Esther Bailey is Titanic’s newest recruit and one of the first female officers of her time. Although she’s braced herself for the duties ahead, she never expected to clash with her own mentor, First Officer Murdoch. His cool dismissal of her only turns colder as they bicker throughout their forced partnership, with Esther’s short temper challenging his own. But as Esther begins to prove her worth, blurring the line between subordinate and superior, she and Murdoch find themselves questioning what matters most: their careers . . . or the feelings they’re hiding from each other. As tragedy unfolds around them, will they overcome the sinking together and live to see daylight?
Blending fact with fiction, On the Edge of Daylight is a heart-wrenching historical romance that tells a different story of the RMS Titanic through the eyes of the crew, and shows the duty, loyalty, and sacrifice of two officers who were never supposed to fall for each other.
In this beautifully crafted historical romance about the journey and eventual sinking of the Titanic, debut author Beaumont weaves facts with fiction to create a transcendent tale. The author modestly points out that the novel is not a 100% accurate portrayal of the tragedy, but it’s close enough that readers will feel as if they have experienced the disaster personally. When feisty Seventh Officer Esther Bailey and her commanding officer, Will Murdoch, meet, cutting wit ensues—and the two quickly recognize their sparring as enticing foreplay. Rules prohibit a romance until the ship docks in New York, leaving simmering, suppressed sexual chemistry woven throughout the story. When the Titanic meets its date with destiny, Esther and Will realize that not everyone gets a tomorrow—and that their roles must give them the courage to help others. Vivid descriptions bring the reader onto the doomed ship as characters shrink in terror from the inevitable, pray for rescue, and grieve for the lost. Beaumont heartbreakingly chronicles survivor’s guilt wrapped in a history lesson, and ably portrays the heroism and honor of the men and women of the sea. This expertly characterized and tautly plotted story is an extremely impressive debut. (BookLife)
