
Cracks Beneath The Surface
A Titanic Novel
by Laura McCrum
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Pub Date May 28 2025 | Archive Date Jun 16 2025
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Description
Love. Scandal. Tragedy.
When Maddy weds the wealthy and influential John Jacob Astor IV, she believes she is stepping into a life of privilege, passion, and promise. But beneath the dazzling façade of high society, whispers of scandal, resentment, and betrayal threaten to pull her under. Shunned by New York’s elite for marrying a man nearly three decades her senior, Madeleine soon realizes that love in the gilded age comes at a price.
As the Astors embark on their homeward voyage aboard the RMS Titanic, fate sets a course neither could have foreseen. Amid the grandeur of the world’s most luxurious ship, tensions rise, secrets unravel, and the ocean stretches endlessly before them—along with the chasm widening in their marriage.
But when disaster strikes, will love, wealth, or power matter in the face of the unthinkable? And when the ice cracks beneath them, will the Astors’ love survive—if they do?
Cracks Beneath the Surface is a sweeping historical romance woven with heartbreak, resilience, and the echoes of a love tested by time, fortune, and fate.
Are you ready to set sail on a journey of passion, peril, and the power of a love that dared to defy the tides of time? Get your copy today and discover the story behind the headlines.
Available Editions
ISBN | 9781068469602 |
PRICE | |
Links
Available on NetGalley
Featured Reviews

I'll read just about anything that has to do with the Titanic and this was just so good! All the scandal, hope, love, sorrow, and everything that goes with the Titanic are a part of this wonderful story. I can't wait to read more by McCrum! Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for my digital ARC!!

Beautiful
Thank you to NetGalley and LMC Publications for an Advanced Reader Copy of Titanic: Tales of Love and Loss— Cracks Beneath the Surface by Laura McCrum in exchange for an honest review.
I’ve always been fascinated by the Titanic, but this is the first novel I’ve actually read about it, so I don’t have anything to compare it to. But, I really loved this book! It was a quick read, but very well-written. I thoroughly enjoyed the different perspectives we got— from a few people in first class, some of their maids, one in second class, and two in third class— it was fascinating to experience the same occurrences or the same day but from wildly different people and viewpoints.
I cried A LOT during the sinking of the ship— the author did an incredible job of writing the terror, grief, and strength that occurred during that horrible night, and I was truly not okay while reading those scenes (but in a good way, like in a necessary way that the people on-board the Titanic deserve).
My only critique is that I actually would’ve been okay with the book being a little longer and giving us a little more insight into each characters’ history and who they are. But we still got to know them and love them, so that’s a small critique for me.
This book is absolutely 5 stars from me.

💋 Scandal, steam, and a ship with a serious iceberg problem—what’s not to love?! I devoured Cracks Beneath the Surface like it was a first-class dessert, and lemme tell you, the drama is juicier than a Newport gossip circle. Maddy marrying a rich older man? Check. Society side-eyeing her into oblivion? Double check. Titanic-sized tragedy on deck? You bet your fancy bonnet. If you're into forbidden love, high-society claws, and gut-punch twists—get on board before this ship sails! 🥂🚢❄️

Cracks Beneath the Surface drew me in with its elegant, tragic depiction of love on borrowed time. Set against the opulence of the Titanic and the judgmental glare of Gilded Age society, Maddy’s journey from romance to reckoning felt both intimate and epic. I appreciated how the novel didn’t just focus on historical grandeur but also peeled back the layers of emotional vulnerability and sacrifice in a deeply personal way. It reminded me that even the most privileged lives can be shadowed by quiet heartbreak—and I couldn’t put it down.

Gilded Glamour Meets Icy Reality
What starts as a glittering fairytale on the arm of a tycoon unravels into a Titanic-sized tale of scandal, secrets, and a love tested beneath the weight of society and the sea.

My favorite Titanic story yet!!
I thoroughly enjoyed and loved every minute of this story.
I'm really at a loss because I never thought the elite upper class could be so mean to one of their own.
I am real proud of Madeline for holding her own against these mean people. I just wished that I could reach through these pages and give a hug that she so desperately wants and needs. I've really enjoyed in getting to know her and the other passengers too. Especially Clara and her cousin Ellen.
I didn't care much for John Jacob Astor at all. I thought him rather snobbish too but after awhile I thought about him as a person and how the world views him. It seem like he's pulled into two diverse worlds.
This author paints a vivid twist that life isn't all that it seems along with the people. They're fake as fake as the sun is real. I couldn't imagine being a part of that world nor do I want to.
I think though that I'd love to meet the ship herself and get her opinions if she could talk. Such a beautiful ship. Described so well that I felt like I was on board. But knowing what I know, I'd probably get off at Queenstown.
The author has done her research so very well. I especially loved the words written in Italic. These are the words that felt so powerful to me.
I'm thinking of Titanic and Maddy, Margot ,John, Caroline and Victor still. What would happen if Titanic had never sunk?
I'm giving this book 5 stars for a job well done and I will be adding this one to my shelf as well. I love anything Titanic.
I hated to see this story end. I feel as if I know Titanic and her passengers much better even though she only lasted 4 days which is really sad. All that hard work went to the bottom.
I highly recommend it.
My thanks for a copy of this beautiful story that I'm still thinking about long after it's over.
May Titanic and her passengers live on through these many different authors and may her story never end.
I was NOT required to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are mine.
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