The Duke of Wexford’s life is shattered when his wife leaves him for another man. It’s not that Blake Sanders loves his wife. It’s more that he is aghast at the scandal her leaving him will cause to the position he holds dear in society. The Duke’s pride is shattered by what he considers her betrayal. Their marriage had not been perfect but what had his estranged wife expected? Love? Members of society’s elite did not marry for love. Position, wealth and influence are the only reason to marry. If dealing with his wife’s betrayal is not enough, he has the added nuisance of a vulgar American spinster volubly crossing his path, wreaking havoc with his life.

Gertrude Finch is not the slightest bit impressed by the arrogant and conceited Duke of Wexford when she meets him whilst visiting her English cousin in London. She hears about the Duke’s mistresses and his wife’s heartbreak. She sees the sorrow in his children’s eyes. Blake Sanders is a faithless cad. Gertrude isn’t surprised at his wife’s defection. Sure, Blake’s handsome and rich but that doesn’t mean anything to Gertrude. She is an American; a stranger to London’s socially constrained circles. But still she knows a pompous, insensitive philander when she sees one. She is more than happy to give him the set down he so desperately needs. But after she and Blake are caught up in mad, spontaneous, passionate kiss, it is not only Gertrude’s composure that is shattered. Blake looks at Gertrude in a completely different light.

I loved Cross the Ocean. Gertrude is the perfect heroine. Smart, independent and not beyond saying what others are too scared to say. I love people who speak their minds. I enjoyed the evolving chemistry between Blake and Gertrude. It is wild, funny and desperately romantic. Gertrude is so outrageous and original and Blake is so totally out of his depth when faced with her. All the rules he has believed in and lived by start to mean nothing to him. The only thing that remains true in his heart is his passion for Gertrude. A passion that is strong enough and true enough to cross an ocean for. It’s a story about letting go of precious self-control and just being who you want to be. Cross the Ocean is about following your heart and throwing rules out the window, something that everyone at some stage has wanted to do. It’s all about passion, longing and the dumb things people do for love. I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Cross the Ocean is true romance at its best.


Reviewed by: Janet