My review of "No Safe Harbor" by Elizabeth Ludwig

about the book...

New York City, 1897

She came to America searching for her brother. Instead all she's found is a web of danger.

Cara Hamilton had thought her brother to be dead. Now, clutching his letter, she leaves Ireland for America, desperate to find him. Her search leads her to a houseful of curious strangers, and one man who claims to be a friend--Rourke Walsh. Despite her brother's warning, Cara trusts Rourke, revealing her purpose in coming to New York.

She's then thrust into a world of subterfuge, veiled threats, and attempted murder, including political revolutionaries from the homeland out for revenge. Her questions guide her ever nearer to locating her brother--but they also bring her closer to destruction as those who want to kill him track her footsteps.

With her faith in tatters, all hope flees. Will her brother finally surface? Can he save Cara from the truth about Rourke... a man she's grown to love?

my review....

"No Safe Harbour" is a story that entertains on a number of levels, from its exciting scenes of suspense to the  well-developed characters, especially Cara who immediately invoked my sympathies with her vulnerability in coming to a new country on her own, with no clear direction of where to turn for answers. I enjoyed the relationship that unfolded between Cara and Rourke, particularly due to the secrets each was hiding from each other, and the forbidden nature of their friendship and later romance. The villains in the story are well-portrayed with just the right "creep" factor to appeal to a broad base of readers, providing for some tense scenes while ensuring that no one will be grossed out by too many details or gore. My only fault found with the story is that I never gained a solid understanding of the motivation behind the different characters' actions, never clearly understood the reasons for the initial event that happened and which started off a chain of reactions that thrust all the characters together. I wasn't sure why that event back in Ireland would lead to a number of people heading to America and spending day after day, for years, seeking the revenge they do. I don't want to go into greater detail for fear of providing spoilers, but I hope other readers are able to more easily connect all the pieces to the main event. Besides my confusion, I still enjoyed how the story unfolded, and found it a well-written read overall.

Fans of historical novels will no doubt delight in the details of the past that have been woven into this fast-paced story. 3.5 out of 5 stars.

Book has been provided courtesy of Baker Publishing Group and Graf-Martin Communications, Inc. Available at your favourite bookseller from Bethany House, a division of Baker Publishing Group.

about the author...

Elizabeth Ludwig is an award-winning author and an accomplished speaker and teacher. Her historical novel Love Finds You in Calico, California earned four stars from Romantic Times. She is the owner and editor of the popular literary blog The Borrowed Book. Along with her husband and two children, Elizabeth makes her home in Orange, Texas. Learn more at www.elizabethludwig.com.

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