Unfortunately, I didn't finish this title. I found it hard to get into and didn't really connect with any of the characters. I know a lot of people loved this -- it just wasn't for me.

I found Philippa Gregory in high school and devoured all of her books that I could get my hands on. I knew she was a good author, but being as that was nearly 15 years ago, I had forgotten just how incredible she was.

This book is a stunning, rich tapestry of storytelling. It entrances you from the first page and leaves you mesmerized. Gregory blends historical fiction and fact so completely that it becomes hard to know where one stops and the other begins. 

This book tells a story of a woman who seems like such a minor character, only to transform into a personal friend. I became enmeshed in her story, desperate to know what would happen to her, and if she would turn out all right in the end. 

This book has it all. Every point of good storytelling (for me, at least). Magic, history, intrigue, romance, and family loyalty. I'm grateful to the author and the publisher for a copy of this book for review, as I am now eager to go devour more of Gregory's books the same way I did as a teenager.

Philippa Gregory created one of my favorite books, The Other Boleyn Girl. It helped ignite my passion for reading. When I had the opportunity to preview her next book, I jumped at the chance. 

Gregory creates full worlds within a historical backdrop. Her writing is engaging and fast paced.  The world in Tidelands was so well crafted that I could imagine standing there amongst the characters. 

Although this story was suspenseful, it was a bit predictable. I found myself wishing that the characters would make different choices in order to maintain that suspense. Overall, I enjoyed Tidelands and would jump at any opportunity to preview one of this talented author’s books in the future. 

Thank you NetGalley, author, and publisher for the opportunity to preview Tidelands. This ARC was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Another great Philippe Gregory always great on details the story kept me interested and I can't wait for the next one.

I've been sort of hesitant in jumping on the Philippa Gregory bandwagon, I love historical fiction but always tried to shy away from books that relied too heavily on actual historical figures and most of her books seem to do this that. But boy, have I been denying myself some great reads, Tideland is an interesting book set during the English Civil War in a small coastal town of Tideland centered around Alinor, a beautiful midwife who's husband is missing, and James a stranger in town hides a great secret that could get them both hanged. 
Tidelands is a steady read where even though I had an idea that was going to happen I was still surprised by how it happened and the tiny cliffhanger that makes you want to grab the second book but at the same time would still leave you a bit satisfied if you couldn't get your hand on the second book soon enough.

My first by this author but certainly not the last.

Although the beginning was a little slow to me, most great historical novels are in order to set up the story and characters.  If it follows suite of the series I have read before now that the stage is set, the sequels will pick up where the one before ended and take off.

I love historical fiction and this one doesn't disappoint.

Thank you Net Galley for the ARC!

This is a fascinating look at life in England at the end of the English Civil War. It's a long book—600 pages—but I didn't think the pace ever dragged. I did find the ending disappointing, though. After putting so much time into it, I feel like I deserved a more fleshed-out ending. I'm not sure whether I'm interested enough to read the sequel. Maybe eventually. But it's a dense book, and I've definitely had enough for now. 

Maybe I'm unusual in that cliffhanger endings make me less likely, not more, to read the next book in the series. It feels like a betrayal on the part of the author. If the ending of this book didn't satisfy me, why would I expect the ending of the next book to? It may just be that this author is not for me. She seems to habitually take the reader on long, emotional journeys, only to abandon them unsatisfied at the end. A journey like this deserves a decent denouement..

I loved this book! It took me for ever to get use to her writing something other than king Henry’s time but I loved it!!!

I really enjoyed this book! Historical fiction based in Historical Fact! I could picture myself on Seaseal Island with Ailnor, hernkidsy, brother Ned and the man who steals her heart, James. Philippa Gregory has a way of dropping you in a point in time and you feel if you are there. You can smell the smoke from the fires, the wet from tidelands, spinning of wool, making cheese, and working at the mill. 

After a visit to the church to see if she (Ailnor) sees her husband's ghost, she runs into James who is hiding and needs a place to lay low. Ailnor takes him back to her cottage and hides him until he can meet who is coming to see. 

This book is based in the time of King Charles I, during the English Civil War. The King is imprisoned and James is a spy who is trying to get the King free and to France so he can be with his family. 

Once Ailnor and James meet, the attraction is immediate...the problem is James has given himself to God, and Ailnor is still "married"...her husband has either left her or is dead. 

The author tells a wonderful story full of interesting characters and then leaves you hanging at the end. I can't wait for the next book! 

Thank you to Netgalley, Atria Books and Philippa Gregory for the eARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

My first exposure to author Philippa Gregory was the Other Boleyn Girl which I loved. Tidelands is the start of a new series. It is steeped in historical research of the time period 1648. Set on Sealsea Island we meet Alinor, a wife or widow, we don’t know as her husband is missing. She is a healer and has gifts that her mother and grandmother had. This is a period of unrest in England between the Parliament and King Charles II.  One night in the summer she is at the church and happens upon a young priest who is in hiding. Thus starts a story of forbidden love. At times, it seems the book gets bogged down in detail and other times moves very quickly. This is not my favorite Philippa Gregory book but I definitely want to continue with the series.

Alinor is a fisherman's wife, midwife and herbalist. 1648 is the year, Alinor's husband has left her in poverty with 2 children. A story of belief, faith and endurance, Alinor learns about trust most of all, and who deserves it. A deep enriching story that pulls you in and beautifully written you can see every little aspect Ms. Gregory describes to you. The characters have so much depth you feel you know them. This is a well written story for the period description and storyline. This is a meaty one so ENJOY!

Thank you Philippa Gregory, Netgalley, and Atria Books for the opportunity to read this book!

It has been a while since I have read anything by Philippa Gregory. I read most of her Tudor related stories–there were some that I loved and some not so much but when I saw the synopsis for Tidelands, I was definitely intrigued! The story begins in England in 1648, the English Civil War has ravaged the country and Charles I is imprisoned on an island. Alinor is a fisherman’s wife, whose husband has gone missing. She has two children, Alys and Rob who depend on her. She makes her living as an herbalist and a midwife. But she is a woman and she is poor–every decision could lead to dangerous consequences. When she comes across a priest and gets him to safety, that is the first of many decisions that will bring danger to her and her family.

I just finished this book moments ago. So my emotions are a little raw. God, I love Alinor. She is caught in a world where she has to watch every move that she makes but craves safety, financial security, and love for herself and her kids. She is so strong in the face of hatred and poverty. The men in this book…suck. But that isn’t surprising in the year 1648. However, this book touches on so many aspects like hysteria, that are still relatable.

There are certain aspects of the book that are slow. Especially, scenes when the priest named James, is doing his spy networking. That part should have been thrilling but it felt dull. And just when the moment of the trial comes to pass, it gets skipped over and just becomes a part of a conversation. I wanted to be in that moment and I was waiting for the detail of the trial and execution. (This isn’t a spoiler, this is history, folks.)

BUT THAT ENDING!!! Talk about a cliffhanger!!!! Now, tread carefully SPOILERS AHEAD. This is what I am hoping for in the next book: I hope Alinor and Alys channel their inner witches and curse all these idiot men. Just saying. I want them to SMASH the patriarchy. I want revenge.

With the slow pacing, I was dancing between a 3-star rating and a 4-star rating–but that ending certified a 4-star rating. I do recommend that you have book 2, Dark Tides on preorder before picking up this book.

Thank you Netgalley for allowing me to read this book for my opinion. 
I am a huge fan of Philippa Gregory's work.  To me, this book did not flow like the others that I have read. The book is about a woman named Alinor who is trying to navigate life with a missing husband, two kids to feed and raise and the attention of an unlikely suitor while England is in the middle of a war. 
The story paints a vivid picture of the life Alinor is living. You can almost see the marshes and tidelands come alive by the picture the author paints, but I found I could not connect well with Alinor and found myself struggling to read this book more than I expected.

I really enjoyed this book! Centering on a very important part of English history, the English Civil War and Oliver Cromwell vs. King Charles I, this story is about a woman who has to fight against a puritan society that devalues and degrades her at every turn.  She falls in love with the wrong man, a forbidden love, and has to choose between him and her love for her children and all that she knows.  This was a quick read.  You can tell the author did an exorbitant amount of historical research. The end was very fast-paced and gripping—— I highly recommend!  Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this free copy of Tidelands!  I look forward to reading Book #2 in the series.

Not a bad book, I just struggled a bit with the characters. I'm sure there were people who strayed out of the norm and acted as some of these characters and I get that if they didn't act the way they did that there would be no story. The character I really struggled with was Alys. I don't want to give away spoilers so if you read it, you can probably see why I struggled with her. I do like Philippa Gregory as an author and although her books are fictional, the time periods depicted always seem to be accurate even if the characters aren't always the most believable. I would still recommend this to others.

I would like to say thank you to Netgalley, Philippa Gregory, and the publisher for allowing me to read this  novel. 

I have to say I am a big fan of Philippa Gregory, especially her Tudor and Plantagenet novels, so I wasn’t really sure how I would feel about this novel; it being so far removed from the Tudors and from the royal court in general made me a bit nervous. I must say though I was pleasantly surprised and enjoyed the novel very much. Gregory is a master at story-telling and recreating the England of long ago. Her descriptions were beautiful and succeeded in pulling me into the story. Her characters were both complex and easy to identify with. 
My only issue with the novel was the ending. Alinor’s daughter worked so hard, lying, stealing, and cheating to make a good marriage and then just walks away from it. It seemed very unbelievable. That being said I am looking forward to continuing the series and seeing what is in store for the characters.

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.