User Reviews
Rating: really liked it
This book was a 2 ½ rounded up to a 3. My review is going to be different from many that I’ve read so far. This book first had me disliking it, then liking it, then disliking it again. It didn’t help I guess that I had just watched Titanic with my granddaughter for about the 10th time. Here’s what I thought.
There is such an extensive blurb for this book that I will just give you snippets of what the book is about. There are three different narrators, two that will be aboard the Lusitania in the past and one in the present, or at least 2013.
Caroline is the wife of a very wealthy industrialist Gilbert Hochstetter, she has felt that lately her husband has been preoccupied and not very attentive to her. She is hoping this trip to London will rekindle the marriage fires. Gilbert is definitely up to something, but what?
“Tessa Fairweather is traveling second-class on the Lusitania, returning home to Devon. Or at least, that’s her story. Tessa has never left the United States and her English accent is a hasty fake. She’s really Tennessee Schaff, the daughter of a roving con man, and she can steal and forge just about anything” Her sister Ginny is the one who talked her into this “job” aboard the Lusitania. She was under the impression that she was going to steal and then copy a long lost waltz by Strauss, but when she finds out this is about something much more she wants out of the job! She isn’t even sure of what she found in the safe, what is this extra sheet of paper with numbers, etc?????
Sarah Blake is a best selling author but in 2013 she is struggling to find her next big idea for a book. She breaks a promise to her mother and opens a chest that belonged to her great-great grandfather. She finds references to the sinking of the Lusitania and perhaps something else that might make for a great story. She decides to go to England to find John Landford whose family archives etc might hold the secret to what really happened on the Lusitania.
Confused yet? I certainly was. I usually don’t mind books that go back and forth in time, in fact I like that writing style, but this book did not flow smoothly for me. Add to that there are several romantic triangles, none of which were very convincing as the women kept changing their minds as to whom they loved.
I felt that there were many comparisons to the story of the Titanic in the beginning including the description of the opulence aboard the ship, etc. Tess also just happened to be a remarkable sketch artist, very, very talented, sound familiar??
When I researched the sinking of the Lusitania, just through Goggle, it seemed crazy that the ship even sailed when the Germans had warned the US and Britain that they would attack any ships sailing in a war zone. According to the book they were supposed to have an escort by the British Navy but there is no history to support that according to what I found.
I really wanted to like this book but it ended up being just an o.k. read for me and at times really confusing and annoying to sort out. I’m giving it 3 stars because the premise was a good one and there was some good writing here.
I received an ARC of this novel from the publisher through Edelweiss.
Rating: really liked it
4 absorbing stars to The Glass Ocean! ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️
I’m a fan of each of these authors, and when they joined forces previously to co-author The Forgotten Room, magic happened multiplied by three. My brief gushing review of The Forgotten Room is on Goodreads.
The Glass Ocean is a historical mystery blending time and place across three narrators, two a century in the past, and one in the present.
In 1915, Caroline Telfair Hochstetter is a southern belle married to Gilbert, who was once attentive to her but is now distant and overworked. She plans a trip for them to London aboard the Lusitania in the lap of luxury and hopes it will be a turning point in their marriage. At the same time, an old male friend of hers is also aboard the ship, and Caroline feels a connection to him, while also restless and discontent; not exactly how she expected to feel on this alluring vacation.
Also in 1915, Tessa Fairweather is aboard the Lusitania, and she is returning home to Devon, but that is not exactly the truth. Tessa is an American with a fake accent to boot. In truth, she’s the daughter of a famous con, and is a con in her own right, but she craves an end to that part of her life. Her partner has one more trick in mind, and then they can move on with life.
In the present day, Sarah Blake is a bestselling author with troubled finances. She finds herself opening a chest she had promised her mother she would not open. It belonged to her great-grandfather who passed away on the Lusitania in 1915. She discovers a mystery and travels to London for help in solving it.
Everyone knows what happens to the Lusitania on that fateful day. With one chapter ending and the next beginning with one or two words from the previous, the masterfully blended narratives build the tension of the mystery at its heart.
I loved all three characters. They are strong women with secrets to hide and brave stories to tell. There’s a love triangle and a mystery with a backdrop of the Lusitania steaming forward towards its tragic demise. Seamless writing, a sense of adventure, and exceptional storytelling define The Glass Ocean, and I hope these three authors come together again for another spellbinding read!
Thank you to William Morrow for the complimentary ARC. All opinions are my own.
My reviews can also be found on my blog: www.jennifertarheelreader.com
Rating: really liked it
Beatrix Williams, Karen White, and Lauren Willig's collaboration was flawless, beautiful, and riveting. These three authors have seamlessly woven together the lives of three strong, smart, and brave women. Caroline and Tess are two women from very different circumstances who find themselves onboard the Lusitania in May of 1915. Where they find themselves tangled up in elicit love, scandal, and beTrayal. Caroline was sophisticated and charming while Tess was feisty and tenacious, but these two ladies will find themselves forever bonded together I tragedy and love. Sarah is a present day struggling author trying to find the perfect storyline for her next book when she comes across her great grandfather's chest. The information inside the chest contains some information about the Lusitania that could alter the perception of history. The story was exquisitely told, flowing together perfectly as the narrative bounced between these three women. I was never confused and I think this was helped by the fact that I listen to this on audio. The book had three amazing narrators who gave the perfect unique voice to each of these characters. A remarkable story equal parts romantic and mysterious. Atmospheric and evocative this book will transport you to the opulence of the Lusitania and then to the horror of tragedy. The present day story was equally as absorbing. I loved watching Sarah piece all the clues together.
This book really made me quite curious about the Lusitania and why it hasn't been romanticize as much as the titanic, almost the same amount of lies were lost in both tragedies. It also made me wonder why in the world would the US allow a passenger ship to sail across the ocean in the middle of a war? Especially because according to history Germany said they would sink the ship, and they were true to their word. Sounds like a terrible vacation, if Caroline and her husband Gilbert had gone to the Grand Canyon none of this would've happened. But then I guess we wouldn't of had this exceptional story!
This book in three emojis: 🛳 🎼 ✒️
Rating: really liked it
Booking passage on the Lusitania or any ship during WWI would not seem like a good idea to me, but Caroline Hochstetter and Gilbert needed to get closer, and figured this would be a wonderful way to help their relationship. Did Gilbert really agree to the reason they were going on the Lusitania or did he have ulterior motives?
Along with Caroline and Gilbert on a ship in waters that German submarines were prowling, we meet Tess, a female thief, who needed to steal valuable music sheets to pay her bills. We also meet Robert Langford, a man who has been in love with Caroline since the first day he saw her many years ago.
All of the characters had a reason to be on the Lusitania, and the reasons were all different.
Meanwhile the story line moves from the 1915 Lusitania story to present day and introduces the reader to a struggling author, Sarah Blake, who found a trunk containing things of her great grandfather’s who perished on the Lusitania. This mystery centered around what could these things have to do with Robert Langford and the story.
And.....what could Sarah, Caroline, and Tess have in common all those years apart. We knew why Robert was there even though it actually was a coincidence that he and Caroline were booked on the same ship.
THE GLASS OCEAN weaves all of these characters together taking us on a ship that was to be a luxury cruise but leads to intrigue, mystery, death, and secrets.
The writing is flawless and beautiful even though I was a bit confused at first about how it all was to fit together. Learning the history of the Lusitania, the life style and protocol of the ship’s passengers, and having no sea legs along with the passengers kept my interest.
THE GLASS OCEAN is another marvelously researched book that smoothly moves from chapter to chapter and gives the reader a marvelous history lesson.
One chapter ended and the next began with a take off from one or two words that ended the previous chapter.
ENJOY when you read the newest gem by these lovely, talented ladies. 5/5
This book was given to me as an ARC by the publisher. All opinions are my own.
Rating: really liked it
DNFed at 45%; this wasn’t awful, but the writing is very low-quality and the narrative very unengaging. It takes an ocean disaster and turns it into a story of a love triangle and a disgraced writer.
And how about that love triangle, huh? One criminal, one southern belle, and the only dynamic the authors could think to put between these two women was a love triangle. Which I found very disappointing.
And the modern-day plotline is downright boring. We’ve established a conflict between which of these historical women will make it out and which will either die / not get the guy, but the modern-day character has barely any influence on the plot. Not a fan.
Of course a book can work despite a somewhat tropey and trite plot, but I found myself very uninvested in the characters, despite getting 180 pages into the novel. And though I can feel a buildup to revelations I’m sure will be interesting enough, I can safely say right now that I won’t find this very memorable given my personal tastes.
Rating: really liked it
Three different narratives, one sinking ship. What is not to love here? This story is centered around the sinking of The Lusitania ship and is told in present day from a writer investigating a distant family member who was aboard, and two women, both of whom are hiding something - albeit very different things! I can say with confidence you will greatly enjoy watching how all three stories converge throughout this beautiful novel.
I received an advance copy. All opinions are my own.
Rating: really liked it
EXCERPT: When I wasn't in a hurry, when I was just strolling or even sitting on a bench, eating a hot dog with ketchup and mustard but no onion, I liked to study them, my fellow New Yorkers. I liked to pick someone out from the crowd, some man in a suit, loosening his tie, checking his watch. I tried to divine his life, his history, the peculiar secrets hidden in his past. Mom used to tell this story about the dinner parties they once had, before Dad left, and how I used to peek through the bannister when I was supposed to be sleeping and watch the guests, and how, in the morning, I would bombard her with questions about them, who was married to whom, who did what for a living, who came from where and had how many siblings. And I used to think this story of hers was true. I used to think I was born for my career.
Now I wasn't so sure.
ABOUT THIS BOOK: From the New York Times bestselling authors of The Forgotten Room comes a captivating historical mystery, infused with romance, that links the lives of three women across a century—two deep in the past, one in the present—to the doomed passenger liner, RMS Lusitania.
May 2013
Her finances are in dire straits and bestselling author Sarah Blake is struggling to find a big idea for her next book. Desperate, she breaks the one promise she made to her Alzheimer’s-stricken mother and opens an old chest that belonged to her great-grandfather, who died when the RMS Lusitania was sunk by a German U-Boat in 1915. What she discovers there could change history. Sarah embarks on an ambitious journey to England to enlist the help of John Langford, a recently disgraced Member of Parliament whose family archives might contain the only key to the long-ago catastrophe. . . .
April 1915
Southern belle Caroline Telfair Hochstetter’s marriage is in crisis. Her formerly attentive industrialist husband, Gilbert, has become remote, pre-occupied with business . . . and something else that she can’t quite put a finger on. She’s hoping a trip to London in Lusitania’s lavish first-class accommodations will help them reconnect—but she can’t ignore the spark she feels for her old friend, Robert Langford, who turns out to be on the same voyage. Feeling restless and longing for a different existence, Caroline is determined to stop being a bystander, and take charge of her own life. . . .
Tessa Fairweather is traveling second-class on the Lusitania, returning home to Devon. Or at least, that’s her story. Tessa has never left the United States and her English accent is a hasty fake. She’s really Tennessee Schaff, the daughter of a roving con man, and she can steal and forge just about anything. But she’s had enough. Her partner has promised that if they can pull off this one last heist aboard the Lusitania, they’ll finally leave the game behind. Tess desperately wants to believe that, but Tess has the uneasy feeling there’s something about this job that isn’t as it seems. . . .
As the Lusitania steams toward its fate, three women work against time to unravel a plot that will change the course of their own lives . . . and history itself.
MY THOUGHTS: It always intrigues me when people work together to produce a novel. I always wonder who wrote what, or if they all sit around a table and thrash it out. . . Mostly it seems to work, occasionally it doesn't, but The Glass Ocean is definitely a success story.
Reminiscent of the writing of Fiona Davis, The Glass Ocean flows seamlessly from one character's story to the next, from one time period to the next, and back again. The writing is rich in detail. The three women at the centre of this story have hidden depths, their strengths brought to the fore in adversity.
Throw into this mix seduction, subterfuge, Spies, false identities, forgery, romance and infidelity, and you have all the ingredients of a block-buster of a novel.
The three narrators did a wonderful job.
😍😍😍😍
THE AUTHOR: Beatriz Williams is the New York Times, USA Today, and internationally bestselling author of The Summer Wives, The Secret Life of Violet Grant, A Hundred Summers, A Certain Age, and several other works of historical fiction. A graduate of Stanford University with an MBA in Finance from Columbia University, Beatriz worked as a communications and corporate strategy consultant in New York and London before she turned her attention to writing novels that combine her passion for history with an obsessive devotion to voice and characterization. Beatriz’s books have won numerous awards, have been translated into more than a dozen languages, and appear regularly in bestseller lists around the world.
Born in Seattle, Washington, Beatriz now lives near the Connecticut shore with her husband and four children, where she divides her time between writing and laundry. (Taken from the author's website)
DISCLOSURE: I listened to the audiobook of The Glass Ocean by Beatriz Williams, Lauren Willig and Karen White, narrated by Vanessa Johansson, Saskia Maarleveld and Brittany Pressly, published by Harper Audio, via OverDrive.
All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions. Please refer to my Goodreads.com profile page or the about page on sandysbookaday.wordpress.com for an explanation of my rating system. This review and others are also published on my blog sandysbookaday.wordpress.com
Rating: really liked it
4.5 rounded up to 5 brilliant Stars over the Glass Ocean!
Several theories are still argued surrounding the sinking of the Lusitania in 1915. Was she merely a British passenger ship sailing back to England through dangerous waters during their war with Germany? Was she also carrying active munitions or just shells as was stated on the ship's manifest? What caused the second blast on the opposite side of the ship directly after the torpedo hit? Some questions have been answered, some are still left unanswered to this day. This version of that maritime tragedy, over 100 years ago, is historical fiction at its best.
The three authors, respectfully known, heretofore as 'W3' (Williams, Willig, and White), conceived this story which intertwined two women of completely different, socioeconomic backgrounds boarding the Lusitania in NYC in 1915, and one woman in present day 2013, looking for answers about her relative, an employee aboard the ship. First, Caroline Hockstetter, beautiful, refined and married to the very wealthy Gilbert Hockstetter, a new, successful businessman not yet completely welcomed into New York's society elite. Next, we have commoners, Tess, primarily, and her sister Ginny, two con-women, trained by their father from an early age, preparing to extract a few precious items from the Hockstetter's in a variety of clever ways. Third, is Sarah Blake, a best-selling author who’s investigating documents that were found on the body of her great-grandfather, Patrick, the first-class steward assigned to the Hockstetter’s suites. In these documents, is an envelope addressed to Robert Langford, Jr., a charming, wealthy British gentleman, along with a note about, “no more betrayals.” Sarah wants to know what they mean!
The tale is written in the voices of the three women, in the two time periods of 1915 and 2013, later adding secondary characters and a descendant or two. Every story line is so well crafted you’ll have to be “on your toes’ to stay in the game. At times I felt I was reading an Agatha Christie Mystery. No one is whom they seem to be, especially aboard the ship. Everyone wants to get their hands on the original manuscript of an unfinished Strauss’ Waltz, owned by the Hockstetter’s. The value is enormous, but some believe it’s more than just music, that there’s a secret message coded in with the clefs and notes buried in the score.
Surely a puzzle to solve amid war-time where anything can happen, and anyone is suspect. Fact and fiction are well combined in this absorbing novel wrapped around one of the tragic events that eventually led the U.S. into WWII.
I highly recommend this book.
Rating: really liked it
4.5 stars
There’s a soft spot in my heart for stories about naval disasters. I read an interesting book specifically about the Lusitania, which was sunk in 1915 by a German U boat, a few years ago. The Glass Ocean was a nice compliment to my pre-acquired knowledge of this event. However, make no mistake, the focus of this book is not so much the sinking of the Lusitania, but rather the complex relationships between several of the passengers on board. It is about war, deception and love.
I won’t go into the plot details but this book was full of hidden surprises. There is a modern day timeline in which a historian is trying to uncover what really happened aboard the ship. The story alternates between two perspectives in 1915 -Caroline and Tess. I’m a huge fan of Beatriz Williams for her flare and glitz in the telling of her historical fiction. For readers unfamiliar with this author’s genre, be prepared for romance, betrayal and unrequited love. This book did not disappoint! And although I’m not as familiar with the other two authors, I thought the story was seamless and flowed well.
If you’re in the mood for some decadent historical chick lit, look no further. If you’re hoping for a story focusing more on the actual events of the sinking of the Lusitania, look elsewhere.
Rating: really liked it
Three narrators, three authors and two points in history.
With three experienced authors at the helm, I find myself curious how they went about this book. How did they divy up the sections, the characters, and how did they decide to write about this time period? Maybe more research will answer those questions for my intriguing frame of mind as I finish this novel.
Alternating story lines take us through present day Sara Blake- an author who is looking for a new biography, one with a key to her past. The other time frame brings us to the RMS Lusitania as it takes its fateful ride from NYC to the United Kingdom. It this time frame, we are introduced to Caroline Hochstetter a southern belle riding over with her husband and a piece of original music. Lastly we have Tess Fairweather-- a gal that is looking to start a new life and trying to pull off one final con with her sister.
I enjoyed a historical perspective of some of the passengers and their lives as they journeyed on this tragic voyage. It certainly offered a more humanized reference point to this incident and while I've already read Dead Wake this added the human factor-- that always needs to be considered when exploring some of these dark moments in our history. The writing was good and the plot was good but just not great. I think these writers could have brought more depth and provided more emotional pull. I'm not sure if it was the multiple story lines or the surface level of the characters but I had a hard time rooting for these characters. There were a few other factors that constantly seemed to be brought up that added no relevance (at least that I could tell) to the novel.
I enjoyed this journey from the comfort on land but felt a little too neatly wrapped up for my liking.
Rating: really liked it
Truly wonderful. Unputdownable. A captivating historical mystery that links the lives of 3 women - 2 from the past and 1 from the present - to the doomed passenger liner RMS Lusitania.
A stunning read, beautiful and real characters: on the luxurious but I'll fated Lusitania.
Rating: really liked it
This is another collaboration of Lauren Willig, Beatriz Williams and Karen White. it is a historical mystery based on the sinking of the Lusitania. It features three narrators, was one from present day and two from the past.
This novel has everything, mystery, romance and espionage and a beautiful setting of a luxury ship.
1915-Caroline Hochstetter is on board with her husband Gilbert and are booked as 1st class passengers.Gilbert is very busy receiving telegrams and disappearing to mysterious meetings. What are these meetings about what is he hiding? Also on board is Caroline’s childhood friend Robert Langton.
He always seems to show up when Caroline needs him the most.
1915- Tess is an accomplished forger and is traveling with her sister Ginny.
They are 2nd class passengers. Tess’s assignment is to break into Caroline and Gilbert’s safe and steal a rare waltz piece of music. She is to copy it and give it to her sister. Will see complete this task?
Sara is our present day story. Sarah is researching the mystery of the Lusitania for a new book. Sara’s great grandfather was on the ship and wanted to write his story.
Sarah puts the story together with her research. The stories are brilliantly woven together.
I found this book very intriguing and beautifully written. Quite a page turner.
I highly recommend it.
Rating: really liked it
In 2013 author Sarah Blake is struggling to come up with an idea for her book to follow on from the successful Small Potatoes. Finances are tight, especially given the expense needed for the care of her mother who has Alzheimer’s. Sarah needs an idea soon. Even her agent is losing patience with her. When she opens an old chest containing belongings from her great grandfather who died in 1915, it sparks an idea. But is requires research to a journey to England to enlist the help of disgraced member of Parliament John Langford. But will he help her? The 1915 story includes Caroline Hochstetter who is married to Gilbert. But the marriage has problems. Gilbert always seems too preoccupied with business dealings to allow her time and access into his life. Despite the dangers of travelling by sea during war time, Caroline hopes the trip on the Lusitania will help them reconnect. Robert Langford, an old friend who Caroline has feelings for, is on the same voyage. Tess Fairweather is also on the Lusitania, along with her sister Ginny. Tess is in second class. Ginny is acting very mysterious, trying to get Tess to take part in a scheme while keeping her distance from Tess on board the ship. There are rumours floating around about Germans on board. What will it mean for the ship and its passengers?
The opening of this book which has Sarah’s visit to a book club is both funny and sad as it highlights the problems experienced by authors at times. The acknowledgments tells us this scene is actually drawn from a real life experience. I liked Sarah as a character but couldn’t say the same for either Caroline or Tess. The story is co-authored by three authors and I don’t know if it was this concept that made it seem somewhat uneven. Or just my dislike for most of the characters. Maybe too it was a problem having just finished another book that had a ship sinking, but this one while it had a lot going on and spies and codes and all sorts of things hinted at, it never quite gelled for me. It was interesting enough to keep reading but not a book compelling me to pick it up each chance I got.
I am sure there was a lot of historical research went into this which is to be commended and the mystery aspect was interesting. But the historical romance aspect left me completely unmoved. It just seemed to chop and change too quickly. I found myself skimming and that is never a good sign. So, to sum up, an interesting read that just didn’t quite deliver all expected.
Rating: really liked it
Two timelines; the past, 1915 and the present, 2015. Three female characters take the main lead in this historical mystery.
But actually, if you want to get down to it, the above description gleaned from the book cover is not entirely true. There are more characters, both male and female, who preside in the story. And there are actually three major timelines; 1915, 2015 and 2017.
Three well known authors have co-authored this book and maybe that’s why I felt it was “pieced together” rather than a whole culminated effort. I don’t know if each of the 3 authors took it upon themselves to write from each of the three female character viewpoints with their own writing voice? Because there were some parts I enjoyed reading and it made sense, and then there were other parts that were disjointed and confusing. There were some characters I liked, some others were annoying. I wouldn’t call this an exciting book; it’s lightly mysterious. There’s some sexual behavior which in 1915, would be gossiped about and scorned upon, and scandalous to a person and their marriage.
The espionage portion of the story, while being key, was not built up as strong or exciting as it really could have been. It seemed to weakly thread along. I’m not looking for John Clancy and the likes to join the ranks of this writing team to take it up seven notches, I’m just saying if the plan was to spark up the spy/thievery bit, the writing did fall short there.
It took me a while to read this; longer than usual, which probably added to the overall disjointedness. It was not that kind of a book that I would feel the urge to hurry back to it and pick it up to find out what’s happening next. But I did forge on and I read it to the end.
The current day quest by Sarah and John, to search and uncover the truth of the ancestors and their past history was the part I liked reading the best. The fact that it panned out to be mildly romantic was an added plus to their part of the story.
Overall, I give this book 3 stars.
It could have been better; it could have been worse. It was just fair.
Rating: really liked it
THE GLASS OCEAN is a joint project by authors Beatriz Williams, Lauren Willig, and Karen White. It's a book about the fate of three women. Two of the women were on board the doomed passenger Line, RMS Lusitania. Although they differ in class. While Caroline Telfair Hochstetter is traveling in first class is Tessa Fairweather traveling in second class. But, both women's lives will intertwine...
Years later bestselling author Sarah Blake breaks her promise to her mother and often the old chest that belonged to her great-grandfather. He died when RMS Lusitania sank after a hit by a German U-Boat in 1915. What she finds makes her travel from the US to England. There she obtains help from John Langford to find out more about what she found in the chest...
I'm a fan of Beatriz William and have read almost all of her books. So far, haven't I read that many books by Lauren Willig and Karen White. I was, therefore, curious to see how this joint collaboration would work out for me. I would say it's a book that for me felt a bit predictable, and I struggled a bit with the storylines from 1915. It's a risk while reading a book with a dual storyline that you will find yourself more taken with one of them. In this case, there are three women's stories we are following and I found Caroline's storyline to be the one I had the hardest time enjoying. It could be the fact that she suddenly out of the blue started to have feelings for another man while at the same time being in love with her husband. I just couldn't find myself truly enjoying this triangle drama. I found Tess's story, and her character to be more much interesting and engaging to read about. Especially as her story started to mix more and more with Caroline's. And it's Tess's interaction with Caroline that makes Caroline a bit more interesting to read about.
Then we have Sarah Blake. Without a doubt was it the modern storyline that I liked the best. I enjoyed her hunt for the truth. Her growing closeness to John Langford. Sarah for me was the character I found I liked so much that I almost groaned when it was time to go back to the 1915s. Although there is one event, one so totally frustrating towards the end of the book. That typical "let's throw in a predictable problem between Sarah and John," that almost made me scream with annoyance. I had myself a face-palm moment there.
Still, I liked the ending. And, part of me wanted more. I had wanted to learn more about what happened after RMS Lusitania sank, not just snippets at the end. And, I loved that Beatriz Williams threw in a connection to her own books in that there were two ladies on the ship with a familiar surname...
I want to thank William Morrow for providing me with a free copy through Edelweiss for an honest review!
