Queen of the Waves by Janice Thompson

When pampered Jacqueline Abington secretly elopes with the family gardener, she asks another woman to take her place on the much anticipated maiden voyage of the Titanic. Tessa Yarborough hails from a poor corner of London but has been granted the opportunity of a lifetime--a ticket to sail to America aboard a famed vessel. But there's a catch: she must assume Jacqueline's identity. For the first time in her life, Tessa stays in luxurious quarters, dresses in elegant gowns, and dines with prestigious people. Then a wealthy American man takes an interest in her, and Tessa struggles to keep up the ruse as she begins falling for him. When tragedy strikes, the game is up, and two women's lives are forever changed.

Goodreads Summary


Queen of the Waves is a fantastic Titanic story. First off, the movie absolutely traumatized me. I was in the third grade and saw people jumping from the ship, Jack freaking died… oh my god!  I was a mess. That’s why when I saw this book had something to do with the Titanic, I was leery. I’ve never read a book on the Titanic, so I thought I’d give it a try. You don’t hear screams in a book.

Jacqueline is privileged; her parents want her to marry someone she doesn’t love. Instead, she fell for the gardener, Peter. She wants to stay where she is, she does not want to live in her grandmother’s house, and the two of them make plans to get Peter’s sister, Tessa, on board instead. Tessa is abused by her father. Peter wanted a better life for his sister, so the plan was set. Tessa went through training to become an heiress and was finally ready for her voyage. Little did they know, this little devious plan would affect them greatly… and not for the good.

This book didn’t disturb me at all like the movie. Instead, it was an enjoyable ride. Don’t get me wrong, the sinking of the ship was still awful to read about, but the plot was so interesting I had to know what was next. Jacqueline and Tessa are strong characters who know what they want. It’s hard being a woman during those times, but both of them held their heads up high and took on the world. Just because you know the ending of Titanic doesn’t mean you know the ending of the characters. My heart bled and soared with the characters’ feelings. The plot had nice pacing; I didn’t skim any pages. There wasn’t a lot of romance, which was fine with me… it didn’t take anything away from the plot. If you’re like me and are iffy about a Titanic book, don’t worry about this one. I recommend it for you too!

4 Stars

*Reviewed by Rachel*

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