November 23, 2022 - Staff Reviews

A Tryst by the Sea

By Grace Burrowes

Release Date: March 1, 2022

Ebook Available from WV Reads!

https://wvreads.overdrive.com/media/7115106

3 Stars - The short novel was a bit more intense than the usual historical novella. Burrowes surprised me with the sobfest potential in this little rekindled romance tale.  Gill and Penelope are struggling to find themselves and figure out their future as they revisit their past on a lovely seaside trip.

Grace Burrowes was new to me so if she's inclined to such heart wrenching work, I was unaware. This definitely is not in the company of light and flirty historical romances but it has its own appeal. The mini saga of this long married couple was a moving drama. Gill and Penelope are still in love with each other but neither seems to realize it's mutual. There has been so much heartache in their pasts that it seems impossible to overcome. But once they face old struggles and really get to know each other again, it's all sweetness.

This one was a basis of miscommunication that's hard for me to abide. Many will say these two were young, kept apart by circumstances beyond their control. How could they know each other? But the excuses for ten years of distance and partial misery felt flimsy. Maybe this is a romance best suited to readers finding themselves at crossroads or looking back. Penelope is lovely and lonely and ready to move on. She's young but feels older than her years. Gill's been devoted to her in his heart and mind but not great at showing it. They've held themselves apart for fear of additional heartache. Facing what they've lost and learning to be brave for the chance at resuming their relationship is something they manage to do though. Gill stands his ground with his family, and Penelope figures out how to forge ahead with hope rather than resignation. It's basically a short version of a tragic little love story that shows it's never too late for a happy ending.

(NS)