Would Their Love Last After Rescue?

Their ship sank, and they almost died. They survived the danger together. They fell in love, but would it last once they were rescued? They would face family challenges, gossip, and interference from outsiders that will test their love. If you like American historical romance, you might enjoy this story.

I have mixed thoughts about this book. On the one hand, I was intrigued to learn about the sinking of the Pulaski ship in 1838 and the journey of the two main characters, but on the other hand, I did not care for how the plot went, the pacing of the book, and at times, the main character.
The story described in the description of this book lasts about a third of the book, if that. The rest of it was about Lavinia and Daniel after they got married and their various ordeals.
I think if the entirety of the book was more focused on what the blurb stated, the plot and pacing would've been a lot better. After the initial strife of the ship's sinking and the four days at sea was over, I had a hard time staying interested. The things that happened afterwards just seemed to me nothing more than drama. It didn't feel consistent or natural.
Lavinia's naïveté and lack of any real development was annoying. I get that she was sheltered and what not, being from a wealthy family, but she never really had a significant character arch other than her points of concern with relation to Daniel being cleared up.
Anyways. There were other things that I could point out that I didn't care for, but I will refrain.
I enjoyed the historical aspect of this book, and I think the author did a good job with the setting. The rest, not my cup of tea.

2.5 stars

"Inspired by a legend --that may or not be true-- and set in the rich historic milieus of Savannah, New Orleans, and the coast of North Carolina, Between the Sky and the Sea explores how Lavinia Onslow’s desire to live as an independent woman transforms after surviving the wreck of the Pulaski." Description from Amazon

I really enjoyed this book! I was not aware of the Pulaski sinking in 1838, I looked it up when I finished reading the book. I loved how the author took two strangers, a historical moment and made a story of two people who became acquainted very quickly due to circumstances. Original? Maybe not, however it is very real and very true of the times. Well written and I look forward to more books from Lisa Kline.

n 1838, the steamship Pulaski sank with a huge loss of life. Daniel and Lavinia struggle to survive on a raft he has made of 2 sofas lashed together. For four days, they float close to death, all the while becoming closer and closer. After rescue, the couple marries but find the marriage was a sham, leading to all manner of misunderstandings and confusion. A sensitively written book, worth the read.

Based on the true story of the steamship Pulaski disaster in 1838 off the coast of North Carolina, BETWEEN THE SKY AND THE SEA explores what may have happened to alleged survivors. As reported in the Delaware Gazette, a Mr. Ridge and Miss Onslow survived the wreck and spent days at sea on a makeshift raft before being rescued, during which time they fell in love. According to official records, however, they were not on board the Pulaski. This intriguing mystery is brought to life by Lisa Kline, imagining Daniel and Lavinia as the pair and what may have been their story. It explores the repercussions of a courtship based on such a brief but life-changing shared experience, as well as the realities of slavery in the antebellum south and the restrictions placed on women at the time, especially in business ownership and inheritance law.

With an intriguing premise and a solid start, this book ended up being just an ok read for me. At times the story dragged, and I didn’t really get a good feel for the characters, their personalities and motivations.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for the opportunity to read and review this book.

Lavinia Onslow is happy managing her father's millinery shop in Savannah - but he's determined to find her a husband and get her settled, so her younger sister can marry her beau. Lavinia isn't sure she even wants to get married. Her father takes a trip to Saratoga Springs and Lavinia goes with him - they sail on the steamship Pulaski. At dinner one night, her eyes meet a handsome stranger's and she hopes to learn more about him. What she didn't expect was everything that happened that fateful night.

The characters are well thought out and enjoyable to learn. The storyline is good - it seems to move fast and there is a bit in the middle where Lavinia seems more wishy-washy than the strong character she's portrayed in the beginning but the ending makes it all worth it.

Thank you to NetGalley, the author and publisher for a temporary, digital ARC in return for my review.

This is my first book by Lisa Kline. I can't wait to see what else she writes.
Started with Missed opportunities, some regret, and misconceptions. It's social injustices of the South at that time had its part .
Stranded at sea after losing everything to shipwreck, was difficult enough, but an embarrassing rescue was also traumatic. Returning to their homes brought further difficulties and it seemed that Lavinia and Daniel's relationship had very little chance of survival, so heart breaking. Daniel may have saved Lavinia's life, but he is an ordinary man with his own insecurities and flaws, he has had to take control of her father's household from an early age and was his right hand in every way, making her resourceful and strong. However, nothing prepared her for the fallout from their adventure. What will become. . .
I received a copy of this well-written adventure story NetGalley and this is my honest and voluntary review.

This was a wonderful romance of two people meeting during one of the worst events in their lives. Lavinia and her father are on a buying trip and have decided to take the new, faster steam ship. When the ship explodes, Lavinia is adrift with a Mr. Daniel Ridge. As the two drift, praying for a rescue, they eventually decide to marry-when they reach land.
The marriage is hasty and the two realize that they don’t really know each other as well as they thought they did. There are many twists and turns in this historical novel, but a very nice happily ever after for the two!

This heart-wrenching novel of survival, overcoming the horror of being shipwrecked and dealing with the aftermath, had my heart pounding. The plot is well written and held my interest throughout, although there were times when I dreaded knowing the outcome. Stranded at sea on deck settees lashed together, was difficult enough, but an embarrassing rescue and finding that they had lost everything they brought on board, was also traumatic. Returning to their homes brought further difficulties and it seemed that Lavinia and Daniel's relationship had very little chance of survival in the cold light of day. Daniel may have saved Lavinia's life, but he is an ordinary man with his own insecurities and flaws, making him an even bigger hero in my eyes. Lavinia had had to take control of her father's household from an early age and was his right hand in every way, making her resourceful and strong. However, nothing prepared her for the fallout from their adventure. The novel does come to a good conclusion, much to my relief! I received a copy of this well-written adventure story as a gift through Dragonblade Publishing and NetGalley and this is my honest and voluntary review.

While BETWEEN THE SKY AND THE SEA my not be my usual cup of tea, I think Ms. Kline should be very proud of her first novel for adults. This is a novel of missed opportunities, some regret and misconceptions. It could even be considered a sweet romance, in its own way. While her characters were very well thought out, and discussions of social injustices of the South of that time, I do think the pacing could’ve been tightened just a little bit more. For these reasons, I give this survival story 4 out of five stars.