Cross The Ocean by Holly Bush

Title: Cross The Ocean
Author: Holly Bush
Genre: Historical Romance
Length: 258 pages approx

Available to purchase from Amazon and iTunes

Synopsis:

1871 . . . The very proud Duke of Wexford was about to have his orderly world blown apart. At the age of twenty-four, Blake Sanders had wed a beautiful, dutiful wife and she had borne him three children. But now as mid-life approached, the Duchess had the unheard of temerity to leave him! Too mortified by her behavior to mix in ton company, Blake sought companionship with his best friend and neighbor, Anthony Burroughs, and his wife Elizabeth. But Blake had forgotten the Burrough’s were entertaining a houseguest, Elizabeth’s distant cousin, a spinsterish ‘Amazon from America’.

Gertrude Finch, a champion for women’s rights, had long ago decided most men were useless other than Uncle Fred who’d raised her on his horse ranch near Chicago. While travelling with other Suffragists, Gert lectured women on the perils of passion and the value of independence but thought of neither when Blake kissed her. While opposite in nearly every way, other than an attraction neither could deny, their one night of passion would change her world, and send Gert scurrying her way back home across the ocean.

When Blake discovered his heir had stowed away on Gert’s ship, he set out on his own adventure to America, to bring the boy home and to see Gert once again. Traversing America’s vast wilderness, Blake discovered that Gert had changed his life. Whether riding the rails or meeting common folk, Blake saw a whole new way of living but most of all, he realized something about love. He found he was not immune, and his heart could love, and love deeply.

Author Bio:

Holly Bush was born in western Pennsylvania to two avid readers. There was not a room in her home that did not hold a full bookcase. She worked in the hospitality industry, owning a restaurant for twenty years and recently worked as the sales and marketing director in the hospitality/tourism industry.  Holly has been a marketing consultant to start-up businesses and has done public speaking on the subject.

Holly has been writing all of her life and is a voracious reader of a wide variety of fiction and non-fiction, particularly political and historical works. She has written four romance novels, all set in the U.S. West in the mid 1800’s. She frequently attends writing conferences, and has always been a member of a writer’s group.

Holly is a gardener, a news junkie, has been an active member of her local library board and loves to spend time near the ocean. She is the proud mother of two daughters and the wife of a man more than a few years her junior.

Author Links:
www.hollybushbooks.com
@hollybushbooks
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Holly-Bush/247399131941435

My thoughts:

When I started reading this book I thought Blake Sanders, the Duke of Wexford was an arrogant fool, I did not like him at all. He had a mistress no wonder his wife left him. Although in those days you married not for love and I think that is what is wrong. He did not love her, and proved that by sleeping with another woman. He wasn’t a good father either he had people to tend to them and never played with them or interacted with them.

In walks Gert Finch, his friends wife’s cousin from America. She seems to be a touch arrogant too, for 1871 anyway, in today’s world we would think nothing of it. There is something about her that Blake cannot resist. Gert on the other hand makes out she does not like him but she dream of him, he is her pirate. A mistaken night together leads Gert to despair and running of back to America. Not before Blake proposes to her and she refuses. Unfortunately Blake’s son William stows away on the same vessel and once Blake finds out instead of sending one of the hands to collect him Blake goes to find his son and Gert.

At the end of the book  felt Blake had changed a lot since the start of the book. My views of him changed a lot throughout and I did end up liking both him and Gert.

I have not read Holly Bush’s books  before but since reading this I would love to read more of her books.