The Call of the Sea

About the Book:

Title: The Call of the Sea
Author: Sian Ann Bessey
Publisher: Covenant Communications
Release Date: November 1st, 2022
Genre: Historical Romance

A Viking Historical Romance

On the eve of her betrothal to a nobleman she’s never met, Rhiannon seeks comfort on the shores of the sea she loves so well. But instead of offering peace to her uneasy heart, the ocean heralds doom with the arrival of dreaded Viking ships. A vicious raid leads to the death of her beloved father and leaves Rhiannon’s life in tatters. Heartbroken, she travels to Ynys Môn, where she takes up residence at the royal court of Owain Gwynedd.

Leif loves voyaging on the open water. As the son of a Viking chief, he’s accustomed to his people’s practice of plundering and looting. But when one of his companions ruthlessly kills an old man in front of the man’s beautiful daughter, Leif is haunted by the memory. Desperate to find forgiveness for the atrocity he allowed to occur, he’s offered a chance at redemption through the kindly teachings of an Irish priest and the unexpected arrival of a royal fugitive. Suddenly thrust into the midst of the Cymry’s political turmoil, Leif is reunited with the dead man’s daughter—Rhiannon. Forced to work side by side to uncover the truth behind the turmoil, they come to discover that love can grow from even the most tragic of beginnings. But with such incompatible backgrounds, surely a future together can never be theirs.

Book Review:

First of all, this cover is stunning and of course the story was amazing! Sian Ann Bessey is a wonderful author and her books are always awesome. I was excited to read this book and it did not disappoint. The Call of the Sea is a Norse Romance and oh so exciting. 

Rhiannon was lovely. She had gone through much, losing her parents and yet she still sought to be kind. Rhiannon was trying to figure out what was going on in her life, she had lost not only her father but her home. Rhiannon was an easy character to read about, she felt relatable. Rhiannon had to learn to forgive those who had harmed her, never knowing that there might be some good in the Vikings. 

Lief was just a wonderful character. I loved his growth and his kindness. He knew that plugging a place was evil so he tried to change and make amends for his mistakes. Lief had to learn to look towards the future, learning from his mistakes in his past. I love how Lief still tried to help others and how he sought to do what was good even when he was trying to figure out what he believed. 

I liked the romance between Rhiannon and Lief. Although they were basically enemies, it did not feel rushed or stilted. Rhiannon had to learn to trust Lief before they could even hope to be friends. The plot was also so interesting and I was engaged in the story the whole time. There was so much going on and I wanted to see how the story was going to end. 

This book had it all, excitement, mystery and romance. The characters were also a lot of fun. I loved reading about the character’s growth. I also love how Bessey was able to weave faith into her book. This was just a stunning story. The Call of the Sea is a thrilling book and it needs to be on your TBR. The Call of the Sea is a clean historical romance. 

I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book which I received from the publisher through Netgalley. All views expressed are only my honest opinion, a positive review was not required.

Giveaway:

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