Embark on a seafaring adventure in a brand-new series from bestselling author MaryLu Tyndall. After witnessing the death and destruction caused by the Civil War, Colonel Blake Wallace is eager to leave his once precious Southern homeland for the pristine shores of Brazil and the prospect of a new utopian community. Widow Eliza Crawford seeks passage on Wallace’s ship harboring a dirty secret—and a blossoming hope for a fresh start. But will dangers from the sea and from man keep them from the peace and love they long for?

It’s been several years since I ready anything by MaryLu Tyndall, but I’ve ready some real clunkers recently (by other authors) and was hoping she could restore my faith in fiction.

While it did take me a while to get into the story, after the Union boat boarded the colonists’ boat, I couldn’t put it down. I love a book that keeps me up too late at night, and this did just that. The thing I like about Tyndall is that she keeps throwing problems at the characters — as soon as you think they’re in the clear (and you can’t possibly imagine what the rest of the book will talk about), something else happens that causes problems, stirs up emotions, and keeps you turning pages to find out how they’ll survive.

I was a bit surprised by the supernatural element (I don’t recall reading those in her other books), but it didn’t bother me — the characters captured my attention and I couldn’t wait to see how they would deal with each new issue they faced.