Yesterday’s Tides by Roseanna M. White

Title: Yesterday’s Tides

Author: Roseanna M. White

Release Date: January 24, 2023

Length: 432 pages

Genre: Historical Fiction / Historical Romance

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*****My Review****

Yesterday’s Tides by Roseanna M. White

Historical fiction is somehow my favorite genre. Stories that take me on various journeys through the past, reveal to me worlds that are somehow familiar to me and yet so distant are simply too appealing for this bookworm.

Yesterday’s Tides by Roseanna M. White attracted me with the simple cover, catchy title, and description that somehow subtly attracts attention. Two periods in the past, two world wars, and two intertwined stories…

First, the author takes readers to the distant 1942, where we meet Evie, a girl who finds satisfaction in simple things, in the inn, in beauty in everyday tasks, and contentment in helping others around her.
The war is far from them, but it is slowly approaching, bringing all the chaos with it…

A fortuitous circumstance will lead Evie to the injured Special Agent Sterling Bertrand, a moment that will change everything in her life. Their secrets drive them apart, while the surge of new feelings brings them closer…
Each of them has their secrets. Can they trust and help each other or will they work against each other?

And while we slowly discover their story, the author takes us to another time, in the middle of another war, and yet to the same place. We go back even further in the past to 1914 where we will be welcomed at the inn by the kind and charming Louisa Adair.
An expected guest – the Englishman Remington Culbreth will manage to make this young girl’s heart flutter. But the flames of war are intensifying, threatening to devour this love at the very beginning…

Two stories, two young girls, the same place, and the same hope… But can they hope for love and a happy ending at a time when war destroys everything in front of them?

As I mentioned before, I love a great historical novel that manages to hold your attention till the very end. Yesterday’s Tides by Roseanna M. White does that with an interesting balance of the two intertwined stories. This is a dual-timeline historical fiction novel that takes you through both World War I and World War II. Each story follows a set of characters, but they are somehow connected.

If they had to rate this book according to the intensity of the emotions it aroused in the reader, this book deserves the highest rating. The anxiety level just oozed off the pages at certain parts. I had to stop reading several times in order to collect my thoughts. I held my breath through many scenes, hoping, and wondering as the agony and horrors of war threatened whole nations, families, and young hearts feeling love for the first time. Honestly, I felt tempted to read the last chapters to reach the much-desired ending.

As you already know, Yesterday’s Tides by Roseanna M. White takes us through the stories of two couples in two different periods. All the characters are superbly crafted, with enough layering to make them somehow real and relatable.

Both women are strong and resilient. Evie is greatly captured, her caring nature and determination to look out for those around her are more than obvious through her actions.
Louisa is portrayed as a determined young woman, unafraid to do what is needed when she has no one to turn to.

Yet, they are so feminine at the same time – a perfect balance that manages to capture the attention of their men. The men are a bit stereotypical, which is completely in line with the book. Brave, determined, and dedicated, yet so stubborn at times.

Honestly, it is very difficult to find a good book with pure romance plus lots of mystery and suspense until the very end. Especially, a historical fiction book that manages to keep the element of the past and reliably present the period in which it is set. To be quite honest, there were a few parts with a modernist spirit here too, but not too much to overshadow the whole story. I also liked that that even adult content topics were subtly described or only mentioned in a background context.

The author has beautifully created the entire atmosphere, reinforced with vivid and detailed descriptions of Ocracoke Island. This is one of the Outer Banks islands that I honestly haven’t visited, but somehow as I read the pages, I felt like I was there at least for a moment. I can see the landscapes, feel the salt in the air, and hear the waves.

Readers who would like a great historical story that is full of suspense and twists, but also a great romance, pick Yesterday’s Tides by Roseanna M. White up. It is a story that manages to intertwine multiple generations, cultural challenges, and the birth of pure love in wartime.