This book is great! Would definitely recommend. Thanks so much to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

This is a great story. It truly makes one want to have patience and help others no matter what their situation. I love all Phillipa Gregory books and this one did not disappoint one bit.

Tidelands is set in 17th century England, the king has been sent into hiding because of political unrest. Throughout the whole of the kingdom even in the smallest annexes the people are divided on wanting the king back on the throne and wanting to rule themselves. Most of those wanting the king back on the throne are those that have lands and properties to their names, they have servants and tenants that work and produce for their properties. They have much to lose if the king is overthrown and the lower class people are allowed to rule themselves. Of course, those that have nothing and have worked their fingers to the bone and watched their mothers and fathers do the same want the opportunity to be able to make their own decisions and own their own properties without fear of not being able to provide for their families.

Our main character Alinor is from a small annex outside of London. Alinor has worked all of her life so is no stranger to hard work and does not shame away from working for everything she has. She is a mother of two children and has an estranged husband that has disappeared to sea. The novel opens with Alinor going to the local churchyard to meet the ghosts of what she hopes is her dead husband. Alinor's husband, Zachary, has been nothing but a thorn in her side since their marriage. The only two things that he ever did for Alinor was give her her two children which she tries to take care of all on her own. He was cruel and never contributed anything to their small family unit. Alinor hopes to meet his ghost in the churchyard so she can finally write him out of her and her childrens' lives forever, but instead she meets James. James is a priest that is travelling through London and local annexes trying to rally up support for getting the king back on the throne. Alinor forgets looking for the ghost of her dead husband in order to see James to his destination safely. James professes to Alinor that he has fallen deeply in love with her and Alinor takes him at his word. The reader is enveloped in a Romeo and Juliette type romance that is beautiful. At first you feel that this may be a break for Alinor. Maybe she can have happiness through James? Maybe she can find love again in James? Sadly, during the birth of their relationship James is called back to his duty in getting the king reinstated and leaves Alinor with hopes, promises and something that neither of them realizes upon his departure...

One quote from the book that I feel best described Alinor's character is this, "She thought that the one thing she had learned in this life, which had so many troubles and so few joys: she had at least learned to survive." Alinor's life is an unfortunate one and a picture into the life of a lower class woman in the 17th century. All that Alinor focuses on daily, what keeps her going, is to get her children grown and see them make something of themselves no matter how hard she has to work to get them there. I feel that mothers of any age can relate to Alinor, we all just wish for our babies to be better and do better than we have. I believe that Phillipa created a beautiful picture of the true feeling of a mother's heart. Alinor is constantly sacrificing herself for the benefit of others around her especially her children. She is the epitome of selflessness.

Tidelands is a beautiful story about the relentlessness of a loving mother to see her children into happy lives even if that means sacrificing herself in the process. It is also a testament into how we as a society can forget to help those less fortunate around us. Sometimes situations aren't always as they seem and a little compassion and understanding can make a world of difference to someone that is down on their luck.

Thanks so much to Net Galley and Atria Books for the opportunity to read an advanced copy!

** Disclaimer: I received a copy of this novel from the publishers in exchange for an honest review. **

I’m a huge fan of Gregory and have read almost all of her books. I love her writing style of weaving intriguing stories with historical events.

I really liked it overall. However, I will say that the start was slow, but like all of her stories, she paints wonderful pictures and you get drawn in. The story picks up the pace little before halfway and ends on a huge note. One that had me looking for the next book in the series just to see what happens.

If you’re a fan of Gregory, you shouldn’t be disappointed in taking a chance on this one.

Phillippa Gregory is a wonderful author. She has the ability to create compelling characters who are in situations that we want to read about. Gregory's research is excellent. I've read several of Gregory's books over the years, and they have all been page-turners. Tidelands is another that falls into the same category. Many thanks to NetGalley and this publisher for a free copy in exchange for my free review.

2.5 ⭐️ (Rounded up) Being a woman is hard. Especially in the mid 1600s England in the midst of political strife. Even more so if you are poor and your husband has abandoned you and your children. The situation for Alinor and her children is bleak. Alinor works doggedly, but it’s never quite enough. Somehow magically, opportunities seem to unfold allowing her children to rise out of poverty.

Being a woman, I was infuriated over Alinor’s situation. The harsh judgment she constantly met, most of which was because of situations she had no control over, made me want to rally to her aid. But Alinor is not a character needing of aid. She exemplified great inner and outer strength throughout each ordeal, revealing the ultimate power of love.

I found the first half of the book to be incredibly slow in pace with an immense amount of superfluous details. The last part of the book picked up pace and gave a satisfying ending, answering enough questions while leaving a few in place so that the author can continue this story in the sequel.

Thank you to Atria Books and NetGalley for a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to Netgalley for the chance to read and give my honest review.

I ha e read a few of Gregory's previous books and was looking forward to reading this one. Let me tell ya, it was a doozy!

I love how she fleshes out her characters and brings out the complexity of their relationships with the people around them all while navigating the rough history unfolding before them.

I can't wait to read the next book

Another great read from Gregory. History buff will love the characters built around real historical figures and events.

I remember reading the other boelyn girl back before all the hype. It quickly came one of my favorite books and Gregory one of my absolute favorite authors. Her books are like comfort foo hot chocolate on a cool day, when you just want to snuggle up and read a really good book they're really good storyline by an excellent author. To me that's pretty much every single one of her books and this is no exception. No matter the time. The subject matter or the characters Gregory always delivers

Alinor is the daughter of the ferryman, married to Zachary Reekie but Zachary has disappeared. One night she is in the cemetery hoping to connect with his spirit so she knows he is dead but instead has a chance encounter with a spy for the King. Due to the secrets she agrees to keep her son is given a position in Sir William's home to be a companion to his son. Her daughter falls in love with a local farm boy and plans to marry. The book started a bit slow for me but it was so beautifully written. The Tidelands sounded miserable. The land was ever changing depending on whether the tide was in or out. It felt like a gigantic mud pit. Sometimes there were roadways to walk and at other times they would be under water.

The plight of being a woman in 1648 was being the lowest on the social ladder, especially one whose husband is missing. If she didn't have her brother, Ned, things would have been a lot worse. Without a husband to support her she kept a garden, spun wool to sell, made cheese, canned fruits, worked for the miller's wife and was a midwife. Her daughter also worked for the millers and that is where she met Richard, her future husband. There was a bit of a love story between Alinor and the spy, James, but I didn't care for him very much. He didn't have a spine to really stand up for the things he believed in. Her daughter, Alys, was bitter and hated being poor. She was determined to marry the farmer and raise her status in life.

The ending was a little abrupt but it was as it should be. I found the last quarter of the book to be quite suspenseful and couldn't turn the pages fast enough.

Thank you to Netgalley and Atria books for providing me with a copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an e-copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion. Philippa Gregory is one of my favorite authors - in fact it was Philippa that got me hooked on historical fiction and I own everyone of her books on The Tudors and The Plantagenet's.

This book is not at all like those and I knew that going in but couldn't' 'resist just the same. The book started out a bit slow for me but then by a little more than a 1/4 of the way through I was hooked. I found myself fully invested in Alinor and love her character. Philippa does such a great job in her writing style that reading along to the hard work of Alinor's day I found myself taking a deep breath as it made me feel tired and all I was doing was reading.

I can't wait to read the sequel Dark Tides. Don't be put off that this is not what you typically read by Philippa Gregory - it's worth it!

Immersive piece of, historical fiction set in medieval England. The story of a young woman raising her children during a time of religious and political turmoil Phillipa Gregory does her research and does a fantastic job of depicting the complex relationships and social constructs of the time period. The beginning of the novel slowly works toward building the foundation of the story while the ending is a bit abrupt in preparation for the sequel to this saga. Thank you NetGalley for allowing me to review this book. Recommend for lovers of historical fiction.

"Tidelands" is the first Philippa Gregory novel I have read in many years and it did not disappoint!

It takes place in 1648. England is on the brink of civil war with King Charles II and his supporters against Parliament and their supporters.

The main character is Alinor- "neither wife nor widow" to a man who has disappeared at sea. She lives on Sealsea Island in the Tidelands of the southern coast of England. She is a midwife, healer, and gifted with herbs. It is a time of witch hysteria and rumour has it, she may be a witch. She is destitute with 2 children, both of whom help out how they can.

One night she comes across a man in need of shelter and decides to help him out. Little does she know this will change the rest of her life.

This novel is atmospheric, mysterious, dramatic, and historical.

If you like Philippa Gregory's other novels, you will like this one too!

I instantly fell in love with the characters. I even loved the ones I hated because they made me want to keep reading!

This was very well done and extremely well written. The author had clearly done a tremendous amount of research on the time period. It is an intriguing story about love, religion, and politics. The ending was very abrupt, but I realize there is a sequel. Thank you to netgalley for the arc.

I enjoyed Tidelands and look forward to the next installment from Philippa Gregory's Fairmile series.
Four stars.

I absolutely loved this book! Gregory did massive amounts of research which made the story authenic. I always learn something by reading her books and to a reader that is a gem of a book when it can also educate you.

It's a entrancing historical novel set in England in the 1600s during Oliver Cromwell's rule. The plot intertwines love, history, religion, and politics. What was once considered normal in England is now banned and some of the citizens are having difficulty with this change and want someone else as the ruler!! The love story part of the plot comes when Alinor, the main character, meets James, a priest who needs help crossing the marshlands. Eventually Alinor becomes pregnant with James' baby, but instead of feeling joy, there is heartbreak. You will fall in love with Alinor and root for her throughout the book.

The story flowed well and the character building was top-notch as only Gregory can do!! I would recommend this book and look forward to book two in the series.

I would like to thank NetGalley and Atria Books for this ARC in exchange for my review.
#NetGalley #Tidelands #PhilippaGregory #AtriaBooks

Unfortunately, as a fan of Ms. Gregory, I found myself struggling to read this book. It unnecessarily dragged on. It was mostly boring and not much like her other books. The romance between Alinor and James Summer seemed to develop overnight. I couldn't understand the sudden attraction between the two and the confessions of love gave me second hand embarrassment; they were immature and lacked imagination at best. The ending couldn't come soon enough, and even when it finally arrived, it was quick and lackluster and predictable. She creates great imagery of Sealsea Island and the life of the people there, but beyond that, this book was not worth the struggle to finish. Based on this alone, I don't feel like I will miss out by not continuing to read the series when I can just look it up on Wikipedia, which will be a greater and faster read than this novel was.

‘#Tidelands’ was on my list months ago. A novel by #Philippa Gregory her name is bigger than the title. That’s all that’s really is needed to sell her books. She has and will be one of my favorite authors. My full review is on Instagram under Maddie _approves_book_reviews and please take a glance.

Thank you,
#Netgalley,#Philippa Gregory and #Simon&Schuster

Consider the year 1648 and what it means to a woman trying to survive with her young children after her husband runs off. Also consider the ages...Alinor is 27-years-old when her daughter gets married. Do the math there & consider the age of her daughter.....It’s really very amazing to stop and consider how women, once upon a time, were treated as basically worthless humans and/or nothing more than a tool in the tool shed or a work horse in the barn! They were expected to only serve their husbands. It’s also interesting how easily friends and neighbors would turn on one another believing in condemnation without proof (she’s a witch!). If these historical topics are of interest to you, this book will definitely provide many of the intricacies of the time.

Poor Alinor, main character, is a herbalist, midwife, and would do anything for love and her children. She works to serve her community in the midst of war despite her own tribulations. She suffers ordeal after ordeal and never stops trying to persevere and is as honest as a person can be, even when her life is on the line.

Thank you to Netgalley & atria books for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.