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Cover of The Sea Child

The Sea Child

by Linda Wilgus

🌶️fade to black·spoiler

Why Read This?

You'll escape into a beautifully researched historical adventure that delivers both romantic fulfillment and a satisfying fight for independence.

Synopsis

In this enchanting, adventurous debut novel, a band of seafaring smugglers land on the Cornish coast, where a young widow with a mysterious past becomes entangled in their schemes—and with their charismatic captain—as she searches for answers of her own. England, early 1800 Destitute and forced to leave her home in London, Isabel, a young widow of the Napoleonic Wars, returns to the village on the rugged Cornish coast where she was found as a small child, dripping wet and alone. Hoping to learn more about her enigmatic origins, she’s shocked to find herself at the center of a local legend claiming she’s the daughter of a sea spirit. As Isabel adjusts to living on her own for the first time in her rented cottage, the village appears a refuge, but the coast is rife with smugglers and the Revenue Officers who hunt them. Then, one evening, a group of dangerous raiders arrive at her door, carrying their wounded captain, Jack. Remembering her late husband’s fatal injuries, Isabel decides to care for Jack and soon senses a powerful connection between them. Unable to forget him and their growing attraction once Jack recovers and leaves, Isabel decides to become involved with the smugglers. Meanwhile, the sea calls to her, and a Revenue Officer who likes to hang smugglers poses a threat in more ways than one. Soon, she finds herself caught on the wrong side of the law, with violence and heartbreak looming. From the coves of Cornwall to the wild coast of Brittany, during perilous raids at sea and society dinner parties, Isabel struggles to understand her kinship with the ocean while she seeks answers about her past. But when the threat catches up with them and Jack’s life hangs in the balance, she must draw on all her courage and delve deep into mythical heart of the Cornish coast. For only a Sea Child can turn the tide…

At a Glance

4.51 ★ Goodreads
Spice Level🌶️fade to black
Endingspoiler
PairingM/F
Romance Pacingmedium burn

Top Tropes

survival romanceadventure romancehidden past revealed

Mood

romanticadventurousmysteriousatmosphericdark

Book Details

Goodreads Rating

4.51 ★

Page Count

304 pages

Published

2026

Primary Genre

Historical Romance

Pairing

M/F

POV

Third Person

Romance Pacing

Medium Burn

Audiobook

Available

Yes

Format

Standard

Narrator

Unknown Narrator

Narrator Count

Single

Tropes

RomanceMagicActionAngstWorld
Theme Constellation

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Mood & Vibe

Mood

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Characters

FMC: damaged survivor sign in to unlock

Spice Details 🌶️

N/A

violencegrief

World & Setting

historical sign in to unlock

Reading Context

escape sign in to unlock

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