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A review by egbella
Like a Ship on the Sea by Kellyn Roth
5.0
I was not expecting to read this entire novel today, but after receiving my ARC from Kellyn this morning I thought I'd read a little bit right away...and one sitting and several hours later, here we are. No spoilers ahead, don't worry!
This is the first book of Kellyn's that I've read, as romance is a step outside my usual genres. However, between the Irish influences and all the good things I was hearing about it, I couldn't resist giving it a try. I'm so glad I did - I loved it!
Like I said, I've never read any of the other stories involving some of these characters, and I was concerned that I wouldn't be able to catch everything because of it. But that wasn't the case at all. I never felt like I was missing or couldn't understand anything, and the story introduced them all to me very well. The characters were my favorite part, overall. I love how Kellyn gave each of them real and relatable passions, struggles, desires, thoughts, and dreams. There weren't any that fell flat or didn't seem real. I could relate to almost all of them, and quickly became attached.
The settings were beautiful and precise, and I don't have a clue how Kellyn kept all of the spot-on historical details straight, but they all made perfect sense to me. Her descriptions were vivid, and I could picture each of the locations easily. I enjoyed the change of 'vibes' and aesthetic that I could feel as I read. Each place felt different and interesting.
As a rare romance reader, I can't comment on how it compares to typical romance genre books, but I enjoyed it. There were a couple of decisions that the protagonist made early on that I admittedly didn't agree with, but as the story continued on, I could see why that was actually the right choice, and admired her for it. I was more than ready when the true romance of the story came about, and found them extremely cute and well-made for each other.
Besides the characters and how real they were, my other favorite aspects of this book are the Christian themes. They were prominent from the very start of the story, but not obnoxiously so. I am a Christian and want to read more fiction that simply and unapologetically contains Christian themes and morals, without also trying to shove them onto the reader whether they fit the story or not. This story was wonderful about that, and I could respect and relate to the characters' faiths without cringing at how it was portrayed, like many Christian books, unfortunately.
I also appreciated the few deep and heavy topics that Kellyn covered in this story. They hit very close to home, personally, and I felt she portrayed them accurately and gracefully. Real life isn't neat and easily resolved, and she did a great job communicating that, while also interlacing hope that comes from Christ.
Overall, I'm very glad I received the opportunity to read an early copy of this story, and will stay tuned for the future installments! If you're a fan of historical, Christian, Irish, English, or romance fiction, I'd recommend checking this book out. You might just find a new favorite.
**I received an ARC copy of this book, but was not required to leave a positive review. My thoughts are my own.**
This is the first book of Kellyn's that I've read, as romance is a step outside my usual genres. However, between the Irish influences and all the good things I was hearing about it, I couldn't resist giving it a try. I'm so glad I did - I loved it!
Like I said, I've never read any of the other stories involving some of these characters, and I was concerned that I wouldn't be able to catch everything because of it. But that wasn't the case at all. I never felt like I was missing or couldn't understand anything, and the story introduced them all to me very well. The characters were my favorite part, overall. I love how Kellyn gave each of them real and relatable passions, struggles, desires, thoughts, and dreams. There weren't any that fell flat or didn't seem real. I could relate to almost all of them, and quickly became attached.
The settings were beautiful and precise, and I don't have a clue how Kellyn kept all of the spot-on historical details straight, but they all made perfect sense to me. Her descriptions were vivid, and I could picture each of the locations easily. I enjoyed the change of 'vibes' and aesthetic that I could feel as I read. Each place felt different and interesting.
As a rare romance reader, I can't comment on how it compares to typical romance genre books, but I enjoyed it. There were a couple of decisions that the protagonist made early on that I admittedly didn't agree with, but as the story continued on, I could see why that was actually the right choice, and admired her for it. I was more than ready when the true romance of the story came about, and found them extremely cute and well-made for each other.
Besides the characters and how real they were, my other favorite aspects of this book are the Christian themes. They were prominent from the very start of the story, but not obnoxiously so. I am a Christian and want to read more fiction that simply and unapologetically contains Christian themes and morals, without also trying to shove them onto the reader whether they fit the story or not. This story was wonderful about that, and I could respect and relate to the characters' faiths without cringing at how it was portrayed, like many Christian books, unfortunately.
I also appreciated the few deep and heavy topics that Kellyn covered in this story. They hit very close to home, personally, and I felt she portrayed them accurately and gracefully. Real life isn't neat and easily resolved, and she did a great job communicating that, while also interlacing hope that comes from Christ.
Overall, I'm very glad I received the opportunity to read an early copy of this story, and will stay tuned for the future installments! If you're a fan of historical, Christian, Irish, English, or romance fiction, I'd recommend checking this book out. You might just find a new favorite.
**I received an ARC copy of this book, but was not required to leave a positive review. My thoughts are my own.**