A Family for the Titanic Survivor

Dany - per RFS<br />.<br />Care fenici, non sono solita leggere romanzi rosa ma questo aveva qualcosa di interessante che mi è saltato subito all’occhio, ossia la tragedia del Titanic. Ebbene, la giovane Bridget McGowan, irlandese di umili origini, dopo la perdita del padre, con i risparmi di una vita, si imbarca nel tristemente famoso transatlantico alla volta di New York per poi proseguire verso Chicago con l’idea di raggiungere la cugina e aprire una pensione. È il 1912, un’era storicamente impossibile da dimenticare. Per tanti giovani il Titanic è il mezzo che li porterà in un paese con pari opportunità e in cui elevarsi socialmente, non una mera illusione, o forse sì? <br /><br />Bridget è buona, gentile, compassionevole e si lascia guidare più dai desideri altrui che dai propri. Fortunato è il giorno della partenza poiché nella calca dei passeggeri di terza classe acchiappa una bambola caduta da un viaggiatore della prima. La giovane non si dà pace fino a che non trova la proprietaria, ossia una bimba: Elsie. Immediatamente viene presa in simpatia dalla sua famiglia che la accoglie affidandole la piccola rimasta senza bambinaia. E poi il disastro, la tragedia, l’orrore che ha portato alla morte 1500 persone tra cui i genitori di Elsie. Ma per un caso fortunato Bridget e la sua protetta riescono a salvarsi e ad arrivare a New York dove ad aspettarle c’è Karl Wingard, facoltoso banchiere e zio di Elsie. <br /><br />La tragedia del Titanic ha lasciato parecchie questioni in sospeso e tante vedove e, come sempre, quando c’è da assumersi la responsabilità dell’accaduto tutti si scansano come conigli. Karl è uno dei banchieri che hanno sovvenzionato la creazione della nave ma, memore di un passato non esattamente piacevole e bloccato in uno snobismo tipico della sua classe sociale, non capisce da subito la portata della tragedia per le classi più povere, non solo la perdita di persone care ma anche di tutti gli averi. L’influenza di Bridget sarà determinante nel cambiare la sua visione della vita e anche di se stesso, aprendogli gli occhi su molti aspetti di sé e aiutandolo a sconfiggere i demoni del passato. Comprenderà così che l’amore della famiglia è la cosa più importante in assoluto. Difatti tra le scene più belle e dolci ci sono proprio quelle che riguardano il rapporto tra zio e nipote. <br /><br />Bridget viene convinta a rimanere come bambinaia fino a che non avrà il denaro per andare a Chicago. Il suo desiderio di compiacere il defunto genitore sarà più forte dei sentimenti che inizia a provare per il proprio datore di lavoro? Lo scoprirete leggendolo, e non ve ne pentirete. <br /><br />Decisamente un bellissimo libro, ben strutturato e argomentato senza scene erotiche fuori luogo e denso di dolci sentimenti ma anche di fatti. Ho adorato Karl, ha tutto e di più di quello che sogno in un uomo, forte, deciso ma capace di sciogliersi con il sorriso di una bambina. I personaggi sono molto ben delineati e non si può non provare una profonda connessione con entrambi i protagonisti. Non ho nulla da dire di negativo sullo stile narrativo né sullo svolgimento della trama, invece, purtroppo comune a tutti i libri di codesto genere il finale è troppo sbrigativo ma ciò non toglie che mi sia veramente piaciuto leggerlo. <br /><br />Buona Lettura. <br /><br />

The author does a fantastic job turning the tragic event of the Titanic into a sweet love story. She brings strong characters in Elsie and Karl and gives them a strong connection when she rescues his niece. It's a heartwarming read with detailed and descriptive writing along with her perfectly painted scenes. It's a beautiful story and I enjoyed reading.<br /><br />I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book. All opinions in this review are my own and freely given.

Terrific book. I love that the author wrote another book that takes place in the early years of the twentieth century. It is a period not often covered in romances, and Ms. Robinson does it very well. The icing on the cake is the Titanic backdrop, an unusual subject for a romance.<br /><br />The story opens as Bridget prepares to leave Ireland for a new life in America. Her father recently died, and she promised to fulfill her promise to open a boardinghouse in Chicago, where her aunt lives. As she boards the Titanic, Bridget rescues a little girl's doll and searches the first-class deck until she finds the doll's owner. Little Elsie's parents are very grateful and invite Bridget, a third-class passenger, to spend time with them. Bridget also offers to watch Elsie in the evenings so that Benjamin and Annette can attend some functions, which is how Bridget comes to be with Elsie the night the ship hit the infamous iceberg.<br /><br />The author's description of the fear and confusion that night was so vivid that I felt as though I was there. Bridget's determination to keep Elsie safe until she could be reunited with her parents brought out an unexpected strength in her. Upon learning of Benjamin and Annette's deaths, Bridget promised Elsie she wouldn't let her go until she put Elsie into her Uncle Karl's arms. The reunion of Karl and Elsie was sweet and showed how much Karl cared for his little niece.<br /><br />The meeting between Karl and Bridget isn't quite so pleasant. He's grateful for Bridget's care of Elsie but doesn't think much about what she's been through. He's focused on the inquiry into the wreck and expects Bridget to stay on and care for Elsie. The sparks fly when she refuses to cave in to his demands. However, she does eventually give in to the need to make sure Elsie is properly cared for and agrees (with conditions) to stay for a while.<br /><br />Other than his care for Elsie, Karl doesn't make a very good first impression. He is arrogant and demanding and appears to think a little too well of himself. As a third-generation bank owner, he is wealthy and very class conscious. Much of this can be laid at the feet of his grandfather and father. Karl also has a very poor opinion of women, thanks to his mother's abandonment when he was a child.<br /><br />I enjoyed the development of the relationship between Karl and Bridget. Sparks fly over Bridget's opinions of how Elsie should be treated, but Karl learns to enjoy the time spent with his niece. Though Bridget is aware of the divide between them, she doesn't let it stop her from pointing out where she thinks he is wrong. The descriptions of the aftermath of the wreck fascinated me. The treatment of the shipping company toward the various classes of passengers emphasized the attitudes of the time. I liked how Bridget's influence opened Karl's eyes to the inequalities. I loved watching the two of them grow closer, both because of their love of Elsie and their work together to help the Titanic victims. There are some sweet scenes as Karl's attitude undergoes some significant changes.<br /><br />As they grew closer and their feelings for each other deepened, both tried to resist it. Bridget has her plans for Chicago, believing her promises are more important than her feelings for Karl. There were times I wanted to shake her for thinking that her dreams are not as important. I loved the ending, as Karl's realizations about his father and grandfather opened his eyes to what he wants for his life. I loved his big moment as he worked to convince Bridget that they belonged together.<br /><br />I loved how the author used Bridget and her friends to illustrate how the White Star Line treated its passengers in the aftermath of the disaster. While the story didn't dwell on the horrors of that night, there was enough detail to get the point across. It was a terrific way to learn about an important historical event.

I have to admit I almost stalled out of this story on page 2, when we were blithely told about an Irishman, in Ireland in 1912, having saved up ‘pennies, nickels and dimes’ to bequeath a legacy to his daughter. The Irish used British coinage from 1826 to 1928, as a quick Google search will tell you, so this should have been ‘pennies, shillings and crowns’. And a legacy of 500 pounds total, NOT 500 dollars.<br /><br />I took a deep breath and decided to keep reading, and I’m glad I did, because this is genuinely a very nice story. The author wisely chooses not to dwell too much on the horrors of the night the Titanic sank, introducing us to our heroine Bridget and explaining how her kind-heartedness ends with her caring for a little girl, daughter of wealthy first-class parents, that night instead, saving her life and eventually delivering her to her uncle Karl Wingard, a wealthy New Yorker. Through Bridget’s eyes, Karl comes to see the tragedy in another light, and eventually ends up campaigning on behalf of the second and third-class passengers the White Star Line tried to pretend didn’t exist.<br /><br />I’m not sure I quite bought into Bridget’s oh-so-easy acceptance into New York’s elite. Her accent (something which is barely mentioned) would have marked her out among them, and I think there would always have been people who smirked behind their hands at Karl marrying Elsie’s nanny. Karl and Bridget’s romance was believable, and the scenes aboard the Titanic and the details about the survivors felt legitimate, but there was a bit too much here which didn’t feel right - starting with the currency disaster on page 2, which honestly, I can’t quite believe slipped through editing. It threw me off right from the start. I liked the concept, and I definitely like the fact that Harlequin are branching out in their category historicals and looking outside the usual time periods but the execution here missed the mark, for me. I’ll give it three stars.<br />

RISKS ARE WHAT MAKE LIFE WORTH LIVING<br /><br />As a fan of Ms. Lauri Robinson’s writing, I love her creativity in telling a story. I will admit that this book had me in tears, laughing, sighing. You can’t help but love Bridget McGowen and how witty she can be. But, this story is so much more. It is joy, it is a disaster, it is heartache, it is healing, it is learning to forgive, it is learning to open your heart and love, and it is beautiful. By far, I believe this has to be my favorite in all her tales.<br /><br />Bridget boards the Titanic with a third-class ticket, but as she is boarding, hears a child’s cry and watches a doll falling—which she catches. After finding her berth, she won’t stop until she can find her way to first-class to return the doll to a broken-hearted child. There, she will meet Benjamin, Annette, and Elsie Wingard. During the voyage, she will assist the Wingard's so they can attend functions, and stay with Elsie. As we all know, that fateful night, the Titanic hits an iceberg, and Bridget and Elsie will be placed in a lifeboat—never to see Benjamin and Annette again. She holds on to Else until she can return her to her Uncle, Karl Wingard.<br /><br />Karl is a bitter man, he is all about business, just the way his father raised him. He is shocked by the news of the sinking of the Titanic, and even as an investor, it is the unknown about his family. Learning his brother and sister-in-law are listed among the deceased, now he has the worries of his four-year-old niece. What a shock to meet Bridget, not Mrs. Conrad, her nanny.<br /><br />“He found great appreciation for Bridget McGowen, for he doubted anyone would have protected his niece with more passion the past several days than her.”<br /><br />The story is enlightening and keeps the pages turning. The chemistry between Karl and Bridget is sometimes humorous, sometimes tense, and other times, full of honest conversations, baring one’s soul of the past and expectations for the future. Bridget is doing as she was expected, coming to America and then to Chicago to open a boarding house, like her Aunt. But what does she really want in life? Karl has built an empire as his father taught him, but at what cost to his own happiness? Will these two be able to help each other see that dreams should be their own and not something planned by someone else for them?<br /><br />“I don’t wish my shoes on anyone, therefore, let me say, don’t let anyone force you down a path you don’t want to take. Your happiness is as important as theirs.”<br />

*** Narrowly Misses Disaster<br /><br />I wanted to read this as I thought the early 20th century setting, and tackling the tricky subject of the sinking of the Titanic, were an unusual setting for a Mills and Boon/Harlequin historical romance. I felt the story was handled well, however, I couldn't engage with Bridget and Karl enough to become invested in their relationship ups and downs. <br /><br />Overall, the plot hung together, but I didn't feel it quite became much more than the sum of its parts to create a great story. I'll happily suspend disbelief for a well-written regency romp full of high emotion and outrageous antics, but this didn't quite gel together enough to pull me in like that. Things like Bridget being so immediately indispensable to Elsie's parents, and Karl's secretary's ability to outfit Bridget sight unseen in no time at all, seemed either too simplistic or convenient. All in all, it was an enjoyable, competent read, but I didn't find it totally gripping.<br /><br />I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

Scrappy Irish Heroine Takes on the Titanic… and the US<br /><br />This author wrote a fantastic first scene that pulled me right in. We are on the docks of Southampton as everyone is boarding the Titanic for its maiden voyage. We watch it from the viewpoint of the Irish heroine who is fulfilling her recently deceased father's wish of her going to the US for a fresh start. She boards with the third-class passengers, I believe, when she hears a young girl scream above. She steps to the railing of her boarding gangway just in time to catch the little girl’s doll. This sets up a chain of events that changes the heroine’s life forever. The author did an excellent job showing how this 22-year-old heroine felt leaving her homeland, showing her anticipation, excitement, and sadness. I love how the heroine cared for the little girl through all that happened on the fateful night the Titanic sank and its aftermath. The little girl is a sweetie, too, and it tugs at the heartstrings to see her left an orphan after the ship’s sinking. I felt a little frustrated with the heroine once she got to New York. She seemed hard headed and not too bright—which she hadn't seemed to be previously—when the little girl's uncle offered her just what she needed—a place to stay and paying work—to allow her to continue on with her American Dream, getting to her aunt in Chicago. Some small things the heroine did, too, didn't seem logical but were only there to further the plot, like her taking her coin purse out of her skirt pocket just before she naps on that fateful night. She hadn't been separated from it before, so far as we knew, so why would she have taken it out on that night and left it behind, with all the money she had in the world. It just didn't make sense, except for the plot. Despite these few complaints, I did enjoy the story.<br /><br />I received a free copy of this book, but that did not affect my review.<br /><br />My book blog: <a target="_blank" rel="noopener nofollow" href="https://www.readingfanaticreviews.com">https://www.readingfanaticreviews.com</a>

The story of a girl from a 3rd Class Cabin who becomes an Upper Class Bride<br /><br /> This is my 3rd book by Lauri Robinson and the first one based on an actual historical event. It is a fantastic story based on a girl surviving the Titanic disaster and then finding love and a family among New York’s elite. The characters are genuine and the plot line is a wonderful variation of the Titanic story. The book is highly recommended.<br /> Bridget McGowen is an Irish barmaid and 3rd Class passenger that is on the Titanic looking for a new life in Chicago with her aunt to run a boarding house. She rescues a doll that was dropped by the 5 year old daughter of a First Class couple, and determines to return it to the girl herself. As a reward, she becomes friend and guest of the couple for the crossing. She is babysitting the little girl, Elsie, on the night of the accident and she is thrust on a life boat with the girl without her parents. Aboard the Carpathia Bridget discovers that the Elsie’s parents have died and she makes it her mission to personally return the girl to her unmarried uncle in New York. The story that follows is a superb romance and love story that you won’t be able to put down. You don’t want to miss it. <br /> I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.<br />

Bridget McGowen is a passenger on the Titanic’s fateful voyage. Her survival – and her rescue of little Elsie Wingard – sets her life on a course she never could have predicted, starting with her meeting Elisie’s uncle, Karl.<br /><br />Robinson has a deft way of making history come to life, and this new romance of hers for Harlequin Historical is yet another example of that skill. From the class-divided Titanic to the streets of New York after the ship’s survivors arrive in the city, the world is sharp and brilliant and colorful. It’s delightful to watch Bridget and Karl slowly fall in love, brought together by little Elsie and their own developing feelings. All details of the actual disaster were handled with empathy, and the author’s exploration of what-happens-after was intriguing. The romance never falls behind the dramatic external goings-on, and though there are obligatory stumbling blocks to Bridget and Karl’s Happily Ever After, there’s a sense of optimism in the story that kindles a feel-good warmth as you read. This is a great book to start of 2021, and another reminder that Robinson is simply a fabulous writer of historical romance. Recommended!<br />

This is my first time reading something by Ms. Robinson. I imagined this to be a sweet and inspirational story and I was right. I appreciate how the author was able to take such a tragic event and turn it into a beautiful story of love and survival. Bridget survives the events of the Titanic and brings a little girl, Elsie , to safety in the process. With Elsie's parents gone, Bridget takes the responsibility of taking Elsie to her Uncle Karl. Karl is not an easy man to get along with and the conversations between Bridget and him are spirited and humorous. They start to grow closer and so their relationship takes Bridget on a path she never would have expected. With strong characters and a gripping storyline, this book definitely had me captivated all the way through. This was an enjoyable read and I look forward to reading more by Ms. Robinson.<br /><br />I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.