We see Bane struggle with the sins of his past, and his need to protect the very few people he cares about make him the epitome of a tragic hero.Ī character like Bane needs strong counterpart, and Lydia Pallas is no doormat heroine. As we learn his backstory, his motivations become clear, especially his obsession with redemption and revenge.

Our hero, Alexander Banebridge, is an enigmatic loner. Only one element in the narrative bothered me enough to add a minus instead of a plus to the letter grade, but it’s one that’s central to the story. Your characters are complex and memorable, and the setting and suspense had me in a full-on book trance even on the second and third reads. I’ve read Against the Tide three times now, and I’ve been sitting on this review for months because I’m both enthralled and a bit conflicted. When Bane hires Lydia to translate a seemingly innocuous collection of European documents, she hesitantly agrees, only to discover she is in over her head.

However, it is her talent for translation that brings her into contact with Alexander Banebridge, or “Bane,” a man who equally attracts and aggravates her. She adores her apartment overlooking the bustling Boston Harbor, and her skill with languages has landed her a secure position as a translator for the U.S. Now, she’s finally carved out a perfect life for herself – a life of stability and order with no changes, surprises, or chaos of any kind. I’m always on the hunt for new and different in romance, and when it comes in the form of an inspirational historical suspense story centering on the opium trade in late 19 th-century Boston – with a gorgeous cover as a bonus – I am helpless to resist.Īs a child, Lydia Pallas became all too familiar with uncertainty when it came to the future. Kelly A- Reviews / Book Reviews 19th century / American historical / Boston / Historical / historical romance / Historical Romances / inspirational / romantic-suspense 15 Comments REVIEW: Against the Tide by Elizabeth Camden