Courtney McCaskill: The Sea Siren of Broadwater Bottom

The Sea Siren of Broadwater Bottom by Courtney McCaskill
Published by Hazel Grove Books on November 18, 2022
Genres: Fiction / Romance / Historical / General, Fiction / Romance / Historical / Regency
Pages: 300
Format: eBook
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Sometimes there’s a fine line between assessing the competition and consorting with the enemy…

Thanks to an imprudent wager made by his younger brother, Edward Astley has to win a classical translation contest being hosted by Oxford University. This means he’ll have to beat the latest star on the literary scene, the anonymous translator whose rendition of On the Sublime is taking Britain by storm. He’s supposed to be studying, but all he can seem to think about is Elissa St. Cyr, the redheaded daughter of his former tutor, who’s every bit as brainy as she is delectable.

Elissa has problems of her own. With her father’s health failing, she’ll soon need to support her mother and sisters through her translation work. And that means she needs to win the Oxford contest, so she can secure the one thing she has never had the opportunity to earn: an academic credential.

To make matters worse, she managed to get stuck in the middle of a pond during a thunderstorm, and the person who happened along to rescue her, witnessing her in the most humiliating moment of her remarkably humiliating life, was her ultimate beau idéal, the brilliant Edward Astley. Now Elissa keeps bumping into Edward everywhere she goes. Which would normally be wonderful …

… except she’s worried he’s going to figure out that she is the anonymous translator everyone is talking about.

The Sea Siren of Broadwater Bottom is a Regency Rom-Com featuring a bluestocking heroine and a virgin hero. It will appeal to fans of Tessa Dare, Sarah MacLean, and Julie Anne Long. Please note that the heat level is red hot!

This was a new to me author, and predictably I started in the middle of a series because this individual title was recommended.  Number 3 of the Astley Chronicles did not disappoint, and although you meet the MCs from the other books, this book worked great as a standalone.

I first have to say that academics in love is one of my loves, so having two classics nerds as MCs hit my sweet spot.  There is also no villainy or angst and it was a quick and easy read that I was committed fully to, including staying up late to read more.

Its not a grand spoiler, as it comes early on, that the MMC is a virgin (FMC is too) at the ripe age of twenty seven which is underrepresented in the genre and a good palate cleanser after reading about so many filthy boys.  I mean, I love the rake who got it going on, but this one (including the on page intimate scene) was just so sweet.  Like a lot of sweetness in this book.  But not a kisses only book, so if you can’t handle on page action you need to skip this one.

There are some mature subjects (misogyny, illness, complicated feelings) but nothing that wouldn’t be appropriate for most audiences, and there is no violence to speak of.

The supporting characters were really fantastic, especially an epistolary section that was very nearly lol.  I am definitely interested in reading more of this author and the series, in part because of that section of the book.

On the whole, I really enjoyed this book.  I will say it felt a bit different to me than things I have read recently.  More modern, like a contemporary rom com, particularly with pacing.  I think the author understands a lot about the genre so it’s not so much anachronistic as just really short and snappy which can work well with contemporary because you assume the reader has a lifetime worth of reference — so the author can make some assumptions and take some short cuts.  I am not convinced this always translated really well in this book to a historical romance.  It felt choppy, pulling me out of the story with a visceral rather than a thought of – oh, weird.  Some scenes needed more, especially with MC feelings or thoughts.  That might have bridged the gap.

Part of the conflict also gave me some feelings that teetered on the edge of antipathy toward the hero.  He is redeemed in the end, and I think in a way it feels authentic for the character’s journey but I can see a lot of readers having a hard time getting over it.  It got me thinking a lot about writing and readers and reviews, and how sometimes we want our heroes and heroines to be perfect and yet a story ultimately has to include a growth arc to be engaging.  I would be interested to learn how other readers reacted to this book but I also want to caution that if you are on the look out for a perfect hero, this guy probs ain’t it.  He is prejudice but in kind of a dumb high school boy way, so if that is likely to frustrate you I wouldn’t read; he is a dorkier Darcy in the way he presents his prejudice, and therefore its less charming.

I will be looking for more from this author, and recommend it for readers who want a wholesome, short and snappy read but are okay with some on page intimacy.