Carry Me Away, by Dorothy Adamek
After a tragic shipwreck off the coast of Australia in 1877, midshipman Tom Darley rescues passenger Ada Carmichael. They are the only survivors.
As Ada deals with the crushing loss of her entire family, she’s drawn to Tom’s kindness and strength. The newspapers whip up a frenzy of interest in the young couple and promise riches in exchange for stories and photographs and statues for the wax museum. For Tom, this would be the fulfillment of his dreams. Raised on the rough streets of Melbourne, he longs to start a hotel for weary travelers – and to marry the lovely Ada.
However, for Ada, the publicity promises to fulfill her worst nightmares, the very reason her family fled England in the first place. Now she flees to Phillip Island, to the home of newlyweds Shadrach and Finella Jones, a place to heal. But Tom follows. Can the press – and Ada’s greatest fears – be far behind?
Gorgeous and gripping, Carry Me Away is a novel you won’t forget. Ada and Tom’s deep attraction and clashing needs create a poignant love story, and Dorothy Adamek writes about grief and love in a way that is palpable and heartfelt. But the ending – oh, the ending! So sweet and triumphant and affirming that I want to tell everyone – except I want you to discover it for yourself. Let the lovely writing carry you away to picturesque Phillip Island, and be swept away by Tom and Ada’s tale.
This is the second novel in the Blue Wren Shallows series, but it stands alone. However, please don’t miss the first book, Carry Me Home, for Shadrach and Finella’s romantic and muddy tale (trust me, it works). See my review here.
