Review: Break Wide the Sea by Sara Holland

Break Wide the Sea by Sara Holland
My rating: 0 of 5 stars

I was provided both the ALC and ARC of this book via Netgalley, all opinions are my own.  

This follows Annie, head of the Fairfax family and the Fairfax Whaling Company, after a tragic accident at sea took the lives of both of her parents.  She must keep the stakeholders happy, take care of her younger siblings, and keep her curse from transforming her into a bloodthirsty monster.  All in a day's work, right?  Whales possess magical healing properties, but over hunting has caused their population to thin.  This brings more danger to the Fairfax company and those in its employ, but with the aid of her fiancée August, Annie is sure that they can make the stakeholders and the people who need the magic happy.  There is one other treat to whaling ships, the finfolk, ancient fae creatures who protect the seas and possess magic of their own.  Annie discovers that the finfolk may be able to lift her curse and that August may not have her best interest at heart.

I loved all of the twists and turns this had.  Annie is doing the best she can given all of the challenges she faces as a woman in charge of a traditionally male dominated business.  She is faced with keeping her curse a secret while trying to do the best for her family and the company, and trying to have a bit of a life for herself all at the same time.  When she learns that the people that are supposed to be on her side may have plans to betray her, she has to weigh her feelings, the facts, and what is right at every turn.  She learns that there are many secrets being kept and is torn between August and what she wants with him, and Silas and their growing friendship as he teaches her more about whaling and the finfolk.  As she spends more time at sea, she thinks her path forward becomes more clear but so many secrets and bargains may stand in her way.  I really enjoyed the world building and the character development.  I'm looking forward to the next book to find out how Annie's journey plays out and if she made the right choices.  

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