I loved this book; I could find no fault with it, no low points, no extraneous material and certainly, no boring passages or ramblings. Mr. Collins is clearly at the top of his storytelling game. Also, I was pleased to see the term "Inspired by True Events" on the cover. As Mr. Collins mentioned, there was little accurate information to be found about this account, and of course, there were no survivors. Much if not all of the dialogue had to be invented as well as the backstories of the crew and passengers, making this what I call "fictionalized history" (as opposed to historical fiction in which a story occurs at a particular time in history). If you like your history straight up, recounting only the available recorded facts, then Mr. Collins' books may not be for you, and in this case, there is not much to relate since the historical evidence is scanty. (It is not even known where all the bodies were buried.) However, I am comfortable with it as long as I know upfront that this is the approach the author is going to take.
Just when she's decided to leave the Town, Lady Cressida Belverst is forced to marry Lord Calan Haverston, the man who coincidentally knows a way out. Agreeing to marry for all the wrong reasons, can Cressida and Calan find out where their hearts truly belong?
***
It is impossible to leave the Town, but one woman is determined to escape with the help of her betrothed.
Lady Cressida Belverst has always been judged as a walking scandal. Oh, how she tries (on some rare occasions) to be proper! When her parents arrange for her to marry a rich lord, Cressida has had enough. She has to leave the Town because she will not be forced to live with a man she doesn't love. But what happens if the very man she's betrothed to is the only one who can help her get out?
Calan Haverston, the Lord of Easton, takes the risk and helps his betrothed by using his knowledge of the Town's secrets because he is as willing as she to stay free of marriage for reasons completely different. He has dark secrets he cannot share with her, and his life is not one he can likewise open to anyone. But what happens when she leaves after awakening desires he thought he has under control? And what happens when he finds himself longing for her?
Cressida goes to a completely different place, one she has only heard in stories and read in books, with hopes of finding what her heart has always longed for. But love, mystery and secrets will chase her and it will only be a matter of time before she realizes what her heart truly desires.
*This story is a standalone title in the Haverston Family series.