rated it really liked it

Shelves: 2018-bookshelves

This was a wonderful read! Good mystery and just enough romance to make it enjoyable.

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Sep 20, 2018 Rebecca rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: once-upon-a-book-club, own-a-copy

I took this book with me while cruising on Royal Caribbean's Allure of the Seas, but it's probably good that I didn't actually read it until we were home safe and sound on dry land. The Glass Ocean follows Caroline and her husband, Gilbert, as they board the ill-fated Lusitania during WWII. Aboard the ship, their marriage is tested when Gilbert is busy working and Caroline spends time with her old friend, Robert. Robert has loved Caroline since the day they met so you can imagine his surprise wh ...more

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About Beatriz Williams

Beatriz Williams

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Quotes from The Glass Ocean

“You can’t change one thing without changing everything. We all exist on this planet, each of us, because of an extraordinary, improbable, random series of coincidences that can’t be repeated. And everything you do affects everything that happens after.” — 0 likes

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