I really liked this story.
Being set on the Titanic, there are obviously a lot of comparisons to be drawn to the film, but that doesn't detract from the interest of this book. The characters are fun to follow, and well developed for a short novel. The story is fast-paced, and a good quick read for anyone wanting a dramatic story.
*I will note for readers to be aware that the description of the sinking is rather graphic, and potentially triggering.*
The central relationship is one of the elements that sets this novel apart in my opinion, not just because it's cute, but because of the lack of homophobia. It's 1912, so there are of course discussions about how they must go on to unhappy marriages with men, but unless I missed something, at no point did they face specific, outright homophobia. Their families were supportive and there was no traumatic coming-out - they were able to just be happy. It's completely unrealistic, particularly for the time period, but it's also nice. Whilst showing the realities of LGBTQ+ experiences is really important, from an escapist point of view in this specific instance, I enjoyed the fact that their sexualities were just a part of them, rather than the central conflict/trauma of the novel.
Having been obsessed with Titanic documentaries when I was younger, I also thought the setting was done really well, with Hamilton's descriptions building the imagery of the ship beautifully. To my knowledge, the sinking itself was mostly accurate, and it is clear the author has done their research to present the Titanic itself realistically.

*Spoilers for the ending*
That said, I'm no expert but Penelope's survival of the initial sinking seemed too impossible to be an 'oh my God that was close' moment for me, and probably would have been more believable had she jumped in and swam away before the ship fully went down. It created a more dramatic story, so is an understandable choice, it just wasn't the most realistic option.
The ending itself was happy, which was completely unexpected, and in all honesty I'm not sure how I feel about it. On the one hand, it's what I was rooting for, but on the other, it was a little anticlimactic? This isn't a criticism though - I guess it comes down to individual readers. Their happy ending was really sweet, and it was the ending they deserved.
*Spoilers over*

Overall, I really enjoyed this story, and it is one I would definitely recommend.

Penelope doesn't want to travel on the Titanic and move to New York with her parents - but as an unwed woman in 1912, she has no choice. However, things begin to change when she meets her new roommate, Ruby, and strikes up a romance.

I really enjoyed some parts of this book - others not so much. Ruby and Penelope are both likable, and I was rooting for their romance. The portions of the book concerning the Titanic were first informative and then harrowing. I liked that the author talked about Penelope's relationship with her parents and the position of women in society at the time.

However, I did feel that some parts echoed too closely the movie, and I wish we could have spent some time in Ruby's head, as occasionally she felt somewhat flat. I also would have liked to see more of the romance's development, as the length of the book curtailed it.

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from Netgalley. This is my honest and voluntary review.

Thank you Netgalley and Entangled Publishing, LLC for providing me with an e-ARC of this book in exchange for a honest review!

The breath between waves fulfils it's purpose of, in a way, "recreating" the very well known motion picture titanic, which picks up the 1912s tragedy, and giving it a sapphic setting. For all that it's worth, the book is nice, but not extraordinary.

The first half of this book was very fast paced, it almost flew: the writing was easy to get through (in both halves actually), there weren't many characters or any articulate, complex plotline. It is, quite literally, just our two main characters getting to know each other, growing closer and closer, giving in to the attraction between them.

They were a case of insta-love, which slightly threw me off: there was a sheer dedication between the protagonists that almost felt fated, and hard to fathom or rationalize - and, maybe that's exactly what attraction is supposed to feel like. To me, as neatly and passionate as it was conveyed, it just lacked emotion, and was too sudden. The scenario isn't flawless, the setting wasn't completely lacklustre, but it did have a margin to be better, more extensive.

It's when the Titanic finally begins its demise that the book gets impossibly slow. Perhaps it is the cost of having to read through people's suffering. It isn't pleasant, it takes focus, strength - of sorts. Beware that, if you're a reader that vividly can picture whatever might be happening and feel incredible amounts of compassion and empathy, this part might be though on you. There are plenty mentions of death. The trauma suffered is studied lightly in the epilogue, with the promise that whatever they went through will never be forgotten, but it's a burden shared by all.

In sum, the book wasn't bad, and I'd recommend it if you're looking for something mildly fast to get through and with a LGBTQ+ romance.

I really loved the idea being this but the execution wasn't my favorite.

I think it suffers from being so short. I didn't feel like I got to know Penelope or Ruby well enough to care about them, and because I didn't "care" for them, the romance felt empty. There wasn't enough time to build their relationship to the point I would've been sitting on the edge of my seat desperately wanting to know what happens. I definitely think we could've dived deeper into the families and their relationships.

I did like the second half of the book, however. I wished it was longer. When you sell me a wlw Titanic love story, I want just as much shipwreck as I do love. Sadly I felt it was lacking in both. Hamilton seemed to have good ideas and sprinkles of something that could've been excellent, it just needed to be longer and more fleshed out.

If you want a fast paced read with a little spice and action- you'll like this.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

The Breath Between Waves follows Penelope as she boards the RMS Titanic with her family on a trip to America. Her roommate, Ruby, has all the spunk and thirst for life that Penelope needs. As they grow in friendship -- and, it turns out, in love -- their futures loom darkly before them.

I fully prepared myself to be absolutely heartbroken when I read this book, since I am heartbroken with almost every book I read set on the Titanic. What I didn't expect was how heartwarming it would be, too, from beginning to end. I grew to love Penelope and Ruby in a very brief amount of time, and so I loved watching their story unfold.

One thing I want to appreciate about this story, too, is the timing of the shipwreck. The iceberg hits at right about 51% of the way through, so we get a really decent amount of time in the disaster itself, but it's not an overwhelming or overbearing amount. I also appreciated how we got to see the start-to-end wreck and have one of our characters experience the difficulty of surviving in the freezing ocean. I know it's weird to be like "I liked experiencing a tragedy," but at the same time, if you're going to place your characters inside a historical tragedy, I'd much rather be shown every detail of the reality of that tragedy. It makes the piece feel real and authentic.

Overall I quite enjoyed The Breath Between Waves, much more than I thought it would, and I'd highly recommend it to anyone looking for a quick historical sapphic read.

I feel like quite the idiot right now. I had to look up the term sapphic romance. Now I really feel like old school! Forgive me.
When I was seen that this novel had Titanic as the backdrop I was excited until I was actually into the book. The author did a terrific job in describing Titanic right down to the T. So much so that once more I was aboard her in every possible way!
The author was even honest about what was in the book and for me I really appreciated that!
The Titanic will never get old for me!
Oh and one more thing. There are pictures the real Titanic out there. Why wasn't one used for the cover? That's the Queen Mary and in no way does she represent Titanic! But, I think the cover has done it's job because the title itself made me want to read it.
You know, these two women Ruby and Penelope reminds of the TV show Two Broke Girls where Maxine was the more outgoing one and Caroline was the one who follows. Ironic right?
Also y'all this is a not so talked about subject. I can't imagine feeling that way back then and not being able to be open about it?
The author did real well with this subject. Actually made me like those two ladies. How brave they were!
My thanks to Entangled for providing me a copy of this book. I was NOT required to write a positive review. All opinions are my own!

Do you love Rose and Jack from the 1997 blockbuster ‘Titanic’? Wait until you meet Penelope and Ruby. Imagine you’re a young lesbian, traveling aboard an unsinkable ship in search of a better life -- except it’s 1912, where a better life means marriage to a man. Now imagine you end up sharing a cabin with an attractive stranger, who might feel the same way about women that you do. Would you risk it all for a chance at love, knowing it cannot last?

Prepare to be swept away by a historical, sapphic friends-to-lovers story with a twist. What starts off sweet and light, turns dark and suspenseful as events get underway, and will stay with you long after you’ve finished the epilogue.

Charlotte Anne Hamilton excels at fast-paced, edge-of-your-seat writing, and really hits her stride in the final third of the book. I could not flip the pages fast enough to find out what happened, because even though the fate of RMS Titanic is well-known, she manages to keep the fates of our protagonists tightly under wraps until the very end.

While I would classify this as a light read, the book deals with heavy topics, including drowning and death, which could be upsetting to some readers.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This book quietly won me over. In the first half of the novel, we meet Ruby and Penelope who are setting out on the Titanic. They're placed in a shared room together and over a very short period of time (two or three days) fall into love/lust. It's instalove at its best, as even though we don't get a lot of relationship development between them before they fall into bed together, it is set up to feel as natural as it could in the circumstance. The first half of the book was good but I wasn't completely engaged by the storyline.

And then we got to the second half. The bit that really wowed me was the way this book unfolds during the sinking of the titanic and the rescue of passengers. I was completely gripped and it honestly felt like I flew through the second part of the book. I was so engrossed by the storyline and felt very emotional at points too.

Pick this up if you're into historical sapphic fiction with high stakes and lots of angst!

Many thanks to Netgalley and Entangled Publishing for a copy of this novel. ARC provided in exchange for an honest review.

Penelope Fletcher boards the Titanic with her parents to sail to America for her father's new job. Her parents are led to a second class stateroom, and Penelope is led to a shared room down the corridor. There she meets Ruby Cole, her new cabin mate. There is an instant attraction between the two women.

I love the premise of this book, set in the middle of one of the most historic and well-known events of the 20th century. I really had high hopes for this book because the possibilities were many for how the plot could unfold.

I wanted to love this book, but I merely liked it. It was pleasant when it should have been, and well-edited throughout, but it was flat. The descriptions of the Titanic were as accurate as they could have been, by virtue of unlimited details in other books about the ship, movies and online websites.

The story very quickly dived straight into a romance between Penelope and Ruby. There was little by way of build-up to their first romantic encounter. There was a lot of busy dialog and description in this book, both of the ship and the people onboard. This time could have been spent developing a relationship between the two women.

I won't give away any spoilers regarding what happens when the Titanic goes down, but I will say that the writing of the last third of the book is the best writing and plot development of the story.

Anything Titanic-related always gets me on board right away, and this book had such a sweet vibe to it that I was immediately hooked. Being a sapphic historical romance is always unique, given the times and how secretive anything outside of a heterosexual relationship had to be, and I was excited to dive into this world. The story is, by nature, a forbidden romance, with a friends to lovers theme. Paired with the Titanic tragedy, there is quite a bit of drama and excitements in the latter half, and I was practically crying at the end with all the loss and sadness. The story was on the shorter side, one I could read in a couple of hours, but the reading experience felt much longer, in a good way. The author sucked me in quickly, so that I was fully immersed in the story and the times.

Leaving Scotland was not Penelope Fletcher's definition of a good idea. Having never been outside of Scotland, let alone been on a ship, she is completely out of her element. After recently experiencing a breakup with her lover, who decided to marry a man instead of following her heart with Penelope, the last thing she needs is more change in her life. With her father accepting a new teaching position in Boston, her family has no choice and off they go to America aboard the "unsinkable" Titanic. In second-class rooms, she boards with another passenger named Ruby Cole, a beautiful girl with an obvious zest for life and a warm smile for Penelope's wounded heart. Close quarters bring them closer together, but the topic of attraction isn't an easy one to bring up. When they finally realize they both feel the same way, sparks immediately fly around the room. They know it can only last so long, as Ruby has plans to seek out marriage, but until then, they can enjoy each other. Only neither realizes that their whirlwind romance will soon turn into a battle for survival, where life, let alone love, is not guaranteed.

The different personalities of Penelope and Ruby were wonderfully written, bringing a sense of opposites attract to the relationship. While Penelope seemed the more timid of the two, Ruby was much more outgoing and willing to take risks to enjoy life. It was interesting how things flipped a little when they had to fight for their lives, showing that both had their strengths and weaknesses. They were realistically written, which I really enjoyed. Their romance was very fast, and I would have appreciated a bit longer of a story to see things develop more slowly. However, I knew what to expect since it is taking place on the Titanic, and only so much can happen before the ship sinks. It was obviously a case of insta-lust than insta-love, but that worked for them - they were both very kind and loving towards each other in a comfortable way. I liked that while pleasure was a key motivation behind them both getting together, it didn't stay that way, and you could see the relationship shift more towards an emotional one as time went on.

I'm excited to read more by this author, especially when the setting allows for a slower relationship progression. I love that slow burn romance, and given the opportunity, Charlotte would write an amazing slow burn romance. I can tell.

This was exactly what I expected: a sapphic romance set on the Titanic. Due to that, the romance is fairly quick, but I still liked it.

I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This is a fantastic book. The love story was amazing. There were a lot of difficult subjects addressed and I think the author handled it well.

CW- death, drowning, corpses, alcohol, vomit, sexual content, homophobia, misogyny
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There are quite a few books about the Titanic out there, and I have made it my mission to read them all. However, none of the books I have read so far have brought such a sweet romance mixed with tense emotion-filled scenes like The Breath Between Waves.
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The Breath Between Waves follows Penelope as she boards the RMS Titanic to move to America with her family. While on her journey, she shares a room with Ruby, a girl traveling to visit family, and they become friends and even something more.
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I absolutely loved this book! Titanic stories are prevalent, but this one brings something new to the table what with the sapphic romance and how well the tension filled scenes are balanced with lighter scenes.
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The romance was incredible. It could have fallen into complete instant love, but the author still managed to develop it and helped me connect to the relationship. I loved Penelope and Ruby together, and it was just such a great book!
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If you are looking for a great sapphic historical fiction, this book is for you!
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Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing a copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion. All opinions are my own.

I got close to half way through this book and had no momentum to continue. It was a perfectly fine story, but I didn't feel any spark of life from the characters and I didn't feel invested in what was being built between them.

Thank you to NetGalley and Entangled Publishing for giving me a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

From the offset, I was so happy to see another Titanic fictional book! I do believe there are too little and I’m glad Entangled published this one. It was an absolute pleasure to read. One of my favourite parts was the feature of elements that wouldn’t have been present in other books - second class and the upturned collapsible just to name two. It was truly a joy to see these featured in The Breath Between Waves.

Parts of the book felt like a re-enactment of Titanic movie with Jack and Rose romance. The going down of the ship and the night down in third class were two elements that did stick out to me. However, the couple could have benefited from more chemistry. While I was rooting for them to make it out of the disaster, I feel like the author could have further built up the chemistry to make me root for them above all else in the book.

Nevertheless, this was an utterly fantastic read. I would highly recommend to any historical romance or historical fiction lovers. This book would be a prized possession on any bibliophile’s bookshelf!

Sapphic Titanic!! Honestly that was what drew me into this book. However, now that I'm done with it, I have a bit of mixed feelings about this one. What I like however, is that despite the time limit in this book, is that there was no instalove. The relationship progressed realistically enough for their situation. Penelope, however, isn't really my favorite main character. The way she's acted a few times annoyed me, especially her bit with running away. The first half of this novel was also kinda boring. Yes, they were stuck on a ship and a routine is necessary, but it felt so much like just different variations of the same things repeating until tragedy struck. Also, I'm not really sold on Penelope's parents' behavior suddenly changing in the middle of the voyage. For me, the explanation wasn't enough, especially as their attitude to her is one of the things Penelope constantly talks about. The ending had me holding my breath though, and I'm quite happy with the conclusion.

I hear sapphic historical romance, and I have to give it a try.

Penelope and her parents are leaving Scotland for a brighter future in America aboard the RMS Titanic. Onboard she rooms with Ruby, who is used to sailing back and forth with her family. There is an instant attraction and a quick friendship develops between them that soon progresses into kissing and sharing a bed. Even though they know in America there will be expectations of finding a husband, they want to make as many happy memories together on the ship as they can.

The first half of the book is very light, and almost quiet in the way things develop and the relationship Ruby and Penelope grow. It read slowly for me, but that changed quickly when the Titanic hit the iceberg. The tension and fear and worry was so visceral, it was difficult going yet impossible to stop reading.

This overall was very much an okay read for me. I was frustrated when Penelope didn’t join Ruby in the lifeboat and the last third or so where they’re separated was honestly pretty traumatic. Not unsurprising given it’s set during the sinking of the Titanic (and there are content notes in front matter!) but the trauma almost overshadows the romance for me, so even though the epilogue is sweet I almost feel there wasn’t enough page time with Ruby and Penelope being happy and in love.

The first half of this book I absolutely adored. I really like our main character and the author did a great job transporting me to this setting. The main character and the love interest have amazing chemistry and I loved seeing their relationship develop. The only problem I had in the first half was that it was just a bit too insta-lovey for me but I was expecting the second half to develop their relationship even more and the insta-love to not bother me that much anymore. However the romance was just completely thrown out of the window in the second half. The Titanic starts sinking and all of the sudden the book was just about our main character trying to survive. It just felt like a completely different book from the first half. I think the second half was just a bit too dragged out and I would have liked it more if it was a bit more condenced, or perhaps just had more romance in it. So yeah, I ended up pretty dissapointed by this book.

Thank you netgalley for providing an ARC in exchange for a review

A lesbian romance on the Titanic.
While I tend to prefer slow-burn kind of romances, I found this story cute. Penelope and Ruby share a cabin on the Titanic and they're attracted to each other. We get to read about their little adventures on the boat.
The characters are nice and the plot is interesting.

If you are sensitive to topics relative to drowning, or are afraid of water, this book might not be for you (the book contains a page with content warnings, which I appreciated).

I am an absolute wreck right now. I love everything related to the Titanic, and I knew what was going to happen to the ship, yet I SOBBED. This was so, so well done.

The pacing was perfect; I could feel the connection between Penelope & Ruby in the time between when they met and when the crash occurred, but it wasn’t insta-love. Penelope even acknowledged that - it wasn’t love, but what they went through in the short time since meeting tied their souls. To me, their feelings felt more believable this way.

What really broke me (in a good way) was Penelope’s parents. The development of their familial relationship within the book was unexpected by perfect, and made me cry so much that my husband literally came to check on me because he could hear me from the other room. I also really enjoyed reading about Ruby’s family. The bond they had, that they quickly welcomed Penelope into, was lovely. I loved Penelope’s moments with Ruby’s father & brother-in-low, and part of me wishes I could have read about Penelope explaining it to Ruby, but I understand why it was done off page and appreciated that it was actually noted that that was going to be a topic for another day.

I enjoyed the epilogue, and although it had a pretty sad edge to it, I think what was talked about was important & am so glad that even in a story as tragic as the Titanic, a happy ending was able to come out of it.

Thank you to Entangled Publishing & NetGalley for the opportunity to read an advanced copy of this book!