The Titanic Sisters is a captivating novel set in rural Ireland, then the Titanic, then Texas and New York. Two sisters who have been pitted against each other by an abusive mother find themselves on the Titanic traveling towards new lives in America. The tragedy on the Titanic sends them in much different directions than anticipated, and lies and deception complicate the tale.

This is a well written story of two sisters who experience pain, loss, and tragedy. This is a saga of sisters more than it is a book about the Titanic. The development of the characters is very well done.

I received a free copy of this book from the publishers via Netgalley. My review is voluntary.

This story of two poot Irish sisters and their voyage on the Titanic is wonderful. I loved how the book alternately between the girls. I can hardly wait to share this titlw with friends and patrons. Perfect for book cluns

One of the best and most detailed books ive read so far in 2021!
A very intriguing story of family, life, tragedy and reuniting that will stick with me for a long time.

Nora and Delia are two Irish sisters who couldn't be more opposite personality wise. Nora was outgoing, vivacious, self-centered, and a ma's girl. Delia was quiet, introspective, private and a da's girl. When they both had opportunities to leave Ireland and emigrate to America, they jumped at it. Little did they know that both of them would find their lives turned around, become separated, and find themselves changing as events occurred.

First, a heads up that very little of this story takes place on the Titanic; so don't expect this to be a story about sisters on the Titanic especially if you are an avid Titanic person. The story was interesting as life took both Nora and Delia in directions they didn't expect. Life took turns in directions they could not foresee, yet it also helped them grow and become better people. I liked the way that we see two different perspectives as the story switches back and forth between the two sisters. I would have given this a higher score, but one detailed sexually explicit scene that was not necessary to the flow of the story interrupted the flow in my opinion.

**I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley. Opinions are mine alone. I was not compensated for this review.

This was an ok read. Not great, not bad. I do wish that the author focused more on the events on the Titanic or changed the title of this book, as most of the story takes place after the Titanic. There wasn't anything that really stood out in this book for me. It was just an ok read.

Choices a person makes for themselves they must be able to be prepared to handle the consequences of those decisions and be accountable. Delia , a young idealistic girl from Ireland is mistreated by her mother and sister. She is given attention by her father in his rough farm mannerly way, but nothing compared to what a nurturing mother should be doing for her child.
Both girls are given a chance to make a better life by going to America. However, Delia’s mother makes sure the prime position of governess to a rich family goes to Nora who barely passed her school levels. Delia is to go work as a maid for another family.
The girls are to travel to America on the famous ship, the Titanic. Delia makes a rash decision upon landing in New York. She assumes the place of her sister and her guilt as doing so by lying builds within her, but she doesn’t want to admit deceiving her new employer. Would they send her home?

Patricia Falvey, the author depicts so vividly the journey of. enduring a life of being beat down by your mother and then an opportunity to start over is like given in a blink of an eye, What would you do? The morals, integrity and the growth of humanity in the characters is truly well depicted! The author takes you from the shores of Ireland and how tough the economy was there and how people were sending there kids to America for a better life. Another historical event was the Titanic and how some of what transpired with the survivors. Then about those who went to Texas looking for gold or oil to see if they could strike it rich. This book has so much history in it, but you have to read it closely and soak up the richness of the storyline!

I would definitely recommend this book.

I received a free advanced copy from NetGalley and these are my willingly given thoughts and opinions.

Ireland - 1911

Delia was born a twin but her brother died shortly after birth. Her mother was devastated at his loss and never really cared for Delia. Thus, Delia worked on the farm with her father while her older sister, Nora, worked in the kitchen with her mother. Delia loved to read and was very intelligent. Nora was more interested in clothes and having fun.

One day, a letter came from New York from the husband of her mother’s cousin saying she needed a governess for his daughter as his wife had just passed away. There was money for her to sail on the Titanic via first class. The girls’ mother chose Nora to go. But their father intervened and found a position as a maid for Delia and changed the ship’s passage to third class so both could go. Nora was furious but had to accept it.

Onboard, Nora immediately found friends and partied a lot. Delia was happy to read her books. But when the Titanic hit an iceberg, the girls ended up on different lifeboats. Nora fell off and was assumed drowned. That’s when Delia decided to take her place as the governess in a posh house instead of a job as a maid. But Nora did not drown, but had amnesia.

The book follows the girls along their different paths taken in America and the adventures they encountered. I enjoyed reading about the Titanic itself but that was just a short part. The people they meet along the way influence them in helping them grow and mature. While the story is interesting, it seemed a bit too long and did not really grab me as I hoped it would.

Copy provided by NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

This is rounded up from 3.5 stars. I liked this story a lot. The title is a bit misleading because the Titanic is only in about three chapters as the two sisters, Nora and Delia, travel from Donegal to New York. Nora is presumed dead and inadvertently Delia ends up working for Aidan O'Hanlon and assuming Nora's identity. Most of the story takes place in New York City and Texas. I felt the whole story was pretty predictable but I enjoyed the journey as Nora changes from a very selfish person interested in only marrying a rich man into someone who finds that she can be loved. Delia goes from a studious person always being outshone by Nora to a much stronger woman ready for adventure.

Thank you to Netgalley and Kensington Books for providing me an advanced copy.

Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Books for providing me with a digital copy of this book for review.
This book has many elements which get a tick of interest from me- it’s historical fiction, a dual point of view storyline, and the title suggests it is set around the true events of the Titanic.
The actual part of the story that involves the Titanic is very small though, and just serves as a plot point to explain how the sisters are separated and pursue their different pathways.
There was so much crammed into this relatively short novel, I don’t think I actually got much time to connect to what was happening. I think it may have been better if the author cut some of the events of the book, and filled out the remaining ones, or alternatively go the full hog, and write something akin to Gone With The Wind and make a full sweeping saga of it.
The writing was good and the dialogue was believable. I thought the author also wrote the Irish dialect well. I just think that if I’d have spent a bit more time in the events of the book- for instance I didn’t get much sense of the panic, the cold and the horror from the Titanic events- I want to be able to feel the biting cold with the characters, and elsewhere in the story when a character is riding hard on a horse- I want to feel like I can taste the dust being kicked up.
I did enjoy this book, but like I say I was left feeling like I wanted a little more than what I got.

Thank you to Kensington Books for a gifted copy of The Titanic Sisters by Patricia Falvey. All opinions are my own.

The Titanic Sisters is about two sisters who board the Titanic together but land in America separately. Delia thinks Nora has drowned. Nora doesn't even remember Delia. The story starts in Ireland where the sisters are given the opportunity to travel to America aboard the Titanic. Only a small portion of the story takes place on the Titanic. The sisters are able to get into lifeboats but they are separated. Delia thinks that her sister, Nora, has drowned and she takes her sister's job in New York, while pretending to be Nora.

The story alternates between Delia and Nora. Delia's character fell flat for me but I was happy to see some of the changes and growth in Nora's character. My favorite character was Mrs. Shaw. She was a fun and quirky character and I loved the influence she had over Nora. I would definitely love to read more about Mrs. Shaw's story, to know how she came to America and how she met her husband.

There were a few parts of the story that I struggled with but, overall, I liked the story and found the plot to be interesting.

Historical Fiction
January 26, 2021

Delia has always loved working with her Da on their small farm in Ireland but when the husband of a distant relative sends money to bring someone to the US to care for his small daughter, she's crushed when her mother chooses her sister Nora for the trip. Her da, however, trades the first class ticket on the Titanic for two third class tickets and thus both young women set off. As we all know, the Titanic sank; Nora is believed lost at sea so Delia takes her place and finds herself immersed in the life of Aidan O'Hanlon. Nora is fished out of the ocean but loses her memory for a long period but is lucky to be rescued by Mrs. Shaw, who treats her as a treasured friend or surrogate daughter until.....This alternates between Nora and Delia, each of whom has a distinct personality. As other have noted, this isn't really about the Titanic but rather about the aftermath - what happened to the sisters after Delia made the decision to pose as Nora. There's a little romance, a little Gothic stuff, and the end is a bit over the top (I felt like the villain should be twirling a mustache) but it's a good read. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. Interesting and you'll care about these sisters.

When a letter comes from America, Nora's mom hoards it and doesn't let her see it, even though she would normally share everything with her. Once Nora's father comes into the house, her mom makes a big deal about it. The letter is inviting Nora to New York to be a governess.
Delia has always dreamed of adventure and she is quite upset when her sister is the one to be invited onto the Titanic and have a grand adventure. However, she could not have anticipated that her father would do what he could to see that she also could go to New York and find a job. This decision is life-altering for both Delia and Nora.
Things do not go as planned as the Titanic hits an iceberg and sinks. Delia makes it to New York, but fears that Nora has drowned. This sets off a course of events that changed Delia from a mild and meek young lady, to a strong and determined lady.
This story is more about the journey of two sisters, rather than a lot of details about the Titanic. I thought the story was pretty interesting, and it was well done. I did not like that the book had curse words, but other than that and one pretty descriptive love scene, the book was pretty clean.
I would recommend this book to anyone who loves stories set around the Titanic and those who love Historical fiction. It was interesting to see a story about what could have happened to sisters on the Titanic.

From the shores of Ireland, to New York City, to the oil fields of Texas, this book was on point with all the details.

You could feel the sisters in Ireland, both yearning to head to America. New York City in the early 20th century was divided, the haves and the have nots. Texas was a hot, dry, rough and tumble place where fortunes were made and lost in the oil fields.

The detail the author included about the Titanic and her passengers was well done and I felt the flow of the whole story made sense. How each of the sisters related to the possible loss of her sibling in the sinking of the Titanic, not knowing for sure if she was now an only child was masterful. Following each sister was easy and the book just flowed. Although the book only spanned a few years, the characters developed so much. Changes in both of the sisters were for the better.

I'm not usually a fan of dual narrative stories, but this one worked very well. The ending was unexpected although happy.

The Titanic Sisters is the first book I've read by Patricia Falvey and my thanks to NetGalley for an ARC. I will be looking forward to finding and reading other books by this author.

SLIGHTLY DISAPPOINTING AND NOT WHAT I EXPECTED

I was expecting a gripping tale of two sisters onboard the Titanic. There were two sisters on the Titanic allright. But they're only there for a millisecond. And this was not my idea of a gripping tale. So this was definitely not what I expected.

👎 What I Liked 👎

Nora: One of the sisters, Nora, was really not my cup of tea. She is abusive towards her sister, she is jaded, selfish and belittling. It could have many for a great story arch, a great personal evolution. Sadly, I did not see or experience that. Nora didn't move. She didn't evolve. Not until the very end, were she did a 180 seemingly out of nowhere. It didn't feel authentic to me.

Titanic: I wanted to read this book because I thought it was about the Titanic. The sisters so travel on the Titanic, but this voyage only takes up 3 chapters. There're so many stories, so many unexplored angles connected to the Titanic and I was really hoping for one of them. So I was disappointed, that this didn't give me that.

Predictable: I pretty much had this entire book figures out from the beginning. There were no surprises, no twists or turns. I knew exactly what was going to happen.

I loved the premise of this book, so it was surprising to me that I ended up not really enjoying it. Like many others, I expected more of a focus on the Titanic aspect of the story, but it really was a small part of the book, even though the sinking of course impacted the story as a whole. The story also just didn't feel realistic to me, and I wasn't a fan of the romance. It wasn't as engaging as I would have liked. Overall, while an average read, it was not a great fit for me, but perhaps for another reader!

I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

The Titanic Sisters is a bit of a disjointed, confusing read. While I knew from the blurb not to expect too much of a focus on the Titanic itself, but more the two sisters in the aftermath, it just felt poorly executed and fairly predictable, not to mention being a slog that did not reward the reader due to those reasons.

I felt neither sister was a very intriguing character. Delia was the more intriguing of the two, with the stronger, more developed character, and definitely the one I had the teensiest bit more sympathy for. Nora is very much the favored child and reading about her, especially initially, made me scoff at her entitlement. She goes through something of an arc, but given that Delia was more interesting to read about, I struggled to care.

I also struggled to care when Nora finally put things together and the promised confrontation in the blurb happened. It ended up being a weird misunderstanding due to another aspect with who each ends up associating with over the course of the book, and while Nora’s are hinted at being nefarious, again I just didn’t care enough about the sisters to be invested.

I feel like this concept had potential, it just wasn’t in the right hands to fully realize all the nuances to make the story constantly compelling. But there were others who did enjoy it more than I did, which makes me suspect it could also be a “me” thing. If the premise appeals to you, I still think it might be worth trying to see if it works better for you.

Though I found the story a bit slow in parts, I did enjoy watching the story of Delia and Nora unfold. There are certainly compelling moments throughout the story. I never really understood how Delia’s mother could be so cruel to Delia. And, the switching between POV’s took me a bit to follow.
I had hoped to read a bit more about the actual journey on the Titanic. I also felt that the story went from extreme things happening to over the top things happening. It felt a bit muddled in the storyline a few times.
With that said, it is a good historical fiction that I did enjoy reading.
Many thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and author for the opportunity this book for my honest opinion. All opinions expressed are my own.

"The Titanic Sisters" by Patricia Falvey
Release Date: 1.26.2021

Nora and Delia are two sisters who have the opportunity to ride on the Titanic to leave their poor Irish farm. Delia will work as a governess, and Nora will work as a maid.

Tragedy strikes on the Titanic, and both sisters believe the other is dead. They both are taken to New York, not realizing the other is there. Nora has amnesia, and when she finally remembers, she realizes her sister Delia is alive and actually working as the governess! Will the family realize that the wrong young lady is working for them?

I was surprised that there was not more focus on the Titanic, considering the title. I really expected it to be about the Titanic, but most of the story happened in New York and what happened to the sisters.


Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to read in exchange for my review.

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This book was just an okay read for me. While really enjoying the beginning as the two sisters traveled from Ireland to America, the story becomes more of a story about the sisters as they navigate the new world not knowing the fate of the other. The plot was a little to convenient as the pieces fit together. The chapters alternate from one sister to the other, as they slowly develop and change. The book was a pleasant read but a little too predictable. #TheTitanicSisters #PatriciaFalvey #NetGalley

This was a reprint into e-edition.

This book was not what I expected. It was not a book that did a lot of focus on the Titanic (as the title leads you to assume); it was more of a story about two sisters that have never really liked each other, lies, deceit, and double-crossing. Throw in some tepid romance, and there you have it.

Most of the secondary characters are what kept me going, and I admit I did need to finish it to see how it all worked out for everyone.

Not a horrible book, but not un-put-downable.

*ARC supplied by the publisher and author.