The Call of the Sea + Giveaway

A Viking Historical Romance

On the eve of her betrothal to a nobleman she’s never met, Rhiannon seeks comfort on the shores of the sea she loves so well. But instead of offering peace to her uneasy heart, the ocean heralds doom with the arrival of dreaded Viking ships. A vicious raid leads to the death of her beloved father and leaves Rhiannon’s life in tatters. Heartbroken, she travels to Ynys Mon where she takes up residence at the royal court of Owain Gwynedd.

Leif loves voyaging on the open water. As the son of a Viking chief, he’s accustomed to his people’s practice of plundering and looting. But when one of his companions ruthlessly kills an old man in front of the man’s beautiful daughter, Leif is haunted by the memory. Desperate to find forgiveness for the atrocity he allowed to occur, he’s offered a chance at redemption through the kindly teachings of an Irish priest and the unexpected arrival of a royal fugitive. Suddenly thrust into he midst of the Cymry’s political turmoil, Leif is reunited with the dead man’s daughter — Rhiannon. Forced to work side by side to uncover the truth behind the turmoil, they come to discover that love can grow from even the most tragic of beginnings. But with such in compatible backgrounds, surely a future together can never be theirs.

My Review:

I was drawn to the Celtic vibes of this story right from the cover and description. It takes place in both Wales and Ireland and the historical details are fantastic. Not a time period I am very familiar with and I ended up googling Vikings in Ireland and went down a fascinating rabbit trail of interesting facts. Love when a story inspires me to do more research! (and perfect for a March read! Happy St. Patrick’s day!)

Sian Ann Bessey delivers action, adventure and danger along with political intrigue which was was all kinds of nefarious. Plus there’s a star-crossed lovers trope that had me on tenterhooks wondering how Leif and Rhiannon would find a way to their happily ever after.

And Leif’s redemption story brings extra depth to the story. Going from worshiping multiple gods to finding the grace of the one true God made this read all the richer for me.

Beautifully written and expertly narrated by Robert Lewis Owen (yes, this is another book I listened to and I highly recommend this narrator!) I did find it difficult to grasp all the Welsh names, but I loved the accent. I imagine some of them would have made more sense if I could see the words written out as well as hear the Welsh pronunciation. But it didn’t hamper my ‘reading’ enjoyment and our main characters’ names are easily recognizable so that helps as well.

This stunning historical romance ticked all the boxes for me and I actually feel a little more knowledgable for having read it. 🙂 Wish my high school history lessons came in a package like this!

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

This giveaway is for a paperback or ebook copy — winner’s choice.

If you would like a chance to win a copy of The Call of the Sea, leave a comment below or email me at kavluvstoread AT yahoo DOT ca. If you add an email to your comment, remember to use AT and DOT instead of @ and . in order to protect yourself from spammers. If you enter the draw via email, please add the title to the subject line so it’s easy to spot your entry. Draw will be held and winner announced on Saturday March 4, 2023. Offer open to International Readers.

34 thoughts on “The Call of the Sea + Giveaway”

  1. Hi Kav, I love Sian Ann Bessey’s books! Such fascinating history and well-researched. Just to let you and others know, in the print copy there is a glossary of words, a genealogical outline, a map of the area, and even a QR code for a pronunciation guide you can access to hear Sian pronouncing the Welsh words. There are also some author’s notes to give added information. She grew up in that area, so that adds a lot of authenticity to the book. I’ll admit to flipping back and forth between the story and the maps and glossary about a thousand times! LOL This is where it helped immensely to have the print copy. So much easier! You don’t need to enter me in the drawing.

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    1. That’s great to know, Winnie. Thanks so much for sharing that. Makes me want to buy the book too. lol I could totally follow the story but if you asked me to name some of the secondary characters I’d draw a blank even though I know them and what they’ve contributed to the story — their names just sound like…well…sounds, I guess. lol But, listening, I knew who they were…just couldn’t conjure up the name if you asked me to. If that makes any sense. Love that the author provided a pronunciation guide as well as the fact that she’s Welsh born so knows what she’s talking…er writing…about!

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  2. Love the dual photo cover and how well it was done! “The Call of the Sea” sounds absolutely one that would pull you in. Love it when a story does that making it more than just a page turner. It’s also fun when reading a book has you so interested that you do further research on your own. And yes, it can indeed be a rabbit hole, but one that’s fun. Learning in any form is always good for us and when it’s enjoyable and our own doing, it’s so much more fun.

    Thank you for the great chance to win a copy!
    2clowns at arkansas dot net

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  4. I have not had the pleasure of reading Sean’s books yet & I have heard such wonderful things about her writing. That cover just draws you in….Celtic and Ireland, yes please!! Would love to have this beautiful book in my hands and on my shelf 😊😍

    teamob4 (at) gmail (dot) com

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      1. No worries, Trixi — my autocorrect wants to switch it to Sean all the time. So you don’t have a little edit button by your name? I guess I have super powers then. bwahahaha! She’s an amazing author and this is a wonderful book. Good luck!

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  6. Thanks for your review. This book cover has caught my eye a few times. Your review is helpful. This makes me want to read it. Thanks for the opportunity.

    Nora finding hope at yahoo

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  7. I haven’t read this author but your review and that cover has me adding it to my wishlist. leliamae54(at)aol(dot)com

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  9. I’ve often said that we’re in for a good history lesson with some of these books. I love that the authors make such an effort to give us this information. Would love to read this book. rrwalter34ATGMAildotcom

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